African Studies Center

at Michigan State University

African Studies Center Bylaws

  1. Function and Objectives
    1. The African Studies Center is a multi-disciplinary academic unit designed to develop and disseminate knowledge relevant to understanding the African continent.
    2. In order to achieve its goal the African Studies Center, through its faculty, students, and associates, engages in a wide variety of activities, including, but not limited to:
      1. Fostering research, consultation, and public service among faculty, visiting faculty, and scholars which will increase understanding of Africa and which will improve the quality of life in Africa.
      2. Developing, fostering and coordinating Michigan State University curricular offerings
      3. Graduate training for the development of new scholars.
      4. Providing undergraduate instruction in order to achieve a well-rounded under standing of Africa.
      5. Involving Afro-American and African students and faculty in the programs and governance of the Center.
      6. Supporting and expanding the Africana holdings of the Michigan State University library.
      7. Maintaining and fostering ties with African institutions of higher learning and research.
      8. Stimulating communication among and with scholars in other institutions interested in Africa.
      9. Disseminating knowledge about Africa through Center publications and by fostering school, community and media programs.
  2. Composition and Definitions

    The African Studies Center is composed of core faculty, consulting faculty, students, and associate members.

    1. Core Faculty

      The core faculty shall consist of faculty of Michigan State University holding the rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor, librarian, visiting professor, and adjunct professor who have a continuing professional focus on the study of Africa.

      1. Selection

        Any qualified faculty member may be admitted to membership of the core faculty upon request or nomination, and by approval of a simple majority of the core faculty voting. The Advisory Committee shall act as the screening committee for all nominations.

      2. Voting Status

        Each core faculty member shall have a vote in the deliberation of regularly called faculty meetings.

    2. Consulting Faculty

      The consulting faculty shall consist of members of Michigan State University faculty and research associates who, while having an interest in African studies and the activities of the African Studies Center, either are not qualified under 2.1 above or do not choose to become core faculty members. The consulting faculty shall receive pertinent Center mailings and notifications.

      1. Selection

        Persons qualified under 2.2 above may become members of the consulting faculty upon the recommendation of the advisory committee and on written acceptance of nomination to the African Studies Center Director.

      2. Voting Status

        Consulting faculty may attend all Center meetings and participate fully in consultation and discussion. Consulting faculty members have no voting rights or privileges in faculty meetings or advisory committee meetings of the African Studies Center.

    3. Student Constituency

      Any student enrolled at Michigan State University is a member of the student constituency of the African Studies Center who:

      1. Is enrolled in the undergraduate or graduate African Studies Center certificate program, or,
      2. Holds an NDFL fellowship, or
      3. Successfully completed four courses in the core curriculum in the African Studies Center, or
      4. Is a national of an African country, or
      5. is engaged in research concerning Africa for an M.A. thesis or Ph.D. dissertation.

      Any other student enrolled at Michigan State University may become a member of the student constituency of the African Studies Center by nomination of the governing body of the student constituency and election by a simple majority of voting membership present at an Advisory Committee meeting.

      1. Voting Status

        The student constituency shall be represented at faculty meetings and Advisory Committee meetings by four representatives of the governing body of the student constituency. Each student representative has one vote.

      2. Student members of committees have full participation and voting rights except on personnel matters in which issues of individual tenure, retention and promotion and merit pay increases of faculty and student constituency as defined in 2.3.
      3. Student members of committees have full participation and voting rights except on personnel matters in which issues of individual tenure, retention and promotion and merit pay increases of faculty and student appointment and financial awards are discussed.
    4. Associate Members

      Associate members of the African Studies Center shall consist of any persons who are not faculty members or students at Michigan State University and who are interested in continuing cooperation with and furthering the goals of the Center and who have a clear and continuing commitment to the study of Africa.

      Associate members will have special benefits in the Center such as receiving Center mailings and gratis publications, faculty rates for Center journals and monographs, borrowing privileges in the Educational Resource Center, and other services. Associate members shall be appointed for terms of two years, subject to renewal for terms of equal length upon mutual agreement of the Center and the scholar.

      1. Selection

        Any person qualified under 2.4 may become an associate member upon written acceptance of nomination by the Director of the African Studies Center.

      2. Voting Status

        Associate members have no voting rights or privileges in faculty meetings or advisory committee meetings of the African Studies Center.

    5. Visiting Scholars

      Visiting Scholars are those Africanists or African scholars visiting Michigan State University for a period of two weeks to two years for research, sabbatical study, or other scholarly purposes and who desire a relationship with the Center. Visiting Scholars may be given such title by the Center Director and shall be reported to the Advisory Committee. Normally, such scholars shall receive faculty library privileges, office space when available, other services as are in supply, and full faculty participation in the life of the Center. Visiting Scholar title shall be jointly offered with other departments of the University with their consent and when relevant.

  3. Organization and Academic Governance

    The African Studies Center is organized for academic governance through the following officers and bodies: the Director of the African Studies Center, Associate Directors of the African Studies Center, the Advisory Committee of the African Studies Center and the students and faculty duly assembled in faculty meetings.

    1. The Director

      The Director shall be the administrative head of the African Studies Center in accordance with 2.1.1.1 of the University Bylaws for Academic Governance, 1975.

      1. Selection of Director

        When a new Director is to be chosen, a Search and Selection Committee consisting of voting members of the Center shall submit a recommendation to the Dean of International Studies and Programs through the Director of the Institute of Comparative and Area Studies.

      2. Review of Director

        The Director shall be subject to regular review at intervals not to exceed three years. Procedures for review shall be established by the Dean of International Studies and Programs and the Director of the Institute of Comparative and Area Studies in consultation with the voting members of the African Studies Center.

    2. Associate Directors

      There shall be one or more Associate or Assistant Directors, selected by the Director from among the core faculty. Associate Directors whose salaries are in part paid by the Center shall be approved by the Board of Trustees.

      1. The Associate Directors shall serve ex-officio on all Center committees.
      2. The other duties and responsibilities of the Associate Directors shall be determined by agreement between the Director and each Associate Director.
    3. Advisory Committee

      The Advisory Committee is the major channel for advising the Director on all matters of Center policy, program and personnel; on any matter which the core faculty, through its meetings, entrusts to it; on any matter about which the Director seeks advice; and on any other matter of importance.

      1. Composition

        The voting members of the Advisory Committee shall consist of four students, one Afro-American faculty member, and one African faculty member, and five additional members elected from the Core Faculty; these five also may well include Afro-American and African faculty.

      2. Meetings of the Advisory Committee

        Meetings of the Advisory Committee shall be called regularly by the Chairperson of the Committee or the Director, or by a majority of the Committee.

      3. Election of Core Faculty Members of the Advisory Committee

        The selection procedure will be as follows:

        1. A list of core faculty according to academic rank with the exclusion of the Director and Associate Directors will be sent to Center core faculty members who will vote for one person within each rank, plus two "at large" members from any rank. For the five members, a second ballot shall be taken to select one of the three candidates with the most votes for each position.
        2. No more than one individual will be selected from any single department; in a case where more than one is chosen from the same department, the person with the highest number of votes will be elected.
        3. The three Center substantive areas of
          1. Humanities
          2. Social Sciences, and
          3. Natural and Applied Sciences

          must be represented; if the three members selected by rank do not represent these three areas, then the "at large" members will be selected from these areas, according to the number of votes received.

        4. If an elected member declines to serve on the Advisory Committee, the place will be offered to the person who has the next highest number of votes.
        5. In addition, one Afro-American core faculty member and one African core faculty member shall be appointed to the Advisory Committee by each of those constituencies.
        6. The Advisory Committee shall have the power to ask elected members who do not come to meetings to resign.
      4. Selection of Student Advisory Committee Members

        The student constituency shall establish procedures to select student representatives to the Advisory Committee, with the stipulation that at least one representative must be of African nationality and one of Afro-American heritage.

    4. Faculty Meetings

      Meetings of the core faculty and the student representatives shall be called at least three times a year, preferably during the fall, winter and spring terms. Agendas shall be circulated one week before the date of the meetings.

      1. Faculty meetings shall be called by the Director of the Center. Additional emergency meetings will be convened on petitions from any ten core faculty members.
      2. The Director shall chair faculty meetings.
      3. Any core faculty member or student representative may schedule a matter for the agenda of a faculty meeting.
      4. The student constituency shall be represented by four voting representatives
  4. Committees and Procedures
    1. Committees and Task Forces

      The Director shall establish committees which are necessary for the expeditious furthering of the Center.

      1. The Director is authorized to appoint to committees any person who is necessary to achieve the purposes of the committee or task force.
      2. Where possible, committees shall employ formal, fair and expeditious procedures.
      3. Where possible, committees shall make decisions by consensus. Where this proves unsatisfactory, decisions shall be made by majority vote of committee or task force members in attendance.
      4. Every committee member shall have one vote, whatever that person's affiliation with the Center, except on matters as indicated in 2.3.3.
    2. Procedures
      1. Appropriate records of faculty, advisory committee and task force meetings shall be kept and made accessible to all interested persons.
      2. Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall be followed unless otherwise specified.
      3. Grievances

        In cases of grievances, the University grievance procedures apply.

  5. Interpretation and Amendment
    1. Interpretation

      The Director, with the Advisory Committee, shall be the final authority with regard to the interpretation of these bylaws.

    2. Amendments
      1. Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed in writing by voting members of the Center to the Center to the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee shall make recommendations to the Center membership as an explicit item on the agenda of faculty meetings.
      2. Amendments to these bylaws shall be by two-thirds majority vote of the voting members present at a faculty meeting. Proposed amendments will be voted on at a meeting subsequent to the one at which they were introduced.
  6. Effective Date

    These bylaws were amended at the faculty meeting of the African Studies Center on May 11, 1987.