Bylaws - Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Article 1 - Definition of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Section 1. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (or the Faculty, Arts & Sciences, A&S) is one of the constituent faculties of the College of William and Mary in Virginia (or William & Mary). All persons holding full-time teaching, instructional or research appointments in Arts & Sciences are members of the Faculty and are entitled to vote in Arts & Sciences meetings. Proxy voting is not permitted. Part-time faculty, faculty emertiti, external faculty affiliates, and postdoctoral fellows are non-voting members of the Faculty.

Section 2. The President and Provost of William & Mary, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the Dean), Vice-Deans, the Associate Dean for Educational Policy, and the 
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Chief Transfer Officer are members ex officio of the Faculty.

Section 3. In order to carry out its academic mission, Arts & Sciences is organized into departments and programs. All A&S faculty have appointments in departments and/or programs. An initial proposal to create a department, program, or degree shall require a majority vote of members present at a meeting.

Section 4. Every department and program with faculty appointments must have policies describing the procedures and standards for evaluating faculty. These policies must be approved by a majority of the faculty in the unit. Personnel policies at the level of departments and programs are subject to approval by the A&S Personnel Policy Committee and the Dean. Personnel policies at the level of Arts & Sciences must be approved by the Dean and by the university’s Personnel Policy Committee.

Section 5. For certain organizational purposes, Arts & Sciences departments are grouped into three areas. Faculty who are wholly appointed in programs shall, for the purposes of committee apportionment, be assigned to the Area that each faculty member identifies as most closely aligned with the faculty member’s work.

1. Area I - Art & Art History, Classical Studies, English Language & Literature, Modern Languages & Literatures, Music, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Theatre & Performance;
2. Area II - Anthropology, Economics, Government, History, Military Science, Sociology;
3. Area III - Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Health Sciences, Mathematics, Psychological Sciences.

Article II - Officers of the Faculty 

Section 1. The Dean, appointed by the Board of Visitors on the recommendation of the President of the university, is the chief administrative and academic officer of Arts & Sciences. The Dean has general responsibility for the administration of the Faculty and for the direction of the work of the school.

Section 2. The Dean may delegate certain authority and responsibilities to administrative officers. These include, but are not limited to, the positions of Vice Dean, Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, Department Chair, and Program Director.

Section 3. The Dean shall, in consultation with each unit, appoint Department Chairs and Program Directors. They shall serve for fixed terms as the chief administrative and academic officers of those units.

Section 4. All reviews of faculty, including for annual merit, retention, tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review, shall begin in a department and/or program in accordance with the unit’s approved procedures. These reviews shall serve as recommendations to the Dean.  

Article III - Meetings of the Faculty 

Section 1. The Dean shall hold monthly Arts & Sciences faculty meetings from September through May excepting January. Notice of these meetings shall be given at least seventy-two hours in advance.

Section 2. The Dean shall preside at Arts & Sciences faculty meetings, except when the President or Provost chooses to preside. The Dean may appoint a Parliamentarian to assist with the meeting. In the absence of the Dean, the Faculty may elect a temporary presiding officer or accept the Dean’s designee.

Section 3. The Dean shall appoint a Secretary of the Faculty from among the members of the Faculty for a term of three years. The Secretary shall record the minutes of each meeting and post them on the A&S website as soon as possible thereafter. Electronic copies shall be provided for the University archives. Opportunity shall be given at each meeting of the Faculty to correct the minutes of the previous meeting.

Section 4. Special meetings of the Faculty may be called

1. by the President, the Provost, or the Dean;
2. upon the request of an elected or standing committee of the Faculty or upon the written petition of at least twenty-five members of the Faculty.

Notice of these meetings shall be given to all Faculty at least seventy-two hours in advance.

Section 5. Forty members of the Faculty shall constitute a quorum.

Section 6. No resolution affecting educational or personnel policies shall be voted on in a meeting unless it shall have been submitted in writing to the Dean and the Faculty Affairs Committee and the text thereof transmitted by the Faculty Affairs Committee to all members of the Faculty at least one week prior to the date of the meeting. This provision may be waived by unanimous consent of those present, provided the number of voting faculty present constitutes a quorum as defined in Section 5.

Section 7. Arts & Sciences faculty meetings are open to attendance by all members of the university community. However, the Faculty may move into executive session by a majority vote of faculty members present.

Section 8. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the meetings of the Faculty in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order the Faculty may adopt.

Section 9. The Faculty will conduct votes electronically for the purpose of electing committee members only. After the written version of the proposed slate for committees has gone out in accordance with Article V, Section 2.1 below, at the subsequent meeting of the Faculty, the Committee on Nominations & Elections will present the slate for committee elections and take nominations from the floor. Within one day of that meeting, electronic balloting for committee slots will be open for a period of one week.

Section 10. Arts & Sciences faculty meetings may be held in person, online, or in a hybrid format.

Article IV - Responsibilities of the Faculty 

Section 1. As one of the constituent bodies of the university, the Faculty of Arts & Sciences shares in the general responsibility to develop and maintain an educational program of high quality. The Faculty has exclusive responsibility for specific parts of this program and shares with other faculties and administrative officers responsibility and concern for all aspects of the operation of the university which bear upon the educational program as a whole or upon any of its parts.

Section 2. The Faculty of Arts & Sciences shall determine the academic requirements for the earned degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy, and such other earned academic degrees as may be assigned to its jurisdiction by the Board of Visitors.

1. With respect to these degrees, the Faculty shall:
   1. certify the names of those students who have fulfilled the academic requirements for those degrees;
   2. determine the academic prerequisites for admission of students to courses and to candidacy for degrees;
   3. determine the policy governing the evaluation of credits transferred from other institutions;
   4. determine the conditions defining "undergraduate," "graduate," and "residence" credit;
   5. determine academic standards for continuation in residence, for academic classification, and for status as a student in the university;
   6. determine the system of grading to be employed;
   7. determine policy regarding final examinations; and
   8. determine the regulations governing attendance of students in classes
2. The Faculty may delegate the administration of its policies to its duly constituted officers and committees.

Section 3. The voting members of the Faculty will determine any additional policies as they deem necessary for the good of the school, in consultation with the Dean.

Section 4. The Faculty may make recommendations to the Provost and to the President regarding any matter affecting the educational program of the university.

Section 5. Through adequate representation on university committees and councils, Arts & Sciences faculty members shall participate in the establishment and administration of policies on matters affecting the educational program such as (but not limited to) admissions, the university calendar, academic record-keeping, the development and use of the libraries, research and publication, conditions of student life, extra-curricular events, nominations for honorary degrees, the selection of major administrative officials, and the determination of institutional priorities and the allocation of resources.

Article V - Elected Committees of the Faculty

Section 1. All elected committees shall have balanced representation from each of the three areas provided in Article I, Section 3. All committees shall report regularly to the Faculty.

Section 2. There shall be a Committee on Nominations & Elections consisting of six members elected for terms of three years, two terms expiring annually. The Committee on Nominations & Elections shall elect its chair annually after the election of new members.

1. The Committee on Nominations & Elections shall actively seek out and nominate appropriate candidates for the office of Secretary and for all elective committee chairs and memberships of the Faculty, except as otherwise specified in these Bylaws. In seeking out candidates, the Committee shall take positive steps to secure the fullest and most representative participation of all members of the Faculty in governance, limitedonly by the availability, interests, and capabilities of individuals. At least one week in advance of elections, the Committee on Nominations & Elections shall provide to the Faculty written nominations for vacant elective positions. It shall keep a record of all offices of the Faculty and shall inform the Faculty and its appropriate officers when vacancies in these offices occur by reason of expiration of terms.
2. Candidates for vacancies on the Committee on Nominations & Elections shall be nominated by the Faculty Affairs Committee.
3. Any member of the Faculty may suggest to the Committee on Nominations & Elections a candidate for nomination to any office, and nothing in the provisions of these Bylaws shall be construed as abridging the right of any member of the Faculty to make nominations from the floor, provided the nominee is of the appropriate area and accepts the nomination in person or in writing before the Faculty votes.
4. Elections shall be held for the Committee on Nominations & Elections in April. Terms of all elected committees shall commence at the beginning of the academic year following election except when the election is being held to fill a replacement for a faculty member who is on leave or has vacated the position early. In these instances tenure shall commence upon election. Elections shall be completed within one week of the meetings at which nominations are made.

Section 3. There shall be a Faculty Affairs Committee (FAC) consisting of the Dean ex officio and six tenured members of the Faculty elected for terms of three years, two terms expiring annually. The FAC shall elect its chair from among its members.

1. The FAC shall inform itself on current developments of any sort which may affect the educational function of the university or the welfare of the Faculty, review and assess these, and bring them to the attention of the President, the Provost, the Faculty, and committees of the Faculty, as may be appropriate, together with its recommendations for further study or action.
2. The FAC shall coordinate the work of all other committees of Arts & Sciences and, in consultation with their chairs, shall schedule their reports to the Faculty so as to ensure their timely and adequate consideration. This provision shall not be construed to prevent any member of the Faculty from requesting a committee report at any faculty meeting.
3. The FAC shall advise the Dean on faculty appointments to committees, strategic planning, advancement, personnel, and policy matters (particularly those involving interpretation of the Faculty Handbook).
4. The FAC shall ensure that Vice-Deans are reviewed in consultation with faculty prior to reappointment as a part of their professional development.
5. The FAC shall regularly review the structure, composition, and jurisdiction of Faculty committees.
6. When the university is not in session the FAC shall continue to serve its designated functions and may at its discretion act on behalf of the Faculty, provided a majority of the committee is available.
7. The FAC shall be responsible to call monthly meetings of the Faculty, and in coordination with the Dean, establish the agenda (see Article 3 Section 1).

Section 4. There shall be a Committee for Academic Culture & Values consisting of the following voting members: six elected members of the faculty, at least three of whom are tenured or tenure eligible and at least two of whom are teaching faculty; one staff member, appointed by the Dean; one graduate student, nominated by the Graduate Student Association; and one undergraduate student, nominated by Student Assembly. One of the faculty elections will be specifically designated for the Faculty Fellow. The Senior Associate Dean for Academic Culture & Faculty Development will serve as a voting ex officio member. Each student serves a one-year term, and faculty serve a three-year term.

1. The Committee for Academic Culture & Values (CACV) is charged with implementing the priorities outlined in the College of Arts and Sciences Statement on Academic Culture and Values.
2. An eligible elected faculty member of CACV will serve as the Faculty Fellow for Academic Culture & Student Success for a period of two years to advance key objectives and critical initiatives to support student success across the College of Arts & Sciences.
3. The CACV shall meet at least monthly during the academic year. Quorum shall be a majority of the members. The committee elects a chair annually.
4. The CACV shall report annually to the Faculty Affairs Committee and to the Faculty of Arts & Sciences. The reports shall include a summary of Arts & Sciences units’ efforts to support the success of all students, open inquiry curricular innovations and awards, unit initiatives that support faculty and staff success, civic and community engagement initiatives, and a summary of items brought to the committee’s attention by faculty.
5. The existence of this committee and its charge will be reviewed in four years by the Faculty of Arts & Sciences.

 

Section 5. There shall be an Educational Policy Committee (EPC). Its voting members shall consist of nine members from the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, one representative each from the schools with undergraduate degree programs, three students, and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Chief Transfer Officer ex officio; non-voting advisory members shall include the Registrar, the Director of Academic Advising, and a representative of the Dean of University Libraries. Arts & Sciences faculty members shall be elected for terms of three years, three terms expiring annually. The students shall be selected by an agency designated by the student body and must be certified by the Dean. The EPC shall elect its chair from among its members annually after the election of new members; that chair will be a member of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences. A quorum composed of six voting members from the Faculty of Arts & Sciences shall be necessary when deciding upon recommendations regarding educational policy. There shall be at least one member from each area.

1. The EPC shall conduct a continuing study of the undergraduate educational program, regularly reviewing the educational policies and procedures of the Faculty. It shall review all recommendations and requests for changes in the undergraduate curriculum. It shall bring proposals involving changes in educational policy before the Faculty, together with its recommendations for action, but shall have authority to approve or disapprove any changes in the curriculum which do not alter existing policy
2. In performing its duties the EPC shall be empowered to call upon any member or group of the Faculty for advice and assistance.

Section 6. There shall be a Committee on Degrees consisting of the responsible Dean’s Office member as chair, four faculty members elected for terms of four years, one term expiring annually. The Dean’s Office representative shall vote on policies and petitions only in the case of a tie among the elected committee members.

Representatives of the University Registrar’s Office, the Office of Academic Advising, and Student Affairs may participate in committee proceedings in an advisory (non-voting) capacity.

1. The Committee on Degrees shall:
   1. evaluate academic credits transferred from other institutions for credit toward an undergraduate degree
   2. in consultation with the Office of the University Registrar, determine which students have completed the requirements for earned undergraduate degrees and certify their names to the Board of Visitors.
2. In the exercise of its duties, the Committee on Degrees shall be empowered to waive the literal application of degree requirements whenever, in its judgment, special circumstances exist which justify such actions.

Section 7. There shall be a Committee on Academic Status consisting of six elected members of the Faculty, a representative from each of the schools with undergraduate degree programs, and three administrators: a representative of the Dean’s Office, a member of the Student Affairs staff, and the University Registrar or their designee. The elected members shall be elected for terms of three years, two terms expiring annually. After the election of new members, the Committee on Academic Status shall elect its chair from among the elected members. Representatives of the Registrar's Office, the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, and Student Affairs may participate in committee proceedings in an advisory (non-voting) capacity. During the summer, the outgoing and incoming members of the Committee will all have voting rights. The Committee on Academic Status has three functions:

1. hearing individual student requests for exception to academic rules and regulations not directly related to fulfillment of degree requirements, grade changes, and transfer credits;
2. reviewing, at the end of each semester, the academic progress of students in academic difficulty and making continuance determinations;
3. occasionally recommending changes in academic policy, based upon considerations prompted by individual requests.

Section 8. There shall be an Advisory Committee on Retention, Promotion, & Tenure (RPT) consisting of six full professors, two from each Area, elected for terms of three years, two terms expiring annually. The Committee shall elect its chair from among its members annually after the election of new members. 

1. Committee members shall recuse themselves from any decision affecting a current or former member of their own department or program. Committee members shall reveal if they do not have an arm’s-length relationship, or if there is a potential conflict of interest; the committee shall then decide whether recusal is warranted. In all such cases, a former member of the Committee from the same Area will serve as a substitute. 
2. The RPT committee shall review all recommendations made by departments in Arts & Sciences concerning the promotion and/or tenure of members of these departments. The RPT committee may also review specific retention cases at the request of the Dean. The comments resulting from such review shall be forwarded to the Dean.
3. The RPT, in consultation with the Dean, will review and monitor A&S procedures for the retention, promotion, and tenure of faculty. It shall bring proposals involving changes to those procedures before the Faculty, together with its recommendations for action, but shall have authority to approve or disapprove any changes which do not alter existing procedures. Changes to procedures adopted by majority vote of the Faculty are subject to approval by the Dean and the university’s Personnel Policy Committee.

Section 9. There shall be a Committee on Faculty Awards, Prizes, & Professorships (CFAPP) consisting of six tenured members of the Faculty elected for terms of three years, two expiring annually. In addition, one representative from the Dean's Office will be selected by the Dean to serve on the committee in an advisory (non-voting) capacity.

1. The CFAPP, in cooperation with the Dean, will review and suggest revisions to solicitations for awards, prizes, and professorships, and will suggest methods of advertising solicitations to reach as many faculty as possible. The CFAPP will monitor and review the procedures for solicitation, nomination, and selection of awards, prizes, and professorships and will recommend changes with the goal of improving efficiency, transparency, participation, and fairness.
2. By September 1 each year, the Dean's Office should provide a list to CFAPP of all Arts & Sciences faculty who have current awards, prizes, and professorships and are expected to serve on review committees in the upcoming academic year. At the same time, the Dean’s office should provide a list of all likely awards, prizes, and professorship solicitations for the upcoming academic year. The CFAPP will then make recommendations to the Dean for membership on review committees. Except for awards, prizes, and professorships with existing committee structures, at least one CFAPP faculty member will be part of each review committee for awards, prizes, and professorships in Arts & Sciences.
3. The Dean will make available to CFAPP an ongoing annual record of all nominees and awardees for all awards, prizes, and professorships. Using this record, the CFAPP will attempt to identify inequities in the nominations for, and selection and distribution of, awards, prizes, and professorships within Arts & Sciences, and make recommendations to the Dean to remedy these.
4. The CFAPP will report once per year to the Faculty Affairs Committee and the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, including numbers of nominees; numbers of awards, professorships, and prizes; and names of faculty members to whom awards were given. The CFAPP will serve as a contact for A&S faculty with questions about the selection of awards, prizes, and professorships.
5. CFAPP members are eligible for all awards, prizes, and professorships during their tenure on the committee. CFAPP members who hold awards, professorships, or prizes are exempt from serving on review committees, as their service on CFAPP is considered to fulfill that requirement.

Section 10. There shall be an International Studies Advisory Committee (ISAC) consisting of six membersof the Faculty, elected for three years, two expiring annually. Additional non-voting members shall include the Director of Global Education or his/her appointed representative, and a representative of the Dean's Office. In addition, the Vice President of Student Affairs Office coordinates the appointment of two students to serve on ISAC each year. The ISAC is advisory to the Dean and the Faculty Affairs Committee. It shall provide support and guidance to A&S faculty initiatives in international studies by encouraging faculty efforts to internationalize the curriculum, promoting prudent risk-management practices, and exercising oversight of A&S study-abroad programs administered by the Reves Center.

Section 11. There shall be an A&S Personnel Policy Committee (ASPPC) consisting of six faculty elected for staggered four-year terms, with at least one term expiring annually. Members will include a teaching faculty member at the rank of Associate or above, a former chair or program director, a faculty member from an academic unit with a graduate program, and a faculty member from an interdisciplinary program. The committee shall elect a chair from among its faculty members annually after the election of new members. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.

1. The ASPPC shall review any proposed change to a department’s or program’s personnel policies, including all procedures and standards governing the evaluation, retention, tenure, and promotion of faculty members. Such review shall consist of an assessment of whether the unit complied with its own procedures when adopting the proposed change and whether the proposed change is consistent with A&S policies, the Faculty Handbook, and the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
2. Policies in departments and programs become effective after adoption by the faculty unit and approval by the ASPPC and Dean.

Article VI - Other Committees of the Faculty

Section 1. Subject to the approval of the President, the Faculty may establish such standing committees as it deems necessary to exercise its responsibilities. The size and composition of such committees, which must have representation as is proper and adequate to their functions, of teaching members of the Faculty, administrative officers, and students shall be determined by the Dean with the advice of the Faculty Affairs Committee unless otherwise specified below.

Section 2. There shall be a standing Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS) consisting of faculty members who have been designated as the Director of Graduate Studies for each department or program. It shall be chaired by the Vice-Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. The Committee on Graduate Studies shall make recommendations to the Faculty regarding policy, and carry out established policy, with respect to admissions, curricula, degree requirements, and academic standards in programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy, and such other earned post-baccalaureate degrees as may fall within the jurisdiction of the Faculty; and, concurrently with other faculties of the university, for all programs in which members of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences participate substantially.

Section 3. There shall be a standing Committee on Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS), which will consist of six members of the Faculty (appointed for terms of three years in consultation with the Vice Deans), and a representative from each of the schools with undergraduate degree programs. . It will be chaired by one of the Vice Deans. CIS serves as the curriculum committee for all self-designed majors, and for all courses with an INTR prefix.

Section 4. There shall be a standing Council of Chairs & Program Directors (CCPD) that meets regularly to discuss matters affecting the general welfare of academic departments and programs in Arts & Sciences. The co-chairs are elected by its members in the fall to serve for a calendar year.

Section 5. The Dean, with the advice of the Faculty Affairs Committee, shall recommend to Faculty Assembly those members of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences to serve on standing committees of the university as a whole.

Section 6. The Dean, with the advice of the Faculty Affairs Committee, may establish such ad hoc committees of the Faculty as he/she deems necessary and appoint their members.

Article VII - The Faculty Assembly

Section 1. Representatives to the Faculty Assembly from Arts & Sciences shall comprise no fewer than three members from the Faculty Affairs Committee, one from each area, who shall be elected as provided elsewhere in these Bylaws. Additional representatives will be elected by the Faculty so that the total number of representatives in each Area (see Article I, Section 3) shall equal the number allocated by the Constitution of the Faculty Assembly. Members of the Faculty will be nominated as follows:

1. The Committee on Nominations & Elections shall nominate at least two candidates for each available position in the Faculty Assembly allocated to Arts & Sciences other than those held by elected members of the Faculty Affairs Committee.
2. Candidates for these positions may also be nominated from the floor of the Faculty, provided the nominee is of the appropriate area and accepts the nomination in person or in writing before the faculty votes.

Section 2. The representatives of the Faculty Assembly shall designate one of their number to report at each regular Arts & Sciences meeting on the discussions and actions of the Faculty Assembly.

Section 3. The chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee shall be on the Executive Committee of the Faculty Assembly whenever possible.

Article VIII - Amendments and Effective Date

Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any Arts & Sciences meeting, provided that a copy of the proposed amendment is sent to every member of the Faculty at least one week in advance.

Section 2. These Bylaws and any amendments shall become effective upon approval by the President and the Board of Visitors.