SPS Bylaws
Preamble
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies (SPS) operates in compliance with the constitution of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Sunshine Laws of the State of Florida, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the University and United Faculty of Florida. SPS is committed to the principles of open government, affirmative action, and equal opportunity. These Bylaws comprise three parts: 1) operational measures; 2) procedures for tenure and promotion; and 3) a plan for merit pay.
Mission Statement
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies (SPS) endeavors to achieve excellence in research, teaching, and public service related to the languages, literatures, and cultures of the countries where Spanish and Portuguese are spoken. Associated languages and cultures— such as Catalan, Galician, or any other that the faculty may determine—also fall under departmental purview. Research, teaching, and service are mutually enriching activities through which the faculty attain their shared goals. SPS strives to maintain effective undergraduate and graduate programs of instruction whose quality is sustained by the constant intellectual and professional development of the faculty. Consistent with the mission statement of the University of Florida, SPS affirms a belief that research should contribute "to the international public conversation about the advancement of knowledge."
The courses offered by SPS in language, linguistics, literature, film, civilization, and cultural studies enrich such related fields as Anthropology, Art History, Business, Health Sciences, History, International Relations, Journalism, Law, Linguistics, Music, Political Science, Sociology, and other languages and literatures, especially Romance. With the expansion of dynamic minority populations in the United States, and the prospect of closer and more complex relationships between the USA and Spanish/Portuguese-speaking countries around the world, such courses will increasingly have intellectual and practical value as part of the University of Florida's curricular opportunities. SPS will maintain the quality and breadth of instructional and degree programs at all levels: lower division, including beginning and intermediate language instruction; upper division, including classes for undergraduate majors, minors, and electives; and graduate studies, master's and doctoral alike. The activities of SPS include: (a) research in language pedagogy; linguistics; literary history, criticism, and theory; film, cultural studies, and civilization; (b) courses, programs, and training leading to BA, MA and Ph. D degrees; (c) sponsorship of study and research abroad; (d) fostering inter-disciplinary initiatives that foreground the importance of knowing another language and culture; (e) utilizing faculty expertise to attend to the linguistic and cultural interests of UF's Latino populations; (f) internationalizing the university by inviting well-known scholars to engage in intellectual exchange with the university community; (g) sponsorship of scholarly and cultural events that promote interest in these areas of concern.
Operations
Membership
A. The members of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies (SPS) are those who are budgeted to the Department and hold the rank of Lecturer or above, as well as those in the Phased Retirement Program.
B. Tenured members of SPS are those who have been granted tenure by procedures established by the Department, the College, the University, and the Board of Regents or Board of Trustees. Within the Department, it is required that the names and qualifications of those candidates eligible for tenure be presented for action to the tenured members of the Department; the presentation shall be made by the Chair after consultation with the Tenure and Promotion Committee of the Department.
C. Academic ranks of Department members are determined by procedures established by the Department, the College, the University, and the Board of Trustees. Within the Department, it is required that names and qualifications of members requesting promotion, or nominated for promotion, be presented for action to the appropriate Department bodies—those members of the Department of the rank sought or above—by the Chair, after consultation with the Departmental Tenure and Promotion Committee.
Authority
A. Within the Department, the ultimate authority resides in its voting members except in those instances when the College or University has vested authority in the Chair.
B. Operations of the Department are conducted by the Chair, the appointed and elected Administrative Officers, and the Advisory Committee.
C. Voting members of the Department are those holding the rank of Lecturer or above except where precluded by other articles in these Bylaws. Absentee voting is allowed via written proxy provided to the Elections Officer or other member of the Faculty designated by the Chair. According to the Faculty Handbook, those “who are participants in the Phased Retirement Program are not eligible to vote on tenure nominations. However, they may vote on promotion nominations in accordance with university procedures. Faculty participating in the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) may vote on both tenure and promotion nominations in accordance with university procedures.”
Meetings
A. The Department will normally meet monthly, with at least two regular departmental meetings per Fall and Spring semesters. Agenda, reports, and other relevant materials will be distributed in advance via e-mail or hard copy. The agenda is determined by the Chair in consultation with the Advisory Committee and committee chairs, circumstances warranting. The agenda should include old and new departmental business, items proposed by faculty members or by the elected representative of the graduate students, and material presented from outside the Department.
B. At the request of any voting member, new business (not listed on the agenda) shall not be voted on at the meeting at which it is brought up. At the request of any voting member, votes will be held by paper ballot.
C. Additional meetings are called by the Chair (1) on his or her own initiative, (2) at the request of the Advisory Committee, or (3) upon written request by one-third of the voting members.upon written request by one-third of the voting members of the Department.
D. The Chair presides at Department meetings; in the Chair's absence, the Associate Chair or another member of the faculty designated by the Chair, shall preside.
E. Fifty percent plus one of the voting members of the Department, excluding those on leave, shall constitute a quorum.
F. Meetings are conducted in accordance with the latest revision of Robert's Rules of Order, except where the bylaws specify otherwise. A designee from the Department will record the minutes of the meeting, assist the Chair in determining the presence of a quorum, and oversee the subsequent circulation of the minutes.
The Chair
A. The Chair is the chief administrative officer of the Department. As such, s/he: (1) appoints the Administrative Officers of the Department and selects the members of standing nonelected Department Committees: (2) calls, supervises the preparation of the agenda for, and presides over Department meetings as specified in III above; (3) on a routine basis supervises all activities of the Department; and 4) assures that all provisions of the Bylaws are carried out.
B. The Chair is the chief financial officer of the Department. S/he supervises all receipts of money and expenditures and, with the advice of the Advisory Committee, prepares the annual academic program review and budget proposal for the Dean. At the first departmental meeting in the Fall semester, s/he will present a report on the finances of the previous AY (academic year) as well as the proposed budget for the AY in course. Current budget documents shall be available to any voting member of the Department upon request.
C. In conjunction with the Administrative Officers and Chairs of the appropriate committees, and the Department at large where appropriate, the Chair coordinates all aspects of the academic program, such as degree requirements, curricular offerings, catalog announcements, class scheduling, and faculty teaching assignments.
D. The Chair coordinates the recruiting of new faculty members in conjunction with the appointed search committees. During the first year of appointment of a new junior faculty member, the Chair shall appoint a tenured faculty member to serve as a mentor during the tenure-accruing years. The Department will follow any guidelines posted on the College website.
E. The Chair, or the Chair's designate, represents the Department to university officers and bodies and acts as general spokesperson for the Department.
F. The Chair's term of service is set by the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
G. The Chair's performance may be evaluated internally during any Spring semester. Such evaluation can occur at the initiative of the Advisory Committee, as indicated by a three-fourths vote of that body, or at the request of one-third of the voting members of the Department. Should an evaluation be requested, the Advisory Committee shall devise and submit a questionnaire to members of the Department. The results of the questionnaire will be conveyed to the Chair and will be available to any member of the Department upon request.
H. If the position of Chair is to become vacant, the Dean, after any consultation with members or committees of the department s/he deems advisable, authorizes a search for a new Chair. If necessary the Dean appoints an Acting Chair. Upon receiving authorization from the Dean to initiate a search for a new Chair, from within the Department or from another university, the Department proceeds with the election of a three-member Search Committee. Said committee shall report to the Dean, making a recommendation that includes committee input and the results of a departmental vote taken in accordance with the voting modalities stipulated in II (C).
The Department Advisory Committee
A. The Department Advisory Committee is a group of faculty who advise the Chair on departmental matters. It is not a policy-making or legislative body. Policy questions subject to a vote shall be remanded to the Department as a whole.
B. The Advisory Committee consists of four members. While the limited number of ranked faculty may preclude strict adherence, the ideal make-up of this committee would be one Professor, one Associate Professor, one Assistant Professor, and one NTTF (Non Tenure-Track Faculty, including Associate In, Assistant In, Master Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, or Lecturer), with one member from Portuguese. Faculty will endeavor to achieve appropriate balance in such areas as rank, discipline, and gender. The NTTF representative shall be elected by all NTTF. All others shall be elected by the faculty as a whole minus NTTF. The Associate Chair of the department serves as an ex officio non-voting member.
Members of the Advisory Committee shall be elected for two-year terms. Elections shall take place before or during the first meeting of the Fall term. At the first election measures will be taken to achieve staggered two-year terms.
C. The Advisory Committee advises the Chair on matters of policy and procedure of concern to the Department, such as: (1) issues related to departmental programs; (2) the work of, and relations between, the various committees in the Department; (3) faculty loads and schedules; (4) relations with other departments and programs; (5) holding of institutes, workshops, and conferences, etc.; and (6) concerns of individual faculty members, including response to outside offers.
D. The Advisory Committee meets at least two times each Fall and Spring semesters. Meetings are called at the request of the Chair, or of any other two members of the Committee or of any three members of the faculty. The Chair normally presides at these meetings; in his/her absence, the Associate Chair or the most senior member presides. The Chair shall distribute an agenda to the Advisory Committee prior to each meeting.
D. The Advisory Committee consults with the Chair on the Annual Program Review for the College and on the budget proposal before s/he submits it to the Dean.
E. The Advisory Committee may mediate informally when an individual faculty member wishes to appeal a judgment of the Chair.
The Appointed Administrative Officers
A. The Chair shall appoint a Graduate Coordinator, Undergraduate Coordinators for Spanish and Portuguese, a Coordinator of Spanish Language Programs, and a Lower-Division Coordinator for Portuguese. The Chair may appoint an Associate Chair, an Assistant to the Chair, and/or a coordinator of instruction in other languages (e.g. Catalan) at his/her discretion, circumstances warranting. When necessary, the Chair shall designate another of the Administrative Officers or other faculty member to preside over meetings.
B. The Graduate Coordinator chairs the Graduate Studies Committee, and is responsible for the administration of graduate programs.
C. Each Undergraduate Coordinator is responsible for upper-division undergraduate programs and undergraduate advising.
D. The Coordinator of each language program supervises and coordinates the activities of all instructional personnel involved in the program. S/he sets the academic goals and pedagogical approach for the program.
E. In the absence of the Chair, the Associate Chair or other designee will substitute for him/her at Department, University, or public functions. S/he may perform other administrative functions as agreed upon with the Chair.
Other Department Committees
A. Ad Hoc Committees.
The Chair may establish committees of specified duration as needed to deal with specific matters of importance to the Department. The Department shall be notified as soon as possible of the purpose and makeup of all such committees.
B. Elected Committees.
The Department has two standing committees whose members are elected: the Advisory Committee (see V. A above), and the Merit Pay Committee, which assists the Chair in determining distribution of merit pay, or other performance-based premiums the University might provide on an ad hoc basis. The Merit Pay Committee consists of three faculty. One will be tenured, the second will be a tenure-accruing professor, representing the untenured faculty, and the third will be a NTTF member elected to assist the committee on recommendations for merit pay to NTTF. Ideally, a term limit of two consecutive academic years should be respected.
C. Major Appointed Committees.
The Department shall have a Graduate Studies Committee and an NTTF Evaluation Committee. An Undergraduate Awards Committee and a Graduate Awards and Placement Committee shall be convened as needed.
D. Mixed Committees.
The Departmental Tenure and Promotion Committee (T&P) assists the Chair in the preparation of the annual letters of evaluation for tenure-track faculty members, visits their classes, and makes a written report to the Chair reviewing teaching, research, and service. This committee will consist of three tenured professors. Two members will be elected by ranked faculty in the Fall at the first SPS plenary; the third will be appointed by the Chair following these elections. Faculty will endeavor to achieve appropriate balance in such areas as rank, discipline, and gender. Members will serve staggered two-year terms.
Committee Elections
A. The Chair will appoint an Elections Officer to coordinate all scheduled and ad hoc elections and/or any other ad hoc ballot.
B. Elections for Merit Pay Committee, Tenure & Promotion Committee, and Advisory Committee shall be held no later than the third week of September of each academic year. The newly elected committees will start to function immediately.
C. If a vacancy occurs in any elected committee, another election will be held promptly.
D. If no eligible candidate is found the Chair is authorized to appoint an ad hoc replacement.
Amendments
Any three voting members of the Department may propose in writing to the Chair an amendment to these By Laws. Said amendment shall be circulated to the Department at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which it is to be voted on. Any two voting members may also introduce an amendment at a Department meeting, with the vote to be taken not sooner than one week following the meeting nor later than three weeks, by mail, poll or at a subsequent Departmental meeting. The vote shall be by written secret ballot; a two-thirds majority of voting members of the Department is required to pass an amendment that affects all faculty. When an amendment concerns only ranked/tenured faculty, a two-thirds vote of those faculty will be required.
Tenure & Promotion
Tenure & Promotion Procedure
Tenure and promotion procedures will follow those described in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and nothing in this document replaces or supersedes the CBA.
As part of the state-mandated annual evaluation of each faculty member, the T & P Committee assists the Chair in assessing the tenure-track members of the faculty. The committee evaluates and prepares a written report on the teaching and overall performance of tenure-track faculty members. To evaluate teaching, two members of T & P visit separate classes taught by each faculty member. A written summary of these visits will be submitted to the Chair together with the T &P’s comprehensive report on the faculty member. The latter is drawn up after committee members peruse and discuss each faculty member’s cv, Annual Activity Report, and student teaching evaluations. Drafts of each report circulate among members of the T & P and are revised as necessary before being submitted to the Chair.
The Chair will take this report into account in writing the annual letter of evaluation and while discussing the faculty member’s performance with him/her. The Chair's letter will assess the progress made towards tenure and/or promotion. One copy of the annual letter of evaluation will be placed in the faculty member's file, another sent to the Dean's office. When a faculty member is being considered for tenure and promotion, all annual letters of evaluation, together with the annual T&P assessments, will be part of the file examined by the tenured members of the Department, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences T & P Committee, the Dean of the College, and the University Personnel Board.
Assistant Professors will normally be considered for tenure and promotion during their sixth year of employment. The Chair is responsible for initiating the actual decision process, although the individual faculty member may request earlier consideration for tenure and/or promotion. The process commences during the Spring semester previous to the Fall in which the candidate's case will be presented. The Chair will solicit names of appropriate external referees from the candidate and from internal and external specialists in the field, and then, after consultation with senior faculty, will request letters from six of the suggested referees, half from the faculty member's list, half from the Chair's list. If candidates wish to include internal letters of reference, they should request such letters directly. When the candidate's packet is complete early in the Fall semester it is reviewed by tenured faculty members. In a meeting called by the Chair, the T&P committee reports on the case. After a mandated 24-hour interval, faculty members submit a secret ballot with their recommendation for or against tenure and/or promotion. The Chair does not participate in this vote. The department's recommendation is forwarded to the College, with the candidate’s complete packet, for further consideration. The packet includes the Chair's letter of transmittal to the College discussing the candidate's achievements and explaining the department's recommendation.
Associate Professors who wish to apply for promotion to Professor will notify the Chair of their intent in the Spring semester previous to the Fall in which they wish to be considered. The Chair will ask the Professors in the department to consider the candidate’s CV and recent AARs and to participate in a straw vote, which is advisory only. Its results will serve to measure levels of support. If the candidates elect to proceed, the procedure is similar to the one described for promotion to Associate Professor: letters will be solicited from a duly selected list of referees (see procedure described above), and the candidates will complete a promotion packet.
Tenure & Promotion Criteria
The Department's policies and guidelines for tenure and promotion conform to those set forth in the Florida Administrative Code, the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the University Constitution, and at the college level, the Tenure and Promotion Guidelines for Department Chairs, as well as any guidelines for candidates posted on the official college website.
Candidates for tenure and/or promotion are judged upon their contributions to the department, the college, the university, and the profession in three areas: research, teaching and service. Deliberations about tenure and promotion will take into account standards appropriate to the individual candidate’s field and/or sub-field.
To qualify for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor, candidates should have produced a coherent and meaningful body of work that establishes an intellectual profile in their field of scholarship. With respect to research, determinations of appropriate quantity and quality will be made by eligible SPS faculty on the basis of: comments by external referees (and internal UF referees if applicable); the eligible SPS faculty's own assessment of the candidate's research; and the nature and relative quality of the presses, journals or conferences through which contributions were made.
The expectations of research productivity vary by the major areas of the Department (literature, film and media studies, cultural studies, linguistics and applied linguistics). In general, candidates for promotion to Associate Professor / tenure in the humanities are normally expected to have a book-length scholarly manuscript completed and accepted by a press recognized in the field. The expectations in some fields may, however, be closer to those in social science disciplines, which generally focus on a substantial record of articles published in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and evidence of a strong research program.
Given the different fields represented in SPS and the changing nature of scholarly publishing, however, supporting evidence of other types of scholarly productivity will be accepted. Such evidence should demonstrate a pattern of regular contributions to research, including co-authored books, edited volumes, studies in refereed and/or highly selective edited books or conference proceedings, critical additions, annotated translations, segments in reference works, textbooks, review essays, book reviews, convention papers, invited addresses, and distinguished grants or fellowships.
A more complete list of activities that may complement a scholarly profile in SPS can be found in the research category of Merit Pay Criteria available to all SPS faculty.
With respect to teaching and advising, candidates for tenure and promotion in SPS should demonstrate sustained effectiveness in instruction as evidenced by peer and student evaluations and college, university or other awards for excellence in pedagogy/advising. Other influential factors include coordination of programs, direction of theses (undergraduate and/or graduate), and significant participation in pedagogically oriented committees. A more complete list of activities that complement this profile in SPS can be found in the pertinent category of Merit Pay Criteria available to all SPS faculty.
With respect to service, SPS expects candidates to have been active members on standing and/or ad-hoc departmental, center, college or university committees. A more complete list of service activity that may complement a service profile in SPS can be found in the pertinent category of Merit Pay Criteria available to all SPS faculty.
In the area of research, candidates for promotion from Associate Professor to Professor will have established a national and/or international reputation as a result of sustained high quality scholarship (i.e., publications, presentations, grants, etc.). In the area of teaching, candidates are expected to maintain a high level of quality, as demonstrated by teaching evaluations, regular peer reviews, pedagogical innovation, and/or teaching portfolios. In terms of service, candidates are expected to show a commitment to the maintenance and development of the department in a variety of ways, including but not limited to chairing or being a member of committees and coordinating courses or programs within the department. Candidates are also expected to participate in university and professional service.
Promotion of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty
SPS shall follow the most current document specifying the “Guidelines for Promotion of Lecturers” published by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and posted on the official website.
The promotion from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer is analogous to promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor and promotion to Master Lecturer is analogous to promotion to Full Professor but without consideration of tenure or national stature as a scholar. For promotion to Senior Lecturer there must be evidence of consistent meritorious achievements in teaching, advising, and in other assigned administrative or service activities. Student evaluations of teaching should be superior. In addition, the evaluation will consider such items as strong peer reviews of one's teaching, one's importance to, and role in improving, the unit's instructional or academic program of course development (or in other areas of assignment), and use of innovative techniques or technologies. For promotion to Master Lecturer, in addition to the above, there should be evidence of superior achievements in teaching (or in other areas of assigned duties), development of innovative techniques or technology, nominations or receipt of teaching awards, grants, or other forms of recognition for achievements.
Procedures for Promotion
The same promotion procedures including packet preparation and deadlines as for any faculty promotion to the next rank are followed as specified in university and college guidelines.
The assumption is that the primary activity of a Lecturer is teaching/advising. Hence, the summary of percent assignments shown in the portfolio should accurately reflect the Lecturer's actual assignments and activities.
No external letters of evaluation are required for Lecturers' promotions, but they may be included if appropriate.
Peer evaluations of teaching, including visitations to classes (along with review of syllabi, examinations and other instructional material) performed in at least two courses a year, are required for promotion to Senior and to Master Lecturer.
Voting on promotion cases will be by faculty of superior (analogous) rank in the department. Lecturer promotion cases may be discussed at the same faculty meeting in which other T&P cases in the department are discussed and voting may proceed after twenty four hours following that meeting in the same way as described above.
Merit Pay Plan
This section sets forth procedures and guidelines by which recommendations for merit salary increases will be made in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies. Awards of merit increments are designed to recognize outstanding overall performance in the department in teaching, research, and service. “Outstanding” signifies superior performance in relation to departmental norms and averages. The content of this section will orient both the considerations of the Chair and of the elected Merit Pay Committee (MPC). To the degree possible, judgments should be made on the basis of assigned duties, as specified in the semester faculty assignment form.
Procedures
Procedures
Barring administrative stipulations to the contrary, merit pay deliberations will consider all the annual activity reports (AAR) since the last time faculty were eligible for merit pay. When general merit money is allocated or anticipated, the Chair will consider the AAR of each faculty member for the applicable year(s), as well as any additional documentation submitted by individual faculty. After evaluating this material according to the guidelines, and in consultation the MPC, the Chair will recommend merit increases. Individuals may request a conference with the Chair at any point in this procedure.
Once recommendations are made, individuals may appeal to the Chair and/or request an audience with the MPC to request reconsideration. If changes are deemed advisable too late for a change to be effected that year, the case will be given priority in the next merit period.
A complete list of activities that may complement the merit profile of any SPS faculty member can be found in the Merit Pay Criteria available to all SPS faculty in print and on the Share drive of SPS.
Merit Pay Criteria: Guidelines for Ranked Faculty
The chair and the MPC will score and rank individuals in four categories for a possible total of 100 points. For the benefit of future committees, each year's methods should be recorded. Point distributions for faculty will normally adhere to the following formula: 30 for teaching; 20 for advising/other instructional activities; 40 for research and publication; 10 for service.
Criteria will be detailed and listed in order of descending importance in a document available (to all eligible faculty) both in hard copy and electronically on the SPS share drive.
Merit Pay Criteria: Guidelines for Non Tenure Track Faculty (NTTF)
The chair and the MPC will score and rank individuals in four categories for a possible total of 100 points. For the benefit of future committees, each year's methods should be recorded. Point distributions for NTTF will normally adhere to the following formula: 90 for teaching and other instructional activities; 10 for service and other professional activities; 5 for research.
Criteria will be detailed and listed in order of descending importance in a document to be available (to all eligible faculty) both in hard copy and electronically on the SPS share drive.
Market Equity Process
If more than one faculty member should apply for a Market Equity adjustment from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the process in the Department shall entail a ranking by the Chair in consultation with the Merit Pay Committee.
This document was approved by majority vote on 10 October 2011.
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Images: Eneas De Troya, Flickr
