II. BYLAWS OF FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENT GOVERNANCE

BYLAWS OF
FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENT GOVERNANCE AT PITZER COLLEGE  
ARTICLE I  

The Faculty

Section 1.1 Definition.

The faculty is a corporate body of teachers and scholars with direct responsibility for the instructional process and primary responsibility for the educational policies of the College.

Section 1.2 Composition of the faculty.The faculty shall consist of:
(a) the President of the College;
(b) all teachers, irrespective of rank, who shall have been appointed as members of the faculty by recommendation of the Executive Committee of the Faculty with approval of the President and the Board of Trustees; and
(c) such officers of the College as shall be designated as faculty members by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee of the Faculty.

Section 1.3 Voting members of the faculty. 

All members of the Pitzer College faculty on full- time teaching appointments at Pitzer College (including those on leave) shall have the right to vote. The right to vote also may be given, on a year-to-year basis, by the President to members of the teaching faculty with less than full-time appointment at Pitzer College upon recommendation of the Executive Committee of the Faculty.

Section 1.4 Non-voting faculty.

The non-voting members of the faculty shall consist of:
    (a) such officers of the College as are appointed to the faculty in accordance with Section 1.2(c), of these By-Laws; and
    (b) such additional officers and faculty of the Claremont Colleges as shall be designated by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee of the Faculty.

Section 1.5 Powers of the faculty. 
(a) All matters relating to the educational policies of the College are subject to review by the faculty. These include academic programs (including external studies and special programs), degree requirements, academic honors, concentration requirements, transfer credit and advanced standing, the curriculum, faculty recruitment priorities, sabbatical and leave policy, the instructional budget, admissions and financial aid policy, faculty research and development policy, faculty salaries, fringe benefits and other conditions of  employment, and all matters directly or indirectly affecting the educational mission of the College.
(b) The policy recommendations of the faculty are advisory to the President and, when appropriate, through the President to the Board of Trustees. The President shall report to the faculty in writing, upon request of the faculty, the reasons for rejection of faculty recommendations in matters of educational policy, except that the President may, at the instruction of the Board of Trustees, omit such a report provided that (s)he states in writing his/her reasons for doing so to the Executive Committee of the Faculty.
(c) The powers of the faculty shall normally be delegated to the College Council meeting, described in Article 2. Nothing in Article 2 shall be interpreted to deny the right of the faculty or of the Student Voting Members or the Staff Council Voting Members of the College Council to meet independently of the College Council meeting. Normally major professional, academic and budgetary issues and policies will be discussed in faculty meetings before being presented to the College Council meeting and the agenda of faculty meetings will be presented to the President of the Student Senate. The power to establish, subject to the approval of the President, requirements for academic degrees and academic honors, as well as to nominate students for graduation upon recommendation by the appropriate standing committee, is explicitly reserved to the voting faculty as defined in Article 1.3. For this purpose, a quorum shall consist of one- half of the voting members of the faculty not on leave.

Section 1.6 Committees.

To facilitate its work, the College Council meeting shall have the power to establish appropriate academic divisions (see 1.8 below) and to create standing and ad hoc committees.

Section 1.7 Standing Committees.

The standing committees shall be concerned with the initiation, regulation and oversight of the following functions of the College: educational policy and curriculum, academic standards, research and development, admissions and financial aid,budget, quality of student life.

(a) Membership. Appointed Standing Committees normally will include faculty, students, administrators, and staff. The College Council meeting, on the advice of the Executive Committee, will establish the membership ratios for each committee. Any changes in the composition of each committee will take effect the year following its adoption.
(b) Appointment. Faculty committee members shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Executive Committee of the Faculty and the Dean of Faculty. Student committee members shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Student Appointments Committee and the Dean of Students. Administrative staff members shall be appointed by the President. Staff represenntatives shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Staff Council.
(c) Powers. Each committee shall have the power to make recommendations to the College Council meeting.
(d) Modus Operandi. The existence, organization, and charge of each committee shall be established by the College Council meeting and  published yearly in the Faculty and Student Handbooks. The operating procedures of each committee shall be determined by the  committee and enumerated in the Handbooks.
(e) Reports. Minutes and reports of committees shall be made available to the members of the College Council meeting.

 

Section 1.8 Academic Divisions.

Academic divisions shall be determined by the College Council meeting upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee of the Faculty or the Dean of Faculty.

 

ARTICLE II
THE COLLEGE COUNCIL MEETING

ARTICLE III
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE FACULTY [FEC]

 

Section 3.1 Membership.

The Executive Committee of the Faculty shall consist of:
    (a) Four faculty members elected by eligible faculty as defined in Section 1.3 as voting members;
    (b) One senior and one junior student, selected by the Student Appointments Committee and approved by the president. One student is a voting member and one non-voting;
    (c) The Dean of Faculty as voting member; and
    (d) The President in an ex officio, non-voting capacity.

Section 3.2 Qualifications.

Faculty members elected to the Executive Committee of the Faculty shall be chosen from among tenured faculty. Student members shall be chosen from among full- time Pitzer College students with a minimum of one year as full-time Pitzer College students prior to taking office. Elected members of the Student Appointments Committee shall be ineligible for appointment to the Executive Committee of the Faculty.

Section 3.3 Elections and Terms of Office.

Elections to the Executive Committee of the Faculty shall be held each academic year. Executive Committee members shall be elected for terms of two years each and shall not be eligible for re-election to the Committee [or the APT Committee] for a three-year period following their terms. In years when fewer than two of the four members are continuing in office, enough retiring members may be re-elected for one additional year to result in two members continuing in office. Vacancies created by resignation, etc., shall be filled for a one-year period additional to the remainder of the current academic year. Student members shall be appointed for terms of two years. Vacancies in student membership created by resignation, etc., shall be filled for the remainder of the academic year in the case of a senior student vacancy, and for a one-year period additional to the remainder of the academic year in the case of a junior student vacancy. It is intended that one student member be replaced each year.

Section 3.4 Officers.

The Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Faculty shall be elected by the voting members of the Committee for a one-year term not subject to re-election in the succeeding year. The Vice-Chair shall function as the Chair in the absence of the Chair. The Chair shall have a vote only in the event of a tie.

Section 3.5 Powers.

The Powers of the Executive Committee of the Faculty shall encompass the entire range of educational policy of the College, subject to the Articles of Incorporation and the By-Laws of the Board of Trustees of Pitzer College, with the understanding that the Committee will:

(a) Make recommendations and advise the President:

(i) On faculty appointments to standing and ad hoc committees of the College; including ad hoc review committees, special review committees, and any committees specified in Section VIII.D of  the Handbook.

(ii) On matters of faculty sabbaticals and all other leaves; and                                                                                                                            

(iii) On matters of general College policy which do not clearly fall within the jurisdiction of a single committee, or which overlap the jurisdictions of several standing committees.       

(b) Make recommendations to the College Council meeting concerning the establishment of standing committees, the constitution of their membership and their powers;

(c) Report to the College Council meeting on matters not within the area of concern of existing committees of the College; and

(d) Act on the behalf of the College Council meeting if circumstances require an immediate decision. Such actions are subject to review at the next College Council meeting.

Section 3.6 Meetings.

The Executive Committee of the Faculty shall meet at the call of the Chair, or of the President, or of the Dean of Faculty, but not less than once a month nor less than eight meetings during the academic year. The Chair shall prepare the agenda in consultation with the Dean of Faculty. A quorum shall consist of no fewer than four of the voting members of the Executive Committee of the Faculty.

Section 3.7 Minutes.

The Chair of the Executive Committee of the Faculty shall direct the manner in which minutes are to be kept. Copies of the minutes shall be made available to the President and to the members of the Pitzer College community as quickly as possible.

ARTICLE IV
THE APPOINTMENTS, PROMOTION AND TENURE COMMITTEE [APT]

 

Section 4.1 Membership.

The Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure Committee shall consist of:
    (a) Six faculty members elected by eligible faculty as defined in Section 1.3 as voting members;
    (b) One senior and one junior student, selected by the Student Appointments Committee and approved by the president as voting members; and
    (c) The Dean of Faculty as voting member

Section 4.2 Qualifications.

Faculty members elected to the APT Committee shall be chosen from among tenured faculty. Student members shall be chosen from among full-time Pitzer College students with a minimum of one year as full-time Pitzer College students prior to taking office. Elected members of the Student Appointments Committee shall be ineligible for appointment to the APT Committee.

Section 4.3 Elections and Terms of Office.

Elections to the APT Committee shall be held each academic year. APT Committee members shall be elected for terms of two years each and shall not be eligible for reelection to the Committee [or the FEC Committee] for a three-year period following their terms. In years when fewer than three of the six members are continuing in office, enough retiring members may be re-elected for one additional year to result in three members continuing in office. Vacancies created by resignation, etc., shall be filled for a one-year period additional to the remainder of the current academic year. Student members shall be appointed for terms of two years. Vacancies in student membership created by resignation, etc., shall be filled for the remainder of the academic year in the case of a senior student vacancy, and for a one- year period additional to the remainder of the academic year in the case of a junior student vacancy. It is intended that one student member be replaced each year.

Section 4.4.

Officers. The Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary of the APT Committee shall be elected by the voting members of the Committee for a one-year term not subject to re-election in the succeeding year. The Vice-Chair shall function as the Chair in the absence of the Chair. The Chair shall have a vote.

Section 4.5 Powers.

The Powers of the APT Committee shall be to: Make recommendations and advise the President in matters of faculty appointment, contract renewal, promotion, granting of tenure, and periodic reviews of tenured faculty.

Section 4.6 Meetings.

The APT Committee shall meet at the call of the Chair, or of the President, or of the Dean of Faculty, but not less than once a month nor less than eight meetings during the academic year. The Chair shall prepare the agenda in consultation with the Dean of Faculty.

Section 4.7 Minutes.

The Chair of the APT Committee shall direct the manner in which minutes are to be kept. Copies of the minutes shall be made available to the President and to the members of the Pitzer College community as quickly as possible. A quorum shall consist of no fewer than five of the nine voting members of the APT Committee.

ARTICLE V
CONDITIONS OF FACULTY EMPLOYMENT

 

Section 5.1 Employment of New Faculty.

The faculty shall make recommendations, advise, and assist the President in the process of:
    (a) determining the fields in which new appointments will be made; and 
    (b) identifying individuals who should be considered.

Section 5.2.

The faculty, through the Executive Committee of the Faculty, shall make recommendations to the President in:
    (a) identifying the level at which an appointment should be made; and
    (b) making final selections.

Section 5.3 Visiting Faculty. 

The President, in consultation with the Executive Committee of the Faculty, shall have the privilege of appointing distinguished individuals as visiting members of the faculty.

Section 5.4 Criteria for contract renewal, promotion, and tenure.

Personnel decisions will take into account both the merit of the faculty member and the needs of the College. Specific criteria for contract renewal, promotion, and tenure are listed below:
    (a) teaching and academic advising;
    (b) scholarly and artistic activities; and
    (c) service to the college and other communities.

Section 5.5 Contract Renewal.

Decisions on the renewal of multi-year contracts shall normally take place in the last academic year of a faculty member’s contract. Faculty who are not renewed will normally be offered a contract for one additional year. APT Committee shall make such recommendations to the President, provided that any APT Committee member who is under consideration for contract renewal shall disqualify himself/herself from participation in the deliberations.

Section 5.6 Promotion.

All faculty promotions shall be recommended to the President by the APT Committee, provided that any APT Committee member who is the subject of consideration for promotion shall disqualify himself/herself from participation in deliberations.Faculty members holding the rank of Instructor shall normally be promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor, effective the semester following the completion requirements for the Terminal degree, assuming that this occurs within a contract period.

A faculty member shall be considered for promotion no later than his/her sixth year in the rank of full-time Assistant Professor. A faculty member shall, at his/her request, be considered for promotion to full professor during or after his/her fifth year in the rank of full-time Associate Professor. Merit promotion to all ranks may be considered earlier (with agreement by the faculty member); the process for consideration may be initiated by an appropriate field group as well as at the request of the faculty member himself/herself. If early promotion is considered and denied, the faculty member may be reconsidered for promotion during his/her regular promotion consideration year.

Section 5.7 Tenure.

The APT Committee shall make a recommendation concerning tenure for a faculty member to the President, provided that any APT Committee member who is the subject of consideration for tenure shall disqualify himself/herself from participation in the deliberations. Normally, a faculty member shall be considered for tenure not later than his/her sixth year of full time employment at Pitzer College in a professional rank. Normally, tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor will be considered simultaneously. By “professional rank” shall be understood the ranks of Assistant Professor and above or such ranks as the APT Committee shall deem their equivalent.

Normally, a faculty member who had held full-time professional rank at another college shall be considered for tenure at Pitzer College not later than his/her sixth year in professional rank in any and all colleges. Pitzer College, however, may stipulate in the faculty member’s original contract a probationary period not to exceed four years, even though the original six-year period may be extended thereby.

A faculty member may be considered for tenure sooner than his/her maximal time with the mutual consent of the faculty member and the President. If early tenure is denied, the faculty member shall be reconsidered not later than his/her maximal tenure consideration time. The APT Committee will decide whether to act on the request for consideration for early tenure.

In the event of denial of tenure at the maximal consideration time, the faculty member shall not be reconsidered for tenure.

Section 5.8 Conditions of Tenure.

The 1940 Statement of Principles of Tenure and Academic Freedom adopted by the American Association of University Professors will be operative, subject to the Articles of Incorporation, the By-Laws of the Board of Trustees of Pitzer College, and the By-Laws of the Faculty and Students of Pitzer College. 

Section 5.9 Periodic Review of Tenured Professors.

All continuing academic appointees, including tenured full professors, shall be reviewed by the APT Committee at least once every five years. In the case of tenured professors whose performance is poor but dismissal is not specifically called for, salary freezes or salary raises less than those accorded to other faculty members may be recommended. In cases of serious dereliction or incapacity, a tenured faculty member may be recommended for dismissal. In such cases, the usual AAUP provisions for due process will be observed.

Section 5.10 Salaries.

It shall be the policy of the College that, to the extent possible, individual faculty salaries shall be determined by rank and years of service in that rank, except as modified by Section 4.9. Salary ranges by rank and years in rank shall be published to the faculty annually by the Dean of Faculty.

ARTICLE VI
STUDENT ELECTION PROCEDURES

 

Section 6.1 Nominations and Elections.

Nominations and elections for student elective positions (for example: College Judicial Council, and Student Voting Members of the Standing Committees of College Council) shall take place during April. Only students registered at Pitzer College may vote in student elections.

Section 6.2 Elections Procedures.

Voting for the elected positions of Student Senate shall be organized and run by the Dean of Students and/or his/her designee(s). Elections shall be run according to the guidelines established by Student Senate. The Dean of Students shall report to the community after each election the number of votes cast, any special procedures employed and any special problems encountered.

Section 6.3 Polls.

The Dean of Students, according to Section 6.2, shall determine when, where, and for how long polls shall be open, except that the polls must remain open for a minimum of two days and for a minimum of six hours. Votes will be cast by secret ballot.. No attempt to influence student choices shall be made at the polling places. Any such attempt, as determined by The Dean of Students, according to section 6.2, may invalidate the election.

Section 6.4 Recall Procedures.

The student recall and removal procedures shall be set by Student Senate. A successful vote for recall shall become effective upon the approval of the President.

Section 6.5. Appointments Procedures.

Student appointments to standing college committees and trustee committees will be made by the Student Appointments Committee, which shall consist of the Executive Board of Student Senate and the one faculty member of student senate.

ARTICLE VII
COLLEGE JUDICIAL COUNCIL

 

Section 7.1 Definition and Purpose.

Consideration of disciplinary violations under the Code of Student Conduct is shared between the Dean of Students’ Office and the College Judicial Council. Violations of the Pitzer College Code of Student Conduct will be brought to the Judicial Council as a result of a written charge prepared by the Dean of Students’ Office. Upon receipt from the Dean of Students’ Office of charges of alleged violations of the Pitzer College Code of Student Conduct, the College Judicial Council shall have the authority to conduct hearings. Where the Council finds it is appropriate, it is authorized to impose sanctions to be implemented by the Dean of Students of the College.

Section 7.2 Composition.

The College Judicial Council shall consist of five students, in good academic and disciplinary standing, not subject to recall, elected by the student body, in conjunction with a faculty jury pool. Each semester, every member of the faculty, excluding those on leave, FEC or APT, will be eligible for training and subsequent service on a College Judicial Council hearing. The Dean of Faculty will ensure that a sufficient pool of faculty are trained and on-call. For each matter brought to a hearing, a committee comprised of five people, either three students and two faculty or two students and three faculty, will be chosen to serve. Faculty will be determined through a random draw conducted by the Dean of Faculty’s office with students determined by the Dean of Students office amongst those elected. The time and place of a College Judicial Council hearing will be set by the office of the Dean of Faculty in consultation with the Dean of Students. A dean from the Office of Student Affairs will sit with the Council as an advisor on process and to represent the views of the College. The Dean of Faculty, Chair of FEC, and the Dean of Students will ensure as much as possible that the Judicial Council is representative of the College community. The Chair shall be elected from among the voting member ship of the Council.

Section 7.3 Quorum.

Five members shall constitute a quorum of the Judicial Council for the purpose of meeting. For a hearing, the quorum shall consist of five members, including at least two faculty members and two student members. Prior to the hearing, the respondent and complainant will be notified of the names of those members of the Judicial Council who will be hearing the case. If either objects to any member or members of the board, he or she may write to the Dean of Faculty requesting that those members be replaced. The letter must include an explanation for the objections. Removal from the hearing board will occur if and only if the Dean is convinced after investigating that absence of impartiality would result in an unfair hearing by allowing that member/those members of the Judicial Council to adjudicate the incident. Requests for removal shall be revealed to members of the Judicial Council. If there are insufficient numbers of faculty/students to reach a quorum, the Deans of Faculty/Students shall appoint an ad hoc replacement from among the faculty/students who have received Judicial Training before the hearing.

Section 7.4 Jurisdiction.

The Council shall hold hearings, make determinations of fact, and impose sanctions on those determined to be in violation of the Code of Student Conduct. The College Judicial Council shall not have appellate jurisdiction. If, having completed a hearing, the Judicial Council finds that the respondent should be sanctioned for violating the Code of Student Conduct, the respondent may ask for review of that decision by the President.

Section 7.5 Regulation.

The College Judicial Council shall be regulated by rules of procedure recommended by Judicial Council and approved by the College Council. At the beginning of each academic year, Judicial Council will review existing guidelines to ensure fairness; any changes in existing guidelines must be approved by College Council. The Pitzer student rights and responsibilities and the College judicial procedures will be published in the student handbook each year.

Section 7.6 Reports.

The College Judicial Council shall report at least once a year to the College Council the numbers and types of cases it has heard, the difficulties it has encountered, the recommendations made and sanctions imposed, the appeals made to the President, and the decisions of the President. These reports are for the purpose of informing the Pitzer community of the general nature of its judicial problems and shall avoid identifying the persons involved.

Section 7.7 Training.

The Dean of Students’ Office shall design and be responsible for providing comprehensive training, in consultation with appropriate professional external agencies, in sexual offenses, hate crimes, and other relevant topics to members of the Judicial Council and the faculty at large.

Section 7.8 Rights of Students.

Each respondent involved in a judicial proceeding shall have the following rights:                                                                                                 

(a) Right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
(b) Right to be informed, in writing, of the charges against him/her and in sufficient time to prepare for judicial proceedings.
(c) Right to a speedy hearing or administrative procedure.
(d) Right to have a formal hearing before Judicial Council for any alleged violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
(e) Right to a hearing separate from that of another respondent.
(f) Right to be assisted in his/her defense by an advisor of his/her choice who must be a student, faculty, or staff member of the  Claremont Colleges.
(g) Right to consult an advisor of her/his choice prior to an administrative hearing, who is a member of the Claremont Colleges and is knowledgeable about the Code of Student Conduct.
(h) Right to face the person who has brought charges against him/her (the”complainant”).
(i) Right to refuse to respond to questions that are self-incriminating.
(j) Right to call material and character witnesses from the College community.                                                                                                

(k) Right to be free from a re-hearing for the same alleged violation (omission).                                                                                                 

(l) Right to be free of penalty or sanction if found not responsible for violation of the Student Code.
(m) Right to reconsideration of a decision on specific grounds (grounds for appeal are violation of a student’s rights as set forth in the Code of Student Conduct, insufficient or compelling new information, and/or severity of the sanction).

ARTICLE VIII
STUDENT SENATE

 

Section 8.1

The students of Pitzer College recognize the Pitzer College Student Senate as the official body to facilitate better communication between students and the different elements of the Pitzer community, to fund Pitzer and Claremont Colleges’ student organizations, and to bring proposals regarding these and other student issues to the College Council or other relevant organizations and offices. For the purpose of this document, this body is also referred to as Student Senate.

Section 8.2

The duties and goals of the Student Senate shall be: to represent the full student body in all aspects of Student Governance, to improve student participation in College Governance, to facilitate better communication between students and the different elements of the Pitzer community, to address issues of academic and student life, and to bring proposals regarding those issues to College Council or other relevant organizations.

Section 8.3

The Student Senate of Pitzer College will be governed according to the Student Senate Constitution found in the Student and Faculty Handbooks.

ARTICLE IX
ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT

 

Section 9.1 

The By-Laws and amendments thereto shall be effective upon adoption by the Faculty and approval of the President and the Board of Trustees.   

 

Section 9.2

Amendments to the By-Laws shall require:                                                                                                                                                     

(a) written notice to all Faculty members not on leave and to all Student Voting Members of the College Council meetings, and to the Staff Council stating the complete substance of the proposed changes, at least one week in advance of the meeting at which the amendment(s) will be voted upon; and,                                                                                                                      (b) a two-thirds vote.

 

Section 9.3 

The By-Laws and amendments thereto shall be reviewed every five years by an ad hoc  committee appointed by the Executive Committee of the Faculty.

 

 

BY-LAWS OF
FACULTY AND STUDENT GOVERNANCE AT PITZER COLLEGE

Summary of Action