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Section II: College of Humanities and Social Sciences
I. Role and Mission
The mission of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences is to offer the humanities and social and behavioral sciences core of the University through academic majors, support courses for other programs, and contributions to the general education program. The College collaborates with other colleges to provide interdisciplinary, professional and applied programs related to the content, methodology and philosophy of the humanities and social and behavioral sciences and provides the academic content and a substantial portion of the pedagogy for many of the students preparing to be teachers. The College promotes a holistic approach to learning, including an awareness of the complex nature of our global society; the ability to communicate effectively; the ability to collect, analyze and synthesize information in order to make informed choices and the incorporation of learning as a lifelong pursuit.
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Based on its proven strengths, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ programs contribute to the breadth and depth of the learning experience for students. These strengths, modeled and cultivated by the faculty of the College, include:
· Faculty who are committed to provide excellence in teaching and quality learning experiences to students, who are nationally and internationally recognized as authorities in their disciplines and who are fully engaged in a broad range of activities serving their profession and the community.
· A commitment to a positive learning environment that fosters respectful and ethical conduct.
· A core focus on the traditional academic disciplines in the humanities and social and behavioral sciences, which explore the human condition within the context of historical, social, political, philosophical, behavioral and physical dimensions. This focus results in solid undergraduate major and graduate degree programs.
· Productive relationships with the six other colleges in the University. As the largest college, Humanities and Social Sciences has the diversity to interact and collaborate with a variety of units on campus, resulting in a number of distinctive interdisciplinary curricula and teacher education majors.
· Active student involvement in the learning process, including faculty/student collaboration in research projects, and experiential education opportunities such as internships, service learning and study abroad.
· Technologically enhanced learning experiences that take advantage of laboratory exercises and web-based coursework.
· An appreciation for the scientific method and its incorporation into appropriate learning experiences.
II. Organization
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is comprised of departments organized into two disciplinary divisions: Humanities (Communication, English, History, Journalism, Liberal Studies, Modern and Classical Languages, Philosophy), and Social and Behavioral Sciences (Anthropology; Communication Sciences and Disorders; Physical Education, Health and Recreation; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology). Each department has a chair who is a member of the department faculty serving as the chief representative of the department within the College.
III. Governance
The Dean of the College functions as administrator, planner, leader, and spokesperson for the College, reporting to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Dean is the representative of the faculty and staff of the College to the University administration and other units of the University.
The Associate Dean provides support to the Dean and serves as Dean in the absence of the Dean.
The Dean's Advisory Council (DAC), consisting of all department chairs and program directors in the College, advises the Dean with respect to all matters of common interest to the College, reviews organization and long-range plans, and suggests modifications where appropriate. After consultation with the Dean, DAC selects its representatives on the Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum Council and the Faculty Affairs Council. DAC recommends to the Dean candidates for a steering committee comprised of a representative from each of the two divisions of the College and for an ad hoc strategic planning committee comprised of the steering committee and one additional representative from each of the two divisions. The Associate Dean serves on both the steering committee and the strategic planning committee.
The chair of a department is appointed on the joint recommendation of the Dean and the department to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs. The search process and the role of the Chair Search Committee are detailed in the Department Chair Search and Appointment Procedures of the College. The chair generally serves a four-year term. The chair provides leadership for the department in planning, curriculum, faculty development, and management of the department’s resources. The chair consults with department faculty and staff concerning matters affecting the department and especially regarding new appointments, curriculum, space, budget, faculty teaching assignments and workloads, course scheduling, and faculty evaluations. The chair normally presides at regular departmental meetings at which these and other important issues are discussed and acted upon. The chair assists faculty in their efforts in effective teaching, scholarship, research, and other creative activities and assists the faculty in reaching professional goals within the context of the goals of the department. In accordance with the College Unit Evaluation Plan, the chair confers annually with all members of the department to identify their academic accomplishments and goals and to identify ways that the chair and/or Dean can be helpful to faculty in professional development. The chair provides information to the Dean for use in personnel and departmental support level decisions. The chair is responsible for responding to the day-to-day business of the department in a timely manner and for representing the department at DAC, and appropriate College and University meetings.
The business of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, apart from that conducted by its administrative offices, is conducted by the following councils or committees: the Faculty Affairs Council, the Curriculum Council, the Computer Advisory Committee, the Tenure and Promotion Committee, the Professional Development Committee, and various ad hoc committees convened as needed. The composition of these committees and their responsibilities are detailed in College documents.
IV. Professional Qualifications, Appointments
For scholarly and professional qualifications, terms and kinds of appointments, and annual evaluation of non-tenured faculty members, see "The Faculty" in the University section of this Handbook.
The Unit Evaluation Plan of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences describes the criteria, procedures, and responsibilities for evaluation procedures. Also refer to the appropriate sections of this Handbook.
A. Annual Faculty Review
The chair schedules an individual conference with each probationary and tenured faculty member at least annually. Conferences may also be scheduled with limited-term faculty at the discretion of the chair. Conferences include discussion of teaching plans and curricular ideas or projects, research and/or creative activity underway and related needs.
Probationary faculty are evaluated annually by the tenured faculty of the department in the three areas which are considered for tenure. The chair prepares a letter of evaluation which summarizes the evaluations of the tenured faculty, provides the chair’s recommendation and includes suggestions for correction of areas of weakness where appropriate.
C. Limited-term Faculty
Limited-term faculty are evaluated annually on the basis of the expectations and duties defined in the letter of offer. The evaluation includes a summary of the evaluations of other faculty if applicable and suggestions for correction of areas of weakness where appropriate.
D. Tenure and Promotion
Normally a faculty member gains tenure when the rank of Associate Professor is granted. Tenure is not granted to Lecturers, Instructors, or Research Associates.
Tenure decisions are made annually, in sufficient time to allow adequate opportunity for appeal and to comply with provisions for due notice contained in this Handbook.
Consideration for tenure and/or promotion may be initiated by the individual, the department chair, or the Dean.
E. Professional Performance and Development Review
All tenured faculty and eligible limited-term faculty are reviewed through a formal process in accordance with this Handbook. Eligibility for general merit salary step increases is based on performance since the last successful professional performance and development review.
Special Merit is awarded for performance beyond the normal professional growth recognized by general merit awards and is based on evidence since the last Special Merit increase.
F. Equity/Compression/Retention
Equity addresses salary inequities that have resulted from factors other than compression unrelated to the faculty member's performance.
Compression addresses situations where changing market conditions have resulted in more recently hired faculty receiving relatively higher salaries than faculty hired earlier.
Retention addresses the need to increase a salary in order to retain a faculty member, usually resulting from a competing offer.