The Department shall be the fundamental unit for delivering the instruction, research, and service programs of the University. Primary academic units which may be designated with nomenclature other than that of Department shall also be regarded as Departments for the purposes of this Constitution (e.g., divisions, schools). Any person, with the exception of adjunct and visiting faculty, who has been assigned to a Department and holds the rank of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Instructor, or Lecturer shall be a member of the Department faculty, with the right to participate in the governance and administration of the Department as defined by Department bylaws/operating procedures.
The work of Departments shall be performed by individual faculty, Department committees, and Department Chairs. The work of a Department to deliver its programs and accomplish its mission shall be set forth in Department bylaws/operating procedures. Department faculty shall establish such committees as may be necessary to carry on the work of the Department. It shall be the responsibility of the Department faculty to share as many of the activities identified by the Department bylaws/operating procedures as possible.
Department Chairs shall administer and coordinate the activities of Department faculty and committees, present the views of the Department to higher-level academic administrators, present the views of higher-level academic administrators to the Department faculty, and perform any and all duties required by University Board of Trustees, Board of Governors, Florida Statutes, University rules, and the appropriate collective bargaining agreements. Department Chairs shall be appointed to 12-month contracts, shall serve at the pleasure of the President or designee, and shall receive release from a fraction of their teaching assignments appropriate to their administrative responsibilities. Department Chairs shall have an understanding of applicable collective bargaining agreements.
When a vacancy occurs in the office of a Department Chair, a successor shall be selected in accord with Department bylaws/operating procedures from a list of candidates approved by the faculty of the Department. At the end of the Department Chair's term, if retention is an option, the Department faculty shall vote by anonymous ballot on the question of retaining the Department Chair. In that case, the next higher-level academic administrator shall receive the vote and report to the Department faculty the result. In the event the result is negative, the next-higher-level academic administrator will meet with the Department faculty and explain any action other than replacement of the Department Chair. Nothing in this paragraph shall limit the authority of the faculty of the Department or the next-higher-level academic administrator to conduct an anonymous retention vote by the Department faculty prior to the end of the Department Chair's term.