Governance

CLST operates under bylaws passed by the program’s membership and approved by higher administration in 1996.

The Bylaws [and bracketed commentary regarding their implementation] are:

  1. The automatic members of the Cultural Studies Program shall be those faculty who, during the preceding three academic years, have taught courses in, and met their other academic obligations to, the Program. In addition, the Director, in consultation with the Executive Committee, shall appoint up to half again as many designated members as there are automatic members, in order to include new or newly active faculty, bring new departments into the Program, enhance the standing of the Program within the University, and pursue affirmative action objectives. [In 2013, under Bylaw 1’s second sentence, the Executive Committee approved the Director’s proposal that any faculty member who serves on a standing or ad-hoc CLST committee will automatically become a CLST member for three years from the date of election or, if appointed, first service on the committee; moreover, any faculty member not affiliated with CLST who has a CLST-certificate advisee pass a milestone will, on written request to the Director stating the name of the student and identifying the milestone and the date it was passed, be granted membership for three years after the milestone date].
  2. The Liaison Committee shall be elected by the members of the Program in the fall of each year.  The Liaison Committee shall consist of one member from each department associated with the program, who will represent the interests of the Program within that department, and the interests of the department within the Program. The Liaison Committee shall advise the Director in curricular matters; it shall elect a Chair other than the Director of the Program. [As implemented, clauses 2 and 3 of Bylaw 2’s second sentence have been interpreted to assign to Liaisons CLST student advisory responsibilities within their respective departments].
  3. The Fellowship Committee shall be elected by the members of the Program in the fall of each year.  The Fellowship Committee shall consist of six members, no more than one from any department, and of the Director.  The Fellowship Committee shall elect a Chair other than the Director of the Program. [As implemented, Fellowship Committee members cannot stand for election to a second term].
  4. The Executive Committee of the Program shall be composed of the Director, the Chairs of the two above-named Committees, and of a further three members appointed by the Director in consultation with the previous academic year’s Executive Committee.  The Executive Committee shall aid the Director in running the Program, and shall select or commission all courses offered by the Program. [As implemented, Executive Committee members’ terms are limited to one year].
  5. The membership of the Program will meet at least twice per academic year, once near the beginning of the Fall term, to elect the Fellowship Committee and the Liaison Committee, and once near the end of the Spring term, to review the development of the Program. [As implemented, since the principal business of the Fall meeting was to elect the two committees, the Program’s membership now meets electronically, via email, to circulate ballots and vote on specific candidates, a policy affirmed at the 2014 CLST Spring member's meeting.  Through this means, the membership’s voter participation in these elections dramatically increased over what it was at face-face meetings for this purpose].
  6. The Director of the Program shall be appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, after consultation with Program’s Executive Committee and membership.
  7. These By-Laws may be amended by a vote of the Executive Committee, and subject to approval by a majority of those voting at a meeting of the full membership.