Constitution
1.1 The Department of Humanities offers a series of complementary courses comprising the study of human values and the human experience, grounded in historical, literary, philosophical and religious content and utilizing comparative and cross-cultural perspectives.
1.2 The curriculum consists of
foundational courses and seminars focusing on the character and traditions of
ancient, medieval and modern Western civilization, as well as by courses that
explore similar concerns in Asian and other traditions.
1.3 In addition to faculty with continuing appointments in the Department, instructors are drawn from different departments in the university and bring a variety of disciplinary approaches and perspectives. All Humanities courses place a strong emphasis on the reading of primary texts, and on developing connections across traditional disciplinary boundaries.
1.4 The Department maintains a strong commitment to the wider community both within and outside the university through the activities of the Institute for the Humanities. The Department works directly with the Institute in fostering community-based research, teaching and public programming. As well, the Department and the Institute share responsibility for the appointment and activities of the J.S. Woodsworth Chair in the Humanities.
1.5 The Department provides an academic home for two affiliated academic units, the Asia-Canada Program and the Graduate Liberal Studies Program. While the purpose of these affiliations is to strengthen interdisciplinary study within the Faculty of Arts, each of the affiliated units maintains administrative and operational autonomy in several key areas, including curriculum, budget, and personnel. (see Appendix 1-2)
1.6 The Department recognizes the potential for enrichment offered by a study of the Humanities and accordingly accepts a special mandate to make its courses readily available to students in continuing studies, in professional programs and in other majors programs in the university.
2. The governance of the Department of Humanities is carried out by a committee of the whole as defined in section 2.2 (below) which normally meets two or three times a semester.
2.1 This constitution is the governing document for the Department of Humanities (hereafter referred to as the Department). In the case of a discrepancy between this document and university policy, SFU policy shall prevail.
2.2 Membership in the Department is comprised of all faculty with full or joint appointments in the Humanities, Lecturers, Associate Members, the Directors of affiliated programs, and up to two undergraduate representatives.
2.3 The constitution will be amended as necessary to reflect the DepartmentÕs changing needs. Amendment shall require two weeksÕ written notice prior to a regular meeting of Department members at which discussion of the proposed amendment is undertaken. Voting shall be by mail ballot of all members and requires an affirmative vote on two-thirds of the returned ballots to carry.
3. Department Chair
3.1 The Chair will be elected from among the faculty with full or joint appointments in the Department. All members of the Department as defined in 2.2 above are eligible to vote for the Chair and a majority of the ballots cast will carry. The term of the ChairÕs appointment will normally be three years.
3.2 The Chair reports directly to the Dean of Arts
3.3 The
ChairÕs (or designateÕs) responsibilities shall be governed by university
policy. They include but are not
limited to the following:
a. Calling a meeting of the Department at least two times per semester;
b. Chairing Department meetings and the Department Tenure, Promotion and Salary Review Committee and the Appointments Committee, being ex officio member of all departmental committees, and forming ad hoc committees as required;
c. Mediating disputes;
d. Assigning teaching duties within the Department and scheduling courses in consultation with the Undergraduate Chair and the Departmental Assistant;
e. Apportioning the budget, in consultation with the Departmental Assistant, including requesting temporary instruction stipends from the Dean of Arts;
f. Representing the Department on the steering committees of the Institute for the Humanities, the Asia-Canada Program, and the Graduate Liberal Studies Program.
g. Representing the interests, needs and aspirations of the Department, the Asia-Canada Program, and the Graduate Liberal Studies Program to the Dean of Arts, University and Faculty AdministratorsÕ meetings, and other relevant university bodies.
3.4 In accordance with university policy, appeals against the Chair are directed to the Dean of Arts.
4. Undergraduate Chair
4.1 The Undergraduate Chair will be elected for a term of two years from among the faculty with full or joint appointments in the Department. All members of the Department as defined in 2.2. above are eligible to vote for the Undergraduate Chair and a majority of the ballots cast will carry.
4.2 The Undergraduate Chair reports directly to the Chair of the Department.
4.3 The Undergraduate ChairÕs responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
a. Chairing meetings of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and reports to the Department;
b. Representing the Department and affiliated units on the Faculty of Arts Curriculum Committee;
c. Can serve as acting chair in the absence of the chair for a time of up to two months;
d. Responds to complaints from students and deals with grade appeals and incidents of academic dishonesty.
5. Institute for the Humanities
5.1 While an autonomous Institute governed by university policy AC 35, the Institute for the Humanities has several administrative connections with the Department of Humanities. These include:
a. The Director of the Institute for the Humanities is drawn from faculty with full or joint appointments in the Department of Humanities;
b. In addition to the Director, two members of the five-person Institute Steering Committee are drawn from faculty with full or joint appointments in the Department of Humanities;
c. On matters relating to the Woodsworth Chair, the Director of the Institute reports to and through the Chair of the Department of Humanities.
6.1 Asia-Canada Program
a. CFL Faculty appointed to the Asia-Canada Program will be members of the Department of Humanities and Continuing Lecturers in that Program will be Associate Members of the Department as per Policy A 12.07.
b. Budgetary and administrative matters pertaining to the Asia-Canada Program will be administered by staff from the Department of Humanities.
6.2 Graduate Liberal Studies Program
a. The Director of the Graduate Liberal Studies Program is a member of the Department of Humanities but need not have an academic appointment in that Department.
b. All budgetary and administrative matters pertaining to the Graduate Liberal Studies Program will remain within the purview of that ProgramÕs staff.
7.
The Department shall
have three standing committees: the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee; the
Department Tenure, Promotion and Salary Review Committee; and the Appointments
Committee. Committee elections shall
take place at the end of the spring semester for terms beginning in the
fall. Elections shall be by mail
ballot and shall be preceded by a call for candidates. With the exception of the DTC, any committee
shall have the right to request assistance from other members of the Department
and to form subcommittees and may replace absent members with the approval of
the Department. The Department may
form ad hoc committees as
required. The Institute for the
Humanities and affiliated programs are governed by separate steering
committees.
7.1
Undergraduate Curriculum
Committee
The committee shall consist of the Department
Undergraduate Chair (chair), three members of the Department and one
undergraduate representative elected for a one-year term. Responsibilities include but are not
limited to the following:
a. Meets at least once a semester and
reports to the Department;
b. Nominates the winners of scholarships,
bursaries and awards, specifically the Bach Memorial Scholarships, the Gandhi
Humanitarian Award, the DeanÕs Medal, the DeanÕs Entrance Scholarships, and any
others that arise (the undergraduate representative shall absent her/himself
during scholarship considerations);
c. Initiates curriculum changes and brings
them to the Department for discussion and approval as necessary.
d. Conducts an on-going examination of the
curriculum
7.2
Department Tenure,
Promotion and Salary Review Committee
The committee is drawn from and elected by members of
the Department with full or joint appointments in the Humanities, constituted
according to university policy and chaired by the Department Chair. The constitution and responsibilities
of the committee shall be those outlined in university policies A 11 and A 12.
7.3
Appointments Committee
The committee consists of the Department Chair and
three members elected elected for a one-year term. Its responsibilities shall be those outlined in university
policy A 10.
7.4
Institute for the
Humanities Steering Committee
As established by the InstituteÕs constitution, the
Institute Steering Committee consists of the Director, the Chair plus one
additional member of the Department of Humanities named by the Chair, and two
members drawn from the university at large. The individuals from the university at large are appointed
by the Dean of Arts upon recommendation by the Director. Appointments are for a three year term
and the committee normally meets once a month. The responsibilities of the Steering Committee include (but
are not limited to) budget management and the adjudication of proposals for new
projects.
7.5
Asia-Canada Program
Steering Committee
The Asia-Canada Program is administered by a Steering
Committee consisting of the Director, the Chair of the Department of
Humanities, and the two faculty members and two continuing lecturers who teach
in the Program. The Asia-Canada
Steering Committee is responsible for the on-going administration of the
Program, including curriculum and curricular development, teaching personnel
and secondments, budget administration, and appointments.
7.6
Graduate Liberal Studies
Program Steering Committee
The Graduate Liberal Studies Program is administered
by a Director and a Steering Committee comprised of associate faculty drawn
largely but not exclusively from the Faculty of Arts, the Chair of the
Department of Humanities, and student representatives. The Steering Committee is responsible
for the overall planning of the Program and the selection of the Director and
Graduate Chair.
Appendix 1.
Memorandum of Agreement between the Asia-Canada Program and the
Department of Humanities.
In the
sections which follow, the specific nature of the relationship between the
Asia-Canada Program and the new Department of Humanities is spelled out.
The Asia-Canada Program
The
Asia-Canada Program offers students the opportunity to investigate the connection
between contemporary Canadian society and culture and that of a variety of
Asian countries. Part of the program is a study of one or more Asian languages.
The goal of the Program is to introduce students to the economic, social, and
cultural connections between Asian countries and Canada. The Program offers ten
ASC courses, ten language courses and opportunities for directed study, all
leading to a Minor or a Certificate in Chinese Studies. The Program sponsors
field schools in China and Thailand and actively promotes opportunities for
student exchanges.
The Asia-Canada Program currently
(1998) consists of three cfl faculty and two continuing lecturers who, together
with at least four faculty members teaching or researching in Asia-Canada
related fields in different departments, collectively comprise the steering
committee. The Program is administered by a director with administrative
support provided by Interdisciplinary Studies. After affiliation with the Dept. of Humanities the cfl
faculty would become members of that department, it being either their home
department or the other half of a joint appointment. The continuing lecturers
would become associate members of the new department as per Policy A 12.07.
The Asia-Canada Program needs to
maintain autonomy within a department structure in order to realize its
potential within the Faculty of Arts and the University. Thus:
- the Asia-Canada Advisory Committee (renamed from the former Steering Committee) will continue to be responsible for the overall planning of the Program. This includes the organization of the Advisory Committee itself and its administrative purview.
- The Director will be responsible for the on-going administration of the Program.
- The Advisory Committee and/or Director will be responsible for or have autonomous jurisdiction over all aspects of the Program as follows:
a.
Academic
--curriculum
and curricular development
--teaching
personnel and secondment
b.
Resources
--Operating
Budget and any future budgetary allocation –staff positions
The functions of the Chair of
Humanities in relation to the Asia-Canada Program is as follows:
- Membership in the Asia-Canada
Advisory Committee and attendance at its meetings
- representing the interests of
the Asia-Canada program to the University Administration including the Dean of
Arts, the Dean's Advisory Committee, the Chair's Group and the Administrator's
Group. In doing so, the Chair will not prioritize the needs of any other
departmental units over those of the Asia-Canada Program
- Acting as a liaison between the
Humanities Department and the Asia-Canada Program where joint projects or
interests are at issue.
The function of the Director of
Asia-Canada in relation to the Humanities is as follows:
- membership in the Humanities
Department and attendance at its meetings
- Informing the Chair and the
Department on issues of concern to Asia-Canada
While Asia-Canada would now be
affiliated with the Humanities Department and would report through the Chair of
Humanities, certain aspects of its administration would continue
to be handled directly through the
Dean's Office:
- Budget reporting - initially,
and for a period of time to be agreed upon through discussions with the
Humanities Chair and the Dean's office, non-routine Asia-Canada Program
budgetary matters may be discussed directly with the Dean's office.
- Faculty appointments - requests
for faculty appointments should be made by the Director of Asia-Canada directly
to the Dean, with the accompanying support of the Chair of Humanities
Dept. Requests for faculty appointments
will not be linked with negotiations for appointments/replacements undertaken
by the Humanities Dept or other affiliated units unless such linkage is seen as
desirable by the units concerned.
Appendix 2.
Memorandum of Agreement between the Graduate Liberal Studies Program and
the Department of Humanities.
In the
sections which follow, the specific nature of the relationship between the
Graduate Liberal Studies Program and the new Department of Humanities is
spelled out.
The Graduate Liberal Studies Program
The Graduate Liberal Studies
Program is an interdisciplinary program leading to a degree of Master of Arts
in Liberal Studies. Founded in
1991, it is designed as a part-time program for students in mid-career. It has nearly fifty alumni and a
hundred registered graduate students.
As a liberal studies program it promotes, through its cohort model and
curriculum, the possibility of dialogue and civic conversation among
interdisciplinary methodologies and across personal differences. Its curriculum is designed to allow
topic areas of contemporary concern to be addressed from perspectives of
different discourses of intellectual inquiry. In the spirit of liberal studies, GLS is broadly interdisciplinary
including the Arts, Fine and Performing Arts, Sciences and Mathematics. GLS, the only liberal studies graduate
program in Canada, is a member of the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies
- GLS occupies offices and a
Reading Room at the Harbour Centre Campus of SFU
- It is administered by a
half-time Director, a quarter-time Graduate Chair, a two-thirds time Assistant
to the Director, and a half-time Secretary.
- GLS is sustained by an unfunded
cfl position, a one-half faculty appointment, an endowment income, and
operating monies.
Academic governance and assessment of the GLS Program is the responsibility of a Steering Committee comprised of associate faculty drawn from the Faculty of Arts and the University and student representatives. The Steering Committee of GLS will continue to be responsible for the overall planning of the Program. This includes the organization of the Steering Committee itself, its administrative purview and the selection of its members including terms of office. It will also be responsible for selection of the Director and the Graduate Chair. The Director of the Program will be responsible for the ongoing administration of the Program.
GLS needs autonomy within a departmental
structure in order to realize its potential within the Faculty of Arts and the
University. Autonomy is necessary
in order that it continue to develop as a distinctive part of SFUÕs community
service, outreach, and public profile, maximizing the advantages of its Harbour
Centre location. Autonomy is also
necessary to continue its service to the University as a site for faculty and
course development and for interdisciplinary exchange. Teaching faculty in GLS are seconded
from throughout the University.
For this reason as well, GLS needs autonomy to continue to develop
inter-departmental and inter-Faculty connections.
To this end, the Steering Committee and/or Director will be responsible for or have autonomous jurisdiction over all aspects of the Program as follows:
a.
Academic
--curriculum
and curricular development;
--teaching
personnel and secondment; this
includes the freedom to foster inter-Faculty relationships and to allow the
participation of faculty from outside the Faculty of Arts to participate in
GLS;
--selection
of students;
--constituency
of classes;
--the
Jennifer Allen Simons Chair in Liberal Studies.
b.
Resources
--Budget: including operating budget, the
base-budget cfl position, the one-half cfl position, the endowment income, and
any future budgetary allocations;
--Staff
positions and their administrative location at Harbour Centre
--Harbour
Centre space and resources.
The functions of the Chair of
Humanities in relation to the GLS Program is as follows:
- Membership in the GLS Steering
Committee and attendance at its meetings
- representing the interests of
the GLS program to the University Administration including the Dean of Arts,
the Dean's Advisory Committee, the Chair's Group and the Administrator's Group.
In doing so, the Chair will not prioritize the needs of any other departmental
units over those of the GLS Program
- Acting as a liaison between the
Humanities Department and the GLS Program where joint projects or interests are
at issue.
The function of the Director of
GLS in relation to the Humanities is as follows:
- membership in the Humanities
Department and attendance at its meetings
- Informing the Chair and the
Department on issues of concern to GLS
While the GLS Program would now be
affiliated with the Humanities Department and would report through the Chair of
Humanities, certain aspects of its administration would continue to be handled
directly through the Dean's Office:
- Budget reporting: the annual
operating, academic and capital budgets should be forwarded directly to the
Dean of ArtÕs office and similarly dispensed directly to GLS.
- Faculty appointments - requests
for faculty appointments, should they arise, should be made by the Director of
GLS directly to the Dean, with the accompanying support of the Chair of
Humanities Dept. Requests for
faculty appointments will not be linked with negotiations for
appointments/replacements undertaken by the Humanities Dept or other affiliated
units unless such linkage is seen as desirable by the units concerned.