College of Arts and Sciences: English and Comparative Literature Faculty Handbook

Unit Policy

Title

College of Arts and Sciences: English and Comparative Literature Faculty Handbook

Introduction

Purpose

This Faculty Handbook provides the first stop for department faculty and staff seeking clarity about policies and procedures. It summarizes pertinent documents in the UNC system, University, College of Arts and Sciences, and our department. It includes links to the documents themselves. In particular, it aims to assist new faculty in acquainting themselves with our procedures.

This Handbook describes and summarizes policies established at the University, College, and departmental level. As with the general UNC-Chapel Hill Faculty Handbook (maintained by the Office of Faculty Governance, and quoted here), our department’s handbook simply “digests relevant documents and resources in an easily accessible central location,” but “is not intended to be a comprehensive document.” It provides describes policy and procedure, but neither defines nor represents the University policies it summarizes. It does not set nor officially represent such policies, which always supersede its descriptions. Most importantly, it “does not amend the terms and conditions of employment stated in individual faculty appointment contracts. The handbook should be used only as a guide to help navigate resources, policies and procedures relevant to faculty.”

Please treat this Handbook as “a useful starting point for locating resources that might otherwise be difficult to find”—and please remember: all policies are subject to revision and change without notice; links break; entirely new documents can come into existence. For any conclusive or definitive answers, you must seek out the most up-to-date versions of the official policies that the University provides.

This Handbook is maintained by ****. Please direct questions or correction to that office.

Scope

• Who does this Policy apply to? (Keep in mind that a Unit Policy can only apply to the same Unit)
• Are there particular groups within the Unit who must know and follow this Policy?
• Are there groups within the Unit that this Policy does NOT apply to?
  • If it’s a succinct statement, you can exclude groups here.
  • If the exclusions will take more space to explain, use the “Exclusions” section below.

Policy

1. Departmental Structure  

Instruction in English language and literature dates to the founding of the university. For that history, please see

• the timeline of 225 Years of Rhetoric, Writing, Film, and Literature at Carolina
• the Department’s archival records in Wilson Special Collections.

The Department is part of the College of Arts and Sciences, complying with its policies and procedures.

English and Comparative Literature comprises the following programs:

• Creative Writing
• Film Studies
  • Global Cinema Minor
  • Graduate Certificate in Film Studies
• HHIVE: Health and Humanities
  • English BA/MA Program in Literature, Medicine, and Culture
  • English MA Program in Literature, Medicine, and Culture
  • Graduate Certificate in Literature Medicine and Culture
• Latina/o Studies Program
  • Latina/o Studies Minor
• Digital Innovation Lab (which is part of the Carolina Digital Humanities Initiative)
• The ECL Writing Program
  • Composition, Rhetoric and Digital Literacy (CRaDL) Minor
  • Graduate Focus in Rhetoric and Composition

2. Administration (Positions and Committees)  

2.1 Faculty Positions  

All departmental administrative positions, besides the Chair, are appointed by the Chair.

Chair 

According to the Arts and Sciences’ Chair’s Manual (2021), departmental chairs “lead their respective departments with a sense of responsibility, vision and flexibility that is consistent with all relevant rules, regulations and best practices that have been developed by the College and the University with oversight from the UNC System Office.”

• Chair’s Manual (2021)
• Department Chair Appointment, Working Titles, Academic Personnel

Chair’s Responsibilities:

The Manual outlines the major duties of the chair as:

• Prepares the departmental budget.
• Administers departmental personnel policies, including annual and other required faculty evaluations.
• Makes recommendations for appointments, salary increases, promotions, and tenure.
• Prepares course offerings and assigns teaching duties.
• Formulates educational policies.
• Maintains instructional facilities.

In addition, the Chair constitutes departmental committees, runs faculty meetings, and has authority over staff and departmental business and operations.

Selection of the Chair:

The Dean holds the authority to nominate a chair to the Provost as well as to authorize an outside search. The complete “Chair’s Appointment Process” (last updated 2018-2019) is described in the Chair’s Manual. In that process (broadly summarized below), the department works with the Senior Associate Dean to provide input to the Dean.

• Phase One: After receiving a timely alert before expiration of the current chair’s term, tenure-track and full-time teaching faculty complete a confidential Potential Chair Nomination Survey. They choose among all current tenured faculty, ranking three, providing brief rationales. The Senior Associate Dean appoints a committee to review the surveys, comprising at least two tenured faculty and the business manager. That committee confirms nominees’ willingness to serve, sorts them into two tiers (the 3-4 most nominated and all others) and provides a brief report to the Senior Associate Dean. To preserve equity, all such ranking information remains confidential and is not reflected by the list of those nominated that the committee circulates to the faculty. This phase culminates with a departmental meeting in which candidates share their leadership views with the department.
• Phase Two: The Senior Associate Dean meets individually with tenure-track and full-time teaching faculty and staff to discuss departmental leadership needs and nominees’ strengths. That dean then requests from top-ranked candidates statements of their goals and how these goals advance the department’s strategic plan, then meets with each individually. The Dean of the College subsequently interviews at least one candidate, after which the deans make an offer to that candidate, then a nomination for chair to the Provost, usually for a term of five years.
  
  This process typically begins mid-September. Ideally, it is completed early enough in the current chair’s last semester to allow for several months of transition time.

Director of Graduate Studies (DGS)

The Director of Graduate Studies in the DOECL manages the graduate program and serves on the department’s executive committee.

DGS Responsibilities according to the College:

• Evaluate teaching assistant/fellow credentials for SACSCOC requirements
• Facilitate graduate student orientation
• Track graduate student academic progress
• Coordinate awards with prize committees
• Manage graduate course schedule
• Oversee updates to the degree program graduate handbook
• Oversee oral and written exams
• Review graduate student committee assignments for approval
• Access student information in SLATE system
• Approve graduate student work outside of the department
• Nominate graduate students for fellowships and awards (letter writing)
• Distribute fellowship and award opportunities (communication)
• Mediate disagreements between students and advisors
• Serve on graduate admissions committee
• Serve on departmental executive committee
• Facilitate professional development opportunities for graduate students
• Mentor graduate students
• Coordinate graduate placement opportunities

In addition, the DGS appoints and chairs both the Graduate Advisory Committee and Fellowship Advisory Committee. GAC consults with the faculty at large on major programmatic changes and acts as the selection committee, under the Director of Graduate Admissions, for admissions. FAC advises in dissertation fellowship and small departmental awards.

Director of Graduate Admissions (DGA)

The Director of Graduate Admissions in the DOECL oversees admissions into the PhD program, coordinates with the Directors of HHIVE on MA admissions, and serves on the department’s executive committee.

DGA Responsibilities:

• Coordinate with DGS, GAC, Chair, and Admin Team to select, fund, and recruit a class of 13-15 graduate students in various fields (confirm exact number with Chair each year)
• Organize and lead GAC meetings devoted to admissions
• With DGS, determine who will serve on GAC (considering diversity, representation of fields, etc.)
• In consultation with Chair, Accountant, Associate Chair for Business Operations, and Director of the Writing Program, annually determine the number and type of departmental sources for funding incoming PhD students
• Identify and track extra-departmental sources for recruitment top-up funding
• Select and lead recruitment fellowships subcommittee of GAC to identify nominees for Graduate School recruitment fellowships and top-ups
• Using the Graduate School nomination portal and the Graduate School selection criteria, write nominations for the applicants selected by the subcommittee for recruitment fellowships and top-ups (number and type of fellowships and top-ups vary by year)
• With Graduate Student Service Manager’s help, ensure that GAC is enrolled in SLATE (the online admissions portal)
• With Graduate Student Service Manager’s help, adapt Graduate School templates for admission decisions letters
• Organize annual Prospective Student Open House (invite admitted and wait-listed students; reserve housing and food; reserve Donovan; organize faculty and graduate student panels; advertise additional programs and events happening on campus during the visit)
• Organize departmental recruitment efforts in addition to the Open House
• As funding permits and with Chair’s approval, hire Graduate Student Admissions Assistant for help in facilitating the Open House
• With the DEI committee, compile statistics on applications received, students admitted, and students enrolled
• In consultation with Chair and DEI Director, plan and host outreach opportunities to diversify PhD recruitment
• Ensure departmental website is updated annually with correct admissions deadlines, contact information, and application information
• Submit annual updates for the application system to The Graduate School
• Serve on departmental executive committee

Director of Graduate Placement   

The Chair of English and Comparative Literature appoints two faculty members as co-directors of job placement. Typically, each co-director serves a two-year term. The chief responsibility of the co-directors is to guide graduate students through the process of applying for academic positions and, when possible, to facilitate the search for non-collegiate teaching jobs or non-academic (“alt-ac”) positions. With respect to the former, the co-directors introduce doctoral students to the workings of the job market, help them prepare application materials, and guide them through all the requirements and contingencies this process entails. Specifically, this work involves:

• Organizing a series of workshops on the various stages of the application process. In the spring prior to the fall deadlines for applications, the co-directors dedicate workshops/meetings to required materials (the curriculum vitae, cover letter, research statement/dissertation abstract, teaching statement and portfolio, diversity statement, etc.). In the fall, during the application process itself, the
• co-directors continue the conversations from the previous semester while also devoting additional workshops to the interview process, the campus visit, and alternatives to academic employment.
• Working with graduate students individually to draft and revise their application documents.
• Organizing (with the assistance of a Graduate Research Assistant) mock job interviews, teaching demonstrations, and job talks.
• Advising students individually about specific job postings, communications with hiring committees, and other logistics.
• Confidentially reviewing each student’s dossier to ensure that all materials are in order. Co-directors are charged with maintaining the privacy of both students and faculty alike: the details of recommendation letters are never disclosed.
• Consulting with students individually as they negotiate employment contracts.

Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS)

The College of Arts and Sciences defines the role of DUS as follows:

• Directors of undergraduate studies (DUS), appointed by the department chair, are typically faculty members who have demonstrated a commitment to undergraduate students and excellence in undergraduate teaching. Their responsibilities vary, depending on the size and complexity of the undergraduate programs they administer. In general, they manage and provide oversight of all elements of the undergraduate curriculum and programs in their department.

In addition, the College maintains a handbook that serves as a reference guide for people who are serving in the DUS role. In ECL, the DUS has the following responsibilities:

• Chairs the ECL curriculum committee, including setting meeting dates and determining the agenda.
• Reviews syllabi for new and revised undergraduate courses submitted through the CIM.
• Propose changes to requirements for the undergraduate programs (majors and minors) and implement changes approved by the College’s Administrative Boards (CIM system).
• Provide revisions to the unit’s section of the Undergraduate Catalog.
• Conduct annual learning outcomes assessments of the undergraduate program(s).
• Participate in preparing for program/accreditation reviews (e.g., external reviews).
• Help mentor new faculty members.
• Participate in events for prospective and admitted students sponsored by Undergraduate Admissions.
• Review Study Abroad credit requests submitted by students for major/minor
• requirements, or specific course equivalencies.
• Supervise new faculty/graduate assistants’ teaching.
• Oversee the selection of students earning undergraduate awards
• Independent study coordinator for the unit.
• Collaborate with other unit administrators to prepare course schedules and teaching assignments.
• Serve as the unit’s course evaluation coordinator (select classes and questions for end of semester evaluations).
• Assign TA & SA Lit course assignments among graduate students
• Serve as liaison to the Office of Undergraduate Curricula (course and program proposals).
• Serve as liaison to the Honors Carolina Office.
• Serve as liaison to:
  • the Summer School
  • the Office of First-Year Seminars/Curricula
  • the Office for Undergraduate Research
  • the Undergraduate Admissions Office
  • the Office for Instructional Innovation
  • the Digital and Lifelong Learning (Correctional Education Program)

The DUS works closely with the department’s faculty advisor, who is the first point of contact for students seeking assistance.

Undergraduate Advisor   

UG Advisor: coordinates advising activities in department for undergraduate majors and minors. Responsibilities include the following:

• Provide students with 6-12 hours per week of advising support and appointments to address issues including course planning, career planning, internships and networking with ECL alums, grad school and professional school applications, undergraduate research and honors thesis questions/planning and Study Abroad opportunities for ECL students
• Facilitate information sessions and community-building events for students including sessions on careers in a range of fields, applying to graduate school, Ice Cream Social/parties, TR student networking session, etc. (coordinate events with SOUL and Sigma Tau Delta)
• Process all Transfer Credit Re-eval and Tar Heel Tracker Adjustment Requests
• Summer Orientation
  • Advise new students on ECL courses and major/minor opportunities in Day 2 Advising Sessions for each wave of New Student and Transfer Student Orientation
  • Lead “More than just a major” info. sessions for the humanities for each session
• Lead ECL info sessions for Admitted Students Days, Majors Fair and University-wide Advising Info Sessions
• Serve on Curriculum Committee
• Participate in workshops, meetings, and other advising-related activities together with personnel in the Academic Advising Program as well as advisor training and professional development

Director of the Writing Program   

The Director of the Writing Program is responsible for first-year writing courses for the campus. These include ENGL 100 and ENGL 105. In addition to overseeing the availability and operations of the courses for students, the Director ensures that instructors are trained and curriculum is appropriate for course outcomes.

• Serves as an intermediary between the college and the instructors teaching writing courses (Teaching Fellows and Teaching Professors).
• Responsible for scheduling, staffing, contracts, for Teaching Fellows
• Guides professional development for Teaching Fellows and Teaching Professors
• Conducts or ensure successful teaching of ENGL 706 pedagogical training course
• Conducts week-long fall orientation for new instructors
• Oversees the development and course integration of the Tarheel Guide to Writing
• Conducts regular staff meetings
• Works with Peer Mentors to observe TFs
• Monitors and develops assistance to ensure successful instruction in all courses
• Identifies and implements awards for teaching excellence
• Coordinates with Associate Director to plan and implement ENGL 105i offerings
• Works with UNC Admissions to identify requirement status for incoming students
• Works with UNC Admissions to identify and enroll potential ENGL 100 students
• Coordinates with Office of Undergraduate Education to manage enrollments for all first-year and transfer students
• Works with Honors program to enroll incoming students
• Coordinates with UNC Writing Center to support students and instructors
• Coordinates with UNC Libraries to ensure support for students and instructors
• Works with offices of Undergraduate Education and Institutional Research to develop and implement program assessment
• Ensures that course offerings are in place to support Writing, Editing, and Digital Publishing track in ECL major
• Ensures that course offerings are in place to support Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Literacy minor
• Researches current practices in writing program administration and oversees ongoing development of curriculum

Associate Director of the Writing Program  

• Oversees the administration of the Writing in the Disciplines program.
• Organizes course offerings in the WID program.
• Identifies appropriate faculty and teaching fellows to staff the courses.
• Supervises their training by organizing workshops—at least one per semester—to prepare instructors for these specialized courses.
• Helps with various special projects to enhance the program (such as curriculum development).
• Aids the undergraduate office by coordinating the review, selection, and notification of qualified undergraduate students for Department awards.
• Observes classes (around 12 per year).
• Evaluates transfer requests for ENGL 105/105i credit.
• Assists the Director of the Writing Program on issues concerning curriculum and enrollment or anything else the Director needs.

Creative Writing Program Director   

• Creates program teaching schedule.
• Maintains the viability of available tracks and/or concentrations.
• Oversees CW funds.
• In concert with Chair and CW faculty, invites Distinguished Visiting Writer and Wolfe Medal Recipient.
• Works with Chair to formulate present and future needs of the program
• Oversees visiting writers, including Armfield and Kenan.

In addition, the Creative Writing Program Director assigns members of search committees, calls periodic CW faculty meetings and attends administrative meetings.

Director of Digital Literacy and Communications Lab  

Responsibilities:

• Direct strategic and daily functions of the DLC, including:
• managing the department’s website and social media
• promoting innovation in digital pedagogy
• mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in the lab
• directing the Gaming Initiative and Greenlaw Gameroom
• maintaining up to date research on the department’s historical timeline

Director of the Latina/o Studies Program 

• Tend the UNC Latina/o Studies Minor (LTNO) by keeping track of and advertising what courses are available any given year for the Minor and also looking for ways to add new courses and/or coordinate with instructors who are teaching courses with a 50% U.S. Latina/o content that students could take to fulfill their 5 courses toward the Minor. This means requesting that the web master for the LSP updated the website with this information at least once or twice every semester.
• Ensure, at least twice a year, that a subset of courses from the UNC Latina/o Studies Minor (LTNO) are taught in and through the home department (the Department of English & Comparative Literature).
• Tend to the Latina/o Studies Program by being available to answer any questions about it on the part of students, faculty, alums, the greater community, and so forth. The primary foci of the UNC Latina/o Studies Program are the histories, experiences, and cultural productions of LatinX populations (more than 62 million people as of 2020) within the geographical boundaries of the United States and its territories.
• Coordinate the UNC Latina/o Studies faculty advisory board of members from at least 9 different departments within the College of Arts and Sciences (Anthropology, Art, Communication Studies, Dramatic Arts, English & Comparative Literature, Music, Public Policy, Romance Languages, and Women’s & Gender Studies) as well as from a few other units beyond the College such as the UNC School of Medicine.
• Fundraise for the Latina/o Studies Program (including its Minor) to complement any monies provided by the College and the home department (English & Comparative Literature) to maintain the Latina/o Studies Program.
• Disburse funds acquired for the UNC Program in Latina/o Studies with the help of the departmental accountant.
• Oversee the advertising and granting of 105/105i LSP Teaching Fellowships to graduate student instructors
• Coordinate, and/or delegate tasks to any graduate students, postdocs, lecturers, and/or staff working for The UNC Latina/o Studies Program.
• Oversee any Working Groups funded by the UNC Program in Latina/o Studies.¹
• Work with the Arts & Sciences Foundation, the Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity (ACRED), the Annual Fund, and/or the English & Comparative Literature Department to attract donors for the support of the UNC Program in Latina/o Studies.
• Be familiar with the work of the Office of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs and to serve as a resource for DEI as well as a potential presenter on panels organized by that office on questions of equity and diversity.
• Periodically collaborate with the Carolina Latinx Center. The UNC Latina/o Studies Program director has typically served on their advisory board.
• Belong to the UNC Latinx Faculty, Staff, & Alumni Caucus (if and when it is operative).
• Reach out beyond the university campus and work collaboratively with partners in surrounding communities to make socially relevant and effective the research and teaching being implemented under the rubric of “Latina/o Studies.”
• Help mentor faculty and students (both undergraduate and graduate) who are working in any area (humanities, social sciences, and/or sciences) of Latina/o Studies.
• Maintain and develop, along with an assistant or assistants, the listserv for the UNC Latina/o Studies Program. This listserv is mostly used to announce talks and events.
• Serve as a faculty and administrative liaison with other Latina/o Studies Programs and/or Departments at other colleges and universities in North Carolina, around the country and, potentially, abroad.
• Manage the speakers’ series associated with The UNC Latina/o Studies Program. ²

Director of Digital Innovation Lab 

[Description needed]

Director of Film Studies

The Director oversees both the Global Cinema Minor and the Film Studies Concentration in the English and Comparative Literature undergraduate major. This position is appointed by the Chair of the department in consultation with the Senior Associate Dean of Fine Arts and Humanities.

Director’s Responsibilities:

• Coordinates the curriculum for the undergraduate Film Studies concentration, serving on department’s internal Curriculum Committee
• Advises other film faculty when they make course requests
• Promotes equitable teaching rotations while also ensuring that curricular demands at both undergraduate and graduate levels are satisfied
• Monitors course enrollments and numbers of majors/minors, fostering growth where possible
• Assists the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the selection of Teaching Assistants for ENGL 142, CMPL 143, and CMPL 144
• Heads the cross-departmental Film Studies Advisory Board and holds one meeting each semester with the board to discuss collaborations
• Pursues cross-listing opportunities with film faculty in other departments
• Adds new electives to Global Cinema Minor as needed (must be done each fall prior to deadline in consultation with Director of Undergraduate Studies)
• Advocates for improvements to teaching facilities so that classrooms meet the requirements for the study of images and sounds
• Coordinates and promotes events, from the Triangle Film Salon to film series planned with the Ackland Art Museum and other partners
• Prepares and monitors the Film Studies program budget using funds from the department and Dean’s office
• Fosters growth of the Film Studies graduate certificate in collaboration with the certificate Director
• Recruits graduate students interested in film and/or media studies, either serving on the Graduate Advisory Committee or liaising with the committee as needed
• Advises student editors and serves as a chief editor for Aspect: Journal of Film & Screen Media
• Compiles a cross-departmental list of film courses before the registration window opens each semester, working with a graduate assistant
• Oversees program website, listserv, and social media accounts
• Advertises the minor and concentration (electronically, in Greenlaw Hall, and in Dey Hall display case)
• Maintains relationships with local film-related businesses and events
• Seeks to develop more internships and extracurricular opportunities for students
• Makes Tar Heel Tracker adjustments for undergraduate minors and majors when necessary

HHIVE Lab & Literature, Medicine, and Culture Director (LMC)

The HHIVE Lab is home to health humanities research, programing, and curricula in the Department of English & Comparative Literature. The HHIVE Lab Co-Directors collaboratively oversee the operations of the lab, while the LMC Director oversees LMC curricula.

HHIVE (Co)Director Responsibilities:

• Directs operations of the HHIVE Lab, including scheduling, budgeting, advertising, supervising staff, and coordinating research projects.
• As funding permits, hires Graduate Student Research Assistant(s) and/or Work Study students for help with research projects and/or programming.
• Develops and implements HHIVE Lab programming.
• Identifies and applies for funding opportunities to support HHIVE Lab collaborative research projects and LMC interdisciplinary teaching.

LMC Director Responsibilities:

• Oversees LMC program curricula and course offerings.
• Convenes annual Faculty Advisory Board meetings.
• Consults with LMC Associate Director twice annually to convene admissions committee.
• With LMC Associate Director, writes nomination(s) for the applicant(s) selected by the admissions committee for MA Merit Assistantship.
• Writes and sends admissions decisions letters.
• Attends annual Prospective Student Open House and new-student orientation events.
• Corresponds with prospective applicants.

LMC Associate Director 

The LMC Associate Director works closely with the LMC Director to direct operations of the LMC curricula including the BA/MA, MA, and graduate certificate programs.

LMC Associate Director Responsibilities:

• Tracks degree progress of enrolled BA/MA, MA, and graduate certificate students.
• Coordinates course offerings in LMC program and works with LMC Director on curricular development.
• Coordinates with LMC Director and DGA to oversee admissions to the BA/MA program, MA program, and graduate certificate twice annually.
• With LMC Director, writes nomination(s) for the applicant(s) selected by the admissions committee for Graduate School awards.
• Updates MA program handbook annually.
• In consultation with DGS, organizes annual Prospective Student Open House and new-student orientation events.
• Advertises LMC programs within and beyond UNC and recruits internal and external applicants.
• Corresponds with prospective applicants.
• Ensures HHIVE Lab and departmental website are updated annually with correct admissions deadlines, contact information, and application information.

Diversity Program Liaison and Chair of the DEI Committee

The Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, in consultation with the Department Chair, leads an appointed committee of faculty colleagues to develop and implement best practices and productive initiatives that aim to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Department of English and Comparative Literature. The College of Arts and Sciences maintains a page with a role description and database for Diversity Liasons.

• The DEI Chair’s principal tasks will be to report to the chair, convene the committee, invite input from the committee, assign tasks to the committee, participate in some of those tasks, ensure that the committee’s plans are effectively implemented, provide a yearly diversity report (as part of the department’s annual report to the college), and help update the departmental webpages devoted to DEI.
• As part of the administrative team, the DEI chair attends the Chair’s weekly administrative committee meetings.
• The DEI committee will have the support of a graduate research assistant for 5 hours a week, as well as support from staff as needed.
• The departmental goals for the DEI Committee may include spearheading initiatives that diversify our graduate program applicant pool, circulating the undergraduate diversity and inclusion survey on a yearly basis, organizing a syllabus workshop, providing input on the selection of a candidate for the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity in consultation with the chair and other departmental faculty members, creating materials that will guide and support undergraduate interest in ECL’s diverse curriculum, and promoting fundraising for a James Coleman Undergraduate Award.
• The committee, under the DEI Chair’s leadership, will embrace a flexible and agile approach to Diversity and Inclusion issues, allowing for the possibility of committee-generated initiatives, responding to pressing issues that may arise throughout the year, and addressing emergent priorities as suggested by the chair.

Director of Special Programs

Shape the interaction between the UNC Community and visiting authors. Develop, coordinate, budget, promote, and produce high profile author events, such as those associated with the

Thomas Wolfe Prize and Lecture and the Writer-in-Residence, with the mission of enriching students and providing creative and intellectual experiences for the Carolina community.

Program Development

• Implement the values and mission of the Thomas Wolfe/Writer-in-Residence Program
• Prioritize student enrichment and access to writers in program decisions
• Structure activities to foster a creative and intellectual community for Creative Writing students and faculty
• Implement a cross-disciplinary approach by developing engagement with other departments
• Plan and structure workshops to give students direct contact with the writer
• Plan panels open to university community on intellectual topics pertaining to writer
• Plan and arrange for guest writer to visit local community
• Research writer and become familiar with career and works to distribute information to faculty, University community, and larger community
• Create positive, collaborative relationships with other parts of the university
• Foster the extended English and Comparative Literature Department community through informing alums and supporters about events and their access to them
• Meet regularly with the Chair and Director of Creative Writing Program for input on planning and vision
• Meet with Creative Writing faculty when they select writers to invite
• Train and supervise graduate assistant

Publicity

• Arrange interviews (in advance and on site) with writer (all media)
• Create and coordinate all publicity for and with university and local community: website, social media, print and digital community ads
• Produce and distribute invitations for all events

Communication

• Manage all communication with writers and/or their agents before and during visit (except initial invitation letter, which comes from the Chair)
• Inform College of A&S Communications Director, Chancellor, Dean, Arts and Sciences Foundation, and faculty of events
• Communicate with Bullshead about writers, recommended works, schedules, etc.
• Coordinate with Arts and Sciences Foundation contact to include requests on guest lists
• Send reports and updates to donors

Event Coordination

• Create schedule of events for visit and produce each event
• Reserve accommodations for writers/donors; organize transportation during writer’s visit
• Secure venues for readings, receptions, dinners, lunches, panels, workshops, etc.
• Secure caterers and plan menus for receptions, dinners, lunches; plan and order flower arrangements and equipment rentals (sound, lighting, etc)
• Engage security for events, as needed, arrange parking, coordinate ushers and physical set-up and clean-up of events

Director of International Programs

The Director of International Programs is the leading facilitator for international research, study, and collaboration for the department’s students and faculty. The Director encourages, supports, and expands initiatives and opportunities for global education and research.

In accordance with the department chair, the Director’s duties may include:

• Dissemination of information about opportunities for study abroad, global partnerships and collaborations, and new initiatives to enhance international research and education
• Liaising with UNC Global, Study Abroad, and additional university partners to cultivate new opportunities for global activities and partnerships
• Promotion and development of new or established global activities and partnerships
• Enhancement of the department’s leadership role in international education
• Service as a source of information for the department on UNC’s new or current global initiatives. At the chair’s behest, the Director may assist with development initiatives to support the department’s international activities.

Honors Thesis Coordinator ³

• The writing of an honors thesis occurs over two semesters, usually Fall then Spring of the senior year, though students graduating in a Fall semester may start the process in the Spring term.
  • During the Spring, the faculty coordinator recruits next year's crop of writers by way of an interest meeting, the hope being that students will commence their theses over the summer before their senior year. The interest meeting is important since some if not many of our majors will have no knowledge of this valuable opportunity.
• In order to write a thesis, students must submit to the coordinator a simple application, on which they indicate relevant course work, a brief suggestion of their topic, and GPA.
  • The overall GPA must be at least 3.3: the honors office insists on this minimum, though students who are close may take the first semester of the writing process as a probationary period to achieve the mark.
  • The major GPA should be a minimum of 3.5, though here the coordinator has some flexibility.
  • The coordinator is the only person who needs to approve this application.
• Ideally, by the time that they submit the application, students will have identified an advisor who is willing and able to work with the student.
  • The student's advisor must be in or associated with the DOECL, though students may have a co-advisor from other departments.
    • In the event that students have not found an advisor on their own, the coordinator should help students find one.
    • This can involve some finesse. If the student doesn't yet have a workable idea for the thesis, then it might make sense to have them choose an advisor from among their teachers thus far, one with whom they can work well.
• Once the application is approved and an advisor is secured, students must submit a learning contract (currently [2021-22] we are transitioning to online submission).
  • This document is completed in consultation with the advisor.
  • Students append to this document a longer account of their topic together with a select bibliography.
  • These contracts must be approved both by the thesis coordinator and by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Once these contracts are complete, the list of writers for the coming year should be submitted to the departmental staff person whose responsibility it is to register the students for DOECL course 691H.
• During the first semester of the actual process, students meet with their advisors once a week as they conduct research and (toward the end of the term) start to draft the thesis. During the second semester, they complete the writing of the paper, the minimum length of which is about 35 pages. A few theses have exceeded 100 pages, but most come in at around 45-75.
• During that first semester, the coordinator has little to do. The honors office does offer some funding, and the coordinator will serve as the point person for advertising these grants, setting a departmental deadline, then vetting, ranking, and submitting the applications to the honors office. At the end of the first term, the coordinator should check with advisors to ensure that students are making sufficient progress. A list of those who are in good standing should be submitted to the departmental staff person who will register the students for DOECL course 692H. If any student is not making sufficient progress, then that student should complete a substantial paper for the first term (say 20 pages) and receive a final grade but not complete the thesis in a second term and therefore not graduate with honors (the same recourse should be used with students who are taking the Fall semester to achieve the minimum 3.3 GPA but fail to do so). The coordinator should remind advisors to submit a first-semester grade for all thesis writers. Advisors may submit a permanent grade or a temporary grade (SP), which they will change to a permanent grade once the process is complete next semester.
• At the outset of the Spring semester, coordinators should establish a timeline for the completion of the thesis and share this with both advisors and students. One good way to do this is to work back from the date on which the honors office requires that the list of students graduating with highest honors and honors be submitted to them. This day of submission usually occurs in the first half of April (during Spring 2022 it is April 11). Generally, the timeline looks something like this: February 28, first draft submitted to advisor, who should be urged to turn the draft around to the student as soon as possible; Friday after Spring break, digital copies of the final draft submitted to the advisor, the coordinator, and the two other members of the orals committee; and in the week and a half to two weeks after that, oral exams take place. Time must be left between the end of oral exams and the date of submission to the honors office for the prize committee to deliberate (more on this below). Crucially, students do not have the whole of the term to complete the thesis, and they should be made aware of this early in the process.
• Each student is required to undergo an oral exam. The oral exam committee comprises the advisor plus two other members of the faculty.
  • The easiest approach to scheduling these events is to let the advisor and the student choose and contact the other members, to collate all their schedules, and to pick a date and time for the meeting. But the coordinator should certainly be ready to assist. Students should email their theses to all members of the committee as far in advance of the oral as possible. Orals last for about an hour. Advisors and their students should decide whether the student wants to make an opening statement during the oral. The coordinator may want to remind advisors that they should maintain the spirit of civility and productive learning in these meetings; for the most part, such a reminder is unnecessary but there have been rare occasions when students have had bad experiences.
  • Once an oral is complete, the committee must first decide whether the student receives honors. If the thesis has made it this far, then usually this is an obvious matter: yes, the student does. The student is asked to wait in the hall for a brief period in which this question is decided.
• Once students have been congratulated, then they should be instructed to make any last corrections to the thesis within a 24-hour period. Students then submit a paper copy of the thesis to the department on good 100% bond paper, meeting specifications for margins that will allow the thesis to be bound for the departmental library. Students must also upload their theses to the UNC repository, and instructions are provided on how to do that.
• Advisors may speak with committee members about nominations for highest honors.
  • Advisors might want to inform the others whether they plan to nominate the thesis for highest honors, but the decision to nominate should be made independently by the other members. If they choose to nominate, they should do so by emailing the coordinator within 24 hours of the oral. Nominations should be based principally on the quality of the thesis itself, but committee members may also testify to the quality of the oral exam. (In the past we have used a nominating form, but these seem unnecessary when a simple email to the coordinator works fine.)
• The coordinator receives the nominations for highest honors and, if a thesis receives two, shares the nominated thesis and nominations with a three-person committee, the Whitfield committee (named for the prize for the best thesis). Sometime in the Spring term, the coordinator should identify faculty to serve on this committee (and not put it off to the last minute, since it can be difficult to find people willing to serve). The committee should be as diverse as possible, and if the coordinator isn't directing any theses, he or she may serve on the committee. Since there is little time for this committee to work, nominated theses should be provided as soon as two nominations come in. The committee decides which of the nominated theses will receive highest honors, then it decides which one of those few will receive the annual Whitfield prize for best thesis.
  • The reason for this process is that a few years back, virtually every thesis was receiving highest honors and students were often upset if theirs did not. The goal here is for only a small portion of the theses to receive this distinction. The coordinator should clarify to all concerned that the committee's word is final.
  • In the past, the prize has been a book selected by the advisor. But there has been some talk about making this prize a little more lucrative and about introducing a second prize for DOECL seniors.
• At the end of the year, coordinators submit the list of honors recipients to the honors office by the April deadline; check that all the theses are submitted in paper copies to the department to be bound and placed in the departmental library; make sure that the name of the Whitfield recipient is added to the plaque; and organize an end-of-year celebration in collaboration with the creative writing group.
  • Note that while the coordinator does not handle Creative Writing theses, the coordinator does include the recipients of honors for Creative Writing in the report to the honors office, which wants DOECL to submit a single list. As of 2022, Jenn Marshburn is the contact person in the honors office for assistance with submitting this list.

Annual Report Coordinator 

• Revises existing news items and creates new annual report content.
• Designs and delivers print-ready and digital annual report.
• Conducts outreach for alumni news submissions.

Mentoring Coordinator

The role of the Mentoring Coordinator is to facilitate the department’s mentoring policy, which asserts its commitment to “providing opportunities for all members of the faculty in the department to both offer and receive mentoring.” To that end, the mentoring coordinator will oversee activities that ensure a positive mentoring climate for all faculty.

Appointment

The Mentoring Coordinator is a faculty member appointed by the Chair who serves at the pleasure of the Chair.

Responsibilities

• Peer Group Mentoring
  • In consultation with the Chair, identify two coordinators for each mentoring group. (Goal is to have these four groups: TT Assistant Professors; TT Associate Professors; Teaching Assistant Professors; Teaching Associate Professors.) In these groups, the coordinators should be of a higher rank than the group participants.
  • Orient the coordinators about their responsibilities and facilitate the initial meetings of the groups.
  • Check in regularly with coordinators to ensure groups are functioning well.
  • Serve as a resource for any questions. Troubleshoot any problems that arise.
• One-on-one Mentoring
  • Serve as a resource for faculty members who would like help identifying a mentor.
  • Serve as a resource for faculty members who may wish to end a mentoring relationship that is not functioning well and establish another relationship.
• Mentoring Award
  • Promote the annual Mentoring Award within the department.
  • Monitor funds available for the award.
  • Facilitate logistics for selection process.
• Mentoring Climate
  • Develop an annual process to assess the program’s effectiveness.
  • Identify ways to raise the profile of mentoring in the department.
  • Serve as the contact point for questions about mentoring.
  • Be in touch with designated person in CFE.
• Additional Responsibilities
  • Provide Chair with materials needed to demonstrate to the College what we’re doing.
  • Work with Chair to fine tune position description as needed.
  • Perform other tasks, as assigned by Chair.

2.2 Staff Positions  

Associate Chair for Business Operations

This position functions as the business unit’s chief operating officer and serves as primary personnel officer for the business unit with the responsibilities for overseeing the delivery of all human resources activities. The Associate Chair for Business Operations also plays an active role as consultant, advisor, and troubleshooter for the diverse range of issues associated with the human resources, financial, academic, and administrative operations of the combined business unit. This position works closely with Department Heads, Program Directors, and central offices to ensure that business, academic and operational goals are realized.

Responsibilities:

• Supervision of Staff in Greenlaw
• Oversees all faculty hiring and processes.
• Oversee-faculty reviews and promotions for all faculty
• Onboarding of New employees
• Ensures Personnel Actions are completed in Connect Carolina with business center (fund swaps, PAATs, leaves, buyouts, EPAPS, ECRTs, pay increases, hires, terminations, retirements)
• All other Human Resources related tasks
• Oversees and Manages all Budgets for ECL, AMST, & MEMS
• Oversees all mandatory reporting for units (finance, HR, and student)
• Oversees and approves financial transactions for units
• Ensures fiscal compliance of funds
• Ensures financial processes are delivered to faculty
• Processes financial payroll transactions (summer salary, LSPs, overloads, pay changes)
• All other financial tasks
• Regular meetings on department budgets and expenses
• Coordinates budget and spending for department events.
• Assist with Student Services
• Ensure student admin team is supported
• Ensures and works with scheduling team to ensure schedule and contracts are all finalized and completed in a timely manner
• Serves as project manager for department for various tasks and initiatives as needed
• Assist and oversees event management and budgets for department events
• Oversees facilities needs and serves as approver and project manager for building with office manager
• Serves a UNC Responsible Employee

Associate Business Manager 

This position works closely with the Associate Chair for Business Operations in managing the day-to-day operations of the combined Greenlaw Business Unit and ensures continuous operation of the business unit in times of increased workload, or in the absence of the Associate Chair Business Officer, as needs warrant. This position also manages, leads, and directly supervises the Student Services Team Members for both departments.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinates a range of administrative and professional services within the business unit, including assisting Associate Chair of Business Operations with the day-to-day functions management, and operation of the Business Unit
• Leads and directly supervises the Greenlaw Student Services Team (consisting of: Graduate Student Services Manager, Departmental Registrar / Undergraduate Student Services Manager, Departmental Program Coordinator for Creative Writing, Writing Program, HHIVE Lab, LMC, Latino/a Studies, etc.), and is responsible for hiring, discipline, performance, management workflow and training of same individual.
• Works closely with Associate Chair of Business Operations with all matters for English and American Studies regarding human resources
• direct hiring (Faculty Promotion and Reviews, Hiring), recruitment, scheduling, budgeting, & project management
• Oversees hiring and onboarding of all SHRA and EHRA student Temp position (EHRA Teaching Fellows, Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, Instructional Assistants), including Work Study Students.
• Handles requests and onboarding of UNC Affiliates (Research Collaborators, Visiting Scholars)
• Summer School Administrative Manager for English and American Studies: Coordinates Summer School efforts ensuring all deadline are met: attends Summer School yearly Review and Planning Conference, handles nomination of Departmental Summer School Administrators, Faculty and Graduate Student Teachers who will teach for each session (Maymester, Summer I and Summer II); works with Departmental Registrar on any additions, cancellations and/or changes and notifies Summer School Office; calculators summer salary on each instructors, prepares an itemized payroll sheet for all summer Instructors and SS Administrators, in conjunction with the approved budget from the Summer School Office, then submits a list of all Summer Instructors and their calculated summer salary information to the HR Business Center to process the Summer hires.
• Serves as Departmental TIM Administrator for the entire Business Unit for all Student Temp position, Full-time SHRA and Part-time SHRA employee positions (Work Study, SHRA Student Temps, and SHRA Temp positions)
• Serves as Work Study HR Hiring Manager
• Serves as Departmental Access Coordinator
• Serves as Departmental I-9 Representative: Conducts employment eligibility verifications (I-9’s) for all temporary employees
• Serves as UNC Responsible Employee

Executive Assistant for the Chair and Events Coordinator  

The purpose of this position is 3-fold position:

1. assisting the Chairs of both departments, and the Associate Chair of Business Operations in processing all necessary paperwork, meetings, events, travel, and administration for the Departments as needed;
2. serve as a secondary financial and accounting specialist in the departments by assisting with processing travel, purchasing, reimbursements and other transactions;
3. Event Coordinator for all departmental events like commencement, guest speakers and awards ceremonies for both departments.

Responsibilities:

• Provide administrative support to the Department Chairs, including managing schedules, coordinating travel, and drafting correspondence
• Coordinate and assist in faculty related matters, such as searches, promotions, and reappointment
• Organize executive committee and faculty meetings; record minutes for faculty meetings
• Coordinate and manage official department events from onset through completion
• Manage financial transactions, including system entry, payment, and reimbursement, for external event participants and department chairs
• Design promotional materials and handling other light graphic design work
• Assist with department development initiatives and goals
• Serve as secondary support to the front desk for administrative duties when needed
• Maintain confidentiality in all proceedings

Office Manager 

The Office Manager serves as the first point of contact for visitors, students, faculty, and staff in the Department of English and Comparative Literature and the Department of American Studies. This position is primarily responsible for running the front end of the office (greeting visitors, answering the telephone, and routing calls, inquiries, and walk-in traffic to the appropriate faculty or staff member.) In addition to these general administrative responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Facilities and project management assignments as needed
• Website Manager for AMST – Serves as the webmaster for that department which includes design, coding, general updates/management, etc.
• Manages intranet websites with policies and procedures for both departments.
• Collecting data and information for the Department and presenting it in the requested format
• Backup Event planner for departments
• Managing the general office environment: Overseeing or supervising tasks such as:
  • Unlocking and locking common areas in the morning and afternoons
  • Managing reservation requests for departmental meeting spaces and conference rooms and assisting in coordinating event spaces with faculty outside of departmental spaces
  • Processing the business unit’s mail deliveries (twice daily)
  • Purchasing contact for two departments and administrative staff (over 200 people).
  • Serving as the business unit’s parking coordinator for over 60 spaces
  • Managing the building, office, and mailbox key distribution and retrieval process for the business unit for over 200 faculty, staff, and students.
• Serving as the business unit’s primary liaison with Housekeeping Services, Facilities Services, and Carolina Copy
• Assisting staff, administrators, and faculty with short and long-term projects as needed, including providing event planning assistance.
• Office Assignments for over 150 offices
• Serves as Building Manager and maintains SPOTS for Dey Hall, Swain Hall, and Greenlaw Hall
• Serves as Oasis liaison in handling computer needs for over 200 people
• Serves as department purchaser for both departments with over 400 yearly transactions
• Maintains and assists department manager in maintaining up-to-date faculty list and data like emergency contact information
• Supervisor for 5-6 department work study students in the main office
• Assigns workload and projects
• Responsible for hiring students in the I-9 system
• Serves as CPE coordinator for both departments for over 200 employees
• Maintains department listservs as needed – Alumni, faculty, students, and programs
• Handles Department Signage and TV and digital screens for advertising
• Assist the Chair and Business Officer with tasks as needed to develop process and procedures in the departments.

Departmental Accountant 

This position is responsible for budgeting and reporting for both departments, and five programs, including grants, commitments, and research funds for 100+ faculty; ensuring all accounting transactions are following procedure; ensuring that all accounts are maintained correctly, and that all reconciliation is accurate; completing all budgetary transactions in a timely manner, works closely with Associate Chair of Business Operations with financial and accounting needs and decision making. Ensure monthly report for Chair/ Manager is complete

Responsibilities:

• Manages research allocations and all department-owned funds for ECL, AMST, and MEMS
• Primary point of contact for Independent Contractors and visiting speakers’ approvals and payments
• Supports management of event budget and vendors
• Assists with Concur travel
• Manages incoming and outgoing finance journal and budget transactions
• Accurately tracks and maintains balances and transaction records for 125+ trust funds
• Independent contractor processing for 100+ guest speakers, editors, writing coaches, etc. per year
• Processing campus journals to transfer funds to and from other units and make corrections to transaction error
• Assisting staff and faculty with Concur, P-card, and T&E card usage and reporting.
• Reviewing and communicating UNC finance policy and best practices to department faculty and accounting team.

Accounting Associate        

This position works closely with the Department Accountant in handling the accounting efforts for English, American Studies and MEMS (i.e. travel and basic accounting, deposits, recordkeeping, etc.)

Responsibilities:

• Submitting Awards Payments through GradStar for Graduate and Undergraduate
• CAS Annual Report - Reporting Faculty recipients to stewarded funds activities from May1 thru April 30 each year
• Customer Billing Management - -View and modify department charges from billing
• Deposits -Incoming checks for donations and/or other expenses
• Invoices: Payments via Pcard and/or Check -Manage and Process Reimbursements and Payment
• Reimburse Payments: Out-of-pocket expenses related to university business
• Retention of files - -Pull/Destroy any documents paper/electron related to account funds 3 yrs/older
• Travel “Concur” for faculty: Review information and budget for accuracy and approval -Web Travel for people not in Concur System

Graduate Student Services Manager 

This position is part of Greenlaw’s Student Services Team and functions as the primary point of contact for all Graduate Students matters pertaining to Graduate Studies from the time they first inquire about the program through graduation, including admission to the Department.

Responsibilities:

• GSSM serves as the first point of contact for Graduate Students on all matters pertaining to Graduate Studies from the time they first inquire about the program through graduation, including admission to the Department, application for financial aid; keeping students abreast of deadlines in their degree programs; course requirements; coordinating written and preliminary oral examinations, prospectus and final defense; ensuring all forms are received pertaining to student progress,
• Health Insurance, Foreign Exchange Management,
• Written & Oral Examination coordination,
• Reporting, scheduling, and maintaining accurate records on current graduate students and alumni.
• Managing and processing all department Grad Student personnel actions as needed: (tuition, awards, fellowships, admissions, hiring, onboarding and ePar actions) for approximately 100-130 graduate teaching students per term
• positions in both Departments regarding policy and procedures for administration of Graduate programs & scheduling
• Functions as contact person/liaison with university administrative and business offices concerning our Graduate program
• Other duties as assigned

Departmental Registrar and Undergraduate Student Services Manager

This position is part of Greenlaw’s Student Services Team and is responsible for providing the Administrative Support for the Course Scheduling Officer and for being the registrar for both the Department of American Studies & the Department of English and Comparative Literature. This position’s main duties will handle scheduling for both undergraduate & graduate programs.

Scheduling approximately 650 course sections each year and ensuring that the department’s course scheduling database is maintained and reflective of the offerings that are on file with the Office of the University Registrar. This position works closely with departmental administrators, including his immediate supervisor, the Associate Chair of Business Operations, the Department Chairs, Program Directors, and the Curriculum Committee to ensure the success of the department’s undergraduate programs and the course scheduling/assignment processes for all course instructors. Work with faculty & faculty administrators to compile course schedule and input into ConnectCarolina, ensuring several quotas are met (FYS, FYL, Honors courses, etc.)

Responsibilities:

• Assist with student registration and special enrollments, e.g. independent studies, inter-institutional study, other enrollments via the Online Learning Contract Manager (OLCM)
• Manage classroom assignments and room reservations for academic purposes
• Assist with course evaluations, grades, and final exam scheduling
• Manage several student & faculty listservs
• Assist with Curriculum Inventory Management (CIM) processing for course changes & additions
• Assist with maintaining UNC Course Catalog for ECL & AMST
• Coordinate the collection of course syllabi in Online Syllabus Manager (OSM) for university records
• Manage several departmental reports—primarily enrollments & major/major concentration/minor headcounts
• Coordinates registration, enrollment, and course proposal activities and curriculum changes for the department, prepares summary reports for departmental leadership, including the department’s curriculum committee, and submits the appropriate actions in the university’s systems to add, delete, or revise courses.
• In conjunction with the department’s Directors of Undergraduate Studies and the Department’s Lecturer/Advisor, this position also serves as an advisor to English and Comparative Literature majors and minors and generally to non-majors and minors who inquire about undergraduate course offerings and procedures related to independent studies, registration, participation in English and Comparative Literature Honors, and other undergraduate student services issues.

Program Coordinator    

This position is a part of the Student Service Team, and is crucial to the efficient and holistic day-to-day running of the programs, administering readings, awards and prizes, handling financial details, mailings to donors, assisting with Chapter and Verse, the newsletter of one of the programs, overseeing and handling all of the honors programming, the new LMC Program - M.A., B.A./M.A., Graduate Certificate Programs, and other anticipated programs in the departments. From the student side, helping to steer them into the classes that might best suit their needs, advising on the Creative Writing minor/major, (especially with many of our students having to move to alternative instruction moving forward).

Responsibilities:

• to coordinate and supervise the execution of each program by managing communications, schedule and organize events or meetings related to the programs (Creative Writing, Honors Program, the new LMC Program - M.A., B.A./M.A., Graduate Certificate Programs, other upcoming programs, etc.).
• Collaborate with the five directors of the major programs in the English department (Writing, Creative writing, LMC, Latina/o Studies, and English Honors) to implement and improve programming for undergraduate and graduate students, particularly the writing program, which serves all undergraduate students through developing and offering the required 105 freshmen course, and the creative writing program
• Plan with the creative writing director events and speakers for creative writing
• Assign graduate teaching for 105 and contract all English graduate students for teaching
• Process awards for all graduate and undergraduate students
• Register students for the Honors program and Creative Writing application-based courses
• Coordinate the yearly application process for the national-search, creative writing full-ride scholarship offered to one incoming undergraduate student per year
• Maintain creative writing, writing, LMC, and Latina/o studies listservs
• Special projects as assigned by directors

Work-Study Students 

• Work under supervision of Office Manager assisting in various office tasks, including clerical support.

2.3 Departmental Committees

The constitution and procedures of some departmental committees—such as the Chair’s Selection Committee, Search Committees, and Tenure Review Committees—are laid out by the College. Otherwise, the Chair has sole authority to decide how departmental committees are constituted and staffed, though historically Chairs have in practice discussed major changes with the department to allow for input.

Though many committees are of long standing, the nature and number of departmental committees have changed over the history of the department—in order to address new College mandates, or out of a changing sense of departmental needs or of the best practice to meet those needs. For instance, around 2000, the Administrative Committee, staffed by unit heads, replaced what had before then been an elected Chair’s Advisory Committee. The Curriculum Committee came into being more recently in the late teens.

Some committees (such as Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee) have been elected (though the Chair retains final authority over their membership); others are appointed, though recent chairs have encouraged self-nomination to such committees.

Administrative Committee

Purpose:

• Advise the Chair in Departmental operations and policy.

Composition:

Through standing administrative positions.

• Department Chair (Committee Chair)
• Director of Graduate Studies
• Director of Graduate Admissions
• Director of Creative Writing
• Director of Undergraduate Studies
• Director, Writing Program
• Associate Director, Writing Program
• Director of International Programs
• Diversity Program Liaison
• Chair, Teaching Professors’ Advisory Committee
• Co-Directors of Graduate Placement
• Latina/o Studies Director
• Digital Literacy and Communications Lab (DLC) Director
• Teaching Professors Advisory Committee Chair
• HHIVE Director

Responsibilities:

• Reports to Chair regarding day-to-day operations of administrative units.
• Advises the Chair with respect to departmental policy and procedures, such as the planning and the setting of priorities.
• Provides consultatory resource for Chair when matters that arise, especially when prompt action is required.
• Meets weekly with the chair and the rest of the admin team

Curriculum Committee  

Purpose:

• Oversee course offerings and advise the Department and Chair on curricular policy.

Composition:

Partly through standing administrative positions, partly appointed, though Chair encourages faculty to self-nominate:

• Committee Chair: Director of Undergraduate Studies
• Director of Graduate Studies
• Undergraduate Advisor for DOECL
• General Education Oversight Committee Member
• Concentration Coordinators
• British & American Literature
• Film Studies
• Comparative and World Literatures
• Writing, Editing, & Digital Publishing (WEDP)
• Medicine, Science, and Literature
• Social Justice and Literature
• Creative Writing
• Latina/o Studies

Responsibilities:

• Oversees departmental policies regarding teaching schedules, distribution of lower-level teaching, numbers of graduate courses taught, etc.
• Works with the Directors of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies to review faculty teaching requests against departmental rules and need.
• Works with Directors of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies to identify curricular patterns and anticipate policy needs.
• Reviews submissions through our departmental “Curriculum Inventory Management”; the UNC course management system) before the Chair makes final decision on them.

Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Purpose:

• Advise the Department on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies and practice.

Composition:

• Partly through standing positions, partly appointed, though Chair encourages faculty to self-nominate:
• Diversity Liaison
• As part of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative, the College requires the department chair to appoint a diversity liaison (ideally tenured). It stipulates that role should rotate, with each faculty member serving for at least two years.
• 5 other faculty members, appointed by the Chair, with a mix of tenure- and teaching-track faculty.
• Graduate Student Member, elected by CoLEAGS

Responsibilities:

• Communicate diversity-related news and information.
• Work with the chair to establish diversity goals and priorities.
• Bring a diversity perspective to faculty hiring through the development and implementation of best practices in searches (e.g., unconscious bias training, the use of rubrics, etc.) and/or by serving on search committees, as necessary.
• Work with departmental administration to develop and implement curricular changes and innovations that promote diversity and inclusion.
• Advance the selection of potential candidates for the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity.
• Complete the annual diversity report for the College of Arts & Sciences (in collaboration with the chair).

Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC) 

Purpose:

• Support the Department’s graduate program, in part by reviewing applicants for admission.

Composition:

• Appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the Chair and the Director of Graduate Admissions
• Chair: Director of Graduate Studies (when policy issues are addressed) or Director of Admissions (when issues of admission are addressed) and includes seven members, drawn from a range of specialties.

Responsibilities:

• Serve with the Director of Graduate Admissions to review admissions’ files and select each year’s entering graduate class
• Advise the Director of Graduate Admissions on admission needs
• Advise the Director of Graduate Studies on policy matters in the graduate program.

Post-Tenure Review Committee

• Trustee Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2.8 section on Post-Tenure Review).
• Academic Personnel Post-Tenure Review Policy.
• CAS Post Tenure Review Policy (post-tenure review policy by school)
• UNC Faculty Handbook, Appointment, Promotion, & Tenure Guidelines, Post-Tenure Review Section
• Post-Tenure Review Policies and Procedures Department of English and Comparative Literature (August 2018 Approved by Dean’s Office, August, 2018) on the Department’s intranet.

Purpose:

• Oversee the review of tenured faculty with the goal of accountability as well as of maintaining faculty productivity and encouraging ongoing development.

Composition:

• By practice elected, though the Chair has authority over ultimate membership. The DOECL “Post-Tenure Review Policies and Procedures” (August, 2018) specify that the Committee involves three or four faculty peers (at or above same rank being evaluated), not undergoing PTR in that academic year, who receive University prescribed post-tenure review training. The chair of the committee is appointed from the elected members by the Chair.

Responsibilities:

• Must complete prior training.
• Review candidate’s materials from previous 5 years.
• As per instruction from the Dean, all members of the committee must review all candidates under review.
• Conduct a peer review of teaching (unless peer reviewer otherwise chosen by candidate), preparing a report using the prescribed template
• Vote, using a three-point scale—exceeds expectations, meets expectations, is deficient—and records their finding
• Prepare a summary report, making recommendations based on the prescribed three-point rating scale
• Aid chair in some cases in compiling any required Development Plans for candidates

Note: All tenured faculty undergo PTR every five years. For tenured Associate Professors up for promotion, the two reviews may be combined (for those also seeking promotion, external recommendation letters will be solicited as part of that review). Faculty who plan to fully retire or enter phased retirement must submit their letter of resignation in advance of scheduling their post-tenure review if they wish to forego that review. The Chair is reviewed by a committee appointed by the Senior Associate Dean.

Rank and Tenure Committee 

• The UNC Policy Manual and Code, Board of Governors (400.3 “Tenure and Teaching in the University”)
• Trustee Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• The Faculty Code of University Government, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (“Article 5: Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure Members of the Faculty”)
• Policies on Affirmative-Action and Non-Discrimination,Equal Opportunities and Compliance Office, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Personnel Policies for Academic Personnel, Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost “Faculty Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure”)
• College of Arts & Sciences Chair’s Manual
• Memorandum from the Dean on Peer Faculty Teaching Observations for Tenure, Promotion and Post-Tenure Review, August 21, 2012.
• See also: the “Report of the UNC Task Force on Promotion and Tenure Policies and Practices” (2020)

Purpose:

• Review candidates for promotion and tenure and make recommendations to the Department and Chair.

Composition:

The Chair’s Manual states: “Any department or committee charged with voting on an appointment recommendation, regardless of faculty rank, i.e., tenure track, tenured or fixed term must include at least four full professors. Subcommittees that review research, teaching, etc. and provide their findings to the committee in charge may be smaller.”

The DOECL Supplemental Policies on Faculty Personnel Actions (October 2014, DOECL Intranet) specify “The tenured and tenure-track voting members of the Department shall by ballot recommend to the Department Chair, preferably by September 15, names drawn from the ranks of the full professors to comprise the members of a Rank and Tenure Committee for the academic year. The Department Chair has ultimate responsibility for naming the Rank and Tenure Committee.” The Chair appoints the chair of the committee from its elected members.

Responsibilities:

• Maintains strictest confidence and does not communicate directly with candidates.
• Conducts its own detailed review of the candidate's achievements (independent of the outside reviews) regarding research, teaching, and service, while also weighing those outside reviews.
• Conducts a review of two successive classes of the candidate (unless otherwise arranged by the Chair) and write independent reports of those visits, using the prescribed template.
• Vote, and record the vote.
• Submits a written report of its review to the department summarizing its findings for their discussion and vote, a report to be sent forward as part of the candidate’s file.
• Reviews personnel policies and procedures and recommend to the chair any needed changes.

Teaching Professor Advisory Committee 

Purpose

• The Teaching Professors Advisory Committee (TPAC) is an elected committee of five members whose purpose is to advocate for issues concerning teaching faculty and to support teaching faculty within the department. Ultimate authority for the composition of the committee rests with the Chair.

Composition

• TPAC is composed of five teaching faculty members elected to two-year terms, with rotating terms. At the department Chair’s discretion, an additional member may be added to accommodate circumstances such as semester leaves, etc.
• All teaching faculty who hold the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Teaching Professor are eligible for election, and their names appear on the ballot.
• All teaching faculty with appointments full time FTE or .75 FTE are eligible to vote.
• Elections, supervised by the department Chair, are conducted each spring at the same time that other department committee elections are held.
• The department Chair appoints the TPAC chair, usually appointing the person with the highest number of votes (unless other circumstances need to be considered).

Responsibilities

• Serve as an advisory group to the department Chair on matters concerning Teaching Faculty
• Select one member (usually the committee Chair) to serve on the Admin committee and to attend those meetings
• Act as a liaison between the administration and teaching faculty to facilitate communication
• Work to create a positive working culture for teaching faculty within the department
• Advocate for issues concerning teaching faculty within the department
• Support the promotion process by providing information and identifying resources
• Offer support and orientation to new teaching faculty
• Endeavor to stay informed about College-wide and University-wide conversations on fixed-term faculty that impact our teaching faculty
• Meet at least once each semester and more as needed to address issues

Teaching Professor Promotion Committee 

• Academic Personnel, Fixed Term Faculty Initial Appointment
• Academic Personnel, Fixed Term Faculty Reappointments(s)
• Academic Personnel, Fixed Term Faculty Appointment to a Higher Rank
• College of Arts and Sciences Fixed Term Teaching Track Faculty Reviews (Sept 2019) and Policy on Peer Teaching Observation and Annual Evaluation Process (Sept 2019)
• Departmental Policies, subject to the policies above, are collected in the “Personnel Policies and Procedures” on the departmental intranet. Department documents include: The “DOECL Procedures Governing the Promotion of a Teaching Associate Professor to Teaching Professor” and for “Promotion of Teaching Assistant Professor to Teaching Associate Professor ” (both Revised March 2020).
• See the 2019 memorandum from the Associate office of the Dean for Human Resources on “Promotions to Teaching Associate Professor and Teaching Professor,” and the peer class observation form.

Purpose:

• Review candidates and make recommendations to the Department and Chair.

Composition:

• The “DOECL Procedures Governing the Promotion of a Teaching Associate Professor to Teaching Professor” and for “Promotion of Teaching Assistant Professor to Teaching Associate Professor” (both Revised March 2020) stipulate members will be elected annually by the department faculty, including all tenured and tenure-track professors and any Teaching Professors (whose employment equals .75 FTE and whose current and/or preceding contract specifies an actual or anticipated length of service in the position of at least three years).
• This committee must include at least three tenured faculty members and at least one Teaching Professor.

Responsibilities:

• Review the required candidate’s materials, which have traditionally included the current curriculum vitae, statement of teaching and service, and if applicable, statement of research; list of courses taught for the last five years; student course evaluations for the past five years including summarized data, letters from referees (external to the candidate’s base department) that address the candidate’s qualifications
• Work with the chair to solicit or conduct two teaching observations (carried out by either tenured/tenure track faculty, teaching associate professor (only applicable for teaching assistant professors being promoted to teaching associate professors), or teaching professor
• The committee writes a report and records its vote, forwards both to the Chair; both are also included in the candidate’s dossier is it is sent on to the Dean
• The Chair makes the Committee’s report available to the eligible voting faculty before they meet to vote on their recommendation to the Chair.

2.4 Other Committees, Convened When Necessary

Distinguished Professors Committee 

Purpose:

• Advise the Chair in the nomination faculty to Distinguished Professorships.

Composition:

• The Chair’s Manual specifies that the “chair will form a review committee of at least four senior faculty from the unit … for the purpose of making a recommendation to the chair. Whenever possible this review committee will consist of faculty who themselves hold named professorships, to avoid possible conflict of interest.”

Responsibilities:

• Advise the chair in the identification and review of candidates
• Make recommendations and vote on them.

Search Committee   

• Academic Personnel, EHRA Recruitment and Selection Procedures
• Academic Personnel, Recruitment Advertising Resources
• Academic Personnel, Tenure Track Initial Appointment Required Documents
• Background Check Policy
• Dossier guidelines
• Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office
• Online Search Committee Training Module
• Chair’s Manual, “Recruitment”
• UNC Faculty Handbook, “Recruitment”

Useful departmental supporting documents can be found on the departmental intranet, including: FAQ, a checklist, a 2019 summary of best practices, and several documents regarding diversity.

Purpose:

• Identify and interview candidates for open positions and make recommendations to the Department and Chair.

Composition:

• Appointed by the Chair, the Provost’s policies on Academic Recruitment specify the Committee must have “a minimum of 3 people, and must be diverse.” The Chair’s Manual specifies that the search committees must be appointed in writing and those appointment letters must expressly state that accepting the appointment vouchsafes compliance with the University of affirmative action policies, including completion of online training.

Responsibilities:

• Comply with all University policies throughout the process.
• Draft announcement of job opening in consultation with Chair and department.
• Review applications.
• Make decisions about each step in advancing candidates.
• Identify and interview a small pool of candidates.
• Facilitate on-campus visits for invited finalists.
• Solicit departmental feedback in a timely fashion.
• Submit a report making a recommendation of hiring to be presented for departmental discussion and vote.

Additional Departmental Committees

Administer prizes, including the Pedagogy Committee, the Graduate Fellowship Committee, the Whitfield Prize Committee for Honors, etc.—each usually involving at least three members and appointed by the Chair.

3. Faculty Policies and Procedures  

3.1 Matters Regarding Rank

Distinguished Professorships

• Academic Personnel, Distinguished (Named) Professorships
• Chair’s Manual, Designation to a Named Professorship Held by a Department or Curriculum.

Faculty are advised to consult the most recent version of these documents to familiarize themselves with the full requirements of the process. The solicitation of evidence of independent scholarly evaluation from four outside reviewers, review of the nominee’s scholarly research and publications, and submission of a report to the Chair are outlined there. In those documents, provisions are made when time constraints require speedier evaluation.

Note: The Chair’s Manual specifies that “the chair’s personal view of the nominee or circumstances under which the nomination has arisen (such as retention or outside offers) should not appear in letters of request for external evaluation.”

Tenure-track Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure

The Department's policies on appointment, promotion, and tenure are governed by University policy, the provisions of which are set forth in a range of documents (consult the most recent):

• The UNC Policy Manual and Code, Board of Governors (400.3 “Tenure and Teaching in the University”)
• Trustee Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• The Faculty Code of University Government, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (“Article 5: Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure Members of the Faculty”)
• Policies on Affirmative-Action and Non-Discrimination,Equal Opportunities and Compliance Office, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Personnel Policies for Academic Personnel, Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost “Faculty Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure”)
• College of Arts & Sciences Chair’s Manual
• Memorandum from the Dean on Peer Faculty Teaching Observations for Tenure, Promotion and Post-Tenure Review, August 21, 2012.
• See also: the “Report of the UNC Task Force on Promotion and Tenure Policies and Practices” (2020)

Departmental Policies, subject to the policies above, are collected in the “Personnel Policies and Procedures” on the departmental intranet. Documents include: DOECL Supplemental Policies on Faculty Personnel Actions Oct 2014; English and Comp Lit Faculty Personnel Guidelines-Rev March 2021, as well as instructions for the preferred form for a curriculum vitae and for requesting a deferral of promotion from the Dean’s office, and the peer class observation form.

Faculty are advised to consult the most recent versions of these documents to familiarize themselves with the full requirements of the process. They specify timelines for re-appointment and promotion reviews, as well as the materials required, and the benchmarks for assessment.

Teaching-Track Appointments and Promotions 

• Academic Personnel, Fixed Term Faculty Initial Appointment
• Academic Personnel, Fixed Term Faculty Reappointments(s)
• Academic Personnel, Fixed Term Faculty Appointment to a Higher Rank
• College of Arts and Sciences Fixed Term Teaching Track Faculty Reviews (Sept 2019) and Policy on Peer Teaching Observation and Annual Evaluation Process (Sept 2019)

Departmental Policies, subject to the policies above, are collected in the “Personnel Policies and Procedures” on the departmental intranet. Department documents include: The “DOECL Procedures Governing the Promotion of a Teaching Associate Professor to Teaching Professor” and for “Promotion of Teaching Assistant Professor to Teaching Associate Professor” (both Revised March 2020).

See the 2019 memorandum from the Associate office of the Dean for Human Resources on “Promotions to Teaching Associate Professor and Teaching Professor,” and the peer class observation form.

Faculty are advised to consult the most recent versions of these documents to familiarize themselves with the full requirements of the process. They specify timelines for re-appointment and promotion reviews, as well as the materials required, and the benchmarks for assessment.

Post Tenure Review 

• Trustee Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2.8 section on Post-Tenure Review).
• Academic Personnel Post-Tenure Review Policy.
• CAS Post Tenure Review Policy (FY2015-16.pdf)
• UNC Faculty Handbook, Appointment, Promotion, & Tenure Guidelines, Post-Tenure Review Section

Post-Tenure Review Policies and Procedures Department of English and Comparative Literature (August 2018 Approved by Dean’s Office, August, 2018) on the Department’s intranet.

Faculty are advised to consult the most recent versions of these documents to familiarize themselves with the full requirements of the process. They specify timelines for re-appointment and promotion reviews, as well as the materials required, and the benchmarks for assessment.

Note: The faculty member under review may submit a written response. That faculty member meets with the Chair to discuss post-tenure performance, after which the Chair provides the faculty member with a letter summarizing the meeting and presenting the Chair’s assessment of that performance using the same three-point scale. The Chair works with the Dean’s Office to devise a development plan for any faculty member found not to meet expectations, and monitors compliance with that plan annually. All PTR documents are sent on to the Senior Associate Dean. They also become part of the faculty member’s record. A faculty member may appeal to the Dean findings of not meeting expectations or recommendations in a subsequent Development plan and may grieve to Faculty Grievance Committee under Section 607 of the Code.

Retirement

• UNC Policy Manual and Code 300.7
• The Academic Personnel website includes Retirement and End of Employment
• UNC Human Resources, Retirement
• UNC Human Resources, Retirement Planning includes two retirement planning guides, the UNC System Retirement Planning Guide and the UNC-Chapel Hill Faculty Retirement Planning Guide
• UNC Faculty Handbook, Retirement
• The Chair’s Manual, Retirement and Resignation

Retirement requires written notification to the Chair giving the effective date of retirement. Policies on other aspects of retirement, including phased retirement, part-time reemployment, service on Ph.D. committees, and emeritus designation can be found in the documents governing retirement policy.

Note: Due to space constraints in the Department, faculty entering phased or full retirement relinquish their private offices; some retired faculty have requested carrels in Davis Library. According to the Office of Human Resources, new retirees must obtain a new UNC One Card reflecting their new status. Information on retiree parking permits is available from the UNC Department of Public Safety (see Sec. 4-1. Parking Permits, Section 3. Retired Faculty/Staff Permits). The Departmental Parking Coordinator can help to confirm if a retiree permit is available and help with its issuance. Retired faculty might be interested in joining the UNC

Retired Faculty Association, which maintains representation on Faculty Council and provides resources and connections for retired faculty.

3.2 Procedures 

Faculty Meetings

Meetings regarding personnel decisions are limited to faculty eligible to vote on the particular action. The Chair’s Manual states that the vote must be reported by rank, listing the number of supporting and of opposing votes, as well as any abstentions, and (as per recommendation of the University APT Committee and the Office of the Provost) must provide explanations for any negative votes or abstentions.

Faculty vote on appointments and promotions to all ranks equal to theirs or below, except that tenured associate professors may not vote for conferral of tenure or promotion for another associate professor.

********For non-personnel departmental matters, including changes to the major and ***, eligible voting faculty include *** [department needs to establish a policy.75 FTE needed to vote? Every .75 FTE teaching in dept can vote on all non-personnel matters? What’s the voting status of adjunct as well as teaching faculty? 2020 Report of the UNC-Chapel Hill Task Force says this is a dept/school decision?] How do non-personnel departmental matters make faculty meeting agendas, and what are the parameters for a passing vote (% of votes[WC21] [LL22] [FWML23] )? [WC21]I think this proposal of .75 FTE on on-personnel matters is a viable one, but we will also need to differentiate the voting faculty on graduate program matters. Currently adjunct and emeritus faculty do not have voting rights in the department (and I would not change that), but joint appointments of 50/50 do.

 [LL22]Feedback from the Handbook Committee about the kind of questions that might be discussed:

We cannot yet describe policy-language. Criteria for “voting faculty on graduate matters” are not now explicit. Does teaching 700- and 800-level courses qualify a faculty member as “voting faculty on graduate matters?” Do accreditors concern themselves with the status (teaching-track or tenure-track) of graduate course instructors?

Some teaching track faculty have recently taught graduate courses; however, the process for choosing them is not yet clear and we don’t know the specific policy. Do 600-level and below courses count as undergraduate teaching? Does the new combined BA/MA necessitate a revisiting of course numbering/definition of graduate faculty?

How are agenda items for faculty meetings determined? How do non-personnel departmental matters make faculty meeting agendas, and what are the parameters for a passing vote (% of votes [LL22] [LL22])? What role does the Admin. Committee have in determining agenda items? Does this role need to be added to the committee’s job-description (above)? Are agenda items set in consultation with the Chair?

Are there clear guidelines on who gets to be present in meetings to vote on various topics? Can some people attend (observe and/or voice opinions) but not vote?

[FWML23]Regarding Graduate Faculty, this is the purview of the graduate school. Teaching Track faculty can participate in Graduate Program pedagogy, committees, etc, but they must be approved by the Graduate School. There are two options: https://gradschool.unc.edu/facultystaff/faculty/ Only one of our teaching track faculty has a special regular appointment to teach graduate classes but several of the teaching track faculty have been approved as fixed term grad faculty, allowing them to sit on committees. I think that we can clarify the policy on who votes on graduate program matters but should follow the official designations as made by the graduate school.

Regarding Agenda items for faculty meetings, they are determined by the chair, in collaboration with the Admin team, but open to input from the faculty and graduate students as well.

Mentoring

The Department of English and Comparative Literature at UNC at Chapel Hill is committed to providing opportunities for all members of the faculty in the department to both offer and receive mentoring. We view engagement in mentoring practices, as mentor and/or mentee, as a vital part of personal and professional development. Faculty can engage in these practices throughout their careers, and individuals at any stage of their career can be both a mentor and a mentee.

We recognize that there are many ways to practice mentoring, from formal to informal arrangements, one-on-one meetings to group meetings, and the relationships can involve individuals at different career stages (more senior faculty to more junior faculty) or the same stage (peer mentoring). Research shows that mentees benefit most from taking advantage of multiple forms of mentoring. This document describes some of the formal mentoring processes provided in the Department of English and Comparative Literature. We encourage faculty members also to seek out other mechanisms that suit their needs.

Department Culture

The Department of English and Comparative Literature strives to support and sustain a culture of mutual respect, encouragement, inclusion, and appreciation of diversity in all forms. We also believe that effective mentoring is embedded in a network of organizational practices.

Purpose of Mentoring

As a department, we believe that mentoring can confer benefits to both the mentor and the mentee but that the primary goal of mentoring should be to aid the mentee in identifying and meeting their personal and professional goals. The forms of mentoring can include career focused mentoring, which supports promotion and tenure as well as opportunities for leadership and service. Psychosocial mentoring is also valuable; this process helps the mentee feel a respected member of the community, experience support and encouragement, understand community codes, and deal with issues of intersectionality.

Mentor/Mentee Roles

The mentor’s role includes the following actions.

• Probe the mentee’s interests and goals.
• Help the mentee identify resources that can help achieve those goals.
• Offer support, while also challenging the mentee to do their best.
• Help the mentee with networking or finding other positive opportunities.
• Be open to feedback and understanding the mentee’s own expectations of the mentoring relationship.

The mentee’s role includes the following actions.

• Be proactive in their career advancement.
• Be open to feedback and understanding the expectations of the mentor.
• Engage in self-reflection and seek to align their career path with their individual strengths, in consultation and/or with feedback from the mentor.

Mentoring Structures

• One-on-One Mentoring
  • In a one-on-one mentoring relationship, an experienced faculty member mentors a less experienced faculty member.
  • A faculty member may independently seek out a senior colleague and ask to initiate a mentoring relationship.
  • Or, a faculty member may seek the advice and help of the Mentoring Coordinator.
  • In one-on-one mentoring relationships, establishing the guidelines of the relationship early on contribute to successful outcomes. The department will make materials about establishing effective mentoring relationships available to all faculty members.
  • We recognize that not all interpersonal relationships turn out to be beneficial. If a mentee finds that a given mentoring relationship is not proving to be productive or helpful, the mentee should feel safe in ending the mentoring relationship and seeking a new mentor. Mentees wishing to find a new mentor should feel comfortable asking for assistance from the Mentoring Coordinator or other trusted faculty person within the department.
• Peer Group/Team Mentoring
  • Team mentoring, also referred to as Peer Group Mentoring, provides both the benefits of experienced faculty to less experienced faculty mentoring and peer mentoring. In this paradigm, a group of faculty members of the same rank meet regularly with two mentors of a more advanced rank for at least a semester. Along with the coordinating mentors, the group assesses needs and sets goals for the semester. Then the mentors plan the program and collect resources to meet the established goals. Overarching is the goal of providing both career focused mentoring and psychosocial mentoring.
• Chair’s Leadership Role
  • As department leader, the chair has the opportunity to support the mentoring process in multiple ways, including the following.
  • Through making it a department priority as part of faculty development and support
  • Through seeing the Annual Review Process for each faculty member as a critical component of the mentoring process
  • In the annual review, the Chair (or the Chair’s appointee) has the opportunity to do the following.
  • Assess the kind of mentoring the faculty member is receiving and if it is being successful.
  • Point out available opportunities for mentoring.
  • From a Chair’s perspective, the benefits of an effective mentoring process are manifold and include faculty morale, timely promotion, productivity, as well as retention and recruitment of valuable faculty.
• Program Assessment
  • The Department should establish a plan to assess the effectiveness of its mentoring program on a regular basis. The chair-appointed Mentoring Coordinator can administer a short (no more than ten questions) confidential survey. The surveys are returned to the Mentoring Coordinator, who will collate the info for the Chair.

Course Support 

• UNC Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) offers faculty resources including the Graduate Research Consultant (GRC) program
• UNC Center for Faculty Excellence provides Teaching and Learning resources and lists available grants for faculty
• Carolina Center for Public Service, offers Awards & Funding for faculty, including grants for Apples Service Learning courses and Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars
• UNC First-Year Seminars Program offers funding and first-year seminar support
• UNC Center for European Studies offers a yearly application call for travel and curriculum development grants around an announced topic
• UNC Carolina Asia Center offers Course Development Grants for faculty
• UNC Center for Jewish Studies offers Course Development/Course Enhancement funds

The resources listed above offer funding for course development for UNC faculty. While there is no centralized source of funds for Conferences or speakers, in the past, faculty have requested support from the Provost's office, the College of Arts and Sciences (contact the Senior Associate Dean), the Department of English and Comparative Literature and other interested departments, Centers, or Programs (contact the Chair/Head), as well as the Institute for Arts and Humanities.

Recognition

• Academic Personnel, Faculty Recognition
• UNC Center for Faculty Excellence, Teaching Awards
• UNC Faculty Handbook, Faculty Awards

Departmental faculty are encouraged to nominate deserving colleagues for internal recognition, including teaching and mentoring awards.

Research Leaves

• Academic Personnel, Faculty Leaves
• UNC Faculty Handbook, Faculty Awards & Leaves
• The Chair’s Manual, Associate Professor Support Program
• The Chair’s Manual, Junior Faculty Development Awards
• The Chair’s Manual, Research Leaves

While there are no regular, established faculty sabbaticals at UNC, there are internal research leaves and fellowships for which faculty can apply. Assistant professors are eligible to apply for one-semester junior faculty development assignments after one year of service. Newly designated associate professors can apply for the Associate Professor Support Program. All faculty can apply to the Institute for the Arts and Humanities Faculty Fellowships. The Provost’s Office also offers competitive semester-long leaves. The UNC Faculty Handbook maintains a list of internal awards. In addition, once every five years, faculty are eligible to apply to the Department for a semester of Research and Study Leave.

Faculty are encouraged to apply for external funding. Any faculty member awarded such funding must notify the Chair in order to seek approval from the Dean’s Office, which decides on all requests for leaves.

Faculty who go on leave must complete and sign the Faculty Leave Notification Form, which commits them to return to the University to complete one full year of service after the leave. No later than three months from completion of the leave, faculty must submit a report on the work accomplished during that time to the Chair, who forwards it to the Dean’s Office. College policy stipulates that a faculty member may take no more than up to two continuous academic years of leave.

Salary 

• Academic Personnel, Compensation and Pay
• College of Arts and Sciences Update of Faculty Salary Increase Policies (Spring 2014)
• UNC Faculty Handbook, Compensation
• Chair’s Manual, Salary Increases

A Salary Committee is not required by the Dean and the Department does not have one. It has, over the years, periodically discussed and rejected the constitution of one.

The Dean does require “a written policy detailing how salary increase decisions are made ” (Chair’s Manual) in which the Chair

• formulates salary increase policies collaboratively
• uses language that every faculty member can readily understand
• strictly adheres to its guidelines.

Promotion to Associate Professor and Full Professor has in recent years carried fixed-amount salary increases from the University, a policy subject to approval from the legislature and the Board of Governors.

In determining salary increases, the Chair is guided by the salary policies set by the College of Arts and Sciences. Salary and raises are set by the Chair within any ranges available as set by the College, University, and State Legislature.

See also policies on external professional activities for pay and summer salary, aggregated in the “Compensation” section of The UNC Faculty Handbook.

4. Communication Policies

The Department of English and Comparative Literature employs public and internal channels of communication.

4.1 Public Communication

Photography and Video: As public communication is dominated by images and videos, ECL encourages photography and filming of major events. DLC student workers can photograph and film in-person events if requested at least one week prior to the event, but will not record or photography exclusively online events. The request form can be found on the department intranet. The DLC will also provide necessary consent forms and publish to desired social media platforms and websites. All media collected by the DLC is included in the departmental media archive and subject to inclusion in other promotional material. Moreover, the DLC is staffed by graduate and undergraduate students who are not experts at video/audio/image production and should not be expected to generate professional quality. If professional quality is required, faculty and staff are encouraged to contact outside vendors.

4.2 Internal Communication

Internal communication is intended only for named recipients, such as faculty and graduate students, and pertains to the functions and operations of the department. The department maintains separate listservs, such as for faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate majors—the full list is maintained in “Listservs” under “Department Resources” on the departmental intranet. To keep faculty, graduate students, and staff aware of accomplishments and publications of individuals within the department, the DLC publishes The Greenlaw Broadsheet 5-6 times per academic year, which is circulated only internally among faculty and graduate students.

In addition, university email and messaging within Sakai sites is another means of communicating internally to conduct departmental business.

• Departmental personnel should observe all FERPA privacy regulations when communicating via email or written means concerning undergraduate grades, accommodations, and other matters.
• All communication that is intended for internal use, such as email, postings to departmental listservs, as well as written communication, is assumed to be the responsibility of the sender.
• Personnel review committees should be instructed in their initial online training about sensitive material, but should consult Departmental administration if they have any questions about proper handling.

Digital Literacy and Communication Lab (DLC)

The DLC serves as a hub for innovation in digital media by exploring strategies to teach and research digital writing through web development, social media, and games. To acquire hands-on training in digital media and communication, the DLC hires graduate students and undergraduates to maintain the ECL website, DLC website, departmental social media accounts, the Greenlaw Gameroom, as well as other produce digital content via podcasts, videos, and web stories. As such, the DLC is a space of learning for student workers.

Personnel:

• DCL Director: Directs strategic and daily functions of the DLC, including managing the department’s website and social media, promoting innovation in digital pedagogy, mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in the lab, directing the Gaming Initiative and Greenlaw Gameroom, and maintaining up to date research on the department’s historical timeline.
• DLC Assistant Director: Assists the director in daily tasks and communication between the DLC and the department. Leads the DLC in the absence of the Director. Oversees website maintenance and long-term projects.
• Graduate Social Media Manager: Leads the team of social media specialists to use social media to depict the department consistently. Engages with students, faculty, staff, and alumni to celebrate the successes and events of the ECL community. Ensures social media accounts are engaged with by responding to followers and other social media accounts.
• Graduate Social Media Specialist: Creates, plans, and executes social media content across all platforms. Works with students, staff, and faculty to create compelling social media content. Partners with Undergraduate Interns to design and edit content.
• Graduate Communications Editor: Manages publication of web stories, Greenlaw Broadsheet, and student spotlights. Identifies news opportunities within the department and works with the Director and Assistant Director to generate meaningful stories about the department.
• Assistant Director of Gaming Initiative: Creates events, communication, and marketing for the gaming initiative. Responsible for all equipment and scheduling in the game room. Works with faculty on developing gaming components and courses for the department.
• Gaming Initiative Coordinator: Partners with the Assistant Director on the maintenance of the gaming website, equipment, and game room. Works with social media and news team to generate content for the gaming initiative.
• Department Photographer: Schedules and manages all photography and video for the department. Maintains photography calendar, consent forms, and equipment in the DLC.
• Undergraduate Interns: Work with a specific team to generate content and assist with the execution of key DLC events and priorities.

DLC Responsibilities:

1. Administer departmental social media (see social media section above for more information)
2. Maintain departmental website, including updates to static webpages (faculty profiles, program websites, etc.), departmental web calendar, and news (see website section above for more information).
3. Administer the Gaming Initiative, which creates opportunities for innovative research and pedagogy in and around games and to establish ECL as a hub for game studies. The cornerstone of the initiative is the Greenlaw Gameroom, the first gaming-centered classroom at UNC. The Gameroom provides instructors with resources and design support needed to integrate games into their classes, including maintaining lists of courses and instructors, scheduling events, organizing reading groups, and building a gaming library across multiple consoles.
4. Manage photography and/or videography of major ECL events, including editing material for publication, as well as organizing and storing media data.
5. Research and maintain the department’s historical timeline: 225 Anniversary Timeline
6. Maintain list of innovative teaching resources on DLC website, including:
   • Databases, such as 105 Unit Assignments.
   • Resources on campus (including to the Ackland Art Museum, BeAM, Carolina Performing Arts, Davis Library, Digital Innovation Lab, Media and Design Center (UL), Playmakers Repertory Company, Research Hub (UNC Libraries), SkillfUL Tech Workshops, Undergraduate Library, and Wilson Library sponsors workshops, such as in teaching with technology
   • Remote learning resources including:
     • UNC-CH Keep Teaching Website
     • HASTAC Resources
     • Remote Academia Slack
     • DLC Zoom Backgrounds
     • A bibliography of scholarship, including readings on
       • ePortfolios
       • Gaming Pedagogy
       • Teaching Video Composition and Visual Rhetoric

5. Instructional Policies & Procedures

• The Office of Undergraduate Education
• Department of English and Comparative Literature Office of the University Registrar
• Department of English and Comparative Literature (Graduate) Office of the University Registrar

5.1 College-wide Instructional Policies and Procedures

5.2 Departmental Instructional Policies and Procedures

Departmental Resources and Affiliations

• Departmental Programs
  • Jane Austen Summer Program
    • A four-day symposium that takes place in early summer, centered around one of Austen’s works or a related topic, exploring its meaning through lectures, workshops, small-group discussions and other activities. The JASP initiative also includes the year-long Jane Austen & Co. public humanities program and the JASP+ partnership with the National Humanities Center.
  • Blake Archive
    • The authoritative online site for the works of William Blake.
  • Blanche Armfield Poetry Series
    • The generosity of Blanche Britt Armfield (UNC MA, Poetry, 1928) funds a series that brings prominent American poets to the university for a reading every year.
  • Critical Speaker Series
    • Graduate-student run, this series showcases outstanding and innovative scholars in the literary humanities for the larger University community and the public. CoLEAGS provides the CSS Coordinators.
  • Frank B. Hanes Writer in Residence
    • Honoring the late Frank Borden Hanes, Sr., (Class of 1942) and possible through Hanes family for its generous sponsorship, this program brings important writers of our time to campus to meet with students and faculty, visit classes, and give readings, talks, and symposia.
  • Furst Forum in Comparative Literature
    • Named in honor of professor emerita Lilian R. Furst, this forum is a graduate-student initiative that features both professional and advanced graduate students at UNC. Open to the public. CoLEAGS appoints the Furst Forum Coordinators.
  • Latina/o Studies
    • In addition to ongoing working groups and graduate and undergraduate student symposia, this program hosts speakers and events, including the Latina/o Cultures Speakers Series.
  • Thomas Wolfe Prize and Lecture
    • Honoring one of UNC’s most famous alumni, and generously supported through various sponsors— Ben Jones (class of 1950) and John Skipper (BA English 1978), the Thomas Wolfe Society, the Department of English and Comparative Literature, and the Thomas Wolfe Endowment Fund—this prize recognizes distinguished contemporary writers. It brings them to read on campus to give students and the surrounding community the opportunity to hear their important work.
  • Triangle Film Salon
    • An annual series on the screen arts, featuring film scholars and filmmakers, From UNC or visiting, this salon facilitates an exchange of ideas in the surrounding community. Free and open to and the public.

English and Comparative Literature Major (undergraduate)

At the undergraduate level, the Department offers a core major with seven optional concentrations and seven different minors.

• Additionally, the department offers one dual BA/MA degree in Medicine, Literature, and Culture (described below under the information for that concentration).
• When making course requests or preparing new courses, faculty should be aware of our degree-program requirements. Consult the current UNC Academic Catalog for the full list and description of requirements and courses.

For the major and minor, students must satisfy College-wide grade-point averages and UNC-credit requirements.

Core Major, Basic Requirements

Students satisfy the core major requirements by completing ten courses that include the following: two surveys (I and II) and a depth course. For the basic major, they add seven electives of any ENGL or CMPL courses (excluding ENGL 100, ENGL 105, ENGL 105I, ENGL 110, and ENGL 191).

Students may elect to follow a particular concentration. All concentrations except Film require the three core classes. All stipulate particular requirements for the seven electives.

Additional requirements apply for the basic major and all concentrations except Creative Writing. Students complete:

• six courses at or above the 200 level
• of those six, at least two courses must be at the 300-level (Writing Intensive) in ENGL or CMPL
• of those six, at least one course must be at the 400-level (Research Intensive) in ENGL or CMPL

Optional Major Concentrations

Minors

• Latina/o Studies minor
  • One humanities/fine arts course in Latina/o literatures and cultural production from the designated course list, plus one course in social sciences or Latina/o communities and cultural space from the designated course list, plus three electives chosen from either of the two lists or AAAD 260 or DRAM 486.
• Literature, Medicine, and Culture minor
  • ENGL 268H plus four additional courses in at least two additional departments (for a total of three different departments for the five classes) chosen from among, but not limited to, the suggested list of courses. Courses not on the list require approval of the advisor for the minor. At least three courses used for the minor must be exclusively for it; they cannot be double-counted with a major or second minor. All courses must be taken for a standard letter grade, except one course (three to four credit hours) may earn By-Examination (BE) credit.

Student Group Advisors

Departmental faculty serve in a variety of positions advising affiliated undergraduate initiatives and organizations, including:

• Aspect (UNC undergraduate journal of film and screen media)
• Carolina Film Association (undergraduate film production guild)
• Cellar Door (UNC undergraduate Literary Magazine)
• Chapel Hill Film Society (undergraduate film studies organization)
• Health/Humanities Journal and Podcast
• PIT Journal (Journal of student research and conference)
• Sigma Tau Delta (International English Honors Society)
• Soul (Student Organization for Undergraduate Literature)

Course categories

Internships

Prizes and Scholarships for Undergraduates

5.3 Graduate Program

The next section distills important points covered in more detail in the department’s Guide to Graduate Studies.

• ECL Guide to Graduate Studies Graduate School Handbook
• Graduate School Information for Faculty and Staff
• UNC Academic Catalog, Graduate Program in English and Comparative Literature

Overview:

The department offers a graduate certificate in Medicine, Literature, and Culture, a dual BA/MA degree in Medicine, Literature, and Culture, an MA in English with a concentration in Medicine, Literature, and Culture, a Doctor of Philosophy Degree with a Concentration in Renaissance Studies, and Ph.D. in English and Comparative Literature.

Advising and Mentoring

In addition to teaching graduate courses, graduate faculty serve in a variety of mentoring roles: dissertation advisors, committee members or chairs, and as job placement officers. Faculty should be aware of the policies and procedures required of those they mentor. For full details beyond this Handbook, consult the ECL Guide to Graduate Study. In addition, the 2018-2019 Graduate Student Mentoring Committee has provided a sheet of suggested best practices (found on the Intranet).

• Dissertation Advisors: The sheet of advice on best practice from the Graduate Mentoring Committee provides suggestions for dissertation advisors to guide their advisees when it comes to coursework, the dissertation, professional activities (articles, colloquia and public talks, conferences, and fellowships), the Prospectus, seminar papers, studying for exams, , teaching, time management, and writing.
• Committee Chairs: The Director of Graduate Studies assigns a Committee Chair (not the Dissertation Advisor) to every graduate student’s committee. The Chair puts together the written exam, conducts and facilitates all exam meetings, and oversees all exam paperwork, including gathering signatures and submitting forms.
• See also Directors of Graduate Placement (in Section 1: Department and University Administration, Departmental Structure)

Admission:

Interested faculty may also consult Graduate School information about admissions.

• Application: Application takes place in the Fall and is completed through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The Director of Graduate Admissions works with members of the Graduate Advisory/Admissions Committee to review the materials: GREs, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, transcripts, and writing sample (Comparative Literature also requires an mp3 of foreign language proficiency). In recent years, we have admitted about 3% of applicants.
• Funding: All of our graduate students are funded through a variety of means: merit fellowships, departmental research assistantships, internships in our DLC lab, or (for those with prior experience) teaching fellowships. After the first year, all doctoral candidates are funded through teaching fellowships. Funding offers a living stipend and includes tuition remission and health insurance.
• Recruiting: Recruitment is an active process by the whole faculty, overseen by the Director of Graduate Admissions. Faculty are asked to contact prospective students in their field. The Director works with current graduate students to host an Open House (during a week in March). All faculty are encouraged to be involved. During the open-house, faculty open their graduate seminars to visitors, participate in panels, attend meals and events, and meet with individual prospective students.

Awards:

• CoLEAGS
  • Mentorship Award for faculty
• Departmental
  • The Director of Graduate Studies annually polls faculty to nominate graduate students for the following awards named in honor of professors in the department:
    • Robert Bain (excellence achieved by a second-year student in pre-1900 American literature or in Southern literature of any period)
    • Joseph Breen (outstanding work in the field of Medieval Studies)
    • Dougald MacMillan Prize (for the best dissertation defended during a given academic year)
    • J. Lee Green (outstanding scholarly work on the topics of race and ethnicity in literary studies)
    • Robert Howell-Voitle (outstanding work on a dissertation in the early modern period)
    • Hugh Holman (outstanding record writing a dissertation in pre-1900 American literature)
    • Diane Leonard (outstanding foreign language teaching by a comparative literature graduate student)
    • Ruth Richardson (outstanding work in the first year of graduate study)
    • Fred & Joan Thomson (outstanding work on a dissertation in 18th or 19th-century British literature)
    • Linda Wagner-Martin (outstanding record writing a dissertation in post-1900 American literature)
    • the Joseph Flora Teaching Award
• The Graduate School
  • Awards recognizing graduate students and graduate faculty.
• Latina/o Studies
  • Unit Proposal Teaching Awards for graduate students
• The Writing Program:
  • the Doris Betts, James A. Gaskin, Earl Hartsell, Erika Lindemann, and Krista Turner Memorial Awards for graduate students.

Courses:

Graduate faculty teach courses for our students numbered 600 and above, ordinarily no more than one every four semesters (exempting service courses such ENGL 786: “Introduction to Graduate Study”; and ENGL 706 “Pedagogy”). Directed-Reading courses are offered only in rare cases and must be approved by the DGS.

• Course Requests and Scheduling:
  • Faculty submit their course requests a year in advance via online survey, taking into account the advice the department gives our graduate students with an eye to job placement: “to balance an awareness of traditional fields with an openness to emerging areas of inquiry.”
  • The Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the Curriculum Committee oversees distribution of courses, but faculty engaged in similar fields or focuses are encouraged to be mindful of each other’s kind and rotation of offerings. Faculty balance their individual schedule requests with the needs of the department to avoid conflicts in times for graduate offering.
  • Generally, a graduate seminar must enroll at least five students in order to be offered. Audits do not count toward enrollment; auditing is permitted but discouraged by the department and requires the permission of the instructor.
• Grades:
  • Faculty assess graduate-student work in courses on the Honors/Pass scale:
    • H– High Pass for work that is clearly excellent.
    • P– Pass for work that is entirely satisfactory.
    • L– Low Pass for work that is marginal but passing.
    • F– Fail for work that is failing.
    • IN– Work Incomplete. Please note departmental policy: “the department stipulates that faculty must come to a specific agreement with the student, setting the earliest due date possible. Incomplete can be rectified no later than 2 weeks before the exam period in the semester that the incomplete work is due. An Incomplete (or AB) must be removed by the deadline or the grade becomes an F. Incompletes (and ABs) must be removed before the student can graduate or take a leave of absence.”

Graduate Policies and Procedures

• Degree Timeline
  The Ph.D. program is designed to be completed in five to six years. To complete it, graduate students
  • take twelve courses over two years—the two required courses (Comparative Literature requires a third) and eight graduate seminars taken at the 700- or 800-level that carry “the requirement of a twenty- to twenty-five-page seminar paper.” These courses “define a field of interest while advancing general knowledge of particular regions and periods.”
    • Required courses: ENGL 786: “Introduction to Graduate Study”; and ENGL 706 “Pedagogy (usually taken in first semester). Comparative Literature adds CMPL 841
  • show proficiency in one language (comparative literature requires two)
  • choose an advisor and determine a field and focus
  • a year in advance of exams, determine a four-person committee and meet to set a reading list.
    • students fill out a form at that meeting which the submit in a week.
    • the semester before exams, they inform DGS and Graduate Office Manager via form of intent to sit for them (2nd year)
    • recommended length of reading list: no more than 200 works of which no more than 25 “might be works of criticism, theory, aimed at helping students define a methodology”
  • pass written and oral examinations in their Field (written: six hour) and Focus (written: 3 hour). The oral exam is ninety minutes (3rd year: previous MAs in Fall/those entering with BAs in Spring).
    • Written exams:
      • the Field Exam covers historical period, region, and/or geo-cultural literary tradition, corresponding to fields defined in the job market.
        • “NB: students should not treat any text, author, or critic extensively in more than one question.”
      • the Focus Examination considers a particular question or set of questions pertinent to a specific area of research leading to a dissertation topic.
        • Students set a focus exam question with their advisors. They are designed to lead to the Prospectus.
        • “Focus Exams are usually comprised of a single question, but students may opt to answer two if, in consultation with the advisor, that seems the best path to a prospectus.”
        • “NB: while we understand that students may refer to works and ideas treated in the Field exam, they should approach the focus question.”
    • Oral exams:
      • The Graduate School stipulates students have fulfilled required coursework by the end of the semester in which the oral is taken, including the minimum residence-credit requirement (courses taken at UNC).
      • Before taking the written exams, students should schedule the oral also and inform the DGS office. The oral is taken within a month after passing written examinations.
      • intended to allow students “to expand upon, clarify, or deepen” written answers, but faculty may ask any questions related to Field or Focus
      • generally begin with the candidate’s brief presentation of the proposed dissertation project
      • a majority of the four or five committee members must award a passing grade. For split votes the DGS consults with the advisor to make the final decision
    • pass an oral exam before a five-person committee on a written Prospectus in the same semester as exams “between eight and twelve pages long (2500 to 3500 words), with an appended bibliography of appropriate length” (3rd year)
    • students schedule the meeting and inform the DGS office
  • the semester after, meet with the director and at least two other committee members to discuss one or more chapters of the dissertation (4th year)
    • students schedule the meeting and inform the DGS office
  • complete the dissertation (submitting articles from it for publication)
  • defend it in an oral (5th or 6th year)
    • students schedule the meeting and inform the DGS office
    • at the defense but no later, the committee may require revisions; the dissertation advisor oversees required revisions
    • students are responsible for submission of the final dissertation by the deadline to the Graduate School, in proper format, including an abstract
    • students apply to graduate in the semester during which they defend the dissertation and should be advised to check for deadlines
  • Upon their advisees’ completion of their degrees, dissertation advisors are encouraged to attend the Graduate School Hooding Ceremony.
• Graduate Student Funding: Grants and Fellowships
  • Conferences: Faculty should advise students to start submitting to regular conferences (not graduate student conferences) after their exams, roughly one conference per year, with a goal of three or four for the cv. When there are funds, students may apply for travel funding once in fall and once in spring (forms found on Intranet).
  • Fellowships: Advisors should expect to write letters for UNC dissertation fellowships in both terms, and to encourage students to seek out national funding.
    • Departmental: a limited number, invited in the fall and spring.
      • Students must have defended the prospectus.
      • The principal criterion considered is quality of dissertation, with some consideration of overall record and timely progress toward the degree.
    • Graduate School Fellowships: a limited number, invited in the fall and spring terms. The DGS makes recommendations.
    • Carolina Public Humanities offers the Maynard Adams Fellowship for the Public Humanities.
  • Full-time registration: Students must be registered full-time to hold any University Fellowship, Teaching Fellowships, Research Assistantships, Non-Service Awards, etc.
    • students register for nine or more hours (three classes)
    • students registering for three hours of ENGL 994 (with or without credit hours for other courses)
    • students who are teaching and taking two classes must submit a “waiver of hours” form (found on the Intranet) to the DGS office by the first day of classes
    • Students who do not register for any courses during a semester must apply for readmission.
  • Satisfactory Progress: to maintain satisfactory progress, students in the first year may not receive any of the following:
    • three or more Ps
    • one L
    • two incompletes
  • The Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC) evaluates records of students making unsatisfactory progress, consulting the faculty who have taught this student. A doctoral student who receives a single grade of F or 3 L grades is ineligible to continue in the Graduate School.
    • Elective M.A: The Director of Graduate Studies will only consider this option in extraordinary circumstances Students, wishing to leave the program, may elect to take an M.A, if they have completed all coursework (except the language requirement). They take a three “thesis option” hours (992) in which they revise a seminar paper from any past course, with the aid of an advisor, and defend the thesis in an hour oral exam with the advisor and one other tenure-track faculty member.
• Teaching Fellows and Graders

  • Add a section about the selection of TFs (TAs for lectures and standalone courses, 105, graders)

  • Progress-to-degree is a major factor in these selections. Happens in the spring.

  • Notes:

    • “Responses to this survey—along with teaching experience, coursework, faculty input, and student evaluation reports from prior courses taught—will help the Writing Program and the Undergraduate Studies office determine teaching assignments for the 2022-2023 academic year. Our decisions will be guided by the following set of criteria:

    • For TA positions, we prioritize TFs who are eligible and have no prior literature teaching experience. For these positions, we also consider discipline expertise, training, and faculty input. Some TA assignments go to experienced TFs based on area of expertise and/or the need to have a balance of experience and new TAs in specific assignments. If we are able to offer assignments for Graders, we will use similar criteria.

    • For stand-alone literature/WEDP courses, we determined assignments based on the following strategy:

    • Assignments go first to eligible TFs who plan to graduate in 2022-23 and who have no literature teaching experience or who have taught just one stand-alone courses (Group A)

    • Assignments go next to students who have no prior stand-alone literature courses and who have had/will have had a prospectus defense before the assignment begins. (Group B)

    • Assignments go next to students who are newly eligible to teach literature but who we could not accommodate with a TA assignment and who have had/will have had a prospectus defense before the assignment begins (Group C; note: there were no eligible TFs in this group for 21-22)

    • Assignments go next to eligible TFs who plan to graduate in 2023 and who have no literature teaching experience or who have taught just one stand-alone courses (Group D; note: we were not able to accommodate this group based on the number of available assignments for 21-22)

    • Our goal is for everyone to teach 2 literature/WEDP courses before graduation. TFs teach only 100-level, non-Core courses.”

Endnotes

¹ Working groups generally have their own faculty organizers drawn from the UNC Latina/o Studies faculty advisory board, but the Director should be aware of what the Working Groups are doing by asking them for a written plan and budget before disbursing funds.

² Though the UNC Latina/o Cultures Speakers Series (instituted in 1999) existed before the approval (March 2004) and the inauguration (September 2004) of the Minor in Latina/o Studies (September 2004), the Director has continued to manage both. In practice, the UNC Latina/o Cultures Speakers Series has been merged with the Minor to create the UNC Program Latina/o Studies Program. Other speakers’ series, such as the UNC Teatro Latina/o Speakers Series, were started and modeled after the first speaker series from 1999. Since Spring 2013, The Teatro Latina/o Series has also been annexed to The UNC Latina/o Studies Program and is managed by a collaborative team composed of Joseph Megel, Adam Versenyi, Josmell Perez, and María DeGuzmán (who, as current LSP Director, also oversees the spending of its funds).

³ What follows concerns honors theses in DOECL other than those produced in Creative Writing, which are handled by the the Creative Writing director.

Related Requirements

External Regulations

• Provost website
• The College of Arts and Sciences website
• UNC Faculty Handbook
• Center for Faculty Excellence website
• University Policy Office website 
• ITS website
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Policies, Procedures and Standards

Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures 

• DOECL intranet(available to DOECL users)
• DOECL Faculty Meeting Minutes (available on DOECL intranet)
• Classics Department Handbook (maintained by that department; not publicly available)
• Chair's Manual (maintained by the College of Arts and Sciences; not publicly available)

• Is this Policy connected to any other Unit Policies, Procedures, or Standards?

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Office: Dean's Office

Telephone: 919-962-1165

Email: artsandsciences@unc.edu