Colorado State University
Department of Mathematics
Department Code
Contents:
I. Mission of the Department
II. Administrative Organization within the Department
III. Department Chair
IV. The Executive Committee
V. Voting
VI. Review of and Amendments to the Department Code
VII. Faculty Appointments
VIII. Tenure and Promotions in Rank
IX. Faculty Re-Appointments
X. Performance Evaluation of Faculty
XI. Evaluations of the Department
XII. Graduate Education
XIII. Student Appeals
XIV. Joint Faculty Appointments
I. Mission of the Department
A. To maintain an outstanding program of research in
pure and applied mathematics.
B. To maintain high quality undergraduate and graduate
programs in mathematics.
C. To offer service courses for the other Departments
of the University.
D. To serve the University and the state with outreach
programs.
II. Administrative Organization within the Department
A. The chief administrative and academic officer in
the Department shall be the Department Chair, who is
the initial person in the administrative chain to the President.
Members of the Department faculty are responsible to the Chair.
The Chair has the general responsibility for any
staff activity which may
affect the professional status of the Department or the best interest of
the University.
B. The Chair shall appoint an Associate Chair to help
with the administration of the Department subject
to annual approval of the Department.
In the event that the Chair is
absent from the campus, the
Associate Chair will act as Chair.
C. The Department shall have an Executive Committee
which shall advise the Department Chair in
matters concerning the administration and welfare of the Department and
perform other duties specified
in this Code.
D. The Department shall be governed in its internal
affairs by the eligible academic faculty as defined in V.A below.
(See Section C.2.4.2 of the University Code for faculty
members with joint appointments.)
E. There shall be a minimum of one Departmental
faculty meeting each semester of the academic year,
with written or electronic notice given in advance by the Department Chair.
F.
Major changes in curriculum (as defined by the
University Curriculum Committee) shall be approved at
a faculty meeting before being forwarded through curricular channels.
The Faculty may delegate approval
of changes in specific requirements of specific programs
(such as the requirements of the Statistics Concentration
in the undergraduate major) to other faculties;
such a delegation requires approval by a majority of the Faculty.
G. The Department faculty may adopt bylaws for the
governance of the Department.
III. Department Chair
A. The manner of selection and appointment of the
Department Chair is governed by Sections C.2.6.1
and E.3.3 of the Academic Faculty and Administrative Professional Staff
Manual. Recommendations
for appointment of a Chair are the responsibility of the Dean of the
College of Natural Sciences. An
interim appointment of an Acting Department Chair is recommended by the
Dean of the College of
Natural Sciences to cover periods of absence or vacancy of at least three
months.
B. As specified by Section C.2.4.2.2.c of the
University Code, the term of office for the Chair shall be
five years. The Department Chair may be re-appointed. The term of the
Department Chair may be
terminated for reasons of serious ineffectiveness in dispatching his or her
duties.
Not later than October 15th of the fifth year of
the term of office of the Department Chair, the Dean of
the College of Natural Sciences will ascertain in writing whether the
incumbent wishes to be
considered for another term. The Executive Committee of the Department
shall serve as the advisory
committee provided for in Sections C.2.4.2.2.c and C.2.6.1 of the Academic
Faculty and
Administrative Professional Staff Manual to make recommendations to the
Dean concerning
reappointment of a Department Chair. The Department faculty, the
Department Chair, and the
Provost/Academic Vice President shall be notified in writing by the Dean of
the recommended action
by December 15th of the fifth year of the incumbency.
C. Responsibilities of the Department Chair
1. Responsibilities specified by Section C.2.6.2 of
the University Code are
a. Preparation of the Department budget.
b. Administration of and adherence to the
Department budget.
c. Evaluation of each Department faculty
member in accordance with the University Code.
d. Initiation of recommendations for
appointments, advancements in rank, tenure, and dismissal of
faculty members.
e. Management of academic and financial
matters within the Department to promote student
achievement, equity of travel, and professional opportunities for staff
members.
f. Adjustment of faculty loads and salaries
consistent with experience, competence, capacity,
productivity, and aptitude of individual staff members.
g. Preparation of reports called for by higher
authorities or by agencies of the institution charged with
coordinating the general program of the University.
2. The Department Chair shall accept a reasonable
instructional responsibility.
3. The Department Chair shall be responsible for
hiring, supervising, evaluating, and dismissing the
support staff, administrative professionals, and temporary and special faculty.
4. Additional responsibilities of the Department
Chair, together with the Department staff, include:
development and strengthening of academic programs and faculty competence
within the Department;
construction of sound curricula to meet educational needs of students;
cooperation with and assistance
to other departments in matters affecting the University in its educational
and research programs;
effective faculty recruitment; development and maintenance of departmental
morale, and contribution to
the achievement of University diversity and equal opportunity goals.
IV. The Executive Committee
A. The Executive Committee of the Department shall
function as an advisory body to the Chair of the
Department in the discussion and transaction of any and all business
involving the administration and
welfare of the Department.
B. The Department's Executive Committee shall consist
of the Chair of the Department and four
additional members elected by the eligible academic faculty from the
eligible academic faculty members
of the Department of professorial rank. These four elected members shall
include at least two full
professors, at most one assistant professor, and at most one untenured
faculty member. All of these
members are to be elected to a one year term using some form of
proportional or Hare ballot.
C. When an elected member of the Executive Committee
is absent from campus or otherwise unable to
serve for an extended period, the Department Chair shall appoint the next
runner-up in the Executive
committee election who is available as a replacement to serve until the
original member returns.
D. Each academic year, the Executive Committee shall
provide the Dean with input regarding the
performance of the Department Chair.
V. Voting
A. Eligible faculty members are all faculty members in
the Department with regular, regular part-time, or
transitional appointments with the rank of instructor, assistant professor,
associate professor, professor,
or an equivalent. (See Section C.2.4.2 of the University Code for faculty
members with joint
appointments.) Eligible faculty members may vote on any issue, except
matters in which participation
is limited by the University Code, providing that they are present at the
time of balloting or are
represented by proxy.
B. The quorum necessary for enactment of business at a
Department meeting is one-half of the eligible
faculty members of the Department, excluding proxies.
C. The quorum necessary for the enactment of business
in the Executive Committee of the Department is
three.
VI. Review of and Amendments to the Department Code
A. The Department Code shall be reviewed by a
committee of eligible faculty appointed by the Executive
Committee in the year prior to the end of each term of the Department Chair.
B. This Code may be amended by approval of a two-thirds majority of
the eligible members of the
department as defined in the University Code. Proposed amendments shall be
distributed at least 5 but
not more than 10 working days in advance of voting.
C. Amendments become effective upon acceptance by the Dean of the
College of Natural Sciences and the
Provost/Academic Vice President as specified in Sec. C.2.4.3 of the
University Code.
VII. Faculty Appointments
The Department recognizes that the State Board of
Agriculture has authority over personnel decisions, and
that this authority has been delegated to the President of the University.
Within the Department, the
following procedures shall be followed in recruiting and appointing regular
faculty:
A. The Department Chair, with the advice of the Executive Committee,
shall prepare a position
announcement/advertisement for approval by the regular faculty by written
or electronic ballot.
B. The Executive Committee shall recommend a Hiring Committee for
approval by the regular faculty.
The Hiring Committee shall consist of the Executive Committee and
additional members selected by
the Executive Committee. The Department Chair shall serve as the Chair of
the Hiring Committee.
C. The Hiring Committee shall recommend a final list of candidates for
consideration by the faculty. A
department meeting shall be held to discuss the committee's
recommendations. Following this
meeting, a written ballot designed by the Hiring Committee to ascertain
faculty preferences and
opinions concerning the candidates will be distributed to the regular
faculty. The results of this ballot
shall be considered advisory to the Hiring Committee.
D. Appointments shall be recommended by the Chair of the Department
only with the approval of the
Hiring Committee.
VIII. Tenure and Promotions in Rank
The Department recognizes that the State Board of
Agriculture has authority over personnel decisions, and
that this authority has been delegated to the President of the University.
Recommendations concerning tenure, denial of tenure and
promotion in rank shall be initiated by the Chair
of the Department in accordance with the Academic Faculty and
Administrative Professional Staff Manual.
For purposes of review of such recommendations, the Promotion and Tenure
Committee shall consist of
the eligible members of the Executive Committee and additional members
appointed by the Executive
Committee and approved by the regular faculty of the Department. The
Committee shall elect a Chair from
among its members. The Department Chair shall serve as a non-voting member
of the Promotion and
Tenure Committee. In reviewing recommendations for tenure and promotion,
the Committee shall consult
with the faculty.
IX. Faculty Re-Appointments
Faculty members without tenure shall be considered for
re-appointment according to the provisions of the
Academic Faculty and Administrative Professional Staff Manual.
Re-appointments shall be recommended
by the Chair of the Department with the approval of the Executive Committee.
X. Performance Evaluation of Faculty
A. In conformity with Sections C.2.5 and E.11 of the
Academic Faculty and Administrative Professional
Staff Manual, the Department Chair shall hold an annual conference with
each faculty member. The
results of this conference shall be put in writing and signed by the
Department Chair as the evaluation
of the faculty member. The faculty member shall sign the evaluation to
signify that (s)he has read it.
Her or his signature does not necessarily indicate agreement with the
annual evaluation.
B. In conformity with Sections C.2.5 and E.11 of the
Academic Faculty and Administrative Professional
Staff Manual, the Department Chair shall conduct a comprehensive review of
tenure track faculty at the
midpoint of the probationary period at Colorado State University. In case
of disagreement over the
validity of the Chair's evaluation, a faculty member shall obtain upon
request a review by the
Executive Committee. The Executive Committee report arising from such a
review shall be attached
to the Department Chair's report.
C. In conformity with Section E.11 of the Academic
Faculty and Administrative Professional Staff
Manual, the Department Chair shall conduct a comprehensive performance
review of tenured faculty at
intervals of five years following the acquisition of tenure or if there are
two unsatisfactory annual
evaluations within a five year period. If a comprehensive review of a
tenured faculty member by the
Department Chair results in an "unsatisfactory" rating, there shall be a
"Phase II Review" conducted by
the members of the Executive Committee except for the Department Chair,
augmented by one member
of the tenured University faculty chosen by the individual under review.
The criteria for evaluation shall
include the faculty member's contributions to the Department and University
in the areas of teaching,
research and service. As part of the review, the individual under review
may submit written
information on the nature of his or her work assignment and any evaluations
of his/her effectiveness in
carrying out assignments, including but not limited to student and peer
evaluations of teaching, reviews
and referee's reports of research papers and proposals for external
funding, and student and peer
evaluations of advising and other service assignments. The outcome of the
Phase II process shall be
carried out as specified in Section E.11.2.2.2 of the Academic Faculty and
Administrative Professional
Staff Manual.
D.
Annual and comprehensive evaluations
of probationary and tenured faculty
will be based on performance
in the areas of teaching and advising, research, and service and outreach.
Levels of effort in each of these areas
will be consistent with the individual effort distribution
determined by the Department Chair
in consultation with the faculty member
and appropriate Departmental advisory groups.
The range of effort distribution between these areas
can vary from year to year for a given individual
and can differ significantly between faculty members.
The average faculty effort distribution
will reflect the Department's mission
and may vary for different Departments in the College.
It is recognized that many faculty activities fall in more
than one category and often cannot be uniquely labeled
as teaching, research, outreach, or service.
It is the responsibility of the Department Chair
to assign individual effort distributions
in a way that the overall mission of the Department is achieved.
The Department Chair is responsible for ensuring that
viable mechanisms for the evaluation of teaching and advising,
research, and service and outreach are available.
As a general rule,
it is the responsibility of the faculty member
to submit appropriate evidence of activity in research,
teaching and advising, and service and outreach
to the Department Chair
at the time of the annual evaluations,
for the comprehensive reviews, and for tenure and promotion
recommedations. However, the Department Chair
may take the initiative to collect additional information
as indicators for faculty performance.
Teaching and advising are important responsibilities
of faculty in the Department of Mathematics.
Evidence of effectiveness in teaching and advising
should include multiple sources of information.
Particularly useful are
student course surveys;
signed peer evaluations;
letters, electronic mail messages,
and other written comments from current and/or former students
(generally not solicited by the faculty member);
and teaching awards.
Other evidence of teaching effectiveness include
course syllabi;
development of new courses, course modifications and improvements;
curriculum development;
successful uses of instructional technology;
course and instructor web-page development;
mentoring and supervision of graduate teaching assistants;
course coordination and team teaching;
mentoring and advising of undergraduates and graduate students;
production and job placement of students;
service on graduate student committees;
publication of textbooks, software, and other educational materials;
participation in courses and programs of the Honors Program
and other interdisciplinary teaching efforts;
advising of prospective students such as through the Preview Program;
presentations of workshops and seminars;
mentoring of Departmental teams
in intercollegiate mathematical competitions
or preprofessional examinations;
the mentoring of undergraduate research projects or Honors Theses.
The primary goal of research activity in the Department of Mathematics
is the discovery and dissemination
of new and original mathematical ideas.
Evidence of effectiveness in research includes
preparation and publication on a regular basis
of research in refereed journals and conference proceedings
that have an impact on the discipline;
sustained efforts in preparing and submitting grant proposals
to external funding agencies;
success in obtaining new and renewal extramural grant awards
(including projects in science and mathematics education);
invited lectures at external venues
(conferences, seminars and colloquia at other institutions);
external peer reviews of articles, books, and proposals;
supervision of undergraduate and graduate students
on research projects;
development and distribution of mathematical software;
preparing and obtaining patents for research discoveries;
participation in and organization of research conferences,
seminars, and workshops;
participation in interdisciplinary research projects,
particularly with colleagues at Colorado State;
research awards and other evidence of extramural recognition;
external peer evaluations (generally solicited by the Department
Chair and/or an appropriate committee);
graduate textbook/monograph preparation and publication;
participation in interdisciplinary, industrial,
or educational outreach research projects.
Given the mission of the Department and the College,
outreach and service responsibilities of most faculty
will be secondary to teaching and research.
Outreach serves the local, state, and national communities.
Service contributions can be to the Department, College,
University, and to the profession.
Evidence of effectiveness in outreach could include
participation in CSMATE or other University-sponsored K-12
educational outreach programs;
participation in programs for K-12 science and mathematics teachers;
participation in on-campus outreach events such as
Colorado State Science Fair and Math Day;
participation in campus-wide educational programs such as
the Undergraduate Research Symposium;
development and delivery of distance education courses and materials;
collaborative efforts with business and industry.
Institutional service contributions include
administrative assignments;
service on Departmental, College, and University Committees;
and participation in recruiting undergraduates,
graduate students, faculty, and staff.
Professional service includes
membership on national or international committees of professional
societies;
attendance at and organization of conferences and workshops;
refereeing and reviewing journal manuscripts, conference proceedings,
books, book chapters, and grant proposals;
participation in grant proposal review groups for national and
international agencies;
translating mathematical manuscripts for publication;
and journal editing.
XI. Evaluations of the Department
A. Evaluation of the operations of the Department
shall be conducted in accordance with the Section
C.2.4.2.2.d of the Academic Faculty and Administrative Professional Staff
Manual. Departmental
operations to be evaluated shall include undergraduate and graduate
teaching, research, and other
programs according to the mission of the Department.
B. If members of the Department or the Department
Chair are acutely dissatisfied with the operations of
the Department, they may initiate a request for an interim evaluation of
the Department. If the request
comes from the departmental faculty, at least one-half of the eligible
faculty must sign the request for
an interim evaluation before it can be conducted. This request is to be
submitted to the dean who will
follow the procedure outlined for the regular evaluation after notifying
the Department Chair and the
eligible faculty members of the request for an interim evaluation.
XII. Graduate Education
Each student in a graduate degree program shall have a
committee, the structure of which is determined by
University Policy and the members of which are chosen by the student's
advisor in consultation with the
student and subject to approval by the Department Chair or the Department
Chair's designee.
XIII. Student Appeals
A. Appeals of Grading Decisions. In accordance with
Section I.7.1 of the Faculty and Administrative
Professional Staff Manual, students may appeal grading decisions of their
instructors. The required
grade appeal committee shall consist of the Associate Department Chair and
additional members
appointed by the Department Chair.
B. Appeals on Violations of Academic Integrity.
Section I.7.2 of the Faculty and Administrative
Professional Staff Manual, obligates instructors to make reasonable efforts
to prevent and detect
academic dishonesty and prescribes procedures for responding to these
incidents and for assigning
academic penalties, including reduced grades. In accordance with Section
I.7.2, students who dispute
allegations of academic dishonesty may request a hearing with the Office of
Judicial Affairs in the
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. If the University
Hearing Officer finds insufficient
evidence or clears the student of the charges of academic dishonesty, the
instructor shall determine the
students grade based solely on academic performance. In this case, the
student may appeal the grade
assigned under the provisions of the preceding section XIII.A.
XIV. Joint Faculty Appointments
The Department of Mathematics will consider joint appointments
for interested and qualified faculty candidates
who hold a tenure-track appointment in another Department
(the 'primary' department).
Applicants for a joint appointment
must have the same qualifications as regular faculty of equivalent rank.
Such appointments should
increase the ability of the Department
to provide a broad base of research expertise and instruction.
In return, individuals holding such appointments
will be accorded the following privileges and responsibilities.
Privileges:
1. The opportunity to direct M.S. or Ph.D. research
of one or more students within the Mathematics Graduate Program.
2. Participation without voting privileges at all departmental faculty
meetings.
Responsibilities:
1. Maintain a productive research program
that is conducive to the training of graduate students.
2. Participate in departmental activities
such as attending seminars and faculty meetings
and accepting committee assignments.
3. Participate in the teaching program of the Department of
Mathematics.
Assignments are to be determined by mutual agreement
with the Chair of Mathematics and the Chair of the
primary department.
All joint appointments must be discussed at regular faculty meetings,
and be approved by the Chair and the Executive Committee.
Joint appointments extended to tenured faculty
will be made for a period of 5 years.
Joint faculty who are untenured in their primary department
will be appointed for 3 years.
Joint appointments will be terminated if the faculty
member's affiliation with the primary department is terminated.
Renewal of appointments will be based on
a review by the Chair of the appointee's contribution
to the research and educational programs of the department,
followed by discussion by the regular faculty
and approval by the Executive Committee and the Chair.
Approved by the Mathematics Department faculty May 4, 1998.
Revised by the Mathematics Department faculty January 18, 2000.
Section 14 approved by the Mathematics Department faculty August 30, 2001.