E&C Department Bylaws – Department of English and Communication

DEPARTMENTAL GOVERNANCE

The English Department of Rutgers University, Camden hereby recognizes a series of operational principles and precedents, which form the basis of its functioning. The most important of these principles include:

that the primary function of the Department is to advance an understanding of its subject through teaching, research, creative and scholarly activities;
that the Department as a whole is the primary decision-making body on questions of policy;
that faculty have a right to participate in Departmental affairs and are expected to do so;
that students have a right to be heard on matters of common interest;
that the constituted committees, Council, and administrative offices of the Department are the means through which the Department conducts its business and are responsible to the Department as a whole;
that the elective principle is a viable and valid means for selecting personnel to conduct the department’s business.

To realize these principles the Department employs the following structure and regulations.

I. THE DEPARTMENT

The membership of the Department is composed of its teaching faculty: full-time faculty members, coadjutant staff, and Graduate Teaching Assistants.
Voting members of the Department shall comprise tenure-track, tenured, and non tenure-track faculty. Although coadjutant staff, Instructors, and Graduate Teaching Assistants may not vote, they may be invited to attend meetings and to speak to any issue.
1. Votes on all business before the Department will ordinarily be by non-secret ballot. However, the Chair may grant a request for a secret ballot made by any voting member. Elections of persons to departmental offices will be by secret ballot.
2. If the department agrees at a regularly scheduled meeting, votes may be held by online poll.
Department meetings shall ordinarily be held twice per semester. Meetings will be conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order.
1. Extraordinary Department meetings may be called by the Chair through written petition of six full-time faculty members within two weeks of the presentation of the petition.
The Department will receive from its regularly constituted committees reports and recommendations for action, which will form the initial agenda for Department meetings.
1. Policy questions may be decided only if they appear on an agenda circulated at least one week before a meeting.
Beyond acting as the locus of sovereignty on all issues of Departmental policy (except in matters involving reappointment, tenure, and promotion), the Department has the further responsibility of defining and implementing hiring priorities.
1. Priorities for the hiring of full-time faculty at the level of Assistant Instructor and above shall be determined by majority of all voting members of the Department (as defined in Article IB), taking into consideration the mission, needs, and desired future shape of the Department.
2. When permission to fill a full-time position has been granted by the dean’s office, the Department Chair shall initiate the search procedure for the position in consultation with appropriate members of the Department and in accordance with C-FAS and university policy. Normally, for tenured and tenure-track positions, the Chair shall appoint a search committee from among the full-time members of the Department. The search committee shall solicit, receive, and review application materials; arrange and conduct off-campus interviews; and, in consultation with the Chair, present a slate of one or more candidates for final consideration by the Department. The Chair shall arrange on-campus interviews, preside over consideration of the slate of finalists, present the Department’s recommendation to the dean, and assist in negotiations between the candidate and the dean’s office. A departmental recommendation to fill any full-time position shall be determined by a majority of all voting members of the Department.
  Wherever possible, hiring shall be conducted during the academic year. However, if a position must be filled during the summer months or on short notice, the Chair shall make every effort to consult with the full-time members of the Department.
3. Formal departmental recommendations for all appointments and reappointments of Visiting Part-time Lecturers are made to the dean’s office by the Department Chair. In the case of Composition courses, the Writing Program Director shall, in consultation with the English Department Council, nominate appropriate Instructors for the Chair’s consideration. See Appendix B for formal search and staffing procedures. In the case of graduate programs, responsibility for nominations (to the Chair) of appropriate part-time instructors falls to the respective graduate directors.
4. Nominations for the appointment and reappointment of Graduate Teaching Assistants shall be the responsibility of the Writing Program Director in consultation with the Chair and the English Department Council.
The Department may establish any committees or sub-committees it believes necessary to do its work; and it may revise, reorganize, or reconstitute any existing committees to facilitate its work. The one exception to this rule is the Personnel Committee, which by University Regulations is composed of tenured members of the Department.
To achieve maximum Departmental participation and to spread the workload equitably, every faculty member shall serve on at least one regularly constituted committee. The Personnel Committee is mandated to take into consideration for retention or promotion the individual’s committee work to the date of the evaluation. Membership of the Personnel Committee is an additional responsibility of the tenured members of the Department.
If a faculty member is unable to fulfill his/her committee responsibilities because of service on a College or University Committee or for other reasons, he/she should submit a written request for release to his/her Chair and to the Department chair.

II. THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR

Voting members of the Department shall by ballot nominate to the Dean one of the tenured members of the Department for appointment as Department Chair when a vacancy occurs through expiration of term or otherwise.
1. The term of the Chair shall normally be three years, with provision for a second elected term if the Chair and the Department so desire. No Chair shall serve more than two consecutive terms.
2. The Chair’s tenure of office may be terminated by a vote of no confidence of three-fourths of the Department’s voting membership.
The Department Chair is the chief administrative officer of the Department. He/she shall carry into effect the policies of the Department, and represent the Department to the academic community and to the public. The Chair shall act as follows:
1. Plan with the members of the Department as represented by the English Department Council a program of instruction and learning.
2. See that adequate supervision, advice, and training are afforded to new members of the Department and other members who might profit therefrom.
3. Evaluate continuously the instructional, research and administrative processes of the Department and make appropriate recommendations to the Department and/or Dean.
4. Receive, evaluate, and act upon student complaints about instructors.
5. Forward the vote of the Departmental Personnel Committee to the Dean. If the majority opinion is not that of the Chair, the majority opinion shall be presented to the relevant committees and officers by a member of the Personnel Committee selected for that purpose.
6. Preside over meetings of the Department.
7. Appoint all committees with the exceptions as stated elsewhere.
8. Communicate to the Department all matters and proposals which affect the Department.
9. Place on the agenda of Department meetings any matters raised for consideration by faculty or students.
10. Chair the English Department Council and the Department’s Personnel Committee.
11. Act, after consultation with appropriate committees, on requests for release time.
12. Plan through consultation with the English Department Council, a list of courses to be offered each semester and during the Summer and Winterim sessions, together with appropriate class-hour schedules. Such lists and schedules shall be distributed to the full Department. Complaints or special requests concerning either are to be addressed to the Chair for reconsideration by the English Department Council.
13. Serve as the department’s liaison to the college and university.
If the Chair is unable to attend a scheduled meeting, the voting faculty present shall elect a presiding officer from among the tenured members present.
If the Chair is unable to fulfill the duties of the office for longer than four weeks during the Fall or Spring Semester, the Department shall elect from among the tenured faculty an Acting Chair who will serve until the Chair resumes the duties of the office or until the end of the semester, whichever comes first. If the Chair is unable to resume the office at the end of the semester, a new permanent Chair will be elected.

III. THE DIRECTOR OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

The Director of Undergraduate Studies shall be appointed by the Department Chair, with the approval of a majority of the voting members of the Department. The term of the Director shall normally be three years, with provision for a second elected term if the Chair and the Department so desire. No Director shall serve more than two consecutive terms.
The Director shall act as liaison between the Department and the Faculty Senate, and any other bodies or individuals responsible for undergraduate programs within the University.
The Director shall serve as Chair of the Undergraduate Committee; he or she shall convene meetings of this committee on a regular basis in order to address matters pertaining to the undergraduate program.
The Director shall address, in consultation with the Department Chair, issues of broad Departmental concern, including matters of curriculum and pedagogy.
The Director shall serve as a member of the English Department Council.
The Director shall arrange Faculty-Student colloquia and other cultural programs.
The Director shall liaise with student organizations.

IV. THE DIRECTOR OF THE WRITING PROGRAM

The Director of the Writing Program shall be nominated by the voting members of the Department. The term of the Director shall normally be three years, with provision for a second elected term if the Chair and the Department so desire. No Director shall serve more than two consecutive terms.
The Director shall keep abreast of developments in the field, administer the Writing Program as developed by the Department, and suggest revisions when necessary.
The Director shall serve as Chair of the Committee for the Writing Program.
The Director shall recommend the appointment of coadjutant instructors and Teaching Assistants in composition courses. (See Appendix B for detailed procedures.)
The Director shall serve ex officio as a member of the English Department Council.

V. THE DIRECTOR OF THE M.A. PROGRAM

The Director of the M.A. Program shall be nominated by the voting members of the Department. The term of the Director shall normally be three years, with provision for a second elected term if the Chair and the Department so desire. No Director shall serve more than two consecutive terms. The Director shall function in accordance with the provisions stated in Appendix A (“By-laws of the English Graduate Program at Camden”).
On matters pertinent to the English Graduate Program, the Director shall act as liaison between the Department and the Graduate School-Camden, the Camden Graduate Council and any other groups or individuals responsible for graduate programs within the University.
The Director shall confer with the M.F.A. Director on matters of mutual interest. Unresolved matters shall be referred to English Department Council and, if not resolved there, to the voting members of the department.
The Director shall serve as a member of the English Department Council.

VI. THE DIRECTOR OF THE M.F.A. PROGRAM

The Director of the M.F.A. Program shall be appointed for a period of normally three years, with provision for a second elected term if the Chair and the Department so desire. No Director shall serve more than two consecutive terms. The Director shall function in accordance with the provisions stated in Appendix A (“By-laws of the English Graduate Programs at Camden”).
On matters pertinent to the English Graduate Programs, the Director shall act as liaison between the Department and the Graduate School-Camden, the Camden Graduate Council and any other groups or individuals responsible for graduate programs within the University.
The Director shall confer with the M.A. Director on matters of mutual interest. Unresolved matters shall be referred to English Department Council and, if not resolved there, to the voting members of the department.
The Director shall serve as a member of the English Department Council.

VII. THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT COUNCIL

The English Department Council shall comprise the Directors of the Undergraduate, Writing, M.A. and M.F.A. Programs, and two elected members of the Department.
1. The Department’s preference is that the elected members be untenured faculty, tenured faculty within five years of being tenured, or any full-time NTT faculty.
2. The elected members of the English Council serve three-year terms and should be elected in different years to allow for overlap.
The Council shall perform the following functions:
1. Apprise the Department chair of the activities of the committees.
2. In consultation with the Chair, prepare a schedule of undergraduate and graduate courses for each semester, as well as for the Summer and Winterim sessions and for off-campus programs.
3. Advise the Chair on matters arising in the course of administering the Department.
4. Act on intradepartmental disputes as outlined in Section VIII below.
5. Serve as a nominating committee for elected offices, when provision for such nomination is not made elsewhere in these By-Laws.
Like the Department Chair, the English Department Council should be administrative rather than policy forming.
The Council shall meet at least once each semester. A summary written report of such meetings shall be circulated to the Department at large by the Department Chair.

VIII. COMMITTEES OF THE DEPARTMENT

The Department will conduct its business through the following standing committees:
1. Committee for the Undergraduate Program
2. Committee for the Writing Program
3. Committee for the M.A Program
4. Committee for the M.F.A. Program
5. Personnel Committee
Excepting the Personnel Committee, which shall comprise only the tenured members of the Department,, each of these committees shall consist of at least three voting members.
A list of committee assignments to be filled shall be circulated to the faculty with the request that individuals indicate in order of preference the committees on which they wish to serve.
1. The Department Chair shall assign committee responsibilities, whenever possible, on the basis of these preferences.
Chairs of Standing Committees
1. The Chair of each standing committee, excepting the Director of the Writing Program, who chairs the Committee for the Writing Program, and the Department Chair, who chairs the Personnel Committee, shall be elected by the members of the respective committee.
2. Chairs of committees shall be responsible for informing the Department of all actions and requirements of general importance.
3. Chairs of committees shall report to the Department Chair those committee members who become derelict in fulfilling their assignments.
Responsibilities of the English Department Standing Committees:
1. Committee for the Undergraduate Program
  1. Curricular Functions:
    - Maintain the coherence and effectiveness of the overall undergraduate program.
    - Consider and recommend new course proposals, programs of study, pedagogical methods and assessment.
    - Recommend courses for off-campus centers.
    - Review and edit catalog copy.
    - Review and approve proposals for Independent Study.
    - Conduct final certification of degree candidates.
  2. Advisement Functions:
    - Develop and improve advising policies and procedures.
    - Provide general advisement guidelines for students.
    - Advise English majors.
    - Review student petitions for course waivers.
    - Maintain liaison with the Teacher Preparation Program concerning professional requirements of prospective English teachers in elementary and secondary education.
    - liaison with Office of New Student Programs on issues pertaining to transfer of credits.
  3. Functions Pertaining to Student and Community Relations
    - Administer nominations and awards for student prizes and competitions.
    - Organize faculty-student colloquia, talks given by outside speakers and other cultural programs
    - Engage in outreach activities directed to the broader community, including local High Schools and other public institutions
    - Maintain liaison with students and student organizations
  4. Functions Pertaining to the Departmental Honors Program
    - Oversee the Honors Program.
    - Call the provisions of the Program to the attention of the students.
    - Appoint an ad hoc committee which shall oversee the direction of Honors theses and examinations by individual faculty members.
2. Committee for the Writing Program
  1. Monitor the effectiveness of the program.
  2. Arrange for full-time Department faculty to visit writing classes taught by Instructors, coadjutant personnel, and Teaching Assistants.
  3. Assess the evaluation of both teaching effectiveness and student writing.
  4. Review course syllabi and instructional materials to insure that they comply with the Department’s aims and purposes for such courses.
  5. Design or review placement procedures.
  6. Maintain liaison with the Educational Opportunities Fund Program and the Learning Resource Center.
  7. Develop new composition courses and programs as required.
  8. Serve as mentors for new teachers.
3. Personnel Committee
  1. Nominate the Director of the Writing Program.
  2. Consider matters concerning terminations, reappointments, and promotions of full-time personnel.
  3. Consider matters concerning appointment and reappointment of coadjutant personnel for non-Writing Program courses. (See Appendix C for detailed procedures.
  4. Counsel faculty regarding their responsibilities and prerogatives and matters of professional development.

IX. DEPARTMENT WORKLOAD

The teaching workload for full-time English Department members is governed by the C-FAS Faculty Workload Policy issued on September 15, 2008, and as amended thereafter.
In recognition of the importance of the Department to General Education, and of the English major to the college, the standard teaching workload is understood normally to include, except in the case of members earning course release for administrative responsibilities, one service course assignment in each academic year. Service courses include those required for minimum staffing of MA and MFA programs.
Full-time faculty members on two-one or three-two workloads teach two or three courses, respectively, during academic years when they spend one semester on staff and one semester on leave from teaching.
Course release for administrative work is authorized by the dean in accordance with guidelines set forth in the C-FAS Faculty Workload Policy.
Full-time members shall serve on at least one departmental and one college committee per year.

X. RESOLUTION OF INTRADEPARTMENTAL DISPUTES

Any conduct on the part of a Department member causing serious distress or inconvenience to his/her colleagues shall be grounds for a dispute.
A formal written petition stating the nature of the dispute shall be presented to the Department Chair.
If within a month the Department Chair is unable to resolve the difficulty to the petitioner’s satisfaction, the Department Chair shall refer the matter to the English Department Council which shall then consider the aforementioned petition and issue an appropriate judgment.
A decision of the Department Council may be appealed to the Department as a whole, which shall resolve the grievance by majority vote.
These procedures are intended to deal only with intradepartmental matters. They should not be considered as replacing similar procedures instituted at the College or University level.

XI. AMENDMENTS

Amendments may be proposed in writing by three members of the Department. Any proposed amendments must be circulated to all members at least two weeks in advance of the meeting at which they are to be discussed and voted on. They shall be voted on in the form in which they are proposed. If more than one amendment is proposed, each shall be voted on separately. To be adopted, an amendment must receive a majority of the votes cast. Absent members may vote by mail ballot, provided their votes are received by the day of the announced meeting.

APPENDIX A By-Laws of the English Graduate Programs

I. Memberships

The programs shall be governed by the English M.A. and M.F.A. Committees, whose members shall be appointed by the Department Chair in consultation with the respective

Directors of the English M.A. and M.F.A. Programs from among the members of the Department who have been appointed to Full or Associate membership in the Graduate Faculty by the Dean of the Graduate School in Camden.

II. Functions

The Graduate Committees advise and assist the Program Directors in such matters as recruitment, admission, curriculum, examination, student grievance or grade complaint, and graduation or dismissal of students from the program. The Graduate Committee shall refer matters that affect the English Department as a whole to the English Department Council for approval or amendment.

III. Meetings

The English M.A. and M.F.A. Committees shall meet at least once each semester and upon the request of the Graduate Directors or any other member of the Committees. Such meetings shall be announced at least one week in advance, and an agenda will be sent to each member of the Committees prior to the meeting.

IV. The Directors of the M.A. and M.F.A. Programs

Appointment and Term. The Committees shall be chaired by the respective Directors of the M.A. and M.F.A. Programs subject to approval by the Dean of the Graduate School in Camden. The Directors shall be nominated for a three-year term by written ballot of all members of the English Department’s Graduate Faculty; the Department Chair then recommends the nominee to the Dean of the Graduate School who is responsible for making the appointment. The Directors must be full members of the Graduate Faculty. No one shall serve more than two consecutive terms as M.A. or M.F.A.
The Chairs of the Graduate Committees shall conduct and oversee the English Graduate Programs in Camden, with the advice and assistance of the Graduate Committees. Responsibilities of the Directors of the Graduate Programs include the following:
1. Recruit and admit graduate students.
2. Select Teaching Assistants in consultation with each other, the Department Chair and the Director of the Writing Program.
3. Supervise curriculum and instruction.
4. Constructing the course schedule, in consultation with the English Department Council and the Chair of the Department.
5. Advise students.
6. Supervise the Comprehensive Examination of students, as well as M.A. and M.F.A. theses.
7. Approve applications for graduation.
8. Review student appeals, in consultation with the Graduate Committee.
9. Recommend students for graduation or dismissal from the program.
10. Recommend faculty for full or associate membership on the Graduate Faculty to the Dean of the Graduate School in Camden.

V. Revisions

Revisions of these By-Laws, and of all policies of the Program that appear in the Graduate Catalogue, must be approved by a majority of the voting members of the Department of English at Camden and be submitted to the Graduate School in Camden for approval.

Appendix B Coadjutant Hiring Policy for Writing Program Courses

When the Director of the Writing Program, in consultation with the English Department Council, identifies the need for a coadjutant instructor, he/she will consider candidates from the following categories: a) instructors with previous experience as coadjutants at Rutgers; b) former teaching assistants in the department; c) teaching assistants who have been trained for a full year in the Writing Program (such persons being eligible to teach only the courses they taught in their first year); d) current M.F.A. and M.A. teaching assistants who possess an M.A.; e) instructors with no previous experience at Rutgers, but with appropriate college-teaching experience elsewhere, who may have applied for part-time teaching or may have been encouraged by the Directors to apply; and f) individuals with special backgrounds (as in the case of journalists, ESL instructors, and business and technical writers).

In choosing a coadjutant instructor for a particular assignment, the Directors will look for evidence of: a) sufficient experience in teaching the course(s) in question; b) evidence of teaching effectiveness, as shown by classroom observation reports, letters of reference, and student evaluations; and c) a Master’s degree in English. Candidates must possess these three qualifications in order to be considered for a coadjutant position. The requirement of a Master’s degree may be waived, as determined on an individual basis, in the case of (i) teaching assistants trained at Rutgers, and (ii) instructors who possess the requisite expertise and experience to teach specialized courses.

After the Directors have reviewed application materials and conducted interviews, they will recommend to the Department Chair the candidates they approves for possible appointment. The Directors will maintain a pool of approved candidates from which they will select candidates for specific course assignments. The chair will recommend to the appropriate dean the department’s candidates for coadjutant appointments and their specific course assignments. All recommendations for coadjutant appointments are for one semester only.

Employment in one semester in no way implies employment in any subsequent semester. Recommendations for appointments for each semester must be made with the approval of the Directors of the Writing, M.A. and M.F.A. Programs.

All recommendations for coadjutant appointments are made with the explicit understanding that appointments and specific course assignments are subject to change or cancellation due to budgetary or enrollment considerations. In scheduling and assigning courses, the Directors will give every consideration to those candidates who have taught in the department previously. In those instances where candidates who have taught in the department previously cannot be recommended for an appointment, those candidates will be given the courtesy of a notice that no courses are available, although such a notice is not required.

Appendix C Coadjutant Hiring Policy for Non-Writing Program Courses

When the Chair of the Department identifies the need for coadjutant instructor, he/she will consider candidates from the following categories: a) instructors with previous experience as coadjutants at Rutgers; b) instructors with no previous experience at Rutgers, but with appropriate college-teaching experience elsewhere, who may have applied for part-time teaching or may have been encouraged by the department Chair to apply; and c) individuals with special backgrounds which qualify them to teach certain courses.

In choosing a coadjutant instructor for a particular assignment, the Chair will look for evidence of: a) sufficient experience in teaching the course(s) in question; b) evidence of teaching effectiveness, as shown by classroom observation reports, letters of reference, and student evaluations; and c) an appropriate terminal degree, or appropriate experience in the area of the course assignment.

After the Chair has reviewed application materials and conducted interviews, he/she will recommend candidates to the English Department Council. The Chair will also forward to the Council the credentials of all applicants considered for an appointment. The Council will review the materials, conduct interviews if it so chooses, and recommend to the department Chair those candidates it approves for possible appointment.

The Chair will maintain a pool of candidates approved by the Council from which he/she will select candidates for specific course assignments. The Chair will recommend to the appropriate dean the department’s candidates for coadjutant appointments and their specific course assignments.

All recommendations for coadjutant appointments are for one semester only. Employment in one semester in no way implies employment in any subsequent semester. Recommendations for appointments for each semester must be made with the approval of the department Chair and the English Department Council.

All recommendations for coadjutant appointments are made with the explicit understanding that appointments and specific course assignments are subject to change or cancellation due to budgetary or enrollment considerations. In scheduling and assigning courses, the Chair will give every consideration to those candidates who have taught in the department previously. In those instances where candidates who have taught in the department previously cannot be recommended for an appointment, those candidates will be given the courtesy of a notice that no courses are available, although such a notice is not required.

************

Appendix B

Coadjutant Hiring Policy for Writing Program Courses

When the Director of the Writing Program identifies the need for coadjutant instructor, he/she will consider candidates from the following categories: a) instructors with previous experience as coadjutants at Rutgers; b) former teaching assistants in the department; c) instructors with no previous experience at Rutgers, but with appropriate college-teaching experience elsewhere, who may have applied for part-time teaching or may have been encouraged by the Director to apply; and d) individuals with special backgrounds (journalists, ESL instructors, and business and technical writers, for example).

In choosing a coadjutant instructor for a particular assignment, the Director will look for evidence of: a) sufficient experience in teaching the course(s) in question; b) evidence of teaching effectiveness, as shown by classroom observation reports, letters of reference, and student evaluations; and c) a Master’s degree in English. Except in unusual circumstances, candidates must possess these three qualifications in order to be considered for a coadjutant position.

After the Director has reviewed application materials and conducted interviews, he/she will recommend candidates to the department Personnel Committee. The Director will also forward to the Committee the credentials of all applicants considered for an appointment. The Personnel Committee, or its representative(s), will review the materials, conduct interviews if it so chooses, and recommend to the department chair those candidates it approves for possible appointment. The Director will maintain a pool of candidates approved by the Personnel Committee from which he/she will select candidates for specific course assignments. The chair will recommend to the appropriate dean the department’s candidates for coadjutant appointments and their specific course assignments.

All recommendations for coadjutant appointments are for one semester only. Employment in one semester in no way implies employment in any subsequent semester. Recommendations for appointments for each semester must be made with the approval of the Director of the Writing Program and the Personnel Committee.

All recommendations for coadjutant appointments are made with the explicit understanding that appointments and specific course assignments are subject to change of cancellation due to budgetary or enrollment considerations. In scheduling and assigning courses, the Director will give every consideration to those candidates who have taught in the department previously. In those instances where candidates who have taught in the department previously cannot be recommended for an appointment, those candidates will be given the courtesy of a notice that no courses are available, although such a notice is not required.

Appendix C

Coadjutant Hiring Policy for Non-Writing Program Courses

After the Chair has reviewed application materials and conducted interviews, he/she will recommend candidates to the department Personnel Committee. The Chair will also forward to the Committee the credentials of all applicants considered for an appointment. The Personnel Committee, or its representative(s), will review the materials, conduct interviews if it so chooses, and recommend to the department Chair those candidates it approves for possible appointment. The Chair will maintain a pool of candidates approved by the Personnel Committee from which he/she will select candidates for specific course assignments. The Chair will recommend to the appropriate dean the department’s candidates for coadjutant appointments and their specific course assignments.

All recommendations for coadjutant appointments are made with the explicit understanding that appointments and specific course assignments are subject to change of cancellation due to budgetary or enrollment considerations. In scheduling and assigning courses, the Chair will give every consideration to those candidates who have taught in the department previously. In those instances where candidates who have taught in the department previously cannot be recommended for an appointment, those candidates will be given the courtesy of a notice that no courses are available, although such a notice is not required.