Departmental governance encompasses several general areas: communication, meetings, and decision-making processes; organizational structure, oversight, and delegation of tasks; and long-term planning, among others. Some departments have a handbook or manual that contains this information, while others may not. If yours does, you should carefully review the entire document, ensure that all department members have access to it, and, collectively, determine if it needs to be updated. The need for a departmental handbook depends largely on the size, culture, and history of the department. However, a written document of this type can be very useful for periods of change and transition (e.g. new chair, new hire, program review, etc.) as well as to ensure equity of voice and votes among faculty.
Communication, meetings, and decision-making process
There is no standard meeting schedule across all departments; clearly, some meet more frequently than others. Similarly, the use of e-mail, Dropbox, Blackboard, and other platforms for conducting business and deliberating varies among departments. Oftentimes this is dictated more by custom than by any agreed-upon protocol. Accordingly, it may be useful to evaluate current practices and make adjustments as needed.
For suggestions on effective planning and conducting meetings, see the “guide for good departmental meetings.”
Having an established set of rules makes directing meetings and the decision-making process much easier. In addition, the rules help encourage fairness and wide participation among all members of the department. Robert’s Rules of Order is the standard for parliamentary procedure.
In addition to using Robert’s Rules, it may be useful—especially when decisions needs to be made regarding divisive issues—for the department to have predetermined some basic protocols to address the following questions: What constitutes a quorum? Are faculty members on leave included in the count for quorum? Can faculty not in attendance vote by proxy? Can a vote by e-mail be called? etc.
Organizational structure, oversight, and delegation of tasks
In the event your department has multiple programs with directors, coordinators, staff members, etc.—it is useful to have written descriptions of the duties and responsibilities of the positions. These descriptions should be shared with all members of the department.
Long-term planning
The Academic Program Review provides an effective process for carrying out long-term planning and should be integrated into the department’s overall planning process. Long term planning for course offerings and faculty assignments can also be helpful to address issues of fairness and balance.
