Bylaws

Department of Educational Policy and Administration
College of Education and Human Development
University of Minnesota

Adopted May 05, 2003

ARTICLE I. NAME

SECTION 1. Change in Department Name

The name of the Department may be changed to conform to or in recognition of changes adopted according to the Constitution of the College of Education and Human Development, the Graduate School or the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota.

1. The Department may initiate a change in its own name by enacting an amendment to its Constitution following the provisions of Article IX of that document.
2. Should the Department wish to change its name, the recommended change would be carried forward by the Department Chair through the governance structures of the University for approval in order to become effective.

ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP IN THE DEPARTMENT

SECTION 1. Membership in the Department

Membership in the Department belongs to those persons designated in Article IV of the Constitution and to specially designated faculty as defined in Section 2 of this article.

SECTION 2. Specially Designated Faculty

The Department has the right to bestow adjunct or other affiliated membership for reasons that facilitate or enhance pursuit of the basic mission of the Department.

SECTION 3. Recognized Representative Bodies

The recognized representative bodies of the Department are: Educational Policy and Administration Student Association (EPASA).

1. The recognized representative bodies of the Department will bring into being and will submit copies of their respective constitutions to the Department. These constitutions should specify purposes, organization, officers, and meetings and membership requirements.
2. The Department may recognize additional bodies, provided that copies of their constitutions are submitted to the Department at least sixty (60) days prior to the action extending formal recognition to them.
3. Bodies will cease to participate in Department governance by Department action withdrawing formal recognition from them. The bodies themselves or the Department may initiate this action by changing the Bylaws as specified, but only where such pending change has been announced, published and conveyed to the entire voting membership of the Department and to the officers of the bodies involved.
4. There are four structural subunits of the Department: Educational Administration (EdAd), Evaluation Studies (ES), Comparative and International Development Education (CIDE), and Higher Education (HiEd).

ARTICLE III. CHANGES IN THE ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT

Changes in the organization of the Department shall require approval by a two-thirds vote of the Department at a regular or special meeting or by mail ballot. Written notification of the proposed change shall be sent to all members of the Department at least ten (10) days prior to the date for action.

ARTICLE IV. GOVERNANCE IN THE DEPARTMENT

SECTION 1. Voting Membership in the Department

Neither membership in a recognized representative body nor adjunct membership shall imply an inherent right to vote on Department matters. Voting membership shall be accorded to:

1. All faculty members with the rank of assistant professor and above assigned to structural subunits of the Department, who have at least fifty (50) percent of their salary budgeted in the Department, or who serve as coordinator of one of the instructional programs in the Department.
   1) Personnel voting and other decisions involving promotion, tenure or non-reappointment of faculty whose primary appointment is in this Department shall be restricted to regular faculty who are senior in rank, and currently hold primary appointment and tenure in the Department under policies and regulations of the College of Education and Human Development, the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, and the Board of Regents.
2. All individuals in the Department appointed in the academic professional and administrative (P&A) categories and who have at least fifty (50) percent of their salary budgeted in the Department.
3. One member of the Educational Policy and Administration Student Association (EPASA), selected under provisions of their own constitution. The vote of this representative shall be on matters affecting programs and services for students. The student voting member shall be certified by EPASA through written memo to the Department Chair prior to the date set each Fall Semester for the first scheduled Department meeting of the academic year.
4. One member of the Civil Service/Bargaining Unit (CS/BU) Staff Association, as designated by its membership and certified through written memo to the Department Chair prior to the first Department meeting of the academic year. The vote of this representative shall be restricted to motions that affect working conditions or working assignments of civil service and bargaining unit staff.
5. A faculty voting member of the Department on authorized leave from the University shall retain all voting rights during the period of such leave.
6. The conditions of this Bylaw shall not affect the voting status of faculty members of the Department who are eligible to vote at the time of its original adoption. An interruption of continuous Department membership will cause this exception to cease and voting rights upon rejoining the Department shall then be determined by the intent of the Bylaws as stated in this Article.

SECTION 2. Voting Procedures

1. Matters brought to the Department for action shall be decided in favor of the majority of those eligible and voting at a regular or properly called special meeting at which a quorum is present. A quorum shall consist of fifty (50) percent of those eligible to vote, plus one. A two-thirds majority vote is required for action if specified in the Constitution or Bylaws.
2. A simple majority means more than half of the votes are cast by persons legally entitled to vote, excluding blanks or abstentions. A two-thirds majority means at least two-thirds of the votes cast by persons legally entitled to vote, excluding blanks or abstentions.
3. In lieu of a special meeting, special matters of business may be acted upon through mail ballot if this procedure is approved by a majority action of the Department. The deadline for response through a mail ballot shall not be less than ten (10) days from the time the ballot is mailed to the membership. Mail ballots may occur either through paper-and-pencil means or through electronic means as deemed appropriate.
4. The definition of majority in Article IV, section 2, applies in the case of a mail ballot. The majority shall be of those whose response is received at the designated point of return no later than 4:30 p.m. on the specified date. The rule for a quorum shall be the same as that defined in Article IV, section 2.

SECTION 3. Representation on the College Senate

The Department shall elect two (2) representatives to the College Senate. One shall be elected from and by the regular faculty of the Department, and will represent the Department in both the College Senate and the College Consultative Committee. This person shall be regarded as the “Faculty Senator.” The second representative shall be elected by the regular faculty and academic professional and administrative (P&A) staff of the Department. This person shall be regarded as the “Faculty/P&A Senator.”

1. The person receiving the greatest number of votes within the Department is elected to the Senate. In the case of ties, selection shall be determined by a coin toss. The person receiving the next greatest number of votes will serve as the alternate to the Senate position.
2. The term of representatives to the College Senate shall be for three (3) years, beginning on July 1 following the election and continuing for three (3) years, ending June 30. At least three (3) years must elapse before a member completing a full term shall be eligible for re-election to the Senate.

SECTION 4. Representation on Committees of the College

1. The Department shall have a minimum of one (1) representative on each standing committee of the College.
2. The Department Chair shall appoint one (1) faculty member to the Committee on Academic Affairs.

ARTICLE V. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS

SECTION 1. Procedures to be followed by the Chair

The Chair of the Department shall:

1. preside at meetings of the Department or appoint another regular faculty member to do so and shall serve as chair of the Administrative Committee;
2. appoint a secretary to keep minutes of Department meetings, establish and maintain a faculty roster, and perform other duties as appropriate; in those meetings concerning promotion and tenure decisions, only those appropriate senior faculty shall be in attendance and one (1) of them shall be designated to keep minutes;
3. recommend to the Department the establishment or discontinuance of subunits and work with the subunits in matters of planning, budgeting, coordination, personnel, civil service and bargaining unit (CS/BU) support, and external relations in keeping with the policies and purposes of the Department, the College, the Graduate School, the University of Minnesota and the regulations and statutes of the State of Minnesota;
4. assume responsibility for implementation and evaluation of Department tasks and shall make recommendations as needed for improving the on-going programs of the Department;
5. make recommendations to the Dean of the College about search, screening and selection and appointment of new faculty for whom the Dean has requested such assistance;
6. preside at an annual meeting wherein recommendations for promotion and tenure of faculty are established and shall carry such resulting recommendations forward to the Dean of the College and shall ensure that all such recommendations are in conformance with the policies, guidelines, rules and regulations of the Department, the College, the Graduate School and the Board of Regents on those matters related to personnel;
7. have such other powers as are granted through the Constitutions of the Department, the College of Education and Human Development, the Graduate School, the University of Minnesota, the Dean of the College and other external governing boards where they apply;
8. supervise, monitor and coordinate the affirmative action program in the Department according to the Department, the College, and University affirmative action plans.

SECTION 2. Vacancy in the Chair

In the event of vacancy in the office of Department Chair, an acting chair shall be nominated by majority vote of the Department for consideration by the College Dean’s Office. This nomination may be made at either a regular or special meeting of the Department, which will be presided over by the senior ranking faculty person. The acting chair shall serve by designation of the Dean until such time as a permanent successor has been named. When the Chair is absent for a period of more than two (2) days, the Chair shall designate someone to act on behalf of the Chair.

SECTION 3. Instructional Program Coordinators

The coordinators of the graduate instructional programs in the Department shall:

1. be designated by plurality vote of the graduate faculty members in the respective programs;
2. serve a specified term of not more than three (3) years, but with the possibility of reappointment;
3. supervise and coordinate the evaluation of graduate students within the program;
4. in conjunction with the Director of Graduate Studies, enforce the regulations of the Graduate School and of the various degree programs, receiving and arranging for review of petitions submitted by graduate students, maintain graduate student records, and initiate and provide data for evaluation of graduate students;
5. represent the graduate program by attending meetings of the Administrative Committee.

SECTION 4. Director of Graduate Studies

The Director shall fulfill the roles and responsibilities as outlined in the Constitution of the Graduate School. (Link)

SECTION 5. Coordinator of Graduate Studies

The Coordinator assists the Director in

1. serving as a liaison to the Graduate School, the Office of Student Services in the College, and other appropriate University units;
2. monitoring and preparing for review applications and program documents;
3. planning the orientation of new graduate students;
4. facilitating professional development activities for graduate students, including those sponsored by the Educational Policy and Administration Student Association (EPASA);
5. facilitating the assignment of graduate assistantships in the Department;
6. providing orientation for new graduate assistants;
7. participating in programmatic and administrative planning in the Department; and
8. coordinating the administration of departmental and program examinations.

SECTION 6. Directors

1. The director of the Postsecondary Education Policy Studies Center (PEPSC) shall assume primary responsibility for the fiscal management and institutional reporting of all grants and contracts within the jurisdiction of the Center and for facilitating the procurement and performance of such grants and contracts consistent with the mission of the Center. The director shall be appointment by the Dean of the College in accordance with existing College and University personnel policies.
2. The director of Licensing and Leadership Development for Educational Administrators shall assume responsibility for the operation of licensure opportunities and other continuing education opportunities for educational administrators, consistent with other instructional programs in educational administration within the Department.

ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS

Meetings shall be conducted in the manner specified below:

1. The dates of the academic semester meetings will be a matter of regular Department business. Minutes will be kept.
2. The dates of meetings will be published in the minutes of the Department and will be distributed to at least the voting members of the Department.
3. The dates of all regularly scheduled meetings to be held in any semester will be set no later than the first meeting of that semester.
4. The first meeting of each Fall Semester will be regarded as a “Retreat” and will be held before the first day of scheduled instruction.
5. Special meetings may be called by petition of at least five (5) members eligible to vote on Department matters.
6. Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the Department Chair.
7. Special meetings will be scheduled by the Chair of the Department and written notice will be distributed to the voting membership of the Department at least ten (10) days in advance of the meeting.
8. An agenda of business to be conducted at any meeting of the Department shall be circulated to all voting members of the Department at least seven (7) days in advance of the meeting.
9. Only those faculty involved in decision making shall attend meetings at which the promotion and tenure of individual faculty are discussed. Either the Chair or someone designated by the Chair shall be designated to keep minutes of such meetings.
10. Minutes will be kept of any and all special meetings called.

ARTICLE VII. COMMITTEES

SECTION 1. Graduate Studies Committee

The Graduate Studies Committee shall be chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies and shall include the coordinators of the graduate-level instructional programs in the Department and others whom the Chair may designate.

SECTION 2. Administrative Committee

The Administrative Committee shall consist of the Chair, who shall preside over the Committee, and other departmental administrators as defined in Article III of the Constitution.

1. The Administrative Committee shall function as a continuous policy formulation and planning entity for the Department. The Committee’s jurisdiction with respect to these functions shall extend to all activities of the Department excepting only those functions closely related to 1) admissions; 2) graduate programs; and 3) other areas specifically designated by Department action as being the jurisdictional domain of other committees or offices.
2. The Administrative Committee shall coordinate the activities and budgets of the various subunits of the Department and shall advise the Department chair regarding the allocation of resources.

SECTION 3. Post-tenure Review Committee

The Department shall establish a post-tenure review committee.

SECTION 4. Grievance Committee

The Department adheres to the current Board of Regents’ Grievance Procedure (Link) and to the most current Board of Regents’ Student Academic Grievance Policy. (Link)

1. The Grievance Committee shall consist of three (3) faculty members, and a designated alternate for each (elected by secret ballot using the Hare system of the voting faculty members of the Department); two (2) students, and a designated alternate for each, selected by the members of the Educational Policy and Administration Student Association (EPASA); and one (1) civil service/bargaining unit (CS/BU) employee, and a designated alternate. Faculty members with administrative responsibility in the College or higher units of the University or the Department Chair are not eligible for election to the Grievance Committee. The faculty members shall serve two (2) year terms. Terms shall be staggered so that one (1) member will carry over each year. All representatives and their designated alternates are eligible to be selected for consecutive terms.
2. The Chair shall appoint a chair of the committee.
3. Designated alternates will assume committee responsibilities only when the person for whom they serve as alternate is a party of the grievance. If any member of the committee is a part of the grievance, then the alternate for the person will be seated. If the chair of the committee is a party of the grievance, the committee will elect from its membership a pro tem chair until the grievance involving the permanent chair is either resolved or it is presented to the College, the Graduate School or the University under provisions of their grievance procedures.
4. The Grievance Committee shall conduct its business according to the Department grievance policies and procedures as approved by the College of Education and Human Development and in accordance with relevant University regulations.

SECTION 5. Standing Committees

Standing committee members will be designated by their respective organizations no later than the first Department meeting of the academic year. A year of service for a standing committee member begins at the first Department meeting of the academic year. Resignations or other vacancies occurring during the year shall be replaced by representatives designated by the respective organizations at the next meeting of the organization, providing that five (5) days notice of the vacancy has been given to its membership.

1. Unless otherwise stated, each standing committee shall elect a chair from among its members to serve a one (1) year term.
2. Standing committee proposals for making changes in Department policies and procedures shall be referred to the Department at regular or special meetings, provided that the proposals shall be communicated in writing to the Department voting membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the date that formal action is to be taken.

SECTION 6. Ad hoc Committees

Ad hoc committees and their chairs shall be appointed for each academic year by the Department Chair as that individual deems necessary for the orderly and effective conduct of the Department’s business. Unless extended by formal action of the Department, the life of ad hoc committees shall not extend beyond the academic year in which appointed.

ARTICLE VIII. RULES OF ORDER

Robert’s Rule of Order (revised) shall be the parliamentary authority on all questions not specifically covered by: 1) the Constitution and Bylaws of the Department; 2) the Constitution of the College of Education and Human Development; 3) the Constitution of the University Senate and 4) the Constitution of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus Assembly.