MenuClose
Give
background 0background 1background 2background 3

The CSU has a new policy on freedom of expression. Learn more.

Bylaws

Section 3.1: College By-Laws

Article I: Name

3.1.1: Name of College
The name of this college shall be the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences of Cal Poly Humboldt, hereafter referred to as the College.

Article II: Mission

3.1.2: Preamble
This mission statement expresses the purposes for which our College and University exist, and the functions which they perform. It establishes the College’s objectives and general criteria by which new and existing programs and initiatives are evaluated.

The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is an artistic, creative, and intellectual community. It is conceived as an equitable partnership of staff, faculty, and students devoted to teaching, learning, and creative endeavors. The many fields within the College provide the greatest breadth for service, creative engagement, and professional opportunity within a diverse and changing society.

The objectives of the College include:

  • To educate students to develop a responsible philosophy and professional code of behavior within their areas of study and as creative members of society.
  • To foster excellence in language, conceptual, expressive, and problem solving abilities within and across the disciplines of the University.
  • To foster interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international links where appropriate among the programs in the College.
  • To present and respect alternative viewpoints and a diversity of traditions within an open atmosphere of inquiry and learning.
  • To achieve the highest quality educational programs with methodological, informational, and technological currency.

3.1.2.a: Commitments of Our Faculty and Staff
Our faculty and staff see themselves as part of a teaching, learning and artistic community characterized by collegial personal interaction, mutual respect and sensitivity. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to the following objectives:

  • To encourage and challenge students to read, write, speak and think with clarity and to create with imagination in order to address questions of enduring meaning and aesthetic value and thus to realize the complexity of human experience.
  • To promote a questioning approach among students to scholarly and social activities.
  • To help our students to acquire the skills necessary for personal success and responsible citizenship in the 21st century.
  • To model for students an open, reasonable and responsible community of artists and scholars.
  • To encourage students to study with seriousness and a sense of purpose and to appreciate their potential and responsibility for service to others.
  • To encourage students to be active partners in the learning process; to participate in the life of the College, campus and community; and to foster a general and enduring capacity for learning, intellectual growth, and creativity.
  • To provide a supportive classroom and campus environment of mutual respect and open door access between staff, faculty, and students.

3.1.2.b: Commitments of Our Students
Our students strive for academic excellence and dedicate themselves:

  • To study with seriousness and a sense of purpose as a way of giving back to the larger society which has provided the opportunity of a quality state university education.
  • To take responsibility for their own actions and decisions and to appreciate their potential and responsibility for service to others.
  • To participate in the life of the College and to show courtesy, respect and sensitivity to all members of the community.

Article III: Membership and Voting

3.1.3: Membership
Membership shall consist of all faculty and staff appointed at a 0.4 level or above for at least one full semester, the Associate Dean of the College and the Dean of the College.

Student representation shall be as follows:

  • Each department may select two students as members of the college.
  • Any member shall be eligible to vote.

3.1.3.a: Exception to Voting Eligibility

  • Only tenured and probationary faculty shall vote for personnel committee membership.
  • Only tenured and probationary faculty shall vote in any matter before the College related to the evaluation of faculty personnel.

3.1.3.b: Eligibility for Committees
Only members are eligible to serve on standing committees of the College, except when otherwise stipulated by university regulations, the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement), these by-laws or other applicable administrative code.

3.1.3.c: Eligibility: Members on Leave
Consistent with CBA, members of the College who are on sabbatical leave, difference-in-pay leave, or on leave without pay are eligible, but not required, to vote and to serve on committees.

Article IV: Powers and Precedence

3.1.4: Powers
Nothing in these by-laws abridges the respective powers and prerogatives that reside in the University Faculty or University Administration.

3.1.4a: Emergency Powers
During an emergency announced by the President, such as a major earthquake or similar catastrophe, the Dean shall have the discretion to set aside the by-laws for the period of the emergency and to take appropriate actions to conduct the business of the College, provided that such actions do not conflict with existing employment contracts and regulations.

3.1.4.b: Precedence of By-Laws
These by-laws of the College precede those of the academic departments and units within the College. Thus departments and units of the College may not enact by-laws that are in conflict with those of the College.

Article V: College Meetings

3.1.5: Mandated Meetings
The College will call and conduct at least one regular meeting per year.

3.1.5.a: Calling of Additional Meetings
In addition to the meeting mandated in 3.1.5 above, the College shall also meet upon the call of the Dean or upon request of the Members or majority of the Council of Chairs. A request for a meeting will come to the Dean in the form of a petition bearing the signatures of 25 percent of the Members or a request from a majority of the Council of Chairs. A of meeting must be called within two weeks of the presentation of such a formal request.

3.1.5.b: Agenda
The Dean or Dean’s designee will distribute to all Members an agenda five working days in advance of a scheduled College meeting.

3.1.5.c: Attendance: Members 
All Members not on leave are expected to attend all College meetings, including Commencement consistent with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

3.1.5.d: Attendance: Visitors
With the exception of Personnel Committee meetings, all College meetings are open to all faculty, staff, students, alumni and others interested. This by-law applies to all College department meetings, committee meetings, and Council of Chair meetings unless otherwise restricted in advance by written order of the chair of the meeting.

3.1.5.e: Absence
Faculty Members are excused from a College meeting or Commencement to meet a regularly scheduled class or to conduct scheduled official university business.

3.1.5.f: Quorum
One-fourth (25 percent) of the total Membership shall constitute a quorum.

3.1.5.g: Conduct of the Meeting
The Dean shall preside at College meetings. The Associate Dean shall serve as Secretary and Parliamentarian at College meetings.

The Parliamentarian shall conduct College meetings in accord with Sturgis’ Parliamentary Procedures, except in cases when a College by-law dictates otherwise, or in the event the Members at a meeting vote to set aside Sturgis’ Parliamentary Procedures or a portion of it.

All voting at a College meeting shall be by secret ballot, unless the Members assent to permit voice, hand or electronic balloting on a given matter.

Article VI: Governance: The Council of Chairs

3.1.6: Council of Chairs
The Council of Chairs of the College shall be the principal body and primary branch of College governance.

3.1.6a: Membership of the Council of Chairs
The Council of Chairs shall be constituted of voting members consisting of the duly selected chairs or directors of the following departments or programs:

  • Anthropology
  • Art
  • Center for Indian Community Development
  • Communication
  • Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies
  • English
  • Geography
  • History
  • Journalism & Mass Communication
  • Music
  • Native American Studies
  • Philosophy
  • Politics
  • Religious Studies
  • Sociology
  • Theatre, Film & Dance
  • World Languages and Cultures

Any future changes in the departmental or programmatic structure of the College shall be reflected in the Council of Chairs membership.

3.1.6b: Standing Subcommittees of the Council of Chairs
All subcommittees make their recommendations to the Council of Chairs.

All faculty and staff subcommittee members will be elected for staggered two-year terms. There will be no term limits. Each subcommittee will elect a chair annually at the first committee meeting of the year.

Curriculum

Charge: See Article IX.
Membership: The Associate Dean ex officio, non voting), five faculty (elected by the faculty), at least four of whom must be permanent tenure track faculty.

The College Curriculum Committee meets on weekly, for two hours. The meeting time will be posted prior to the election for the committee.

Budget

Charge: To review proposals and make recommendations on budgeting and expenditure of the College’s resources including position allocations.

Membership: The Associate Dean ex officio, non-voting), Budget Analyst (ex officio, non-voting), four chairs (elected by the Council of Chairs), and one staff (elected by the staff).

Computing and Technology Committee

Charge: On College matters regarding computing and instructional technology, maintain a technology plan for the College. To advise the Instructional Technology Consultant and staff. To survey and predict needs, acting in cooperation with the ITC. To recommend to the Dean and the Council of Chairs funding priorities and policies including review of purchase and other funding requests for consistency with College priorities. To represent the needs and views of the College to relevant University-wide committees. To report by e-mail at least once per year to the College on relevant issues.

Membership: One chair, (elected by the Council of Chairs), three faculty (elected by the faculty), one staff (elected by the staff) and the CAHSS Instructional Technology Consultant (ex-officio, non-voting).

3.1.6.c: Ad-Hoc Committees
The Council of Chairs is the body authorized to form Ad-Hoc Committees of the College as it deems necessary.

3.1.6.d: Replacement of Members
A Member of a College subcommittee who resigns or for any reason is unable to complete the term in office will be replaced within 30 days by an appointee of the Dean who shall be approved by the Council of Chairs.

3.1.6.e: Attendance
Chairs/Program Leaders are expected to attend all meetings of the Council of Chairs. Chairs who will be absent may send a representative as a voting member.

3.1.6.f: Compensation of Members 
Service on College Committees, with the exception of Chair of the College Personnel Committee, shall be considered a collateral duty.

3.1.6.g: Meetings of the Council of Chairs
The Council of Chairs shall normally meet with the Dean and Associate Dean for two hours bi-weekly. A majority of the Council of Chairs may request one of these meetings per month to be without the Dean and Associate Dean. The meetings in August and January, as well as in other months when a holiday, vacation or other conflict occurs, may be rescheduled to another day in the month. At the beginning of each academic year the Dean shall publish a schedule of the Council of Chairs meetings for that year.

3.1.6.h: Conduct of the Meeting 
At all points the conduct of the meetings of the Council of Chairs shall be in accord with that of meetings of the College as set forth in the By-law 3.1.5.d above:

The Dean shall preside at Council of Chairs meetings. The Dean’s designees shall serve as Secretary and Parliamentarian.

The Parliamentarian shall conduct Council meetings in accord with Sturgis’ Parliamentary Procedures, except in cases when a College by-law dictates otherwise, or in the event the Members at a meeting vote to set aside Sturgis’ Parliamentary Procedures, or a portion of it.

Voting at a Council of Chairs or any other college meeting, normally shall be by voice or hand. Chairs may also request a secret ballot.

With respect to the conduct of Council meetings, the ruling of the Parliamentarian shall be final.

3.1.6.i: Nominations and Elections
The Council of Chairs shall serve as the nominations and elections committee of the College. It is charged with calling for nominations and conducting elections for the College Personnel Committee and other university governance and search committees on which the College is represented. A candidate shall win an election with a simple majority of votes.

Article VII: Consultation and Shared Governance

3.1.7: Consultation 
Consultation is an essential element of shared governance in the College and is meant to assure wide involvement in the decision making process. Consultation in the College shall consist in the seeking of advice by individuals and groups called upon to make decisions or recommendations.

The Dean and/or Associate Dean shall consult with the Council of Chairs on the following items: the setting of College policies, resource allocations, all position requests, workload, representation, curriculum and instructional issues, strategic planning, reorganization, and all budgetary matters not mentioned above affecting faculty and staff. In emergency situations, a simple majority of the membership of the Council of Chairs shall be consulted.

Department Chairs/Program Leaders shall consult with department/program faculty and staff on the following items: personnel decisions (consistent with CBA), curriculum, budgetary matters, workload, representation, curriculum and instructional issues, strategic planning, and all matters upon which the Council of Chairs are consulted by the Dean/Associate Dean.

Department Chairs/Program Leaders shall take the results of their consultations (i.e., the recommendations of the department/program faculty and staff) to the Council of Chairs/Associate Dean/Dean.

Consultation shall occur in open discussion among the relevant constituent parties and sufficient information and time shall be provided to allow for an informed decision/recommendation.

Given the above, consultation by the Dean and/or Associate Dean with the Council of Chairs shall constitute consultation in the College.

Article VIII: College Fiscal Policy

3.1.8: Dean as Designee
As the designee of the President and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean is the executive responsible for fiscal decisions of the College and thus retains fiscal authority.

3.1.8.a: Definitions
Fiscal policy refers to the general principles and criteria that guide allocation and spending, which is to say the development of a College budget. The goal of fiscal policy is to establish priorities by which decisions can be made when funding requests exceed funds, and then to communicate these priorities to all Members.

3.1.8.b: Role of Budget Subcommittee and Council of Chairs
All matters and impending decisions of College fiscal policy must be submitted to the Budget subcommittee and Council of Chairs for review and recommendation to the Dean. Early in each academic year, the Budget subcommittee will consult with the Council of Chairs and the Associate

Dean/Dean and agree upon an agenda and calendar of those matters the Budget subcommittee intends to take up.

3.1.8.c: Urgency of Recommendations
When a fiscal issue or decision is particularly urgent, the Dean may request in writing that the Budget subcommittee and the Council of Chairs forward their written recommendations to the Dean within 5 working days If a recommendation is not forthcoming, the Dean is authorized to make and forward a decision.

Article IX: Curriculum

3.1.9: Curriculum
The College Curriculum Committee serves as the body which recommends curriculum proposals to the Council of Chairs. The College Curriculum Committee acts not merely as a screening and recommending body, but one which also may be proactive in soliciting new course proposals and serving as support for faculty who are developing courses or new approaches to existing courses. In so far as it is feasible, the College Curriculum Committee should streamline the curricular approval process.

The College Curriculum Committee duties encompass the following:

  • General Education proposals or changes.
  • Major and Minor proposals or changes.
  • Interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary course proposals.
  • New course proposals.
  • Identifying for the Council of Chairs resource implications of curricular matters.
  • Review department self-studies for Program Review

The College Curriculum Committee may create ad hoc committees to deal with special issues, such as revisions to the general education structure. Such ad hoc committees will report to the College Curriculum Committee who in turn will submit any recommendations to the Council of Chairs.

The Dean or designee will publish at the beginning of the academic year a curriculum calendar which announces deadlines for submission to the College Curriculum Committee. Exceptions to these deadlines may always be made for cause at the mutual consent of the College Curriculum Committee and the Dean.

The general order of curriculum proposals is: faculty, department or program to College Curriculum Committee; College Curriculum Committee to Council of Chairs; Council of Chairs to Dean/designee; then to University Curriculum Committee, if necessary. University-wide programs may have different submitting procedures.

The Dean or Associate Dean shall ensure that curriculum issues are brought to the Council of Chairs in a timely manner.

Article X: College Instructional Schedule Policy

3.2.1: Workload
As a matter of information, the College refers Unit 3 instructional faculty to relevant sections of the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) which stipulates the criteria for composition and assignment of professional duties and responsibilities.

3.2.1.a: Role of the Council of Chairs
All matters and impending decisions of College instructional policy, faculty workload and curriculum must be submitted to the Council of Chairs for review and recommendation to the Dean.

3.2.1.b: Urgency of Recommendations
When an academic issue or decision is particularly urgent, the Dean may request in writing that the Council of Chairs forward its recommendations to the Dean within 5 working days. If a recommendation is not forthcoming the Dean shall make and forward a decision.

Article XI: Personnel Procedures

3.2.2: Adherence to Collective Bargaining Agreement
At all points the College shall adhere to the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) in forming the College Personnel Committee and executing the RTP, PTR procedures and other personnel evaluation procedures.

3.2.2.a: Personnel Committee Composition
The CAHSS Personnel Committee shall consist of two committees: the College Personnel Committee for Tenure, Promotion and Appendix K; and the College Personnel Committee for Reappointment. For the College Personnel Committee for Tenure, Promotion and Appendix K, faculty members will be elected from the ranks of tenured professors. For the College Personnel Committee for Reappointment, four faculty members will be elected from the ranks of tenured professors or tenured associate professors. The five faculty of professor rank serving on the College Personnel Committee for Tenure, Promotion and Appendix K shall select a Chair who will be responsible for chairing both College Personnel Committees. The Chair will be selected after Spring Semester's election and will receive 0.2 assigned time for one semester, after appropriate consultation with his/her Department Chair. The terms for all members shall be two years

3.2.2.b: Statement of Departmental Criteria
By October 1 of each academic year, each department/program shall provide to the Dean and College Personnel Committee a written statement of their personnel procedures which must be in accord with the CBA and the Faculty Handbook.

Article XII: College Web Site

3.2.3: Content and Maintenance of Web Site
The Dean or designee shall be responsible for maintaining a College website with appropriate department and university links.

XIII: Amendments

3.2.4: Process
Proposed amendments to these by-laws must be submitted to the Council of Chairs for review. Upon approval by a two-thirds vote of the Council of Chairs, an amendment will be forwarded to the agenda of the next College meeting or to an all-College vote. A two-thirds vote of those voting is necessary for ratification of a by-law amendment.

Amended and approved by the CAHSS Council of Chairs on August 18, 2008, ratified by College Members, September 26, 2008