Department Committees

The FAC shall be concerned with all aspects of the operation of the Department consistent with the CBA and University policies and may make recommendations on any matter not assigned to another committee by this Handbook, but its primary responsibility shall be faculty governance and the strategic planning and development of departmental policy in cooperation with the Chair.  Like other committees, the FAC has the obligation to contribute to the vitality of Faculty Meetings by referring to it important matters for discussion, including curriculum development, the recruitment and hiring of faculty, and proposals for policy change or new directions of substantial impact on the Department as a whole.

The meetings of the FAC are chaired by the Department Chair.  The FAC is structured and operates as described in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement. 

The membership of FAC is composed as follows:
All full-time, tenured and tenure-track faculty on the Kent Campus;
All full-time, non-tenure-track faculty on the Kent Campus;
One representative of the full-time, tenured and tenure-track faculty on the Regional Campuses (when feasible), elected by those faculty;
One representative of the full-time, non-tenure-track faculty on the Regional Campuses (when feasible), elected by those faculty;
An undergraduate and graduate student representative may participate in the meetings of the FAC without the right to vote.

The FAC is convened and chaired at least once per term by the Chair who, in consultation with the FAC, sets the agenda for its meetings.  Faculty members may request that items be added to the agenda.  Additional meetings of the FAC may be called by the Chair, as needed, or upon a request by at least one-half of the members of the FAC.  The FAC elects one (1) member to act as the Department representative to the College Advisory Committee (hereinafter “CAC”).

The agenda and any resolutions for a meeting of the FAC shall be distributed beforehand to faculty members and, aside from personnel matters, student representatives.  No recommendation will be made on any matter which is not on the announced agenda or on any resolution not circulated beforehand unless the FAC, by consensus or by a simple majority of the members present and voting, recommends the suspension of this rule for the particular meeting.

Voting rules described in III.D. below (“Faculty Meeting”) shall apply in FAC meetings, as well.

The GSC is composed of at least four members of the graduate faculty.  The Department Chair solicits self-nominations in the Spring semester for terms beginning the Fall.  The Chair may also nominate members, keeping in mind issues including, but not limited to, representativeness and equity.  Faculty membership is confirmed at the first Fall Faculty Meeting.  The committee also includes one graduate student representative plus an alternate recommended by the Graduate Coordinator to the Chair and appointed by the Chair.  The student representative may participate in the meetings of the GSC without the right to vote.

The GSC assists the Graduate Coordinator, who serves as the GSC chair, with the oversight and development of the Department’s MA/PhD program.  The GSC reviews proposals for new graduate courses, changes in course content and related curricular matters, and conducts periodic reviews of the Department’s MA/PhD program as a whole.  The GSC is responsible for recruiting, evaluating applications for admission, evaluating and recommending candidates for graduate appointments, monitoring the progress and academic performance of graduate students in the Department, separation of graduate students, placement, and such other duties as may be assigned to it by the Department Chair. 

Recommendations on significant matters of curriculum and policy are to be forwarded from GSC to FAC or the Faculty Meeting.

The GSC will oversee the Teaching Assistant and Fellowship programs and cooperate with the Teaching Fellow Coordinator to insure quality teaching and enhance the professional development of teaching fellows.

The graduate student representative shall not participate in decisions relative to faculty and the admission of present Kent State University graduate students to a new degree program (i.e., M.A. to Ph.D.) and separation of graduate students, financial aid for graduate students, or other questions relating to the programs or progress of individual graduate students.

The USC is composed of at least four members of the Faculty.  The Department Chair solicits self-nominations in the Spring semester for terms beginning the Fall.  The Chair may also nominate members, keeping in mind issues including, but not limited to, representativeness and equity.  Faculty membership is confirmed at the first Fall Faculty Meeting.  The committee also includes two undergraduate student representative recommended by the USC Chair.  The student representatives may participate in the meetings of the USC without the right to vote. One of the faculty members may be a member of the Regional Campus faculty.

The USC performs the functions of an undergraduate curriculum committee.  Recommendations on significant matters of curriculum and policy are to be forwarded from USC to FAC or the Faculty Meeting.  Student representatives will not participate in personnel matters.

The USC Chair serves on the College Curriculum Committee (CCC).

The Masters in Public Administration (MPA) Committee shall consist of at least four members of the Faculty.  The Department Chair solicits self-nominations in the Spring semester for terms beginning the Fall.  The Chair may also nominate members, keeping in mind issues including, but not limited to, representativeness and equity.  Faculty membership is confirmed at the first Fall Faculty Meeting. 

The committee shall be concerned with administration of the M.P.A. program, including the recruitment, admission, and separation of graduate students; financial aid; graduate curriculum; graduate program procedures and policies; and such other duties as may be assigned to it by Department Chair. Accreditation and professional liaison will also be a primary responsibility of the committee, under the direction of the coordinator.

Responsibilities of the MPA Coordinator are described in ARTICLE III.B.5 of the Faculty Handbook.

Recommendations on significant matters of curriculum and policy are to be forwarded from the MPA Committee to FAC or the Faculty Meeting.

Members of the Political Science and Justice Studies faculties who have attained the graduate faculty status (GFS) of “F4” comprise a committee whose mission is to designate the levels of GFS held by the entire faculty in each unit. This process, which involves a review of faculty members’ academic record based upon criteria approved by the Political Science Department (see ARTICLE IV), customarily occurs late in the academic year. When a new faculty member has joined either department, the committee will designate an appropriate level of GFS during the faculty member’s first semester. The regular meetings in the spring semester will provide the committee an opportunity to raise the GFS of faculty members. Every five years, the F4 Committee will undertake a comprehensive review of each member’s academic record and may then raise or reduce the member’s GFS. Faculty members may appeal these decisions directly to the F4 Committee, and if unsuccessful at this level, to the Chair of Political Science. 

The Student Academic Complaint Committee (SACC) shall consist of the Department’s Faculty Advisory Committee, an undergraduate POL major, and a POL graduate student, both in good standing in the Department.  The Chair of the SACC is elected by the SACC at the beginning of each academic year. The policies and procedures of this committee are governed by University Policy 3342-4-02.3. The policy provides for only one SACC in each department.

In the event that a member of the Student Academic Complaint Committee is the subject of or may otherwise be involved with a student complaint, the FAC will select a replacement from the full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty.  If the Chair of the SACC is the subject of or may otherwise be involved with a student complaint, the Chair will appoint a member of the Student Academic Complaint Committee to chair the committee and the FAC will appoint an additional member to the committee from the full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty.

The policies and procedures which govern the Department’s Ad Hoc Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion (RTP) Committee are included in University Policy. The RTP Committee is a recurrent ad hoc committee whose membership and functions are assigned by university policies, including the CBA, the University Register, and guidelines from the Provost’s office. Within these limits, the Committee applies more explicit Department-adopted criteria and standards for reappointment, tenure, and promotion as set forth in ARTICLE VII of this Handbook. The RTP committee reviews materials relevant to the professional performance of faculty who are candidates for reappointment, tenure, or promotion in rank, and to make recommendations to the Chair on each of these personnel decisions.  The recommendations of this committee and the Chair, together with the materials assembled for the committees, are forwarded to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Faculty Evaluation Committee (FEC) is elected directly by the full-time Faculty of the Department as defined in subhead III.A Definition of the Faculty above.  Elections are conducted in the Spring Semester, and the membership is confirmed at the first fall Faculty Meeting.  No person shall serve more than one term during any three-year period.  During its first meeting, FEC shall elect one of its members to serve as Chair.

FEC rules and processes for assessing faculty performance shall be spelled out and promulgated among the faculty.

The FEC responsibilities include (see ARTICLE X for procedural details):

                     a.      Recommending to the FAC and the Chair ranking of faculty for merit increments based on university policy and the criteria approved at the Faculty Meeting;

                     b.      Recommending to the Faculty Meeting the policies and guidelines which, upon approval, become the basis of awarding merit in the following year.

Changes to the FEC criteria are considered changes to the Faculty Handbook and therefore must follow the procedures for changing the Faculty Handbook.

The Chair may establish, charge, and appoint the membership of additional departmental standing or ad hoc committees as required by the Department.  In establishing departmental committees, naming members and designating a committee chair, the Chair shall consult with the FAC.  The Chair will solicit requests and preferences from the faculty before establishing and making appointments to departmental committees.