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By-Laws

Approved April 17, 2024

 

I. Mission (Voted 4 June 2015 Meeting)
The Council on Language Instruction supports language faculty as they pursue excellence in language instruction and curriculum development and prepare Northwestern students to engage with the world as global citizens.

By organizing regular workshops, seminars, talks, and symposia for the Northwestern community on the teaching and learning of language and culture, the Council creates and promotes best practices inside and outside of the classroom based on the latest research on effective pedagogy, second language acquisition, applied linguistics, and the teaching of culture.

The Council encourages collaboration with other campus units in order to promote professional development as well as to extend learning beyond the classroom and facilitate practical applications of communication skills. These activities may include study and research abroad, local and international internships, and service projects in the community.

Recognizing the importance of digital technologies, the Council promotes the development of innovative tools and the effective use of established and emerging technologies for language instruction.
The Council also encourages faculty to engage in campus initiatives, conduct research in fields relevant to language and culture, and pursue professional development in order to maintain excellence in language and culture instruction.

II. Membership in the Council on Language Instruction (Council or CLI) (Voted 20 May 2016)
Membership in the Council is open to language teaching faculty and representatives of the Media and Design Studio the Weinberg Language Proficiency Committee, AccessibleNU, the Weinberg Advising Office, the Language Resource Center, and other units that are associated with language programs at Northwestern University.

Language teaching faculty are either full-time or part-time and include faculty teaching English speakers of other languages (TESOL).

Membership is by application to the Membership Committee. Faculty members must formally accept membership in the organization. Application for membership is accepted at the end of Spring Quarter and there is an additional opportunity to join the Council at the end of August. Council membership is for a term of two years.

In order to maintain membership from year to year, faculty members must accept an appointed position as an officer or serve on a committee and attend most business and committee meetings, workshops, and presentations, unless there are teaching obligations or personal emergencies. Faculty in their first year of teaching at Northwestern are exempt from this requirement, but can join committees if they wish. Representatives of other collaborating institutes at the university such as the Weinberg Language Resource Center may be CLI members, but are not required to serve on a subcommittee.
All members are eligible to vote on matters placed before the Council.

III. Leadership (Voted 16 November 2016)
The Chair provides leadership to the Council and is responsible for the operation of the Council. The Dean of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences appoints the Chair in consultation with Council members and department chairs for a term of three years.

Any full-time, continuing language teaching faculty member, (regardless of rank) may become chair. The term begins on September 1 and ends on August 31. The appointment may be renewed.

A. Duties of the Chair
The Chair is responsible for promoting communication and collaboration across language departments with the goal of enhancing the teaching of languages and cultures. He/She/They will work collaboratively with language faculty to identify professional development opportunities that allow for individuals and language programs to align instructional pedagogy with "best practice" models as developed by professional organizations. The Chair will also work with department chairs and with Weinberg and Northwestern units to facilitate the implementation of broader College and University initiatives.

B. Appointment of the Chair
In the last year of the Chair's term, before the end of the third week of Fall Quarter, the Advisory Committee will solicit nominations from the membership for a new chair. Nominees must agree to have their names placed on the ballot and have the support of their department or program chair. The Advisory Committee will produce an electronic ballot and all Council members will vote for one candidate by the end of the fifth week.

The committee will compile a ranked list of the three top candidates that will be submitted to the Associate Dean for Faculty by the end of the seventh week. The Weinberg Dean appoints the CLI chair.

IV. Advisory Committee (Voted 2 February 2017)
A. History
The Council has evolved from an organization of 13 members representing 11 languages to 55+ members involved in 20 language programs. In order for the organization to respond to College and University initiatives in a timely manner, it is necessary to have an Advisory Committee that can provide guidance to the chair and

Council as it works to maintain its traditions of excellence in the teaching of languages and cultures. The Advisory Committee members will provide an important connection to the departments and will aid the chair in project work.

B. Advisory Committee and Structure
Units represented on the Advisory Committee: Asian Languages and Cultures, Classics, English Language Programs, French & Italian, German, Jewish Studies, Middle East and North African Languages, Program of African Studies, Slavic Languages and Literature, Spanish & Portuguese. (9 members)

Consultants: The Chair may request counsel and advice from representatives of other units (AccessibleNU, Buffett, International Program Development, Global Learning Office, Weinberg Advising Office, etc.) and other outside experts.

Each unit will organize an internal election to choose one member for the advisory committee. A nomination procedure will be followed by an electronic election. The representative will serve for a period of three years from September to September. Council members may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms on this committee, unless they represent programs with only one instructor eligible for CLI membership (ELP and PAS). The nomination and election process will be completed by the end of the Spring Quarter. During the first year, one half of the committee members will be elected for one-year terms and one half of the committee members will be elected for two-year terms. This will allow for staggered terms. Representatives of programs with only one instructor eligible for CLI membership (ELP and PAS) will not rotate at the end of the three-year term if they cannot be replaced.

C. Responsibilities
The Advisory Committee will meet typically once or twice a quarter with the Chair to advise on project work and the activities of the Council.

V. Officer Positions
Using the recommendations of the entire Council, the Chair will appoint members for two-year terms to the following positions:

These members may be reappointed to one (1) additional two-year term.

VI. Committees
Council members not holding an elected or appointed position are expected to actively serve on one or more committees. The standing committees are:

A. Committee Structure
Committees are organized by the committee co-chairs who are elected by the members of the committee for a period of three years. Committee co-chairs may be re-elected for an additional three-year term. The terms of committee co-chairs staggered, which helps maintain continuity.

B. Committee Membership
Council members become members by indicating the committee(s) they would like to serve on during the spring membership survey conducted by the Membership Committee. Any other requests to join committees including those from newly hired faculty must be approved by the Membership Committee.
The CLI Chair is an ex officio member of each committee.
The CLI Excellence in Foreign Language Teaching Award Committee consists of former winners of this award or, if needed, winners of other Weinberg or Northwestern teaching awards. Each year, the new winner joins the committee, and the awardee who has been on the committee the longest, rolls off.
The co-chairs of the Language Symposium will rotate every four years, since Northwestern University only hosts the symposium every four years.

C. Frequency of Committee Meetings
Committees meet at least once a quarter and report on their activities through quarterly reports that are collected by the Council Chair and made available to the Council on Language Instruction membership online.

D. New Committees
New committees may be created by the vote of the Council. Standing committees may be discontinued by the vote of the Council.

VII. Affiliated Units
AccessibleNU, Buffett Institute, Linguistics, Weinberg Advising Office, Weinberg Language Proficiency Committee, Media and Design Studio (MADS) Global Learning Office, International Program Development Office, Language Resource Center.