College of Arts and Sciences: Art and Art History Bylaws

These bylaws establish the organizational structure, roles, procedures, and governance practices necessary for the effective administration of the UNC Department of Art and Art History. They outline how the department conducts its operations—including leadership duties, committees, service expectations, meetings, budgeting, and bylaw amendments—to ensure consistent and transparent management.

Unit Policy

Title

College of Arts and Sciences: Art and Art History Bylaws

Introduction

Purpose

These bylaws establish the organizational structure, roles, procedures, and governance practices necessary for the effective administration of the UNC Department of Art and Art History. They outline how the department conducts its operations—including leadership duties, committees, service expectations, meetings, budgeting, and bylaw amendments—to ensure consistent and transparent management.

Scope

This policy applies to all faculty and administrative officers within the UNC Department of Art and Art History

Policy

I. Preamble

For the purposes of conducting its deliberations, formulating policies, establishing the curriculum and course offerings, advising the Chairperson and making recommendations to Administrative Officers and other members of the whole University, the Department of Art and Art History adopts the following sets of Bylaws.

In the event of conflicting policy, University policy supersedes these Bylaws. Documents that supersede this document include the Chair’s Manual and Faculty Code of Governance. This document outlines the best practices for the successful management of the department.

II. Departmental Administration

1. The Department of Art and Art History Consists of two divisions: Art History and Studio Art.
2. The Administrative Officers of the department shall be:
   1. A Department Chair, appointed by the Senior Associate Dean for Arts and Humanities of the College of Arts and Sciences.
   2. A Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) for each division, appointed by the Chair
   3. A Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) for each division, appointed by the Chair
3. The faculty shall consist of tenured, tenure track and fixed---term faculty members in the Department. These faculty members are expected to attend full faculty meetings.

III. Governing Structure

1. The Chair is the Chief Administrating Officer of the Department
2. An Executive Committee shall be formed to assist the Chair in the administration of the Department and consult with the Chair on important decisions that affect the Department as a whole or a particular division of the Department.
3. The Executive Committee shall be made up of the two Directors of Graduate Studies and the two Directors of Undergraduate Studies.
4. The Executive Committee shall report regularly to the faculty. Any member of the faculty at large may request agenda items that the Executive Committee should address.
5. Standing Committees, and Ad hoc Committees:
   1. Standing Committees are a permanent part of the Department:
      1. Undergraduate Committees for Art History and Studio Art
      2. Graduate Committees for Art History and Studio Art
      3. Hanes Visiting Lecture Committee
      4. Allcott Committee
      5. Rand Lecture Series Committee
      6. Alumni Sculpture Garden Committee
      7. Publicity Committee
   2. Ad hoc committees are established to perform a specific task and are dissolved when the task is completed. Personnel Committees are ad hoc committees.

IV. Service

1. Selection/Appointments
   1. The Chair, in consultation with Executive Committee, shall make all committee and other service appointments.
      1. Appointments for the following academic year will be made and announced by commencement of the previous academic year.
      2. In years when there is an incoming chair, all service appointments (including the Executive Committee) shall be made in consultation with an ad---hoc committee consisting of the outgoing Chair and at least one faculty member from each division of the Department (Studio and Art History). Assignments for the Chair’s first academic year must be announced by August 1.
2. Guiding Principles
   1. Service will be evenly distributed across each division of the Department.
      1. Each tenured faculty member is expected to serve in the major positions (DGS, DUS) at some point.
      2. Considerations for service decisions may include but are not limited to: past and present service; past and present teaching load, including graduate advisees, graduate committees, and honors committees; and/ or service outside the Department.
   2. Generally, as they rise in rank, faculty are expected to assume a greater service load.
   3. Upon appointment of the DUS and DGS, the Chair and the appointee shall review and agree upon duties and expectations of the job.

V. Teaching Schedule

Courses will be scheduled according to procedures approved by each division of the Department.

VI. Meetings

1. Scheduling
   1. Where possible, a block of time will be set aside during the course scheduling process for faculty meetings during which no one is scheduled to teach.
   2. The schedule for all full and division faculty meetings will be announced at least two months prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
   3. Changes to this schedule will be announced at least four weeks in advance.
   4. Cancellations will be announced at least one week prior to the scheduled meeting.
   5. Additional faculty meetings will be announced at least two weeks in advance.
2. Agenda
   1. The Chair will send a request for agenda items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled meeting, with an appropriate deadline for the receipt of agenda items.
   2. The Chair will send out an agenda for the meeting at least one week prior to the meeting.
   3. Only items on the preset agenda will be addressed at the given meeting.
3. Participation
   1. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the full---time faculty excluding those on leave.
   2. Tenure and tenure---track faculty, excluding those on leave, are expected to attend all appropriate meetings. Faculty will notify the chair in advance of a meeting if he or she cannot attend.
   3. Others who may be invited by the chair to attend faculty meetings as non---voting participants include, for example, visiting and adjunct faculty, administrative staff, faculty from other units, library staff, Ackland staff, post---doctoral fellows, Artists---in Residence, student representatives, and colleagues from other units who serve on hiring or personnel committees in the Department.
4. Voting
   1. After a motion has been made and seconded, voting, with the exception of personnel matters, shall be made by a majority show of hands, except when a closed ballot is requested.
   2. It is the prerogative of any voting faculty member to request of the chair a closed ballot for any vote. Such requests must be honored and kept confidential.
   3. The chair will report closed---ballot vote tabulation, excluding reference to rank, to the faculty as soon as such a vote is taken. This shall apply to both administrative and personnel matters.
   4. As per University regulation, votes on personnel matters are advisory to the Chair.
   5. The result of any personnel vote is confidential to those attending the meeting, who will honor that confidentiality.
5. Minutes will be taken at every faculty meeting with attendance recorded.
   1. Minutes will be circulated as soon as possible following the meeting.
   2. Minutes will be amended and approved at the next meeting.

VII. Budget

1. The Departmental budget shall be managed by the Chair. When appropriate and practical the Chair should consult with the Executive Committee on specific budget matters.
2. The Department Chair shall present a written annual budget report by category and allocation at a full faculty meeting at the start of the academic year.

VIII. Salary and Raises

As required by the University, the Department has and updates a Salary and Raise policy.

IX. Amendments to the Bylaws

1. These Bylaws may be amended by a two---thirds vote of the full---time faculty.
2. Proposed amendments shall be circulated with the agenda for the meeting at which it will be discussed.
3. The Department’s bylaws shall be re---ratified at the first full faculty meeting of each academic year.

Related Requirements

External Regulations (if applicable)

• Is this Policy connected to any Policies, Laws (federal, state, local, regulations), and/or Accreditation requirements?
• Are there any related UNC System-wide Policies?
• Is this Policy connected to any UNC-Chapel Hill Policies, Procedures, or Standards?
• Are there any other resources or materials readers of this Policy might likely refer to or need to follow or understand this Policy?

Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures (if applicable)

• 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