Sociology and Criminology & Law

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AND CRIMINOLOGY & LAW
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Bylaws and Operating Procedures

(Download as Word Document)

Preamble

The purpose of this document is to set forth the organization and procedures for the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law at the University of Florida. In order for the Department and its Faculty to fulfill this mission, it is necessary to have operating procedures to guide the Department. These bylaws are governed by and are subordinate to the University of Florida Constitution, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Constitution, the Florida Administrative Code, the University Of Florida Board Of Trustees, and the University of Florida – United Faculty of Florida Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law is committed to the principles of shared governance, diversity, and equal opportunity.

Article I. Name

The Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law (hereafter referred to as the Department) is a unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) and the University of Florida (UF).

Article II. Department Membership

The department shall be the fundamental unit of academic and administrative organization within the University. Departments shall be either professional functions departments or teaching and research departments. For purposes of organization and budget, each teaching and research department shall be assigned to one and only one college. (A) The members of a department shall consist of all faculty members in the departmental budget, and other persons who teach or do research in the department and are accepted by the vote of the departmental faculty (Faculty Constitution, p.23). This includes salaried lecturers, tenure-track and tenured faculty and jointly appointed faculty. Voting members of the Department are defined in Article IX.

Article III. Department Structure

1. Within the Department, decisions will typically be made by voting members except in those instances when the College or University has deemed the Chair the most appropriate person to make a decision.
2. The Department has two programs of study: 1) Sociology and 2) Criminology, Law and Society. Programs are designed around distinct curricula at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Faculty will be primarily in Sociology or Criminology, Law and Society. The ‘primary’ faculty of a program will be considered to be members of that program for the purposes of teaching and other assignments.
3. The Operation of the Department is conducted by the Chair (see IV below) in consultation with the departmental committees, staff, and graduate students.

Article IV. The Chair

1. Chair Search. If the position of Department Chair is to become vacant, the Dean, in consultation with the faculty, authorizes the 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 outside the University) the Department proceeds with the election of a Chair Search Committee consisting of at least three faculty members. In addition, the Chair Search Committee shall include “a faculty member from a related field outside the department appointed by the CLAS Dean to serve as the Dean’s representative on the committee,” as per the CLAS Constitution. In addition, as per the CLAS Constitution, “This Committee so comprised will elect its chair, and then may select up to two additional faculty members to insure a diversified committee. In the absence of action by the Committee, the Dean may appoint up to two additional faculty members to serve on the committee to achieve such diversity. Committee composition shall remain such that a majority of the Committee members are full-time faculty in the department. The Search Committee shall advise the Dean by nominating two to three Chair candidates. The Dean’s nomination shall be forwarded to the President for approval.” The Chair Search Committee’s recommendation to the Dean will include the results of a departmental vote taken in accordance with the voting procedures stipulated in Article IX. In those instances where the nominee of the dean of the college is not concurred in by the departmental committee, that committee’s dissenting report should be forwarded to the President along with the nomination made by the dean. (UF Constitution, pg. 24).
2. Duties. The Department Chair is the chief financial and programmatic leader of the Department, and shall exercise general supervision over all its activities. The Department Chair reports to the Dean and is the responsible party for the administrative and staff activities of the Department. The Chair’s duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

Administration:

1. Representing the Department to university officers and bodies and acting as general spokesperson for the Department;
2. Supervising all the day-to-day activities of the Department and its staff and is responsible for hiring and evaluating staff (in accordance with university policy);
3. Supervising all receipts of money and expenditures and preparing the annual academic program review and budget proposal for the Dean. At the first faculty meeting in the Fall, the Chair will present a report on the previous academic year’s finances as well as the proposed budget for the new academic year.
4. Attending to all other duties and responsibilities outlined in other guidelines and official procedures in this document;

Faculty Affairs:

1. Presiding at faculty meetings;
2. Appointing members of non-elected Department Committees and positions;
3. Calling, preparing the agenda for, and presiding over meetings as specified in Article VII;
4. Assuring that all provisions of the Bylaws are followed;
5. Conducting annual evaluations of faculty in consultation with senior colleagues, where appropriate.
6. Being responsible for all aspects of the tenure and promotion process in conversation and consultation with senior colleagues. (See the Tenure & Promotion Guidelines Addendum for more detail);
7. Evaluating all merit awards, competitive grant applications as well as nominees for other awards in consultation with the Faculty Merit Committee. (See Merit Guidelines Addendum for more detail)
8. Coordinating the recruitment and hiring of new faculty members, in conjunction with the appropriate search committees and in consultation with the faculty.

Article V. Administrative Officers

1. In addition to the Chair, administrative positions of the Department are Graduate Coordinator and Undergraduate Coordinator, who are appointed by the Chair. An Associate Chair may be appointed at the Chair’s discretion.
2. The Graduate Coordinator manages the graduate programs in the Department. The responsibilities of the Graduate Coordinator include:
   1. Serve as liaison between the Graduate School and the department and its graduate students
      1. Ensures that the department conforms to Graduate School regulations and policies and communicates these regulations and policies to faculty and graduate students
      2. Advises the Graduate School about matters of concern to the department and graduate students, and to suggest modifications to Graduate School procedures
      3. Advocates for graduate students in petition processes and grievance procedures
      4. Informs the Graduate School when a new Graduate Coordinator is appointed by notifying the Graduate Data Management office.
      5. Oversees the conduct of the graduate program
      6. Facilitates approval of supervisory committees and plans of study in coordination with the Chair
      7. Oversees recruitment and admissions
      8. Tracks academic progress.
      9. Nominates or selects students for awards: travel, teaching, research
      10. Makes recommendations for TA assignments and other appointment.
      11. Oversees scheduling of graduate seminars
      12. Provides orientation for first-year students
   2. Oversees program description
      1. Ensures accuracy of information published in the Graduate Catalog b. Updates web-based information
      2. Maintain database: date of enrollment, GREs, GPAs, supervisory committee, financial aid, program progress, areas of study
      3. Presents Annual report to department
   3. Oversees the graduate committee. The graduate committee will consist of the graduate coordinator and members of the faculty, representative of both programs in the department. Members of the graduate committee will consult with members of the faculty in each program when appropriate and will represent the views of the programs as a whole.
3. The Undergraduate Coordinator manages the undergraduate programs in the Department. The responsibilities of the Undergraduate Coordinator include:
   1. Serving as liaison between the University and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Department and its undergraduate students
   2. Overseeing the conduct of the undergraduate programs, vis-à-vis student advisement, communication and evaluation
   3. Overseeing the conduct of the undergraduate program vis-à-vis strategic planning, enrollment and registration issues
   4. Supervising advisors and internship coordinators
   5. Oversees program description
   6. Oversees the undergraduate committee. The undergraduate committee will consist of the undergraduate coordinator and members of the faculty, representative of both programs in the department. Members of the undergraduate committee will consult with members of the faculty in each program when appropriate and will represent the views of the programs as a whole.

Article VI. Department Advisory Councils

1. Function: The Faculty Advisory Council advises the Chair on departmental matters and helps maintain the best interests of the full department. It is not a policy-making or legislative body. Policy questions subject to vote shall be remanded to the Department as a whole.
2. Membership: The standing members of the Advisory Council are the Graduate and Undergraduate Coordinators. Three members, one representing each rank (Untenured Assistant and Lecturers, Associate, and Professor) will be elected through secret ballot by faculty within each respective rank. The Chair may appoint an additional member to balance the composition of the committee.
3. Terms of Office and Election: Elected faculty members of the Advisory Council will serve a 3- year term, except for the initial election, which will allow for staggered one, two, and three- year terms. Elections will take place in the late Spring (e.g., April) with offices to be assumed at the beginning in Fall Semester (except for the initial election during which will begin immediately).
4. Duties: The Advisory Council may advise the Chair on matters of concern to the Department, such as:
   1. Discussing issues related to Departmental programs
   2. Discussing the work of, and relations between, the various committees in the Department
   3. Consulting on relations with other departments and programs
   4. Consulting on issues concerning the staff
   5. Consulting with the Chair on the Annual Program Review
   6. Consulting with the Chair about Departmental finances
   7. Facilitating long-range planning
   8. Planning institutes, workshops, and conferences, etc.
5. Meetings: The Advisory Council meets at least once per semester during the academic year. Meetings are called at the request of the Chair or at the request of any other two members of the Council or of any three members of the faculty. The Chair normally presides at these meetings; in his/her absence, the senior member of the council presides. The Chair shall inform the Advisory Council of the agenda prior to each meeting, and inform the faculty at large whenever possible prior to all meetings not concerned with evaluations or other personnel issues.
6. Graduate Student Advisory Council: In consultation with the graduate students, a graduate student advisory council representative of students from both programs will be formed immediately. The selection of the members of this council, including eligibility and terms of appointment, will be decided by the graduate students.

Article VII. Departmental Faculty Meetings

Faculty meetings will be held at least once in the Fall and once in the Spring semesters in addition to required meetings for tenure and promotion decisions (Fall). Meetings are called at the request of the Chair, or at the request of three faculty members of the Department. The Chair normally presides at these meetings; in her/his absence, a faculty member designated by the Chair will preside. The Chair shall distribute an agenda to the faculty at least 24 hours prior to each meeting. Minutes shall be taken at every faculty meeting and distributed to all faculty members and approved at the next faculty meeting.

Article VIII. Departmental Bylaws and Operating Procedures

1. Adoption. Adoption of these bylaws shall require the affirmative vote of a two-thirds majority of eligible voting faculty as defined in the voting procedures outlined in these bylaws (see Article IX). The Bylaws will receive final approval by the College office (See Article 9.2 of the CBA for procedure) and will go into effect two weeks after final approval is received.
2. Amendments. Amendments to the bylaws may be suggested by the Chair or any faculty or staff member. Following the model of the UF Faculty Senate, written notice and the text of the proposed amendments shall be sent to the faculty prior to a first meeting which will focus on information and discussion of the amendment. After which, a second meeting will be called for action on the amendments. The bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the eligible voting faculty. Amendments shall be effective when written notice of the adopted changes is sent to all faculty and staff after having been approved by the College. Such notice must be given within two weeks after the date the amendments have been adopted.
3. Promulgation. A copy of the approved bylaws will be posted on the departmental web site and a copy will be given to each new faculty member.

Article IX. Voting Procedures

(5/3/2011; Amended 11/14/2014; Amended 01/13/2020)

1. Departmental Voting: Salaried Faculty who are budgeted 50% or more in the department will have the rights and responsibilities of voting on the following departmental issues: By-Laws, Department Rules & Policies, Faculty Hiring, Selection of Chair, Selection of Members of Merit Committee, Selection of Members of the Faculty Advisory Council, Selection of Members of the Market Equity Review Committee, Courtesy and Affiliate Appointments, Emeritus Faculty Status, and undergraduate education issues.

Non-tenure accruing Salaried Faculty who hold Graduate Faculty status through the department and who are 100% budgeted in the department will have the rights and responsibilities of voting on graduate education issues.

In cases of Tenure & Promotion, voting will be structured according to university regulations.

Paper ballots or online survey software will be used, except for votes on bylaws. Votes on bylaws must be approved in a vote by a two-thirds affirmative vote of all affected faculty in the relevant unit who are eligible to vote on the matter under consideration. The vote shall take place in a publicly noticed meeting and shall be by show of hands. The totals of yes or no shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting (CBA 9.2 ). A quorum of 50% plus one of all affected members is required by voting on bylaws.

Voting results will be determined by a majority of 50% plus one for Selection of Chair, Department Rules & Policies, Faculty Hiring, Courtesy and Affiliate Faculty Appointments, and Emeritus Faculty Status. Voting results will be determined by the highest number of votes for Selection of Members of the Faculty Advisory Council, Selection of Members of the Merit Committee, and Selection of Members of the Market Equity Review Committee.

2. Program Voting: Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty will have the rights and responsibilities of voting on Graduate and Undergraduate curriculum issues in their substantive area (either Criminology, Law & Society or Sociology),  Salaried Faculty (lecturers and senior lecturers) will have the rights and responsibilities of voting on all of the above departmental issues deemed appropriate by university regulations. Paper ballots or online survey software will be used. Absentee voting will be allowed. Elections will be determined by majority (51%) vote. Program membership, for the purposes of voting, is presently determined by hiring appointment.

Article X. Graduate Faculty Status

Graduate Faculty:

“Membership in the graduate faculty at the University level is required for, and confers the privilege of, serving as Chair, co-chair, or member of graduate students’ committees within the faculty member’s home department/unit.  It also confers the responsibility for being willing to serve as an external member on the supervisory committees of graduate students in other departments, or as representative for the Minor Area of Study.” (Graduate Faculty Appointment Policy, approved by the Graduate Council on January 21, 2016, and edited by the Graduate School on January 26, 2016)

Criteria for Appointment:

1. “All UF faculty appointees in full-time, tenured or tenure-accruing positions at the rank of Assistant Professor or above, in academic units offering a graduate degree, are fully qualified to serve as members of the Graduate faculty.” (Graduate Faculty Appointment Policy, approved by the Graduate Council on January 21, 2016, and edited by the Graduate School on January 26, 2016)
2. Other UF faculty members may be granted Graduate Faculty Status for a specific student’s supervisory committee. A petition to grant Graduate Faculty Status must be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator, together with a rationale for the appointment (i.e., purpose of the nomination, the anticipated role(s), and the manner in which the nominee’s credentials and experience are consistent with the anticipated roles), as well as a CV. Also, the following requirements must be met:
   1. Graduate Faculty appointees must have the terminal degree appropriate to their academic field or discipline and relevant to the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law;
   2. Appointment to the Graduate Faculty Status must be supported by a vote, with a two-thirds majority, of the graduate faculty in the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law: The proposed Graduate Faculty appointee must (a) meet any criteria established by CLAS and/or the Department of Sociology and Criminology& Law and (b) have the endorsement of the Department Chair and Dean of CLAS.
3. If retired, resigned, or moved on, a faculty member may continue to serve in the capacity of either member or co-chair (pending that a co-chair has been appointed), only on existing committees. “Special Member” Status is always a possibility, as “special members” provide unique expertise to certain doctoral committees. (Unanimous approval, March 1, 2017)

Article XI. Courtesy and Affiliate Faculty Appointments in the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law (1.13.2020)

Courtesy Faculty:

1. Courtesy Faculty status may be offered by the department to individuals who are not employed by the university, but who offer substantive contribution in achieving the mission of the department.

Criteria for Courtesy Faculty Appointment:

1. Courtesy Faculty status may be used for
   1. Visiting Scholars to the department
   2. Collaborators on research grants of department faculty; and
   3. Support personnel on a major project by department faculty.
2. A request for a Courtesy Faculty status must be submitted to the Department Chair, together with a rationale for the appointment (i.e., purpose of the nomination, the anticipated role(s), and the manner in which the nominee’s credentials and experience are consistent with the anticipated roles), as well as a CV. Also, the following requirements must be met:
   1. Appointment of Courtesy Faculty status must be supported by a vote, with a two-thirds majority, of the salaried faculty in the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law:
   2. The proposed Courtesy Faculty appointee must (a) meet any criteria established by CLAS and/or the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law and (b) have the endorsement of the Department Chair and Dean of CLAS.
   3. The Courtesy Faculty status must be renewed annually for each academic year

Affiliate Faculty:

1. Affiliate Faculty status may be conferred by the department to individuals who hold academic appointments in another unit at UF, but may make substantive and specific professional contributions to achieving the missions of the department.

Criteria for Affiliate Faculty Appointment:

1. Affiliate Faculty may contribute professionally, in various ways, to the department, such as:
   1. Cross-listing undergraduate or graduate courses;
   2. Supervision of undergraduate internships, independent study, honor theses, or research apprenticeships;
   3. Supervision of graduate student research as an internal department member on MA and doctoral supervisory committees, if the Affiliate Faculty holds Graduate Faculty status from another unit. The Affiliate Faculty may not chair MA or doctoral supervisory committees.
2. A request for Affiliate Faculty status must be submitted to the Department Chair, together with a rationale for the appointment (i.e., purpose of the nomination, the anticipated role(s), and the manner in which the nominee’s credentials and experience are consistent with the anticipated roles), as well as a CV. Also, the following requirements must be met:
   1. Appointment of Affiliate Faculty status must be supported by a vote occurring at the next scheduled faculty meeting and with a two-thirds majority, of the salaried faculty who are at least 50% budgeted in the department and hold Graduate Faculty status through the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law:
   2. The proposed Affiliate Faculty appointee must (a) meet any criteria established by CLAS and/or the Department of Sociology and Criminology& Law and (b) have the endorsement of the Department Chair and Dean of CLAS.
   3. The Affiliate Faculty status must be renewed annually for each academic year

Article XII. Additional Standing Committees

A. Market Equity Review Committee

The Market Equity Review Committee advises the Chair on market equity salary increases for Salaried Faculty. A market equity salary increase is a permanent increase to one’s base salary due to significant salary lag with comparable internal positions or the external labor market. The Market Equity Review Committee shall conduct an annual market equity salary review for all Salaried Faculty, and make recommendations to the Chair by the last day of classes of the Spring semester. The Chair will review the committee’s advisory recommendations and make final recommendations for salary increases to the Dean. Market equity salary reviews are subject to the Collective Bargaining Agreement and CLAS guidelines.

The Market Equity Review Committee will consist of four members, one representing each rank (Lecturers, Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, and Full Professors). The Chair may appoint a fifth member to balance the composition of the committee. Each member’s term is two years and consecutive terms are prohibited. Terms of committee members shall be staggered to ensure continuity over time. Committee members will be elected through secret ballot by the Salaried Faculty within each respective rank. The ballot will contain the names of all eligible faculty members. Faculty members may request to be removed from the ballot. The faculty receiving the highest number of votes will be elected to serve on the committee. The committee will choose one member to serve as Committee Chair. The Committee shall determine an appropriate method for managing potential conflicts of interest in evaluating their own cases.

The Market Equity Review Committee shall estimate each applicant’s market salary based on available national and regional salary data for faculty of the same discipline at Research I universities, adjusted for time in rank and evaluations over the last five years. The committee’s recommendations to the Chair will include these estimates as well as details about the data sources consulted and analysis strategies used by the committee.

APPENDICES

A. TENURE AND PROMOTION GUIDELINES DEPARTMENTAL CLARIFICATION

General Guidelines for Tenure and Promotion to the Next Rank

The policies and procedures of the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law (hereafter Department) are designed to complement those established by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (hereafter College) and the University of Florida (hereafter University) and as set forth in the Florida Administrative Code, the University Constitution, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Board of Governors and the United Faculty of Florida. Should any part of the Department’s published procedures conflict with any of these or with those announced by the College or University, the Department’s practices will be pre-empted.

Pursuant to College and University guidelines, the advice of tenure and promotion committees and departmental reports are fact-finding and advisory. No Department committee deliberation, faculty vote, or Chair recommendations are final or determinative. All cases, whether the departmental review is positive or negative, will be forwarded to the College. College and University rules set forth guidelines for candidates wishing to withdraw from the process.

The Department acknowledges the importance of research, teaching and service within the University and endorses the research designation of the University. Departmental expectations about research, teaching and service reflect faculty assignments as documented in effort reports and faculty assignment reports. The Department therefore expects all of its tenure-track faculty members to contribute to a regular and continuing basis to research, teaching and service in that order of significance. Accordingly, tenure and promotion recommendations are based on the merit and significance of the candidate’s performance in those three areas. Although superior research/publication record is given greater weight, neither tenure nor promotion to the next rank will be supported by the Department solely on that basis without distinctive performance in teaching or service activities. Similarly, the Department expects all of its non-tenure track faculty members (lecturers) to contribute to teaching and service. Review of non-tenure-track faculty for promotion thus emphasizes those two areas. In judging contributions, the Department uses national standards found at peer institutions.

Both the College and University have established criteria regarding expectations that will be incorporated in to the Department’s review of candidates. Those criteria may change so they need to be consulted annually. Each tenure-track faculty member’s semester assignments should ordinarily reflect the research, teaching and service priorities. Each non-tenure-track faculty member’s semester assignments should ordinarily reflect the teaching and service priorities. Semester assignments should be made so that candidates for tenure and promotion can meet expectations because the assignments must be taken into account in the tenure and promotion consideration.

Time in rank is not a determining criterion for consideration for tenure or promotion to the next rank. Candidates are encouraged to pursue tenure/promotion, and the Department will consider the candidate, as early as the candidate’s record justifies it, consistent with College and University rules.

Research, Publication and Scholarly Activities

Because the Criminology, Law & Society Program, as well as some areas of specialization and interest within Sociology, are multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary, faculty deliberations about tenure and promotion recommendations will consider standards appropriate to the individual candidate’s disciplinary background specialties. Faculty are encouraged to disseminate their research in ways that reach across disciplines and sub-fields, but full faith and credit will be given to recognized outlets for scholarly work across disciplinary, interdisciplinary and specialty lines. One research career may be based primarily on refereed journal articles and book chapters, another primarily on publication of books, and another some combination. The Department’s review by its faculty members and the review by external reviewers will emphasize the quality of the research and publication outlets.

Generally, for research contributions, the candidate must make a significant intellectual impact that warrants tenure and/or promotion to a higher rank in a university of similar stature as determined by leading scholars in their field. The record must show independent scholarship (e.g., a substantial part of the record consisting of first or sole-authored work) to have such impact. Scholarly impacts will generally be realized through refereed journal articles/chapters (including law reviews) and books published by academically reputable and recognized presses. Beyond these essential contributions, the Department recognizes that other publications (e.g., edited volumes, invited chapters, encyclopedia entries, texts, reviews) can contribute to the impact a scholar has. Participation on the program and presentation of submitted papers at meetings of recognized regional, national or international scholarly associations as well as presentation of prestigious and honorary invited talks and papers are also recognized but with less weight than published work. The volume of research and scholarly work may be used in the evaluation, but the number of publications plays no fixed or predetermined role in the evaluation.

Candidates are encouraged to pursue funded research grants, contracts and fellowships as befits the candidate’s specialized field of study from sources external to the Department and University. The quantity and quality of publications and the level of activity (including submission of proposals) and success in funded and unfunded research and scholarly fellowships will be given due consideration in tenure and promotion reviews. The quality of the respective research contributions will be determined by peer assessment within and outside the Department. The external evaluations are key to the process.

Teaching

The Department expects teaching excellence. Student teaching evaluations are important, but not the only, means by which excellence can be established. College and University rules require that both student and peer/colleague teaching evaluations are included in the candidate’s submitted materials. Peer reviews should comment about such matters as pedagogy, organization, course content, and delivery. In addition, the teaching record should include information about curriculum development and teaching innovations. Any publications on teaching should be highlighted and any special training or workshops designed to enhance teaching/advising skills noted.

Ordinarily, tenure-track candidates should be involved in some way at all levels of teaching – graduate and undergraduate, required courses and electives. Evidence of excellence in teaching can also stem from the supervision/advising of undergraduate honors theses, masters theses/papers, and dissertations. Tenure-track faculty members are expected to play an active role in mentoring graduate students in their thesis or dissertation research.

Non-tenure-track candidates should also be involved in undergraduate teaching and supervision of graduate assistants with teaching appointments. Evidence of excellence in teaching by non-tenure-track faculty can also stem from supervision/advising of undergraduate honor’s theses.

Any teaching honors, awards, or recognition should be including in tenure and promotion materials. The internal reviewers and the annual letters of evaluation should also address teaching excellence.

Service

Service is an integral component of faculty performance. At a minimum, service includes participation in Departmental activities, committees, governance, and responsibilities. In addition, the Department recognizes service to the academic profession including memberships on editorial boards, leadership or committee roles in professional organizations and learned societies, manuscript reviews for journals and review panels for public and private granting agencies. Service can also extend to the College and University through such activities as the Senate, standing or ad hoc committees, fund-raising, and other service. Service may be extended to the public and community (e.g., presentations and consultation to civic, social, and community organizations, local/state government, primary or secondary schools, or private organizations). The service expectations increase as faculty members attain tenure and move through the faculty ranks. Awards and recognitions for service should be included in a candidate’s submitted materials. The internal reviews and annual evaluation letters should also address service contributions.

Specific Guidelines for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor

The Department recognizes that there is no single path to successful applications for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor. The Department has in place an active mentoring system by senior faculty for tenure-accruing Assistant Professors that enables them to receive continuous and frank advice and counsel on activities and priorities relevant to their consideration for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor. This mentoring complements the direction and feedback given to Assistant Professors by the Department Chair and Area Coordinator. All tenured faculty study the files of untenured faculty and annual letters of evaluation are circulated to and reviewed by them before they are given to untenured colleagues.

Research

Normally, for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor, the record of research and publication activities is expected to be substantial enough to show promise and potential of national or international recognition. The Department looks for promise of continued growth in significant, focused, and creative scholarship. Ordinarily this assessment of accomplishment and promise includes publications in respected outlets as noted above. In general, the Department will look for publications written/published after the candidate began tenure accrual but due consideration will also be given to the full record of publications and research. Also, as noted in the General Guidelines, submission of proposals and successful competition for extramural funding can be important in individual cases. Book chapters, non-refereed publications, and to a lesser extent presented papers can be used to bolster the record, but will not justify tenure or promotion if they stand alone or constitute the bulk of the candidate’s scholarly production.

Teaching

Assistant Professors may be assigned both undergraduate and graduate courses (with student evaluations completed for each course) and are expected to have at least one peer teaching evaluation performed each year. Assistant Professors are not expected to be heavily involved in advising and supervising of graduate students. However, they are expected to be members on some graduate committees. Also, after the first couple of years of tenure accrual, Assistant Professors should chair a couple of master’s or doctoral supervisory committees to the extent it does not limit their research/scholarly and teaching activities.

Service

Assistant Professors are not expected to be heavily involved in service activities, and Department policy is that the Chair will not assign extensive or burdensome service to untenured Assistant Professors. The Department expects that before tenure, Assistant Professors will have service in some of the capacities mentioned in the General Guidelines. Generally, such service will constitute about ten percent of the total weight of the candidate’s record.

Specific Guidelines for Promotion to Full Professor

Research

Promotion to the rank of Full Professor gives greatest weight to substantial career contributions in research and publications. The record is judged primarily on scholarly impact on the field of knowledge and only secondarily on the quantity of output. The evaluation of an Associate Professor’s research and scholarly accomplishments involves degree of focus, patterns of authorship, quality and reputation of the journals in which articles appear, and the quality of the candidate’s books and other publications. Significant contributions might be extraordinary contributions made over a few years or steady contributions made over many years, especially those made since promotion to Associate Professor. The expectation is that evaluation of the body of work provides clear evidence of an established national or international recognition and scholarly reputation. The candidate’s reputation among nationally-recognized experts in the candidate’s primary field of knowledge is of paramount importance. The candidate should be nationally or internationally known as someone who has made significant contributions to the field of knowledge. One indicator of that recognition and reputation is the frequency and prominence of citations to the candidate’s scholarship and contributions in respected journals, books, and other major and standard sources in the field. Another indicator would be awards and recognition from institutions of higher learning, scholarly organizations, and other organizations relevant to one’s scholarly work. A record of externally funded research, particularly that funded by highly competitive and visible public agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Justice, and others is also evidence of recognition by other scholars. The external letters will speak directly to this issue, and will be taken as direct evidence of scholarly reputation and standing in the field.

Teaching

The evaluation materials for promotion to Full Professor include student evaluations. They need not include annual peer reviews of teaching, but Associate and Full Professors need to have some recent peer evaluations on record. Substantial involvement in graduate education with membership on and supervision of master’s and doctoral committees leading to graduate with MA and Ph.D. degrees is expected for promotion to Full Professor. Significant contributions to teaching may take several forms. Good to excellent classroom teaching and individual mentoring over a number of years, or contributions in a shorter time through efforts which significantly exceed normal expectations or which extend beyond the classroom by significantly raising the level of training in the entire Department, are among those forms.

Service

Substantial involvement in the service and governance activities in the Department, as mentioned in the general guidelines above, are expected for promotion to Full Professor. Contributions can be sustained over a longer period of time or they need to be significantly beyond the quality and importance normal expected of Associate Professors over a shorter period of time. Funding that helps build or sustain a program of study in the Department can also be seen as an important indicator of service. Awards and recognition by scholarly or professional associations, government, community groups, for professional relevant service contributions are other indicators.

Guidelines for Promotion of Lecturers

The Department adopts as its guidelines those developed by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Specific Guidelines for Promotion of Lecturers to Senior Lecturers

Teaching

Lecturers will be assigned undergraduate courses (with student evaluations completed for each course) and are expected to have at least one peer teaching evaluation performed each year. Lecturers are not expected to be involved in supervising of graduate students with the exception of their teaching assistants.

Service

Lecturers are not expected to be heavily involved in service activities, and Department policy is that the Chair will not assign extensive or burdensome service to Lecturers. The Department expects that Lecturers will have service in some of the capacities mentioned in the General Guidelines. Generally, such service will constitute about ten percent of the total weight of the candidate’s record.

Specific Guidelines for Promotion of Senior Lecturers to Master Lecturers

Teaching

The evaluation materials for promotion to Master Lecturer include student evaluations. They need not include annual peer reviews of teaching, but Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers need to have some recent peer evaluations on record. Significant contributions to teaching may take several forms. Good to excellent classroom teaching and individual mentoring over a number of years, or contributions in a shorter time through efforts which significantly exceed normal expectations or which extend beyond the classroom by significantly raising the level of training in the entire Department, are among those forms.

Service

Substantial involvement in the service and governance activities in the Department, as mentioned in the general guidelines above, are expected for promotion to Master Lecturer. Contributions can be sustained over a longer period of time or they need to be significantly beyond the quality and importance normal expected of Senior Lecturers over a shorter period of time. Contributions that help build or sustain a curricular program in the Department can also be seen as an important indicator of service. Awards and recognition by the University or College, scholarly or professional associations, government, community groups, for professional relevant service contributions are other indicators.

Procedures for Tenure and Promotion Review

All candidates for promotion should be notified of Department, College and University tenure and promotion guidelines each year. Anyone who chooses to be considered, however, should be aware that College and University guidelines may be updated and that those updates frequently are announced after April.

Candidates eligible to apply for tenure and promotion, or promotion, should attend a College tenure and promotion workshop, usually held in the spring semester. Those who wish to be evaluated in the fall term should notify the Department Chair by mid-April of the same calendar year.

In May, tenure-track candidates should make their publications available to the Departmental office in electronic form. Tenure-track candidates should also identify which publications to send to external reviewers when the Department Chair sends the formal letters of request. Reviewers will also be free to request particular publications.

All candidates for promotion must complete the form regarding their decision to waive access to various materials (e.g., external reviews).

Candidates for promotion will prepare their materials for submission according to College and University guidelines. Those materials must be presented to the Department office in August to ensure that they can be reviewed carefully and, if necessary, corrections can be made. They will also be submitted for a preliminary review to the College office.

The candidate’s materials will be made available to those faculty members eligible to vote on the case approximately two to three weeks before they are due in the College office. After the eligible voting faculty members have had the opportunity to review the materials, a meeting of the faculty will be called to discuss the case.

1. T&P Committee Assignment
   1. Once the Department Chair is notified that a faculty member wishes to be considered for T&P or promotion, he or she will consult with the candidate to identify a Tenure and Promotion committee. The Department Chair will assign a 3 person committee to review each T&P candidate.
   2. For Assistant Professor candidates being considered for T&P to Associate, one of the committee members will be the candidate’s faculty member or a member of the candidate’s mentoring committee.
2. Oversight and Management of T&P
   1. The Department Chair and where appropriate in consultation with program representatives (for example Criminology, Sociology or joint program director) will be responsible for monitoring the T&P process with the assistance of office staff. The Chair and where appropriate in consultation with program representatives (for example Criminology, Sociology or joint program director) will oversee and manage the day-to-day process of notifications, selection of external reviewers, receiving and making those letters available, assembling the packet, and other matters related to the procedures and process of the candidate’s consideration. All external reviewers must be approved by the Chair before they are contacted.
   2. External Letters: The candidate will be asked to refrain providing names of potential external reviewers until the Tenure and Promotion committee has the opportunity to identify a list of reviewers independently. Once that is done, the candidate will be asked for a list of potential external referees. Reviewers will be contacted, taking into account the candidate’s list. Letters to these reviewers will comport with College and University guidelines. The Department Chair, and where appropriate in consultation with program representatives (for example Criminology, Sociology or joint program director), and the Tenure and Promotion committee, will draft biographical sketches of the reviewers. The Department will include those sketches in the candidate’s portfolio for submission.
   3. Internal Letters: Candidates who wish to solicit internal letters should consult the College Tenure and Promotion guidelines.
3. Committee Deliberations and Reports to Tenured Faculty or Full Professor Faculty
   1. The committee will consider the full record as reported in the T&P packet and follow the evaluative guidelines and policy as set forth in departmental T&P policy documents.
   2. The standards and criteria for judging the record of any candidate used by the committee (and the faculty) will be the same for all candidates with the proviso that the interdisciplinary nature of criminology, law and society and its specialties, as well as specialty areas within sociology, be recognized so that:
      1. publications in interdisciplinary, disciplinary or specialty journals (including law reviews) are given full faith and credit.
      2. the differing disciplinary traditions with regard to scholarly careers and achievement and the kinds of publications (books, articles, etc.) that are recognized for faculty with different disciplinary degrees will be given full faith and recognition.
   3. The T&P committee will report to the tenured faculty of the whole Department for Assistant Professor candidates and to all Full Professors in the Department for promotion to Full Professor (or Distinguished Professor) at a meeting designated for that purpose.
4. Voting
   1. Votes cannot be taken at the meeting but must take place after the meeting (within a prescribed time period) and comply with College and University guidelines.
   2. Votes will be by a secure anonymous ballot (but with check off procedure to determine confidentiality who has chosen not to vote)
5. Reporting Votes and Cover Letter
   1. The report of the voting will be entered in the appropriate place on the T&P packet cover form in the usual manner; the vote count entered on that form will be the vote of all tenured (or all full professor) faculty of the Department.
   2. The cover letter submitted by the Department as information for the Dean and College T&P Committee may include information regarding the nature of the pre-vote discussion.
   3. The Department Chair, and where appropriate in consultation with program representatives (for example Criminology, Sociology or joint program director) and with input from the T&P committee as well as the voting faculty participating in the formal T&P meeting, will compose the letter to the Dean.
   4. D. The cover letter will be signed by the Chair.
   5. A copy of the cover letter will be made available to the candidate (appropriately redacted as required by College and University guidelines).

These criteria and procedures have been proposed, discussed and approved by the departmental faculty. They are subject to periodic review and revision by the faculty.

B. PROCEDURES FOR MIDTERM REVIEW OF PROGRESS TO TENURE / PROMOTION

A special midterm review shall be conducted for faculty members during the third year of the tenure probationary period (Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Article 19.7 Tenure-track faculty). Similarly, per the CBA (Article 19.8), the Department will conduct a non-tenure-track progress-to-promotion (PTP) review following the same period of academic service as for tenure-track faculty. In both cases, the purpose of this appraisal shall be to assess the faculty member’s progress toward meeting the criteria for tenure/promotion based on their assignment and to provide assessments, suggestions, and guidance to assist the faculty member in fulfilling the University’s tenure and promotion criteria.

The faculty member under review shall compile an appraisal dossier containing the same kind of information as would be in a tenure dossier but without letters of evaluation. The department chair shall provide to the faculty member the materials required in the CBA: annual assigned activity, tenure/promotion criteria from the university, college, and department, peer evaluations, and the faculty member’s annual evaluations. The appraisal dossier shall be compiled and delivered to the department chair by the first day of the Spring semester of the third probationary year. The department chair will distribute the dossier to the mentor team and tenured faculty.

For midterm reviews of tenure-track faculty, before April 1 of the third probationary year, tenured faculty members in the department shall review the appraisal dossier and meet with the department chair to assess whether the faculty member is making satisfactory progress toward tenure, according to the kinds of expectations and indications of success that are appropriate at this point in the tenure probationary period. For PTP reviews of non-tenure-track faculty, before April 1 of the year following the same period of performance as for tenure-track faculty, tenured and/or promoted faculty members in the department shall review the appraisal dossier and meet with the department chair. They will assess whether the faculty member is making satisfactory progress toward promotion, according to the kinds of expectations and indications of success that are appropriate at this point. For midterm reviews of tenure-track faculty and for PTP reviews, the three-person mentor team leads the appraisal review, presents its report to a meeting of tenured/promoted faculty, and leads the discussion of progress.

After the meeting, the department chair will write a letter providing feedback on progress toward tenure/promotion based on the faculty discussion and chair’s evaluation. This letter is separate from the annual evaluation letter. The department chair will distribute the feedback letter to the faculty member and the cognizant associate dean before April 15 of the third probationary year. The faculty member shall be provided with the opportunity to meet with the chair and dean to discuss the review.

C. DEPARTMENT CLARIFICATIONS FOR ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS

The Chair will prepare the annual letter of evaluation for each faculty member. The performance evaluation will be based on information provided in the faculty member’s annual activities report. The Chair’s annual letter will evaluate the faculty member’s productivity and provide suggestions for improvement if warranted. For untenured faculty, the annual letter will also indicate if the faculty member in the probationary period will be reappointed for the coming academic year.

The following lists include examples of scholarly activities and benchmarks for teaching, research, and service that may be considered by the Chair when preparing the annual letter:

Teaching:

• Student evaluation feedback
• Teaching awards
• Supervision of teaching assistants
• Peer observation report of faculty teaching
• Supervision of undergraduate honors thesis papers
• Supervision of graduate students as chair or member of graduate committees
• Development of curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate level
• Papers given at meetings and/or published on pedagogy
• Mentoring students in research, methods, or teaching in sociology and criminology
• Innovative teaching (such as developing interdisciplinary courses, developing online courses, participating in educational outreach)
• Other activities which promote the undergraduate and graduate program in the department

Research:

• Publication of research, as sole author or co-author, through articles and chapters in peer reviewed journals and books
• Publication of research, as sole author or co-author, in non-referred journals and books
• Papers presented at professional meetings
• Workshops, talks, and presentations to other research institutions
• Awards, fellowships, and prizes for research
• Submission and receipt of grants, contracts, and awards for research
• Other notable research activities

Service:

• Department administration/governance (serving as Department Chair, Associate Chair, Graduate or Undergraduate Coordinator)
• Mentoring junior faculty
• Serving as a faculty advisor for student organizations
• Participating in and chairing committees at the department, college, and professional organizations
• Administering scholarships, colloquia, and workshops within the University
• Serving as editor, associate editor, or member of the editorial board of professional journals or book series
• Holding offices in professional organizations and organizing sessions for professional meetings
• Refereeing papers for professional journals or presses
• Reviewing grant proposals
• Actively using sociology and criminology for the betterment of local, regional, or international communities and non-academic entities by serving on boards, commissions, and or advising services

D. GUIDELINES FOR MERIT SALARY RAISES

We recognize that it takes many types of faculty to make an excellent Department at a Research I University. All faculty are evaluated in accordance with their appointments based on their level of effort dedicated to research, teaching and service. All activities are valuable, and exceptional work on any front is worthy of merit. Merit for tenure track or tenured faculty will be evaluated based on the merit and significance of the candidate’s research, teaching, and service, in that order of significance. Merit for lecturers will be evaluated based on the merit and significance of the candidates teaching and service, in that order of significance.

While the categories for evaluating meritorious performance are research, teaching, and service, many criteria exist within each of these categories; criteria within each and between each of these categories also vary. Because there are so many differing ways one can make a valuable contribution, no simple formula can be applied in making these evaluations. Merit increases must be based on an assessment of 1) faculty performance of assigned duties and accomplished activities during the merit period and 2) faculty performance of attendant responsibilities pertinent to employment in a university.

The merit period shall be determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

PROCEDURES

• By annual election, the Department shall choose a Merit Raise Committee of tenured and tenure track faculty that can be functional over the summer. The elected salary committee consists of one member from each of the assistant, associate, and full ranks. The Chair shall appoint a fourth member to balance the composition of the committee. Each member’s term is two years and consecutive terms are prohibited. Terms of committee members shall be staggered to ensure continuity over time.
• The Committee shall determine an appropriate method for managing potential conflicts of interest in evaluating their own cases.
• Faculty members will prepare the CLAS Annual Activities Report and supplemental material (i.e., any other documentation that the faculty member wishes the Merit Committee and Chairperson to have) to be considered in the merit evaluation.
• This Committee shall elect a Chair and review the Faculty Activities Report for the merit period, student evaluations for undergraduate and graduate courses, and relevant letters of evaluation from the Chair.
• This Committee shall then group the faculty according to a rubric based on the application of each set of criteria listed below (research, teaching, service) and then provide an overall recommendation to the Chair for merit awards.
• These recommendations are advisory in nature with the Chair making the final salary recommendation.

CRITERIA

A faculty member is expected to perform, as assigned, competently in the areas of teaching, research, and service. The Merit Committee will develop a rubric for assessing the merit of each faculty member’s contributions, but one’s performance is generally considered meritorious if it exceeds the typical performance in quality or quantity. The merit committee will consider the level of the candidate’s contribution. Faculty are encouraged to submit information about quality, quantity, intellectual impact, and scope of the contribution (especially in the case of multiple authored contributions) in the annual review document. The following criteria are not meant to be all inclusive and are not given equal weight item by item. Special attention will be given to evaluate service in accordance with service assignments. Faculty are encouraged to provide context and detail of service commitments.

Examples of research contributions include:

• Published papers in refereed journals.
• Published a research monograph or book.
• Published chapters in edited books.
• Obtained or held a competitive grant or contract.
• Applied for a competitive grant or contract.
• Edited a scholarly book or journal.
• Presented papers or invited symposia/seminars at professional meetings.
• Received an award or honor or other recognition for a history of research/scholarly excellence.
• Secured an advanced book contract from a publisher.
• Evidence of research and/or writing toward the completion of an extensive research project, such as a book or labor-intensive article.
• Publishing with graduate students, recognizing disciplinary variations in co-authorship.

Examples of teaching contributions include:

• Student evaluations, for both undergraduate and graduate courses, and other evidence of teaching excellence submitted by the faculty member as part of the Annual Activities Report.
• Contribution to the Teaching mission of the Department regarding General Education, Gordon Rule, Large sections, UF priorities (e.g., Honors courses or the course in Cultural Diversity) and courses required for our major (in particular, this refers to a willingness for faculty members to be flexible on their personal teaching preferences and teach courses that the Department needs to offer).
• Development and application of innovative teaching methods.
• Published of a textbook, manual, or handbook for teaching purposes.
• Development and teaching of a new course.
• Supervision of students in Internships, Independent Studies, Honors, and for supervision of students competitive in CLAS research (or similar) awards.
• Chairing of Doctoral and Masters Graduate committees; serving on Graduate committees.
• Received an award or honor for excellence in teaching not already entailing a salary increase.
• Peer evaluations of teaching.
• Graduate committee membership, chair, and co-chair roles.
• Other evidence of mentoring graduate students.

Examples of service contributions include:

• Department Administration of Undergraduate Coordinator, Graduate Coordinator, and Associate Chair.
• Department, College, or University Committee service.
• Mentoring of junior faculty.
• Maintaining the Department website or disseminating Department news and/or events using social media (on behalf of the Department).
• Chaired or organized a professional conference, symposium, session, or meeting.
• Reviewer or panelist on proposals for funding agencies.
• Reviewer of scholarly papers for publication or grant proposals.
• Held office in a professional society, served on an editorial board, or served as an editor or associate editor.
• Chaired a program session at a professional meeting.
• Service to the community, state, nation, and international community and profession as part of the role of University professor.
• Contributions that enrich the spirit of the academic community of the Department.
• Faculty mentor to a student organization.

These criteria and procedures have been proposed, discussed, and approved by the departmental faculty. They are subject to periodic review and revision by the faculty.

Should any part of the Department’s published procedures conflict with those established by the College or University, the Department’s practices will be pre-empted.