Department of Religion Bylaws

Approved:  October 29, 2001

SECTION I. INTRODUCTION

These by-laws are subject to and are consistent with the AAUP-WSU collective bargaining agreement with the Board of Trustees of Wright State University and with the by-laws of the College of Liberal Arts.

SECTION II. DEPARTMENTAL PROCEDURES

1. Membership. All fully affiliated members of Wright State University with appointments in the Department of Religion, who regularly teach department courses, are members of the department faculty.

2. Meetings and Agendas. The Chair will call at least one meeting of the department per quarter, or more often as needed to conduct business, or at the request of any member of the department. Prior to the meeting (typically a week) the chair will distribute an agenda for the meeting and call for any additional agenda items from the department faculty.

3. Voting. All members of the department faculty will have one vote at departmental meetings. Voting will be open response unless a faculty member requests that the voting for a particular issue use secret ballots.

4. Committees. Committee membership, unless specifically addressed elsewhere in these bylaws, shall be determined through voluntary department faculty participation, where this is feasible. If voluntary participation fails to fill committee membership, then a rotation basis shall be employed.
   

SECTION III. ANNUAL EVALUATION

1. A. DEPARTMENT FACULTY
   1. Procedures for Evaluation

      The chair will, after consulting with each bargaining unit faculty member, establish a weighting for the annual merit evaluation, normally within the following ranges:

      Teaching: 30% - 50%
      Research: 20% - 50%
      Service: 10% - 50%

      These percentages can be modified later in the year if the chair, after consulting with the faculty member, finds that circumstances have changed. The evaluation will be conducted according to criteria specified below:

   2. Criteria for Evaluation
      1. Teaching

         To receive a score of 1 (Adequate) in teaching, a faculty member must

         • give evidence of basic course preparation
         • meet classes regularly
         • receive teaching evaluations from students and peers that indicate no significant problems in the classroom

         To receive a score of 2 (Meritorious) in teaching, a faculty member must

         • give evidence of careful preparation of syllabi and tests
         • advise students effectively
         • be available for independent studies, when appropriate
         • receive teaching evaluations from students and peers that indicate a positive learning experience in the classroom

         To receive a score of 3 (Outstanding) in teaching, a faculty member must meet the above expectations and

         • give evidence of significant time and attention being devoted to teaching by, for example, the development of new courses, major revisions of current courses, experimenting with a variety of new teaching methods, the utilization of a variety of media and technologies in teaching, and performing other teaching related tasks as requested (senior theses, independent studies, Masters committees, and such)
         • receive teaching evaluations from students and peers that indicate a significant learning experience.

         To receive a score of 4 (Extraordinary) in teaching, a faculty member must meet the above expectations and

         • receive recognition from both peers and students that the quality of the teaching is well beyond the normal as demonstrated by excellent performance in a variety of classes and other instructional settings.
         • show evidence of special commitment to teaching and to sharing teaching strategies and developing new techniques
         • receive teaching evaluations from students and peers that indicate an exceptional learning experience.
           
         
         Faculty members who do not fulfill at least the requirements for Adequate will receive a score of 0.

         Documentation of Teaching

         The faculty member should submit documentation of his or her teaching. Such documentation should include syllabi, handouts and other classroom materials, tests and other instruments used for assessing learning, and a description of methods and technologies used in instruction.

         Teaching outside the traditional classroom setting also should be documented, including directing senior theses, serving on honors and masters thesis committees, supervising independent study, and facilitating extracurricular activities that advance the understanding of religion.

         Student evaluations must be a factor in the evaluation of teaching. Untenured faculty members will be evaluated on both numerical scores and narrative comments for peer evaluation. Tenured faculty members may submit numerical scores, but they are not required to do so. A tenured faculty member's decision not to submit numerical scores shall not result in negative consequences. Finally, student evaluations should constitute only one factor among several in rating the faculty member's teaching.

         Peer evaluation must be a factor in the overall evaluation of teaching. Peer evaluation will consist of review of documentation and evaluations described above by the other bargaining unit faculty members in the department and their ratings of these materials. Peer evaluation may also include classroom visitation. A written report of peer evaluations will be submitted to the department chair and the bargaining unit faculty member under review.

         Quantitative considerations such as number of new courses offered, number of students taught, and number of writing assignments, may factor into the evaluation process. However, all participants are expected to note carefully and credit appropriately indications of quality in teaching.

      2. Scholarship

         To receive a score of 1 (Adequate) in scholarship, a faculty member must

         • Maintain currency in the scholarship of the professor's own field.
         • Demonstrate that currency by contributing to the ongoing life of his or her discipline by attending a conference, chairing a panel, responding to a paper, publishing one or several book reviews, preparing a brief article or articles for a reference work, or the equivalent.

         To receive a score of 2 (Meritorious) in scholarship, a faculty member must

         • Maintain currency in the scholarship of the professor's own field.
         • Demonstrate that currency by contributing to the ongoing life of his or her discipline.
         • Present evidence of serious research by delivering a scholarly paper at a professional meeting, preparing a substantial article or articles for a reference work, publication of a non-peer reviewed article or chapter, co-authoring a paper in a peer-reviewed journal, editing an academic series, or the equivalent.

         To receive a score of 3 (Outstanding) in scholarship, a faculty member must

         • Maintain currency in the scholarship of the professor's own field.
         • Demonstrate that currency by contributing to the ongoing life of his or her discipline.
         • Present evidence of sustained research by publishing an article in a peer-reviewed journal, publishing a chapter in a peer-reviewed book, editing or co-editing a peer-reviewed book, revising and republishing a previously published book or textbook, or the equivalent.

         To receive a score of 4 (Extraordinary) in scholarship, a faculty member must

         • Maintain currency in the scholarship of the professor's own field.
         • Demonstrate that currency by contributing to the ongoing life of his or her discipline.
         • Present evidence of comprehensive research by publishing a peer-reviewed academic book, publish a peer-reviewed professional textbook in the appropriate field, publish 2 or more articles in peer-reviewed academic journals, publish 2 or more chapters in peer-reviewed academic books, or the equivalent.

         A faculty member will receive a score of 0 (Unsatisfactory) if during the past year there is no adequate indication either of work in progress or of maintaining currency in the scholarship of the professor's own field.

         Documentation of Scholarship

         The faculty member should submit documentation of his or her scholarly activities. Such documentation may include evidence of work in progress, in addition to evidence of completion of the project. For example, a draft of a publication, or part of a publication, may be submitted as evidence of work in progress; a contract may be submitted to demonstrate acceptance for publication; or the publication itself may be submitted to demonstrate successful completion of the project. A completed work may "count" as evidence for a ranking of Meritorious or higher, either when it is accepted for publication (as demonstrated by a contract, letter of acceptance, or the equivalent) or when it physically appears in print. It cannot "count" as evidence of completion of the project in more than one year.

         The Religion Department recognizes that sustained and comprehensive research is the product of many years labor. Research, writing, and revision of an article or book frequently takes more than one year. Such activity should be rewarded. Documented progress on a project, such as the draft of an article or book chapter, should be considered Meritorious, for it is evidence of serious research. Substantial progress on a major project or on several projects, such as the drafting or revision of several book chapters or articles, may be counted as Outstanding. A faculty member may receive "credit" for sustained work on a project over the course of several years, but in each successive year he or she must submit documentation of significant progress.

      3. Service

         All department members are expected to perform service.

         To receive a score of 1 (Adequate) in service, a faculty member must

         • participate in service at the departmental level (or the equivalent), by attending and constructively contributing to department faculty meetings, as well as participating in departmental committees and other service as needed.

         To receive a score of 2 (Meritorious) in service, a faculty member must
         

         • participate in service at the departmental level (or the equivalent).
         • participate in college, university, professional or community committees, programs, or initiatives.

         To receive a score of 3 (Outstanding) in service, a faculty member must

         • participate in service at the departmental level (or the equivalent).
         • participate in college, university, professional or community committees, programs, or initiatives that demand a significant time commitment, or involve significant projects.

         To receive a score of 4 (Extraordinary) in service, a faculty member must

         • participate in service at the departmental level (or the equivalent).
         • assume a leadership role in college, university, professional or community committees, programs, or initiatives that result in major initiatives or accomplishments.

         Documentation of Service

         The faculty member will list all service related activities and include a brief description of any committees, programs, or initiatives. This description will also note the frequency of meetings attended by the faculty member, or time devoted to the specific program or initiative. In determining the significance of service related activities, both quality and quantity will be considered.

2. B. ZUSMAN PROFESSOR OF JUDAIC STUDIES

   1. Procedures for Evaluation

   The chair will, in consultation with the Zusman Professor, establish a weighting for the annual merit evaluation, normally within the following ranges:

   Teaching: 30% - 50%
   Research: 20% - 50%
   Service: 30% - 50%

   These percentages can be modified later in the year if the chair, in consultation with the faculty member, finds that circumstances have changed. The evaluation will be conducted according to criteria specified below:

   2. Criteria for Evaluation

   1. Teaching

      The criteria for evaluation of teaching of the Zusman Professor are the same as listed above, for other Department of Religion faculty members.

   2. Scholarship

      The criteria for evaluation of scholarship of the Zusman Professor are the same as listed above, for other Department of Religion faculty members.

   3. Service

      Broad ranging service is an integral aspect of the position of the Zusman Chair of Judaic Studies. It is expected that the Zusman Professor will be active within the university and in the general community, promoting the importance of Judaic studies. The extracurricular activities of the Zusman Professor will be reflected in a reduced teaching load. The Zusman Professor will coordinate the activities of the Ryterband Symposium Committee, a collaboration of Wright State University, The University of Dayton and United Theological Seminary.

   To receive a score of 1 (Adequate) in service, the Zusman Professor must
   

   • participate in service at the departmental level (or the equivalent), by attending and constructively contributing to department faculty meetings, as well as participating in departmental committees and other service as needed.
   • coordinate the annual Ryterband Symposium
   • organize public lectures or programs at the university or in the community

   To receive a score of 2 (Meritorious) in service, the Zusman Professor must
   

   • participate in service at the departmental level (or the equivalent).
   • coordinate the annual Ryterband Symposium
   • organize public lectures or programs at the university or in the community
   • participate in college, university, professional or community committees, programs, or initiatives.
   • lecture in Judaic studies to local synagogues, churches or service organizations at least three times per year.

   To receive a score of 3 (Outstanding) in service, a faculty member must
   

   • participate in service at the departmental level (or the equivalent).
   • coordinate the annual Ryterband Symposium
   • organize significant public lectures or programs at the university or in the community
   • participate in college, university, professional or community committees, programs, or initiatives that demand a significant time commitment, or involve significant projects
   • present numerous lectures in Judaic studies to local synagogues, churches or service organizations.

   To receive a score of 4 (Extraordinary) in service, a faculty member must
   

   • participate in service at the departmental level (or the equivalent).
   • coordinate the annual Ryterband Symposium
   • organize significant public lectures or programs at the university or in the community
   • participate in college, university, professional or community committees, programs, or initiatives that demand a significant time commitment, or involve significant projects
   • present numerous public lectures in Judaic studies to local synagogues, churches or service organizations.
   • assume a leadership role in college, university, professional or community committees, programs, or initiatives that result in major initiatives or accomplishments in Judaic studies

   Documentation of Service

   The faculty member will list all service related activities and include a brief description of any committees, programs, or initiatives. This description will also note the frequency of meetings attended by the faculty member, or time devoted to the specific program or initiative. In determining the significance of service related activities, both quality and quantity will be considered.

SECTION IV. PROMOTION, TENURE, AND RETENTION

1. DEPARTMENT FACULTY
   1. Procedures

      Committee Composition: The Promotion, Tenure and Retention Committee of the Department of Religion shall consist of its tenured associate and full professors (one of whom will be chosen to chair the committee). In considering particular cases the committee may choose to invite external members who have appropriate expertise. The tenured members of the department bargaining unit, the candidate and the chair shall agree upon the list of external members to be invited to serve on the Promotion and Tenure Committee. In the case of an untenured faculty the external members will serve from the beginning of the candidate's probationary period. There will be a minimum of three voting members for considerations of promotion to associate professor and a minimum of five for considerations of promotion to professor, with at least three of them holding the rank of professor. The chairperson of the Department is an ex officio member of the committee who may neither vote nor chair the committee. The person under consideration will be excused from the committee while his or her case is being considered.

      Committee Tasks:

      • Evaluate candidates for promotion and or tenure.
      • Evaluate the cumulative progress of all assistant and associate professors toward promotion and/or tenure.
      • Evaluate and make recommendations to the chair regarding the performance of any instructors or faculty members not on tenure track.

      The Promotion and Tenure Process: The purpose of these procedures is to insure a full, free, and fair hearing for each case. Any department member wishing to be considered for promotion and/or tenure shall submit his or her request in writing to the Department chair by June first. Upon notification by the Department chair, the chair of the Promotion and Tenure Committee will meet with the candidate to discuss preparing the file and other procedural issues. This meeting should occur as soon as possible, but no later than June fifteenth. In consultation with the chair of the Promotion and Tenure Committee, the candidate will prepare the promotion and/or tenure document according to the procedures outlined in the current collective bargaining agreement. In order to allow full consideration of the case by the Promotion and Tenure Committee, it is recommended that the candidate complete the document by October first.

      At least one week prior to any meeting, each member of the Promotion and Tenure Committee will be provided with a copy of the candidate's promotion and/or tenure document and will be given access to all relevant articles, and all supporting materials. The committee will have at least two meetings at least one week apart. The first meeting will review all the elements of the case and provide an opportunity for each committee member to express opinions. Additional meetings will be called as necessary to allow for full discussion. When the committee is ready, a tentative vote will be taken and the shape and content of the final recommendation will be discussed. The chair of the committee will then draft a document outlining the committee's recommendation, which will be provided to each committee member before the final meeting. At the final meeting, the committee will review the document and establish the final wording, by majority vote if necessary. The committee will then vote officially on whether to recommend the candidate to the Promotion and Tenure Committee of the College of Liberal Arts for promotion and/or tenure.

      The committee chairperson shall submit the written recommendations of the committee to the Department chair, including the recorded vote, with a copy to the candidate.

   2. Criteria for Promotion

      The evaluation of any professor's performance in the Wright State Department of Religion is primarily a qualitative one, and like humanistic learning and the process of education itself, not easily amenable to quantitative translations. While seeking clear and rational criteria that can be mutually agreed upon, we strongly resist the urge to reduce these evaluations to numbers or to apply them in a mechanical fashion.

      In all deliberations of promotion and/or tenure, the department gives primary significance to the candidate's success in teaching and contributions to scholarship and secondarily to performance in service.

      All committee judgments about these accomplishments will be based on the candidate's promotion and tenure file, which must include a summary of all teaching, research, and service performed since appointment to our faculty. External letters will be used as supporting evidence of scholarly achievement and will assist the committee in evaluating the quality of the candidate's scholarship. Scholarly work published prior to coming to Wright State will be considered evidence to support tenure and promotion to Associate Professor; however, the individual must add substantially to her or his record of scholarship while at Wright State. For faculty hired at the level of Associate Professor or above, all prior scholarship will be given full consideration in the decision to grant tenure.

      The committee must justify its conclusions with reference to the previous annual reviews of progress towards tenure.

      Promotion at each rank will be according to the following criteria:

      Assistant Professor to Associate Professor: Promotion to Associate Professor requires superior achievement in both teaching and scholarship, and at least satisfactory achievement in service. Teaching will be considered superior when there is consistent evidence of considerable time and attention being devoted to the elements of teaching, such as: course development, pedagogical technique and student tutoring, and when student and peer teaching evaluations indicate consistently significant learning experiences. In evaluating teaching, primary weight will be given to the immediately preceding three years. Scholarship will be considered superior when there is evidence of sustained research and publication that has resulted in the publication of four to six peer-reviewed articles or chapters (depending on their demonstrated significance for the field) or the publication of fewer such articles together with the publication of other comparable scholarly work (e.g., an edited or authored book) or the equivalent. Service will be considered satisfactory when there is consistent involvement in the work of the department and the broader community (college, university, profession, or general public). Ordinarily, service will be minimal in the first few years but will gradually increase.

      Associate Professor to Professor: Promotion to Professor requires achievements in teaching and scholarship significantly beyond that required for promotion to Associate. The candidate must demonstrate the highest order of achievement in one of these two categories, and at least superior achievement in the other. In addition, there must be at least satisfactory performance in the area of service. The highest order of teaching for purposes of promotion to Professor means the candidate is considered by students and peers to be a consummate teacher. There must be strong evidence of commitment to teaching and to sharing teaching strategies with others, together with strong evidence of success in teaching. Both peer and student evaluations of teaching must show that significant learning experiences occur in a variety of courses. Scholarship will be considered of the highest order when there is a significant body of work that is widely recognized as making a notable contribution to the field. There should be evidence of use of the work by other scholars in the field. Publications should be both regular and substantive, for example, the publication of a series of articles culminating in a monograph or the equivalent. An example of a significant body of work would be:

      • 5 peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles providing the scholarship basis for promotion to Associate Professor
        
        and
        
      • 3 peer-reviewed scholarly articles on the thought of Paul Tillich published since promotion to Associate Professor
        
        and
        
      • Evidence that one or more of these articles had been noted by other scholars in the field (through citations, etc.)
        
        and
        
      • publication of a scholarly monograph on Paul Tillich.
      
      An example of superior scholarship (qualifying one for promotion if one also has the highest order of achievement in teaching) would be:
      
      • 5 peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles providing the scholarship basis for promotion to Associate Professor
        
        and
        
      • 6 peer-reviewed scholarly articles on Zen meditation published since promotion to Associate Professor
        
        and
        
      • Evidence that one or more of these articles had been noted by other scholars in the field (through citations, etc.)
   3. Recommendation for Tenure

      Tenure shall be recommended according to the same criteria listed above for promotion to the ranks of associate professor and professor. For faculty hired at the rank of associate professor or professor, the entire body of previous scholarship will be considered in meeting these criteria.

   
   
2. ZUSMAN PROFESSOR OF JUDAIC STUDIES
   1. Procedures

      These are the same as listed above for Department of Religion Faculty

   2. Criteria for Promotion

      The evaluation of any professor's performance in the Wright State Department of Religion is primarily a qualitative one, and like humanistic learning and the process of education itself, not easily amenable to quantitative translations. While seeking clear and rational criteria that can be mutually agreed upon, we strongly resist the urge to reduce these evaluations to numbers or to apply them in a mechanical fashion.

      As in all deliberations of promotion and/or tenure, the department gives fundamental consideration to the Zusman Professor's success in teaching and scholarship. Given that service is an essential element of the Zusman Chair, special consideration will be given to this area, as well. This special attention includes two important points.

      1. In considerations for promotion and/or tenure for faculty with standard appointments service is in most cases considered to be within the university on department, college and university-level committees. The Zusman Professor is expected to serve on department, college and university committees but to a significantly lesser degree than faculty with standard appointments. The Zusman Professor is expected to play a major leadership role in both community organizations and the university to promote Judaic Studies. It is expected that the Zusman Professor will organize conferences, forums, and other events for the community and will sponsor the annual Ryterband Lecture and other events and conferences to educate the faculty, staff and students of the university about Judaic issues.

      2. For standard faculty appointments service can play essentially a minimal role in considerations for promotion to or tenure at the Associate Professor level and only a moderate role in considerations for promotion to Professor. These minimal to moderate levels are not adequate for promotion or tenure of the Zusman Professor.

      All committee judgments about these accomplishments will be based on the candidate's promotion and tenure file, which must include a summary of all teaching, research, and service performed since appointment to our faculty. External letters will be used as supporting evidence of scholarly achievement and will assist the committee in evaluating the quality of the candidate's scholarship. Scholarly work published prior to coming to Wright State will be considered secondary evidence to support promotion and tenure. For faculty hired at the level of associate professor or above, all prior scholarship will be given serious consideration in the decision to grant tenure.

      The committee must justify its conclusions with reference to the previous annual reviews of progress towards tenure.

      Promotion at each rank will be according to the following criteria:

      Assistant Professor to Associate Professor: Promotion to Associate Professor requires superior achievement in both teaching and scholarship, and significant achievement in service. Teaching will be considered superior when there is consistent evidence of considerable time and attention being devoted to the elements of teaching, such as: course development, pedagogical technique and student tutoring, and when teaching evaluations indicate consistently significant learning experiences. In evaluating teaching, primary weight will be given to the immediately preceding three years. Scholarship will be considered superior when there is evidence of research and publication that has resulted in the publication of four to six peer-reviewed articles or chapters (depending on their demonstrated significance for the field) or the publication of fewer such articles together with the publication of other comparable scholarly work (e.g., an edited or authored book) or the equivalent. Service will be considered significant when there is consistent involvement in the work of the department and the broader community (college, university, profession, or general public). This should engender expanded awareness of Judaic studies, within the university and beyond. There should be evidence of consistently coordinating significant programs and lecturing in a variety of public venues.
      
      Associate Professor to Professor: Promotion to Professor requires achievements in teaching, scholarship and service significantly beyond that required for promotion to Associate. The candidate must demonstrate the highest order of achievement in one of these categories, and superior achievement in the other two. The highest order of teaching for purposes of promotion to Professor means the candidate is considered by students and peers to be a consummate teacher. There must be strong evidence of commitment to teaching and to sharing teaching strategies with others, together with strong evidence of success in teaching. Both peer and student evaluations of teaching must show that significant learning experiences occur in a variety of courses. Scholarship will be considered of the highest order when there is a significant body of work that is widely recognized as making a notable contribution to the field. There should be evidence of use of the work by other scholars in the field. Publications should be both regular and substantive, for example the publication of a series of articles, culminating in a monograph or the equivalent. An example of a significant body of work would be:

      • 5 peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles in Judaic Studies providing the scholarship basis for promotion to Associate Professor
        
        and
        
      • 3 peer-reviewed scholarly articles on the thought of Martin Buber published since promotion to Associate Professor
        
        and
        
      • Evidence that one or more these articles had been noted by other Judaic Studies scholars (through citations, etc.)
        
        and
        
      • publication of a scholarly monograph on Martin Buber.

      An example of superior scholarship (qualifying one for promotion if one also has the highest order of achievement in teaching) would be:
      

      • 5 peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles providing the scholarship basis for promotion to Associate Professor
        
        and
        
      • 6 peer-reviewed scholarly articles on Jewish mysticism published since promotion to Associate Professor
        
        and
        
      • Evidence that one or more these articles had been noted by other scholars in the field (through citations, etc.)
        
        Service will be considered of the highest order when the candidate is widely considered to have consistently made a major contribution expanding awareness of Judaic Studies in the university and general community. There must be strong evidence of organizing significant programs and developing important initiatives in Judaic Studies.
   3. Recommendation for Tenure

      Tenure shall be recommended according to the same criteria listed above for promotion to the ranks of associate professor and professor. For faculty hired at the rank of associate professor or professor, the entire body of previous scholarship will be considered in meeting these criteria.

SECTION V. PROCEDURES FOR CONSULTATION

1. Faculty Appointments and Dismissals

   When a search for a faculty position is authorized, a search committee will be formed. Bargaining unit faculty members in the department will comprise a majority of the committee and will be selected by the bargaining unit faculty members in the department. The search committee will assist in advertising the position, receive applications, and recommend candidates for consideration by the full department faculty. The department faculty will then recommend to the search committee a list of candidates to invite for campus interviews. After interviewing the candidates the department faculty will then meet to discuss and rank the candidates and prepare an assessment of their suitability. The chair of the search committee will forward this assessment along with any additional recommendations of the search committee to the chair and dean.

   When the dean consults with the department about the possible termination of a probationary tenure-track faculty member, the chair will convene the department Promotion and Tenure Committee and inform them of the issues involved. The Committee will meet with the probationary faculty member to discuss the situation. The Committee will then meet for a full discussion of the reasons for dismissal or retention and vote by secret ballot on whether or not to recommend dismissal of the faculty member. The Committee will prepare a written recommendation, including both the vote and the major reasons given on each side. This recommendation will be sent to the chair, who will forward it to the dean.

2. Faculty Development

   The faculty as a whole takes responsibility for encouraging its members to expand their horizons in the areas of teaching, research, and service. The formal means for assessment and advice will be the annual review of progress toward promotion and/or tenure prepared by the Promotion and Tenure Committee. It will be especially concerned to assist new faculty in adjusting to the work of the department. The faculty will review the student evaluations of part-time instructors and will make recommendations for improvement, retention, or dismissal. The faculty (applicants excluded) will review all applications for professional development leave and will advise the chair on the quality and importance of the proposal.

3. Chair Review and Selection

   When the office of chair becomes vacant and an external search is authorized, the department will proceed in the same fashion as outlined in Section V. A. The department will also determine which of its members is willing to serve as chair, inviting all interested persons to meet with the department and outline his or her vision for the department. After interviewing candidates, the department will vote by secret ballot on which candidate or candidates to recommend to the dean. The names of the candidates and the results of the ballot will be communicated to the dean in writing.

   Bargaining unit faculty will select from their group the number of faculty requested by the dean to be elected to the chair's review committee.

4. Other Issues

   Whenever possible, the chair will bring issues that affect the department to the faculty for discussion and recommendations, before decisions are made. The department may choose to give advice and recommendations to the chair by consensus, by vote, or by a written report.

5. Amendment of By-Laws

   Any faculty member may propose an amendment to the by-laws. The amendment will be submitted to the chair and included in the agenda for a department meeting. It will be discussed at a regular meeting and voted upon at a subsequent meeting. A majority vote by the bargaining unit faculty is necessary to recommend an amendment.