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S!JOHN'S
College
ANNAPOLIS • SANTA FE
Charter and Polity of the Colle ge
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND ~ SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
Amended and Restated
October 2011
Founded as King William' s School, 1696
Chartered as St. John's College, 1784
�Since this Polity can be amended between printings, the current official Polity is kept in the
offices of the Presidents of St. John's College.
HISTORY
St. John's College was founded in I 696 as King William's School in accordance with a
Petitionary Act for free-schools of the General Assembly of the Colony of Maryland. Following
the Revolutionary War, the General Assembly of the new State of Maryland granted a Charter to
St. John's College pursuant to and as a part of Chapter 37 of the Laws of Maryland of 1784. This
Charter was subsequently amended by the General Assembly through Resolution No. 41 of
1832.
The Visitors and Governors of St. John's College in 1950 revised the Charter to eliminate
extraneous and obsolete matter and to make certain other amendments consistent with present
requirements and conditions. It was the opinion of the Attorney General of Maryland that the
original Charter of the College was subject to the general Corporation Laws of Maryland and
might accordingly be amended by the Visitors and Governors, pursuant to these laws, without
legislative action by the General Assembly. Subsequent amendments were made in 1961, in
1963, in 1965, in 1970, and in 1975.
CHARTER OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
WHEREAS, institutions for the liberal education of youth in the principles of virtue, knowledge
and useful literature are of the highest benefit to society, in order to train up and perpetuate a
succession of able and honest men for discharging the various offices and duties of life, both
civil and religious, with usefulness and reputation, and such institutions of learning have
accordingly been promoted and encouraged by the wisest and best regulated States; And
whereas, it appears to this General Assembly that many public spirited individuals, from an
earnest desire to promote the founding a college or seminary of learning on the Western Shore of
this State have subscribed and procured subscriptions to a considerable amount, and there is
reason to believe that very large additions will be obtained to the same throughout the different
counties of the said Shore, if they were made capable in law to receive and apply the same
towards founding and carrying on a college or general seminary of learning with such salutary
plan and with such legislative assistance and direction as the General Assembly might think fit,
and this General Assembly, highly approving those generous exertions of individuals, are
desirous to embrace the present favorable occasion of peace and prosperity for making lasting
provision for the encouragement and advancement of all useful knowledge and literature through
every part of this State;
BE IT ENACTED:
When the decision was reached to establish a second St. John's College in Santa Fe, New
Mexico, amendments were made to the Charter to authorize branches or extensions of the
College. The Charter was then filed with the Corporations Commission of the State of New
Mexico as a foreign corporation. The College was thus empowered to grant degrees in New
Mexico under the provisions of its Maryland Charter.
A Polity for the College was first suggested at a faculty meeting in 1943 by the Dean. A faculty
committee was elected and drafted a Polity, which was then promulgated by the President. In
April 1949 the Faculty elected a committee to revise the Polity. The resulting document was
approved by the Faculty on April 9, 1950, and was adopted by the Board of Visitors and
Governors on July 8, 1950. Subsequent quinquennial reviews were made by elected faculty
committees, and desired amendments were recommended by the Faculty to the Board of Visitors
and Governors. The Polity was thus amended at regular meetings of the Board held on May 14,
1955; May 21, 1960; May 15, 1965; June 6, 1970; April 19, 1975; January 16, 1982; April 19,
1986; and October 19, 1991. Other amendments were adopted by the Board at regular meetings
on February 22 and December 9, 1961; February 23 and September 28, 1963; October 3, 1970;
February 18, 1972;0ctober25, 1975;January24, 1976;November6, 1982;July21, 1984;April
20, 1985; October 25, 1986; April 11, 1987; October 19, 1991; July 18, 1992; April 17, 1993;
April 22, 1995; April 19, 1996; April 24, 1999, and November 6, 1999; January 27, 2001, April
26, 2003; April 24, 2004; January 27, 2006; April 22, 2006; April 25, 2009; April 24, 2010, and
October 29, 2011.
II. That a college or general seminary of learning by the name of "St. John's College" be
established on the said Western Shore upon the following fundamental and inviolable principles;
namely, first, the said college shall be founded and maintained forever upon a most liberal plan
for the benefit of youth of every religious denomination, who shall be freely admitted to equal
privileges and advantages of education and to all the literary honors of the college, according to
their merit without requiring or enforcing any religious or civil test, or urging their attendance
upon any particular religious worship or service other than what they have been educated in or
have the consent and approbation of their parents or guardians to attend; nor shall any preference
be given in the choice of a Principal, Vice-Principal or other Professor, Master or Tutor in said
college on account of his particular religious profession, having regard solely to his moral
character and literary abilities and other necessary qualifications to fill the place for which he
shall be chosen.
IV. That the governing body or board of said College shall consist of not more than sixty nor less
than thirteen Visitors and Governors, to be chosen and to hold office in such manner as the said
Visitors and Governors may determine and prescribe by their fundamental ordinances; provided,
however, that the Governors of the States of Maryland and New Mexico shall act ex officio as
two of the total number of Visitors and Governors of said college during their respective terms in
said offices; and that the said Visitors and Governors and their successors duly chosen shall be
and are hereby declared to be one community, corporation and body politic to have continuance
forever by the name of and by the same name they shall have perpetual succession.
�ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
VII. That if the City of Annapolis should be fixed upon as a proper place for establishing the
said intended college, this General Assembly give and grant, and upon that condition do hereby
give and grant to the Visitors and Governors of the said College by the name of "The Visitors
and Governors of Saint John's College in the State of Maryland," and their successors all that
four acres within the City of Annapolis purchased for the use by the public and conveyed on the
2nd day of October, 1744, by Stephen Bordley, Esq., to Thos. Bladen, Esq., then Governor, to
have and to hold the said four acres of land with the appurtenances to the said Visitors and
Governors and their successors for the only use, benefit and behoof of the said college and
seminary of universal learning forever.
VIII. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the same name shall be able
and capable in law to purchase, have and enjoy to them and their successors in fee, or for any
other less estate or estates, any lands, tenements, rents, annuities, pensions or other hereditaments
by the gift, grant, bargain, sale, alienation, enfeoffment, release, confirmation, or devise of any
person or persons, bodies politic or corporate capable to make the same, and such lands,
tenements, rents, annuities, pensions or other hereditaments or any less estates, rights or interests
of or in the same at their pleasure to grant, alien, sell and transfer in such manner and form as
they shall think meet and convenient for the furtherance of the said college; And also that they
may take and receive any sum or sums of money, and any kind, manner or portion of goods and
chattels that shall be given, sold or bequeathed to them by any person or persons, bodies politic
or corporate capable to make a gift, sale or bequest thereof and employ the same towards
erecting, setting up and maintaining the said college in such manner as they shall judge most
necessary and convenient for the instruction, improvement and education of youth in the
vernacular and learned languages, and generally in any kind of literature, arts and sciences,
which they shall think proper to be taught for training up good, useful and accomplished men fo r
the service of their country, in church and state.
IX. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the name aforesaid shall be able
in law to sue and be sued, plead and be impleadable in any court or courts, before any judge,
judges, or justices within this State and elsewhere in all and all manner of suits, complaints,
pleas, causes, matters and demands of whatsoever kind, nature or form they be and all and every
other matter and thing therein to do in as full and effectual a manner as any other person or
persons, bodies politic or corporate within this State or any of the United States of America in
like cases may or can do.
X. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors shall have full power and authority
to have, make and use one common and public seal and likewise one privy seal with such
devices and inscriptions as they shall think proper, and to ascertain, fix and regulate the uses of
both seals, by their own laws and the same seals or either of them to change, break, alter and
renew at their pleasure.
XI. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors from time to time and at all times
hereafter, forever, shall have full power and authority to constitute and appoint in such manner as
they shall think best and most convenient, a principal, a vice-principal of the said college and
professors with proper tutors and assistants for instructing the students and scholars of the said
seminary in all the liberal arts and sciences, and in the ancient and modem tongues and
languages; and the said principal, vice-principal and professors so constituted and appointed
from time to time shall be known and distinguished forever as one learned body or faculty by the
name of "The Principal, Vice-Principal and Professors of St. John's College"; and by that name
shall be capable of exercising such powers and authorities as the Visitors and Governors of the
said college and their successors shall by their ordinances think necessary to delegate to them for
the instruction, discipline and government of the said seminary and of all the students, scholars,
ministers and servants belonging to the same.
XIV. That a majority of the said Visitors and Governors for the time being and duly assembled at
any meeting upon due notice given to the whole body of Visitors and Governors shall have full
power and authority to make fundamental ordinances for the government of the said college and
the instruction of youth as aforesaid, and by these ordinances to appoint such a number of their
own body not less than seven, as they may think proper for transacting all general and necessary
business of the said seminary and making temporary rules for the government of the same; and
also by the said fundamental ordinances to delegate to the principal, vice-principal and
professors such powers and authorities as they may think best for the standing government of the
said seminary and of the execution of the ordinances and rules of the same; provided always that
they be not repugnant to the form of government of any law of this State.
XV. And for animating and encouraging the students of said college to a laudable diligence,
industry and progress in useful literature and science, be it enacted that the said Visitors and
Governors and their successors shall by a written mandate under their privy seal and the hand of
someone of the Visitors and Governors to be chosen annually as their President, according to the
ordinance to be made for that purpose, have full power and authority to direct the principal, viceprincipal and professors to hold public commencements either on stated annual days, or
occasionally as the future ordinances of the said seminary may direct and at such
commencements to admit any of the students in the said college or any other persons meriting
the same (whose names shall be severally inserted in the same mandate) to any degree or degrees
in any of the faculties, arts and sciences and liberal professions to which persons are usually
admitted in other colleges or universities in America or Europe; And it is hereby enacted that the
principal , or in the case of his death or absence, the vice-principal , and in case of the death or
absence of both, the senior professor who may be present, shall make out and sign with his name
diplomas or certificates of the admission to such degree or degrees, which shall be sealed with
the public or greater seal of the said corporation or college and delivered to the graduates as
honorable and perpetual testimonials of such admission; which diplomas, if thought necessary
for doing greater honor to such graduates, shall also be signed with the names of the different
professors or as many of them as can conveniently sign the same; provided always that no
student or students within the said college shall ever be admitted to any such degree or degrees,
or have their name inserted in any mandate for a degree, until such student or students have been
first duly examined, and thought worthy of the same.
XVI. That the ordinances which shall be from time to time made by the Visitors and Governors
of the said college and their successors with an account of their other proceedings and of the
management of the estate and moneys committed to their trust, shall when required be laid
�before the General Assembly for their inspection and examination, but in case at any time
hereafter through oversight, or otherwise through misapprehension and mistaken constructions of
the powers, liberties and franchises in this Charter or Act of Incorporation granted, or intended to
be granted, any ordinance should be made by the said corporation of Visitors and Governors or
any matters done and transacted by the corporation contrary to the tenor hereof, it is enacted that
although such ordinances, acts and doings shall in themselves be null and void, yet they shall
not, however, in any courts of law, or by the General Assembly, be deemed, taken, interpreted or
adjudged into an avoidance or forfeiture of this Charter and Act of Incorporation, but the same
shall be and remain unhurt, inviolate and entire unto the said corporation of Visitors and
Governors in perpetual succession; and all their acts conformable to the powers, true intent and
meaning hereof shall be and remain in full force and validity, the nullity and avoidance of such
illegal acts to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
XVII. That this Charter and Act of Incorporation and every part thereof shall be good and
available in all things in the law according to the true intent and meaning thereof, and shall be
construed, reputed and adjudged in all cases most favorably on the behalf and for the best benefit
and be hoof of the said Visitors and Governors and their successors, so as most effectually to
answer the valuable end of this Act of Incorporation towards the general advancement and
promotion of useful knowledge, science and virtue.
Polity of St. John's College
Preamble
Education is the making of men and women out of children by bringing them into the world of
inherited customs, intellectual traditions, and spiritual ties. Institutions of learning are set up for
this purpose. Beyond this they should also seek to develop the moral and intellectual powers of
their students to enable them to fulfill best their freely chosen tasks and thus to take their own
responsible part in shaping the future. St. John's College is a community of learning committed
to holding these ends constantly in sight and to seeking the best means of attaining them.
St. John's College strives to illuminate the common heritage of humanity in a persisting study of
the great documents in which that heritage can be found. It is concerned with the unity of
knowledge, an understanding of the great issues, and the moral foundations on which men and
women may conduct their lives. To provide proper conditions for the pursuit of these ends, we,
the Board of Visitors and Governors, after consultation with the Faculty, do ordain and establish
this Polity for St. John's College.
Article I
XVIII. That the College may establish and operate one or more branches in one or more states of
the United States.
THE COLLEGE
(1) St. John's College is by its Charter a legal entity, carrying on its functions from its campuses
in Annapolis, Maryland, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Under the Charter of the College, all
power, authority, and responsibility pertaining to the College are vested in the Visitors and
Governors.
(2) The College consists of the following: The Board of Visitors and Governors, the Faculty, the
Graduate and Undergraduate Students, the Alumni and the Staff, and other members who
may be named from time to time by the Board of Visitors and Governors.
(3) Under the Charter, "the said Visitors and Governors, and their successors, from time to time,
and at all times hereafter, forever, shall have full power and authority to constitute and
appoint, in such manner as they shall think best and most convenient, a principal and viceprincipal of the said College, and professors, with proper tutors and assistants, for instructing
the students and scholars of the said seminary in all the liberal arts and sciences, and in the
ancient and modern tongues and languages; and the said principal, vice-principal, and
professors, so constituted and appointed from time to time shall be known and distinguished
forever as one learned body or faculty, by the name of 'The Principal, Vice-Principal, and
Professors of St. John's College;' and by that name shall be capable of exercising such
powers and authorities as the Visitors and Governors of the said college and their successors
shall by their ordinances think necessary to delegate to them for the instruction, discipline,
and government of the said seminary and of all the students, scholars, ministers and servants
belonging to the same."
�(a) The "principal" shall be the Presidents. When 'President' is used in this Polity it shall
mean:
(i) with respect to membership on the Board of Visitors and Governors, in the Faculty,
on committees of the Board, and sitting ex officio with the Instruction Committee,
and for presentation of, and response to, the Statement of Educational Policy and
Program (Article V (l)(c)), the President of the Annapolis campus and the President
of the Santa Fe campus;
(ii) with respect to membership on committees or sitting ex officio with committees, and
actions or procedures relating to one campus, the President of that campus;
who have been designated as honorary members of the Alumni Association of St. John's
College shall be called Alumni. All who have ever been Alumni shall continue to be.
(k) The Staff shall consist of all persons appointed by the President who are not members of
the Faculty of St. John's College or the Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(I) There shall be no discrimination at St. John's College in appointments, conditions of
employment, admissions, educational policy, financial aid programs, athletics, or other
activities, on the basis of race, religion, age, sex, national origin, color, disability and/or
handicap, sexual orientation, or other characteristic protected by any applicable federal,
state or local law.
(iii) with respect to actions under Article [I (12)(b) or actions or procedures involving the
entire College under Article X (l)(a)(i) and Article X (l)(a)(iii), either President.
Article II
VISITORS AND GOVERNORS
(b) The "vice-principal" shall be the Dean who is serving as the Chair of the Instruction
Committee.
(c) There shall be a Dean of St. John's College in Annapolis and a Dean of St. John's College
in Santa Fe.
(d) The "professors, tutors and assistants" shall bear the title Tutor or Tutor Emeritus. Tutors
who have completed their tenure appointments shall be Tutors Emeriti.
(e) There shall be Vice-Presidents for College Advancement and Treasurers.
(f) There shall be Associate members of the Faculty, hereinafter called Associates, as
provided in Article VIII.
(g) The "one learned body or faculty," composed of the President, the Deans, the other
Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti, the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, the Treasurers,
and the Associates, shall bear the title the Faculty of St. John's College.
(h) All who have formally matriculated, are at the present enrolled, and are in good standing
shall be called Students of St. John's College.
(i) The Directors and the Tutors of the Graduate Institute shall be called the Faculty of the
Graduate Institute.
(j) All who have been awarded a degree by the College shall be called Alumni. In addition,
all who have completed at least one semester of undergraduate study or at least one
segment of Graduate Institute study, but who are not currently enrolled, shall be called
Alumni either a) in the case of undergraduate students, when the class with which they
matriculated has graduated, orb) in the case of Graduate Institute students, at the end of
three full sessions of the Graduate Institute after the one in which they last enrolled. All
(l) Qualifications for Membership. Persons shall be eligible for membership on the Board of
Visitors and Governors who are concerned for the maintenance, progress, and vitality of St.
John ' s College' s educational program and who are willing and able to discharge the
responsibilities of trusteeship with devotion and energy.
(2) Members. The Board of Visitors and Governors shall consist of not more than thirty four
members, comprising the Presidents, the Deans, the Governors of Maryland and New
Mexico, and the President of the St. John' s College Alumni Association, ex officio, twentyseven members, of whom not more than twenty-four shall be elected by the entire Board, and
of whom not more than three shall be elected by the Alumni of the College, all in the manner
and for the terms hereinafter provided. In recognition of meritorious service to the College,
Visitors Emeriti may be elected to the Board who may attend all meetings of the Board, with
voice in deliberation, but without vote. Retired members of the Board who have served six
(6) terms on the Board as members in good standing may be designated as Honorary Board
Members upon election by the Board. Honorary Board Members will receive minutes of the
Plenary Sessions of the Board, may, as a guest, attend the Plenary Sessions of all regular
meetings of the Board, and may be asked to assist on Board Committees.
(3) Elections by the Board. At each annual meeting, the Board shall elect a class of members for
a term of three years, to succeed those members whose term expires at the conclusion of said
meeting. Those members elected shall begin their term upon the conclusion of the meeting of
their election. The procedure for nomination and election shall be as follows:
There shall be a Trustee and Governance Committee of the Board appointed by the Chair.
The Chair and the Presidents shall sit with the committee, ex officio, when nominations to
Board membership are being considered. The Trustee and Governance Committee shall
recommend to each member of the Board in writing, not later than thirty days prior to the
annual meeting at which the election is to be held, at least one candidate for each of the
places to be filled by such election, including each position as an officer of the Board.
Additional nominations may be made in writing, addressed to the Chair, signed by at least
�five members of the Board, prior to the date above provided for the report of the Trustee and
Governance Committee, and any such additional nominations shall be reported to the Board
by the Committee at the time of its report.
Voting on nominations at annual meetings may be by ballot, each member present to vote on
said nominations. In case the balloting results in a tie for one or more positions, the Board
shall determine the procedure to resolve the tie. No nominee for member or officer of the
Board shall be deemed elected who has not received the affirmative votes of at least a
majority of the members present at the meeting.
Jf there should be fewer than eight members in any class prior to the end of the term for such
class, any vacancy may be filled pursuant to the procedure provided above for regular
elections, except that the election may take place at any regular meeting. A member elected
to fill any such vacancy shall hold office for the remainder of the term of the class in which
such vacancy occurred.
(4) Elections by the Alumni . The voice of alumni being of particular value to the Board, each
year one of the college' s alumni shall be elected to membership for a term of three years, in
such manner that there shall be three members of the Board elected by the alumni, consisting
of three classes of one member each. Outgoing members so elected shall continue to serve
until their successors' term of office begins.
Such elections shall be conducted in accordance with the By-laws of the Alumni Association
of St. John ' s College. A representative of the Alumni Association Board shall consult w ith
the Chair of the Trustee and Governance Committee of the Board of Visitors and Governors
concerning the Association's nominees and shall advise the Trustee and Governance
Committee of its nominees in advance of the Board of Visitors and Governors' mid-year
meeting so that the organizations ' respective nominations can reasonably be coordinated. In
the event that for any reason there should be fewer than one member so elected in any class
prior to the end of the term of that class, the vacancy may be filled by the Alumni
Association of St. John ' s College. Newly elected alumni shall begin their terms immediately
following the annual meeting of the Board.
(5) Faculty Representation at Board Meetings. Three members of the Faculty shall be elected by
the Faculty on each campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus to
which they belong, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(6) Student Representation at Board Meetings. Two students shall be elected by the Students on
each campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which they belong,
with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(7) Graduate Institute Director Representation at Board Meetings. Each Director of the Graduate
Institute may attend all regular sessions of the Board on such Director' s campus, with voice
in deliberation, but without vote.
(8) Graduate Institute Student Representation at Board Meetings. A student of the Graduate
Institute shall be elected by the Students of the Graduate Institute on each campus to attend
all regular sessions of the Board on such student's campus, with voice in deliberation, but
without vote.
(9) Staff Representation at Board Meetings. The Staff on each campus shall be invited to send
two representatives to all regular sessions of the Board at that campus, with voice in
deliberation, but without vote.
(10) Reelection. A member of the Board elected by the Board or by the Alumni may be elected
for not more than two consecutive terms, but may, after a second consecutive term, be
reelected to membership at the annual meeting in the year following the expiration of the
member's second term . Notwithstanding the foregoing, in extraordinary circumstances, the
Trustee and Governance Committee may recommend the reelection of the Chair of the Board
fo r up to two additional consecutive terms.
(11 ) Meetings of the Board.
(a) The Board shall hold at least three regular meetings annually, at least one of which shall
be held on each campus. The last meeting of the academic year shall be called the annual
meeting. The time and place of regular meetings shall be determined by the Chair, in
consultation with the President, and notice of regular meetings shall be given not less
than fifteen days prior to such meetings.
(b) Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President, the Chair, the Executive
Committee, or any nine members of the Board, not less than seven days after the dispatch
of written, faxed, or e-mail notice of the time, place, and purposes of the meeting. Such
notice may be dispensed with if waived in writing by all members of the Board either
before or after the meeting.
(c) Any business may be conducted at a regular meeting without specific notice of such
business (except that which is required by law or as provided herein as to elections and
amendments), but no business shall be conducted at any special meeting unless notice of
such business has been given, or has been waived as above provided.
(d) One third of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business.
(e) The Board in regular session is open to elected and ex officio members, to Visitors
Emeriti, to Honorary Board Members as guests, to Associates and others invited by the
President, and to official representatives of the Faculty, Students, Graduate Institute, and
Staff. Attendance at Executive sessions shall be limited to voting members and Visitors
Emeriti. Public sessions shall be open without restriction. The Chair of the Board, in
consultation with the Presidents, shall determine whether any meeting or portion of a
meeting shall be in regular, executive, or public session.
�(12) Officers of the Board. At each annual meeting the Board shall elect a Chair, Vice-Chair,
and Secretary, to hold office until the next annual meeting or until their successors are
elected. Vacancies in any such offices may be filled at any regular meeting, or any special
meeting called for that purpose. Such officers shall perform the customary duties of such
offices, and such other duties as the Board may from time to time direct.
auditors, unattended by employees of the College. The Committee shall recommend to
the Board the appointment or reappointment of independent auditors to conduct the audit
for the next fiscal year. The Committee shall report to the Board annually on its review of
the audit, shall bring to the attention of the Board any matters related thereto requiring
Board action, and shall have such other responsibilities as the Chair of the Board shall
determine. The Treasurers shall serve as non-voting Staff to the committee.
(13) Committees of the Board.
(a) Executive Committee. The Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Presidents, Deans, Chairs of the
Finance, Advancement, Visiting, and Trustee and Governance Committees, and two other
members chosen annually by the Board at the annual meeting shall comprise the
Executive Committee of the Board. In intervals between meetings of the Board, the
Executive Committee may act for the Board, except in those matters expressly delegated
to some other committee, person, or persons. Eight members of the Executive Committee
present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The
Executive Committee shall determine the compensation of the Vice Presidents and
Treasurers. The Executive Committee shall recommend to the Board the compensation of
the Presidents and shall also recommend annually to the Board the Chair of the
Management Committee.
(b) Presidential Search Committee. There shall be a Presidential Search Committee to
recommend the appointment of a President as provided in Article IV(2).
(c) Trustee and Governance Committee. There shall be a Trustee and Governance
Committee which shall be responsible for the nomination, orientation, and assessment of
members of the Board as provided in Article ll(3), and shall have such other
responsibilities as the Chair of the Board shall charge.
(g) Polity Review Committee. There shall be a Polity Review Committee appointed by the
Chair every fifth year. The Chair of the Board shall appoint one of the members to be
Chair of the Committee. The Committee shall receive the report of the Faculty
Committee and after appropriate study shall make recommendations to the Board for
consideration at the annual meeting when the final review of the Polity is consummated.
The respective Chairs of the Board and Faculty Review Committees shall make such
arrangements as they deem appropriate for joint consultation prior to and after the
adoption of the report by the Faculty.
(h) Advancement Committee. There shall be an Advancement Committee which shall be
responsible for the oversight of the College's fundraising, communications, and alumni
relations functions, and shall have such other responsibilities as the Chair of the Board
shall determine. The Vice Presidents for College Advancement shall be members of the
Committee, ex officio.
(i) Other Committees. The Chair may appoint such other standing or special committees of
the Board as the Chair deems desirable or which the Board may request.
(j) Former members of the Board and Visitors Emeriti may be appointed by and at the
discretion of the Chair to serve on committees.
(d) Visiting Committee. There shall be a Visiting Committee, which shall meet at least once
annually with the Instruction Committee on one of the campuses. The Visiting
Committee shall discuss the Statement of Educational Policy and Program of the Chair of
the Instruction Committee and become acquainted with the aims of the College and how
they are being realized, and shall have such other responsibilities as the Chair of the
Board shall charge. The Deans shall be members of the Committee, ex officio.
(e) Finance Committee. There shall be a Finance Committee which shall be responsible for
recommending to the Board the annual budgets, policies for the expenditures from
endowments, major capital expenditures, and policies for the investment of College
assets. It shall be responsible for the oversight of the College's financial matters, physical
plant and compensation policies for faculty and staff, and shall have such other
responsibilities as the Chair of the Board shall charge. The Presidents, Treasurers, and
Chair of the Board shall sit on the Committee, ex officio.
(f) Audit Committee. There shall be an Audit Committee, including a Chair, appointed by
the Chair of the Board. The Committee shall be responsible for the review in detail of the
annual report of the independent auditors and the discussion of audit findings with the
(k) Except for the Presidential Search Committee and the Polity Review Committee,
committee appointments shall be made annually. Members of the Committees serve until
their successors have been appointed.
(I) Any member of the Board may, without invitation, attend any Board committee meeting,
except those of the Presidential Search, Trustee and Governance, and Executive
Committees, but without vote.
(m)Whenever a Capital Campaign is in progress, its Chair shall be an ex-officio voting
member of the Finance and Executive Committees.
(14) Execution of Contracts, Transfer of Securities, Etc. All contracts of $50,000 or more, notes,
deeds, leases, mortgages, releases, bonds for security or indemnity, negotiable instruments,
stock certificates, transfers, and powers, and like papers and documents on behalf of the
College or the Endowment Funds shall be executed by two persons, of whom one shall be the
President, the Chair, or a Vice-Chair, and of whom the other shall be the Secretary of the
Board or the Treasurer of the campus concerned.
�(3) The President shall concurrently be a Tutor, but the provisions of Article VI need not apply.
( 15) Signing of checks, drafts, etc. All checks, drafts, acceptances, and similar orders for the
payment of money on behalf of the College may be signed by the same persons authorized to
execute contracts, etc., pursuant to Section (14) hereof, but may also be signed by such
persons, and in such manner, as the Board may from time to time direct by appropriate
resolution.
(16) The College shall indemnify, to the full extent permitted by law, any current or former
member of the Board or officer of the College or any person who, while a member of the
Board or an officer of the College, may have served at the College's request as a director,
officer, partner or trustee of another entity, against any judgments, penalties, fines,
settlements and reasonable expenses actually and necessarily incurred by him or her in
connection with the defense of any action, suit or proceeding to which he or she is made a
party by reason of being or having been such member of the Board or officer of the College.
Article III
THE FACULTY
The Visitors and Governors by these ordinances hereby delegate to the Faculty of St. John's
College the President, the Deans, the other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti, the Vice-Presidents for
College Advancement, the Treasurers, and the Associates "powers and authorities" for the
"instruction, discipline, and government" of the College.
Article IV
THE FACULTY: THE PRESIDENT
(1) There shall be a President for the Annapolis campus and a President for the Santa Fe campus,
each appointed as provided in Article IV (2). There is delegated to each President by the
Visitors and Governors executive responsibility and authority for the instruction, discipline,
and government of the President's campus, and the President, in turn, may delegate such
authority. In the interest of the orderly conduct of business and of maintaining and promoting
the unity of the College, the Presidents shall regularly consult and communicate with each
other and, as appropriate, with other College officials, on matters of common concern.
(2) The President shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the
recommendation of a Committee composed of five members of the Board of Visitors and
Governors appointed by the Chair of the Board, at least one of whom is an alumnus the
'
Deans, and one Tutor having tenure from each campus elected by the Faculty on that
campus. This Committee shall be known as the Presidential Search Committee. It shall
consult with the continuing President in a regular and timely fashion. Prior to making its final
recommendation, it shall, on both campuses, consult with all other appropriate persons and
shall arrange for the final candidates to meet with the Faculty and the Instruction Committee.
(4) The President and persons to whom the President delegates authority shall consult with the
Deans, other appropriate persons, and appropriate Faculty committees in matters of policy,
initiation of programs, and setting of priorities affecting the general welfare of the College.
(5) There shall be a Financial Committee on each campus consisting of the President as Chair,
the Dean and Treasurer of the campus, and other members the President may appoint. It will
review proposed budgets prior to their being presented to the Finance Committee of the
Board. It will also meet prior to Board meetings to review performance in the fiscal year to
date and emerging budgetary strengths and weaknesses.
(6) The President shall appoint, or delegate the power to appoint, other committees as may be
necessary for the carrying out of the President's duties for which no provision is made under
Article IX.
(7) If in the judgment of the Board of Visitors and Governors, the College is facing a financial
exigency at either or both of its campuses which could call for a reduction in the number of
Faculty positions, both Presidents shall immediately advise the Faculty of the nature and
extent of the financial difficulty and consult with them concerning the best way to address
the situation. The Faculty may then make a formal recommendation to the Presidents on
ways to meet the problem, or, if the Faculty fails so to act, the Deans and the Instruction
Committee shall propose a plan to the Presidents. The Presidents shall jointly then determine
a plan which specifies a preferred course of action to be taken. All necessary steps must be
taken in timely fashion as prescribed by the Board. Nothing herein provided shall limit the
power of the Board to act otherwise in the event of need to reduce or eliminate Faculty
positions.
Article V
THE FACULTY: THE CHAIR OF THE INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE AND THE DEANS
(1) The Chair of the Instruction Committee.
(a) There is delegated to the Chair of the Instruction Committee responsibility and authority
for the organization of the program of instruction in the liberal arts that is followed by the
Tutors and the Students.
(b) The Deans shall serve alternately, for a term of one year, as Chair of the Instruction
Committee.
(c) Each year the Chair of the Instruction Committee shall, after consultation with the
Instruction Committee on the Chair's campus, and after discussion with the Instruction
Committee of the College, submit a Statement of Educational Policy and Program to the
Faculty as a whole for discussion. The Presidents shall present the Statement, together
�with an account of the Faculty discussion of it, and their responses to it, as a report to the
Board of Visitors and Governors for its consideration.
(d) Should the Chair of the Instruction Committee•or the Chair of the Board of Visitors and
Governors deem it appropriate, the Chair of the Instruction Committee shall report to the
Board on instructional matters, and shall respond to such questions as the Board, through
its Chair, may ask.
(2) The Deans.
(a) There is delegated to the Deans on their respective campuses responsibility and authority
for the supervision of the program of instruction and for the general welfare of the
students and for whatever government of the students be necessary for the greatest
possible attainment of aims of the program. Each Dean shall be the Chair of the
Instruction Committee on such Dean's campus. In carrying out the Dean's duties, each
Dean shall consult regularly with the President and with the Instruction Committee and
the other appropriate Faculty committees on that campus.
(b) The Deans shall be appointed for terms of five years from among the Tutors by the
Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President after consultation with a
special committee of seven, four from the campus for which the Dean is being chosen
and three from the other campus, selected from among themselves by the Tutors having
tenure.
(c) A Dean shall be appointed from among the tutors who have themselves been appointed in
accord with Article VI(3). If non-tenured, the appointee shall acquire tenure upon
becoming Dean, in which case the provisions of Article VI(3)(a) regarding reappointment
schedules shall not apply.
(d) To assist them in carrying out their duties, the Deans shall recommend one or more
Tutors to be appointed by the President with the title of Assistant Dean.
(e) During the absence of the President from either campus, the Dean on that campus shall if
necessary exercise the President's prerogative of final decision.
(f) During the absence of either Dean from the campus a Tutor with tenure named by the
Dean shall act for the Dean.
(g) The Dean on each campus shall appoint such committees as may be necessary for the
carrying out of the Dean's duties for which no other provision is made.
Article VI
TlIE FACULTY: TlIE TUTORS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the Tutors are to teach and to make themselves as competent
as possible in all parts of the St. John's Program.
(2) The Tutors shall have authority to recommend to the Visitors and Governors candidates for
degrees of their respective campuses.
(3) Appointment and Reappointment of Tutors. Tutors shall be appointed by the Visitors and
Governors upon recommendation of the President in accordance with the recommendation of
the Dean and the Instruction Committee on that campus where the Tutors so appointed shall
teach.
(a) The schedule of regular appointment of Tutors on each campus shall be either (i)(A) or
(i)(B) below, to be decided by the President in accordance with the recommendation of
the Dean and the Instruction Committee on that campus where the Tutors so appointed
shall teach:
(i)(A) New Tutors shall be appointed for one year unless they are appointed at mid-year,
in which case the initial appointment shall be for a year and a half. First
reappointments shall be for one year. Second and third reappointments shall be
for two and three years respectively.
(i)(B) New Tutors shall be appointed for two years unless they are appointed at midyear, in which case the initial appointment shall be for a year and a half. First and
second reappointments shall be for two and three years respectively.
(ii) A Tutor who has completed a three-year appointment must either be given a tenure
appointment or not be reappointed as Tutor. A Tutor may, however, be given a tenure
appointment as early as the conclusion of the first year of a three-year appointment.
Procedures leading to a recommendation for an early tenure appointment shall be
initiated by the Dean and Instruction Committee, but not without the consent of the
appointee, and shall not prejudice subsequent consideration for a tenure appointment.
Tenure appointments shall not continue beyond retirement. Tutors Emeriti shall retain
their privileges and responsibilities in voting at Faculty meetings.
(iii) Before making recommendations to the President on tenure appointments the Dean
on each campus shall consult with the Instruction Committee on that campus, after
seeking the advice of the Tutors on that campus.
(iv) A Tutor, to be recommended for a tenure appointment, must have served full-time at
the campus where the recommendation is to be made for the two years immediately
preceding the year in which that recommendation is made, the provisions of (ii) above
�notwithstanding. In ordinary cases, these two years of service will be the second year
of a two-year appointment and the first year of a three-year appointment. These
requirements may be waived by the President on the recommendation of the Dean
and instruction Committee on that campus.
(b) A non-tenure appointment as Tutor establishes the possibility, but not the presumption, of
its renewal and the granting of a tenure appointment. Procedures for considering nontenure appointments differ from those for considering tenure appointments. Satisfaction
of appointment criteria admits of degree. With each successive reappointment, the criteria
are applied more rigorously. For a tenure appointment the application is especially strict.
(c) For the purpose of temporary transfer between campuses, special appointments of one or
two years may be granted to a Tutor in addition to his or her regular appointments. The
Tutor may ask that such an appointment be counted as a regular appointment for the
purpose of (a) above. In the case of a permanent transfer a Tutor may ask that years of
service at the other campus be counted toward tenure according to the provisions of (a)
above. Nevertheless, the provisions of (3)(a)(iv) prevail.
(d) Special one-year appointments and reappointments may be given to Tutors who intend to
teach on a part-time basis only. Such a Tutor may subsequently apply for and receive a
regular appointment. Special part-time appointments may then be counted on a fractional
basis toward eligibility for tenure, subject to the provisions of (3)(a)(iv). In establishing
eligibility for sabbatical leave, special part-time appointments shall be computed
proportionate! y.
(e) Visiting Tutors may be appointed for a term or a year.
(4) Notification.
(a) A Tutor under consideration for a non-tenure appointment to begin in a certain calendar
year shall be notified by the President no later than December 15th of the preceding
calendar year whether reappointment will be recommended to the Board of Visitors and
Governors. A Tutor who is reappointed shall be notified by the President by March 1st
of the calendar year in which the new appointment is to begin.
(b) A Tutor under consideration for a tenure appointment to begin in a certain calendar year
shall be notified by the President no later than May 31st of the preceding calendar year
whether the appointment will be recommended to the Board of Visitors and Governors. A
Tutor who is appointed shall be notified by the President by July 31st of that same
preceding year.
(5) A Tutor may apply to the instruction Committee of the College not later than January 15th
for a transfer of campus for the next academic year. Transfers shall require approval of both
Deans after consultation with their Instruction Committees.
(6) (a) A Tutor's appointment may be terminated by the Board of Visitors and Governors for
one of the following reasons only:
(i) failure or inability to perform teaching duties in a satisfactory manner, or
(ii) moral turpitude.
The President shall make such a recommendation to the Board of Visitors and Governors
only with the concurrence of the Dean and the Instruction Committee of the campus
concerned. Before making such a recommendation, the President shall advise the Tutor
affected, and the Tutor shall have the right to be heard by the Instruction Committee or, at
the Tutor' s option, by another committee to be designated by the President for this
purpose.
(b) Either Dean, with the approval of the Instruction Committee on the campus concerned,
may recommend to the President that in the interest of instruction a Tutor be temporarily
relieved of duties in whole or in part at any time. When such action is taken, the Tutor's
salary shall be continued for the remainder of the current academic year.
(7) The sabbatical leave program is designed to provide Tutors with an opportunity for study,
rest, and renewal of spirit, in anticipation of future teaching. It is the objective of the program
to grant all applications for sabbatical leave meeting the conditions for eligibility set out in
(a) of this section. It is understood that Tutors on such leave will not undertake full-time
remunerative employment elsewhere and will return to the College.
(a) Eligibility for sabbatical leave shall be upon the following conditions:
(i) A Tutor who has received a tenure appointment may apply for a full year of
sabbatical leave at full salary, to be taken upon completion of the equivalent of seven
full years of service to the College since the original appointment, or the equivalent of
six full years of service since any previous sabbatical leave.
(ii) Such a Tutor may apply for an earlier sabbatical leave of a full year at partial salary,
or a partial year at full salary. The fractional salary or fractional year shall be
determined by the number of years of teaching completed in relation to the prescribed
total for either an initial or a subsequent sabbatical leave, as the case may be. ln no
case shall a Tutor be paid more than the Tutor's regular salary.
(iii) Upon completion of sabbatical leave, a Tutor is expected to return to the College for
at least two more years.
(b) If, in the judgment of the President, financial or academic needs at a campus should
require that fewer sabbatical leaves be granted there in a given year than there are
qualified applicants, and if the number that can be granted there should be smaller than
one-sixth of the number of Tutors at that campus having tenure and not on full-time leave
under the provisions of section (8) below, the President shall so notify the Board of
�Visitors and Governors and seek its approval for delaying a sabbatical leave for one or
more of the applicants.
(c) If in a year there are more qualified applicants for sabbatical leave at any one campus
than there are leaves to be granted at that campus, then those members shall have
precedence who meet the following conditions in the order set forth:
(i) Those who have served for the greater number of years since their first appointment
as Tutor or since their last sabbatical leave, whichever is more recent;
(ii) Those whose service has been continuous throughout those years;
(iii) Those whose last sabbatical leave was postponed because of the financial or academic
needs of the College;
(iv) Those who have seniority of appointment.
When there is a conflict of precedence, the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the
campus concerned shall be consulted.
(d) A Tutor eligible for sabbatical leave shall make application to the President before
November 1st for leave to begin the following July 1st, and shall be informed of the
action upon the application not later than January 1st.
(8) The President, with the concurrence of the Dean after consultation with the Instruction
Committee on the campus concerned, may grant leaves of absence to Tutors for a period of
one year or less. At that time it shall be determined whether the leave shall be counted as
service to the College with respect to eligibility for sabbatical leave and, if so, how. The
decision with respect to a request for leave of absence shall be made in the light of the
requirements both of the applicant Tutor and of the whole College.
(a) Leave of absence may be renewed upon request but not more than twice in succession
except in extraordinary circumstances.
(b) A request for a leave of absence shall be submitted to the President as early as possible in
the academic year before the year in which the leave is to be taken, but not later than
January 15th of that year. Requests for leaves of absence may be withdrawn at any time
prior to April 1st of the year in which the request is submitted. Requests for leaves of
absence for the second semester must be submitted no later than October 15th.
(c) Tutors on sabbatical leave or leave of absence remain members of the Faculty with the
right of full participation in Faculty meetings and all other College exercises.
Article VII
THE FACULTY: THE VICE-PRESIDENTS FOR COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT AND THE
TREASURERS
(I) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement shall be responsible to the President for the
supervision and development of all programs in fund-raising, public relations, and alumni
relations on their respective campuses.
(2) The Vice-President for College Advancement on each campus shall be appointed by the
Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President made after
consultation with the Dean on that campus and a committee constituted by resolution of the
Faculty on that campus.
(3) The Treasurers shall have charge, on their respective campuses, under the supervision of the
President, of all funds and property, and shall have authority to carry out fiscal and property
transactions, and to receive and disburse funds , subject to the provisions of this Polity and
other directions and arrangements pursuant thereto.
(4) The Treasurer on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors on
the recommendation of the President made after consultation with the Dean on that campus
and a committee constituted by resolution of the Faculty on that campus.
(5) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement and Treasurers may be appointed Tutors
under the provisions of Article Vl(3)(d).
Article VIII
THE FACULTY: THE ASSOCIATES
(I) Associate members of the Faculty on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of
Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President in consultation with the
Dean of that campus. On each campus, the President shall have ultimate executive authority
over the Associates.
(2) Associates may be appointed Tutors under the provisions of Article Vl(3)(d).
(3) The Associates on either campus may establish for themselves an Associates' Council for the
purpose of considering College matters of concern to them and communicating with other
members of the College.
(4) The Associates' Councils may establish such committees as they deem appropriate.
�Article IX
(5) There shall be the following Associates, as deemed necessary by the President on each
campus, with the powers and responsibilities provided.
(a) The Registrars. The Registrars shall be responsible to the Deans on their respective
campuses. They shall prepare and supervise the registration of students and shall be
responsible for the academic records and schedules of students.
THE FACULTY: FACULTY COMMITTEES
(1) College-wide Committees
(a) The Instruction Committee
(b) The Librarians. The Librarians shall be responsible to the Deans on their respective
campuses for the operation of the library. Appointments of professional members of the
Library Staff shall be made upon the recommendation of the Librarian to the Dean on
each campus.
(i) The Instruction Committee shares with its Chairs responsibility for the program of
instruction of the College. It shall consist of twelve Tutors in addition to the
Deans. The Presidents shall sit with the Committee ex officio. Six of the Tutors
shall be elected from each campus of the College. The Instruction Committee
shall meet annually. On each campus the members of the Instruction Committee
and the Dean as Chair constitute the Instruction Committee of the College
on that campus. The President sits ex officio with the lnstruction Committee on
each campus.
(c) The Director of Student Activities and the Director of Athletics. The Director of Student
Activities and the Director of Athletics, as the case may be, shall be responsible to the
Deans on their respective campuses for devising and directing programs of recreational
activities.
(ii) Each of the members of the Instruction Committee shall serve for a term of three
years, and the terms shall be arranged in such a way that each year the terms of
two members at each campus shall expire. Terms begin and end the day following
commencement exercises. Annually, and separately at each campus, the President
with the Dean on his campus, after consulting with the Instruction Committee and
seeking the advice of the other Tutors on that campus, shall at the last regular
Faculty meeting on that campus nominate four Tutors of whom two shall be
elected by the Tutors to membership on the Instruction Committee. The Faculty
shall be informed of the names of the nominees prior to the meeting at which the
election occurs. At the expiration of the three-year term a member of the
Instruction Committee shall for one year be ineligible for reelection.
(d) The Directors of Admissions. The Directors of Admissions shall be responsible to the
Deans on their respective campuses for the annual enrollment of qualified freshmen.
(e) The Directors of Alumni Activities. The Directors of Alumni Activities shall be
responsible to the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement. Their primary duty is to
enable the College and the Alumni Association to be of service to alumni.
(f) The Directors of Financial Aid. The Directors of Financial Aid shall be responsible to the
Deans on their respective campuses for the administration of financial aid programs.
(g) The Directors of Career Services. The Directors of Career Services shall be responsible to
the Deans on their respective campuses for helping and counseling students with respect
to graduate and professional schools and careers.
(iii) If for any reason a member of the Instruction Committee is unable to serve for a
part of his or her term, another Tutor shall be chosen to serve for that part of the
term. For this purpose the President and the Dean, in consultation with the
Instruction Committee on the campus where the vacancy occurs, shall nominate
two Tutors of whom the Tutors shall elect one in a regular Faculty meeting.
(h) The Director of College Information Technology Services. The Director of College
Information Technology Services shall be responsible to both Presidents for the
development and management of information services college-wide.
(iv) If the Instruction Committee resigns with the Deans on a matter of confidence and
the resignations are accepted, the President, in consultation with the new Deans
and after seeking the advice of the other Tutors, shall nominate nine Tutors for the
six vacancies on each campus in such a manner that two out of each three
nominees shall be elected by the Tutors for each of the three classes to fill the
unexpired terms.
(i) The Directors of Laboratories. The Directors of Laboratories shall be responsible to the
Dean, in consultation with the Laboratory archons, for training and directing the student
laboratory assistants, designing experiments for the laboratory program, and purchasing
and maintaining laboratory equipment.
(b)
The Tutors' Compensation Committee
(i) There shall be a Tutors' Compensation Committee of six Tutors, three to be
elected by the Tutors on each campus, and the chair shall annually alternate
�between campuses. The Committee shall advise the President concerning Tutors'
compensation and related matters; it shall make annual reviews of the College's
statement of Tutors' salaries and other compensation of Tutors and report
to the Tutors and the President recommendations consequent upon the review.
(ii) Members of the Committee shall be elected annually on each campus for terms of
three years in such a manner that the term of one member on each campus
terminates each year. The Tutors' Compensation Committee on each campus shall
provide the Tutors on that campus with two nominations for each vacancy on the
Committee on that campus. Additional nominations may be made at the Faculty
meeting when election shall be made.
(2) Campus-specific Committees
(a)
The Campus Planning Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall elect five of its
members as a Campus Planning Committee. Two members shall be elected to the
Committee annually except in every third year, when one member shall be chosen.
The President, the Dean, one of the Assistant Deans, and the Treasurer on each
campus shall sit ex officio with the Committee on that campus. It shall be the duty of
the respective committees to advise the President on the construction of new
buildings, the renovation of old buildings, landscaping of grounds, and all matters
relating to the maintenance and development of the campus.
(b)
The Library Committees. The President on each campus, in consultation with the
Librarian and the Dean, shall appoint three Tutors on each campus to serve as a
Library Committee. The President, the Dean, and the Librarian shall themselves be ex
officio members of the Committee, and the Librarian shall serve as Chair. It shall be
the duty of the Library Committees to assist the Librarians in making the Libraries
serve the ends of the College and its program; it shall be their duty to advise the
Librarians in regard to Library policy and acquisitions.
(c)
The Information Technology Committees. The Dean on each campus shall appoint
three Tutors to serve as an Information Technology Committee, one of whom shall
serve as Chair. Each Tutor shall serve a three-year term. The Dean, the Director of
College Information Technology Services, and the Librarian shall be ex officio
members. lt shall be the duty of the Information Technology Committees to advise
the Director of College Information Technology Services in regard to the needs of the
College and its Program.
(d)
The Prize Committees. Every three years the President shall appoint Tutors on each
campus to supervise the awarding of prizes on the respective campuses. The
Committees shall have full authority to decide what prizes shall be awarded and to
name the recipients of the prizes.
(e)
The Fellowship Committees. On each campus there shall be a Fellowship Committee
appointed by the President. It shall be the duty of this Committee to inform students
of fellowships for which they may be eligible, to assist them in applying for
fellowships, and to act on behalf of the College in any matter relating to application
for fellowships.
(f)
Other Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall have authority to elect, or to
request the President to appoint, additional committees that may from time to time
become necessary.
Article X
THE FACULTY: FACULTY PROCEDURE
(1) Procedure for Instructional Proposals.
(a) (i) Any proposal concerning matters of instruction that may affect the College as a
whole shall originate with the Dean and the Instruction Committee on either
campus. A decision as to whether a proposal is college-wide or campus-specific
shall be made by the Deans and Instruction Committee of the College. They shall
make this decision after notifying the Faculty on both campuses and inviting their
comment.
Written statements of college-wide instructional proposals shall be distributed to
the Faculty at least two weeks before the Faculty meeting at which they are to be
presented; the proposal shall be presented to the whole Faculty by the Chair of the
Instruction Committee, either in person or through the other Dean. If, after full
discussion of any proposal so presented, there be no objection on the part of any
Tutor, the measure stands approved and becomes effective as of the date specified
therefore. If, after full discussion, a Tutor objects to the proposal and holds to the
objection, the proposal shall be submitted to vote of the Tutors at special Faculty
meetings called by the Presidents within a month. Any objections that have been
made and held to and submitted in writing shall be transmitted immediately in
writing to the whole faculty. Any objections that have been made and held to but
not submitted in writing shall be reported immediately in writing to the whole
Faculty. If, after discussion, any objection has been made and held to, the
Presidents, in calling special Faculty meetings, shall report the statement of the
Chair of the Instruction and the Dean on the other campus as to whether it be a
matter of confidence; and in submitting the proposal to vote, the Chair of the
Instruction Committee and the Dean on the other campus shall, at the special
Faculty meetings, repeat their statement as to whether it be a matter of
confidence. The vote may then be taken and tallied by the Presidents in such a
fashion that the Tutors shall have recorded their decision acting as a whole. If the
proposal be one that the Chair of the Instruction Committee and the other Dean
have declared a matter of confidence and if it be defeated by majority vote, the
Deans and the Instruction Committee shall immediately resign. If it be passed by
majority vote, it shall become effective as of the date specified therefore. For the
�confidence procedure a quorum shall consist of three-fourths of all resident Tutors
on each campus.
(d) A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Faculty in residence except as otherwise
provided.
(ii) Any instructional proposal that has been deemed campus-specific shall be subject
to the procedure set forth above, except that, if an objection is made and held to
on either campus, voting shall proceed only on the campus were the proposal is
intended to be put into effect. Any objections that have been made and held to and
submitted in writing on the other campus shall be transmitted immediately to the
voting Faculty. Any objections that have been made and held to but not submitted
in writing shall be reported immediately in writing to the voting Faculty. If the
confidence procedure is invoked, it shall be only by the Dean on the voting
campus, and it shall affect the Dean and the Instruction Committee only on that
campus.
(e) Only Tutors may vote on instructional matters. All Faculty members may vote on all
other matters not specifically restricted in the Polity.
(iii) The President may refuse to accept the resignation of the Deans or the Instruction
Committee, any or all of them, whenever in the judgment of the President such
resignation would be detrimental to the proper functioning of the College;
provided, however, that if any six or more Tutors shall petition the Visitors and
Governors, the latter shall review the President's decision within four weeks
'
during which time the Deans and the Instruction Committee shall continue in
office.
(iv) In the event that the proposal be defeated and the resignations be accepted, the
President shall proceed to the choice of new Deans in accordance with the
provisions of Article V (2)(b ).
(b) Upon either a petition of not less than one-tenth of the Tutors on either campus or a
request from the President, the Dean and Instruction Committee on that campus shall
consider any recommendation concerning instruction and shall report to the Faculty
within one year their proposal concerning it. They shall decide whether their proposal is a
college-wide or campus-specific proposal , and the procedure of Article X(l) shall apply.
(2) Faculty Meetings.
(a) Regular monthly meetings of the Faculty shall be called upon due notice by the President;
except that in the period comprising the months of December and January only one
regular meeting need be called. The President or, in his absence, the Dean, shall preside.
In the absence of the President and the Dean, the Faculty shall elect one of its members to
preside.
(b) Special meetings of the Faculty may be called upon due notice by the President alone or
at the request of five Faculty members.
(c) Due notice shall be construed to mean no less than three days notice, except in cases of
emergency.
(3) The Secretary of the Faculty. At the last regular meeting of an academic year, the Faculty on
each campus shall elect one of its members, then in at least his or her third year at the
College, as Secretary. The Secretary shall assist in the preparation and circulation of the
agenda for Faculty meetings, shall keep the minutes of such meetings, and shall collect and
circulate reports of Faculty committees.
Article XI
THE SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE AND THE ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
The Scholars-in-Residence and the Artists-in-Residence shall be appointed from time to time by
the Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President after consultation
with the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the campus where the Scholars and Artists shall
reside.
Article XII
THE STUDENTS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the Students are to study and to make themselves as
competent as possible in all parts of the St. John's Program. Their advice and service shall be
sought by the Faculty in such matters and in such ways as may best serve the general welfare
of the College.
(2) The Students of St. John's College shall constitute the Student Polity of St. John's College in
Annapolis and in Santa Fe.
(3) The Student Polity in Annapolis or Santa Fe may establish for itself a government which is
representative of all polity members. The Dean on each campus may delegate to the Student
government a share of the responsibility for the general welfare of the Students and whatever
government of the Students may be necessary for the greatest possible attainment of the aims
of the program. The duties of the Student Government may include:
(a) the management of funds available to the Student Polity;
(b) the sanctioning of all student clubs, organizations, and activities, and their regulation, if
necessary;
�(c) the representation of the Students of St. John's College to the community outside the
College;
(d) the establishment and maintenance of formal channels of communication between the
Students and the Faculty; and
(e) any other duties agreed upon by the Students and the Dean.
Article XIII
THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE
(l) The Directors.
(a) There shall be a Director of the Graduate Institute on each campus to whom shall be
delegated responsibility and authority, under the Chair of the Instruction Committee, for
the organization and supervision on the Director' s campus of the graduate program of
instruction in the liberal arts and for matters concerning the general welfare of the
students. Concerning matters that affect the Graduate Institute as a whole the Director
shall, in consultation with the other Director, be responsible to the Chair of the
Instruction Committee. Concerning matters limited to one campus, the Director on that
campus shall be responsible to the Dean on that campus.
(b) The Directors shall be appointed for terms of four years from among the Tutors by the
Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President, after
consultation with the Deans and a special committee consisting of five members, three
from the campus on which the new Director will serve, and two from the other campus,
selected from among themselves by the Tutors having tenure. The Directors shall be
Tutors of the Graduate Institute.
(c) Every three years, on an alternating basis, one of the Directors shall write a Statement of
Educational Policy and Program for the Graduate Institute. The Director who writes the
Statement, after consulting with the Committee for the Graduate Institute on his or her
campus, and with the other Director, shall submit the Statement to the Instruction
Committee for discussion at its joint meeting.
(2) The Faculty Teaching in the Graduate Institute.
(a) Each Director, after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate Institute on that
campus, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Instruction Committee on the
same campus, shall recommend to the President Tutors for appointment in the summer
session of the Graduate Institute.
(b) During the summer term the Tutors teaching in the Graduate Institute on each campus
shall have the authority to recommend to the Board of Visitors and Governors candidates
for degrees.
(3) Committees for the Graduate Institute.
(a) On each campus the Committee for the Graduate Institute shares with the Director on the
same campus responsibility for carrying out the program of instruction of the Graduate
Institute and for the general welfare of the students.
(b) Each Committee shall consist of three Tutors who have experience in the Institute in
addition to the Director, who shall serve as Chair.
'
(c) Members of each Committee shall be appointed by the Director with the concurrence of
the Dean on the same campus after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate
Institute on that campus.
(4) Proposals concerning matters of instruction or policy shall originate with one of the
Directors, after consultation with the other Director and with the Committee for the
Graduate _Institute, and shall be submitted to the Dean on the originating campus for
handlmg m accordance with Article X(l)(a)(i).
Article XIV
THE ALUMNI
(1) Alumni shall be life-Iong members of the College, since St. John's College is a community
not limited by geographical location or fixed periods of time.
(2) The Alumni Association is the formal means by which Alumni participate in the life of the
College. Through the election of alumni members of the Board of Visitors and Governors
Alumni share in the direction of that life. ln these and other ways, Alumni shall be given the
opportumty to serve the College.
(3) The College shall cooperate with the Alumni Association to enable Alumni to assist in
providing services such as recruiting and interviewing prospective students, placing
graduates m appropnate employment, and advising students concerning careers and
adm1ss10n to graduate and professional schools.
(4) The College, in cooperation with the Alumni Association, shall provide seminars and other
appropriate educational activities in Annapolis, in Santa Fe, and in other places.
Article XV
THE STAFF
(1) Members of the Staff assist with the administration and maintenance of the College,
performing duties necessary to its well-being. They are subject to appropriate Staff rules and
regulatrons.
�Article XVII
(2) Members of the Staff on either campus may establish for themselves a Staff Council for the
purpose of better communication and understanding of College policies as a benefit to the
College as a whole. The Staff Council shall seek to establish and maintain formal channels of
communication among the whole Staff and between the Staff and the appropriate College
Officers. The Treasurer on each campus shall review Staff employment regulations with the
Staff Council and discuss with them any changes proposed.
COMPLIANCE WITH LAW
No provision of this Polity shall be construed to contravene any applicable federal or state law. If
any provision is determined to contravene any such law, that provision shall be deemed not a
part of this Polity, and this Polity's remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
Article XVIII
(3) The Staff Council may establish such committees as it deems appropriate.
Article XVI
AMENDMENTS AND REVIEW
(1) Amendments to this Polity may be proposed by a majority of the Polity Review Committee,
or by a petition submitted by not fewer than ten percent of the members of the Board, or by
the Faculty as provided for in section (2) and (3) below. Written notice of a proposed
amendment must be provided to the Board and to the Faculty not less than 30 days prior to
the date of the Board meeting at which the amendment is to be considered. The Faculty shall
have the right to inform the Board in writing of its recommendation with respect to the
proposed amendment by the time of that meeting. This Polity may be amended by a twothirds vote of those members voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board, provided
that the votes of no fewer than one-third of the members of the entire Board eligible to vote
are in favor of such amendment.
(2) Amendments may be proposed at any regular meeting of either the Faculty in Annapolis or
the Faculty in Santa Fe upon petition of not less than ten percent of the members on either
campus. No such proposal shall be acted upon earlier than the next regular meeting of the
Faculty, whether in Annapolis or in Santa Fe. A two-thirds vote of the entire Faculty in
residence, including at least a simple majority vote of the Faculty in residence on each of the
campuses, shall be required for approval and the amendment shall not become effective
unless approved by the Board in the manner set forth in Section (1) above.
(3) Every five years this Polity shall be reviewed by a committee of six, three to be elected by
the Faculty on each campus. The report of the Committee shall be submitted to one regular
Faculty meeting and voted upon at the next regular Faculty meeting. A two-thirds vote of the
entire Faculty in residence, including at least a simple majority vote of the Faculty in
residence on each of the campuses, shall be required for approval of any proposed
amendments.
Whatever action is thus recommended by the Faculty shall be submitted to the Board for
final decision in the manner set forth in Section (1) above.
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
There shall be a Management Committee for the college composed of the Presidents and Deans
of both campuses. The Chair of the Management Committee will report to and be appointed
annually by the Board of Visitors and Governors. With the advice of the Committee and in a
collegial manner, the Chair shall exercise executive authority over the College as a whole with
respect to:
( 1) college-wide strategic planning, including defining the processes for strategic thinking,
leading conversations regarding strategic decisions, and presentation of and planning for
the strategic goals of the college and their accomplishment;
(2) college-wide advancement, including capital campaigns, external relations and
publications, common college-wide donor information and databases, oversight and
1mplementat1on of ongoing development initiatives, and oversight of alumni relations
efforts, including the work of the Alumni Relations directors and that portion of the work
of Career Services directors pertaining to alumni;
(3) budgeting and resource planning, including approval of campus-specific budgets,
preparation of college-wide budgets, oversight and implementation of a college-wide
information management system, and oversight and implementation of consistent
accounting, audit, and financial reporting processes;
(4) approval and monitoring of admissions and financial aid policies for both campuses; and
(5) such other matters as may be assigned to the Chair from time to time.
The Management Committee shall not have executive authority over instructional matters
assigned to the Instruction Committee and its Chair under Articles V and IX(l) of the Polity.
�ARTICLE XIX
TRANSITION SCHEDULE
The reduction in size contemplated by the October 2011 amendments to the Polity is intended to
take place over a period of time. No member is to have his or her term shortened by virtue of this
change, which will be accomplished through the normal expiration of members' current terms.
�
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Title
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Charter and Polity of the College
Description
An account of the resource
Revised and amended editions of the St. John's College Charter and Polity.<br /><br />The College's first Charter and Polity was published as the <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3768">September 1950</a> issue of the <em><a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/collections/show/37">Bulletin of St. John's College in Annapolis</a></em>. Revised and amended versions were published as individual issues of the <em>Bulletin</em> in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3746">1951</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7844">1960</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7845">1963</a>, and <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7846">1965</a>. <br /><br />The Charter and Polity was published as a separate document in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7850">1955</a> and again from <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7851">1970</a> forward. The most recent version of the Charter and Polity is also available on the College's <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/about/leadership/board-visitors-governors/charter-polity">website</a>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=62&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate">Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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St. John's College
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St. John's College
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
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32 pages
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Title
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Charter and Polity of the College, 2011
Description
An account of the resource
Charter and Polity of the College, amended and restated October 2011.
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St. John's College
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe, NM
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2011-10
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text
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PDF
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St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Legal instruments
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English
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Charter_and_Polity_2011_ac
Charter and Polity
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7c70420c850139287ba7a07f79577ad9
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Text
S!JOHN'S
College
ANNAPOLIS • SANTA FE
CHARTER AND POLITY OF THE COLLEGE
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (\\,, SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
Amended and Restated
as of April 2006
FOUNDED AS KING WILLIAM'S SCHOOL,
CHARTERED AS ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE,
1696
1784
�Since this Polity can be amended between printings, the current official Polity is kept in the offices of the
Presidents ofSt. John's College.
HISTORY
St. John's College was founded in 1696 as King William's School in accordance with a Petitionary Act for freeschools of the General Assembly of the Colony of Maryland. Following the Revolutionary War, the General
Assembly of the new State of Maryland granted a Charter to St. John's College pursuant to and as a part of
Chapter 37 of the Laws of Maryland of 1784. This Charter was subsequently amended by the General Assembly
through Resolution No. 41 of 1832.
The Visitors and Governors of St. John's College in 1950 revised the Charter to eliminate extraneous and
obsolete matter and to make certain other amendments consistent with present requirements and conditions. It
was the opinion of the Attorney General of Maryland that the original Charter of the College was subject to the
general Corporation Laws of Maryland and might accordingly be amended by the Visitors and Governors,
pursuant to these laws, without legislative action by the General Assembly. Subsequent amendments were made
in 1961, in 1963, in 1965, in 1970, and in 1975.
When the decision was reached to establish a second St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, amendments
were made to the Charter to authorize branches or extensions of the College. Toe Charter was then filed with
the Corporations Commission of the State of New Mexico as a foreign corporation. The College was thus
empowered to grant degrees in New Mexico under the provisions of its Maryland Charter.
A Polity for the College was first suggested at a faculty meeting in 1943 by the Dean. A faculty committee was
elected and drafted a Polity, which was then promulgated by the President. In April 1949 the Faculty elected a
committee to revise the Polity. The resulting document was approved by the Faculty on April 9, 1950, and was
adopted by the Board of Visitors and Governors on July 8, 1950. Subsequent quinquennial reviews were made
by elected faculty committees, and desired amendments were recommended by the Faculty to the Board of
Visitors and Governors. The Polity was thus amended at regular meetings of the Board held on May 14, 1955;
May 21, 1960; May 15, 1965; June 6, 1970; April 19, 1975; January 16, 1982; April 19, 1986; and October 19,
1991. Other amendments were adopted by the Board at regular meetings on February 22 and December 9, 1961;
February 23 and September 28, 1963; October 3, 1970; February 18, 1972; October 25, 1975; January 24, 1976;
November 6, 1982; July 21, 1984; April 20, 1985; October 25, 1986; April 11, 1987; October 19, 1991; July 18,
1992; April 17, 1993; April 22, 1995; April 19, 1996; April 24, 1999, and November 6, 1999; January 27, 2001,
April 26, 2003; April 24, 2004; January 27, 2006; and April 22, 2006.
1
�CHARTER OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
WHEREAS, institutions for the liberal education of youth in the principles of virtue, knowledge and useful
literature are of the highest benefit to society, in order to train up and perpetuate a succession of able and honest
men for discharging the various offices and duties oflife, both civil and religious, with usefulness and
reputation, and such institutions of learning have accordingly been promoted and encouraged by the wisest and
best regulated States; And whereas, it appears to this General Assembly that many public spirited individuals,
from an earnest desire to promote the founding a college or seminary oflearning on the Western Shore of this
State have subscribed and procured subscriptions to a considerable amount, and there is reason to believe that
very large additions will be obtained to the same throughout the different counties of the said Shore, if they
were made capable in law to receive and apply the same towards founding and carrying on a college or general
seminary of learning with such salutary plan and with such legislative assistance and direction as the General
Assembly might think fit, and this General Assembly, highly approving those generous exertions of individuals,
are desirous to embrace the present favorable occasion of peace and prosperity for making lasting provision for
the encouragement and advancement of all useful knowledge and literature through every part of this State;
BE IT ENACTED:
II. That a college or general seminary oflearning by the name of "St. John's College" be established on the said
Western Shore upon the following fundamental and inviolable principles; namely, first, the said college shall be
founded and maintained forever upon a most liberal plan for the benefit of youth of every religious
denomination, who shall be freely admitted to equal privileges and advantages of education and to all the
literary honors of the college, according to their merit without requiring or enforcing any religious or civil test,
or urging their attendance upon any particular religious worship or service other than what they have been
educated in or have the consent and approbation of their parents or guardians to attend; nor shall any preference
be given in the choice ofa Principal, Vice-Principal or other Professor, Master or Tutor in said college on
account of his particular religious profession, having regard solely to his moral character and literary abilities
and other necessary qualifications to fill the place for which he shall be chosen.
IV. That the governing body or board of said College shall consist of not more than forty-nine nor less than
thirteen Visitors and Governors, to be chosen and to hold office in such manner as the said Visitors and
Governors may determine and prescribe by their fundamental ordinances; provided, however, that the
Governors of the States of Maryland and New Mexico shall act ex officio as two of the total number of Visitors
and Governors of said college during their respective terms in said offices; and that the said Visitors and
Governors and their successors duly chosen shall be and are hereby declared to be one community, corporation
and body politic to have continuance forever by the name of
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
and by the same name they shall have perpetual succession.
VII. That if the City of Annapolis should be fixed upon as a proper place for establishing the said intended
college, this General Assembly give and grant, and upon that condition do hereby give and grant to the Visitors
and Governors of the said College by the name of "The Visitors and Governors of Saint John's College in the
State of Maryland," and their successors all that four acres within the City of Annapolis purchased for the use
by the public and conveyed on the 2nd day of October, 1744, by Stephen Bordley, Esq., to Thos. Bladen, Esq.,
then Governor, to have and to hold the said four acres of land with the appurtenances to the said Visitors and
Governors and their successors for the only use, benefit and behoof of the said college and seminary of
universal learning forever.
VIII. That the said Visitors_and Governors and their successors by the same name shall be able and capable in
law to purchase, have and enjoy to them and their successors in fee, or for any other less estate or estates, any
lands, tenements, rents, annuities, pensions or other hereditaments by the gift, grant, bargain, sale, alienation,
enfeoffment, release, confirmation, or devise of any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate capable to
2
make the same, and such lands, tenements, rents, annuities, pensions or other hereditaments or any less estates,
rights or interests of or in the same at their pleasure to grant, alien, sell and transfer in such manner and form as
they shall think meet and convenient for the furtherance of the said college; And also that they may take and
receive any sum or sums of money, and any kind, manner or portion of goods and chattels that shall be given,
sold or bequeathed to them by any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate capable to make a gift, sale or
bequest thereof and employ the same towards erecting, setting up and maintaining the said college in such
manner as they shall judge most necessary and convenient for the instruction, improvement and education of
youth in the vernacular and learned languages, and generally in any kind of literature, arts and sciences, which
they shall think proper to be taught for training up good, useful and accomplished men for the service of their
country, in church and state.
IX. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the name aforesaid shall be able in law to sue
and be sued, plead and be impleadable in any court or courts, before any judge, judges, or justices within this
State and elsewhere in all and all manner of suits, complaints, pleas, causes, matters and demands of whatsoever
kind, nature or form they be and all and every other matter and thing therein to do in as full and effectual a
manner as any other person or persons, bodies politic or corporate within this State or any of the United States
of America in like cases may or can do.
X. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors shall have full power and authority to have, make
and use one common and public seal and likewise one privy seal with such devices and inscriptions as they
shall think proper, and to ascertain, fix and regulate the uses of both seals, by their own laws and the same seals
or either of them to change, break, alter and renew at their pleasure.
XI. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors from time to time and at all times hereafter,
forever, shall have full power and authority to constitute and appoint in such manner as they shall think best and
most convenient, a principal, a vice-principal of the said college and professors with proper tutors and assistants
for instructing the students and scholars of the said seminary in all the liberal arts and sciences, and in the
ancient and modem tongues and languages; and the said principal, vice-principal and professors so constituted
and appointed from time to time shall be known and distinguished forever as one learned body or faculty by the
name of "The Principal, Vice-Principal and Professors of St. John's College"; and by that name shall be capable
of exercising such powers and authorities as the Visitors and Governors of the said college and their successors
shall by their ordinances think necessary to delegate to them for the instruction, discipline and government of
the said seminary and of all the students, scholars, ministers and servants belonging to the same.
XIV. That a majority of the said Visitors and Governors for the time being and duly assembled at any meeting
upon due notice given to the whole body of Visitors and Governors shall have full power and authority to make
fundamental ordinances for the government of the said college and the instruction of youth as aforesaid, and by
these ordinances to appoint such a number of their own body not less than seven, as they may think proper for
transacting all general and necessary business of the said seminary and making temporary rules for the
government of the same; and also by the said fundamental ordinances to delegate to the principal, vice-principal
and professors such powers and authorities as they may think best for the standing government of the said
seminary and of the execution of the ordinances and rules of the same; provided always that they be not
repugnant to the form of government of any law of this State.
XV. And for animating and encouraging the students of said college to a laudable diligence, industry and
progress in useful literature and science, be it enacted that the said Visitors and Governors and their successors
shall by a written mandate under their privy seal and the hand of someone of the Visitors and Governors to be
chosen annually as their President, according to the ordinance to be made for that purpose, have full power and
authority to direct the principal, vice-principal and professors to hold public commencements either on stated
annual days, or occasionally as the future ordinances of the said seminary may direct and at such
commencements to admit any of the students in the said college or any other persons meriting the same (whose
names shall be severally inserted in the same mandate) to any degree or degrees in any of the faculties, arts and
sciences and liberal professions to which persons are usually admitted in other colleges or universities in
America or Europe; And it is hereby enacted that the principal, or in the case of his death or absence, the viceprincipal, and in case of the death or absence of both, the senior professor who may be present, shall make out
and sign with his name diplomas or certificates of the admission to such degree or degrees, which shall be
3
�sealed with the public or greater seal of the said corporation or college and delivered to the graduates as
honorable and perpetual testimonials of such admission; which diplomas, if thought necessary for doing greater
honor to such graduates, shall also be signed with the names of the different professors or as many of them as
can conveniently sign the same; provided always that no student or students within the said college shall ever be
admitted to any such degree or degrees, or have their name inserted in any mandate for a degree, until such
student or students have been first duly examined, and thought worthy of the same.
XVI. That the ordinances which shall be from time to time made by the Visitors and Governors of the said
college and their successors with an account of their other proceedings and of the management of the estate and
moneys committed to their trust, shall when required be laid before the General Assembly for their inspection
and examination, but in case at any time hereafter through oversight, or otherwise through misapprehension and
mistaken constructions of the powers, liberties and franchises in this Charter or Act of Incorporation granted, or
intended to be granted, any ordinance should be made by the said corporation of Visitors and Governors or any
matters done and transacted by the corporation contrary to the tenor hereof, it is enacted that although such
ordinances, acts and doings shall in themselves be null and void, yet they shall not, however, in any courts of
law, or by the General Assembly, be deemed, taken, interpreted or adjudged into an avoidance or forfeiture of
this Charter and Act of Incorporation, but the same shall be and remain unhurt, inviolate and entire unto the said
corporation of Visitors and Governors in perpetual succession; and all their acts conformable to the powers, true
intent and meaning hereof shall be and remain in full force and validity, the nullity and avoidance of such illegal
acts to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
XVII. That this Charter and Act of Incorporation and every part thereof shall be good and available in all things
in the law according to the true intent and meaning thereof, and shall be construed, reputed and adjudged in all
cases most favorably on the behalf and for the best benefit and behoof of the said Visitors and Governors and
their successors, so as most effectually to answer the valuable end of this Act of Incorporation towards the
general advancement and promotion of useful knowledge, science and virtue.
XVIlI. That the College may establish and operate one or more branches in one or more states of the United
States.
In the Polity as hereinafter set forth the nouns "alumnus" and "alumni" and "man" and "men," either alone or in
compounds such as "chairman" and "chairmen," and the pronouns "he," "him," and "his," are to be taken as
referring to persons whether male or female.
Polity of St. John's College
Preamble
Education is the making ofmen and women out of children by bringing them into the world of inherited
customs, intellectual traditions, and spiritual ties. Institutions of learning are set up for this purpose. Beyond
this they should also seek to develop the moral and intellectual powers of their students to enable them to fulfill
best their freely chosen tasks and thus to take their own responsible part in shaping the future. St. John's
College is a community of learning committed to holding these ends constantly in sight and to seeking the best
means of attaining them.
St. John's College strives to illuminate the common heritage of humanity in a persisting study of the great
documents in which that heritage can be found. It is concerned with the unity of knowledge, an understanding of
the great issues, and the moral foundations on which men and women may conduct their lives. To provide
proper conditions for the pursuit of these ends, we, the Board of Visitors and Governors, after consultation with
the Faculty, do ordain and establish this Polity for St. John's College.
Article I
THE COLLEGE
(1) St. John's College is by its Charter a legal entity, carrying on its functions from its campuses in Annapolis,
Maryland, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Under the Charter of the College, all power, authority, and
responsibility pertaining to the College are vested in the Visitors and Governors.
(2) The College consists of the following: The Board of Visitors and Governors, the Faculty, the Graduate and
Undergraduate Students, the Alumni and the Staff, and other members who may be named from time to
time by the Board of Visitors and Governors.
(3) Under the Charter, "the said Visitors and Governors, and their successors, from time to time, and at all
times hereafter, forever, shall have full power and authority to constitute and appoint, in such manner as
they shall think best and most convenient, a principal and vice-principal of the said College, and professors,
with proper tutors and assistants, for instructing the students and scholars of the said seminary in all the
liberal arts and sciences, and in the ancient and modern tongues and languages; and the said
principal, vice-principal, and professors, so constituted and appointed from time to time shall be known and
distinguished forever as one learned body or faculty, by the name of'The Principal, Vice-Principal, and
Professors of St. John's College;' and by that name shall be capable of exercising such powers and
authorities as the Visitors and Governors of the said college and their successors shall by their ordinances
think necessary to delegate to them for the instruction, discipline, and government of the said seminary and
of all the students, scholars, ministers and servants belonging to the same."
(a) The "principal" shall be the Presidents. When 'President' is used in this Polity it shall mean:
(i) with respect to membership on the Board of Visitors and Governors, in the Faculty, on committees
of the Board, and sitting ex officio with the Instruction Committee, and for presentation of, and
response to, the Statement of Educational Policy and Program (Article V (l)(c)), the President of
the Annapolis campus and the President of the Santa Fe campus;
(ii) with respect to membership on committees or sitting ex officio with committees, and actions or
procedures relating to one campus, the President of that campus;
4
5
�(iii) with respect to actions under Article II (12)(b) or actions or procedures involving the entire
College under Article X (l)(a)(i) and Article X (l)(a)(iii), either President.
(b) The "vice-principal" shall be the Dean who is serving as the Chair of the Instruction Committee.
( c) There shall be a Dean of St. John's College in Annapolis and a Dean of St. John's College in Santa Fe.
(d) The "professors, tutors and assistants" shall bear the title Tutor or Tutor Emeritus. Tutors who have
completed their tenure appointments shall be Tutors Emeriti.
(e) There shall be Vice-Presidents for College Advancement and Treasurers.
(f) There shall be Associate members of the Faculty, hereinafter called Associates, who shall be on either
campus, as the offices may be deemed necessary, the Registrar, the Librarian, the Director of Athletics,
the Director of Student Activities, the Director of Admissions, the Director of Alumni Activities, the
Director of Financial Aid, and the Director of Career Services.
(g) The "one learned body or faculty," composed of the President, the Deans, the other Tutors, the Tutors
Emeriti, the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, the Treasurers, and the Associates, shall bear
the title the Faculty of St. John's College.
(h) All who have formally matriculated, are at the present enrolled, and are in good standing shall be
called Students of St. John's College.
(i) The Directors and the Tutors of the Graduate Institute shall be called the Faculty of the Graduate
Institute.
j)
All who have been awarded a degree by the College shall be called Alumni. In addition, all who have
completed at least one semester of undergraduate study or at least one segment of Graduate Institute
study, but who are not currently enrolled, shall be called Alumni either a) in the case of
undergraduate students, when the class with which they matriculated has graduated, or b) in the case of
Graduate Institute students, at the end of three full sessions of the Graduate Institute after the one in
which they last enrolled. All who have been designated as honorary members of the Alumni
Association of St. John's College shall be called Alumni. All who have ever been Alumni shall
continue to be.
(k) The Staff shall consist of all persons appointed by the President who are not members of the Faculty of
St. John's College or the Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(1) There shall be no discrimination at St. John's College in appointments, conditions of employment,
admissions, educational policy, financial aid programs, athletics, or other activities, on the basis of
race, religion, age, sex, national origin, color, disability and/or handicap, sexual orientation, or other
characteristic protected by any applicable federal, state or local law.
Article II
VISITORS AND GOVERNORS
(1) Qualifications for Membership. Persons shall be eligible for membership on the Board of Visitors and
Governors who are concerned for the maintenance, progress, and vitality of St. John's College's educational
program and who are willing and able to discharge the responsibilities of trusteeship with devotion and
energy.
(2) Members. The Board of Visitors and Governors shall consist of not more than sixty members, comprising
the Presidents, the Deans, the Governors of Maryland and New Mexico, ex officio, and fifty-four members,
6
of whom forty-five shall be elected by the entire Board and nine shall be elected by the Alumni of the
College, in the manner and for the terms hereinafter provided. In recognition of meritorious service to the
College, Visitors Emeriti may be elected to the Board who may attend all meetings of the Board, with voice
in deliberation, but without vote. Retired members of the Board who have served six (6) terms on the Board
as members in good standing shall be designated as Honorary Board Members upon election by the Board.
Honorary Board Members will receive minutes of the Plenary Sessions of the Board, may, as a guest,
attend the Plenary Sessions of all regular meetings of the Board, and may be asked to assist on Board
Committees.
(3) Elections by the Board. At each annual meeting, the Board shall elect a class ofno more than fifteen
members for a term of three years, to succeed those members whose term expires at the conclusion of said
meeting. Those members elected shall begin their term at the meeting next following their election. The
procedure for nomination and election shall be as follows :
There shall be a Nominating Committee of seven members of the Board appointed by the Chair. The Chair
and the Presidents shall sit with the committee, ex officio, when nominations to Board membership are
being considered. The Nominating Committee shall recommend to each member of the Board in writing,
not later than thirty days prior to the annual meeting at which the election is to be held, at least one
candidate for each of the places to be filled by such election, including each position as an officer of the
Board. Additional nominations may be made in writing, addressed to the Chair, signed by at least five
members of the Board, prior to the date above provided for the report of the Nominating Committee, and
any such additional nominations shall be reported to the Board by the Committee at the time of its report.
Voting on nominations at annual meetings may be by ballot, each member present to vote for fifteen of the
said nominees. In case the balloting results in a tie for one or more positions, the Board shall determine the
procedure to resolve the tie. No nominee for member or officer of the Board shall be deemed elected who
has not received the affirmative votes of at least a majority of the members present at the meeting.
If there should be fewer than fifteen members in any class prior to the end of the term for such class, any
vacancy may be filled pursuant to the procedure provided above for regular elections, except that the
election may take place at any regular meeting. A member elected to fill any such vacancy shall hold office
for the remainder of the term of the class in which such vacancy occurred.
(4) Elections by the Alumni. Each year in the spring, three alumni shall be elected to membership for a term of
three years, in such manner that there shall be nine members of the Board elected by the alumni, consisting
of three classes of three members each. Outgoing members so elected shall continue to serve until their
successors are elected.
Such elections shall be conducted in accordance with the By-laws of the Alumni Association of St. John's
College. In the event that for any reason there should be fewer than three members so elected in any class
prior to the end of the term of that class, the vacancy shall be filled by the Alumni Association of St. John's
College. Newly elected alumni shall begin their term at the meeting next following the annual meeting of
the Board.
(5) Faculty Representation at Board Meetings. Three members of the Faculty shall be elected by the Faculty on
each campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which they belong, with voice in
deliberation, but without vote.
(6) Student Representation at Board Meetings. Two students shall be elected by the Students on each campus
to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which they belong, with voice in deliberation,
but without vote.
(7) Graduate Institute Director Representation at Board Meetings. Each Director of the Graduate Institute may
attend all regular sessions of the Board on such Director's campus, with voice in deliberation, but without
vote.
7
�for the transaction of business. The Executive Committee shall determine the compensation of the Vice
Presidents and Treasurers, upon receiving the recommendations of the Compensation Review
Committee. The Executive Committee shall recommend to the Board the compensation of the
Presidents, upon receiving the recommendations of the Compensation Review Committee.
(8) Graduate Institute Student Representation at Board Meetings. A student of the Graduate Institute shall be
elected by the Students of the Graduate Institute on each campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board
on such student's campus, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(9) Alumni Association Representation at Board Meetings. The President of the Alumni Association shall be
invited to attend all regular sessions of the Board, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
b)
(10) Staff Representation at Board Meetings. The Staff on each campus shall be invited to send two
representatives to all regular sessions of the Board at that campus, with voice in deliberation, but without
vote.
(c) Nominating Committee. There shall be a nominating Committee for membership of the Board and for
officers of the Board as provided in Article ll(3).
(11) Reelection. A member of the Board elected by the Board or by the Alumni may be elected for not more
than two consecutive terms, but may, after a second consecutive term, be reelected to membership at the
annual meeting in the year following the expiration of the member's second term. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, in extraordinary circumstances, the Nominating Committee may recommend the reelection of
the Chair of the Board for up to two additional consecutive terms.
(12) Meetings of the Board.
(a) Regular meetings of the Board shall be held quarterly in either Annapolis or Santa Fe. The spring
meeting shall be called the annual meeting. The time and place of regular meetings shall be determined
by the Chair, in consultation with the President, and notice ofregular meetings shall be given not less
than fifteen days prior to such meetings.
(b) Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President, the Chair, the Executive Committee, or
any ten members of the Board, not less than seven days after the dispatch of written, faxed, or e-mail
notice of the time, place, and purposes of the meeting. Such notice may be dispensed with if waived in
writing by all members of the Board either before or after the meeting.
(c) Any business may be conducted at a regular meeting without specific notice of such business (except
that which is required by law or as provided herein as to elections and amendments), but no business
shall be conducted at any special meeting unless notice of such business has been given, or has been
waived as above provided.
(d) One third of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(e) The Board in regular session is open to elected and ex officio members, to Visitors Emeriti, to
Honorary Board Members as guests, to Associates invited by the President, and to official
representatives of the Faculty, Students, Graduate Institute, Alumni Association and Staff. Attendance
at Executive sessions shall be limited to voting members and Visitors Emeriti. Public sessions shall be
open without restriction. The Chair of the Board, in consultation with the President, shall determine
whether any meeting or portion of a meeting shall be in regular, executive, or public session.
(13) Officers of the Board. At each annual meeting the Board shall elect a Chair, two Vice-Chairs, and a
Secretary, to hold office until the next annual meeting or until their successors are elected. Vacancies in any
such offices may be filled at any regular meeting, or any special meeting called for that purpose. Such
officers shall perform the customary duties of such offices, and such other duties as the Board may from
time to time direct.
(14) Committees ofthe Board.
(a) Executive Committee. Toe Chair, the Vice-Chairs, the Secretary, the Presidents, the Deans, and four
other members chosen annually by the Board at the annual meeting shall comprise the Executive
Committee of the Board. In intervals between meetings of the Board, the Executive Committee may
act for the Board, except in those matters expressly delegated to some other committee, person, or
persons. Seven members of the Executive Committee present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum
8
Presidential Search Committee. There shall be a Presidential Search Committee to recommend the
appointment of a President as provided in Article IV(2).
(d) Visiting Committee. There shall be a Visiting Committee, including a Chair, appointed by the Chair of
the Board. The Visiting Committee shall meet at least once annually with the Instruction Committee on
each campus. The Visiting Committee shall discuss the Statement of Educational Policy and Program
of the Chair of the Instruction Committee and become acquainted with the aims of the College and
how they are being realized.
(e) Finance Committee. There shall be a Finance Committee consisting of the Chair, the Presidents, and
the Treasurers of the College, ex officio, and such additional members as may be appointed by the
Chair of the Board. The Chair of the Board shall appoint one of the members to be the Chair of the
Committee.
The Finance Committee shall have the following powers and duties:
(i) The Finance Committee shall, after consultation with the Investment Committee, make
recommendations to the Board concerning the appropriate policies for annual or periodic
expenditures from each of the college's endowments.
(ii) The Finance Committee shall review the proposed annual budgets of the College prior to their
presentation for approval by the Board and shall make recommendations to the Board with respect
to the budgets at the meeting at which they are presented.
(iii) The Finance Committee shall study, and periodically advise the Board with respect to, the
financial business policies and practices of the College, and shall make such special studies and
reports as the Board may from time to time request.
(f) Audit Committee. There shall be an Audit Committee, including a Chair, appointed by the Chair of the
Board. The Treasurers shall serve as non-voting Staff to the committee.
(i) The Committee shall review in detail the annual report of the independent auditors and discuss
audit findings with the auditors, unattended by employees of the College.
(ii) The Committee shall meet with representatives of the independent auditors to the next audit to
discuss scope and procedures and any other matters requiring special attention.
(iii) The Committee shall discuss with College personnel any corrective action required as a result of
the audit report.
(iv) The Committee shall recommend to the Board the appointment or reappointment of independent
auditors to conduct the audit for the next fiscal year.
(v) The Committee shall report to the Board annually on its review of the audit and shall bring to the
attention of the Board any matters related thereto requiring Board action.
(g) Compensation Review Committee. There shall be a Compensation Review Committee, including a
Chair, appointed by the Chair of the Board.
9
�(i) The Committee shall recommend to the Board policies for direct and indirect compensation of
Tutors, Associate members of the Faculty, other Faculty members, and Staff at the College. It
shall annually review the compensation policies and performance with respect to them and report
the findings of this review to the Board.
(ii) The Committee shall recommend to the Executive Committee the compensation of the Presidents,
Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, and Treasurers of the College
(iii) In matters of policy and compensation, the Committee shall consult with the Presidents and the
Chair of the Finance Committee.
(h) Polity Review Committee. There shall be a Polity Review Committee appointed by the Chair every
fifth year. The Chair of the Board shall appoint one of the members to be Chair of the Committee. The
Committee shall receive the report of the Faculty Committee and after appropriate study shall make
recommendations to the Board for consideration at the annual meeting when the final review of the
Polity is consummated. The respective Chairs of the Board and Faculty Review Committees shall
make such arrangements as they deem appropriate for joint consultation prior to and after the adoption
of the report by the Faculty.
(i) Investment Committee. There shall be an Investment Committee consisting of at least one member of
the Finance Committee (appointed by the Chair of the Board), the Treasurers of the college, ex officio,
and such additional members as may be appointed by the Chair. The Chair of the Board shall appoint
one of the members to be Chair of the Committee. The Investment Committee shall have the following
powers and duties:
(i) The Investment Committee shall have full power to direct the investment and reinvestment of all
funds of the College, including endowment and restricted funds, and the proper officers of the
Board and the College are authorized to carry out all written directions, signed by the Chair of the
Committee, with respect to such investments and reinvestments. The Committee shall report at
each regular meeting any action taken hereunder since the previous meeting.
(ii) The Committee shall advise the Finance Committee on the question of the appropriate endowment
spending policies for the College, and shall consult with the Finance Committee on any matter that
it judges may affect the financial condition of the College that may need action by the Finance
Committee.
(j)
(k)
Buildings and Grounds Committee. There shall be a Buildings and Grounds Committee appointed by
the Chair of the Board. The Committee shall meet with the Treasurers on each campus and review
issues and plans relating to the maintenance and development of the campuses. Two members shall
be named, by the Chair of the Board, to serve as Chairs of the subcommittees for each campus, with
one to be designated as Chair of the full Committee.
Development Committee. There shall be a Development Committee consisting of the Vice
Presidents for College Advancement, ex officio, and such additional members as may be appointed
by the Chair of the Board, who shall appoint one member to be Chair of the Committee. The
Development Committee shall have the following powers and duties:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
The Committee shall review all policies and programs for fund- raising on each campus and
report on same.
The Committee shall advise the Board with respect to the need for capital campaigns or other
special fund-raising projects.
The Committee shall be responsible for seeking contributions to the Annual Campaigns from
each Board Member.
At the discretion of the Chair of the Board, the Committee may be suspended during the
pendency of a capital campaign.
10
(1) Alumni Relations Committee. There shall be an Alumni Relations Committee consisting of the
President of the Alumni Association, the Vice Presidents for College Advancement, ex officio, and
such additional members as may be appointed by the Chair of the Board. The Chair of the Board shall
appoint one of the Alumni-elected Board members to serve as Chair of the Committee. The
Committee shall review all policies and programs for alumni and report on same.
(m) Other Committees. The Chair may appoint such other standing or special committees of the Board as
the Chair deems desirable or which the Board may request.
(n) Former members of the Board and Visitors Emeriti may be appointed by and at the discretion of the
Chair to serve on committees.
(o) Except for the Presidential Search Committee and the Polity Review Committee, committee
appointments shall be made annually. Members of the Committees serve until their successors have
been appointed.
(p) Any member of the Board may, without invitation, attend any Board committee meeting, except those
of the Presidential Search, Nominating and Executive Committees, but without vote.
(q) Whenever a Capital Campaign is in progress, its Chair shall be an ex-officio voting member of the
Finance and Executive Committees.
(15) Execution of Contracts, Transfer of Securities, Etc. All contracts of $50,000 or more, notes, deeds, leases,
mortgages, releases, bonds for security or indemnity, negotiable instruments, stock certificates, transfers,
and powers, and like papers and documents on behalf of the College or the Endowment Funds shall be
executed by two persons, of whom one shall be the President, the Chair, or a Vice-Chair, and of whom the
other shall be the Secretary of the Board or the Treasurer of the campus concerned.
( 16) Signing of checks, drafts, etc. All checks, drafts, acceptances, and similar orders for the payment of money
on behalf of the College may be signed by the same persons authorized to execute contracts, etc., pursuant
to Section (15) hereof, but may also be signed by such persons, and in such manner, as th_e Board may
from time to time direct by appropriate resolution.
(17) The College shall indemnify, to the full extent permitted by law, any current or former member of the
Board or officer of the College or any person who, while a member of the Board or an officer of the
College, may have served at the College's request as a director, officer, partner or trustee of another entity,
against any judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually and necessanly
incurred by him or her in connection with the defense of any action, suit or proceeding to which he or she
is made a party by reason of being or having been such member of the Board or officer of the College.
Article
m
THE FACULTY
The Visitors and Governors by these ordinances hereby delegate to the Faculty of St. John's College the
President, the Deans, the other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti, the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, the
Treasurers, and the Associates "powers and authorities" for the "instruction, discipline, and government" of the
College.
11
�(b) The Deans shall serve alternately, for a term of one year, as Chair of the Instruction Committee.
Article IV
THE FACULTY: THE PRESIDENT
...--
I •
(1) There shall be a President for the Annapolis campus and a President for the Santa Fe campus, each
appointed as provided in Article IV (2). There is delegated to each President by the Visitors and Governors
executive responsibility and authority for the instruction, discipline, and government of the President's
campus, and the President, in tum, may delegate such authority. In the interest of the orderly conduct of
business and of maintaining and promoting the unity of the College, the Presidents shall regularly consult
and communicate with each other and, as appropriate, with other College officials, on matters of common
concern.
(2) The President shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of a
Committee composed of five members of the Board of Visitors and Governors appointed by the Chair of
the Board, at least one of whom is an alumnus, the Deans, and one Tutor having tenure from each campus
elected by the Faculty on that campus. This Committee shall be known as the Presidential Search
Committee. It shall consult with the continuing President in a regular and timely fashion. Prior to making
its final recommendation, it shall, on both campuses, consult with all other appropriate persons and shall
arrange for the final candidates to meet with the Faculty and the Instruction Committee.
(3) The President shall concurrently be a Tutor, but the provisions of Article VI need not apply.
(4) The President and persons to whom the President delegates authority shall consult with the Deans, other
appropriate persons, and appropriate Faculty committees in matters of policy, initiation of programs, and
setting of priorities affecting the general welfare of the College.
(5) There shall be a Financial Committee on each campus consisting of the President as Chair, the Dean and
Treasurer of the campus, and other members the President may appoint. It will review proposed budgets
prior to their being presented to the Finance Committee of the Board. It will also meet prior to Board
meetings to review performance in the fiscal year to date and emerging budgetary strengths and
weaknesses.
(6) The President shall appoint, or delegate the power to appoint, other committees as may be necessary for the
carrying out of the duties of the President or other duties for which no provision is made under Article IX.
(7) Ifin the judgment of the Board of Visitors and Governors, the College is facing a financial exigency at
either or both of its campuses which could call for a reduction in the number of Faculty positions, both
Presidents shall immediately advise the Faculty of the nature and extent of the financial difficulty and
consult with them concerning the best way to address the situation. The Faculty may then make a formal
recommendation to the Presidents on ways to meet the problem, or, if the Faculty fails so to act, the Deans
and the Instruction Committee shall propose a plan to the Presidents. The Presidents shall jointly then
determine a plan which specifies a preferred course of action to be taken. All necessary steps must be taken
in timely fashion as prescribed by the Board. Nothing herein provided shall limit the power of the Board to
act otherwise in the event of need to reduce or eliminate Faculty positions.
(c) Each year the Chair of the Instruction Committee shall, after consultation with the Instruction
Committee on the Chair's campus, and after discussion with the Instruction Committee of the College,
submit a Statement of Educational Policy and Program to the Faculty as a whole for discussion. The
President shall present the Statement, together with an account of the Faculty discussion of it and the
President's response to it, as a report to the Board of Visitors and Governors for its consideration.
(d) The Chair of the Instruction Committee shall, as such chair or the Chair of the Board of Visitors and
Governors may deem appropriate, report to the Board on instructional matters, and shall respond to
such questions as the Board, through its Chair, may ask.
(2) The Deans.
(a) There is delegated to the Deans on their respective campuses responsibility and authority for the
supervision of the program of instruction and for the general welfare of the students and for whatever
government of the students be necessary for the greatest possible attainment of aims of the program.
Each Dean shall be the Chair of the Instruction Committee on such Dean's campus. In carrying out his
duties, each Dean shall consult regularly with the President and with the Instruction Committee and the
other appropriate Faculty committees on that campus.
(b) The Deans shall be appointed for terms of five years from among the Tutors by the Visitors and
Governors on the recommendation of the President after consultation with a special committee of
seven, four from the campus for which the Dean is being chosen and three from the other campus,
selected from among themselves by the Tutors having tenure.
(c) A Dean shall be appointed from among the tutors who have themselves been appointed in accord with
Article VI(3). If non-tenured, the appointee shall acquire tenure upon becoming Dean, in which case
the provisions of Article VI(3)(a) regarding reappointment schedules shall not apply.
(d) To assist them in carrying out their duties, the Deans shall recommend one or more Tutors to be
appointed by the President with the title of Assistant Dean.
(e) During the absence of the President from either campus, the Dean on that campus shall if necessary
exercise the President's prerogative of final decision.
(f) During the absence of either Dean from the campus a Tutor with tenure named by the Dean shall act
for the Dean.
(g) The Dean on each campus shall appoint such committees as may be necessary for the carrying out of
duties of the Dean and duties for which no other provision is made.
Article VI
THE FACULTY: THE TUTORS
Article V
THE FACULTY: THE CHAIR OF THE INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE AND THE DEANS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the Tutors are to teach and to make themselves as competent as
possible in all parts of the St. John's Program.
(2) The Tutors shall have authority to recommend to the Visitors and Governors candidates for degrees of their
respective campuses.
(1) The Chair of the Instruction Committee.
(a) There is delegated to the Chair of the Instruction Committee responsibility and authority for the
organization of the program of instruction in the liberal arts that is followed by the Tutors and the
Students.
12
(3) Appointment and Reappointment of Tutors. Tutors shall be appointed by the Visitors and Governors upon
recommendation of the President in accordance with the recommendation of the Dean and the Instruction
13
�Committee on that campus where the Tutors so appointed shall teach.
(a) The schedule ofregular appointment of Tutors on each campus shall be either (i)(A) or (i)(B) below, to
be decided by the President in accordance with the recommendation of the Dean and the Instruction
Committee on that campus where the Tutors so appointed shall teach:
(i)(A)
(i)(B)
New Tutors shall be appointed for one year unless they are appointed at mid-year, in which
case the initial appointment shall be for a year and a half. First reappointments shall be for
one year. Second and third reappointments shall be for two and three years respectively.
New Tutors shall be appointed for two years unless they are appointed at mid-year, in which
case the initial appointment shall be for a year and a half. First and second reappointments
shall be for two and three years respectively.
(ii) A Tutor who has completed a three-year appointment must either be given a tenure appointment or
not be reappointed as Tutor. A Tutor may, however, be given a tenure appointment as early as the
conclusion of the first year of a three-year appointment. Procedures leading to a recommendation
for an early tenure appointment shall be initiated by the Dean and Instruction Committee, but not
without the consent of the appointee, and shall not prejudice subsequent consideration for a tenure
appointment. Tenure appointments shall not continue beyond retirement. Tutors Emeriti shall
retain their privileges and responsibilities in voting at Faculty meetings.
(iii) Before making recommendations to the President on tenure appointments the Dean on each
campus shall consult with the Instruction Committee on that campus, after seeking the advice of
the Tutors on that campus.
•
(iv) A Tutor, to be recommended for a tenure appointment, must have served full-time at the campus
where the recommendation is to be made for the two years immediately preceding the year in
which that recommendation is made, the provisions of (ii) above notwithstanding . In ordinary
cases, these two years of service will be the second year of a two-year appointment and the first
year of a three-year appointment. These requirements may be waived by the President on the
recommendation of the Dean and Instruction Committee on that campus.
(b) A non-tenure appointment as Tutor establishes the possibility, but not the presumption, of its renewal
and the granting of a tenure appointment. Procedures for considering non-tenure appointments differ
from those for considering tenure appointments. Satisfaction of appointment criteria admits of degree.
With each successive reappointment, the criteria are applied more rigorously. For a tenure appointment
the application is especially strict.
( c) For the purpose of temporary transfer between campuses, special appointments of one or two years
may be granted to a Tutor in addition to his or her regular appointments. The Tutor may ask that such
an appointment be counted as a regular appointment for the purpose of (a) above. In the case of a
permanent transfer a Tutor may ask that years of service at the other campus be counted toward
tenure according to the provisions of (a) above. Nevertheless, the provisions of (3) (a)(iv) prevail.
(d) Special one-year appointments and reappointments may be given to Tutors who intend to teach on a
part-time basis only. Such a Tutor may subsequently apply for and receive a regular appointment.
Special part-time appointments may then be counted on a fractional basis toward eligibility for tenure,
subject to the provisions of (3)(a)(iv). In establishing eligibility for sabbatical leave, special part-time
appointments shall be computed proportionately.
(e) Visiting Tutors may be appointed for a term or a year.
(4) Notification.
(a) A Tutor under consideration for a non-tenure appointment to begin in a certain calendar year shall be
notified by the President no later than December 15th of the preceding calendar year whether
reappointment will be recommended to the Board of Visitors and Governors. If the Tutoris
reappointed, the President shall notify him or her by March 1st of the calendar year in which the new
appointment is to begin.
(b) A Tutor under consideration for a tenure appointment to begin in a certain calendar year shall be
notified by the President no later than May 31st of the preceding calendar year whether the
.
appointment will be recommended to the Board of Visitors and Gove_mors. If the Tutor 1s appomted,
the President shall notify him or her by July 31st of that same precedmg year.
(5) A Tutor may apply to the Instruction Committee of the College not later than January 15th for a transfer of
campus for the next academic year. Transfers shall require approval of both Deans after consultation with
their Instruction Committees.
(6) (a)
A Tutor' s appointment may be terminated by the Board of Visitors and Governors for one of the
following reasons only:
(i) failure or inability to perform teaching duties in a satisfactory manner, or
(ii) moral turpitude.
The President shall make such a recommendation to the Board of Visitors and Governors only with the
concurrence of the Dean and the Instruction Committee of the campus concerned. Before the
President makes such a recommendation, he or she shall advise the Tutor affected, and the Tutor
shall have the right to be heard by the Instruction Committee or, at the Tutor's option, by another
committee to be designated by the President for this purpose.
(b) Either Dean with the approval of the Instruction Committee on the campus concerned, may
recommend 'to the President that in the interest of instruction a Tutor be temporarily relieved of duties
in whole or in part at any time. When such action is taken, the Tutor's salary shall be continued for the
remainder of the current academic year.
(7) The sabbatical leave program is designed to provide Tutors with an opportunity for study, rest, and renewal
of spirit, in anticipation of future teaching. It is the objective of the program to grant all applications for
sabbatical leave meeting the conditions for eligibility set out in (a) of this section. It 1s understood that
Tutors on such leave will not undertake full-time remunerative employment elsewhere and will return to
the College.
(a) Eligibility for sabbatical leave shall be upon the following conditions:
(i) A Tutor who has received a tenure appointment may apply for a full year of sabbatical leave at full
salary, to be taken upon completion of the equivalent of seven full years of service to the College
since his or her original appointment, or the equivalent of six full years of service since any
previous sabbatical leave.
(ii) Such a Tutor may apply for an earlier sabbatical leave of a full year at partial salary, or a partial
year at full salary. The fractional salary or fractional year shall be determined by the number of
years of teaching completed in relation to the prescribed total for either an initial or a subsequent
sabbatical leave, as the case may be. In no case shall a Tutor be paid more than the Tutor's regular
salary.
(iii) Upon completion of sabbatical leave, a Tutor is expected to return to the College for at least two
more years.
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15
�(b) If, in the judgment of the President, financial or academic needs at a campus should require that fewer
sabbatical leaves be granted there in a given year than there are qualified applicants, and if the number
that can be granted there should be smaller than one-sixth of the number of Tutors at that campus
having tenure and not on full-time leave under the provisions of section (8) below, the President shall
so notify the Board of Visitors and Governors and seek its approval for delaying a sabbatical leave for
one or more of the applicants.
( c) If in a year there are more qualified applicants for sabbatical leave at any one campus than there are
leaves to be granted at that campus, then those members shall have precedence who meet the following
conditions in the order set forth:
(i) Those who have served for the greater number of years since their first appointment as Tutor or
since their last sabbatical leave, whichever is more recent;
(ii) Those whose service has been continuous throughout those years;
(iii) Those whose last sabbatical leave was postponed because of the financial or academic needs of the
College;
(iv) Those who have seniority of appointment.
When there is a conflict of precedence, the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the campus
concerned shall be consulted.
(d) A Tutor eligible for sabbatical leave shall make application to the President before November 1st for
leave to begin the following July 1st, and shall be informed of the action upon the application not later
than January 1st.
Article VII
THE FACULTY: THE VICE-PRESIDENTS FOR COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT AND THE
TREASURERS
(1) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement shall be responsible to the President for the supervision and
development of all programs in fund-raising, public relations, and alumni relations on their respective
campuses.
(2) Tue Vice-President for College Advancement on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors
and Governors on the recommendation of the President made after consultation with the Dean on that
campus and a committee constituted by resolution of the Faculty on that campus.
(3) The Treasurers shall have charge, on their respective campuses, under the supervision of the President, of
all funds and property, and shall have authority to carry out fiscal and property transactions, and to receive
and disburse funds, subject to the provisions of this Polity and other directions and arrangements pursuant
thereto.
(4) The Treasurer on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the
.
recommendation of the President made after consultation with the Dean on that campus and a committee
constituted by resolution of the Faculty on that campus.
(5) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement and Treasurers may be appointed Tutors under the
provisions of Article VI(3)(d).
Article VIlI
(8) The President, with the concurrence of the Dean after consultation with the Instruction Committee on the
campus concerned, may grant leaves of absence to Tutors for a period of one year or less. At that time it
shall be determined whether the leave shall be counted as service to the College with respect to eligibility
for sabbatical leave and, if so, how. The decision with respect to a request for leave of absence shall be
made in the light of the requirements both of the applicant Tutor and of the whole College.
(a) Leave of absence may be renewed upon request but not more than twice in succession except in
extraordinary circumstances.
(b) A request for a leave of absence shall be submitted to the President as early as possible in the academic
year before the year in which the leave is to be taken, but not later than January 15th of that year.
Requests for leaves of absence may be withdrawn at any time prior to April 1st of the year in which the
request is submitted. Requests for leaves of absence for the second semester must be submitted no later
than October 15th.
(c) Tutors on sabbatical leave or leave of absence remain members of the Faculty with the right of full
participation in Faculty meetings and all other College exercises.
THE FACULTY: THE ASSOCIATES
(1) Associate members of the Faculty on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and
Governors on the recommendation of the President in consultation with the Dean of that campus. The
President shall have ultimate executive authority over the Associates.
(2) Associates may be appointed Tutors under the provisions of Article VI (3)(d).
(3) The Associates on either campus may establish for themselves an Associates' Council for the purpose of
considering College matters of concern to them and communicating with other members of the College,
(4) The Associates' Council may establish such committees as it deems appropriate.
(5) There shall be the following Associates, as deemed necessary by the President on each campus, with the
powers and responsibilities provided.
(a) The Registrars. The Registrars shall be responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses. They
shall prepare and supervise the registration of students and shall be responsible for the acadermc
records and schedules of students.
(b) The Librarians. The Librarians shall be responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for the
operation of the library. Appointments of professional members of the Library Staff shall be made
upon the recommendation of the Librarian to the Dean on each campus.
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�( c) The Directors of Student Activities and the Directors of Athletics. The Directors of Student Activities
and the Directors of Athletics shall be responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for
devising and directing programs of recreational activities.
(d) The Directors of Admissions. The Directors of Admissions shall be responsible to the Deans on their
respective campuses for the annual enrollment of qualified freshmen.
(e) The Directors of Alumni Activities. The Directors of Alumni Activities shall be responsible to the
Vice-Presidents for College Advancement. Their primary duty is to enable the College and the Alumni
Association to be of service to alumni.
(t) The Directors ofFinancial Aid. The Directors of Financial Aid shall be responsible to the Deans on
their respective campuses for the administration of financial aid programs.
(g) The Directors of Career Services. The Directors of Career Services shall be responsible to the Deans
on their respective campuses for helping and counseling students with respect to graduate and
professional schools and careers.
(h) The Director of College Information Technology Services. The Director of College Information
Technology Services shall be responsible to both Presidents for the development and management of
information services college-wide.
(i) Persons designated Associates under the provisions of Article 1(3)(f) or of Article VII(3)(k) ofthis
Polity as amended through April 20, 1985, whose offices are not specifically named in this Article,
shall continue to be Associates until the expiration of their appointments to those offices.
Article IX
THE FACULTY: FACULTY COMMITTEES
(1) The Instruction Committee
(a) The Instruction Committee shares with its Chairs responsibility for the program of instruction of the
College. It shall consist of twelve Tutors in addition to the Deans. The Presidents shall sit with the
Committee ex officio. Six of the Tutors shall be elected from each campus of the College. The
Instruction Committee shall meet annually. On each campus the members of the Instruction Committee
and the Dean as Chair constitute the Instruction Committee of the College on that campus. The
President sits ex officio with the Instruction Committee on each campus.
(b) Each of the members of the Instruction Committee shall serve for a term of three years, and the terms
shall be arranged in such a way that each year the terms of two members at each campus shall expire.
Terms begin and end the day following commencement exercises. Annually, and separately at each
campus, the President with the Dean on his campus, after consulting with the Instruction Committee
and seeking the advice of the other Tutors on that campus, shall at the last regular Faculty meeting
on that campus nominate four Tutors of whom two shall be elected by the Tutors to membership on the
Instruction Committee. The Faculty shall be informed of the names of the nominees prior to the
meeting at which the election occurs. At the expiration of the three-year term a member of the
Instruction Committee shall for one year be ineligible for reelection.
(c) If for any reason a member of the Instruction Committee is unable to serve for a part of his or her term,
another Tutor shall be chosen to serve for that part of the term. For this purpose the President and the
Dean, in consultation with the Instruction Committee on the campus where the vacancy occurs, shall
nominate two Tutors of whom the Tutors shall elect one in a regular Faculty meeting.
18
(d) If the Instruction Committee resigns with the Deans on a matter of confidence and the resignations are
accepted, the President, in consultation with the new Deans and after seeking the advice of the other
Tutors shall nominate nine Tutors for the six vacancies on each campus in such a manner that two out
of each three nominees shall be elected by the Tutors for each of the three classes to fill the unexpired
terms.
(2) The Tutors' Compensation Committee
(a) There shall be a Tutors' Compensation Committee of six Tutors, three to be elected by the Tutors on
each campus, and the chair shall annually alternate between campuses. The Committee shall advise the
President concerning Tutors' compensation and related matters; it shall make annual reviews of the
College's statement of Tutors' salaries and other compensation of Tutors and report to the Tutors and
the President recommendations consequent upon the review.
(b) Members of the Committee shall be elected annually on each campus for terms of three years in such a
manner that the term of one member on each campus terminates each year. The Tutors' Compensation
Committee on each campus shall provide the Tutors on that campus with two nominations for each
vacancy on the Committee on that campus. Additional nominations may be made at the Faculty
meeting when election shall be made.
(3) The Library Committees. The President, in consultation with the Librarian and the Dean, shall appoint
three Tutors on each campus to serve as a Library Committee. The President, the Dean, and the L1branan
shall themselves be ex officio members of the Committee, and the Librarian shall serve as Chair. It
shall be the duty of the Library Committees to assist the Librarians in making the Libraries serve the ends
of the College and its program; it shall be their duty to advise the Librarians in regard to Library policy and
acquisitions. The Managers of the Bookstores may be invited to sit with the Committees.
(4) The Campus Planning Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall elect five of its members as a
Campus Planning Committee. Two members shall be elected to the Committee annually except in every
third year, when one member shall be chosen. The President, the Dean, one of the Assistant Deans, and the
Treasurer on each campus shall sit ex officio with the Committee on that campus. It shall be the duty of the
respective committees to advise the President on the construction of new buildings, the renovation of old
buildings, landscaping of grounds, and all matters relating to the maintenance and development of the
campus.
(5) The Prize Committees. Every three years the President shall appoint Tutors on each campus to supervise
the awarding of prizes on the respective campuses. The Committees shall have full authority to decide what
prizes shall be awarded and to name the recipients of the prizes.
(6) The Fellowship Committees. On each campus there shall be a Fellowship Committee appointed by the
President. It shall be the duty of this Committee to inform students of fellowships for which they may be
eligible, to assist them in applying for fellowships, and to act on behalf of the College in any matter
relating to application for fellowships.
(7) Other Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall have authority to elect, or to request the President to
appoint, additional committees that may from time to time become necessary.
Article X
THE FACULTY: FACULTY PROCEDUR E
(1) Procedure for Instructional Proposals.
(a) (i) Any proposal concerning matters of instruction that may affect the College as a whole shall
originate with the Dean and the Instruction Committee on either campus. A decision as to
19
�whether a proposal is college-wide or campus-specific shall be made by the Deans and
Instruction Committee of the College. They shall make this decision after notifying the
Faculty on both campuses and inviting their comment.
Written statements of college-wide instructional proposals shall be distributed to the Faculty
at least two weeks before the Faculty meeting at which they are to be presented; the proposal
shall be presented to the whole Faculty by the Chair of the Instruction Committee, either in
person or through the other Dean. If, after full discussion of any proposal so presented, there
be no objection on the part of any Tutor, the measure stands approved and becomes effective
as of the date specified therefore. If, after full discussion, a Tutor objects to the proposal and
holds to the objection, the proposal shall be submitted to vote of the Tutors at special Faculty
meetings called by the Presidents within a month. Any objections that have been made and
held to and submitted in writing shall be transmitted immediately in writing to the whole
faculty. Any objections that have been made and held to but not submitted in writing shall be
reported immediately in writing to the whole Faculty. If, after discussion, any objection has
been made and held to, the Presidents, in calling special Faculty meetings, shall report the
statement of the Chair of the Instruction and the Dean on the other campus as to whether it be
a matter of confidence; and in submitting the proposal to vote, the Chair of the Instruction
Committee and the Dean on the other campus shall, at the special Faculty meetings, repeat
their statement as to whether it be a matter of confidence. The vote may then be taken and
tallied by the Presidents in such a fashion that the Tutors shall have recorded their decision
acting as a whole. If the proposal be one that the Chair of the Instruction Committee and the
other Dean have declared a matter of confidence and if it be defeated by majority vote, the
Deans and the Instruction Committee shall immediately resign. If it be passed by majority
vote, it shall become effective as of the date specified therefore. For the confidence procedure
a quorum shall consist of three-fourths of all resident Tutors on each campus.
(ii) Any instructional proposal that has been deemed campus-specific shall be subject to the
procedure set forth above, except that, if an objection is made and held to on either campus,
voting shall proceed only on the campus were the proposal is intended to be put into effect.
Any objections that have been made and held to and submitted in writing on the other campus
shall be transmitted immediately to the voting Faculty. Any objections that have been made
and held to but not submitted in writing shall be reported immediately in writing to the voting
Faculty. If the confidence procedure is invoked, it shall be only by the Dean on the voting
campus, and it shall affect the Dean and the Instruction Committee only on that campus.
(iii) The President may refuse to accept the resignation of the Deans or the Instruction Committee,
any or all of them, whenever in the judgment of the President such resignation would be
detrimental to the proper functioning of the College; provided, however, that if any six or
more Tutors shall petition the Visitors and Governors, the latter shall review the President's
decision within four weeks, during which time the Deans and the Instruction Committee shall
continue in office.
(iv) In the event that the proposal be defeated and the resignations be accepted, the President shall
proceed to the choice of new Deans in accordance with the provisions of Article V (2)(b).
(b) Upon either a petition of not less than one-tenth of the Tutors on either campus or a request from the
President, the Dean and Instruction Committee on that campus shall consider any recommendation
concerning instruction and shall report to the Faculty within one year their proposal concerning it.
They shall decide whether their proposal is a college-wide or campus-specific proposal, and the
procedure of Article X(l) shall apply.
(a) Regular monthly meetings of the Faculty shall be called upon due notice by the President; except that
in the period comprising the months of December and January
only one regular meetmg need be
called. The President or, in his absence, the Dean, shall preside. In the absence of the President and the
Dean, the Faculty shall elect one of its members to preside.
(b) Special meetings of the Faculty may be called upon due notice by the President alone or at the request
of five Faculty members.
(c) Due notice shall be construed to mean no less than three days notice, except in cases of emergency.
(d) A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Faculty in residence except as otherwise provided.
(e) Only Tutors may vote on instructional matters. All Faculty members may vote on all other matters not
specifically restricted in the Polity.
(3) The Secretary of the Faculty. At the last regular meeting of an academic year the Faculty on each campus
shall elect one of its members, then in at least his or her third year at the College, as Secretary. The
Secretary shall assist in the preparation and circulation of the agenda for Faculty meetings, shall keep the
minutes of such meetings, and shall collect and circulate reports of Faculty committees.
Article XI
THE SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE AND THE ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
The Scholars-in-Residence and the Artists-in-Residence shall be appointed from time to time by the Board of
Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President after consultation with the Dean and the
Instruction Committee on the campus where the Scholars and Artists shall reside.
Article XII
THE STUDENTS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the Students are to study and to make themselves as competent as possible
in all parts of the St. John's Program. Their advice and service shall be sought by the Faculty in such
matters and in such ways as may best serve the general welfare of the College.
(2) The Students of St. John's College shall constitute the Student Polity of St. John's College in Annapolis and
in Santa Fe.
(3) The Student Polity in Annapolis or Santa Fe may establish for itself a government which is representative
of all polity members. The Dean on each campus may delegate to the Student government a share of the
responsibility for the general welfare of the Students and whatever government of the Students may be
necessary for the greatest possible attainment of the aims of the program. The duties of the Student
Government may include:
(a) the management of funds available to the Student Polity;
(b) the sanctioning of all student clubs, organizations, and activities, and their regulation, if necessary;
(c) the representation of the Students of St. John's College to the community outside the College;
(d) the establishment and maintenance of formal channels of communication between the Students and
the Faculty; and
(2) Faculty Meetings.
20
21
�(e) any other duties agreed upon by the Students and the Dean.
Article XIV
Article XIlI
THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE
THEALUMNI
(1) Alumni shall be life-long members of the College, since St. John's College is a community not limited by
geographical location or fixed periods of time.
(1) The Directors.
(a) There shall be a Director of the Graduate Institute on each campus to whom shall be delegated
responsibility and authority, under the Chair of the Instruction Committee, for the organization and
supervision on his or her campus of the graduate program of instruction in the liberal arts and for
matters concerning the general welfare of the students. Concerning matters that affect the Graduate
Institute as a whole the Director shall, in consultation with the other Director, be responsible to the
Chair of the Instruction Committee. Concerning matters limited to the Director's campus he or she
shall be responsible to the Dean on that campus.
(b) The Directors shall be appointed for terms of four years from among the Tutors by the Board of
Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President, after consultation with the Deans and
a special committee consisting of four members, two from each campus, selected from among
themselves by the Tutors having tenure. The Directors shall be Tutors of the Graduate Institute.
(c) Every three years, after consultation with the other Director and the Committee for the Graduate
Institute on such Director's campus, one of the Directors shall submit a Statement of Educational
Policy and Program for the Graduate Institute to the Instruction Committee for discussion at its joint
meeting. The Director may, thereafter, revise the Statement and the Statement then shall be submitted
to the Faculty as a whole for discussion.
(2) The Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(a) Each Director, after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate Institute on that campus, and in
accordance with the recommendation of the Instruction Committee on the same campus, shall
recommend to the President Tutors of the Graduate Institute for summer appointment to teach in the
Graduate Institute for one session.
(2) The Alumni Association is the formal means by which Alumni participate in the life of the College.
Through the election of alumni members of the Board of Visitors and Governors, Alumni share in the
direction of that life. In these and other ways, Alumni shall be given the opportunity to serve the College.
(3) The College shall cooperate with the Alumni Association to enable Alumni to assist in providing services
such as recruiting and interviewing prospective students, placing graduates in appropriate employment, and
advising students concerning careers and admission to graduate and professional schools.
(4) The College, in cooperation with the Alumni Association, shall provide seminars and other appropriate
educational activities in Annapolis, in Santa Fe, and in other places.
Article XV
THE STAFF
(1) Members of the Staff assist with the administration and maintenance of the College, performing duties
necessary to its well-being. They are subject to appropriate Staff rules and regulations.
(2) Members of the Staff on either campus may establish for themselves a Staff Council for the purpose of
better communication and understanding of College policies as a benefit to the College as a whole. The
Staff Council shall seek to establish and maintain formal channels of communication among the whole
Staff and between the Staff and the appropriate College Officers. The Treasurer on each campus shall
review Staff employment regulations with the Staff Council and discuss with them any changes proposed.
(3) The Staff Council may establish such committees as it deems appropriate.
(b) During the summer term the Tutors of the Graduate Institute on each campus shall have the authority
to recommend to the Board of Visitors and Governors candidates for degrees.
(3) Committees for the Graduate Institute.
Article XVI
AMENDMENTS AND REVIEW
(a) On each campus the Committee for the Graduate Institute shares with the Director on the same campus
responsibility for carrying out the program of instruction of the Graduate Institute and for the general
welfare of the students.
(c) Members of each Committee shall be appointed by the Director with the concurrence of the Dean on
the same campus after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate Institute on that campus.
(1) Amendments to this Polity may be proposed by a majority of the Polity Review Committee, or by a petition
submitted by not fewer than ten percent of the members of the Board, or by the Faculty as provided for in
section (2) and (3) below. Written notice of a proposed amendment must be provided to the Board and to
the Faculty not less than 30 days prior to the date of the Board meeting at which the amendment is to be
considered. The Faculty shall have the right to inform the Board in writing of its recommendation with
respect to the proposed amendment by the time of that meeting. This Polity may be amended by a twothirds vote of those members voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board, provided that the votes
ofno fewer than one-third of the members of the entire Board eligible to vote are in favor of such
amendment.
(4) Proposals concerning matters of instruction or policy shall originate with one of the Directors, after
consultation with the other Director and with the Committee for the Graduate Institute, and shall be
submitted to the Dean on the originating campus for handling in accordance with Article X(l)(a)(i).
(2) Amendments may be proposed at any regular meeting of either the Faculty in Annapolis or the Faculty in
Santa Fe upon petition of not less than ten percent of the members on either campus. No such proposal
shall be acted upon earlier than the next regular meeting of the Faculty, whether in Annapolis or in Santa
(b) Each Committee shall consist of three Tutors who have experience in the Institute, in addition to the
Director, who shall serve as Chair.
22
23
�Fe. A two-thirds vote of the entire Faculty in residence, including at least a simple majority vote of the
Faculty in residence on each of the campuses, shall be required for approval and the amendment shall not
become effective unless approved by the Board in the manner set forth in Section (1) above.
(3) Every five years this Polity shall be reviewed by a committee of six, three to be elected by the Faculty on
each campus. The report of the Committee shall be submitted to one regular Faculty meeting and voted
upon at the next regular Faculty meeting. A two-thirds vote of the entire Faculty in residence, including at
least a simple majority vote of the Faculty in residence on each of the campuses, shall be required for
approval of any proposed amendments.
Whatever action is thus recommended by the Faculty shall be submitted to the Board for final decision in
the manner set forth in Section (1) above.
Article XVII
COMPLIANCE WITH LAW
No provision of this Polity shall be construed to contravene any applicable federal or state law. If any provision
is determined to contravene any such law, that provision shall be deemed not a part of this Polity, and this
Polity's remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
Article XVIII
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
There shall be a Management Committee for the college composed of the Presidents and Deans of both
campuses. The Chair of the Management Committee will report to and be appointed annually by the Board of
Visitors and Governors. With the advice of the Committee, and in a collegial manner, the Chair shall exercise
executive authority over the College as a whole with respect to:
(1) college-wide strategic planning, including defining the processes for strategic thinking, leading
conversations regarding strategic decisions, and presentation of and planning for the strategic goals of
the college and their accomplishment;
(2) college-wide advancement, including capital campaigns, external relations and publications, common
college-wide donor information and databases, oversight and implementation of ongoing development
initiatives, and oversight of alumni relations efforts, including the work of the Alumni Relations
directors and that portion of the work of Career Services directors pertaining to alumni;
(3) budgeting and resource planning, including approval of campus-specific budgets, preparation of
college-wide budgets, oversight and implementation of a college-wide information management
system, and oversight and implementation of consistent accounting, audit, and financial reporting
processes;
(4) approval and monitoring of admissions and financial aid policies for both campuses; and
(5) such other matters as may be assigned to the Chair from time to time.
The Management Committee shall not have executive authority over instructional matters assigned to the
Instruction Committee and its Chair under Articles V and IX(l) of the Polity.
24
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Charter and Polity of the College
Description
An account of the resource
Revised and amended editions of the St. John's College Charter and Polity.<br /><br />The College's first Charter and Polity was published as the <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3768">September 1950</a> issue of the <em><a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/collections/show/37">Bulletin of St. John's College in Annapolis</a></em>. Revised and amended versions were published as individual issues of the <em>Bulletin</em> in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3746">1951</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7844">1960</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7845">1963</a>, and <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7846">1965</a>. <br /><br />The Charter and Polity was published as a separate document in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7850">1955</a> and again from <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7851">1970</a> forward. The most recent version of the Charter and Polity is also available on the College's <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/about/leadership/board-visitors-governors/charter-polity">website</a>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=62&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate">Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
Creator
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St. John's College
Publisher
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St. John's College
Contributor
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
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PDF
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25 pages
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Title
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Charter and Polity of the College, 2006
Description
An account of the resource
Charter and Polity of the College, amended and restated April 2006.
Creator
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St. John's College
Publisher
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St. John's College
Coverage
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Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe, NM
Date
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2006-04
Type
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text
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PDF
Subject
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St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Legal instruments
Language
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English
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Charter_and_Polity_2006_ac
Charter and Polity
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/a07206d7674d0a659b9d5cba73b1bbaf.mp4
b4087987691c40aa114bd196d3308567
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Description
An account of the resource
Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts.<br /><br />For more information, and for a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <strong><a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a></strong>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.<br /><br />A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://anchor.fm/greenfieldlibrary" title="Anchor.fm">Anchor.fm</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84Yzk5MzdhYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw" title="Google Podcasts">Google Podcasts</a>, or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe.
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
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St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis
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formallectureseriesannapolis
Sound
A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
wav
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
01:07:10
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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On Parts and Wholes in Living Things: Harvey, Descartes, and the Heartbeat
Description
An account of the resource
Video recording of a lecture delivered on August 25, 2023, by Suzy Paalman as part of the Formal Lecture Series.
Ms. Paalman describes her lecture: "William Harvey and René Descartes famously disagreed in their accounts of what the heart is doing as it gives its characteristic beat. Both authors recognize that the heart alternates between squeezing and opening up. Harvey posits that the beat occurs as the heart squeezes closed while Descartes believes the beat happens as the heart opens up. Both have access to similar observations. How is it that they come to opposite conclusions? I’ll discuss how their differing views of how to think about living things likely play a role in this disagreement. I'll examine what we have learned since their time about how the heart beats. Finally, given what we’ve learned, I'll ask the question: What can we say about the nature of living things?"
Ms. Paalman's lecture is the first formal lecture of the academic year. Previously referred to as the Dean's Lecture, this lecture is now called the Christopher B. Nelson Lecture.
Creator
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Paalman, Susan R.
Publisher
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St. John's College
Coverage
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Annapolis, MD
Date
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2023-09-25
Rights
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Permission has been given to make this available online.
Type
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sound
Format
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mp3
Subject
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Heart beat
Descartes, René, 1596-1650
Harvey, William, 1578-1657
Language
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English
Identifier
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LEC_Paalman_Susan_2023-08-25_ac
Christopher B. Nelson Lecture
Deans
Friday night lecture
Tutors
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/c3e6a7bbb9255c371202a702448fb48f.mp3
ec289b819046893bf146fcf4f143b196
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Description
An account of the resource
Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts.<br /><br />For more information, and for a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <strong><a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a></strong>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.<br /><br />A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://anchor.fm/greenfieldlibrary" title="Anchor.fm">Anchor.fm</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84Yzk5MzdhYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw" title="Google Podcasts">Google Podcasts</a>, or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe.
Contributor
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
Title
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St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis
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formallectureseriesannapolis
Sound
A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
wav
Duration
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00:56:38
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Frederick Douglass on Force and Persuasion
Description
An account of the resource
Audio recording of a lecture delivered on November 21, 1997, by Steven Crockett as part of the Formal Lecture Series.
Creator
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Crockett, Steven
Publisher
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St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1997-11-21
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
A signed permission form has been received stating, "I hereby grant St. John's College permission make an audio recording of my lecture, and retain copies for circulation and archival preservation at the St. John's College Greenfield Library. Make an audio recording of my lecture available online. Make typescript copies of my lecture available for circulation and archival preservation at the St. John's College Greenfield Library. Make a copy of my typescript available online."
Type
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sound
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
mp3
Subject
The topic of the resource
Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
Oratory
Antislavery movements
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
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LEC_Crocket_Steven_1997-11-21_ac
Friday night lecture
Tutors
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/537f96923e9a47ca5c1400553c5bd447.mp3
ccee2ab93cf46890b51fb849e4f85c31
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Description
An account of the resource
Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts.<br /><br />For more information, and for a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <strong><a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a></strong>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.<br /><br />A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://anchor.fm/greenfieldlibrary" title="Anchor.fm">Anchor.fm</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84Yzk5MzdhYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw" title="Google Podcasts">Google Podcasts</a>, or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe.
Contributor
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
Title
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St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis
Identifier
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formallectureseriesannapolis
Sound
A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
wav
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
00:55:34
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Finding Perspective and Staying in One’s Room: Thoughts on Several of Pascal’s <em>Pensées</em> and Latour’s <em>Repentant Magdalene</em>
Description
An account of the resource
Audio recording of a lecture delivered on September 9, 2005, by Thomas May as part of the Formal Lecture Series.
Creator
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May, Thomas
Publisher
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St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2005-09-09
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
A signed permission form has been received stating, "I hereby grant St. John's College permission make an audio recording of my lecture, and retain copies for circulation and archival preservation at the St. John's College Greenfield Library. Make an audio recording of my lecture available online. Make typescript copies of my lecture available for circulation and archival preservation at the St. John's College Greenfield Library. Make a copy of my typescript available online."
Type
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sound
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
mp3
Subject
The topic of the resource
Pascal, Blaise, 1623-1662. Pensées
La Tour, Georges du Mesnil de, 1593-1652. Repentant Magdalene.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
May_Thomas_2005-09-09_ac
Friday night lecture
Tutors
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/aa41fd0cebf43010b9125133581253b8.pdf
6c050fa315837444c6205730760fc2ec
PDF Text
Text
S!JOHN' S
College
ANNAPOLIS • SANTA FE
CHARTER AND POLITY OF THE COLLEGE
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
~
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
Amended and Restated
as of April 2003
I696
I784
FOUNDED AS KING WILLIAM'S SCHOOL,
CHARTERED AS ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE,
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Since this Polity can be amended between printings, the current official Polity is kept in the offices of the
Presidents of St. John's College .
HISTORY
St. John's College was founded in 1696 as King William's School in accordance with a Petitionary Act for freeschools of the General Assembly of the Colony of Maryland. Following the Revolutionary War, the General
Assembly of the new State of Maryland granted a Charter to St. John's College pursuant to and as a part of
Chapter 37 of the Laws of Maryland of 1784. This Charter was subsequently amended by the General Assembly
through Resolution No. 41 of 1832.
The Visitors and Governors of St. John's College in 1950 revised the Charter to eliminate extraneous and
obsolete matter and to make certain other amendments consistent with present requirements and conditions. It
was the opinion of the Attorney General of Maryland that the original Charter of the College was subject to the
general Corporation Laws of Maryland and might accordingly be amended by the Visitors and Governors,
pursuant to these laws, without legislative action by the General Assembly. Subsequent amendments were made
in 1961, in 1963, in 1965, in 1970, and in 1975.
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When the decision was reached to establish a second St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, amendments
were made to the Charter to authorize branches or extensions of the College. The Charter was then filed with
the Corporations Commission of the State of New Mexico as a foreign corporation. The College was thus
empowered to grant degrees in New Mexico under the provisions of its Maryland Charter.
A Polity for the College was first suggested at a faculty meeting in 1943 by the Dean. A faculty committee was
elected and drafted a Polity, which was then promulgated by the President. In April 1949 the Faculty elected a
committee to revise the Polity. The resulting document was approved by the Faculty on April 9, 1950, and was
adopted by the Board of Visitors and Governors on July 8, 1950. Subsequent quinquennial reviews were made
by elected faculty committees, and desired amendments were recommended by the Faculty to the Board of
Visitors and Governors. The Polity was thus amended at regular meetings of the Board held on May 14, 1955;
May 21, 1960; May 15, 1965; June 6, 1970; April 19, 1975; January 16, 1982; April 19, 1986; and October 19,
1991. Other amendments were adopted by the Board at regular meetings on February 22 and December 9, 1961;
February 23 and September 28, 1963; October 3, 1970;February 18, 1972; October 25, 1975; January 24, 1976;
November 6, 1982; July 21, 1984; April 20, 1985; October 25, 1986; April 11, 1987; October 19, 1991; July 18,
1992, April 17, 1993, April 22, 1995, April 19, 1996, April 24, 1999, and November 6, 1999, January 27, 2001,
and April 26, 2003.
�CHARTER OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
WHEREAS, institutions for the liberal education of youth in the principles of virtue, knowledge and useful
literature are of the highest benefit to society, in order to train up and perpetuate a succession of able and honest
men for discharging the various offices and duties of life, both civil and religious, with usefulness and
reputation, and such institutions oflearning have accordingly been promoted and encouraged by the wisest and
best regulated States; And whereas, it appears to this General Assembly that many public spirited individuals,
from an earnest desire to promote the founding a college or seminary of learning on the Western Shore of this
State have subscribed and procured subscriptions to a considerable amount, and there is reason to believe that
very large additions will be obtained to the same throughout the different counties of the said Shore, if they
were made capable in law to receive and apply the same towards founding and carrying on a college or general
seminary of learning with such salutary plan and with such legislative assistance and direction as the General
Assembly might think fit, and this General Assembly, highly approving those generous exertions of individuals
are desirous to embrace the present favorable occasion of peace and prosperity for making lasting provision for'
the encouragement and advancement of all useful knowledge and literature through every part of this State;
BE IT ENACTED:
II. That a college or general seminary of learning by the name of "St. John's College" be established on the said
Western Shore upon the following fundamental and inviolable principles; namely, first, the said college shall be
founded and maintained forever upon a most liberal plan for the benefit of youth of every religious
denomination, who shall be freely admitted to equal privileges and advantages of education and to all the
literary honors of the college, according to their merit without requiring or enforcing any religious or civil test,
or urgmg their attendance upon any particular religious worship or service other than what they have been
educated in or have the consent and approbation of their parents or guardians to attend; nor shall any preference
be given in the choice of a Principal, Vice-Principal or other Professor, Master or Tutor in said college on
account of his particular religious profession, having regard solely to his moral character and literary abilities
and other necessary qualifications to fill the place for which he shall be chosen.
IV.That thegoverning body or board of said College shall consist ofnot more than forty-nine nor less than
thirteen Visitors and Governors, to be chosen and to hold office in such manner as the said Visitors and
Governors may determine and prescribe by their fundamental ordinances; provided, however, that the
Governors of the States of Maryland and New Mexico shall act ex officio as two of the total number of Visitors
and Governors of said college during their respective terms in said offices; and that the said Visitors and
Governors and their successors duly chosen shall be and are hereby declared to be one community corporation
'
and body politic to have continuance forever by the name of
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
and by the same name they shall have perpetual succession.
VII. That if the City of Annapolis should be fixed upon as a proper place for establishing the said intended
college, this General Assembly give and grant, and upon that condition do hereby give and grant to the Visitors
and Governors of the said College by the name of "The Visitors and Governors of Saint John's College in the
State of Maryland," and their successors all that four acres within the City of Annapolis purchased for the use
by the public and conveyed on the 2nd day of October, 1744, by Stephen Bordley, Esq., to Thos. Bladen, Esq.,
then Governor, to have and to hold the said four acres of land with the appurtenances to the said Visitors and
Governors and their successors for the only use, benefit and behoof of the said college and seminary of
universal learning forever.
VIII. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the same name shall be able and capable in
law to purchase, have and enjy to themand their successors in fee, or for any other less estate or estates, any
lands, tenements, rents, annuities, pensionsor other hereditaments by the gift, grant, bargain, sale, alienation,
enfeoffment, release, confirmation, or devise of any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate capable to
•
•
make the same, and such lands, tenements, rents, annuities, pensions or other hereditaments or any less estates,
rights or interests of or in the same at their pleasure to grant, alien, sell and transfer in such manner and form as
they shall think meet and convenient for the furtherance of the said college; And also that they may take and
receive any sum or sums of money, and any kind, manner or portion of goods and chattels that shall be given,
sold or bequeathed to them by any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate capable to make a gift, sale or
bequest thereof and employ the same towards erecting, setting up and maintaining the said college in such
manner as they shall judge most necessary and convenient for the instruction, improvement and education of
youth in the vernacular and learned languages, and generally in any kind of literature, arts and sciences, which
they shall think proper to be taught for training up good, useful and accomplished men for the service of their
country, in church and state.
IX. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the name aforesaid shall be able in law to sue
and be sued, plead and be impleadable in any court or courts, before any judge, judges, or justices within this
State and elsewhere in all and all manner of suits, complaints, pleas, causes, matters and demands of whatsoever
kind, nature or form they be and all and every other matter and thing therein to do in as full and effectual a
manner as any other person or persons, bodies politic or corporate within this State or any of the United States
of America in like cases may or can do.
X . That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors shall have full power and authority to have, make
and use one common and public seal and likewise one privy seal with such devices and inscriptions as they
shall think proper, and to ascertain, fix and regulate the uses of both seals, by their own laws and the same seals
or either of them to change, break, alter and renew at their pleasure.
XI. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors from time to time and at all times hereafter,
forever, shall have full power and authority to constitute and appoint in such manner as they shall think best and
most convenient, a principal, a vice-principal of the said college and professors with proper tutors and assistants
for instructing the students and scholars of the said seminary in all the liberal arts and sciences, and in the
ancient and modem tongues and languages; and the said principal, vice-principal and professors so constituted
and appointed from time to time shall be known and distinguished forever as one learned body or faculty by the
name of "The Principal, Vice-Principal and Professors of St. John's College"; and by that name shall be capable
of exercising such powers and authorities as the Visitors and Governors of the said college and their successors
shall by their ordinances think necessary to delegate to them for the instruction, discipline and government of
the said seminary and of all the students, scholars, ministers and servants belonging to the same.
XIV. That a majority of the said Visitors and Governors for the time being and duly assembled at any meeting
upon due notice given to the whole body of Visitors and Governors shall have full power and authority to make
fundamental ordinances for the government of the said college and the instruction of youth as aforesaid, and by
these ordinances to appoint such a number of their own body not less than seven, as they may think proper for
transacting all general and necessary business of the said seminary and making temporary rules for the
government of the same; and also by the said fundamental ordinances to delegate to the principal, vice-principal
and professors such powers and authorities as they may think best for the standing government of the said
seminary and of the execution of the ordinances and rules of the same; provided always that they be not
repugnant to the form of government of any law of this State.
XV. And for animating and encouraging the students of said college to a laudable diligence, industry and
progress in useful literature and science, be it enacted that the said Visitors and Governors and their successors
shall by a written mandate under their privy seal and the hand of someone of the Visitors and Governors to be
chosen annually as their President, according to the ordinance to be made for that purpose, have full power and
authority to direct the principal, vice-principal and professors to hold public commencements either on stated
annual days, or occasionally as the future ordinances of the said seminary may direct and at such
commencements to admit any of the students in the said college or any other persons meriting the same (whose
names shall be severally inserted in the same mandate) to any degree or degrees in any of the faculties, arts and
sciences and liberal professions to which persons are usually admitted in other colleges or universities in
America or Europe; And it is hereby enacted that the principal, or in the case of his death or absence, the viceprincipal, and in case of the death or absence of both, the senior professor who may be present, shall make out
and sign with his name diplomas or certificates of the admission to such degree or degrees, which shall be
�sealed with the public or greater seal of the said corporation or college
and delivered to the graduates_as
honorable and perpetual testimonials of such admission; which diploma
s, if thought necessary for domg greater
honor to such graduates, shall also be signed with the names of the differen
t profess ors or_ as many of them as
can conveniently sign the same; provide d always that no student or student
s within the said college s_hall ever be
admitted to any such degree or degrees, or have their name inserted in
any mandate for a degree, until such
student or students have been first duly examined, and thought worthy
of the same.
XVI. That the ordinances which shall be from time to time made by the
Visitors and Governors of the said
college and their successors with an account of their other proceedings
and of the management of the estate and
moneys committed to their trust, shall when required be laid before the
General Assembly for their inspection
and examination but in case at any time hereafter through oversight,
or otherwise through misapprehension and
mistaken connec tions of the powers, liberties and franchises in this
Charter or Act of Incorporation granted, or
intended to be granted, any ordinance should be made by the said corpora
tion of Visitors and Governors or any
matters done and transacted by the corporation contrary to the tenor hereof,
it is enacted that although such
ordinances acts and doings shall in themselves be null and void, yet
they shall not, however, in any courts of
law, or by the General Assembly, be deemed, taken, interpreted or adjudge
d into an avoidance or forfeiture of.
this Charter and Act of Incorporation, but the same shall be and remain
unhurt, inviolate and entire unto the said
corporation of Visitors and Governors in perpetual succession; and all
their acts conformable to the power~, true
intent and meaning hereof shall be and remain in full force and validity
, the nullity and avoidance of such illegal
acts to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
XVII. That this Charter and Act of Incorporation and every part thereof
shall be good and available in all things
in the law according to the true intent and meaning thereof, and shall
be construed, reputed and adjudged in all
cases most favorably on the behalf and for the best benefit and behoof
of the said Visitors and Governors and
their successors, so as most effectually to answer the valuable end of
this Act oflncor poratio n towards the
general advancement and promotion of useful knowledge, science and
virtue.
Polity of St. John's College
Preamble
Education is the making of men and women out of children by bringin
g them into the world of inherited
customs, intellectual traditions, and spiritual ties. Institutions of learning
are set up for this purpose. Beyond
this they should also seek to develop their moral and intellectual powers
to enable them to fulfill best their
freely chosen tasks and thus to take their own responsible part in shaping
the future. St. John's College is a
community of learnin g committed to holding these ends constantly in
sight and to seeking the best means of
attaining them.
St. John's College strives to illuminate the common heritage of humani
ty in a persisting study of the great
documents in which that heritage can be found. It is concerned with the
unity of knowledge, an understanding of
the great issues, and the moral foundations 011 which conduct can be
based. To provide proper conditions for
the pursuit of these ends, we, the Board of Visitors and Governors, after
consultation with the Faculty, do
ordain and establish this Polity for St. John's College .
.
Article I
THE COLLE GE
XVIII. That the College may establish and operate one or more branche
s in one or more states of the United
States.
(1) St. John's College is by its Charter a legal entity, carrying on its function
s from its campuses in Annapolis,
Maryland, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Under the Charter of the College
, all power, authority, and
responsibility pertaining to the College are vested in the Visitors and
Governors.
In the Polity as hereinafter set forth the nouns "alumnus" and "alumn
i" and "man" and "men," either alone or in
compounds such as "chairman" and "chairmen," and the pronouns "he,"
"him," and "his," are to be taken as
referring to persons whether male or female.
(2) The College consists of the following: The Board of Visitors and
Governors, the Faculty, the Graduate and
Undergraduate Students, the Alumni and the Staff, and other member
s who may be named from time to
time by the Board of Visitors and Governors.
(3) Under the Charter, "the said Visitors and Governors, and their success
ors, from time to time, and at all
times hereafter, forever, shall have full power and authority to constitu
te and appoint, in such manner as
they shall think best and most convenient, a principal and vice-principal
of the said College, and professors,
with proper tutors and assistants, for instructing the students and scholars
of the said seminary in all the
liberal arts and sciences, and in the ancient and modern tongues and languag
es; and the said
principal, vice-principal, and professors, so constituted and appointed
from time to time shall be known and
distinguished forever as one learned body or faculty, by the name of'The
Principal, Vice-Principal, and
Professors of St. John's College;' and by that name shall be capable of
exercising such powers and
authorities as the Visitors and Governors of the said college and their
successors shall by their ordinances
think necessary to delegate to them for the instruction, discipline, and
government of the said seminary and
of all the students, scholars, ministers and servants belonging to the same. 11
(a) The "principal" shall be the Presidents. When 'President' is used
in this Polity it shall mean:
(i) with respect to membership on the Board of Visitors and Govern
ors, in the Faculty, on committees
of the Board, and sitting ex officio with the Instruction Committee, and
for presentation of, and
response to, the Statement of Educational Policy and Program (Article
V (1)( c)), the President of
the Annapolis campus and the President of the Santa Fe campus;
(ii) with respect to membership on committees or sitting ex officio with
committees, and actions or
procedures relating to one campus, the President of that campus;
5
�(iii) with respect to actions under Article II (12)(6) or actions or
procedures involving the entire
College under Article X (l)(a)(i) and Article X (l)(a)(iii), either
President.
(b) The "vice-principal" shall be the Dean who is serving as the
Chair of the Instruction Committee.
(c) There shall be a Dean of St. John's College in Annapolis and
a Dean of St. John's College in Santa Fe.
( d) The "professors, tutors and assistants" shall bear the title Tutor
or Tutor Emeritus. Tutors who have
completed their tenure appointments shall be Tutors Emeriti.
( e) There shall be Vice-Presidents for College Advancement
and Treasurers.
(f) There shall be Associate members of the Faculty, hereina
fter called Associates, who shall be on either
campus, as the offices may be deemed necessary, the Registrar,
the Librarian, the Director of Athletics,
the Director of Student Activities, the Director of Admissions,
the Director of Alumni Activities, the
Director of Financial Aid, and the Director of Career Services.
(g) The "one learned body or faculty," composed of the Preside
nt, the Deans, the other Tutors, the Tutors
Emeriti, the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, the Treasu
rers, and the Associates, shall bear
the title the Faculty of St. John's College.
(h) All who have formally matriculated, are at the present enrolle
d, and are in good standing shall be
called Students of St. John's College.
(I) The Directors and the Tutors of the Graduate Institute shall
be called the Faculty of the Graduate
Institute.
(j) All who have been awarded a degree by the College shall be
called Alumni. In addition, all who have
completed at least one semester of undergraduate study or at least
one segment of Graduate Institute
study, but who are not currently enrolled, shall be called Alumn
i either a) in the case of
undergraduate students, when the class with which they matric
ulated has graduated, orb) in the case of
Graduate Institute students, at the end of three full sessions of
the Graduate Institute after the one in
which they last enrolled. All who have been designated as honora
ry members of the Alumni
Association of St. John's College shall be called alumni. All
who
have ever been Alumni shall
continue to be.
~
(k) The Staff shall consist of all persons appointed by the Preside
nt who are not members of the Faculty of
St. John's College or the Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
( 1) There shall be no discrimination at St. John's College in appoin
tments, conditions of employment,
admissions, educational policy, financial aid programs, athletic
s, or other activities, on the basis of race,
religion, age, sex, national origin, color, disability and/or handic
ap, sexual orientation, or other
characteristic protected by any applicable federal, state or local
law.
Article II
VISITORS AND GOVERNORS
(1) Qualifications for Membership. Persons shall be eligible
for membership on the Board of Visitors and
Governors who are concerned for the maintenance, progress,
and vitality of St. John's College's educational
progra m and who are willing and able to discharge the respon
sibilities of trusteeship with devotion and
energy.
(2) Members . The Board of Visitors and Governors shall consist
of not more than sixty members, comprising
the Presidents, the Deans, the Governors of Maryland and New
Mexic o, ex officio, and fifty-four members,
6
of whom forty-five shall be elected by the entire Board and nine
shall be elected by the Alumni of the
College, in the manner and for the terms hereinafter provided.
In recognition of meritorious service_to the
College, Visitors Emeriti may be elected to the Board who may
attend all meetmgs_ of the Board, with voice
in deliberation, but without vote. Retired members of the Board
who have served six (6) terms on the Board
as members in good standing shall be designated as Honorary
Board Members upon election by the Board.
Honorary Board Members will receive minutes of the Plenary
Sessions of the Board, may as a guest,
attend the Plenary Sessions of all regular meetings of the Board,
and may be asked to assist on Board
Committees.
(3) Elections by the Board. At each annual meeting, the Board
shall elect a class ofno more than fifteen
members for a term of three years, to succeed those members
whose term expires at the conclusion of said
meeting. Those members elected shall begin their term at the meetin
g next following their election. The
procedure for nomination and election shall be as follows:
There shall be a Nominating Committee of seven members of
the Board appointed by the Chair. The Chair
and the Presidents shall sit with the committee, ex officio, when
nominations to Board membership are
being considered. The Nominating Committee shall recommend
to each member of the Board in writing,
not later than thirty days prior to the annual meeting at which
the election is to be held, at least one
candidate for each of the places to be filled by such election, includi
ng each position as an officer of the
Board. Additional nominations may be made in writing, address
ed to the Chair, signed
by at least five members of the Board, prior to the date above
provided for the report of the Nominating
Committee, and any such additional nominations shall be reporte
d to the Board by the Committee at the
time of its report.
Voting on nominations at annual meetings may be by ballot, each
member present to vote for fifteen_ of the
said nominees. In case the balloting results in a tie for one or more
positions, the Board shall deterrnme the
procedure to resolve the tie. No nominee for membe r or officer
of the Board shall be deemed e_lected who
has not received the affirmative votes of at least a majority of
the members present at the meetmg.
If there should be fewer than fifteen members in any class prior
to the end of the term for such class, any
vacancy may be filled pursuant to the procedure provided above
for regular elections, except that the
election may take place at any regular meeting. A member elected
to fill any such vacanc y shall hold office
for the remainder of the term of the class in which such vacanc
y occurred.
(4) Elections by the Alumni. Each year in the spring, three alumni
shall be elected to membership for a termof
three years, in such manne r that there shall be nine members of
the Board elected by the alumni, consisting
of three classes of three members each. Outgoing members so
elected shall continue to serve until their
successors are elected.
Such elections shall be conducted in accordance with the By-law
s of the Alumni Association of St. John's
College. In the event that for any reason there should be fewer
than three members so elected in any class prior
to the end of the term of that class, the vacancy shall be filled
by the Alumni Association of St. John's College.
Newly elected alumni shall begin their term at the meeting next
following the annual meeting of the Board.
(5) Faculty Representation at Board Meetings. Three members
of the Faculty shall be elected by the Facult yon
each campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the
campus to which they belong, with voice m
deliberation, but without vote.
(6) Student Representation at Board Meetings. Two students
shall be elected by the Students on each campus
to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which
they belong, with voice m deliberation,
but without vote.
(7) Graduate Institute Director Representation at Board Meetin
gs. Each Director of the Graduate Institute may
attend all regular sessions of the Board on such Direct or's campu
s, with voice in deliberation, but without
vote.
7
�(8) Graduate Institute Student Representation at Board
Meetings. A student of the Graduate Institute shall be
elected by the Students of the Graduate Institute on each
campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board
on such student's campus, with voice in deliberation, but
without vote.
(9) Alumn i Association Representation at Board Meetin
gs. The President of the Alumni Association shall be
invited to attend all regular sessions of the Board, with voice
in deliberation, but without vote.
( I0) Staff Representation at Board Meetings. The Staff
on each campus shall be invited to send two
representatives to all regular sessions of the Board at that
campus, with voice in deliberation, but without
vote.
(11) Reelection. A member of the Board elected by
the Board or by the Alumn i may be elected for not more
than
two consecutive terms, but may, after a second consecutive
term, be reelected to membership at the
annual meeting in the year following the expiration of the
member's second term. In extraordinary
circumstances, notwithstanding the foregoing,the Nomin
ating
the Chair of the Board for up to two additional consecutive Committee may recommend the reelection of
terms.
(12) Meetings of the Board.
( a) Regular meetings of the Board shall be held quarterly
in either Annapolis or Santa Fe. The spring
meeting shall be called the annual meeting. The time and
place of regular meetings shall be determined
by the Chair, in consultation with the President, and notice
of regular meetings shall be given not less
than fifteen days prior to such meetings.
(b) Special meetings of the Board may be called by the
President, the Chair, the Executive Committee, or
any ten members of the Board, not less than seven days
after the dispatch of written, faxed, or e-mail
notice of the time, place, and purposes of the meeting. Such
notice may be dispensed with if waived in
writing by all members of the Board either before or after
the meeting.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
for the transaction of business. The Executive Committee
shall determine the compensation of the Vice
Presidents and Treasurers, upon receiving the recommenda
tions of the Compensation Review
Committee. The Executive Committee shall recommend
to the Board the compensation of the
Presidents, upon receiving the recommendations of the Comp
ensation Review Committee.
b) Presidential Search
Committee. There shall be a Presidential Search Committee
to recommend the
appointment of a President as provided in Article IV(2) .
(c) Nominating
Committee. There shall be a nominating Committee for memb
ership of the Board and for
officers of the Board as provided in Article II(3) .
(d) Visiting Comm
ittee. There shall be a Visiting Committee, including a Chair,
appointed by the Chair of
the Board . The Visiting Committee shall meet at least once
annually with the Instruction Committee on
each campus. The Visiting Committee shall discuss the Statem
ent of Educational Policy and Program
of the Chair of the Instruction Committee and become acqua
inted
with the aims of the College and
how they are
being realized.
(e) Finance
Committee. There shall be a Finance Committee consisting
of the Chair, the Presidents, and
the Treasurers of the College, ex officio, and such additio
nal members as may be appointed by the
Chair of the Board. The Chair of the Board shall appoin
t one of the members to be the Chair of the
Committee.
The Finance Committee shall have the following powers
and duties:
(i) The Finance Committee shall, after consultation with
the Investment Committee, make
recommendations to the Board concerning the appropriate
policies for annual or periodic
expenditures from each of the college's endowments.
( c) Any business may be conducted at a regular meetin
g without specific notice of such business (except
that which is required by law or as provided herein as to
elections and amendments), but no business
shall be conducted at any special meeting unless notice of
such business has been given, or has been
waived as above provided.
(ii) The Finance Committee shall review the proposed annua
l budgets of the College prior to their
presentation for approval by the Board and shall make recom
mendations to the Board with respect
to the budgets at the meeting at which they are presented.
(d) One third of the members of the Board shall constitute
a quorum for the transaction of business.
(iii) The Finance Committee shall study, and periodically
advise the Board with respect to, the
financial business policies and practices of the College,
and shall make such special studies and
reports as the Board may from time to time request.
( e) The Board in regular session is open to elected and
ex officio members, to Visitors Emeriti, to
Honorary Board Members as guests, to Associates invited
by the President, and to official
representatives of the Faculty, Students, Graduate Institu
te, Alumn i Association and Staff. Attendance
at Executive sessions shall be limited to voting members
and Visitors Emeriti. Public sessions shall be
open without restriction. The Chair of the Board, in consu
ltation with the President, shall determine
whether any meeting or portio n of a meeting shall be in
regular, executive, or public session.
(13) Officers of the Board . At each annual meeting the Board
shall elect a Chair, two Vice-Chairs, and a
Secretary, to hold office until the next annual meeting or
until their successors are elected. Vacancies in any
such offices may be filled at any regular meeting, or any
special meeting called for that purpose. Such
officers shall perform the custom ary duties of such offices
, and such other duties as the Board may from
time to time direct.
(14) Committees of the Board .
(a) Executive Committee. The Chair, the Vice-Chairs, the
Secretary, the Presidents, the Deans, and four
other members chosen annually by the Board at the annual
meetin g shall comprise the Executive
Committee of the Board. In intervals between meetings
of the Board, the Executive Committee may
act for the Board, except in those matters expressly delega
ted to some other committee, person, or
persons. Seven members of the Executive Committee presen
t at a meeting shall constitute a quorum
(f) Audit Committee. There shall be an Audit Committee,
including a Chair, appointed by the Chair of the
Board . The Treasurers shall serve as non-voting Staff to
the committee.
(i) The Committee shall review in detail the annual report
of the independent auditors and discuss
audit findings with the auditors, unattended by employees
of the College.
(ii) The Committee shall meet with represematives of the
independent auditors to the next audit to
discuss scope and procedures and any other matters requir
ing special attention.
(iii) The Committee shall discuss with College personnel
any corrective action required as a result of
the audit report.
(iv) The Committee shall recommend to the Board the appoin
tment or reappointment of independent
auditors to condu ct the audit for the next fiscal year.
(v) The Committee shall report to the Board annually on
its review of the audit and shall bring to the
attention of the Board any matters related thereto requiring
Board action .
(g) Compensation Revie w Committee. There shall be a
Compensation Review Committee, including a
Chair, appointed by the Chair of the Board.
8
9
�(i) The Committee shall recommend to the Board policie
s for direct and indirect compensation of
Tutors, Associate members of the Faculty, other Faculty memb
ers, and Staff at the College. It
shall annually review the compensation policies and perfor
mance with respect to them and report
the findings of this review to the Board.
(ii) The Committee shall recommend to the Executive Comm
ittee the compensation of the Presidents,
Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, and Treasurers
of the College
(iii) In matters of policy and compensation, the Committee
shall consult with the Presidents and the
Chair of the Finance Committee.
(h) Polity Review Committee. There shall be a Polity Review
Committee appointed by the Chair every
fifth year. The Chair of the Board shall appoint one of the
members to be Chair of the Committee. The
Committee shall receive the report of the Faculty Committee
and after appropriate study shall make
recommendations to the Board for consideration at the annual
meeting when the final review of the
Polity is consummated. The respective Chairs of the Board
and Faculty Review Committees shall
make such arrangements as they deem appropriate for joint
consultation prior to and after the adoption
of the report by the Faculty.
(i) Investment Committee. There shall be an Investment
Committee consisting of at least one member of
the Finance Committee (appointed by the Chair of the Board
), the Treasurers of the college, ex officio,
and such additional members as may be appointed by the
Chair. The Chair of the Board shall appoint
one of the members to be Chair of the Committee. The Invest
ment Committee shall have the following
powers and duties:
(i) The Investment Committee shall have full power to
direct the investment and reinvestment of all
funds of the College, including endowment and restricted
funds, and the proper officers of the
Board and the College are authorized to carry out all writte
n directions, signed by the Chair of the
Committee, with respect to such investments and reinvestmen
ts. The Committee shall report at
each regular meeting any action taken hereunder since the
previous meeting.
(ii) The Committee shall advise the Finance Committee
on the question of the appropriate endowment
spending policies for the College, and shall consult with
the Finance Committee on any matter that
it judges may affect the financial condition of the College
that may need action by the Finance
Committee.
(j) Buildings and Grounds Committee. There shall be a Build
ings and Grounds Committee
appointed by the Chair of the Board. The Committee shall
meet with the Treasurers on
each campus and review issues and plans relating to the maint
enance and development of
the campuses. Two members shall be named, by the Chair
of the Board, to serve as Chairs
of the subcommittees for each campus, with one to be desig
nated as Chair of the full
Committee.
(k)
Development Committee. There shall be a Development
Committee consisting of at least
one member of each of the Finance Committee and the Inves
tment Committee (appointed
by the Chair of the Board), the Vice Presidents for College
Advancement, ex officio, and
such additional members as may be appointed by the Chair
of the Board, who shall appoint
one member to be Chair of the Committee. The Developme
nt Committee shall have the
following powers and duties:
1.
The Committee shall review all policies and programs for
fund raising, on each
campus and report on same.
10
11.
•
•
111 .
IV.
The Committee shall advise the Board with respect to the
need for capital campaigns
or other special fund-raising projects.
The Committee shall be responsible for seeking contribution
s to the Annual
Campaigns from each Board Member.
At the discretion of the Chair of the Board, the Committee
may be suspended during
the pendency of a capital campaign .
(1) Alumni Relations Committee. There shall be an Alumn
i Relations Committee consisting of the
President of the Alumni Association, the Vice Presidents
for College Advancement, ex officio and
such additional members as mayb e appointed by the Chair
of the Board. The Chair of the Board shall
appoint one of the Alumni-elected Board members to serve
as Chair of the Committee. The
Committee shall review all policies and programs for alumn
i and report on same.
(m) Other Committees. The Chair may appoint such other
standing or special committees of the Board as
the Chair deems desirable or which the Board may reques
t.
(n) Former members of the Board and Visitors Emeriti may
be appointed by and in the discretion of the
Chair to serve on committees.
(o) Except for the Presidential Search Committee and the Polity
Review Committee, committee
appointments shall be made annually. Members of the Comm
ittees serve until their successors have
been appointed.
(p) Any member of the Board may, without invitation, attend
any Board committee meeting, except those
of the Presidential Search, Nominating and Executive Comm
ittees, but without vote.
( q) Whenever a Capital Campaign is in progress, its Chair
shall be an ex-officio voting member of the
Finance and Executive Committees.
( 15) Execution of Contracts, Transfer of Securities, Etc. All
contracts of $50,000 or more, notes, deeds, leases,
mortgages, releases, bonds for security or indemnity, negoti
able instruments, stock certificates, transfers,
and powers, and like papers and documents on behalf of
the College or the Endowment Funds shall be
executed by two persons, of whom one shall be the Presid
ent, the Chair, or a Vice-Chair, and of whom the
other shall be the Secretary of the Board or the Treasurer
of the campus concerned.
( 16) Signing of checks, drafts, etc. All checks, drafts, accept
ances, and similar orders for the payment of
money on behal f of the College may be signed by the same
persons authorized to execute contracts,
etc., pursuant to Section (15) hereof, but may also be signed
by such persons, and in such manner, as
the Board may from time to time direct by appropriate resolu
tion.
(l 7)The College shall indemnify, to the full extent permi
tted by law,any current or former member of the
Board or officer of the College or any person who, while
a member of the Board or officer of the
College, may have served, at the College's request, as a directo
r, officer, partner or trustee of another
entity, against any judgments, penalties, fines, settlements
and reasonable expenses actually and
necessarily incurred by him or her in connection with the
defense of any action, suit or proceeding to
which he or she is made a party by reason of being or having
been such member of the Board or officer
of the College.
Article III
THE FACULTY
The Visitors and Governors by these ordinances hereby delega
te to the Faculty of St. John's College the
President, the Deans, the other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti,
the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, the
Treasurers, and the Associates "powers and authorities" for
the "instruction, discipline, and government" of the
11
�College.
Students.
Article IV
(b) The Deans shall serve alternately, for a term of one
year, as Chair of the Instruction Committee.
THE FACULTY: THE PRES IDEN T
(1) There shall be a President for the Annapolis campu
s and a President for the Santa Fe campus, each
appointed as provided in Article IV (2). There is delega
ted to each President by the Visitors and Governors
executive responsibility and authority for the instruction,
discipline, and government of the President's
campus, and the President, in turn, may delegate such
authority. In the interest of the orderly conduct of
business and of maintaining and promoting the unity
of the College, the Presidents shall regularly consult
and communicate with each other and, as appropriate
,
with other College officials, on matters of common
concern.
(2) The President shall be appointed by the Board of
Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of a
Committee composed of five members of the Board
of Visitors and Governors appointed by the Chair of
the Board, at least one of whom is an alumnus, the Deans
, and one Tutor having tenure from each campus
elected by the Faculty on that campus. This Committee
shall be known as the Presidential Search
Committee. It shall consult with the continuing Presid
ent in a regular and timely fashion. Prior to making
its final recommendation, it shall, on both campuses,
consult with all other appropriate persons and shall
arrange for the final candidates to meet with the Facul
ty and the Instruction Committee.
(3) The President shall concurrently be a Tutor, but
the provisions of Article VI need not apply.
(4) The President and persons authorized to exercise
presidential authority shall consult with the Deans, other
appropriate persons, and appropriate Faculty committees
in matters of policy, initiation of programs, and
settin g of priorities affecting the general welfare of
the College.
(5) There shall be a Financial Committee on each campu
s consisting of the President as Chair, the Dean and
Treas urer of the campus, and other members the Presid
ent may appoint. It will review proposed budgets
prior to their being presented to the Finance Committee
of the Board. It will also meet prior to Board
meetings to review performance in the fiscal year to
date and emerging budgetary strengths and
weaknesses.
(6) The President shall appoint, or delegate the powe
r to appoint, other committees as may be necessary for
the
carrying out of the duties of the President or other duties
for which no provision is made under Article IX.
(7) If in the judgment of the Board of Visitors and
Governors, the College is facing a financial exigency
at
either or both of its campuses which could call for a
reduction in the numb er of Faculty positions, both
Presidents shall immediately advise the Faculty of the
nature and extent of the financial difficulty and
consu lt with them concerning the best way to addres
s the situation. The Faculty may then make a formal
recommendation to the Presidents on ways to meet
the problem, or, if the Faculty fails so to act, the Deans
and the Instruction Committee shall propose a plan
to the Presidents. The Presidents shall jointly then
determine a plan which specifies a preferred course
of action to be taken. All necessary steps must be taken
in timely fashion as prescribed by the Board . Nothing
herein provided shall limit the power of the Board to
act otherwise in the event of need to reduce or elimin
ate Faculty positions.
(c) Each year the Chair of the Instruction Committee
shall, after consultation with the Instruction
Committee on the Chair 's campus, and after discussion
with the Instruction Committee of the College,
submit a Statement of Educational Policy and Program
to the Faculty as a whole for discussion. The
President shall present the Statement, together with an
account of the Faculty discussion of it and the
President's response to it, as a report to the Board of
Visitors and Governors for its consideration.
(d) The Chair of the Instruction Committee shall, as
such chair or the Chair of the Board of Visitors and
Governors may deem appropriate, report to the Board
such questions as the Board, through its Chair, may on instructional matters, and shall respond to
ask.
(2) The Deans.
(a) There is delegated to the Deans on their respective
campuses responsibility and authority for the
supervision of the progr am of instruction and for the
general welfare of the students and for whatever
government of the students be necessary for the greate
st possible attainment of aims of the program.
Each Dean shall be the Chair of the Instruction Comm
ittee on such Dean 's campus. In carrying out his
duties, each Dean shall consult regularly with the Presid
ent and with the Instruction Committee and the
other appropriate Faculty committees on that campu
s.
(b) The Deans shall be appointed for terms of five years
from among the Tutors by the Visitors and
Governors on the recommendation of the President after
consultation with a special committee of
seven, four from the campus for which the Dean is being
chosen and three from the other campus,
selected from among themselves by the Tutors havin
g tenure.
(c) A Dean shall be appointed from among the tutors
who have themselves been appointed in accord with
Article VI(3). If non-tenured, the appointee shall acquir
e tenure upon becoming Dean, in which case
the provisions of Article VI(3)(a) regarding reappointm
ent schedules shall not apply.
(d) To assist them in carrying out their duties, the Deans
shall recommend one or more Tutors to be
appointed by the President with the title of Assistant
Dean.
(e) During the absence of the President from either
camp
exercise the President's prerogative of final decision. us, the Dean on that campus shall if necessary
(f) During the absence of either Dean from the campu
s a Tutor with tenure named by the Dean shall act
for the Dean.
(g) The Dean on each campus shall appoint such comm
ittees
duties of the Dean and duties for which no other provis as may be necessary for the carrying out of
ion is made.
Article VI
Article V
THE FACULTY: THE CHAIR OF THE INST RUCT
ION COMMITTEE AND THE DEAN S
(I) The Chair of the Instruction Committee.
(a) There is delegated to the Chair of the Instruction
Committee·responsibility and authority for the
organization of the program of instruction in the libera
l arts that is followed by the Tutors and the
THE FACULTY: THE TUTO RS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the Tutors are to teach
and to make themselves as competent as
possible in all parts of the St. John's Program.
(2) The Tutors shall have authority to recommend to
the Visitors and Governors candidates for degrees of
respective campuses.
their
12
13
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�(3) Appointment and Reappointment of Tutors. Tutors shall be appoint
ed by the Visitors and Governors upon
recommendation of the President in accordance with the recommendatio
n of the Dean and the Instruction
Committee on that campus where the Tutors so appointed shall teach.
(a) The schedule ofregul ar appointment of Tutors on each campus shall
be either (i)(A) or (i)(B) below, to
be decided by the President in accordance with the recommendation of
the Deari and the Instruction
Committee on that campus where the Tutors so appointed shall teach:
(i)(A)
New Tutors shall be appointed for one year unless they are appointed
at mid-year, in which
case the initial appointment shall be for a year and a half. First reappoi
ntments shall be for
one year. Second and third reappointments shall be for two and three years
respectively.
(i)(B)
New Tutors shall be appointed for two years unless they are appointed
at mid-year, in which
case the initial appointment shall be for a year and a half. First and second
reappointments
shall be for two and three years respectively.
(ii) A Tutor who has completed a three-year appointment must either
be given a tenure appointment or
not be reappointed as Tutor. A Tutor may, however, be given a tenure
appointment as early as the
conclusion of the first year of a three-year appointment. Procedures leading
to a recommendation
for an•early tenure appointment shall be initiated by the Dean and Instruct
ion Committee, but not
without the consent of the appointee, and shall not prejudice subsequent
consideration for a tenure
appointment. Tenure appointments shall not continue beyond retirement.
Tutors Emeriti shall
retain their privileges and responsibilities in voting at Faculty meeting
s.
(iii) Before making recommendations to the President on tenure appoint
ments the Dean on each
campus shall consult with the Instruction Committee on that campus,
after seeking the advice of
the Tutors on that campus.
(iv) A Tutor, to be recommended for a tenure appointment, must have
served full-time at the campus
where the recommendation is to be made for the two years immediately
preceding the year in
which that recommendation is made, the provisions of (ii) above notwith
standing. In ordinary
cases, these two years of service will be the second year of a two-year
appointment and the first
year of a three-year appointment. These requirements may be waived
by the President on the
recommendation of the Dean and Instruction Committee on that campus
.
(b) A non-tenure appointment as Tutor establishes the possibility, but
not the presumption, of its renewal
and the granting of a tenure appointment. Procedures for considering non-ten
ure appointments differ
from those for considering tenure appointments. Satisfaction of appoint
ment criteria admits of degree.
With each successive reappointment, the criteria are applied more rigorou
sly. For a tenure appointment
the application is especially strict.
( c) For the purpose of temporary transfer between campuses, special
appointments of one or two years
may be granted to a Tutor in addition to the regular appointments. The
Tutor may ask that such an
appointment be counted as a regular appointment for the purpose of (a)
above. In the case of a
permanent transfer a Tutor may ask that years of service at the other campus
be counted toward
tenure according to the provisions of(a) above. Nevertheless, the provisio
ns of(3) (a)(iv) prevail.
( d) Special one-year appointments and reappointments may be given
to Tutors who intend to teach on a
part-time basis only. Such a Tutor may subsequently apply for and receive
a regular appointment.
Special part-time appointments may then be counted on a fractional basis
toward eligibility for tenure,
subject to the provisions of (3)( a)(iv). In establishing eligibility for sabbati
cal leave, special part-time
appointments shall be computed proportionately .
(e) Visiting Tutors may be appointed for a tenn or a year.
14
(4) Notification.
(a) A Tutor under consideration for a-non-tenure appointment to begin
in a certain calendar year shall be
notified by the President no later than December 15th of the preceding
calendar year whether
reappointment will be recommended to the Board of Visitors and Govern
ors. If reappointed the
President shall provide notice by March 1st of the calendar year in which
the new appointment is to
begin.
(b) A Tutor under consideration for a tenure appointment to begin in a
certain calendar year shall be
notified by the President no later than May 31st of the preceding calenda
r year whether the
appointment will be recommended to the Board of Visitors and Govern
ors. If appointed the President
shall provide notice by July 31st of that same preceding year.
(5) A Tutor may apply to the Instruction Committee of the College not
later than January 15th for a transfer of
campus for the next academic year. Transfers shall require approval of
both Deans after consultation with
their Instruction Committees.
(6) (a)
A Tutor's appointment may be tenninated by the Board of Visitors and
Governors for one of the
following reasons only:
(i) failure or inability to perfom1 teaching duties in a satisfactory manner
, or
(ii) moral turpitude.
The President shall make such a recommendation to the Board of Visitors
and Governors only with the
concurrence of the Dean and the Instruction Committee of the campus
concerned. Before the
President makes such a recommendation the Tutor affected must be advised
, and the Tutor shall
have the right to be heard by the Instruction Committee or, at the Tutor's
option, by another
committee to be designated by the President for this purpose.
(b) Either Dean, with the approval of the Instruction Committee on the
campus concerned, may
recommend to the President that in the interest of instruction a Tutor be
temporarily relieved of duties
in whole or in part at any time. When such action is taken, the Tutor's
salary shall be continued for the
remainder of the current academic year.
(7) The sabbatical leave program is designed to provide Tutors with an
opportunity for study, rest, and renewal
of spirit, in anticipation of future teaching. It is the objective of the program
to grant all applications for
sabbatical leave meeting the conditions for eligibility set out in (a) of this
section. It is understood that
Tutors on such leave will not undertake full-time remunerative employ
ment elsewhere and will return to
the College .
(a) Eligibility for sabbatical leave shall be upon the following conditio
ns:
(i) A Tutor who has received a tenure appointment may apply for a full
year of sabbatical leave at full
salary, upon completion of the equivalent of seven full years of service
to the College since the
original appointment, or the equivalent of six full years of service since
any previous sabbatical
leave, and the sabbatical leave would not occur in the last two years of
a Tutor's tenure
appointment.
(ii) Such a Tutor may apply for an earlier sabbatical leave of a full year
at partial salary, or a partial
year at full salary. The fractional salary or fractional year shall be determi
ned by the number of
years of teaching completed in relation to the prescribed total for either
an initial or a subsequent
sabbatical leave, as the case may be. In no case shall a Tutor be paid more
than the Tutor's regular
salary. Sabbatical leave for a fraction of a year may·not occur during the
last two years of a Tutor's
tenure appointment.
15
�(b) If, in the judgment of the President, financial or
academic needs at a campus should require that fewer
sabbatical leaves be granted there in a given year than
there are qualified applicants, and if the number
that can be granted there should be smaller than one-s
ixth of the number of Tutors at that campus
having tenure and not on full-time leave under the provis
ions of section (8) below, the President shall
so notify the Board of Visitors and Governors and seek
its
approval for delaying a sabbatical leave for
one or more of the applicants.
( c) If in a year there are more qualified applicants for
sabbatical leave at any one campus than there are
leaves to be granted at that campus, then those memb
ers shall have precedence who meet the following
conditions in the order set forth:
•
•
(b) A request for a leave of absen
ce shall be submitted to the President as early as possib
le in the academic
year before the year in which the leave is to be taken,
but not later than January 15th of that_ year._
Requests for leaves of absence may be withdrawn at
any time prior to Apnl 1st of the year _mwhich the
request is submitted. Requests for leaves of absence
for
the second semester must be subnutted no later
than October 15th.
(c) Tutors on sabbatical leave or leave of absence remai
n members of the Faculty with the right of full
participation in Faculty meetings and all other Colleg
e exercises.
(i) Those who have served for the greater number of
years
since their last sabbatical leave, whichever is more recensince their first appointment as Tutor or
t;
(ii) Those whose service has been continuous throug
hout those years;
(iii) Those whose last sabbatical leave was postponed
because of the financial or academic needs of the
College;
(iv) Those who have seniority of appointment.
When there is a conflict of precedence, the Dean and
the Instruction Committee on the campus
concerned shall be consulted.
( d) A Tutor eligible for sabbatical leave shall make
application to the President before November I st for
leave to begin the following July 1st, and shall be inform
ed of the action upon the application not later
than January 1st.
(8) The President, with the concurrence of the Dean
after consultation with the Instruction Committee on
the
campus concerned, may grant leaves of absence to Tutor
s for a period of one year or less. At that time it
shall be determined whether the leave shall be count
ed as service to the College with respect to eligibility
for sabbatical leave and, if so, how. The decision with
respect to a request for leave of absence shall be
made in the light of the requirements both of the applic
ant Tutor and of the whole College.
(a) Leave of absence may be renewed upon request
but not more than twice in succession except in
extraordinary circumstances.
Article VII
THE FACULTY: THE VICE-PRESIDENTS FOR
COLL EGE ADVA NCEM ENT AND THE
TREASURERS
(1) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement shall
be responsible to the President for the supervision and
development of all programs in fund-raising, public
relatio
ns, and alumni relations on their respective
campuses.
(2) The Vice-President of College Advancement on
each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visito
rs
and Governors on the recommendation of the Presid
ent made after consultation with the Dean on that
campus and a committee constituted by resolution of
the Faculty on that campus.
(3) The Treasurers shall have charge, on their respec
tive campuses, under the supervision of the President,
of
all funds and property, and shall have authority to carry
out fiscal and Property transactions, and to receive
and disburse funds, subject to the provisions of this Polity
and other directions and arrangements pursuant
thereto.
(4) The Treasurer on each campus shall be appointed
by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the
.
recommendation of the President made after consultation
with the Dean on that campus and a committee
constituted by resolution of the Faculty on that campu
s.
(5) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement and
Treasurers may be appointed Tutors under the
provisions of Article VI(3)(d) .
Article VIII
THE FACULTY: THE ASSO CIAT ES
(1) Associate members of the Faculty on each camp
us shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and
Governors on the recommendation of the President in
consultation with the Dean of that campus. The
President shall have ultimate executive authority over
the Associates.
(2) Associates may be appointed Tutors under the provis
ions of Article VI (3)(d).
(3) The Associates on either campus may establish
for themselves an Associates' Council for the purpose
of
considering College matters of concern to them and
communicating with other members of the College,
(4) The Associates' Council may establish such comm
ittees as it deems appropriate.
(5) There shall be the following Associates, as deem
ed necessary by the President on each campus, with
the
powers and responsibilities provided.
16
17
�(a) The Registrars. The Registrars shall be responsible to
the Deans on their respective campuses. They
shall prepare and supervise the registration of students and
shall be responsible for the academic
records and schedules of students.
(b) The Librarians. The Librarians shall be responsible to
the Deans on their respective campuses for the
operation of the library . Appointments of professional memb
ers of the Library Staff shall be made
upon the recommendation of the Librarian to the Dean on
each campus.
(c) The Directors of Student Activities and the Directors
of Athletics. The Directors of Student Activities
and the Directors of Athletics shall be responsible to the Deans
on their respective campuses for
devising and directing programs of recreational activities.
(d) The Directors of Admissions. The Directors of Admis
sions shall be responsible to the Deans on their
respective campuses for the annual enrollment of qualified
freshmen.
(e) The Directors of Alumni Activities. The Directors of
Alumni Activities shall be responsible to the
Vice-Presidents for College Advancement. Their primary
duty is to enable the College and the Alumni
Association to be of service to alumni.
(f) The Directors of Financial Aid. The Directors of Financ
ial Aid shall be responsible to the Deans on
their respective campuses for the administration of financ
ial aid programs.
(g) The Directors of Career Services. The Directors of Caree
r Services shall be responsible to the Deans
on their respective campuses for helping and counseling
students with respect to graduate and
professional schools and careers.
(h) Persons designated Associates under the provisions
of Article I(3)(f) or of Article VII(3)(k) of this
Polity as amended through April 20, 1985, whose offices
are not specifically named in this Article,
shall continue to be Associates until the expiration of their
appointments to those offices.
• Article IX
THE FACULTY: FACU LTY COMM ITTEE S
(I) The Instruction Committee
(a) The Instruction Committee shares with its Chairs respon
sibility for the program of instruction of the
College. It shall consist of twelve Tutors in addition to the
Deans. The Presidents shall sit with the
Committee ex officio. Six of the Tutors shall be elected from
each campus of the College. The
Instruction Committee shall meet annually. On each campu
s the members of the Instruction Committee
and the Dean as Chair constitute the Instruction Committee
of the College on that campus. The
President sits ex officio with the Instruction Committee on
each campus.
(b) Each of the members of the Instruction Committee shall
serve for a term of three years, and the terms
shall be arranged in such a way that each year the terms of
two members at each campus shall expire.
Terms begin and end the day following cornrnencement exerci
ses. Annually, and separately at each
campus, the President with the Dean on his campus, after
consulting with the Instruction Committee
and seeking the advice of the other Tutors on that campu
s, shall at the last regular Faculty meeting
on that campus nominate four Tutors of whom two shall
be elected by the Tutors to membership on the
Instruction Committee. The Faculty shall be informed of
the names of the nominees prior to the
meeting at which the election occurs. At the expiration of
the three-year term a member of the
Instruction Committee shall for one year be ineligible for
reelection.
(c) If for any reason a member of the Instruction Comm
ittee is unable to serve for a part of the term,
another Tutor shall be chosen to serve for that part of the
term. For this purpose the President and the
Dean in consultation with the Instruction Committee on
the campus where the vacancy occurs, shall
nominate two Tutors of whom the Tutors shall elect one in
a regular Faculty meeting.
(d) If the Instruction Comm
ittee resigns with the Deans on a matter of confidence and
the resignations are
accepted, the President, in consultation with the new means
and after seeing the advice of the other
Tutors, shall nominate nine Tutors for the six vacancies on
each campus m such a manner that two out
of each three nominees shall be elected by the Tutors for
each
of the three classes to fill the unexpected
terms.
(2) The Tutors' Compensation Committee
(a) There shall be a Tutors' Compensation Committee of
six Tutors, three to be elected by the Tutors on
each campus, and the chair shall annually alternate betwe
en campuses. The Committee shall advise the
President concerning Tutors' compensation and related matter
s; it shall make annual reviews of the
College's statement of Tutors' salaries and other compensatio
n of Tutors and report to the Tutors and
the President recommendations consequent upon the review
.
(b) Members of the Comm
ittee shall be elected annually on each campus for terms of
three years irI such a
manner that the term of one member on each campus termin
ates each year. The Tutors' Compensation
Committee on each campus shall provide the Tutors on that
campus with two nominations for each
vacancy on the Committee on that campus . Additional nomin
ations may be made at the Faculty
meeting when election shall be made.
(3) The Library Committees. The President, in consultation
with the Librarian and the Dean, shall appoint
three Tutors on each campus to serve as a Library Comm
ittee. The President, the Dean, and the L1branan
shall themselves be ex officio members of the Committee,
and the Libranan shall serve as Chair. It
shall be the duty of the Library Committees to assist the Librar
ians in making the Libraries serve the_ends
of the College and its program; it shall be their duty to advise
the Librarians in rega_rd to Library policy and
acquisitions. The Managers of the Bookstores may be invited
to sit with the Comrruttees .
(4) The Campus Planning Committees. The Faculty on each
campus shall elect five of its members as a
Campus Planning Committee. Two members shall be electe
d to the Cornrruttee annually at the first regular
meeting of the academic session except in every third year,
when one member shall be chosen. The .
.
President the Dean one of the Assistant Deans , and the Treasu
rer on each campus shall sit ex offic10 with
the Committee on that campus. It shall be the duty of the
respective committees to advise the President on
the construction of new buildings, the renovation of old buildi
ngs, landscaping of grounds, and all matters
relating to the maintenance and development of the campu
s.
(5) The Prize Committees. Every three years the President
shall appoint Tutors on each campus to supervise
the awarding of prizes on the respective campuses. The Comm
ittees shall have full authon ty to decide what
prizes shall be a warded and to name the recipients of the
prizes.
(6) The Fellowship Committees. On each campus there shall
be a Fellowship Com mitte
appoin
e ted by the
President. It shall be the duty of this Committee to inform
students of fellowships for which they may be
eligible, to assist them in applying for fellowships, and to
act on behalf of the College m any matter
relating to application for fellowships .
(7) Other Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall
have authority to elect, or to request the President to
appoint, additional committees that may from time to time
become necessary.
Articl e X
THE FACULTY: FACU LTY PROC EDUR E
(1) Procedure for Instructional Propo sals.
18
19
�(a)( i)
Any proposal concerning matters of instruction that
may affect the College as a whole shall
originate with the Dean and the Instruction Committee
on either campus. A decision as to whether
a proposal is college-wide or campus-specific shall be
made by the Deans and Instruction
Committee of the College. They shall make this decisi
on after notifying the faculty on both
campuses and inviting their comment.
Written statements of college-wide instructional propo
sals shall be distributed to the Faculty at
least two weeks before the Faculty meeting at which
they are to be presented; the proposal shall be
presented to the whole Faculty by the Chair of the Instru
ction Committee, either in person or
through the other Dean . If, after full discussion of any
proposal so presented, there be no objection
on the part of any Tutor, the measure stands approved
and becomes effective as of the date
specified therefore. If, after full discussion, a Tutor objec
ts to the proposal and holds to the
objection, the proposal shall be submitted to vote of
the Tutors at special Faculty meetings called
by the Presidents within a month. Any objections that
have been made and held to and submitted
in writing shall be transmitted immediately in writin
g to the whole faculty. Any objections that
have been made and held to but not submitted in writin
g shall be reported immediately in writing
to the whole Faculty. If, after discussion, any objection
has been made and held to, the Presidents,
in calling special Faculty meetings, shall report the statem
ent of the Chair of the Instruction and
the Dean on the other campus as to whether it be a matte
r of confidence; and in submitting the
proposal to vote, the Chair of the Instruction Comm
ittee and the Dean on the other campus shall,
at the special Faculty meetings, repeat their statement
as to whether it be a matter of confidence.
The vote may then be taken and tallied by the Presid
ents in such a fashion that the Tutors shall
have recorded their decision acting as a whole . If the
proposal be one that the Chair of the
Instruction Committee and the other Dean have decla
red a matter of confidence and if it be
defeated by majority vote, the Deans and the Instruction
Committee shall immediately resign. Ifit
be passed by majority vote, it shall become effective
as of the date specified therefore. For the
confidence procedure a quorum shall consist of threefourths of all resident Tutors on each
campus.
(ii) Any instructional proposal that has been deemed
campus-specific shall be subject to the
procedure set forth above, except that, if an objection
is made and held to on either campus,
voting shall proceed only on the campus were the propo
sal is intended to be put into effect.
Any objections that have been made and held to and
submitted in writing on the other campus
shall be transmitted immediately to the voting Facul
ty. Any objections that have been made
and held to but not submitted in writing shall be repor
ted immediately in writing to the voting
Faculty. If the confidence procedure is invoked, it shall
be only by the Dean on the voting
campus, and it shall affect the Dean and the Instruction
Committee only on that campus.
(iii) The President may refuse to accept the resignation
of the Deans or the Instruction Committee,
any or all of them, whenever in the judgment of the
President such resignation would be
detrimental to the proper functioning of the College;
provided, however, that if any six or
more Tutors shall petition the Visitors and Governors,
the latter shall review the President's
decision within four weeks, during which time the Dean
s and the Instruction Committee shall
continue in office.
(iv) In the event that the proposal be defeated and the
resignations be accepted, the President shall
proceed to the choice of new Deans in accordance with
the provisions of Article V (2)(b).
(b) Upon either a petition of not less than one-tenth
of the Tutors on either campus or a request from the
President, the Dean and Instruction Committee on that
campus shall consider any recommendation
concerning instruction and shall report to the Faculty
within one year their proposal concerning it.
They shall decide whether their proposal is a college-wid
e or campus-specific proposal, and the
procedure of Article X(l) shall apply .
•
•
(2) Faculty Meetings.
(a) Regular monthly meetings of the Faculty shall be
called upon due notice by the President; except that
in the period comprising the months of December and
January only one regular meeting n~ed be
called . The President or, in his absence, the Dean, shall
preside. In the absence of the President and the
Dean, the Faculty shall elect one of its members to presid
e.
(b) Special meetings of the Faculty may be called upon
due notice by the President alone or at the request
of five Faculty members.
(c) Due notice shall be construed to mean no less than
three days notice, except in cases of emergency.
(d) A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Facul
ty in residence except as otherwise provided.
(e) Only Tutors may vote on instructional matters.
All Faculty members may vote on all other matters not
specifically restricted in the Polity.
(3) The Secretary of the Faculty. At the last regular
meeting of an academic year the Facul ty on each campu
s
shall elect one of its members, then in at least his third
year at the College, as Secretary. The Secretary shall
assist in the preparation and circulation of the agend
a for Faculty meetings, shall keep the mmutes of such
meetings, and shall collect and circulate reports of Facul
ty committees.
Artic le XI
THE SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE AND THE ARTI
STS-I N-RE SIDE NCE
The Scholars-in-Residence and the Artists-in-Residen
ce shall be appointed from time to time by the Board
of
Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the
President after consultation with the Dean and the
Instruction Committee on the campus where the Schol
ars and Artists shall reside .
Article XII
THE STUDENTS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the Students are
to study and to make themselves as competent as possib
le
in all parts of the St. John's Program. Their advice and
service shall be sought by the Faculty m such
matters and in such ways as may best serve the gener
al welfare of the College.
(2) The Students of St. John's College shall constitute
the Student Polity of St. John's College in Annapolis
in Santa Fe.
and
(3) The Student Polity in Annapolis or Santa Fe may
establish for itself a government which is representativ
e
of all·polity members. The Dean on each campus may
delegate to the Student government a share of the
responsibility for the general welfare of the Students
and whatever government of the Students may be
necessary for the greatest possible attainment of the
aims of the program. The duties of the Student
Government may include:
(a) the management of funds available to the Stude
nt Polity;
(b) the sanctioning of all student clubs , organizations,
and activities, and their regulation, if necessary;
(c) the representation of the Students of St. John's Colleg
e to the community outside the College;
20
21
�(d) the establishment and maintenance of formal channels of communication between the Students and
the Faculty; and
Article XIV
(e) any other duties agreed upon by the Students and the Dean.
THE ALUMNI
Article XIII
THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE
(1) The Directors.
(a) There shall be a Director of the Graduate Institute on each campus to whom shall be delegated
responsibility and authority, under the Chair of the Instruction Committee, for the organization and
supervision on such Director's campus of the graduate program of instruction in the liberal arts and for
matters concerning the general welfare of the students. Concerning matters that affect the Graduate
Institute as a whole the Director shall, in consultation with the other Director, be responsible to the
Chaim1an of the Instruction Committee. Concerning matters limited to the Director's campus he shall
be responsible to the Dean on that campus.
( 1) Alumni shall be life-long members of the College, since St. John's College is a community not limited by
geographical location or fixed periods of time.
(2) The Alumni Association is the formal means by which Alumni participate in the life of the College.
Through the election of alumni members of the Board of Visitors and Governors, Alumni share in the
direction of that life. In these and other ways, Alumni shall be given the opportunity to serve the College.
(3) The College shall cooperate with the Alumni Association to enable Alumni to assist in providing services
such as recruiting and interviewing prospective students, placing graduates in appropriate employment, and
advising students concerning careers and admission to graduate and professional schools.
( 4) The College, in cooperation with the Alumni Association, shall provide seminars and other appropriate
educational activities in Annapolis, in Santa Fe, and in other places.
(b) The Directors shall be appointed for terms of three years from among the Tutors by the Board of
Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President, after consultation with the Deans and
a special committee consisting of four members, two from each campus, selected from among
themselves by the Tutors having tenure. The Directors shall be Tutors of the Graduate Institute.
(c) Every three years, after consultation with the other Director and the Committee for the Graduate
Institute on such Director's campus, one of the Directors shall submit a Statement of Educational
Policy and Program for the Graduate Institute to the Instruction Committee for discussion at its joint
meeting. The Director may, thereafter, revise the Statement and then shall submit it to the Faculty as a
whole for discussion.
(2) The Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(a) Each Director, after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate Institute on that campus, and in
accordance with the recommendation of the Instruction Committee on the same campus, shall
recommend to the President Tutors of the Graduate Institute for summer appointment to teach in the
Graduate Institute for one session.
Article XV
THE STAFF
( 1) Members of the Staff assist with the administration and maintenance of the College, performing duties
necessary to its well-being. They are subject to appropriate Staff rules and regulations.
(2) Members of the Staff on either campus may establish for themselves a Staff Council for the purpose of
better communication and understanding of College policies as a benefit to the College as a whole. The
Staff Council shall seek to establish and maintain formal channels of communication among the whole
Staff and between the Staff and the appropriate College Officers. The Treasurer on each campus shall
review Staff employment regulations with the Staff Council and discuss with them any changes proposed.
(3) The Staff Council may establish such committees as it deems appropriate.
(b) During the summer term the Tutors of the Graduate Institute on each campus shall have the authority
to recommend to the Board of Visitors and Governors candidates for degrees.
Article XVI
AMENDMENTS AND REVIEW
(3) Committees for the Graduate Institute.
(a) On each campus the Committee for the Graduate Institute shares with the Director on the same campus
responsibility for carrying out the program of instruction of the Graduate Institute and for the general
welfare of the students.
(b) Each Committee shall consist of three Tutors who have experience in the Institute, in addition to the
Director, who shall serve as Chair.
(c) Members of each Committee shall be appointed by the Director with the concurrence of the Dean on
the same campus after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate Institute on that campus.
(4) Proposals concerning matters of instruction or policy shall originate with one of the Directors, after
consultation with the other Director and with the Committee for the Graduate Institute and shall be
submitted to the Dean on the originating campus for handling in accordance with Article X(l)(a)(i) .
22
(1) Amendments to this Polity may be proposed by a majority of the Polity Review Committee, or by a petition
submitted by not fewer than ten percent of the members of the Board, or by the Faculty as provided for in
section (2) or (3) below. Written notice of a proposed amendment must be provided to the Board and to the
Faculty not less than 30 days prior to the date of the Board meeting at which the amendment is to be
considered. The Faculty shall have the right to infom1 the Board in writing of its recommendation with
respect to the proposed amendment by the time of that meeting. This Polity may be amended by a twothirds vote of those members voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board, provided that the votes
of no fewer than one-third of the members of the entire Board eligible to vote are in favor of such
amendment.
(2) Amendments may be proposed at any regular meeting of either the Faculty in Annapolis or the Faculty in
Santa Fe upon petition of not less than ten percent of the members on either campus. No such proposal
shall be acted upon earlier than the next regular meeting of the Faculty, whether in Annapolis or in Santa
Fe. A two-thirds vote of the entire Faculty in residence, including at least a simple majority vote of the
23
�Faculty in residence on each of the campuses, shall be required for approval and
the amendment shall not
become effective unless approved by the Board in the manner set forth in Section
(1) above.
(3) Every five years this Polity shall be reviewed by a committee of six, three
to be elected by the Faculty on
each campus. The report of the Committee shall be submitted to one regular Faculty
meeting and voted
upon at the next regular Faculty meeting. A two-thirds vote of the entire Faculty
in residence, including at
least a simple majority vote of the Faculty in residence on each of the campuse
s, shall be required for
approval.
Whatever action is thus recommended by the Faculty shall be submitted to the
Board for final decision in
the manner set forth in Section ( 1) above.
Article XVII
COMPL IANCE WITH LAW
No provision of this Polity shall be construed to contravene any applicable federal
or state law. If any provision
is determined to contravene any such law, that provision shall be deemed not
a part of this Polity, and this
Polity's remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
Article XVIII
MANAG EMENT COMMI TTEE
Effective January 1, 2000, there shall be a Management Committee for the college
composed of the Presidents
and Deans of both campuses. The Chair of the Management Committee will be
appointed annually by the Board
of Visitors and Governors. With the advice of the Committee, and in a collegial
manner, the Chair shall exercise
executive authority over the College as a whole with respect to matters assigned
by the Board of Visitors and
Governors. All other provisions of the Polity, including the duties of the Presiden
ts and Deans, will remain in
full force and effect, except as modified hereby. This provis ion will terminate
in five years from the date of its
adoption unless renewed by an affirmative vote of the Board of Visitors and Governo
rs in the year prior to its
expiration.
24
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Charter and Polity of the College
Description
An account of the resource
Revised and amended editions of the St. John's College Charter and Polity.<br /><br />The College's first Charter and Polity was published as the <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3768">September 1950</a> issue of the <em><a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/collections/show/37">Bulletin of St. John's College in Annapolis</a></em>. Revised and amended versions were published as individual issues of the <em>Bulletin</em> in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3746">1951</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7844">1960</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7845">1963</a>, and <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7846">1965</a>. <br /><br />The Charter and Polity was published as a separate document in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7850">1955</a> and again from <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7851">1970</a> forward. The most recent version of the Charter and Polity is also available on the College's <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/about/leadership/board-visitors-governors/charter-polity">website</a>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=62&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate">Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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St. John's College
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St. John's College
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
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24 pages
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Title
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Charter and Polity of the College, 2003
Description
An account of the resource
Charter and Polity of the College, amended and restated April 2003.
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St. John's College
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe, NM
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2003-04
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text
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St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Legal instruments
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Charter_and_Polity_2003
Charter and Polity
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/ec220860d9d1d993faee0cfa7865407c.pdf
49c4a062d3565b210edd89c342735627
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Text
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
CHARTER AND POLITY
OF
THE COLLEGE
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
Amended and Restated
as of January, 1997
Founded as King William's School, 1696
Chartered as St. John's College, 1784
�Since this Polity can be amended between printings, the current official Polity is kept in the offices
of the Presidents of St. John's College.
HISTORY
St. John's College was founded in 1696 as King William's School in accordance with a Petitionary
Act for free-schools of the General Assembly of the Colony of Maryland. Following the Revolutionary
War, the General Assembly of the new State of Maryland granted a Charter to St. John's College pursuant
to and as a part of Chapter 37 of the Laws of Maryland of 1784. This Charler was subsequently amended
by the General Assembly through Resolution No. 41 of 1832.
The Visitors and Governors of St. John's College in 1950 revised the Charter to eliminate extraneous
and obsolete matter and to make certain other amendments consistent with present requirements and
conditions. It was the opinion of the Attorney General of Maryland that the original Charter of the College
was subject to the general Corporation Laws of Maryland and might accordingly be amended by the
Visitors and Governors, pursuant to these laws, without legislative action by the General Assembly.
Subsequent amendments were made in 1961, in 1963, in 1965, in 1970, and in 1975.
When the decision was reached to establish a second St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico,
amendments were made to the Charter to authorize branches or extensions of the College. The Charter was
then filed with the Corporations Commission of the State of New Mexico as a foreign corporation. The College
was thus empowered to grant degrees in New Mexico under the provisions of its Maryland Charter.
A Polity for the College was first suggested at a faculty meeting in 1943 by the Dean. A faculty
committee was elected and drafted a Polity which was then promulgated by the President. In April 1949
the Faculty elected a committee to revise the Polity. The resulting document was approved by the Faculty
on April 9, 1950, and was adopted by the Board of Visitors and Governors on July 8, 1950. Subsequent
quinquennial reviews were made by elected faculty committees, and desired amendments were
recommended by the Faculty to the Board of Visitors and Governors. The Polity was thus amended at
regular meetings of the Board held on May 14, 1955; May 21, 1960; May 15, 1965; June 6, 1970; April
19, 1975; January 16, 1982; April 19, 1986; and October 19, 1991. Other amendments were adopted
by the Board at regular meetings on February 22 and December 9, 1961; February 23 and September
28, 1963; October 3, 1970; February 18, 1972; October 25, 1975; January 24, 1976; November 6,
1982; July 21, 1984; April 20, 1985; October 25, 1986; April 11, 1987; October 19, 1991; July 18,
1992, April 17, 1993, April 22, 1995, April 19, 1996, and January 18, 1997.
�CHARTER OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
land with the appurtenances to the said Visitors and Governors and their successors for the only use,
benefit and behoof of the said college and seminary of universal learning forever.
WHEREAS, institutions for the liberal education of youth in the principles of virtue, knowledge and
useful literature are of the highest benefit to society, in order to train up and perpetuate a succession of
able and honest men for discharging the various offices and duties of life, both civil and religious, with
usefulness and reputation, and such institutions of learning have accordingly been promoted and
encouraged by the wisest and best regulated States; And whereas, it appears to this General Assembly that
many public spirited individuals, from an earnest desire to promote the founding a college or seminary of
learning on the Western Shore of this State have subscribed and procured subscriptions to a considerable
amount, and there is reason to believe that very large additions will be obtained to the same throughout
the different counties of the said Shore, if they were made capable in law to receive and apply the same
towards founding and carrying on a college or general seminary oflearning with such salutary plan and
with such legislative assistance and direction as the General Assembly might think fit, and this General
Assembly, highly approving those generous exertions of individuals, are desirous to embrace the present
favorable occasion of peace and prosperity for making lasting provision for the encouragement and
advancement of all useful knowledge and literature through every part of this State;
VIII. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the same name shall be able and
capable in law to purchase, have and enjoy to them and their successors in fee, or for any other less
estate or estates, any lands, tenements, rents, annuities, pensions or other hereditaments by the gift,
grant, bargain, sale, alienation, enfeoffment, release, confirmation, or devise of any person or persons,
bodies politic or corporate capable to make the same, and such lands, tenements, rents, annuities,
pensions or other hereditaments or any less estates, rights or interests of or in the same at their pleasure
to grant, alien, sell and transfer in such manner and form as they shall think meet and convenient for
the furtherance of the said college; And also that they may take and receive any sum or sums of money,
and any kind, manner or portion of goods and chattels that shall be given, sold or bequeathed to them
by any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate capable to make a gift, sale or bequest thereof and
employ the same towards erecting, setting up and maintaining the said college in such manner as they
shall judge most necessary and convenient for the instruction, improvement and education of youth in
the vernacular and learned languages, and generally in any kind ofliterature, arts and sciences, which
they shall think proper to be taught for training up good, useful and accomplished men for the service
of their country, in church and state.
BE IT ENACTED:
IX. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the name aforesaid shall be able in
law to sue and be sued, plead and be impleadable in any court or courts, before any judge, judges, or
justices within this State and elsewhere in all and all manner of suits, complaints, pleas, causes, matters
and demands of whatsoever kind, nature or form they be and all and every other matter and thing therein
to do in as full and effectual a manner as any other person or persons, bodies politic or corporate within
this State or any of the United States of America in like cases may or can do.
II. That a college or general seminary oflearning by the name of "St. John' s College" be established on
the said Western Shore upon the following fundamental and inviolable principles; namely, first, the
said college shall be founded and maintained forever upon a most liberal plan for the benefit of youth
of every religious denomination, who shall be freely admitted to equal privileges and advantages_of
education and to all the literary honors of the college, according to their merit without requiring or
enforcing any religious or civil test, or urging their attendance upon any particular religious worship or
service other than what they have been educated in or have the consent and approbation of their parents
or guardians to attend; nor shall any preference be given in the choice of a Principal, Vice-Principal or
other Professor, Master or Tutor in said college on account of his particular religious profession, having
regard solely to his moral character and literary abilities and other necessary qualifications to fill the
place for which he shall be chosen.
X. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors shall have full power and authority to have,
make and use one common and public seal and likewise one privy seal with such devices and inscriptions
as they shall think proper, and to ascertain, fix and regulate the uses of both seals, by their own laws
and the same seals or either of them to change, break, alter and renew at their pleasure.
IV. That the governing body or board of said College shall consist of not more than forty-nine nor less
than thirteen Visitors and Governors, to be chosen and to hold office in such manner as the said Visitors
and Governors may determine and prescribe by their fundamental ordinances; provided, however, that
the Governors of the States of Maryland and New Mexico shall act ex officio as two of the total number
of Visitors and Governors of said college during their respective terms in said offices; and that the said
Visitors and Governors and their successors duly chosen shall be and are hereby declared to be one
community, corporation and body politic to have continuance forever by the name of
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
and by the same name they shall have perpetual succession.
XI. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors from time to time and at all times hereafter
'
forever, shall have full power and authority to constitute and appoint in such manner as they shall think
best and most convenient, a principal, a vice-principal of the said college and professors with proper
tutors and assistants for instructing the students and scholars of the said seminary in all the liberal arts
and sciences, and in the ancient and modern tongues and languages; and the said principal,
vice-principal and professors so constituted and appointed from time to time shall be known and
distinguished forever as one learned body or faculty by the name of "The Principal, Vice-Principal and
Professors of St. John's College"; and by that name shall be capable of exercising such powers and
authorities as the Visitors and Governors of the said college and their successors shall by their
ordinances think necessary to delegate to them for the instruction, discipline and government of the
said seminary and of all the students, scholars, ministers and servants belonging to the same.
VII. That if the City of Annapolis should be fixed upon as a proper place for establishing the said
intended college, this General Assembly give and grant, and upon that condition do hereby give and
grant to the Visitors and Governors of the said College by the name of "The Visitors and Governors of
Saint John's College in the State of Maryland," and their successors all that four acres within the City
of Annapolis purchased for the use by the public and conveyed on the 2nd day of October, 1744, by
Stephen Bordley, Esq., to Thos. Bladen, Esq., then Governor, to have and to hold the said four acres of
XIV. That a majority of the said Visitors and Governors for the time being and duly assembled at any
meeting upon due notice given to the whole body of Visitors and Governors shall have full power and
authority to make fundamental ordinances for the government of the said college and the instruction of
youth as aforesaid, and by these ordinances to appoint such a number of their own body not less than seven,
as they may think proper for transacting all general and necessary business of the said seminary and making
temporary rules for the government of the same; and also by the said fundamental ordinances to delegate to
2
3
c
,
�the principal, vice-principal and professors such powers and authorities as they may think
best for the
standing government of the said seminary and of the execution of the ordinances and rules
of the same;
provided always that they be not repugnant to the form of government of any law of this
State.
XV. And for animating and encouraging the students of said college to a laudable diligenc
e, industry
and progress in useful literature and science, be it enacted that the said Visitors and
Governors and
their successo rs shall by a written mandate under their privy seal and the hand of someone
of the Visitors
and Governors to be chosen annually as their President, accordin g to the ordinance to be
made for that
purpose , have full power and authority to direct the principa l, vice-pri ncipal and professo
rs to hold
public commencements either on stated annual days, or occasionally as the future ordinanc
es of the
said seminar y may direct and at such commencements to admit any of the students in
the said college
or any other persons meriting the same (whose names shall be severally inserted in the same
mandate) to
any degree or degrees in any of the faculties, arts and sciences and liberal professions to
which persons
are usually admitted in other colleges or universities in America or Europe; And it is hereby
enacted that
the principal, or in the case of his death or absence, the vice-principal, and in case of the death
or absence
of both, the senior professor who may be present, shall make out and sign with his name
diplomas or
certificates of the admission to such degree or degrees, which shall be sealed with the public
or greater
'seal of the said corporation or college and delivered to the graduates as honorable
and perpetual
testimonials of such admission; which diplomas, if thought necessary for doing greater
honor to such
graduates, shall also be signed with the names of the different professors or as many
of them as can
conveniently sign the same; provided always that no student or students within the said college
shall ever
be admitted to any such degree or degrees, or have their name inserted in any mandate for
a degree, until
such student or students have been first duly examined, and thought worthy of the same.
XVI. That the ordinanc es which shall be from time to time made by the Visitors and Governo
rs of the
said college and their successors with an account of their other proceed ings and of the
managem ent of
the estate and moneys committed to their trust, shall when required be laid before the General
Assembly
for their inspection and examination, but in case at any time hereafte r through oversigh
t, or otherwise
through misapprehension and mistaken constructions of the powers, liberties and franchis
es in this
Charter or Act of Incorporation granted, or intended to be granted, any ordinanc e should
be made by
the said corporation of Visitors and Governors or any matters done and transacted by
the corporation
contrary to the tenor hereof, it is enacted that although such ordinanc es, acts and
doings shall in
themselves be null and void, yet they shall not, however, in any courts oflaw, or by the General
Assembly,
be deemed, taken, interpreted or adjudge d into an avoidance or forfeiture of this Charter
and Act of
Incorporation, but the same shall be and remain unhurt, inviolate and entire unto the said
corporation
of Visitors and Governors in perpetua l succession; and all their acts conformable to the
powers, true
intent and meaning hereof shall be and remain in full force and validity, the nullity and
avoidan ce of
such illegal acts to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
XVII. That this Charter and Act of Incorporation and every part thereof shall be good and
available in all
things in the law according to the true intent and meaning thereof, and shall be construe
d, reputed and
adjudged in all cases most favorably on the behalf and for the best benefit and behoof of
the said Visitors
and Governors and their successors, so as most effectually to answer the valuable end
of this Act of
Incorporation towards the general advancement and promotion of useful knowledge, science
and virtue.
XVIII. That the College may establish and operate one or more branche s in one
or more states of the
United States.
4
• as herem
• after set fort h t he nouns "al umnus " an d " a1ummi" an d " man " d "
I n the P o11ty
an men, "
• her a1one or m
in compoun d s sue h as " ch airman
e1t
ir
" an d " c h airmen,
r
" an d the pronouns "h e, " "hi1m," an d
"his," are to be taken as referring to persons whether male or female.
Polit y of St. John's College
Preamb le
Education is the making of men out of children by bringing them into the world of inherited
customs,
intellect ual traditions, and spiritual ties. Institutions oflearni ng are set up for this purpose.
Beyond this
they should also seek to develop the moral and intellect ual powers of men to enable them
to fulfill best
their freely chosen tasks and thus to take their own responsible part in shaping the future.
St. John's
College is a community of learning committed to holding these ends constantly in sight
and to seeking
the best means of attaining them.
St. John's College strives to illuminate the common heritage of mankind in a persisting
study of the
great documents in which that heritage can be found. It is concerned with the unity of
knowledge, an
understa nding of the great issues faced by men, and the moral foundations on which
the conduct of
men's lives can be based. To provide proper conditions for the pursuit of these ends, we,
the Board of
Visitors and Governors, after consultation with the Faculty, do ordain and establish this
Polity for St.
John's College.
Articl e I
THE COLLEGE
(1) St. John's College is by its Charter a legal entity, carrying on its functions from
its campuse s in
Annapolis, Maryland, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Under the Charter of the College,
all power,
authority, and responsibility pertaining to the College are vested in the Visitors and Governo
rs.
(2) The College consists of the following: The Board of Visitors and Governors, the Faculty,
the Graduate
and Undergraduate Students, the Alumni and the Staff, and other members who may
be named from
time to time by the Board of Visitors and Governors.
(3) Under the Charter, "the said Visitors and Governors, and their successors, from time
to time, and
at all times hereafter, forever, shall have full power and authority to constitute and appoint,
in such
manner as they shall think best and most convenient, a principa l and vice-principal of the
said College,
and professors, with proper tutors and assistant s, for instructi ng the students and scholars
of the said
seminary in all the liberal arts and sciences, and in the ancient and modem tongues
and languages;
and the said principal, vice-pri ncipal, and professors, so constituted and appointed from
time to time
shall be known and distingu ished forever as one learned body or faculty, by the name of
'The Principa l,
Vice-Principal, and Professors of St. John's College;' and by that name shall be capable
of exercising
such powers and authorities as the Visitors and Governors of the said college and their successo
rs shall
by their ordinances think necessar y to delegate to them for the instruction, disciplin e, and
government
of the said seminary and of all the students , scholars, ministers and servants belonging
to the same."
5
�(a) The "principal" shall be the President, or if there are two Presidents, the Presidents. When
'president' is used in this Polity it shall mean:
the basis of race, religion, age, sex, national origin, color, or physical handicap, discrimination in each
case being understood in accordance with the proscriptions of federal law.
(i) with respect to membership on the Board of Visitors and Governors, in the
Faculty, on committees of the Board, and sitting ex officio with the Instruction
Committee, and for presentation of, and response to, the Statement of Educational Policy
and Program (Article V (l)(c)), the President of the Annapolis campus and the President
of the Santa Fe campus;
Article II
VISITORS AND GOVERNORS
(1) Qualifications for Membership. Persons shall be eligible for membership on the Board of Visitors
and Governors who are concerned for the maintenance, progress, and vitality of St. John's College's
educat10nal program and who are willing and able to discharge the responsibilities of trusteeship with
devotion and energy.
(ii) with respect to membership on committees or sitting ex officio with committees,
and actions or procedures relating to one campus, the President of that campus;
(2) Members. The Board of Visitors and Governors shall consist of not more than sixty members,
c_ompnsmg the Presidents, the Deans, the Governors of Maryland and New Mexico, ex officio, and
fifty-four members, of whom forty-five shall be elected by the entire Board and nine shall be elected by
the Alumni of the College, m the manner and for the terms hereinafter provided. In recognition of
meritorious service to the College, Visitors Emeriti may be elected to the Board who may attend all
meetmgs of the Board, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(iii) with respect to actions under Article II (12) (b) or actions or procedures involving
the entire College under Article X (l)(a)(i) and Article X (l)(a)(iii), either President.
(b) The "vice-principal" shall be the Dean who is serving as the Chairman of the Instruction
Committee.
(c) There shall be a Dean of St. John's College in Annapolis and a Dean of St. John's College in
Santa Fe.
for
(d) The "professors, tutors and assistants" shall bear the title Tutor or Tutor Emeritus. Tutors who
have completed their tenure appointments shall be Tutors Emeriti.
(e) There shall be Vice-Presidents for College Advancement and Treasurers.
(f) There shall be Associate members of the Faculty, hereinafter called Associates, who shall be .on
either campus, as the offices may be deemed necessary, the Registrar, the Librarian, the Director of
Athletics, the Director of Student Activities, the Director of Admissions, the Director of Alumni
Activities, the Director of Financial Aid, and the Director of Placement.
(g) The "one learned body or faculty," composed of the President, the Deans, the other Tutors, the
Tutors Emeriti, the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, the Treasurers, and the Associates, shall
bear the title The Faculty of St. John's College.
(h) All who have formally matriculated, are at the present enrolled, and are in good standing shall
be called Students of St. John's College.
(i) The Directors and the Tutors of the Graduate Institute shall be called The Faculty of the Graduate
Institute.
G) All who have been awarded a degree by the College shall be called Alumni. In addition, all who
have completed at least one semester of undergraduate study or at least one segment of Graduate Institute
study, but who are not currently enrolled, shall be called Alumni either a) in the case of undergraduate
students, when their class has graduated, orb) in the case of Graduate Institute students, at the end of
three full sessions of the Graduate Institute, summer and winter, after the one in which they last enrolled.
All who have ever been Alumni shall continue to be.
(k) The Staff shall consist of all persons appointed by the President who are not members of the
Faculty of St. John's College or the Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(1) There shall be no discrimination at St. John's College in appointments, conditions of
employment, admissions, educational policy, financial aid programs, athletics, or other activities, on
6
(3) Elections by the Board. At each annual meeting, the Board shall elect a class of no more than fifteen
members
a term of three years, to succeed those members whose term expires at the conclusion of
said meetmg. Those members elected shall begin their term at the meeting next following their election.
The procedure for nomination and election shall be as follows:
There shall be a Nominating Committee of seven members of the Board appointed by the Chairman.
The Chairman and the Presidents shall sit with the committee, ex officio, when nominations to Board
membership are being considered. The Nominating Committee shall recommend to each member of the
Board in writing, not later than thirty days prior to the annual meeting at which the election is to be
held, at least one candidate for each of the places to be filled by such election, including each position
as an officer of the Board. Additional nominations may be made in writing, addressed to the Chairman,
signed by at least five members of the Board, prior to the date above provided for the report of the
Nommatmg Committee, and any such additional nominations shall be reported to the Board by the
Committee at the time of its report.
Voting on nominations at annual meetings may be by ballot, each member present to vote for fifteen
of the said nominees. In case the balloting results in a tie for one or more positions, the Board shall
determine the procedure to resolve the tie. No nominee for member or officer of the Board shall be
deemed elected who has not received the affirmative votes of at least a majority of the members present
at the meeting.
If there should be fewer than fifteen members in any class prior to the end of the term for such class,
the vacancy may be filled pursuant to the procedure provided above for regular elections, except that
the elechon may take place at any regular meeting. A member elected to fill any such vacancy shall
hold office for the remainder of the term of the class in which such vacancy occurred.
•
(4) Elections by the Alumni. Each year in the spring, three alumni shall be elected to membership for
a term of three years, in such manner that there shall be nine members of the Board elected by the
alumni, consisting of three classes of three members each. Outgoing alumni members shall continue to
serve until their successors are elected.
The Directors of Alumni Activities shall request the Board of the Alumni Association to nominate
at least one candidate for each vacancy. Additional.candidates may be nominated by petition of any
7
�thirty alumni. All alumni shall be eligible to vote for the alumni members of the Board. Balloting will
be conducted by mail by the Directors of Alumni Activities.
In the event that for any reason there should be fewer than three alumni members in any class prior
to the end of the term of that class, the vacancy shall be filled by interim election, conducted in the
same manner. Newly-elected alumni shall begin their term at the meeting next following the annual
meeting of the Board.
(5) Faculty Representation at Board Meetings. Three members of the Faculty shall be elected by the
Faculty on each campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which they belong,
with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(6) Student Representation at Board Meetings. Two students shall be elected by the students on each
campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which they belong, with voice in
deliberation, but without vote.
•
•
•
(9) Alumni Association Representation at Board Meetings. The President of the Alumni association shall
be invited to attend all regular sessions of the Board, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(10) Staff Representation at Board Meetings. The Staff on each campus shall be invited to send t:wo
representatives to all regular sessions of the Board at that campus, with voice in deliberation, but
without vote.
(11) Reelection. A member of the Board elected by the Board or by the Alumni may be elected for not
more than two consecutive terms, but may, after a second consecutive term, be reelected to membership
at the annual meeting in the year following the expiration of the member's second term.
(12) Meetings of the Board.
(a) Regular meetings of the Board shall be held quarterly in either Annapolis or Santa Fe. The
Spring meeting shall be called the annual meeting. The time and place of regular meetings shall be
determined by the Chairman, in consultation with the President, and notice of regular meetings shall
be given not less than fifteen days prior to such meetings.
(b) Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President, the Chairman, the Executive
Committee, or any ten members of the Board, not less than seven days after the dispatch of written,
faxed, or e-mail notice of the time, place, and purposes of the meeting. Such notice may be dispensed
with if waived in writing by all members of the Board either before or after the meeting.
(c) Any business may be conducted at a regular meeting without specific notice of such business
(except that which is required by law or as provided herein as to elections and amendments), but no
business shall be conducted at any special meeting unless notice of such business has been given, or
has been waived as above provided.
(13) Officers of the Board. At each annual meeting the Board shall elect a Chairman, two Vice-Chairmen,
and a Secretary, to hold office until the next annual meeting or until their successors are elected .
Vacancies in any such offices may be filled at any regular meeting, or any special meeting called for
that purpose. Such officers shall perform the customary duties of such offices, and such other duties as
the Board may from time to time direct.
(14) Committees of the Board.
(7) Graduate Institute Director Representation at Board Meetings. Each Director of the Graduate
Institute may attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which he belongs, with voice in
deliberation, but without vote.
(8) Graduate Institute Student Representation at Board Meetings. A student of the Graduate Institute
shall be elected by the students of the Graduate Institute on each campus to attend all regular sessions
of the Board on the campus to which he belongs, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(e) The Board in regular session is open to elected and ex officio members, to Visitors Emeriti, to
Associates invited by the President, and to official representatives of the Faculty, Students, Graduate
Institute, Alumni Association and Staff. Attendance at Executive sessions shall be limited to voting
members and Visitors Emeriti. Public sessions shall be open without restriction. The Chairman of the
Board, in consultation with the President, shall determine whether any meeting or portion of a meeting
shall be in regular, executive, or public session.
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(a) Executive Committee. The Chairman, the Vice-Chairmen, the Secretary, the Presidents, the
Deans, and four other members chosen annually by the Board at the annual meeting shall comprise the
Executive Committee of the Board. In intervals between meetings of the Board, the Executive Committee
may act for the Board, except in those matters expressly delegated to some other committee, person, or
persons. Seven members of the Executive Committee present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum for
the transaction of business.
(b) Presidential Search Committee. There shall be a Presidential Search Committee to recommend
the appointment of a President as provided in Article IV(2).
(c) Nominating Committee. There shall be a nominating Committee for membership of the Board
and for officers of the Board as provided in Article 11(3).
(d) Visiting Committee. There shall be a Visiting Committee appointed by the Chairman. The
Visiting Committee shall meet at least once annually with the Instruction Committee on each campus.
The Visiting Committee shall discuss the Statement of Educational Policy and Program of the Chairman
of the Instruction Committee and become acquainted with the aims of the College and how they are
being realized.
(e) Finance Committee. There shall be a Finance Committee consisting of the Chairman, the
Presidents, and the Treasurers of the College, ex officio, and six or more members appointed by the
Chairman. The Chairman of the Board shall appoint one of the members to be the Chairman of the
Committee. In carrying out its functions the Committee may be divided into two working subcommittees,
one on investments, one on budget, each with its Chairman. The Finance Committee shall have the
following powers and duties:
(i) The Finance Committee shall have full power to direct the investment and
reinvestment of all funds of the College, including endowment and restricted funds, and
the proper officers of the Board and the College are authorized to carry out all written
directions, signed by the Chairman of the Committee, with respect to such investments
and reinvestments. The Committee shall report at each regular meeting any action taken
hereunder since the previous meeting.
(cl) One third of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
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�(ii) The Finance Committee shall review the proposed annual budgets of the College
prior to their presentation for approval by the Board and shall make recommendations
to the Board with respect to the budgets at the meeting at which they are presented.
(iii) The Finance Committee shall study, ancl periodically advise the Board with
respect to, the financial business policies and practices of the College, and shall make
such special studies and reports as the Board may from time to time request.
(f) Audit Committee. There shall be an Audit Committee of five persons, including a Chairman,
appointed by the Chairman of the Board. The Treasurers shall serve as non-voting Staff to the Committee.
(i) The Committee shall review in detail the annual report of the independent
auditors and discuss audit findings with the auditors, unattended by employees of the
College.
(ii) The Committee shall meet with representatives of the independent auditors to
the next audit to discuss scope and procedures and any other matters requiring special
attention.
(iii) The Committee shall discuss with College personnel any corrective action
required as a result of the audit report.
(iv) The Committee shall recommend to the Board the appointment or reappointment
of independent auditors to conduct the audit for the next fiscal year.
(v) The Committee shall report to the Board annually on its review of the audit and
shall bring to the attention of the Board any matters related thereto requiring Board
action.
(g) Compensation Review Committee. There shall be a Compensation Review Committee of not
more than five members, including a Chairman, appointed by the Chairman of the Board.
(i) The Committee shall recommend to the Board policies for direct and indirect
compensation of Tutors, Associate members of the Faculty, other Faculty members, and
Staff at the College. It shall annually review the compensation policies and performance
with respect to them and report the findings of this review to the Board.
(ii) The Committee shall recommend to the Board the compensation of the
Presidents, Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, and Treasurers of the College.
(iii) In matters of policy and compensation, the Committee shall consult the
Presidents and the Chairman of the Finance Committee.
(h) Polity Review Committee. There shall be a Polity Review Committee of not more than five
members appointed by the Chairman every fifth year. The Committee shall receive the report of the
Faculty Committee and after appropriate study shall make recommendations to the Board for
consideration at the annual meeting when the final review of the Polity is consummated. The respective
Chairmen of the Board and Faculty Review Committees shall make such arrangements as they deem
appropriate for joint consultation prior to and after the adoption of the report by the Faculty.
j) Former members of the Board and Visitors Emeriti may be appointed by the Chairman to serve
on Committees at his discretion.
(k) Except for the Presidential Search Committee and the Polity Review Committee, committee
appointments shall be made annually. Members of the Committees serve until their successors have
been appointed.
(1) Any member of the Board may, without invitation, attend any Board committee meeting, except
those of the Presidential Search, Nominating and Executive Committees, but without vote.
(m) Whenever a Capital Campaign is in progress, its Chairman shall be an ex-officio voting member
of the Finance and Executive Committees.
(15) Execution of Contracts, Transfer of Securities, Etc. All contracts of $50,000 or more, notes, deeds,
leases, mortgages, releases, bonds for security or indemnity, negotiable instruments, stock certificates,
transfers, and powers, and like papers and documents on behalf of the College or the Endowment Funds
shall be executed by two persons, of whom one shall be the President, the Chaim1an, or the
Vice-Chairman, and of whom the other shall be the Secretary of the Board or the Treasurer of the campus
concerned.
(16) Signing of Checks, Drafts, Etc. All checks, drafts, acceptances, and similar orders for the payment
of money on behalf of the College may be signed by the same persons authorized to execute contracts,
etc., pursuant to Section (15) hereof, but may also be signed by such persons, and in such manner, as
the Board may from time to time direct by appropriate resolution.
Article III
THE FACULTY
The Visitors and Governors by these ordinances hereby delegate to the Faculty of St. John's
College-the President, the Deans, the other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti, the Vice-Presidents for College
Advancement, the Treasurers, and the Associates-"powers and authorities" for the "instruction,
discipline, and government" of the College.
Article IV
THE FACULTY: THE PRESIDENT
(1) There shall be a President for the Annapolis campus and a President for the Santa Fe campus, each
appointed as provided in Article IV (2). There is delegated to each President by the Visitors and
Governors executive responsibility and authority for the instruction, discipline, and government of the
campus of which he is President, and the President, in turn, may delegate his authority. In the interest
of the orderly conduct of business and of maintaining and promoting the unity of the College, the
Presidents shall regularly consult and communicate with each other and, as appropriate, with other
College officials, on matters of common concern.
(i) Other Committees. The Chairman may appoint such other standing or special committees of the
Board as he may deem desirable or which the Board may request.
(2) The President shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of
a Committee composed of five members of the Board of Visitors and Governors, at least one of whom is
an alumnus, the Deans, and one Tutor having tenure from each campus elected by the Faculty on that
campus. This Committee shall be known as the Presidential Search Committee. It shall consult with
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�the continuing President in a regular and timely fashion. Prior to making its final recommendation, it
shall, on both campuses, consult with all other appropriate persons and shall arrange for the final
candidates to meet with the Faculty and the Instruction Committee.
(3) The President shall concurrently be a Tutor, but the provisions of Article VI need not apply .
(4) The President and persons to whom he delegates his authority shall consult with the Deans, other
appropriate persons, and appropriate Faculty committees in matters of policy, initiation of programs,
and setting of priorities affecting the general welfare of the College.
(5) There shall be a Financial Committee on each campus consisting of the President as Chairman, the
Dean and Treasurer of the campus, and other members the President may appoint. It will review
proposed budgets prior to their being presented to the Finance Committee of the Board. It will also meet
prior to Board meetings to review performance in the fiscal year to date and emerging budgetary strengths
and weaknesses.
(6) The President shall appoint, or delegate the power to appoint, other committees as may be necessary
for the carrying out of his duties and for which no provision is made under Article IX.
(7) If in the judgment of the Board of Visitors and Governors, the College is facing a financial exigency
at either or both of its campuses which could call for a reduction in the number of Faculty positions,
both Presidents shall immediately advise the Faculty of the nature and extent of the financial difficulty
and consult with them concerning the best way to address the situation. The Faculty may then make a
formal recommendation to the Presidents on ways to meet the problem, or, if the Faculty fails so to act,
the Deans and the Instruction Committee shall propose a plan to the Presidents. The Presidents shall
jointly then determine a plan which specifies a preferred course of action to be taken. All necessary
steps must be taken in timely fashion as prescribed by the Board. Nothing herein provided shall limit
the power of the Board to act otherwise in the event of need to reduce or eliminate Faculty positions.
Article V
THE FACULTY: THE CHAIRMAN OF THE INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE AND
THE DEANS
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(d) The Chairman of the Instruction Committee shall, as he or the Chairman of the Board of Visitors
and Governors may deem appropriate, report to the Board on instructional matters, and shall respond
to such questions as the Board, through its Chairman, may direct to him.
(2) The Deans.
(a) There is delegated to the Deans on their respective campuses responsibility and authority for
the supervision of the program of instruction and for the general welfare of the students and for whatever
government of the students be necessary for the greatest possible attainment of aims of the program.
Each Dean shall be the Chairman of the Instruction Committee on the campus where he serves. In
carrying out his duties, each Dean shall consult regularly with the President and with the Instruction .
Committee and the other appropriate Faculty committees on that campus.
(b) The Deans shall be appointed for terms of five years from among the Tutors by the Visitors and
Governors on the recommendation of the President after consultation with a special committee of seven,
four from the campus for which the Dean is being chosen and three from the other campus, selected
from among themselves by the Tutors having tenure.
(c) A Dean shall be appointed from among the tutors who have themselves been appointed in accord
with Article VI(3). If non-tenured, the appointee shall acquire tenure upon becoming Dean, in which
case the provisions of Article VI(3)(a) regarding reappointment schedules shall not apply.
(d) To assist them in carrying out their duties, the Deans shall recommend one or more Tutors to
be appointed by the President with the title of Assistant Dean.
(e) During the absence of the President from either campus, the Dean on that campus shall if
necessary exercise the President's prerogative of final decision.
(f) During the absence of either Dean from the campus a Tutor with tenure named by him shall act
for the Dean.
(g) The Dean on each campus shall appoint such committees as may be necessary for the carrying
out of his duties and for which no other provision is made.
Article VI
(1) The Chairman of the Instruction Committee.
THE FACULTY: THE TUTORS
(a) There is delegated to the Chairman of the Instruction Committee responsibility and authority for
the organization of the program of instruction in the liberal arts that is followed by the Tutors and the
Students.
(1) The primary responsibilities of the Tutors are to teach and to make themselves as competent as
possible in all parts of the St. John's Program.
(b) The Deans shall serve alternately, for a term of one year, as Chairman of the Instruction
Committee.
(c) Each year the Chairman of the Instruction Committee shall, after consultation with the Instruction
Committee on his campus, and after discussion with the Instruction Committee of the College, submit
a Statement of Educational Policy and Program to the Faculty as a whole for discussion. The President
shall present the Statement, together with an account of the Faculty discussion of it and hi s response
to it, as a report to the Board of Visitors and Governors for its consideration.
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(2) The Tutors shall have authority to recommend to the Visitors and Governors candidates for degrees
on their respective campuses.
(3) Appointment and Reappointment of Tutors. Tutors shall be appointed by the Visitors and Governors
upon recommendation of the President in accordance with the recommendation of the Dean and the
Instruction Committee on that campus where the Tutors so appointed shall teach.
(a) The schedule of regular appointment of Tutors on each campus shall be either (i)(A) or (i)(B)
below, to be decided by the President in accordance with the recommendation of the Dean and the
Instruction Committee on that campus where the Tutors so appointed shall teach:
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�(i)(A) New Tutors shall be appointed for one year unless they are appointed at
mid-year, in which case the initial appointment shall be for a year and a half. First
reappointments shall be for one year. Second and third reappointments shall be for two
and three years respectively.
(i)(B) New Tutors shall be appointed for two years unless they are appointed at
mid-year, in which case the initial appointment shall be for a year and a half. First and
second reappointments shall be for two and three years respectively.
(ii) A Tutor who has completed a three-year appointment must either be given a
tenure appointment or not be reappointed as Tutor. A Tutor may, however, be given a
tenure appointment as early as the conclusion of the first year of a three-year
appointment. Procedures leading to a recommendation for an early tenure appointment
shall be initiated by the Dean and Instruction Committee, but not without the consent
of the appointee, and shall not prejudice subsequent consideration for a tenure
appointment. Tenure appointments shall not continue beyond retirement. Tutors Emeriti
shall retain their privileges and responsibilities in voting at Faculty meetings.
(iii) Before making recommendations to the President on tenure appointments the
Dean on each campus shall consult with the Instruction Committee on that campus,
after seeking the advice of the Tutors on that campus.
(iv) A Tutor, to be recommended for a tenure appointment, must have served
full-time at the campus where the recommendation is to be made for the two years
immediately preceding the year in which that recommendation is made, the provisions
of (ii) above notwithstanding. In ordinary cases, these two years of service will be the
second year of a two-year appointment and the first year of a three-year appointment.
These requirements may be waived by the President on the recommendation of the Dean
and Instruction Committee on that campus.
(b) A non-tenure appointment as Tutor establishes the possibility, but not the presumption, of its
renewal and the granting of a tenure appointment. Procedures for considering non-tenure appointments
differ from those for considering tenure appointments. Satisfaction of appointment criteria admits of
degree. With each successive reappointment, the criteria are applied more rigorously. For a tenure
appointment the application is especially strict.
(4) Notification.
(a) A Tutor under consideration for a non-tenure appointment to begin in a certain calendar year shall
be notified by the President no later than December 15th of the preceding calendar year whether his
reappointment will be recommended to the Board of Visitors and Governors. If heis reappointed the President
shall so notify him by March 1st of the calendar year in which the new appointment is to begin.
(b) A Tutor under consideration for a tenure appointment to begin in a certain calendar year shall
be notified by the President no later than May 31st of the preceding calendar year whether his
appointment will be recommended to the Board of Visitors and Governors. If he is appointed the
President shall so notify him by July 31st of that same preceding year.
(5) A Tutor may apply to the Instruction Committee of the College not later than January 15th for a
transfer of campus for the next academic year. Transfers shall require approval of both Deans after
consultation with their Instruction Committees.
(6) (a) A Tutor may have his appointment terminated by the Board of Visitors and Governors for one of
the following reasons only: (i) failure or inability to perform his teaching duties in a satisfactory manner,
or (ii) moral turpitude. The President shall make such a recommendation to the Board of Visitors and
Governors only with the concurrence of the Dean and the Instruction Committee of the campus
concerned. Before the President makes such a recommendation he shall advise the Tutor affected of
his intention to do so, and the Tutor shall have the right to be heard by the Instruction Committee or, if
he prefers, by another committee to be designated by the President for this purpose.
(b) Either Dean, with the approval of the Instruction Committee on the campus concerned, may
recommend to the President that in the interest of instruction a Tutor be temporarily relieved of his
duties in whole or in part at any time. When such action is taken, the Tutor's salary shall be continued
for the remainder of the current academic year.
(7) The sabbatical leave program is designed to provide Tutors with an opportunity for study, rest, and
renewal of spirit, in anticipation of future teaching. It is the objective of the program to grant all
applications for sabbatical leave meeting the conditions for eligibility set out in (a) of this section. It is
understood that Tutors on such leave will not undertake full-time remunerative employment elsewhere
and will return to the College.
(a) Eligibility for sabbatical leave shall be upon the following conditions:
(c) For the purpose of temporary transfer between campuses, special appointments of one or two
years may be granted to a Tutor in addition to his regular appointments. The Tutor may ask that such
an appointment be counted as a regular appointment for the purpose of (a) above. In the case of a
permanent transfer a Tutor may ask that his years of service at the other campus be counted toward
tenure according to the provisions of (a) above. Nevertheless, the provisions of (3) (a)(iv) prevail.
(i) A Tutor who has received a tenure appointment may apply for a full year of
sabbatical leave at full salary, provided he shall have completed the equivalent of seven
full years of service to the College since his original appointment, or the equivalent of
six full years of service since any previous sabbatical leave, and the sabbatical leave
would not occur in the last two years of his tenure appointment.
(cl) Special one-year appointments and reappointments may be given to Tutors who intend to teach
(ii) Such a Tutor may apply for an earlier sabbatical leave of a full year at partial
salary, or a partial year at full salary. The fractional salary or fractional year shall be
determined by the number of years of teaching completed in relation to the prescribed
total for eitrer an initial or a subsequent sabbatical leave, as the case may be. In no
case shall a Tutor be paid more than his regular salary. Sabbatical leave for a fraction
of a year may not occur during the last two years of a Tutor's tenure appointment.
on a part-time basis only. Such a Tutor may subsequently apply for and receive a regular appointment.
Special part-time appointments may then be counted on a fractional basis toward eligibility for tenure,
but see (3)(a)(iv). In establishing eligibility for sabbatical leave, special part-time appointments shall
be computed proportionately.
(e) Visiting Tutors may be appointed for a term or a year.
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�(b) If, in the judgment of the President, financial or academic needs at a campus should require
that fewer sabbatical leaves be granted there in a given year than there are qualified applicants, and if
the number that can be granted there should be smaller than one-sixth of the number of Tutors at that
campus having tenure and not on full-time leave under the provisions of section (8) below, the President
shall so notify the Board of Visitors and Governors and seek its approval for delaying a sabbatical leave
for one or more of the applicants.
Article VII
THE FACULTY: THE VICE-PRESIDENTS FOR COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT AND
THE TREASURERS
(1) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement shall be responsible to the President for the
supervision and development of all programs in fund-raising, public relations, and alumni relations on
their respective campuses.
(c) If in a year there are more qualified applicants for sabbatical leave at any one campus than there
are leaves to be granted at that campus, then those members shall have precedence who meet the
following conditions in the order set forth:
(2) The Vice-President for College Advancement on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of
Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President made after consultation with the Dean
on that campus and a committee constituted by resolution of the Faculty on that campus.
(i) Those who have served for the greater number of years since their first
appointment as Tutor or since their last sabbatical leave, whichever is more recent;
(3) The Treasurers shall have charge, on their respective campuses, under the supervision of the
President, of all funds and property, and shall have authority to carry out fiscal and property transactions,
and to receive and disburse funds, subject to the provisions of this Polity and other directions and
arrangements pursuant thereto.
(ii) Those whose service has been continuous throughout thos_e years;
(iii) Those whose last sabbatical leave was postponed because of the financial or
academic needs of the College;
(4) The Treasurer on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the
recommendation of the President made after consultation with the Dean on that campus and a committee
constituted by resolution of the Faculty on that campus.
(iv) Those who have seniority of appointment.
When there is a conflict of precedence, the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the campus
concerned shall be consulted.
(5) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement and Treasurers may be appointed Tutors under the
provisions of Article Vl(3)(d).
(d) A Tutor eligible for sabbatical leave shall make application to the President before November
1st for leave to begin the following July 1st, and shall be informed of the action upon his application not
later than January 1st.
Article VIII
THE FACULTY: THE ASSOCIATES
(8) The President, with the concurrence of the Dean after consultation with the Instruction Committee
on the campus concerned, may grant leaves of absence to Tutors for a period of one year or less. At that
time it shall be determined whether the leave shall be counted as service to the College with respect to
eligibility for sabbatical leave and, if so, how. The decision with respect to a request for leave of absence
shall be made in the light of the requirements both of the applicant Tutor and of the whole College.
(1) Associate members of the Faculty on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and
Governors on the recommendation of the President in consultation with the Dean of that campus. The
President shall have ultimate executive authority over the Associates.
(2) Associates may be appointed Tutors under the provisions of Article VI (3)(d).
(a) Leave of absence may be renewed upon request but not more than twice in succession except
in extraordinary circumstances.
(3) The Associates on either campus may establish for themselves an Associates' Council for the
purpose of considering College matters of concern to them and communicating with other members
of the College.
(b) A request for a leave of absence shall be submitted to the President as early as possible in the
academic year before the year in which the leave is to be taken, but not later than January 15th of that
year. Requests for leaves of absence may be withdrawn at any time prior to April 1st of the year in which
the request is submitted. Requests for leaves of absence for the second semester must be submitted no
later than October 15th.
(4) The Associates' Council may establish such committees as it deems appropriate.
(5) There shall be the following Associates, as deemed necessary by the President on each campus,
with the powers and responsibilities provided.
(c) Tutors on sabbatical leave or leave of absence remain members of the Faculty with the right of
full participation in Faculty meetings and all other College exercises.
(a) The Registrars. The Registrars shall be responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses.
They shall prepare and supervise the registration of students and shall be responsible for the academic
records and schedules of students.
(b) The Librarians. The Librarians shall be responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses
for the operation of the library. Appointments of professional members of the Library Staff shall be made
upon the recommendation of the Librarian to the Dean on each campus •
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�(c) The Directors of Student Activities and the Directors of Athletics. The Directors of Student
Activities and the Directors of Athletics shall be responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses
for devising and directing programs of recreational activities.
(d) The Directors of Admissions. The Directors of Admissions shall be responsible to the Deans on
their respective campuses for the annual enrollment of qualified Freshmen.
(e) The Directors of Alumni Activities. The Directors of Alumni Activities shall be responsible to
the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement. Their primary duty is to enable the College and the
Alumni Association to be of service to alumni.
(f) The Directors of Financial Aid. The Directors of Financial Aid shall be responsible to the Deans
on their respective campuses for the administration of financial aid programs.
(g) The Directors of Placement. The Directors of Placement shall be responsible to the Deans on
their respective campuses for helping and counseling students with respect to graduate and professional
schools and careers.
(h) Persons designated Associates under the provisions of Article I(3)(f) or of Article VII(3)(k) of
this Polity as amended through April 20, 1985, whose offices are not specifically named in this Article,
shall continue to be Associates until the expiration of their appointments to those offices.
Article IX
THE FACULTY: FACULTY COMMITTEES
(1) The Instruction Committee
(a) The Instruction Committee shares with its Chairmen responsibility for the program of instruction
of the College. It shall consist of twelve Tutors in addition to the Deans. The President shall sit with the
Committee ex officio. Six of the Tutors shall be elected from each campus of the College. The Instruction
Committee shall meet annually. On each campus the members of the Instruction Committee and the
Dean as Chairman constitute the Instruction Committee of the College on that campus. The President
sits ex officio with the Instruction Committee on each campus.
(b) Each of the members of the Instruction Committee shall serve for a term of three years, and the
terms shall be arranged in such a way that each year the terms of two members at each campus shall
expire. Terms begin and end the day following commencement exercises. Annually, and separately at
each campus, the President with the Dean on his campus, after consulting with the Instruction
Committee and seeking the advice of the other Tutors on that campus, shall at the last regular Faculty
meeting on that campus nominate four Tutors of whom two shall be elected by the Tutors to membership
on the Instruction Committee. The Faculty shall be informed of the names of the nominees prior to the
meeting at which the election occurs. At the expiration of the three-year term a member of the Instruction
Committee shall for one year be ineligible for reelection.
(d) If the Instruction Committee resigns with the Deans on a matter of confidence and the
resignations are accepted, the President, in consultation with the new Deans and after seeking the advice
of the other Tutors, shall nominate nine Tutors for the six vacancies on each campus in such a manner
that two out of each three nominees shall be elected by t_he Tutors for each of the three classes to fill
the unexpired terms.
(2) The Tutors' Compensation Committee
(a) There shall be a Tutors' Compensation Committee of six Tutors, three to be elected by the Tutors
on each campus, whose chairmanship shall annually alternate between campuses. The Committee shall
advise the President concerning Tutors' compensation and related matters; it shall make annual reviews
of the College's statement of Tutors' salaries and other compensation of Tutors and report to the Tutors
and the President recommendations consequent upon the review.
(b) Members of the Committee shall be elected annually on each campus for terms of three years
in such a manner that the term of one member on each campus terminates each year. The Tutors'
Compensation Committee on each campus shall provide the Tutors on that campus with two nominations
for each vacancy on the Committee on that campus. Additional nominations may be made at the Faculty
meeting when election shall be made.
(3) The Library Committees. The President, in consultation with the Librarian and the Dean, shall
appoint three Tutors on each campus to serve as a Library Committee. The President, the Dean, and
the Librarian shall themselves be ex officio members of the Committee, and the Librarian shall serve
as Chairman. It shall be the duty of the Library Committees to assist the Librarians in making the
Libraries serve the ends of the College and its program; it shall be their duty to advise the Librarians
in regard to Library policy and acquisitions. The Managers of the Bookstores may be invited to sit with
the Committees.
(4) The Campus Planning Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall elect five of its members as
a Campus Planning Committee. Two members shall be elected to the Committee annually at the first
regular meeting of the academic session except in every third year, when one member shall be chosen.
The President, the Dean, one of the Assistant Deans, and the Treasurer on each campus shall sit ex
officio with the Committee on that campus. It shall be the duty of the respective committees to advise
the President on the construction of new buildings, the renovation of old buildings, landscaping of
grounds, and all matters relating to the maintenance and development of the campus.
(5) The Prize Committees. Every three years the President shall appoint Tutors on each campus to
supervise the awarding of prizes on the respective campuses. The Committees shall have full authority
to decide what prizes shall be awarded and to name the recipients of the prizes.
(6) The Fellowship Committees. On each campus there shall be a Fellowship Committee appointed by
the President. It shall be the duty of this Committee to inform students of fellowships for which they
may be eligible, to assist them in applying for fellowships, and to act on behalf of the College in any
matter relating to application for fellowships.
(c) If for any reason a member of the Instruction Committee is unable to serve for a part of his term,
another Tutor shall be chosen to take his place for that part of the term. For this purpose the President
and the Dean, in consultation with the Instruction Committee on the campus where the vacancy occurs,
shall nominate two Tutors of whom the Tutors shall elect one in a regular Faculty meeting.
(7) Other Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall have authority to elect, or to request the
President to appoint, additional committees that may from time to time become necessary.
18
19
�Article X
THE FACULTY: FACULTY PROCEDURE
(b) Upon eithe r a petition of not less than one-tenth
of the Tutors on eithe r campus or a reque st from
the Presi dent, the Dean and Instruction Committee
on that camp us shall consider any recommendation
conc ernin g instruction and shall report to the Faculty
within one year their proposal conc ernin g it. They
shall decid e whether their proposal is a major propo
sal, and the procedure of Article X(l) shall apply.
(1) Proc edure for Instructional Proposals.
(a)(i) Any proposal conc ernin g matters of instruction
that may affect the College as
a whole shall originate with the Dean and the Instru
ction Committee on eithe r campus.
A dec1s10n as to whether a proposal is college-wide
or camp us-sp ecific shall be made
by the Deans and Instr uctio n Committee of the Colle
ge. This decision shall be made
after notifying the faculty on both camp uses and inviti
ng their comment.
Written statements of college-wide instructional prop
osals shall be distri buted to
the Faculty at least two weeks before the Faculty
meeting at which they are to be
prese nted; the proposal shall be presented to the whol
e Facu lty by the Chairman of the
Instruction Committee, eithe r in his own person
or through the other Dean as his
representative. If, after full discussion of any propo
sal so presented there be no
objection on the part of any Tutor, the measure stand
s appro ved and becomes effective
as of the date specific therefor. If, after full discussion
, a Tuto r objects to the proposal
and holds to o jection
the proposal shall be submitted to vote of the Tutors
at speci al
Facu lty meetings calle d by the Presi dent within a
fortnight. Any objections that have
been made and held to shall be presented immediate
ly in writing to the whole faculty.
In submitting the proposal to vote the Chairman of
the Instr uctio n Committee and the
Dean on the other campus shall state whether it be a
matter of confidence. The vote may
then be taken and tallied by the President in such
a fashion that the Tutors shall have
recor ded their decision actin g as a whole. If the propo
sal be one that the Chairman of
the Instruction Committee and the other Dean have
decla red a matter of confidence and
if it be defeated by majority vote, the Deans and
the Instr uctio n Committee shall
immediately resign. If it be passe d by majority vote,
it shall become effective as of the
date specified therefor. For the confidence proce
dure a quor um shall consist of
three-fourths of all resid ent Tutors on each campus.
_(ii) Any instructional proposal that has been deem
ed camp us-sp ecific shall be
subject to the procedure set forth above, except that,
if an objection is made and held
to on eithe r campu_s, voting shall proceed only on
the camp us were the proposal is
inten ded to be put mto effect. Any objections that
have been made and held to on the
other campus shall be prese nted immedately in writin
g to the voting faculty.
(iii) The Presi dent may refuse to accept the resig
nation of the Deans or the
Instruction Committee, any or all of them, whenever
in his judg ment such resio-nation
woul d be detrimental to the prop er functioning of the
College; provided, however, that
if any six or more Tutors shall petition the Visitors and
Governors, the latter shall review
the Presi dent' s decision within four weeks, durin
g which time the Deans and the
Instr uctio n Committee shall conti nue in office.
(iv) In the event that the proposal be defeated and the
resio-nations be accep ted the
Presi dent shall proceed to the choice of new Dean
s
in
acco
rdanc e with the provisions
of Article V (2)(b).
(2) Faculty Meetings.
•
•
•
•
(a) Regular monthly meetings of the Faculty shall be
calle d upon due notice by the President; except
that in the period comp rising the months of December
and Janu ary only one regular meeting need be
calle d. The Presi dent or, in his absence, the Dean
, shall presi de. In the absen ce of the Presi dent and
the Dean, the Faculty shall elect one of its members
to presi de.
(b) Special meetings of the Faculty may be called
upon due notice by the Presi dent, eithe r at his
own discretion or at the requ est of five Faculty mem
bers.
(c) Due notice shall be construed to mean no less
than three days notice, exce pt in cases of
emergency.
(d) A quorum shall cons ist of a majority of the Facu
lty in residence except as otherwise provided.
(e) Only Tutors may vote on instructional matters. All
Faculty members may vote on all other matters
not specifically restri cted in the Polity.
(3) The Secretary of the Faculty. At the last regular
meeting of an academic year the Faculty on each
camp us shall elect one of its members, then in at least
his third year at the College, as Secretary. The
Secretary shall assis t in the preparation and circulation
of the agen da for Faculty meetings, shall keep
the minutes of such meetings, and shall collect and
circu late reports of Faculty committees.
Article XI
THE SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE AND THE ARTISTS
-IN-RESIDENCE
The Scho lars-i n-Re siden ce and the Artists-in-Resid
ence shall be appointed from time to time by
the Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommend
ation of the President after consultation with the
Dean and the Instruction Committee on the campus
where the Scholars and Artists shall resid e.
THE STUDENTS
Article XII
(1) The primary respo nsibi lities of the students
are to study and to make themselves as comp etent
as
possible in all parts of the St. John 's Program. Thei
r advic e and service shall be sought by the Faculty
in such matters and in such ways as may best serve
the gene ral welfare of the College.
(2) The students of St. John 's College shall const
itute the Student Polity of St. John 's College in
Annapolis and in Santa Fe.
(3) The Student Polity in Annapolis or Santa Fe
may estab lish for itself a government which is
representative of all polity members. The Dean on each
camp us may delegate to the Stud ent government
a share of the respo nsibi lity for the general welfa
re of the stude nts and whatever government of the
stude nts may be nece ssary for the greatest possible
attain ment of the aims of the program. The duties
of the Student Government may include:
20
21
�(a) the management of funds available to the Student Polity;
activities, and their regulation, if
(b) the sanctioning of all stude nt clubs, organizations, and
necessary;
the community outside the College;
(c) the representation of the studen ts of St. John's College to
communication between the studen ts
(d) the establ ishme nt and maint enanc e of formal chann els of
and the Faculty; and
(e) any other duties agreed upon by the students and the Dean.
Article XIII
THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE
(1) The Directors.
campu s to whom shall be delega ted
(a) There shall be a Director of the Graduate Institute on each
ction Committee, for the organization and
responsibility and authority, under the Chairman of the Instru
ction in the libera l arts and for matters
supervision on his campu s of the gradu ate program of instru
rs that affect the Graduate Institu te as
conce rning the general welfare of the students. Concerning matte
tor, be responsible to the Chairman of
a whole the Director shall, in consultation with his fellow Direc
own campu s he shall be responsible to
the Instruction Committee. Concerning matters limited to his
the Dean on his own campu s.
from among the Tutors by the Board
(b) The Directors shall be appoi nted for terms of three years
ent, after consultation with the Deans
of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the Presid
each campus, selected from among
and a specia l committee consis ting of four members, two from
be Tutors of the Graduate Institute.
themselves by the Tutors having tenure. The Directors shall
and the Committee for the Gradu ate
(c) Every three years, after consu ltation with his fellow direct or
t a Statem ent of Educational Policy and
Institu te on his own campu s, one of the Directors shall submi
for discussion at its joint meeting. After
Program for the Graduate Institu te to the Instruction Committee
it to the Faculty as a whole for discus sion.
makin g any revisions he deems appro priate , he shall submi t
(2) The Faculty of the Gradu ate Institu te.
Graduate Institute on that campu s,
(a) Each Director, after consultation with the Committee for the
Committee on the same campu s, shall
and in accord ance with the recommendation of the Instru ction
for summ er appointment to teach in the
recommend to the Presid ent Tutor s of the Graduate Institu te
Gradu ate Institute for one sessio n.
te on each campus shall have the
(b) During the summ er term the Tutors of the Graduate Institu
candi dates for degrees.
authority to recommend to the Board of Visitors and Governors
(4) Committees for the Gradu ate Institu te.
shares with the Director on the same
(a) On each campu s the Committee for the Gradu ate Institu te
of the Graduate Institute and for the
camp us responsibility for carryi ng out the program of instru ction
gener al welfare of the studen ts.
ience in the Institute, in additi on
(b) Each Committee shall consis t of three Tutors who have exper
to the Director, who shall serve as Chairman.
appointed by the Director with the concur rence of the Dean
h(c) Members of each Committee shall be
the Graduate Institute on that campus.
on t e same campu s after consultation with the Committee for
t ors, af ter
one of th e D'Direct
ction or policy shall origina
g te with
(5) Propo·sals conce
tt s of instru
· o crning matter
shall b
and
te
for the Graduate Institu
consu_ talion with t e other Director and with the Committee
be
• campu s for handl ing in accordance with Article' X(l)(a )(i).
• • atmg
submitted to th e Dean on th e ongm
Article XIV
THE ALUMNI
John's College is a community not limited
(l) Alumni shall be life-long memb ersof the College, since St.
b y geographical locat10n or fixed periods of time.
i participate in the life of the C 11
(2) The Alumni Association is the formal means by which alumn
rs and Governors, alumni share onlege.
Throu ghthe election of alumni members of the Board of Visito
given the opportunity to serve the College.
direction of that life. In these and other ways, alumni shall be
to enable alumni to assist in providing
(3) The College shall Cooperate with the Alum niAssociation
ts, placing graduates in appropriate
servic es such as recruiting and mterv1ewmg prospective studen
admission to graduate and professional
employment, and adv1smg students concerning career s and
schools.
, shall provide semin ars and other
(4) The College, in cooperation with the Alumni Association
and in othe; places.
appro pnate educa tional activities in Annapolis, in Santa Fe,
Article XV
THE STAFF
maintenance of the College, performing
(1) _Members of the_ Staff assist with the administration and
Staff rules and regulations.
duties necessary to its well-bemg. They are subjec t to appro priate
for the purpose
f either campus may establ ish for themselves a Staff Council
~~) Members of the Stafon
e as a whole.
Colleg
the
as a benefit to
better communication and understandmg of College policies
l channels of communication s a wh the
The Staff Council shall seek to establish and maintain forma
Officers. The Treas urer on each camp us
whole Staff and between the Staff and the appropriate College
il and discuss with them any chang es
shall review Staff employment regulations with the Staff Counc
proposed.
appropriate.
(3) The Staff Council may establ ish such committees as it deems
Article XVI
AMENDMENTS AND REVIEW
of the Polity Review Committee, or by a
(l) Amendments to this Polity may be proposed by a majority
ers of the Board, or by the Faculty as
petition sumbi tted y not fewer than ten percent of the memb
sed amendment must be provided to the
provided for m sect10n (2) below. Written notice of a propo
date of the Board meeting at which the
Board and to the Faculty not less than 30 days prior to the
right to inform the Board_ i~ writing of its
amend ment is to be consid ered. The Faculty shall have the
23
22
�recommendation with respect to the proposed amendment by the time of that meeting. This Polity may
be amended by a two-thirds vote of those members voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board,
provided that the votes of no fewer than one-third of the members of the entire Board eligible to vote
are in favor of such amendment.
(2) Amendments may be proposed at any regular meeting of either the Faculty in Annapolis or the
Faculty in Santa Fe upon petition of not less than ten percent of the members on either campus. No
such proposal shall be acted upon earlier than the next regular meeting of the Faculty, whether in
Annapolis or in Santa Fe. A two-thirds vote of the entire Faculty in residence, including at least a simple
majority vote of the Faculty in residence on each of the campuses, shall be required for approval and
the amendment shall not become effective unless approved by the Board in the manner set forth in
Section (1) above.
(3) Every five years this Polity shall be reviewed by a committee of six, three to be elected by the Faculty
on each campus. The report of the Committee shall be submitted to one regular Faculty meeting and
voted upon at the next regular Faculty meeting. A two-thirds vote of the entire Faculty in residence,
including at least a simple majority vote of the Faculty in residence on each of the campuses, shall be
required for approval.
Whatever action is thus recommended by the Faculty shall be submitted to the Board for final
decision in the manner set forth in Section (1) above.
Article XVII
COMPLIANCE WITH LAW
No provision of this Polity shall be construed to contravene any applicable fed eral or state law. If
any provision is determined to contravene any such law, that provision shall be deemed not a part of
this Polity, and this Polity's remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
24
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Charter and Polity of the College
Description
An account of the resource
Revised and amended editions of the St. John's College Charter and Polity.<br /><br />The College's first Charter and Polity was published as the <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3768">September 1950</a> issue of the <em><a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/collections/show/37">Bulletin of St. John's College in Annapolis</a></em>. Revised and amended versions were published as individual issues of the <em>Bulletin</em> in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3746">1951</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7844">1960</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7845">1963</a>, and <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7846">1965</a>. <br /><br />The Charter and Polity was published as a separate document in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7850">1955</a> and again from <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7851">1970</a> forward. The most recent version of the Charter and Polity is also available on the College's <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/about/leadership/board-visitors-governors/charter-polity">website</a>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=62&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate">Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
PDF
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
24 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Charter and Polity of the College, 1997
Description
An account of the resource
Charter and Polity of the College, amended and restated as of January 1997.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe, NM
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1997-01
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Legal instruments
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Charter_and_Polity_1997
Charter and Polity
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/38c2cfa8c27bdf0d3849045c0d8c8ebf.pdf
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PDF Text
Text
ST.
JOHN~S
COLLEGE
ANNAPOLIS. MARYLAND
�Views of
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
ANNAPOLIS,
MARYLAND
•
�OLD McDOWELL HALL
�THE SPLENDID NEW GYMNASIUM
AN UNSURPASSED HALL OF PHYSICAL CULTURE
THE PHILOKOLIAN LITERARY SOCIETY
�THE PHILOMATHEAN LITERARY SOCIETY
THE GLEE CLUB
�>-i
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tx,
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t:
z
0
t:J
z>
~
trj
THE CADET MAJOR
THIS CADE't COMMANDS 1'HI! CORPS OF CADETS, UNDER THE COMMANDANT.
�STAFF AND NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF OFFICERS OF THE CORPS
LINE OFFICERS OF THE CORPS
�FOOT BALL TEAM
DURING TwtNTY-FIVJ:: YtARS THEst TEAMS HAvt USUALLY
BttN SuPRtMt IN MARYLAND
BASE BALL TEAM
THIS TtAM: HAD TH£ DISTINCTION OF DEFEATING THE NAVY
�FOOT BALL SQUAD
FOOT BALL HISTORY
TH£S£ CAD£TS WILL MAK£ FUTURE
TRACK TEAM
r'OR
OLD
ST. JOHN'S
A
Fm£ BRANCH OF SPORT, AND V£RY SuccitsSFUL H£R£
�••
FULL DRESS PARADE, BATTALION IN LINE
ST. JOHN'S IS CLASSED BY THE WAR DEPARTMENT AS AMONG THE VERY BEST MILITARY SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES
BAYONET EXERCISE-IN GREY SHIRTS
•A••
•
�THE CORPS IN FULL DRESS, COLUMN OF COMPANIES
ABOUT To PASS IN
Ri;;vn:w WITH
BAND LtADIN<;
THE CORPS, AS SKIRMISHERS
A LoNG, THIN GREY LINE OF RIFLES
�THE GREAT FIREPLACE IN THE CADETS' DINING ROOM
�..
Tms
INTERIOR NEW GYMNASIUM
No EQUAL IN MARYLAND AND FEw
BUILDING HAS
ANYWHERE
.... . .
���
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Promotional Publications
Description
An account of the resource
Brochures and other documents published to promote the college and the Annapolis campus to the public. The collection includes campus walking tour brochures, and fundraising pamphlets.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Publisher
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St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Coverage
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Annapolis, Md.
Identifier
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PromotionalPubs
Contributor
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
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Original Format
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paper
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
24 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Views of St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland
Description
An account of the resource
Views of St. John's College, a brochure published circa 1909. The brochure includes a view of a swimming pool in Iglehart gymnasium. A slightly later (circa 1910) version of the brochure shows Iglehart in a more finished state.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
circa 1910
Rights
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St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
Type
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text
Format
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pdf
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)--Students
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)--Buildings
Language
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English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Views of St Johns College_circa1909
Relation
A related resource
<a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/6517">Views of St. John's College, circa 1910</a>
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PDF Text
Text
St. John's College
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
CHARTER AND POLITY
OF
THE COLLEGE
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
SANTA FE, NEW MEXJCO
Amended and Restated as of April 1993
Founded. as King William's School, 1696
Chartered as St. John's College, 1784
Library
�Since this Polity can be amended between printings, the current official Polity is
kept in the offices of the Presidents of St John's College.
�1
HISTORY
accordance
St. John's College was founded in 1696 as King William's School in
of
Colony
the
of
ly
Assemb
l
Genera
with a Petitionary Act for free-schools of the
State
new
the
of
ly
Assemb
l
Genera
the
Maryland. Following the Revolutionary War,
of
part
a
as
and
to
t
pursuan
College
of Maryland granted a Charter to St. John's
ently amended
Chapte r 37 of the Laws of Maryland of 1784. This Charter was subsequ
1832.
of
41
No.
tion
by the General Assembly through Resolu
Charter to
The Visitors and Governors of St. John's College in 1950 revised the
ents
amendm
other
certain
make
to
and
matter
elimina te extraneous and obsole te
the
of
opinion
the
was
It
ons.
conditi
and
consist ent with present requirements
the College was subject to
Attorney General of Maryland that the original Charter of
amended by the
the general Corporation Laws of Maryland and might accordingly be
by the
action
Visitor s and Governors, pursuant to these laws, without legislative
1965, in
in
1963,
General Assembly. Subsequent amendments were made in 1961, in
1970, and in 1975.
•
•
•
in Santa
When the decision was reached to establish a second St. John's College or
s
branche
ze
Fe, New Mexico , amendments were made to the Charter to authori
ations
extensions of the College. The Charter was then filed with the Corpor
was thus
College
The
Commission of the State of New Mexico as a foreign corporation.
nd
Maryla
its
of
ons
empowered to grant degrees in New Mexico under the provisi
Charte r.
by the
A Polity for the College was first suggested at a faculty meeting in 1943
then
was
which
Dean. A faculty committee was elected and drafted a Polity
ttee to revise
promulgated by the President. In April 1949 the Faculty elected a commi 9, 1950, and
April
on
Faculty
the
the Polity. The resultin g document was approved by
Subsequent
was adopted by the Board of Visitors and Governors on July 8, 1950.
desired
and
ttees,
commi
quinqu ennial reviews were made by elected faculty
and
s
Visitor
of
Board
amendments were recommended by the Faculty to the
held on
Board
the
of
s
meeting
Governors. The Polity was thus amended at regular
16, 1982;
January
1975;
19,
April
1970;
May 14, 1955; May 21, 1960; May 15, 1965; June 6,
at
Board
the
by
adopted
were
ents
April 19, 1986; and October 19, 1991. Other amendm
ber
Septem
and
23
ry
Februa
1961;
9,
ber
regular meetings on February 22 and Decem
24, 1976;
28, 1963; October 3, 1970; February 18, 1972; October 25, 1975; January
11, 1987; October
April
1986;
25,
r
Octobe
1985;
20,
November 6, 1982; July 21, 1984; April
19, 1991; July 18, 1992, and April 17, 1993.
�3
2
establishing the said intended college, this General Assembly give and grant, and
upon that condition do hereby give and grant to the Visitors and Governors of the
said College by the name of "The Visitors and Governors of Saint John's College in the
State of Maryland," and their successors all that four acres within the City of
Annapolis purchased for the use by the public and conveyed on the 2nd day of
October, 1744, by Stephen Bordley, Esq., to Thos. Bladen, Esq., then Governor, to have
and to hold the said four acres of land with the appurtenances to the said Visitors and
Governors and their successors for the only use, benefit and behoof of the said
college and seminary of universal learning forever.
CHARTER OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
WHEREAS, institutions for the liberal education of youth in the principles of
virtue, knowledge and useful literature are of the highest benefit to society, in order
to train up and perpetuate a succession of able and honest men for discharging the
various offices and duties of life, both civil and religious, with usefulness and
reputation, and such institutions of learning have accordingly been promoted and
encouraged by the wisest and best regulated States; And whereas, it appears to this
General Assembly that many public spirited individuals, from an earnest desire to
promote the founding a college or seminary of learning on the Western Shore of this
State have subscribed and procured subscriptions to a considerable amount, and
there is reason to believe that very large additions will be obtained to the same
throughout the different counties of the said Shore, if they were made capable in law
to receive and apply the same towards founding and carrying on a college or general
seminary of learning with such salutary plan and with such legislative assistance
and direction as the General Assembly might think fit, and this General Assembly,
highly approving those generous exertions of individuals, are desirous to embrace
the present favorable occasion of peace and prosperity for making lasting provision
for the encouragement and advancement of all useful knowledge and literature
through every part of this State;
VIII. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the same
name shall be able and capable in law to purchase, have and enjoy to them and their
successors in fee, or for any other less estate or estates, any lands, tenements, rents,
annuities, pensions or other hereditaments by the gift, grant, bargain, sale,
alienation, enfeoffment, release, confirmation, or devise of any person or persons,
bodies politic or corporate capable to make the same, and such lands, tenements,
rents, annuities, pensions or other hereditaments or any less estates, rights or interests of or in the same at their pleasure to grant, alien, sell and transfer in such
manner and form as they shall think meet and convenient for the furtherance of the
said college; And also that they may take and receive any sum or sums of money, and
any kind, manner or portion of goods and chattels that shall be given, sold or
bequeathed to them by any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate capable to
make a gift, sale or bequest thereof and employ the same towards erecting, setting up
and maintaining the said college in such manner as they shall judge most necessary
and convenient for the instruction, improvement and education of youth in the
vernacular and learned languages, and generally in any kind of literature, arts and
sciences, which they shall think proper to be taught for training up good, useful and
accomplished men for the service of their country, in church and state.
BE IT ENACTED:
II. That a college or general seminary of learning by the name of "St. John's
College" be established on the said Western Shore upon the following fundamental
and inviolable principles; namely, first, the said college shall be founded and maintained forever upon a most liberal plan for the benefit of youth of every religious
denomination, who shall be freely admitted to equal privileges and advantages of
education and to all the literary honors of the college, according to their merit without requiring or enforcing any religious or civil test, or urging their attendance
upon any particular religious worship or service other than what they have been
educated in or have the consent and approbation of their parents or guardians to
attend; nor shall any preference be given in the choice of a Principal, VicePrincipal or other Professor, Master or Tutor in said college on account of his
particular religious profession, having regard solely to his moral character and
literary abilities and other necessary qualifications to fill the place for which he
shall be chosen.
IV. That the governing body or board of said College shall consist of not more
than forty-nine nor less than thirteen Visitors and Governors, to be chosen and to
hold office in such manner as the said Visitors and Governors may determine and
prescribe by their fundamental ordinances; provided, however, that the Governors
of the States of Maryland and New Mexico shall act ex officio as two of the total
number of Visitors and Governors of said college during their respective terms in
said offices; and that the said Visitors and Governors and their successors duly chosen
shall be and are hereby declared to be one community, corporation and body politic
to have continuance forever by the name of
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
and by the same name they shall have perpetual succession.
VII.
That if the City of Annapolis should be fixed upon as a proper place for
IX. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the name
aforesaid shall be able in law to sue and be sued, plead and be impleadable in any
court or courts, before any judge, judges, or justices within this State and elsewhere
in all and all manner of suits, complaints, pleas, causes, matters and demands of
whatsoever kind, nature or form they be •and all and every other matter and thing
therein to do in as full and effectual a manner as any other person or persons, bodies
politic or corporate within this State or any of the United States of America in like
cases may or can do.
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X. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors shall have full
power and authority to have, make and use one common and public seal and likewise
one privy seal with such devices and inscriptions as they shall think proper, and to
ascertain, fix and regulate the uses of both seals, by their own laws and the same
seals or either of them to change, break, alter and renew at their pleasure.
XI. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors from time to time
and at all times hereafter, forever, shall have full power and authority to constitute
and appoint in such manner as they shall think best and most convenient, a
principal, a vice-principal of the said college and professors with proper tutors and
assistants for instructing the students and scholars of the said seminary in all the
liberal arts and sciences, and in the ancient and modem tongues and languages; and
the said principal, vice-principal and professors so constituted and appointed from
time to time shall be known and distinguished forever as one learned body or faculty
by the name of "The Principal, Vice-Principal and Professors of St. John's College";
�4
and by that name shall be capable of exercising such powers and authorities as the
Visitors and Governors of the said college and their successors shall by their
ordinances think necessary to delegate to them for the instruction, discipline and
government of the said seminary and of all the students, scholars, ministers and
servants belonging to the same.
XIV. That a majority of the said Visitors and Governors for the time being and
duly assembled at any meeting upon due notice given to the whole body of Visitors
and Governors shall have full power and authority to make fundamental ordinances
for the government of the said college and the instruction of youth as aforesaid, and
by these ordinances to appoint such a number of their own body not less than seven,
as they may think proper for transacting all general and necessary business of the
said seminary and making temporary rules for the government of the same; and also
by the said fundamental ordinances to delegate to the principal, vice-principal and
professors such powers and authorities as they may think best for the standing
government of the said seminary and of the execution of the ordinances and rules of
the same; provided always that they be not repugnant to the form of government of
any law of this State.
XV. And for animating and encouraging the students of said college to a
laudable diligence, industry and progress in useful literature and science, be it
enacted that the said Visitors and Governors and their successors shall by a written
mandate under their privy seal and the hand of someone of the Visitors and Governors to be chosen annually as their President, according to the ordinance to be made
for that purpose, have full power and authority to direct the principal, viceprincipal and professors to hold public commencements either on stated annual days,
or occasionally as the future ordinances of the said seminary may direct and at such
commencements to admit any of the students in the said college or any other persons
meriting the same (whose names shall be severally inserted in the same mandate) to
any degree or degrees in any of the faculties, arts and sciences and liberal
professions to which persons are usually admitted in other colleges or universities in
America or Europe; And it is hereby enacted that the principal, or in the case of his
death or absence, the vice-principal, and in case of the death or absence of both, the
senior professor who may be present, shall make out and sign with his name
diplomas or certificates of the admission to such degree or degrees, which shall be
sealed with the public or greater seal of the said corporation or college and delivered
to the graduates as honorable and perpetual testimonials of such admission; which
diplomas, if thought necessary for doing greater honor to such graduates, shall also
be signed with the names of the different professors or as many of them as can
conveniently sign the same; provided always that no student or students within the
said college shall ever be admitted to any such degree or degrees, or have their name
inserted in any mandate for a degree, until such student or students have been first
duly examined, and thought worthy of the same.
XVI. That the ordinances which shall be from time to time made by the Visitors
and Governors of the said college and their successors with an account of their other
proceedings and of the management of the estate and moneys committed to their
trust, shall when required be laid before the General Assembly for their inspection
and examination, but in case at any time hereafter through oversight, or otherwise
through misapprehension and mistaken constructions of the powers, liberties and
franchises in this Charter or Act of Incorporation granted, or intended to be granted,
any ordmance should be made by the said corporation of Visitors and Governors or
any matters done and transacted by the corporation contrary to the tenor hereof, it is
•
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5
enacted that although such ordinances, acts and doings shall in themselves be null
and void, yet they shall not, however, in any courts of law, or by the General
Assembly , be deemed, taken, interpreted or adjudged into an avoidance or forfeiture
of this Charter and Act of Incorporation, but the same shall be and remain unhurt,
inviolate and entire unto the said corporation of Visitors and Governors in perpetual
succession; and all their acts conformable to the powers, true intent and meaning
hereof shall be and remain in full force and validity, the nullity and avoidance of
such illegal acts to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
XVII. That this Charter and Act of Incorporation and every part thereof shall
be good and available in all things in the law according to the true intent and
meaning thereof, and shall be construed, reputed and adjudged in all cases most
favorably on the behalf and for the best benefit and behoof of the said Visitors and
Governors and their successors, so as most effectually to answer the valuable end of
this Act of Incorporation towards the general advancement and promotion of useful
knowledge, science and virtue.
XVIII. That the College may establish and operate one or more branches in one
or more states of the United States.
�6
In the Polity as hereinafter set forth the nouns "alumnus" and "alumni" and
"man" and "men," either alone or in compounds such as "chairman" and "chairmen,"
and the pronouns "he," "him," and "his," are to be taken as referring to persons
whether male or female.
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7
Polity of St. John's College
Preamble
Education is the making of men out of children by bringing them into the
world of inherited customs, intellectual traditions, and spiritual ties.
Institutions of
learning are set up for this purpose. Beyond this they should also seek to develop the
moral and intellectual powers of men to enable them to fulfill best their freely
chosen tasks and thus to take their own responsible part in shaping the future. St.
John's College is a community of learning committed to holding these ends constantly
in sight and to seeking the best means of attaining them.
St. John's College strives to illuminate the common heritage of mankind in a
persisting study of the great documents in which that heritage can be found. It is
concerned with the unity of knowledge, an understanding of the great issues faced
by men, and the moral foundations on which the conduct of men's lives can be based.
To provide proper conditions for the pursuit of these ends, we, the Board of Visitors
and Governors, after consultation with the Faculty, do ordain and establish this Polity
for St. John's College.
�8
Article I
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9
Emeritus.
Emeriti.
THE COLLEGE
(1) St. John's College is by its Charter a legal entity, carrying on its functions
from its campuses in Annapolis, Maryland, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Under the
Charter of the College, all power, authority, and responsibility pertaining to the
College are vested in the Visitors and Governors.
Tutors who have completed their tenure appointments shall be Tutors
(e) There shall be Vice-Presidents for College Advancement and Treasurers.
(f) There shall be Associate members of the Faculty, hereinafter called
Associates, who shall be on either campus, as the offices may be deemed necessar y .
the Registrar, the Librarian, the Director of Athletics, _the Director of Student Activity
ties, the Director of Admissions, the Director of Alumni Acuv1ues, the Director of
Financial Aid, and the Director of Placement.
(2) The College consists of the following : The Board of Visitors and Governors,
the Faculty, the Graduate and Undergraduate Students, the Alumni and the Staff, and
other members who may be named from time to time by the Board of Visitors and
Governors.
(g) The "one learned body or faculty," composed of the President, the Deans,
the other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti, the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement,
the Treasurers, and the Associates, shall bear the title The Faculty of St. John's
College.
(3) Under the Charter, "the said Visitors and Governors, and their successors,
from time to time, and at all times hereafter, forever, shall have full power and
authority to constitute and appoint, in such manner as they shall think best and most
convenient, a principal and vice-principal of the said College, and professors, with
proper tutors and assistants, for instructing the students and scholars of the said
seminary in all the liberal arts and sciences, and in the ancient and modem tongues
and languages; and the said principal, vice-principal, and professors, so constituted
and appointed from time to time shall be known and distinguished forever as one
learned body or faculty, by the name of 'The Principal, Vice-Principal, and
Professors of St. John's College;' and by that name shall be capable of exercising such
powers and authorities as the Visitors and Governors of the said college and their
successors shall by their ordinances think necessary to delegate to them for the
instruction, discipline, and government of the said seminary and of all the students,
scholars, ministers and servants belonging to the same."
(b) All who have formally matriculated, are at the present enrolled, and
are in good standing shall be called Students of St. John's College.
(i) The Directors and the Tutors of the Graduate Institute shall be called The
Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(j) All who have been awarded a degree by the College shall be called
Alumni. In addition, all who have completed at least one semester of undergraduate
study or at least one segment of Graduate Institute study, but who are not currently
enrolled, shall be called Alumni either a) in the case of undergraduate students,
when their class has graduated, or b) in the case of Graduate Insutute students, at the
end of three full sessions of the Graduate Institute, summer and winter, after the one
in which they last enrolled. All who have ever been Alumni shall continue to be.
(a) The "principal" shall be the President, or if there are two Presidents,
the Presidents. When 'president' is used in this Polity it shall mean:
(k) The Staff shall consist of all persons appointed by the President who are
not members of the Faculty of St. John's College or the Faculty of the Graduate
Institute.
(i) with respect to membership on the Board of Visitors and Governors, in the Faculty, on committees of the Board, and sitting ex officio with the
Instruction Committee, and for presentation of, and response to, the Statement of
Educational Policy and Program (Article V (l)(c)), the President of the Annapolis
campus and the President of the Santa Fe campus;
(1) There shall be no discrimination. at St. John's College in_ appointments,
conditions of employment, admissions, educational policy, financial aid. progress.
.
athletics, or other activities, on the basis of race, rehg1on, age sex, nauonal ongm,
color, or physical handicap, discrimination in each case being understood in
accordance with the proscriptions of federal law.
(ii) with respect to membership on committees or sitting ex officio
with committees, and actions or procedures relating to one campus, the President of
that campus;
(m) No one shall be employed by the College beyond June 30th of the
academic year in which he reaches the age of 70, without the annual approval of the
Board of Visitors and Governors.
(iii) with respect to actions under Article II (12)(b) or actions or
procedures involving the entire College under Article X (l)(a)(i) and Article X
(l)(a)(iii) , either President.
Article II
(b) The "vice-principal" shall be the Dean who is serving as the Chairman
of the Instruction Committee.
(c) There shall be a Dean of St. John's College in Annapolis and a Dean of St.
John's College in Santa Fe.
(d) The "professors, tutors and assistants" shall bear the title Tutor or Tutor
VISITORS AND GOVERNORS
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(1) Qualifications for Membership.
Persons shall be eligible for_ membership
on the Board of Visitors and Governors who are concerned for the mamtenance,
progress, and vitality of St. John's College's educational program and who are willing
and able to discharge the responsibilities of trusteeship with devotion and energy.
�10
(2) Members. The Board of Visitors and Governors shall consist of not more
than sixty members, comprising the Presidents, the Deans, the Governors of Maryland and New Mexico, ex officio, and fifty-four members, of whom forty-five shall
be elected by the entire Board and six shall be elected by the Alumni of the College, in
the manner and for the terms hereinafter provided.
In recognition of meritorious
service to the College, Visitors Emeriti may be elected to the Board who may attend all
meetings of the Board, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
-
(3) Elections by the Board. At each annual meeting, the Board shall elect a
class of fifteen members for a term of three years, to succeed those members whose
term expires at the conclusion of said meeting. Those members elected shall begin
their term at the meeting next following their election. The procedure for
nomination and election shall be as follows:
There shall be a Nominating Committee of seven members of the Board
appointed by the Chairman. The Chairman and the Presidents shall sit with the
committee, ex officio, when nominations to Board membership are being considered.
The Nominating Committee shall recommend to each member of the Board in writing,
not later than thirty days prior to the annual meeting at which the election is to be
held, at least one candidate for each of the places to be filled by such election,
including each position as an officer of the Board. Additional nominations may be
made in writing, addressed to the Chairman, signed by at least five members of the
Board, prior to the date above provided for the report of the Nominating Committee,
and any such additional nominations shall be reported to the Board by the Committee
at the time of its report.
Voting on nominations at annual meetings may be by ballot, each member
present to vote for fifteen of the said nominees. In case the balloting results in a tie
for one or more positions, the Board shall determine the procedure to resolve the tie.
No nominee for member or officer of the Board shall be deemed elected who has not
receiyed the affirmative votes of at least a majority of the members present at the
meetmg.
If there should be fewer than fifteen members in any class prior to the end of
the term for such class, the vacancy may be filled pursuant to the procedure provided above for regular elections, except that the election may take place at any regular
meeting. A member elected to fill any such vacancy shall hold office for the
remainder of the term of the class in which such vacancy occurred.
In the event that for any reason there should be fewer than three alumni
members in any class prior to the end of the term of that class, the vacancy shall be
filled by interim election, conducted in the same manner. Newly-elected alumni
shall begin their term at the meeting next following the annual meeting of the
Board.
(5) Faculty Representation at Board Meetings. Three members of the Faculty
shall be elected by the Faculty on each campus to attend all regular sessions of the
Board on the campus to which they belong, with voice in deliberation, but without
vote.
(6) Student Representation at Board Meetings. Two students shall be elected by
the students on each campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus
to which they _belong, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
-..
-
.
(7) Graduate Institute _Director Representation at Board Meetings. Each
Director of the Graduate Institute may attend all regular sessions of the Board on the
campus to which he belongs, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(8) Graduate Institute Student Representation at Board Meetings. A student of
the Graduate Institute shall be elected by the students of the Graduate Institute on
each campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which he
belongs, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(9) Alumni Association Representation at Board Meetings. The President of the
Alumni association shall be invited to attend all regular sessions of the Board, with
voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(10) Staff Representation at Board Meetings. The Staff on each campus shall be
invited to send two representatives to all regular sessions of the Board at that campus,
with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(11) Reelection. A member of the Board elected by the Board or by the Alumni
may be elected for not more than two consecutive terms, but may, after a second
consecutive term, be reelected to membership at the annual meeting in the year
following the expiration of the member's second term.
(12)
1
(4) Elections by the Alumni. Each ·year in the spring, three alumni shall be
elected to membership for a term of three years, in such manner that there shall be
nine members of the Board elected by the alumni, consisting of three classes of three
members each.
Outgoing alumni members shall continue to serve until their
successors are elected.
The Directors of Alumni Activities shall request the Board of the Alumni
Association to nominate at least one candidate for each vacancy. Additional candidates may be nominated by petition of any thirty alumni. All alumni shall be eligible
to vote for the alumru members of the Board. Balloting will be conducted by mail by
the Directors of Alumni Activities.
11
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Meetings of the Board.
.
(a) Regular meet_ings of _the Board shall be held quarterly in either Annapolis or Santa Fe. The Spnng meeting shall be called the annual meeting. The time
andplace of regular meetings shall be determined by the Chairman, in consultation
with the President, and notice of regular meetings shall be given not less than
fifteen days prior to such meetings.
(b) Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President, the Chairman, the Executive Committee, or any ten members of the Board, not less than seven
days after the dispatch of written, faxed, or telegraphic notice of the time, place, and
purposes of the meeting. Such notice may be dispensed with if waived in writing by
all members of the Board either before or after the meeting.
.
(c) Any business may be conducted at a regular meeting without specific
notice of such business (except that which is required by law or as provided herein
as to elections and amendments), but no business shall be conducted at any special
meeting unless notice of such business has been given, or has been waived as above
provided.
�13
12
constitute a quorum for the
(d) One third of the members of the Board shall
transaction of business.
ed and ex officio members,
(e) The Board in regular session is open to elect
President, and to official representato Visitors Emeriti, to Associates invited by the
Alumni Association and Staff.
tives of the Faculty, Students, Graduate Institute, to voting members and Visitors
ed
Attendance at Executive sessions shall be limit restriction. The Chairman of the
ut
witho
open
be
Emeriti. Public sessions shall
determine whether any meeting or
Board, in consultation with the President, shall
utive, or public session.
poni on of a meeting shall be in regular, exec
ing the Board shall elect a
( 13) Officers of the Board. At each annual meet
office until the next annual
hold
to
Chairman, two Vice-Chairmen, and a Secretary,
Vacancies in any such offices may be
meeting or until their successors are elected. meeting called for that purpose. Such
filled at any regular meeting, or any special
such offices, and such other duties as
officers shall perform the customary duties of
the Board may from time to time direct.
(14)
Committees of the Board.
Vice-Chairmen, the Secretary,
(a) Executive Committee. The Chairman, the
bers chosen annually by the Board at
the Presidents, the Deans, and four other mem
Committee of the Board. In
the annual meeting shall comprise the Executive utive Committee may act for the
Exec
intervals between meetings of the Board, the ated to some othe r committee, person,
deleg
ssly
expre
Board, except in those matters
Committee present at a meeting shall
or persons. Seven members of the Executive
ess.
constitute a quorum for the transaction of busin
be a Presidential Search
(b) Presidential Search Committee. There shall
President as provided in Anicle IV(2).
Committee to recommend the appointment of a
nominating Committee for
(c) Nominating Committee. There shall be a
provided in Article ll(3).
as
Board
membership of the Board and for officers of the
ing Committee appointed by
(d) Visiting Committee. There shall be a Visit
meet at least once annually with the
the Chairman. The Visiting Committee shall
Visiting Committee shall discuss the
Instruction Committee on each campus. The
of the Chairman of the Instruction
Statement of Educational Policy and Program
of the College and how they are
Committee and become acquainted with the aims
bein g reali zed.
ce Committee ·consisting of
(e) Finance Committee. There shall be a Finan
s of the College, ex officio, and six or
the Chairman, the Presidents, and the Treasurer
Chairman of the Board shall appoint
more members appointed by the Chairman. The
•
Committee. In carrying out its
one of the members to be the Chairman of the
inon
two working subcommittees, one
functions the Committee may be divided into
have
. The Finance Committee shall
vestments, one on budget, each with its Chairman
the following powers and duties:
r to direct the invest(i) The Finance Committee shall have full powe
ge, including endowment and
ment and reinvestment of all funds of the ColleBoard and the College are authorized
restricted funds, and the proper officers of the
Chairman of the Committee, with
to carry out all written directions, signed by the
h
t at
investments and reinvestments. . Th e committee shall repor
.
respect to such
eac
ing.
meet
ous
regu 1ar meetmg any action taken hereunder smce the previ
•
h 11
(ii) The Finance Committe shal
p ropo sedd annual budgets
ew t h e
revi
l
for
n
ntatio
of the Colle_ge prior to their prese
ands a make
Boa
the b d ~
e meetmg at which
recommendations to the Board with respect to
at
dget
u
they are presented.
dically advise the
The Finance Com mitte e shall. study, and perio
Board with res (iii)
ge, and
and practices of the Colle
financial busmess policies
to time
time
shall make resp ect to the
from
may
d
Boar
the
as
ts
repor
an
dies
su
request.
t Committee of five persons,
(f) Audit Committee. There shall be an Audi
.
.
the Board. The Treasurers shall
mcludmg a Chairman, appointed by the Chairman of
serve as non-voting Staff to the Committee.
annual report of the
(i) The Committee shall review in_ detail the
.
with the auditors, unattended
mdependent auditors and discuss audit findings
by
employees of the College.
representatives f h
(ii) The Committee shall meet with
.
dures and o t e indepenproce
and
e
dent auditors to the next audit to discuss scop
any other matters
requ iring special atten tion.
personnel any
(iii) The Committee shall discuss with College
correct
n.
tive action requi red as a result of the audit repo
d the a ointment
(iv) The Committee shall recommend to the Boar
next fiscal year. or
the
uct the audit for
reappointment of independent auditors to cond
of
•
t to the Board annually on •1 revie
(v) The Committee shall reporthe
w
·t
its
any
d
Boar
bring to the attention of
matters related thereto
the audl and dshall
requiring Boar action.
all be a Compensation Re(g) Compensation Review Committee. Th_ere sh_
.
b
, appointed by
more
e of
mitteof
Com
viewChai
d. than fiive mem ers, mcludmg a Chairman
Boar
the not
rman
the
d policies for direct
(i) The Committee shall recommend to thef Boar
and . d.
h
b
m direct compensation of Tutors Associate mem bers of t e Faculty, other Faculty
members, and Staff at the College ' It shall
ies
the compensation topolic
uall y review
the
1s review
and performance with respect to them and ann
oard.
B
mend to the B d
(ii) The Committee shall recomAdva
.
ensation
comp
thesurer
oar Trea
ncement , and
ge
Colle
for
s
s of the
Presidents, Vice-President
of othe
ege.
•tt
shall
the Co
(iii) In matters of policy and compensation mitte
ee
mm1
e.
Com
nce
Fina
consult the Presidents and the Chairman of the
y Review Committee of
(h) Polity Review Committee. There shall be a Polit
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14
(1) There is delegated to the President by the Visitors and Governors executive
responsibility and authority for the instruction, discipline, and government of the
College, and the President, in tum, may delegate his authority.
not more than five members appointed by the Chairman every fifth year. The
Committee shall receive the report of the Faculty Committee and after appropriate
study shall make recommendations to the Board for consideration at the annual
meeting when the final review of the Polity is consummated. The respective Chairmen of the Board and Faculty Review Committees shall make such arrangements as
they deem appropriate for joint consultation prior to and after the adoption of the
report by the Faculty.
There shall be a President for the Annapolis campus and a President for the
Santa Fe campus, each appointed as provided in Article IV (2). There is delegated to
each President by the Visitors and Governors executive responsibility and authority
for the instruction, discipline, and government of the campus of which he is
President, and the President, in tum, may delegate his authority. In the interest of
the orderly conduct of business and of maintaining and promoting the unity of the
College, the Presidents shall regularly consult and communicate with each other and,
as appropriate, with other College officials, on matters of common concern.
(i) Other Committees. The Chairman may appoint such other standing or
special committees of the Board as he may deem desirable or which the Board may
request.
(j) Former members of the Board and Visitors Emeriti may be appointed by
the Chairman to serve on Committees at his discretion.
(k) Except for the Presidential Search Committee and the Polity Review
Committee, committee appointments shall be made annually. Members of the
Committees serve until their successors have been appointed.
(1) Any member of the Board may, without invitation, attend any Board
committee meeting, except those of the Presidential Search, Nominating and
Executive Committees, but without vote.
(m) Whenever a Capital Campaign is in progress, its Chairman shall be an
ex-officio voting member of the Finance and Executive Committees.
(15) Execution of Contracts, Transfer of Securities, Etc. All contracts of $50,000
or more, notes, deeds, leases, mortgages, releases, bonds for security or indemnity,
negotiable instruments, stock certificates, transfers, and powers, and like papers and
documents on behalf of the College or the Endowment Funds shall be executed by two
persons, of whom one shall be the President, the Chairman, or the Vice-Chairman,
and of whom the other shall be the Secretary of the Board or the Treasurer of the
campus concerned.
(16) Signing of Checks, Drafts, Etc. All checks, drafts, acceptances, and similar
orders for the payment of money on behalf of the College may be signed by the same
persons authorized to execute contracts, etc., pursuant to Section (15) hereof, but may
also be signed by such persons, and in such manner, as the Board may from time to
time direct by appropriate resolution.
Article ill
THEFACULTY
The Visitors and Governors by these ordinances hereby delegate to the Faculty
of St. John's College-the President, the Deans, the other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti, the
Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, the Treasurers, and the Associates-"powers
and authorities" for the "instruction, discipline, and government" of the College.
Article IV
THEFACULTY:THEPRESIDENT
.
.
(2) The President shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors on
the recommendation of a Committee composed of five members of the Board of
Visitors and Governors, at least one of whom is an alumnus, the Deans, and one Tutor
having tenure from each campus elected by the Faculty on that campus. This Committee shall be known as the Presidential Search Committee. It shall consult with the
continuing President in a regular and timely fashion. Prior to making its final recommendation, it shall, on both campuses, consult with all other appropriate persons
and shall arrange for the final candidates to meet with the Faculty and the
Instruction Committee.
(3) The President shall concurrently be a Tutor, but the provisions of Article
VI need not apply.
(4) The President and persons to whom he delegates his authority shall consult
with the Deans, other appropriate persons, and appropriate Faculty committees in
matters of policy, initiation of programs, and setting of priorities affecting the general welfare of the College.
(5) There shall be a Financial Committee on each campus cons1stmg of the
President as Chairman, the Dean and Treasurer of the campus, and other members
the President may appoint. It will review proposed budgets prior to their being
presented to the Finance Committee of the Board. It will also meet prior to Board
meetings to review performance in the fiscal year to date and emerging budgetary
strengths and weaknesses.
(6) The President shall appoint, or delegate the power to appoint, other committees as may be necessary for the carrying out of his duties and for which no
provision is made under Article IX.
(7) If in the judgment of the Board of Visitors and Governors, the College is
facing a financial exigency at either or both of its campuses which could call for a
reduction in the number of Faculty positions, both Presidents shall immediately
advise the Faculty of the nature and extent of the financial difficulty and consult
with them concerning the best way to address the situation. The Faculty may then
make a formal recommendation to the Presidents on ways to meet the problem, or, if
the Faculty fails so to act, the Deans and the Instruction Committee shall propose a
plan to the Presidents. The Presidents shall jointly then determine a plan which
specifies a preferred course of action to be taken. All necessary steps must be taken
in timely fashion as prescribed by the Board. Nothing herein provided shall limit
the power of the Board to act otherwise in the event of need to reduce or eliminate
Faculty positions.
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17
Article V
THE FACULTY: THE CHAIRMAN OF THE INST
RUCTION COMMITTEE AND THE DEANS
(1) The Chairman of the Instruction
Committee.
(a) There is delegated to the Chai
sponsibility and authority for the organiza rman of the Instruction Committee reliberal ans that is followed by the Tutors tion of the program of instruction in the
and the Students.
(b) The Deans shall serve alternately, for
a term of one year, as Chairman
of the Instruction Com
mittee.
(c) Each year the Chairman of
sultation with the Instruction Committee onthe Instruction Committee shall, after conInstruction Committee of the College, subm his campus, and after discussion with the
it a Statement of Educational Policy and
Program to the Faculty as a whole for discu
Statement, together with an account of the ssion. The President shall present the
1t, as a report to the Board of Visitors and Faculty discussion of it and his response to
Governors for its consideration.
(d) The Chairman of the Instr uctio
of the _Board of Visitors and Governors may n Committee shall, as he or the Chairman
deem appropriate, report to the Board on
mstruct1onal matt ers, and shall respond to
such
questions as the Board, through its
Chairman, may direct to him.
(2) The Deans.
(a) Ther e is delegated to the Deans on their
respective campuses responsibility and authority for the supervision of
the
prog
ram
of instruction and for the
general welfare of the students and for wha
tever government of the students be
necessary for the greatest possible attainme
nt of aims of the program. Each Dean
shall be. the Cha irma nof the Instruction Com
In carrymg out his duties, each Dean shall mittee on the campus where he serves.
consult regularly with the President and
with the
campus. Instr uctio n Committee and the othe r appropriate Faculty committees on that
(b) The _Deans shall be appointed for term
s of five years from among the
Tutors by the V1s1tors and Governors on
the
reco
mme
ndation of the President after
consultation with a special committee of seve
n, four from the campus for which the
Dean is being chosen and three from the
othe r campus, selected from among
themselves by the Tutors havi
ng tenure.
(c) A Dean shall be appointed from amon
g the tutors who have themselves
been_ appointed in accord with Article VI(3
).
If non-tenured, the appointee shall
acquu~ tenure upon becommg Dean, in whic
h case the provisions of Article Vl(3)(a)
regardmg reap pom tmen t schedule
s shall not apply.
(d) To assist them in carrying out their dutie
s, the Deans shall recommend
one or more Tutors to be appointed by the
President with the title of Assistant Dean.
(e) During the absence of the President from
either campus, the Dean on
that campus shall if necessary exercise the
President's prerogative of final decision.
(f) During the absence of either Dean
from the campus a Tutor with tenure
named by him shall act for the Dean.
(g) The Dean on each campus shall
essary for the carrying out of his duues and appoint such committee~ _as may be necfor which no other prov1s1on 1s made.
Article VI
THE FACULTY: THETUTORS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the
Tutors are to teach and to make
themselves as competent as possible in all
pans of the St. John's Program.
(2) The Tutors shall have aut honty
• to recommend to the Visitors and Governors candidates for degrees on the resp
ective campuses.
(3) Appointment and Reappointment of Tuto
rs. Tutors shall be appointed by
the Visitors and Governors upon recomme
ndation of The Pres1de_nt m accordance
with the recommendation of the Dean and
the Instruction Committee on that campus
where the Tutors so appointed shall teach
.
(a) The schedule of regular appointment of
Tutors on each campus shall be
eithe r (i)(A) or (i)(B) below, to be decided
be the Pres1_dent in accordance with the
recommendation of the Dean and the Instr
uction Committee on that campus where
the Tutors so appointed shall teach:
(i)(A) New Tutors shall be appointed for
one year unless they are
appointed at mid-year, in which case the
initial appointment shall be for a year and
a
half. First reap pointments shall be for _one
Second and third reappomtments
shall be for two and three years respective year.
ly.
(i)(B) New Tutors shall be appointed for two
years unless they are
ap ointed at mid-year, in which case the
initial appointment shall be for a year . and
a
half. First and second reappointments shall
be for two and three _years respectively.
(ii) A Tuto r who has completed a three
-year appomtment must eithe r
be given a tenure appointment or not be reap
pointed as Tutor. ~ Tuto r may,
however, be given a tenure appointment as
early as the conclusion _of the first year
of a three-year appointment.
Procedures leading to a recommendation for
an early
tenu re appointment shall be initiated by the
Dean and Inst ruct ion Committee, but not
without the consent of the appointee, and
shall not preJud1ce subsequent
.
cons idera tion for a tenure appointment.
Tenure appo intm ents shall not cont mue beyond June 30th of the academic year in whic
h a attracts in
the age of 70. Tutors
Eme riti shall retain their privileges and
respons1b1hties in votmg at Faculty
mee ting s.
(iii) Befo re making recommendations to_
the President . on tenu re
appointments the Dean on each campus shall
cons ult with the Instruction Committee
on that campus, after seeking the advice of
the Tutors on that appointment.
(iv) A Tuto r, to be recommended for a tenur
e _appomtment, mus t
have served full-time at the campus where
the recommendauon 1s to be made for the
two years immediately preceding the year
in which . that recommendation 1s made,
the provisions of (ii) above notwithstanding.
In ordmary cases, these two year s of
service will be the second year of a twoyear appointment and the first year of a
three-year appo mtm
•
ent.
Th ese requirem
• entt s may be waived by the Pres iden t
on the
reco mme ndat ion of the Dean and Instructio
n Committee on that campus.
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18
(b) A non-tenure appointment as Tutor establishes the possibility, but not
the presumption, of its renewal and the granting of a tenure appointment. Procedures for considering non-tenure appointments differ from those for considering
tenure appointments. Satisfaction of appointment criteria admits of degree. With
each successive reappointment, the criteria are applied more rigorously. For a
tenure appointment the application is especially strict.
(c) For the purpose of temporary transfer between campuses, special appointments of one or two years may be granted to a Tutor in addition to his regular
appointments. The Tutor may ask that such an appointment be counted as a regular
appointment for the purpose of (a) above. In the case of a permanent transfer a
Tutor may ask that his years of service at the other campus be counted toward
tenure according to the provisions of (a) above. Nevertheless, the provisions of (3)
(a)(iv) prevail.
(d) Special one-year appointments and reappointments may be given to
Tutors who intend to teach on a part-time basis only. Such a Tutor may subsequently
apply for and receive a regular appointment.
Special part-time appointments may
then be counted on a fractional basis toward eligibility for tenure, but see (3)(a)(iv).
In establishing eligibility for sabbatical leave, special part-time appointments shall
be computed proportionately.
(e) Visiting Tutors may be appointed for a term or a year.
(4)
Notification.
(a) A Tutor under consideration for a non-tenure appointment to begin in a
certain calendar year shall be notified by the President no later than December 15th
of the preceding calendar year whether his reappointment will be recommended to
the Board of Visitors and Governors. If he is reappointed the President shall so notify
him by March 1st of the calendar year in which the new appointment is to begin.
(b) A Tutor under consideration for a tenure appointment to begin in a
certain calendar year shall be notified by the President no later than May 31st of the
preceding calendar year whether his appointment will be recommended to the Board
of Visitors and Governors. If he is appointed the President shall so notify him by
July 31st of that same preceding year.
(5) A Tutor may apply to the Instruction Committee of the College not later
than January 15th for a transfer of campus for the next academic year. Transfers
shall require approval of both Deans after consultation with their Instruction
Committees.
(6) (a) A Tutor may have his appointment terminated by the Board of Visitors
and Governors for one of the following reasons only: (i) failure or inability to
perform his teaching duties in a satisfactory manner, or (ii) moral turpitude. The
President shall make such a recommendation to the Board of Visitors and Governors
only with the concurrence of the Dean and the Instruction Committee of the campus
concerned. Before the President makes such a recommendation he shall advise the
Tutor affected of his intention to do so, and the Tutor shall have the right to be heard
by the Instruction Committee or, if he prefers, by another committee to be designated
by the President for this purpose.
(b) Either Dean, with the approval of the Instruction Committee on the
campus concerned, may recommend to the President that in the interest of instruction a Tutor be temporarily relieved of his duties in whole or in part at any time.
When such action is taken, the Tutor's salary shall be continued for the remainder of
the current academic year.
(7) The sabbatical leave program is designed to provide Tutors with an opportunity for study, rest, and renewal of spirit, in anticipation of future teaching. It is
the objective of the program to grant all applications for sabbatical leave meeting
the conditions for eligibility set out in (a) of this section. It is understood that Tutors
on such leave will not undertake full-time remunerative employment elsewhere and
will return to the College.
(a) Eligibility for sabbatical leave shall be upon the following conditions:
(i) A Tutor who has received a tenure appointment may apply for a
full year of sabbatical leave at full salary, provided he shall have completed the
equivalent of seven full years of service to the College since his original appointment, or the equivalent of six full years of service since any previous sabbatical
leave, and the sabbatical leave would not occur in the last two years of his tenure
appointment.
(ii) Such a Tutor may apply for an earlier sabbatical leave of a full
year at partial salary, or a partial year at full salary. The fractional salary or fractional year shall be determined by the number of years of teaching completed in
relation to the prescribed total for either an initial or a subsequent sabbatical leave,
as the case may be. In no case shall a Tutor be paid more than his regular salary.
Sabbatical leave for a fraction of a year may not occur during the last two years of a
Tutor's tenure appointment.
(b) If, in the judgment of the President, financial or academic needs at a
campus should require that fewer sabbatical leaves be granted there in a given year
than there are qualified applicants, and if the number that can be granted there
should be smaller than one-sixth of the number of Tutors at that campus having
tenure and not on full-time leave under the provisions of section (8) below, the
President shall so notify the Board of Visitors and Governors and seek its approval for
delaying a sabbatical leave for one or more of the applicants.
(c) If in a year there are more qualified applicants for sabbatical leave at
any one campus than there are leaves to be granted at that campus, then those
members shall have precedence who meet the following conditions in the order set
forth:
(i) Those who have served for the greater number of years since
their first appointment as Tutor or since their last sabbatical leave, whichever is
more recent;
years;
(ii) Those whose service has been continuous throughout those
(iii) Those whose last sabbatical leave was postponed because of the
financial or academic needs of the College;
�21
20
(iv)
Those who have seniority of appointment.
When there is a conflict of precedence, the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the campus concerned shall be consulted.
the Dean on that campus and a committee constituted by resolution of the Faculty on
that campus.
(5) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement and Treasurers may be
appointed Tutors under the provisions of Article VI(3)(d).
(d) A Tutor eligible for sabbatical leave shall make application to the President before November 1st for leave to begin the following July 1st, and shall be
informed of the action upon his application not later than January 1st.
Article VIII
THE FACULTY: THE ASSOCIATES
(8) The President, with the concurrence of the Dean after consultation with
the Instruction Committee on the campus concerned, may grant leaves of absence to
Tutors for a period of one year or less. At that time it shall be determined whether
the leave shall be counted as service to the College with respect to eligibility for
sabbatical leave and, if so, how. The decision with respect to a request for leave of
absence shall be made in the light of the requirements both of the applicant Tutor
and of the whole College.
(1) Associate members of the Faculty on each campus shall be appointed by the
Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President in consultation with the Dean of that campus. The President shall have ultimate executive
authority over the Associates.
(a) Leave of absence may be renewed upon request but not more than twice
in succession except in extraordinary circumstances.
(3) The Associates on either campus may establish for themselves an Associates' Council for the purpose of considering College matters of concern to them and
communicating with other members of the College.
(b) A request for a leave of absence shall be submitted to the President as
early as possible in the academic year before the year in which the leave is to be
taken, but not later than January 15th of that year. Requests for leaves of absence
may be withdrawn at any time prior to April 1st of the year in which the request is
submitted. Requests for leaves of absence for the second semester must be submitted
no later than October 15th.
(3)(d).
priate.
(2) Associates may be appointed Tutors under the provisions of Article VI
(4) The Associates' Council may establish such committees as it deems appro-
(5) There shall be the following Associates, as deemed necessary by the President on each campus, with the powers and responsibilities provided.
(c) Tutors on sabbatical leave or leave of absence remain members of the
Faculty with the right of full participation in Faculty meetings and all other College
exercises.
(a) The Registrars. The Registrars shall be responsible to the Deans on
their respective campuses. They shall prepare and supervise the registration of
students and shall be responsible for the academic records and schedules of students.
Article VII
(b) The Librarians. The Librarians shall be responsible to the Deans on
their respective campuses for the operation of the library. Appointments_ of profesional members of the Library Staff shall be made upon the recommendation of the
... ibrarian to the Dean on each campus.
THE FACULTY: THE VICE-PRESIDENTS FOR COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT AND THE
TREASURERS
(1) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement shall be responsible to the
President for the supervision and development of all programs in fund-raising, public relations, and alumni relations on their respective campuses.
(2) The Vice-President for College Advancement on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President made after consultation with the Dean on that campus and a committee
constituted by resolution of the Faculty on that campus.
(3) The Treasurers shall have charge, on their respective campuses, under the
supervision of the President, of all funds and property, and shall have authority to
carry out fiscal and property . transactions, and to receive and disburse funds, subject
to the prov1s1ons of this Polity and other directions and arrangements pursuant
thereto.
(4) The Treasurer on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors
and Governors on the recommendation of the President made after consultation with
(c) The Directors of Student Activities and the Directors of Athletics. The
Directors of Student Activities and the Directors of Athletics shall be responsible to
the Deans on their respective campuses for devising and directing programs of recreational activities.
(d) The Directors of Admissions. The Directors of Admissions shall be
responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for the annual enrollment of
qualified Freshmen.
(e) The Directors of Alumni Activities. The Directors of Alumni Activities
shall be responsible to the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement. Their primary
duty is to enable the College and the Alumni Association to be of service to alumni.
(f) The Directors of Financial Aid. The Directors of Financial Aid shall be
responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for the administration of financial aid programs.
�23
22
nate between campuses. The Committee shall advise the President concerning Tutors'
compensation and related matters; it shall make annual reviews of the College's
statement of T utors' salaries and other compensation of Tutors and report to the
Tutors and the President recommendations consequent upon the review.
(g) The Directors of Placement. The Directors of Placement shall be responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for helping and counseling
students with respect to graduate and professional schools and careers.
(b) Members of the Committee shall be elected annually on each campus for
terms of three years in such a manner that the term of one member on each campus
terminates each year. The Tutors' Compensation Committee on each campus shall
provide the Tutors on that campus with two nominations for each vacancy on the
Committee on that campus. Additional nominations may be made at the Faculty
meeting when election shall be made.
(h) Persons designated Associates under the provisions of Article I(3)(f) or
of Article VII(3)(k) of this Polity as amended through April 20, 1985, whose offices
are not specifically named in this Article, shall continue to be Associates until the
expiration of their appointments to those offices.
Article IX
THE FACULTY: FACULTY COMMITTEES
(1) The Instruction Committee
(a) The Instruction Committee shares with its Chairmen responsibility for
the program of instruction of the College. It shall consist of twelve Tutors in addition
to the Deans. The President shall sit with the Committee ex officio. Six of the Tutors
shall be elected from each campus of the College. The Instruction Committee shall
meet annually. On each campus the members of the Instruction Committee and the
Dean as Chairman constitute the Instruction Committee of the College on that campus.
The President sits ex officio with the Instruction Committee on each campus.
(b) Each of the members of the Instruction Committee shall serve for a
term of three years, and the terms shall be arranged in such a way that each year the
terms of two members at each campus shall expire. Terms begin and end the day
following commencement exercises. Annually, and separately at each campus, the
President with the Dean on his campus, after consulting with the Instruction
Committee and seeking the advice of the other Tutors on that campus, shall at the last
regular Faculty meeting on that campus nominate four Tutors of whom two shall be
elected by the Tutors to membership on the Instruction Committee. The Faculty shall
be informed of the names of the nominees prior to the meeting at which the election
occurs. At the expiration of the three-year term a member of the Instruction
Committee shall for one year be ineligible for reelection.
(c) If for any reason a member of the Instruction Committee is unable to
serve for a part of his term, another Tutor shall be chosen to take his place for that
part of the term. For this purpose the President and the Dean, in consultation with
the Instruction Committee on the campus where the vacancy occurs, shall nominate
two Tutors of whom the Tutors shall elect one in a regular Faculty meeting.
(d) If the Instruction Committee resigns with the Deans on a matter of confidence and the resignations are accepted, the President, in consultation with the
new Deans and after seeking the advice of the other Tutors, shall nominate nine
Tutors for the six vacancies on each campus in such a manner that two out of each
three nominees shall be elected by the Tutors for each of the three classes to fill the
unexpired terms.
(2)
The Tutors' Compensation Committee
(a) There shall be a Tutors' Compensation Committee of six Tutors, three to
be elected by the Tutors on each campus, whose chairmanship shall annually alter-
-
(3) The Library Committees. The President, in consultation with the Librarian
and the Dean, shall appoint three Tutors on each campus to serve as a Library
Committee. The President, the Dean, and the Librarian shall themselves be ex officio
members of the Committee, and the Librarian shall serve as Chairman. It shall be the
duty of the Library Committees to assist the Librarians. in making the Libraries serve
the ends of the College and its program; it shall be their duty to advise the Libranans
in regard to Library policy and acquisitions. The Managers of the Bookstores may be
invited to sit with the Committees.
(4) The Campus Planning Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall elect
five of its members as a Campus Planning Committee. Two members shall be elected
to the Committee annually at the first regular meeting of the academic session except
in every third year, when one member shall be chosen. The President shall sit ex
officio with both Committees. The Dean, one of the Assistant Deans, and the
Treasurer on each campus shall sit ex officio with the Committee on that campus. It
shall be the duty of the respective committees to advise the President on the
construction of new buildings, the renovation of old buildings. landscaping of
grounds, and all matters relating to the maintenance and development of the campus.
(5) The Prize Committees. Every three years the President shall appoint Tutors
on each campus to supervise the awarding of prizes on the respective campuses. The
Committees shall have full authority to decide what prizes shall be awarded and to
name the recipients of the prizes.
(6) The Fellowship Committees. On each campus there shall be a Fellowship
Committee appointed by the President. It shall be the duty of this Committee. to inform students of fellowships for which they may be eligible, to assist them m applying for fellowships, and to act on behalf of the College in any matter relating to
application for fellowships.
(7) Other Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall have authority to
elect, or to request the President to appoint, additional committees that may from time
to time become necessary.
Article X
THEFACULTY:FACULTYPROCEDURE
(1 ) Procedure for Instructional Proposals.
(a)(i) Any major proposal concerning matters of instruction affecting the
College as a whole shall originate with the Dean and the Instruction Committee on
.
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25
/
either campus, and the decision as to what proposals are not major
shall require the
concur rence of the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the other
campus. In
normal circum stances major proposals concerning instruc tion shall
be formulated at
the annual meeting of the Instruction Committee of the College. Written
statements
of such a proposal shall be distributed to the Faculty at least two weeks
before
the
Faculty meeting at which they are to be presented; the proposal shall
be presented to
the whole Faculty by the Chairman of the Instruction Committee, either
in his own
person or through the other Dean as his representative. If, after full
discussion of
any proposal so presented, there be no objection on the part of any
Tutor, the
measure stands approved and becomes effective as of the date specifi
ed therefor. If,
after full discussion, a Tutor objects to the proposal and holds to his
objectio
proposal shall be submitted to vote of the Tutors at special Faculty meeting n, the
s called by
the President within a fortnight. In submitting the proposal to vote
the Chairman of
the Instruction Committee and the Dean on the other campus shall state
whether it be
a matter of confidence. The vote may then be taken and tallied by
the President in
such a fashion that the Tutors shall have recorded their decision acting
as a whole.
If the proposal be one that the Chairman of the Instruction Comm
ittee and the other
Dean have declared a matter of confidence and if it be defeated by
majority vote, the
Deans and the Instruction Committee shall immediately resign. If it
be passed by
majority vote, it shall become effective as of the date specified therefo
r. For the
confidence proced ure a quorum shall consist of three-fourths of all
resident Tutors
on each campus.
and January only one regular meeting need be called. The President
or, in his absence, the Dean, shall preside. In the absence of the President and
the Dean, the
Faculty shall elect one of its members to preside.
(b) Special meetings of the Faculty may be called upon due notice by
the
President, either at his own discretion or at the request of five Faculty
members.
(c) Due notice shall be construed to mean no less than three days notice,
except in cases of emergency.
(d) A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Faculty in residence
except
as otherwise provided.
(e) Only Tutors may vote on instructional _ matters. All FacuLty membe
rs
may vote on all other matters not specifically restnct ed m the Polity.
(3) The Secretary of the Faculty. At the last regular meeting of. an
academic
year the Faculty on each campus shall elect one of its members,. then
m at least this
third year at the College, as Secretary. The Secretary shall assist in
the preparation
and circulation of the agenda for Faculty meetings, shall keep the mmute
s of such
meetings, and shall collect and circulate reports of Faculty committees.
Article XI
(ii) Any proposal concer ning instruc tion that
is not consid ered
major shall originate with the Dean and the Instruction Committee
on the campus
where it is intended to be put into effect. It shall be presented by the
Dean to the
Faculty on that campus after obtaining the concurrence of the Dean
and the Instruction Committee on the other campus that the proposal is minor and not
major. The
procedure set forth above for the approval or rejection of proposals
shall be
followed, except that it shall apply only on the campus concerned.
(iii) The President may refuse to accept the resignation of the
Deans
or the Instruction Committee, any or all of them, whenever in his
judgment such
resignation would be detrimental to the proper functioning of the
College; provided,
however, that if any six or more Tutors shall petition the Visitors and
Governors, the
latter shall review the President's decision within four weeks, during
which
time the
Deans and the Instruction Committee shall continue in office.
(iv) In the event that the proposal be defeated and the resignations
be accepted, the President shall proceed to the choice of new Deans
in accordance
with the provisions of Article V (2)(b).
(b) Upon either a petition of not less than one-tenth of the Tutors
on either
campus or a request from the President, the Dean and Instruction Commi
ttee on that
campus shall consid er any recommendation concerning instruc tion
and shall report
to the Faculty within one year their proposal concerning it. They
shall decide
whether their proposal is a major proposal, and the procedure of Article
X(l) shall
apply.
(2)
Faculty Meetings.
(a) Regular monthly meetings of the Faculty shall be called upon due
notice by the President; except that in the period comprising the months
of December
THE SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE AND THE ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
The Schola rs-in-R esidenc e and the Artists -in-Res idence shall be appoi_n
ted
from time to time by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the recomm
endation of
the President after consultation with the Dean and the Instruction Commi
ttee on the
campu s where the Scholars and Artists shall reside.
Article XII
THE STUDENTS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the students are to study and
to make themselves as competent as possible in all parts _of the St. Johns Program
. Their advice
and service shall be sought by the Faculty m such matters and in such
ways as may
best serve the general welfare of the College.
(2) The students of St. John's College shall constitute the Student Polity
of St.
John's College in Annapolis and in Santa Fe.
(3) The Student Polity in Annapolis. or Santa Fe may establish for itself
a government which is representative of all polity members. The Dean. on
each campus
may delegate to the Student government a share of the respons1b1l1ty
for the general
welfare of the students and whatever government of the students may
be necessary
for the greatest possible attainment of the aims of the program. The
duties of the
Student Government may include:
(a) the management of funds available to the Student Polity;
(b) the sanctioning of all student clubs, organizations, and activities,
and
�27
26
concurrence of the Dean on the same campus after consultation with the Committee
for the Graduate Institute on that campus.
their regulation, if necessary;
(c) the representation of the students of St. John's College to the community
outside the College;
(d) the establishment and maintenance of formal channels of communication between the students and the Faculty; and
(e) any other duties agreed upon by the students and the Dean.
Article xm
THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE
(1)
The Directors.
(a) There shall be a Director of the Graduate Institute on each campus to
whom shall be delegated responsibility and authority, under the Chairman of the
Instruction Committee, for the organization and supervision on his campus of the
graduate program of instruction in the liberal arts and for matters concerning the
general welfare of the students. Concerning matters that affect the Graduate Institute as a whole the Director shall, in consultation with his fellow Director, be responsible to the Chairman of the Instruction Committee. Concerning matters limited to
his own campus he shall be responsible to the Dean on his own campus.
(b) Every three years, after consultation with his fellow director and the
Committee for the Graduate Institute on his own campus, one of the Directors shall
submit a Statement of Educational Policy and Program for the Graduate Institute to
the Instruction Committee for discussion at its joint meeting. After making any
revisions he deems appropriate, he shall submit it to the Faculty as a whole for
discussion .
(2)
The Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(a) Each Director, after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate
Institute on that campus, and in accordance with the recommendation of the
Instruction Committee on the same campus, shall recommend to the President Tutors
of the Graduate Institute for summer appointment to teach in the Graduate Institute
for one session.
(b) During the summer term the Tutors of the Graduate Institute on each
campus shall have the authority to recommend to the Board of Visitors and Governors
candidates for degrees.
(4)
Committees for the Graduate Institute.
(a) On each campus the Committee for the Graduate Institute shares with
the Director on the same campus responsibility for carrying out the program of instruction of the Graduate Institute and for the general welfare of the students.
(b) Each Committee shall consist of three Tutors who have experience in
the Institute, in addition to the Director, who shall serve as Chairman.
(c) Members of each Committee shall be appointed by the Director with the
(5)
Procedure for Instructional Proposals.
(a) Major proposals concerning matters of instruction or policy shall
originate with one of the Directors, after consultation with the other Director and
with the Committee for the Graduate Institute and the Dean on his own campus. Such
proposals shall be submitted to the Instruction Committee of the College; if approved,
they shall come before the Faculty in accordance with Article X(l)(a)(i).
(b) Proposals concerning instruction or policy that are not considered
major shall originate with the Director on the campus where they are intended to be
put into effect, after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate Institute and
the Dean on that campus. Such proposals shall be submitted to the Instruction
Committee on that campus; if approved, they shall come before the Faculty in
accordance with Article X(l)(a)(ii).
Article XIV
THE ALUMNI
( 1) Alumni shall be life-long members of the College, since St. John's College is
a community not limited by geographical location or fixed periods of time.
(2) The Alumni Association is the formal means by which alumni participate
in the life of the College. Through the election of alumni members of the Board of
Visitors and Governors, alumni share in the direction of that life. In these and other
ways, alumni shall be given the opportunity to serve the College.
(3) The College shall cooperate with the Alumni Association to enable alumni
to assist in providing services such as recruiting and interviewing prospective students, placing graduates in appropriate employment, and advising students concerning careers and admission to graduate and professional schools.
(4) The College, in cooperation with the Alumni Association, shall provide
seminars and other appropriate educational activities in Annapolis, in Santa Fe, and
in other places.
Article XV
THE STAFF
(1) Members of the Staff assist with the administration and maintenance of the
College, performing duties necessary to its well-being. They are subject to appropriate Staff rules and regulations.
(2) Members of the Staff on either campus may establish for themselves a Staff
Council for the purpose of better communication and understanding of College
policies as a benefit to the College as a whole. The Staff Council shall seek to establish
and maintain formal channels of communication among the whole Staff and between
the Staff and the appropriate College Officers. The Treasurer on each campus shall
review Staff employment regulations with the Staff Council and discuss with them
any changes proposed.
�28
(3) The Staff Council may establish such committees as it deems appropriate.
Article XVI
AMENDMENTS AND REVIEW
(1) This Polity may be amended by a two-thirds vote of those members voting
at any regular or special meeting of the Board, provided, however, that the
amendment has been proposed by not fewer than ten percent of the members of the
Board or a majority of the Polity Review Committee, and that the votes of no less than
one-third of the members of the entire Board eligible to vote are in favor of such
amendment, and further provided written notice of the proposed amendment has
been given to members of the Board and to the Faculty not less than thirty days prior
to such meeting. The Faculty shall have the right to inform the Board in writing of
its recommendation with respect to the proposed amendment by the date of the Board
meeting at which the amendment is to be considered.
(2) Amendments may be proposed at any regular meeting of either the Faculty
in Annapolis or the Faculty in Santa Fe upon petition of not less than ten percent of
the members on either campus. No such proposal shall be acted upon earlier than
the next regular meeting of the Faculty, whether in Annapolis or in Santa Fe. Twothirds vote of the entire Faculty in residence shall be required for approval and the
amendment shall not become effective unless approved by the Board in the manner
set forth in Section (1) above.
(3) Every five years this Polity shall be reviewed by a committee of six, three
to be elected by the Faculty on each campus. The report of the Committee shall be
submitted to one regular Faculty meeting and voted upon at the next regular Faculty
meeting. A two-thirds vote of the Faculty in residence shall be required for
approval.
Whatever action is thus recommended by the Faculty shall be submitted to
the Board for final decision in the manner set forth in Section (1) above.
Article XVII
COMPLIANCE WITH LAW
No prov1s1on of this Polity shall be construed to contravene any applicable
federal or state law. If any provision is determined to contravene any such law, that
provision shall be deemed not a part of this Polity, and this Polity's remaining
provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
�26
28
(3) The Staff Council may establish such committees as it deems appropriate.
Article XVI
AMENDMENTS AND REVIEW
(b) the sanctioning of all student clubs, organizations, and activities, and
their regulation, if necessary;
(c) the representation of the students of St. John's College to the community
outside the College;
(d) the establishment and maintenance of formal channels of communication between the students and the Faculty; and
(e) any other duties agreed upon by the students and the Dean.
(1) This Polity may be amended by a two-thirds vote of those members voting
at any regular or special meeting of the Board, provided, however, that the
amendment has been proposed by not fewer than ten percent of the members of the
Board or a majority of the Polity Review Committee, and that the votes of no less than
one-third of the members of the entire Board eligible to vote are in favor of such
amendment, and further provided written notice of the proposed amendment has
been given to members of the Board and to the Faculty not less than thirty days prior
to such meeting. The Faculty shall have the right to inform the Board in writing of
its recommendation with respect to the proposed amendment by the date of the Board
meeting at which the amendment is to be considered.
(2) Amendments may be proposed at any regular meeting of either the Faculty
in Annapolis or the Faculty in Santa Fe upon petition of not less than ten percent of
the members on either campus. No such proposal shall be acted upon earlier than
the next regular meeting of the Faculty, whether in Annapolis or in Santa Fe. Twothirds vote of the entire Faculty in residence shall be required for approval and the
amendment shall not become effective unless approved by the Board in the manner
set forth in Section (1) above.
(3) Every five years this Polity shall be reviewed by a committee of six, three
to be elected by the Faculty on each campus. The report of the Committee shall be
submitted to one regular Faculty meeting and voted upon at the next regular Faculty
meeting. A two-thirds vote of the Faculty in residence shall be required for
approval.
Whatever action is thus recommended by the Faculty shall be submitted to
the Board for final decision in the manner set forth in Section (1) above.
Article XVII
COMPLIANCE WITH LAW
No prov1s1on of this Polity shall be construed to contravene any applicable
federal or state law. If any provision is determined to contravene any such law, that
provision shall be deemed not a part of this Polity, and this Polity's remaining
provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
f o v ~ 1993
Article XIII
THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE
(1)
The Directors.
(a) There shall be a Director of the Graduate Institute on each campus to
whom shall be delegated responsibility and authority, under the Chairman of the
Instruction Co mmittee, for the organization and supervision on his campus of the
graduate p ro gram of instruction in the liberal ans and for matters concerning the
general welfare of the students.
Concerning matters that affect the Graduate Institute as a whole _the Director shall, in consultati_on with his fellow Director, be responsible to the Chairman of the Instrucuon Commmee.
Concerning matters limited to
his own campus he shall be responsible to the Dean on his own campus.
(b) The Directors shall be appointed for terms of three years from among
the Tutors by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the
Pres ident, afte r consultation with the Deans and a special committee consisting of
fou7: members, two from each campus, selected from among themselves by the Tutors
havmg tenure . The Directors shall be Tutors of the Graduate Institute.
(c) Every three years, after consultation with his fellow director and the
Committee for the Graduate Institute on his own campus, one of the Directors shall
submit a S tatement of Educational Policy and Program for the Graduate Institute to
the. Instruction Committee for discussion at its joint meeting. After making any
revisions he dee ms appropriate, he shall submit it to the Faculty as a whole for
d iscussion.
(2)
The Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(a) Each Director, after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate
In stitute on that campus, and in accordance with the recommendation of the
In structi on Committee on the same campus, shall recommend to the President Tutors
of th e Graduate Institute for summer appointment to teach in the Graduate Institute
for one session.
(b) During the summer term the Tutors of the Graduate Institute on each
campus sh all have the authority to recommend to the Board of Visitors and Governors
candidates for degrees.
(4)
Committees for the Graduate Institute:
~
~
y
-,
�27
(a) On each campus the Committee for the Graduate Institute shares with
the Director on the same campus responsibility for carrying out the program of instruction of the Graduate Institute and for the general welfare of the students.
(b) Each Committee shall consist of three Tutors who have experience in
the Institute, in addition to the Director, who shall serve as Chairman.
(c) Members of each Committee shall be appointed by the Director with the
concurrence of the Dean on the same campus after consultation with the Committee
for the Graduate Institute on that campus.
(5)
Procedure for Instructional Proposals.
(a) Major proposals concerning matters of instruction or policy shall
originate with one of the Directors, after consultation with the other Director and
with the Committee for the Graduate Institute and the Dean on his own campus. Such
proposals shall be submitted to the Instruction Committee of the College; if approved,
they shall come before the Faculty in accordance with Article X(l)(a)(i).
(b) Proposals concerning instruction or policy that are not considered
major shall originate with the Director on the campus where they are intended to be
put into effect, after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate Institute and
the Dean on that campus. Such proposals shall be submitted to the Instruction
Committee on that campus; if approved , they shall come before the Faculty in
accordance with Article X(l)(a)(ii).
Article XIV
THE ALUMNI
(1) Alumni shall be life-long members of the College, since St. John's College is
a community not limited by geographical location or fixed periods of time.
(2) The Alumni Association is the formal means by which alumni participate
in the life of the College. Through the election of alumni members of the Board of
Visitors and Governors, alumni share in the direction of that life. In these and other
ways, alumni shall be given the opportunity to serve the College.
(3) The College shall cooperate with the Alumni Association to enable alumni
to assist in providing services such as recruiting and interviewing prospective students, placing graduates in appropriate employment, and advising students concerning careers and admission to graduate and professional schools.
(4) The College, in cooperation with the Alumni Association, shall provide
seminars and other appropriate educational activities in Annapolis, in Santa Fe, and
in other places.
Article XV
THE STAFF
(1) Members of the Staff assist with the administratio n and maintenance of the
College , performing duties necessary to its well-being. They are subject to appropriate Staff rules and regulations.
�.
28
(2) Members of the Staff on either campus may establis h for themsel ves
a Staff
Council for the purpose of better commun ication and understa nding of
College
policies as a benefit to the College as a whole. The Staff Council shall seek
to establis h
and maintai n formal channel s of commu nication among the whole Staff
and between
the Staff and the appropr iate College Officers . The Treasur er on each campus
shall
review Staff employm ent regulati ons with the Staff Council and discuss
with
them
any changes propose d.
(3) The Staff Council may establis h such commit tees as it deems appropr
iate.
Article XVI
AMENDMENTS AND REVIEW
(1) This Po lity may be amende d by a two-thir ds vote of those member s
voting
at any regular or special meeting of the Board, provide d, howeve r, that
the
amendm ent has been propose d by not fewer than ten percent of the member
s of the
Board or a majority of the Polity R eview Commit tee, and that the votes of
no less than
one-thir d of the members of the entire Board eligible to vote are in favor
of such
amendm ent, and further provide d written notice of the propose d amendm
ent has
been given to members of the Bo ard and to the Faculty not less than thirty
days prior
to such meeting. The Faculty shall have the right to inform the Board in
writing of
its recomm endation with respect to the propose d amendm ent by the date
of the Board
meeting at which the amendm ent is to be conside red.
(2) Amendm ents may be propose d at any regular meeting of either the
Faculty
in Annapo lis or the Faculty in S anta Fe upon petition of not less than ten
percent of
the member s on either campus . No such proposa l shall be acted upon earlier
than
the next regular meeting of the Faculty , whether in Annapo lis or in Santa
Fe. Twothirds vote of the entire Faculty in residenc e sh all be required for approva
l and the
amendm ent shall not become effectiv e unless approve d by the Board in
the
manner
set forth in Section (1) above.
(3) Every fi ve years this Polity shall be reviewe d by a committee of six,
three
to be elected by the Faculty on each campus. The report of the Committee
shall be
submitt ed to one reg ular Faculty meeting and voted upon at the next regular
Faculty
meeting . A two-thirds vote of the Faculty in residenc e shall be required
for
approva l.
Whatev er action is thus recomm ended by the Faculty shall be submitt ed
to
the Board for final decision in the manner set forth in Section (1) above.
Article XVII
COMPLIANCE WITH LAW
No provisio n of this Polity shall be constru ed to contrave ne any applicab
le
federal or state l aw. If any provisio n is determi ned to contrave ne any such
law, that
provisio n shall be deemed not a pan of th.is Polity, and this Polity's remaini
ng
provisio ns shall remain in full force and effect.
���
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Charter and Polity of the College
Description
An account of the resource
Revised and amended editions of the St. John's College Charter and Polity.<br /><br />The College's first Charter and Polity was published as the <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3768">September 1950</a> issue of the <em><a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/collections/show/37">Bulletin of St. John's College in Annapolis</a></em>. Revised and amended versions were published as individual issues of the <em>Bulletin</em> in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3746">1951</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7844">1960</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7845">1963</a>, and <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7846">1965</a>. <br /><br />The Charter and Polity was published as a separate document in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7850">1955</a> and again from <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7851">1970</a> forward. The most recent version of the Charter and Polity is also available on the College's <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/about/leadership/board-visitors-governors/charter-polity">website</a>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=62&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate">Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
Creator
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St. John's College
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St. John's College
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
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28 pages
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Title
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Charter and Polity of the College, 1993
Description
An account of the resource
Charter and Polity of the College, amended and restated as of April 1993.
Creator
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St. John's College
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe, NM
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1993-04
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text
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PDF
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St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Legal instruments
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English
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Charter_and_Polity_1993
Charter and Polity
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/538d8518f881db24b1567b9f41339227.pdf
988479ee31e9aa9d79fd5a00c781d08c
PDF Text
Text
St. John 's Coll ege
Charte r and Polity
of the Colleg e
Annapolis, Maryland
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Amende d and Restated as of July 1992
Founded as King William's School, 1696
Chartered as St. John's College, 1784
�1
HISTORY
St. John's College was founded in 1696 as King William's School in accordance
with a Petitionary Act for free-schools of the General Assembly of the Colony of
Maryland. Following the Revolutionary War, the General Assembly of the new State
of Maryland granted a Charter to St. John's College pursuant to and as a part of
Chapter 37 of the Laws of Maryland of 1784. This Charter was subsequently amended
by the General Assembly through Resolution No. 41 of 1832.
Since this Polity can be amended between printings, the current official Polity is
kept in the offices of the Presidents of St John's College.
The Visitors and Governors of St. John's College in 1950 revised the Charter to
eliminate extraneous and obsolete matter and to make cenain other amendments
consistent with present requirements and conditions. It was the opinion of the
Attorney General of Maryland that the original Charter of the College was subject to
the general Corporation Laws of Maryland and might accordingly be amended by the
Visitors and Governors, pursuant to these laws, without legislative action by the
General Assembly. Subsequent amendments were made in 1961, in 1963, in 1965, in
1970, and in 1975.
When the decision was reached to establish a second St. John's College in Santa
Fe, New Mexico, amendments were made to the Chaner to authorize branches or
extensions of the College. The Chaner was then filed with the Corporations
Commission of the State of New Mexico as a foreign corporation. The College was thus
empowered to grant degrees in New Mexico under the provisions of its Maryland
Chaner.
A Polity for the College was first suggested at a faculty meeting in 1943 by the
Dean. A f acuity committee was elected and drafted a Polity which was then
promulgated by the President. In April 1949 the Faculty elected a committee to revise
the Polity. The resulting document was approved by the Faculty on April 9, 1950, and
was adopted by the Board of Visitors and Governors on July 8, 1950. Subsequent
quinquennial reviews were made by elected faculty committees, and desired
amendments were recommended by the Faculty to the Board of Visitors and
Governors. The Polity was thus amended at regular meetings of the Board held on
May 14, 1955; May 21, 1960; May 15, 1965; June 6, 1970; April 19, 1975; January 16, 1982;
April 19, 1986; and October 19, 1991. Other amendments were adopted by the Board at
regular meetings on February 22 and December 9, 1961; February 23 and September
28, 1963; October 3, 1970; February 18, 1972; October 25, 197S; January 24, 1976;
November 6, 1982; July 21, 1984; April 20, 1985; October 25, 1986; April 11, 1987; October
19, 1991; and July 18, 1992.
�2
3
CHARTER OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
establishing the said intended college. this General Assembly give and grant. and
upon that condition do hereby give and grant to the Visitors and Governors of the
said College by the . name of "The Visitors and Governors of Saint John's College in the
State of Maryland." and their successors all that four acres within the City of
Annapolis purchased for the use by the public and conveyed on the 2nd day of
October. 1744. by Stephen Bordley. Esq.. to Thos. Bladen. Esq.. then Governor. to have
and to hold the said four acres of land with the appurtenances to the said Visitors and
Governors and their successors for the only use. benefit and behoof of the said
college and seminary of universal learning forever.
WHEREAS. institutions for the liberal education of youth in the principles of
virtue. knowledge and useful literature are of the highest benefit to society. in order
to train up and perpetuate a succession of able and honest men for discharging the
various offices and duties of life. both civil and religious. with usefulness and
reputation. and such institutions of learning have accordingly been promoted and
encouraged by the wisest and best regulated States; And whereas. it appears to this
General Assembly that many public spirited individuals. from an earnest desire to
promote the founding a college or seminary of learning on the Western Shore of this
State have subscribed and procured subscriptions to a considerable amount. and
there is reason to believe that very large additions will be obtained to the same
throughout the different counties of the said Shore. if they were made capable in law
to receive and apply the same towards founding and carrying on a college or general
seminary of learning with such salutary plan and with such legislative assistance
and direction as the General Assembly might think fit. and this General Assembly.
highly approving those generous exertions of individuals. are desirous to embrace
the present favorable occasion of peace and prosperity for making lasting provision
for the encouragement and advancement of all useful knowledge and literature
through every part of this State;
BE IT ENACTED:
II. That a college or general seminary of learning by the name of "St. John's
College" be established on the said Western Shore upon the following fundamental
and inviolable principles; namely, first, the said college shall be founded and maintained forever upon a most liberal plan for the benefit of youth of every religious
denomination. who shall be freely admitted to equal privileges and advantages of
education and to all the hterary honors of the college. according to their merit without requiring or enforcing any religious or civil test. or urging their attendance
upon any. particular religious worship or service other than what they have been
educated in or have the consent and approbation of their parents or guardians to
attend; nor shall any preference be given in the choice of a Principal. VicePnnc1pal or other Professor, Master or Tutor in said college on account of his
particular religious profession. having regard solely to his moral character and
literary abilities and other necessary qualifications to fill the place for which he
shall be chosen.
IV. That the governing body or board of said College shall consist of not more
than forty-nine nor less than thirteen Visitors and Governors. to be chosen and to
hold office in such manner as the said Visitors and Governors may determine and
prescribe by their fundamental ordinances; provided. however. that the Governors
of the States of Maryland and New Mexico shall act ex officio as two of the total
number of Visitors and Governors of said college during their respective terms in
said offices; and that the said Visitors and Governors and their successors duly chosen
shall be and are hereby declared to be one community. corporation and body politic
to have continuance forever by the name of
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
and by the same name they shall have perpetual succession.
VII.
That if the City of Annapolis should be fixed upon as a proper place for
VIII. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the same
name shall be able and capable in law to purchase. have and enjoy to them and their
successors in fee. or for any other less estate or estates. any lands, tenements. rents.
annuities. pensions or other hereditaments by the gift. grant. bargain. sale,
alienation. enfeoffment. release, confirmation. or devise of any person or persons.
bodies politic or corporate capable to make the same. and such lands. tenements.
rents, annuities. pensions or other hereditaments or any less estates. rights or interests of or in the same at their pleasure to grant. alien. sell and transfer in such
manner and form as they shall think meet and convenient for the furtherance of the
said college; And also that they may take and receive any sum or sums of money. and
any kind, manner or portion of goods and chattels that shall be given. sold or
bequeathed to them by any person or persons. bodies politic or corporate capable to
make a gift. sale or bequest thereof and employ the same towards erecting. setting up
and maintaining the said college in such manner as they shall judge most necessary
and convenient for the instruction. improvement and education of youth in the
vernacular and learned languages. and generally in any kind of literature. arts and
sciences. which they shall think proper to be taught for training up good, useful and
accomplished men for the service of their country. in church and state.
IX. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the name
aforesaid shall be able in law to sue and be sued, plead and be impleadable in any
court or courts, before any judge, judges, or justices within this State and elsewhere ·
in all and all manner of suits, complaints, pleas. causes, matters and demands of
whatsoever kind, nature or form they be and all and every other matter and thing
therein to do in as full and effectual a manner as any other person or persons. bodies
politic or corporate within this State or any of the United States of America in like
cases may or can do.
X. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors shall have full
power and authority to have. make and use one common and public seal and likewise
one privy seal with such devices and inscriptions as they shall think proper. and to
ascertain. fix and regulate the uses of both seals. by their own laws and the same
seals or either of them to change. break. alter and renew at their pleasure.
XI. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors from time to time
and at all times hereafter. forever. shall have full power and authority to constitute
and appoint in such manner as they shall think best and most convenient, a
principal. a vice-principal of the said college and professors with proper tutors and
assistants for instructing the students and scholars of the said seminary in all the
liberal arts and sciences. and in the ancient and modem tongues and languages; and
the said principal. vice-principal and professors so constituted and appointed from
time to time shall be known and distinguished forever as one learned body or faculty
by the name of "The Principal, Vice-Principal and Professors of St. John's College";
�4
-
and by that name shall be capable of exerc1S1ng such powers and authorities as the
Visitors and Governors of the said college and their successors shall by their
ordinances think necessary to delegate to them for the instruction. discipline and
government of the said seminary and of all the students. scholars. ministers and
servants belonging to the same.
XIV. That a majority of the said Visitors and Governors for the time being and
duly assembled at any meeting upon due notice given to the whole body of Visitors
and Governors shall have full power and authority to make fundamental ordinances
for the government of the said college and the instruction of youth as aforesaid. and
by these ordinances to appoint such a number of their own body not less than seven.
as they may think proper for transacting all general and necessary business of the
said seminary and making temporary rules for the government of the same; and also
by the said fundamental ordinances to delegate to the principal. vice-principal and
professors such powers and authorities as they may think best for the standing
government of the said seminary and of the execution of the ordinances and rules of
the same; provided always that they be not repugnant to the form of government of
any law of this State.
XV. And for animating and encouraging the students of said college to a
laudable diligence, industry and progress in useful literature and science. be it
enacted that the said Visitors and Governors and their successors shall by a written
mandate under their privy seal and the hand of someone of the Visitors and Governors to be chosen annually as their President, according to the ordinance to be made
for that purpose. have full power and authority to direct the principal. viceprincipal and professors to hold public commencements either on stated annual days,
or occasionally as the future ordinances of the said seminary may direct and at such
commencements to admit any of the students in the said college or any other persons
meriting the same (whose names shall be severally inserted in the same mandate) to
any degree or degrees in any of the faculties, arts and sciences and liberal
professions to which persons are usually admitted in other colleges or universities in
America or Europe; And it is hereby enacted that the principal, or in the case of his
death or absence, the vice-principal, and in case of the death or absence of both. the
senior professor who may be present. shall make out and sign with his name
diplomas or certificates of the admission to such degree or degrees, which shall be
scaled with the public or greater seal of the said corporation or college and delivered
to the graduates as honorable and perpetual testimonials of such admission; which
diplomas, if thought necessary for doing greater honor to such graduates, shall also
be signed with the names of the diffcrent professors or as many of them as can
conveniently sign the same; provided always that no student or students within the
said college shall ever be admitted to any such degree or degrees. or have their name
inserted in any mandate for a degree, until such student or students have been first
duly examined, and thought worthy of the same.
XVI. That the ordinances which shall be from time to time made by the Visitors
and Governors of the said college and their successors with an account of their other
proceedings and of the management of the estate and moneys committed to their
trust, shall when required be laid before the General Assembly for their inspection
and examination. but in case at any time hereafter through oversight, or otherwise
through misapprehension and mistaken constructions of the powers • . liberties and
franchises in this Charter or Act of Incorporation granted. or intended to be granted,
any ordinance should be made by the said corporation of Visitors and Governors or
any matters done and transacted by the corporation contrary to the tenor hereof, it is
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enacted that although such ordinances, acts and doings shall in themselves be null
and void, yet they shall not. however, in any courts of law, or by the General
Assembly, be deemed, taken, interpreted or adjudged into an avoidance or forfeiture
of this Charter and Act of Incorporation, but the same shall be and remain unhurt,
inviolate and entire unto the said corporation of Visitors and Governors in perpetual
succession; and all their acts conformable to the powers, true intent and meaning
hereof shall be and remain in full force and validity. the nullity and avoidance of
such illegal acts to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
XVII. That this Charter and Act of Incorporation and every part thereof shall
be good and available in all things in the law according to the true intent and
meaning thereof, and shall be construed, reputed and adjudged in all cases most
favorably on the behalf and for the best benefit and bchoof of the said Visitors and
Governors and their successors, so as most effectually to answer the valuable end of
this Act of Incorporation towards the general advancement and promotion of useful
knowledge, science and virtue.
XVIII. That the College may establish and operate one or more branches in one
or more states of the United States.
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Polity of St John's College
Preamble
Education is the making of men out of children by bringing them into the
world of inherited customs, intellectual traditions, and spiritual ties. Institutions of
learning are set up for this purpose. Beyond this they should also seek to develop the
moral and intellectual powers of men to enable them to fulfill best their freely
chosen tasks and thus to take their own responsible part in shaping the future. St.
John's College is a community of learning committed to holding these ends constantly
in sight and to seeking the best means of attaining them.
In the Polity as hereinafter set forth the nouns "alumnus" and "alumni" and
"man" and "men," e1'ther alone or in
• compoun ds sueh as "ch airman
•
" an d "ch airmen,
•
"
and the pronouns "he," "him," and "his," are to be taken as referring to persons
whether male or female.
St. John's College strives to illuminate the common heritage of mankind in a
persisting study of the great documents in which that heritage can be found. It is
concerned with the unity of knowledge, an understanding of the great issues faced
by men, and the moral foundations on which the conduct of men's lives can be based.
To provide proper conditions for the pursuit of these ends, we, the Board of Visitors
and Governors, after consultation with the Faculty, do ordain and establish this Polity
for St. John's College.
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1111111
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Article I
THE COLLEGE
(1) St. John's College is by its Charter a legal entity, carrying on its functions
from its campuses in Annapolis, Maryland, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Under the
Charter of the College, all power, authority, and responsibility pertaining to the
College are vested in the Visitors and Governors.
(2) The College consists of the following: The Board of Visitors and Governors,
the Faculty, the Graduate and Undergraduate Students, the Alumni and the Staff, and
other members who may be named from time to time by the Board of Visitors and
Governors.
(3) Under the Charter, "the said Visitors and Governors, and their successors,
from time to time, and at all times hereafter, forever, shall have full power and
authority to constitute and appoint, in such manner as they shall think best and most
convenient, a principal and vice-principal •of the said College, and professors, with
proper tutors and assistants, for instructing the students and scholars of the said
seminary in all the liberal arts and sciences, and in the ancient and modem tongues
and languages; and the said principal, vice-principal, and professors, so constituted
and appointed from time to time shall be known and distinguished forever as one
learned body or faculty, by the name of 'The Principal, Vice-Principal, and
Professors of St. John's College;' and by that name shall be capable of exercising such
powers and authorities as the Visitors and Governors of the said college and their
successors shall by their ordinances think necessary to delegate to them for the
instruction, discipline, and government of the said seminary and of all the students,
scholars, ministers and servants belonging to the same."
(a) The "principal" shall be the President, or if there are two Presidents,
the Presidents. When 'president' is used in this Polity it shall mean:
(i) with respect to membership on the Board of Visitors and Governors, in the Faculty, on committees of the Board, and sitting ex officio with the
Instruction Committee, and for presentation of, and response to, the Statement of
Educational Policy and Program (Article V (l)(c)), the President of the Annapolis
campus and the President of the Santa Fe campus;
(ii) with respect to membership on committees or sitting ex officio
with committees, and actions or procedures relating to one campus, the President of
that campus;
(iii) with respect to actions under Article TT (12)(b) or actions or
procedures involving the entire College under Article X (l)(a)(i) and Article X
(l)(a)(iii ), either President.
(b) The "vice-principal" shall be the Dean who is serving as the Chairman
of the Instruction Committee.
(c) There shall be a Dean of St. John's College in Annapolis and a Dean of St.
John's College in Santa Fe.
(d) The "professors, tutors and assistants" shall bear the title Tutor or Tutor
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9
Emeritus.
Emeriti.
Tutors who have completed their tenure appointments shall be Tutors
(e) There shall be Vice-Presidents for College Advancement and Treasurers.
(f) There shall be Associate members of the Faculty, hereinafter called
Associates, who shall be on either campus, as the offices may be deemed necessary,
the Registrar, the Librarian, the Director of Athletics, the Director of Student Activities, the Director of Admissions, the Director of Alumni Activities, the Director of
Financial Aid, and the Director of Placement.
(g) The "one learned body or faculty," composed of the President, the Deans,
the other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti, the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement,
the Treasurers, and the Associates, shall bear the title The Faculty of St. John's
College.
(h) All who have formally matriculated, are at the present enrolled, and
are in good standing shall be called Students of St. John's College.
(i) The Directors and the Tutors of the Graduate Institute shall be called The
Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(j) All who have been awarded a degree by the College shall be called
Alumni. In addition, all who have completed at least one semester of undergraduate
study or at least one segment of Graduate Institute study, but who are not currently
enrolled, shall be called Alumni either a) in the case of undergraduate students,
when their class bas graduated, or b) in the case of Graduate Institute students, at the
end of three full sessions of the Graduate Institute, summer and winter, after the one
in which they last enrolled. All who have ever been Alumni shall continue to be.
(k) The Staff shall consist of all persons appointed by the President who are
not members of the Faculty of St. John's College or the Faculty of the Graduate
Institute.
(1) There shall be no discrimination at St. John's College in appointments,
conditions of employment, admissions, educational policy, financial aid programs,
athletics, or other activities, on the basis of race, religion, age, sex, national origin,
color, or physical handicap, discrimination in each case being understood in
accordance with the proscriptions of federal law.
(m) No one shall be employed by the College beyond June 30th of the
academic year in which be reaches the age of 70, without the annual approval of the
Board of Visitors and Governors.
Article II
VISITORS AND GOVERNORS
(1) Qualifications for Membership.
Persons shall be eligible for membership
on the Board of Visitors and Governors who are concerned for the maintenance,
progress, and vitality of St. John's College's educational program and who are willing
and able to discharge the responsibilities of trusteeship with devotion and energy.
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(2) Members. The Board of Visitors and Governors shall consist of not more
than sixty members, comprising the President, the Deans, the Governors of Marylan
d
and New Mexico, ex officio, and fifty-four members, of whom forty-eight shall
be
elected by the entire Board and six shall be elected by the Alumni of the College,
the manner and for the terms hereinafter provided. In recognition of meritori in
ous
service to the College, Visitors Emeriti may be elected to the Board who may attend
all
meetings of the Board, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(3) Elections by the Board. At each annual meeting, the Board shall elect a.
class of sixteen members for a term of three years, to succeed those members whose
term expires at the conclusion of said meeting. Those members elected shall begin
their term at the meeting next following their election. The procedure for
nomination and election shall be as follows:
There shall be a Nominating Committee of four members of the Board
appointed by the Chairman. The Chairman and the President shall sit with the
committee, ex officio, when nominations to Board membership are being consider
ed.
The Nominating Committee shall recommend to each member of the Board in writing,
not later than thiny days prior to the annual meeting at which the election is to
be
held, at least one candidate for each of the places to be filled by such election,
including each position as an officer of the Board. Additional nominations may
made in writing, addressed to the Chairman, signed by at least five members of be
the
Board, prior to the date above provided for the repon of the Nominating Commit
tee,
and any such additional nominations shall be reported to the Board by the Commit
tee
at the time of its repon.
Voting on nominations at annual meetings may be by ballot, each member
present to vote for sixteen of the said nominees. In case the balloting results in
for one or more positions, the Board shall determine the procedure to resolve thea tie
No nominee for member or officer of the Board shall be deemed elected who has tie.
not
received the affirmative votes of at least a majority of the members present at the
meeting.
If there should be fewer than sixteen members in any class prior to the end of
the term for such class, the vacancy may be filled pursuant to the procedure provided above for regular elections, except that the election may take place at any regular
meeting. A member elected to fill any such vacancy shall hold office for the
remainder of the term of the class in which such vacancy occurred.
(4) Elections by the Alumni. Each year in the spring, three alumni shall be
elected to membership for a term of three years, in such manner that there shall
nine members of the Board elected by the alumni, consisting of three classes of be
members each. Outgoing alumni members shall continue to serve until their two
successors are elected.
The Director of Alumni Activities shall request the Board of the Alumni
Association to nominate at least one candidate for each vacancy. Additional candidates may be nominated by petition of any thirty alumni. All alumni shall be eligible
to vote for the alumni members of the Board. Balloting will be conducted by mail
by
the Director of Alumni Activities.
In the event that for any reason there should be fewer than two alumni members in any class prior to the end of the term of that class, the vacancy shall be
filled
by interim election, conducted in the same manner. Newly-elected alumni shall
begin their term at the meeting next following the annual meeting of the Board.
(5) Faculty Representation at Board Meetings. Three members of the Faculty
shall be elected by the Faculty on each campus to attend all regular sessions of
the
Board on the campus to which they belong, with voice in deliberation, but without
vote.
(6) Student Representation at Board Meetings. Two students shall be elected by
the students on each campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus
to which they belong, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(7) Graduate Institute Director Representation at Board Meetings. Each
Director of the Graduate Institute may attend all regular sessions of the Board on
the
campus to which he belongs, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(8) Graduate Institute Student Representation at Board Meetings. A student of
the Graduate Institute shall be elected by the students of the Graduate Institute
on
each campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which
he
belongs, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(9) Alumni Association Representation at Board Meetings. The President of
Alumni association shall be invited to attend all regular sessions of the Board, with the
voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(10) Staff Representation at Board Meetings. The Staff on each campus shall be
invited to send two representatives to all regular sessions of the Board at that campus,
with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(11) Reelection. A member of the Board elected by the Board or by the Alumni
may be elected for not more than two consecutive terms, but may, after a second
consecutive term, be reelected to membership at the annual meeting in the year
following the expiration of the member's second term.
(12)
Meetings of the Board.
(a) Regular meetings of the Board shall be held quanerly in either Annapolis or Santa Fe. The Spring meeting shall be called the annual meeting. The time
and place of regular meetings shall be determined by the Chairman, in consulta
tion
with the President, and notice of regular meetings shall be given not less than
fifteen days prior to such meetings.
(b) Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President, the Chairman, the Executive Committee, or any ten members of the Board, not less than seven
days after the dispatch of written, faxed, or telegraphic notice of the time, place,
and
purposes of the meeting. Such notice may be dispensed with if waived in writing
by
all members of the Board either before or after the meeting.
(c) Any business may be conducted at a regular meeting without specific
notice of such business (except that which is required by law or as provided herein
as to elections and amendments), but no business shall be conducted at any special
.
meeting unless notice of such business bas been given, or has been waived as
above
provided.
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(d) One third of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business.
respect to such investments and reinvestments. The Committee shall report at each
regular meeting any action taken hereunder since. the previous meeting.
(e) The Board in regular session is open to elected and ex officio members,
to Visitors Emeriti, to Associates invited by the President, and to official representatives of the Faculty, Students, Graduate Institute, Alumni Association and Staff.
Attendance at Executive sessions shall be limited to voting members and Visitors
Emeriti. Public sessions shall be open without restriction. The Chairman of the
Board, in consultation with the President, shall determine whether any meeting or
portion of a meeting shall be in regular, executive, or public session.
(ii) The Finance Committee shall review the proposed annual budgets
of the College prior to their presentation for approval by the Board and shall make
recommendations to the Board with respect to the budgets at the meeting at which
they are presented.
(iii) The Finance Committee shall study, and periodically advise the
Board with respect to, the financial business policies and practices of the College, and
shall make such special studies and reports as the Board may from time to time
request.
(13) Officers of the Board. At each annual meeting the Board shall elect a
Chairman, two Vice-Chairmen, and a Secretary, to hold office until the next annual
meeting or until their successors are elected. Vacancies in any such offices may be
filled at any regular meeting, or any special meeting called for that purpose. Such
officers shall perform the customary duties of such offices, and such other duties as
the Board may from time to time direct.
(14)
Committees of the Board.
(a) Executive Committee. The Chairman, the Vice-Chairmen, the Secretary,
the Presidents, the Deans, and four other members chosen annually by the Board at
the annual meeting shall comprise the Executive Committee of the Board. In
intervals between meetings of the Board, the Executive Committee may act for the
Board, except in those matters expressly delegated to some other committee, person,
or persons. Seven members of the Executive Committee present at a meeting shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(f) Audit Committee. There shall be an Audit Committee of five persons,
including a Chairman, appointed by the Chairman of the Board. The Treasurers shall
serve as non-voting Staff to the Committee.
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(i) The Committee shall review in detail the annual report of the
independent auditors and discuss audit findings with the auditors, unattended by
employees of the College.
(ii) The Committee shall meet with representatives of the independent auditors to the next audit to discuss scope and procedures and any other matters
requiring special attention.
(iii) The Committee shall discuss with College personnel any corrective action required as a result of the audit report.
(b) Presidential Search Committee. There shall be a Presidential Search
Committee to recommend the appointment of a President as provided in Article IV(2).
(iv) The Committee shall recommend to the Board the appointment or
reappointment of independent auditors to conduct the audit for the next fiscal year.
(c) Nominating Committee. There shall be a nominating Committee for
membership of the Board and for officers of the Board as provided in Aniclc 11(3).
(v) The Committee shall report to the Board annually on its review of
the audit and shall bring to the attention of the Board any matters related thereto
requiring Board action.
(d) Visiting Committee. There shall be a Visiting Committee appointed by
the Chairman. The Visiting Committee shall meet at least once annually with the
Instruction Committee on each campus. The Visiting Committee shall discuss the
Statement of Educational Policy and Program of the Chairman of the Instruction
Committee and become acquainted with the aims of the College and bow they are
being realized.
(e) Finance Committee. There shall be a Finance Committee consisting of
the Chairman, the Presidents, and the Treasurers of the College, ex officio, and six or
more members appointed by the Chairman. The Chairman of the Board ahall appoint
one of the members to be the Chairman of the Committee. In carrying out its
functions the Committee may be divided into two working subcommittees, one on investments, one on budget, each with its Chairman. The Finance Committee shall have
the following powers and duties:
(i) The Finance Committee shall have full power to direct the investment and reinvestment of all funds of the College, including endowment and
restricted funds, and the proper officers of the Board and the College are authorized
to carry out all written directions, signed by the Chairman of the Committee, with
(g) Compensation Review Committee. There shall be a Compensation Review Committee of not more than five members, including a Chairman, appointed by
the Chairman of the Board.
(i) The Committee shall recommend to the Board policies for direct
and indirect compensation of Tutors, Associate members of the Faculty, other Faculty
members, and Staff at the College. It shall annually review the compensation policies
and performance with respect to them and report the fmdings of this review to the
Board.
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(ii) The Committee shall recommend to the Board the compensation
of the Presidents, Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, and Treasurers of the
College.
(iii) In matters of policy and compensation, the Committee shall
consult the Presidents and the Chairman of the Finance Committee.
(h) Polity Review Committee.
There shall be a Polity Review Committee of
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(1) There is delegated to the President by the Visitors and Governors executive
responsibility and authority for the instruction, discipline, and government of the
College, and the President, in tum, may delegate his authority.
not more than five members appointed by the Chairman every fifth year. The
Committee shall receive the report of the Faculty Committee and after appropriate
study shall make recommendations to the Board for consideration at the annual
meeting when the final review of the Polity is consummated. The respective Chairmen of the Board and Faculty Review Committees shall make such arrangements as
they deem appropriate for joint consultation prior to and after the .adoption of the
report by the Faculty.
There shall be a President for the Annapolis campus and a President for the
Santa Fe campus, each appointed as provided in Article IV (2). There is delegated to
each President by the Visitors and Governors executive responsibility and authority
for the instruction, discipline, and government of the campus of which he is
President, and the President, in tum, may delegate his authority. In the interest of
the orderly conduct of business and of maintaining and promoting the unity of the
College, the Presidents shall regularly consult and communicate with each other and,
as appropriate, with other College officials, ·on matters of common concern.
(i) Other Committees. The Chairman may appoint such other standing or
special committees of the Board as he may deem desirable or which the Board may
request.
(j) Former members of the Board and Visitors Emeriti may be appointed by
the Chairman to serve on Committees at his discretion.
(2) The President shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors on
the recommendation of a Committee composed of five members of the Board of
Visitors and Governors, at least one of whom is an alumnus, the Deans, and one Tutor
having tenure from each campus elected by the Faculty on that campus. This Committee shall be known as the Presidential Search Committee. It shall consult with the
continuing President in a regular and timely fashion. Prior to making its final recommendation, it shall, on both campuses, consult with all other appropriate persons
and shall arrange for the final candidates to meet with the Faculty and the
Instruction Committee.
(k) Except for the Presidential Search Committee and the Polity Review
Committee, committee appointments shall be made annually. Members of the
Committees serve until their successors have been appointed.
(1) Any member of the Board may, without invitation, attend any Board
committee meeting, except those of the Presidential Search, Nominating and
Executive Committees, but without vote.
(3) The President shall concurrently be a Tutor, but the provisions of Article
VI need not apply.
(m) Whenever a Capital Campaign is in progress, its Chairman shall be an
ex-officio voting member of the Finance and Executive Committees.
(15) Execution of Contracts, Transfer of Securities, Etc.
or more, notes, deeds,
negotiable instruments,
documents on behalf of
persons, of whom one
and of whom the other
campus concerned.
(4) The President and persons to whom he delegates bis authority shall consult
with the Deans, other appropriate persons, and appropriate Faculty committees in
matters of policy, initiation of programs, and setting of priorities affecting the general welfare of the College.
All contracts of $50,000
leases, mortgages, releases, bonds for security or indemnity,
stock certificates, transfers, and powers, and like papers and
the College or the Endowment Funds shall be executed by two
shall be the President, the Chairman, or the Vice-Chairman,
shall be the Secretary of the Board or the Treasurer of the
(5) There shall be a Financial Committee on each campus consisting of the
President as Chairman, the Dean and Treasurer of the campus, and other members
the President may appoint. It will review proposed budgets prior to their being
presented to the Finance Committee of the Board. It will also meet prior to Board
meetings to review performance in the fiscal year to date and emerging budgetary
strengths and weaknesses.
(16) Signing of Checks, Drafts, Etc. All checks, drafts, acceptances, and similar
orders for the payment of money on behalf of the College may be signed by the same
persons authorized to execute contracts, etc., pursuant to Section (15) hereof, but may
also be signed by such persons, and in such manner, as the Board may from time to
time direct by appropriate resolution.
(6) The President shall appoint, or delegate the power to appoint, other committees as may be necessary for the carrying out of his duties and for which no
provision is made under Article IX.
Article Ill
THEFACULTY
The Visitors and Governors by these ordinances hereby delegate to the Faculty
of St. John's College-th e President, the Deans, the other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti the
Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, the Treasurers, and the Associate s-"powers
and authorities" for the "instruction, discipline, and government" of the College.
Article IV
THEFACULTY: THE PRESID ENT
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(7) If in the judgment of the Board of Visitors and Governors, the College is
facing a financial exigency at either or both of its campuses which could call for a
reduction in the number of Faculty positions, both Presidents shall immediately
advise the Faculty of the nature and extent of the fmancial . difficulty and consult
with them concerning the best way to address the situation. The Faculty may then
make a formal recommendation to the Presidents on ways to meet the problem, or, if
the Faculty fails so to act, the Deans and the Instruction Committee shall propose a
plan to the Presidents. The Presidents shall jointly then determine a plan which
specifies a preferred course of action to be taken. All necessary steps must be taken
in timely fashion as prescribed by the Board. Nothing herein provided shall limit
the power of the Board to act otherwise in the event of need to reduce or eliminate
Faculty positions.
,
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(f) During the absence of either Dean from the campus a Tutor with tenure
named by him shall act for the Dean.
Article V
(g) The Dean on each campus shall appoint such committees as may be necessary for the carrying out of his duties and for which no other provision is made.
THE FACULTY: THE CHAIRMAN OF THE INSTRUCTION COMMITI'EE AND THE DEANS
(1)
The Chairman of the Instruction Committee.
Article VI
(a) There is delegated to the Chairman of the Instruction Committee responsibility and authority for the organization of the program of instruction in the
liberal ans that is followed by the Tutors and the Students.
THE FACULTY: THETUTORS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the Tutors are to teach and to make
themselves as competent as possible in all parts of the St. John's Program.
(b) The Deans shall serve alternately, for a term of one year, as Chairman
of the Instruction Committee.
(2) The Tutors shall have authority to recommend to the Visitors and Governors candidates for degrees on their respective campuses.
(c) Each year the Chairman of the Instruction Committee shall, after consultation with the Instruction Committee on his campus, and after discussion with the
Instruction Committee of the College, submit a Statement of Educational Policy and
Program to the Faculty as a whole for discussion. The President shall present the
Statement, together with an account of the Faculty discussion of it and his response to
it, as a report to the Board of Visitors and Governors for its consideration.
(3) Appointment and Reappointment of Tutors. Tutors shall be appointed by
the Visitors and Governors upon recommendation of the President in accordance
with the recommendation of the Dean and the Instruction Committee on that campus
where the Tutors so appointed shall teach.
(a) The schedule of regular appointment of Tutors on each campus shall be
either (i)(A) or (i)(B) below, to be decided by the President in accordance with the
recommendation of the Dean and the Instruction Committee on that campus where
the Tutors so appointed shall teach:
(i)(A) New Tutors shall be appointed for one year unless they are
appointed at mid-year, in which case the initial appointment shall be for a year and a
half. First reappointments shall be for one year. Second and third reappointments
shall be for two and three years respectively.
(i)(B) New Tutors shall be appointed for two years unless they are
appointed at mid-year, in which case the initial appointment shall be for a year and a
half. First and second reappointments shall be for two and three years respectively.
(ii) A Tutor who has completed a three-year appointment must either
be given a tenure appointment or not be reappointed as Tutor. A Tutor may,
however, be given a tenure appointment as early as the conclusion of the first year
of a three-year appointment. Procedures leading to a recommendation for an early
tenure appointment shall be initiated by the Dean and Instruction Committee, but not
without the consent of the appointee, and shall not prejudice subsequent
consideration for a tenure appointment.
Tenure appointments shall not continue beyond June 30th of the academic year in which a Tutor attains the age of 70. Tutors
Emeriti shall retain their privileges and responsibilities in voting at Faculty
meetings.
(d) The Chairman of the Instruction Committee shall, as he or the Chairman
of the Board of Visitors and Governors may deem appropriate, report to the Board on
instructional matters, and shall respond to such questions as the Board, through its
Chairman, may direct to him.
(2) The Deans.
(a) There is delegated to the Deans on their respective campuses responsibility and authority for the supervision of the program of instruction and for the
general welfare of the students and for whatever government of the students be
necessary for the greatest possible attainment of aims of the program. Each Dean
shall be the Chairman of the Instruction Committee on the campus where he serves.
In carrying out his duties, each Dean shall consult regularly with the President and
with the Instruction Committee and the other appropriate Faculty committees on that
campus.
(b) The Deans shall be appointed for terms of five years from among the
Tutors by the Visitors and Governors on the• recommendation of the President after
consultation with a special committee of seven, four from the campus for which the
Dean is being chosen and three from the other campus, selected from among
themselves by the Tutors having tenure.
(iii) Before making recommendations to the President on tenure
appointments the Dean on each campus shall consult with the Instruction Committee
on that campus, after seeking the advice of the Tutors on that campus.
(iv) A Tutor, to be recommended for a tenure appointment, must
have served full-time at the campus where the recommendation is to be made for the
two years immediately preceding the year in which that recommendation is made,
the provisions of (ii) above notwithstanding. In ordinary cases, these two years of
service will be the second year of a two-year appointment and the first year of a
three-year appointment.
These requirements may be waived by the President on the
recommendation of the Dean and Instruction Committee on that campus.
(c) A Dean shall be appointed from among the tutors who have themselves
been appointed in accord with Article Vl(3). If non-tenured, the appointee shall
acquire tenure upon becoming Dean, in which case the provisions of Article Vl(3)(a)
regarding reappointment schedules shall not apply.
(d) To assist them in carrying out their duties, the Deans shall recommend
one or more Tutors to be appointed by the President with the title of Assistant Dean.
(e) During the absence of the President from either campus, the Dean on
that campus shall if necessary exercise the President's prerogative of final decision.
1
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(b) A non-tenure appointment as Tutor establishes the possibility, but not
the presumption, of its renewal and the granting of a tenure appointment. .Procedures for considering non-tenure appointments differ from those for cons1denng
tenure appointments. Satisfaction of appointment criteria admits of degree. With
each successive reappointment, the criteria are applied more rigorously. For a
tenure appointment the application is especially strict.
(c) For the purpose of temporary transfer between campuses, special appointments of one or two years may be granted to a Tutor in addition to his regular
appointments. The Tutor may ask that such an appointment be counted as a regular
appointment for the purpose of (a) above. In the case of a permanent transfer a
Tutor may ask that his years of service at the other campus be counted toward
tenure according to the provisions of (a) above. Nevertheless, the provisions of (3)
(a)(iv) prevail.
(d) Special one-year appointments and reappointments may be given to
Tutors who intend to teach on a part-time basis only. Such a Tutor may subsequently
apply for and receive a regular appointment. Special part-time appointments may
then be counted on a fractional basis toward eligibility for tenure, but see (3)(a)(iv).
In establishing eligibility for sabbatical leave, special part-time appointments shall
be computed proportionately.
(e) Visiting Tutors may be appointed for a term or a year.
(4)
Notification.
(a) A Tutor under consideration for a non-tenure appointment to begin in a
certain calendar year shall be notified by the President no later than December 15th
of the preceding calendar year whether his reappointment will be recommended to
the Board of Visitors and Governors. If be is reappointed the President shall so notify
him by March 1st of the calendar year in which the new appointment is to begin.
(b) A Tutor under consideration for a tenure appointment to begin in a
certain calendar year shall be notified by the President no later than May 31st of the
preceding calendar year whether his appointment will be recommended to the Board
of Visitors and Governors. If he is appointed the President shall so notify him by
July 31st of that same preceding year.
(5) A Tutor may apply to the Instruction Committee of the College not later
than January 15th for a transfer of campus for the next academic year. Transfers
shall require approval of both Deans after consultation with their Instruction
Committees.
(6) (a) A Tutor may have his appointment terminated by the Board of Visitors
and Governors for one of the following reasons only: (i) failure or inability to
perform bis teaching duties in a satisfactory manner, or (ii) moral turpitude. The
President shall make such a recommendation to the Board of Visitors and Governors
only with the concurrence of the Dean and the Instruction Committee of the campus
concerned. Before the President makes such a recommendation he shall advise the
Tutor affected of his intention to do so, and the Tutor shall have the right to be heard
by the Instruction Committee or, if he prefers, by another committee to be designated
by the President for this purpose.
(b) Either Dean, with the approval of the Instruction Committee on the
campus concerned, may recommend to the President that in the interest of instruction a Tutor be temporarily relieved of his duties in whole or in part at any time.
When such action is taken, the Tutor's salary shall be continued for the remainder of
the current academic year.
(7) The sabbatical leave program is designed to provide Tutors with an opportunity for study, rest, and renewal of spirit, in anticipation of future teaching. It is
the objective of the program to grant all applications for sabbatical leave meeting
the conditions for eligibility set out in (a) of this section. It is understood that Tutors
on such leave will not undertake full-time . remunerative employment elsewhere and
will return to the College.
(a) Eligibility for sabbatical leave shall be upon the following conditions:
(i) A Tutor who has received a tenure appointment may apply for a
full year of sabbatical leave at full salary, provided he shall have completed the
equivalent of seven full years of service to the College since his original appointment, or the equivalent of six full years of service since any previous sabbatical
leave, and the sabbatical leave would not occur in the last two years of his tenure
appointment.
(ii) Such a Tutor may apply for an earlier sabbatical leave of a full
year at partial salary, or a partial year at full salary. The fractional salary or frac
tional year shall be determined by the number of years of teaching completed in
relation to the prescribed total for either an initial or a subsequent sabbatical leave,
as the case may be. In no case shall a Tutor be paid more than his regular salary.
Sabbatical leave for a fraction of a year may not occur during the last two years of a
Tutor's tenure appointment.
(b) If, in the judgment of the President, financial or academic needs at a
campus should require that fewer sabbatical leaves be granted there in a given year
than there are qualified applicants, and if the number that can be granted there
should be smaller than one-sixth of the number of Tutors at that campus having
tenure and not on full-time leave under the provisions of section (8) below, the
President shall so notify the Board of Visitors and Governors and seek its approval for
delaying a sabbatical leave for one or more of the applicants.
(c) If in a year there arc more qualified applicants for sabbatical leave at
any one campus than there are leaves to be granted at that campus, then those
members shall have precedence who meet the following conditions in the order set
forth:
(i) Those who have served for the greater number of years since
their first appointment as Tutor or since their last sabbatical leave, whichever is
more recent;
years;
(ii) Those whose service has been continuous throughout those
(iii) Those whose last sabbatical leave was postponed because of the
financial or academic needs of the College;
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(iv)
Those who have seniority of appointment.
When there is a conflict of precedence, the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the campus concerned shall be consulted.
the Dean on that campus and a committee constituted by resolution of the Faculty on
that campus.
(5) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement and Treasurers may be
appointed Tutors under the provisions of Article VI(3)(d).
(d) A Tutor eligible for sabbatical leave shall make application to the President before November 1st for leave to begin the following July 1st, and shall be
informed of the action upon his application not later than January 1st.
Article VIII
THE FACULTY: THE ASSOClATES
(8) The President, with the concurrence of the Dean after consultation with
the Instruction Committee on the campus concerned, may grant leaves of absence to
Tutors for a period of one year or less. At that time it shall be determined whether
the leave shall be counted as service to the College with respect to eligibility for
sabbatical leave and, if so, how. The decision with respect to a request for leave of
absence shall be made in the light of the requirements both of the applicant Tutor
and of the whole College.
(1) Associate members of the Faculty on each campus shall be appointed by the
Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President in consultation with the Dean of that campus. The President shall have ultimate executive
authority over the Associates.
(a) Leave of absence may be renewed upon request but not more than twice
in succession except in extraordinary circumstances.
(3) The Associates on either campus may establish for themselves an Associates' Council for the purpose of considering College matters of concern to them and
communicating with other members of the College.
(3)(d).
(2) Associates may be appointed Tutors under the provisions of Article VI
(b) A request for a leave of absence shall be submitted to the President as
early as possible in the academic year before the year in which the leave is to be
taken, but not later than January 15th of that year. Requests for leaves of absence
may be withdrawn at any time prior to April 1st of the year in which the request is
submitted. Requests for leaves of absence for the second semester must be submitted
no later than October 15th.
(5) There shall be the following Associates, as deemed necessary by the President on each campus, with the powers and responsibilities provided.
(c) Tutors on sabbatical leave or leave of absence remain members of the
Faculty with the right of full panicipation in Faculty meetings and all other College
exercises.
(a) The Registrars. The Registrars shall be responsible to the Deans on
their respective campuses. They shall prepare and supervise the registration of
students and shall be responsible for the academic records and schedules of students.
Article VII
(b) The Librarians. The Librarians shall be responsible to the Deans on
their respective campuses for the operation of the library. Appointments of professional members of the Library Staff shall be made upon the recommendation of the
Librarian to the Dean on each campus.
THE FACULTY: THE VICE-PRESIDENTSFOR COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT AND THE
TREASURERS
priate.
(4) The Associates' Council may establish such committees as it deems appro-
(1) The Vice-Presidents for College Advancement shall be responsible to the
President for the supervision and development of all programs in fund-raising, public relations, and alumni relations on their respective campuses.
(c) The Directors of Student Activities and the Directors of Athletics. The
Directors of Student Activities and the Directors of Athletics shall be responsible to
the Deans on their respective campuses for devising and directing programs of recreational activities.
(2) The Vice-President for College Advancement on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the President made after consultation with the Dean on that campus and a committee
constituted by resolution of the Faculty on that campus.
(d) The Directors of Admissions. The Directors of Admissions shall be
responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for the annual enrollment of
qualified Freshmen.
(3) The Treasurers shall have charge, on their respective campuses under the
supervision of the President, of all funds and property, and shall have authority to
carry out fiscal and property ttransactions, and to receive and disburse funds, subject
to the prov1s1ons of this Pohty and other directions and arrangements pursuant
thereto.
(4) The Treasurer on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors
and Governors on the recommendation of the President made after consultation with
(e) The Directors of Alumni Activities. The Directors of Alumni Activities
shall be responsible to the Vice-Presidents for College Advancement. Their primary
duty is to enable the College and the Alumni Association to be of service to alumni.
(f) The Directors of Financial Aid. The Directors of Financial Aid shall be
responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for the administration of financial aid programs.
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(g) The Directors of Placement. The Directors of Placement shall be responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for helping and counseling
students with respect to graduate and professional schools and careers.
(h) Persons designated Associates under the provisions of Article 1(3)(f) or
of Anicle Vll(3)(k) of this Polity as amended through April 20, 1985, whose offices
are not specifically named in this Article, shall continue to be Associates until the
expiration of their appointments to those offices.
Article IX
THE FACULTY: FACULTY C O M M I T T E E S
(1) The Instruction Committee
(a) The Instruction Committee shares with its Chairmen responsibility for
the program of instruction of the College. It shall consist of twelve Tutors in addition
to the Deans. The President shall sit with the Committee ex officio. Six of the Tutors
shall be elected from each campus of the College. The Instruction Committee shall
meet annually. On each campus the members of the Instruction Committee and the
Dean as Chairman constitute the Instruction Committee of the College on that campus.
The President sits ex officio with the Instruction Committee on each campus.
(b) Each of the members of the Instruction Committee shall serve for a
term of three years, and the terms shall be arranged in such a way that each year the
terms of two members at each campus shall expire. Terms begin and end the day
following commencement exercises. Annually, and separately at each campus, the
President with the Dean on his campus, after consulting with the Instruction
Committee and seeking the advice of the other Tutors on that campus, shall at the last
regular Faculty meeting on that campus nominate four Tutors of whom two shall be
elected by the Tutors to membership on the Instruction Committee. The Faculty shall
be informed of the names of the nominees prior to the meeting at which the election
occurs. At the expiration of the three-year term a member of the Instruction
Committee shall for one year be ineligible for reelection.
(c) If for any reason a member of the Instruction Committee is unable to
serve for a pan of his term, another Tutor shall be chosen to take his place for that
part of the term. For this purpose the President and the Dean, in consultation with
the Instruction Committee on the campus where the vacancy occurs, shall nominate
two Tutors of whom the Tutors shall elect one in a regular Faculty meeting.
(d) If the Instruction Committee resigns with the Deans on a matter of confidence and the resignations are accepted, the President, in consultation with the
new Deans and after seeking the advice of the other Tutors, shall nominate nine
Tutors for the six vacancies on each campus in such a manner that two out of each
three nominees shall be elected by the Tutors for each of the three classes to fill the
unexpired terms.
(2)
The Tutors' Compensation Committee
(a) There shall be a Tutors' Compensation Committee of six Tutors, three to
be elected by the Tutors on each campus, whose chairmanship shall annually alter-
23
nate between campuses. The Committee shall advise the President concerning Tutors'
compensation and related matters; it shall make annual reviews of the College's
statement of Tutors' salaries and other compensation of Tutors and report to the
Tutors and the President recommendations consequent upon the review.
(b) Members of the Committee shall be elected annually on each campus for
terms of three years in such a manner that the term of one member on each campus
terminates each year. The Tutors' Compensation Committee on each campus shall
provide the Tutors on that campus with two nominations for each vacancy on the
Committee on that campus. Additional nominations may be made at the Faculty
meeting when election shall be made.
(3) The Library Committees. The President, in consultation with the Librarian
and the Dean, shall appoint three Tutors on each campus to serve as a Library
Committee. The President, the Dean, and the Librarian shall themselves be ex officio
members of the Committee, and the Librarian shall serve as Chairman. It shall be the
duty of the Library Committees to assist the Librarians in making the Libraries serve
the ends of the College and its program; it shall be their duty to advise the Librarians
in regard to Library policy and acquisitions. The Managers of the Bookstores may be
invited to sit with the Committees.
(4) The Campus Planning Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall elect
five of its members as a Campus Planning Committee. Two members shall be elected
to the Committee annually at the first regular meeting of the academic session except
in every third year, when one member shall be chosen. The President shall sit ex
officio with both Committees. The Dean, one of the Assistant Deans, and the
Treasurer on each campus shall sit ex officio with the Committee on that campus. It
shall be the duty of the respective committees to advise the President on the
construction of new buildings, the renovation of old buildings, landscaping of
grounds, and all matters relating to the maintenance and development of the campus.
(5) The Prize Committees. Every three years the President shall appoint Tutors
on each campus to supervise the awarding of prizes on the respective campuses. The
Committees shall have full authority to decide what prizes shall be awarded and to
name the recipients of the prizes.
(6) The Fellowship Committees. On each campus · there shall be a Fellowship
Committee appointed by the President. It shall be the duty of this Committee to inform students of fellowships for which they may be eligible, to assist them in applying for fellowships, and to act on behalf of the College in any matter relating to
application for fellowships.
(7) Other Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall have authority to
elect, or to request the President to appoint, additional committees that may from time
to time become necessary.
Article X
THE FACULTY: FACULTY PROCEDURE
(1) Procedure for Instructional Proposals.
(a)(i) Any major proposal concerning matters of instruction affecting the
College as a whole shall originate with the Dean and the Instruction Committee on
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25
either campus, and the decision as to what proposals are not major shall require the
concurrenc e of the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the other campus. In
normal circumstances major proposals concerning instruction shall be formulated at
the annual meeting of the Instruction Committee of the College. Written statements
of such a proposal shall be distributed to the Faculty at least two weeks before the
Faculty meeting at which they are to be presented; the proposal shall be presented to
the whole Faculty by the Chairman of the Instruction Committee, either in his own
person or through the other Dean as his representative. If, after full discussion of
any proposal so presented, there be no objection on the part of any Tutor, the
measure stands approved and becomes effective as of the date specified therefor. If,
after full discussion, a Tutor objects to the proposal and holds to his objection, the
proposal shall be submitted to vote of the Tutors at special Faculty meetings called by
the President within a fortnight. In submitting the proposal to vote the Chairman of
the Instruction Committee •and the Dean on the other campus shall state whether it be
a matter of confidence. The vote may then be taken and tallied by the President in
such a fashion that the Tutors shall have recorded their decision acting as a whole.
If the proposal be one that the Chairman of the Instruction Committee and the other
Dean have declared a matter of confidence and if it be defeated by majority vote, the
Deans and the Instruction Committee shall immediately resign. If it be passed by
majority vote, it shall become effective as of the date specified therefor. For the
confidence procedure a quorum shall consist of three-fourths of all resident Tutors
on each campus.
(ii) Any proposal concerning instruction that is not considered
major shall originate with the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the campus
where it is intended to be put into effect. It shall be presented by the Dean to the
Faculty on that campus after obtaining the concurrence of the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the other campus that the proposal is minor and not major. The
procedure set forth above for the approval or rejection of proposals shall be
followed, except that it shall apply only on the campus concerned.
(iii) The President may refuse to accept the resignation of the Deans
or the Instruction Committee, any or all of them, whenever in his judgment such
resignation would be detrimental to the proper functioning of the College; provided,
however, that if any six or more Tutors shall petition the Visitors and Governors, the
latter shall review the President's decision within four weeks, during which time the
Deans and the Instruction Committee shall continue in office.
(iv) In the event that the proposal be defeated and the resignations
be accepted, the President shall proceed to the choice of new Deans in accordance
with the provisions of Article V (2)(b).
(b) Upon either a petition of not less than one-tenth of the Tutors on either
campus or a request from the President, the Dean and Instruction Committee on that
campus shall consider any recommendation concerning instruction and shall report
to the Faculty within one year their proposal concerning it. They shall decide
whether their proposal is a major proposal, and the procedure of Article X(l) shall
apply.
(2)
Faculty Meetings.
(a) Regular monthly meetings of the Faculty shall be called upon due notice by the President; except that in the period comprising the months of December
and January only one regular meeting need be called. The President or, in his absence, the Dean, shall preside. In the absence of the President and the Dean, the
Faculty shall elect one of its members to preside.
(b) Special meetings of the Faculty may be called upon due notice by the
President, either at his own discretion or at the request of five Faculty members.
(c) Due notice shall be construed to mean no less than three days notice,
except in cases of emergency.
(d) A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Faculty in residence except
as otherwise provided.
(e) Only Tutors may vote on instructional matters. All Faculty members
may vote on all other matters not specifically restricted in the Polity.
(3) The Secretary of the Faculty. At the last regular meeting of an academic
year the Faculty on each campus shall elect one of its members, then in at least his
third year at the College, as Secretary. The Secretary shall assist in the preparation
and circulation of the agenda for Faculty meetings, shall keep the minutes of such
meetings, and shall collect and circulate reports of Faculty committees.
Article XI
THE SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE AND THE ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
The Scholars-in-Residence and the Artists-in-Residence shall be appointed
from time to time by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of
the President after consultation with the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the
campus where the Scholars and Artists shall reside.
Article XII
THE STUDENTS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the students are to study and to make themselves as competent as possible in all parts of the St. John's Program. Their advice
and service shall be sought by the Faculty in such matters and in such ways as may
best serve the general welfare of the College.
(2) The students of St. John's College shall constitute the Student Polity of St.
John's College in Annapolis and in Santa Fe.
(3) The Student Polity in Annapolis or Santa Fe may establish for itself a government which is representative of all polity members. The Dean on each campus
may delegate to the Student government a share of the responsibility for the general
welfare of the students and whatever government of the students may be necessary
for the greatest possible attainment of the aims of the program. The duties of the
Student Government may include:
(a) the management of funds available to the Student Polity;
(b) the sanctioning of all student clubs, organizations, and activities, and
�26
concurrence of the Dean on the same campus after consultation with the Committee
for the Graduate Institute on that campus.
their regulation, if necessary;
(c) the representation of the students of St. John's College to the community
outside the College;
(d) the establishment and maintenance of formal channels of communication between the students and the Faculty; and
(e) any other duties agreed upon by the students and the Dean.
Article XIII
THE GRADUA1E INSTITUTE
(1)
The Directors.
(a) There shall be a Director of the Graduate Institute on each campus to
whom shall be delegated responsibility and authority, under the Chairman of the
Instruction Committee, for the organization and supervision on his campus of the
graduate program of instruction in the liberal arts and for matters concerning the
general welfare of the students. Concerning matters that affect the Graduate Institute as a whole the Director shall, in consultation with his fellow Director, be responsible to the Chairman of the Instruction Committee. Concerning matters limited to
his own campus he shall be responsible to the Dean on his own campus.
(b) Every three years, after consultation with his fellow director and the
Committee for the Graduate Institute on his own campus, one of the Directors shall
submit a Statement of Educational Policy and Program for the Graduate Institute to
the Instruction Committee for discussion at its joint meeting. After making any
revisions he deems appropriate, he shall submit it to the Faculty as a whole for
discussion .
(2)
The Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(a) Each Director, after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate
Institute on that campus, and in accordance with the recommendation of the
Instruction Committee on the same campus, shall recommend to the President Tutors
of the Graduate Institute for summer appointment to teach in the Graduate Institute
for one session.
(b) During the summer term the Tutors of the Graduate Institute on each
campus shall have the authority to recommend to the Board of Visitors and Governors
candidates for degrees.
(4)
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Committees for the Graduate Institute.
(a) On each campus the Committee for the Graduate Institute shares with
the Director on the same campus responsibility for carrying out the program of instruction of the Graduate Institute and for the general welfare of the students.
(b) Each Committee shall consist of three Tutors who have experience in
the Institute, in addition to the Director, who shall serve as Chairman.
(c) Members of each Committee shall be appointed by the Director with the
(5)
Procedure for Instructional Proposals.
(a) Major proposals concerning matters of instruction or policy shall
originate with one of the Directors, after consultation with the other Director and
with the Committee for the Graduate Institute and the Dean on his own campus. Such
proposals shall be submitted to the Instruction Committee of the College; if approved,
they shall come before the Faculty in accordance with Article X(l)(a)(i).
(b) Proposals concerning instruction or policy that arc not considered
major shall originate with the Director on the campus where they arc intended to be
put into effect, after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate Institute and
the Dean on that campus. Such proposals shall be submitted to the Instruction
Committee on that campus; if approved, they shall come before the Faculty in
accordance with Article X(l)(a)(ii).
Article XIV
THE ALUMNI
(1) Alumni shall be life-long members of the College, since St. John's College is
a community not limited by geographical location or fixed periods of time.
(2) The Alumni Association is the formal means by which alumni participate
in the life of the College. Through the election of alumni members of the Board of
Visitors and Governors, alumni share in the direction of that life. In these and other
ways, alumni shall be given the opportunity to serve the College.
(3) The College shall cooperate with the Alumni Association to enable alumni
to assist in providing services such as recruiting and interviewing prospective students, placing graduates in appropriate employment, and advising students concerning careers and admission to graduate and professional schools.
(4) The College, in cooperation with the Alumni Association, shall provide
seminars and other appropriate educational activities in Annapolis, in Santa Fe, and
in other places.
Article XV
THE STAFF
(1) Members of the Staff assist with the administration and maintenance of the
College, performing duties necessary to its well-being. They are subject to appropriate Staff rules and regulations.
(2) Members of the Staff on either campus may establish for themselves a Staff
Council for the purpose of better communication and understanding of College
policies as a benefit to the College as a whole. The Staff Council shall seek to establish
and maintain formal channels of communication among the whole Staff and between
the Staff and the appropriate College Officers. The Treasurer on each campus shall
review Staff employment regulations with the Staff Council and discuss with them
any changes proposed.
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(3) The Staff Council may establish such committees as it deems appropriate.
Article XVI
AMENDMENTS AND REVIEW
(1) This Polity may be amended by a two-thirds vote of those members voting
at any regular or special meeting of the Board, provided, however, that the
amendment has been proposed by not fewer than ten percent of the members of the
Board or a majority of the Polity Review Committee, and that the votes of no less than
one-third of the members of the entire Board eligible to vote are in favor of such
amendment, and further provided written notice of the proposed amendment has
been given to members of the Board and to the Faculty not less than thirty days prior
to such meeting. The Faculty shall have the right to inform the Board in writing of
its recommendation with respect to the proposed amendment by the date of the Board
meeting at which the amendment is to be considered.
(2) Amendments may be proposed at any regular meeting of either the Faculty
in Annapolis or the Faculty in Santa Fe upon petition of not less than ten percent of
the members on either campus. No such proposal shall be acted upon earlier than
the next regular meeting of the Faculty, whether in Annapolis or in Santa Fe. Twothirds vote of the entire Faculty in residence shall be required for approval and the
amendment shall not become effective unless approved by the Board in the manner
set forth in Section (1) above.
(3) Every five years this Polity shall be reviewed by a committee of six, three
to be elected by the Faculty on each campus. The report of the Committee shall be
submitted to one regular Faculty meeting and voted upon at the next regular Faculty
meeting. A two-thirds vote of the Faculty in residence shall be required for
approval.
Whatever action is thus recommended by the Faculty shall be submitted to
the Board for final decision in the manner set forth in Section (1) above.
Article XVII
COMPLIANCE WITH LAW
No provision of this Polity shall be construed to contravene any applicable
federal or state law. If any provision is determined to contravene any such law, that
provision shall be deemed not a part of this Polity, and this Polity's remaining
provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
��
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Title
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Charter and Polity of the College
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An account of the resource
Revised and amended editions of the St. John's College Charter and Polity.<br /><br />The College's first Charter and Polity was published as the <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3768">September 1950</a> issue of the <em><a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/collections/show/37">Bulletin of St. John's College in Annapolis</a></em>. Revised and amended versions were published as individual issues of the <em>Bulletin</em> in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3746">1951</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7844">1960</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7845">1963</a>, and <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7846">1965</a>. <br /><br />The Charter and Polity was published as a separate document in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7850">1955</a> and again from <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7851">1970</a> forward. The most recent version of the Charter and Polity is also available on the College's <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/about/leadership/board-visitors-governors/charter-polity">website</a>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=62&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate">Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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St. John's College
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St. John's College
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
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28 pages
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Charter and Polity of the College, 1992
Description
An account of the resource
Charter and Polity of the College, amended and restated as of July 1992.
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St. John's College
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe, NM
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1992-07
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text
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St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Legal instruments
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English
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Charter_and_Polity_1992
Charter and Polity
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�St. John's College Library
Annapolis,
Marvland
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
CHARTER AND POLITY
OF
THE COLLEGE
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
APRIL
1987
Founded as King William's School, 1696, Chartered as St. John's College, 1784
�HISTORY
St. John's College was founded in 1696 as King William 's
School in accorda nce with a Petition ary Act for free-sch ools of
t he General Assembl y of the Colony of Marylan d.
Followin g the
Revolut ionary War, the General Assembl y of the new State of
Maryland granted a Charter to St. John's College pursuan t to and
a s a part of Chapter 37 of the Laws of Marylan d of 1784. This
Charter was subsequ ently amended by the General Assembl y through
Resolut ion No. 41 of 1832.
The Visitor s and Governo rs of St. John's College in 1950
r evised the Charter to elimina te extraneo us and obsolet e matter
a nd to make certain other amendme nts consist ent with present
r equirem ents and conditio ns.
It was the opinion of the Attorne y
General of Marylan d that the origina l Charter of the College was
s ubjec t to the general Corpora tion Laws of Marylan d and might
a ccordin gly be amended by the Visitor s and Governo rs, pursuan t to
t hese laws, without legisla tive action by the General Assembl y.
Subsequ ent amendme nts were made in 1961, in 1963, in 1965, in
1 970 , and in 1975.
When the decision was reached to establis h a second St.
J ohn ' s College in Santa Fe , New Mexico, amendme nts were made to
t he Charter to authori ze branche s or extensio ns of the College .
The Charter was then filed with the Corpora tions Commiss ion of
the State of New Mexico as a foreign corpora tion. The College
was thus empower ed to grant degrees in New Mexico under the
p rovision s of its Marylan d Charter .
A Polity for the College was first suggest ed at a faculty
meeting in 1943 by the Dean. A faculty committ ee was elected and
d rafted a Polity which was then promulg ated by the Preside nt. In
April 1949 the Faculty elected a committ ee to revise the Polity.
The resultin g documen t was approve d by the Faculty on April 9,
1 950, and was adopted by the Board of Visitor s and Governo rs on
J uly 8, 1950. Subsequ ent quinque nnial reviews were made by
elected faculty committ ees, and desired amendme nts were
recomme nded by the Faculty to the Board of Visitor s and
Governo rs. The Polity was thus amended at regular meeting s of
the Board held on May 14, 1955; May 21, 1960; May 15, 1965; June
6, 1970; April 19, 1975; January 16, 1982; and April 19, 1986.
Other amendme nts were adopted by the Board at regular meeting s on
February 22 and Decembe r 9, 1961; February 23 and Septemb er 28,
1963; October 3, 1970; Februar y 18, 1972; October 25, 1975;
January 24, 1976; Novembe r 6, 1982; July 21, 1984; April 20,
1985; October 25, 1986; and April 11, 1987.
1
�CHARTER OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
WHEREAS, institutions for the liberal educat i on of youth i n
the principles of virtue, knowledge and useful li terature ar e o f
the highest benefit to society, in orde r to train up and
perpetuate a succession of able and honest men fo r di schargi ng
the various offices and duties of life, both civi l and re l ig ious ,
with usefulness and reputation, and such institut ions of lea rni ng
have accordingly been promoted and encouraged by the wi sest and
best regulated States; And whereas, it appears t o this Gene ral
Assembly that many public spirited individuals , from a n ear nest
desire to promote the founding a col lege or seminary of lea rn i n g
on the Western Shore of this State have subscri bed and procur e d
subscriptions to a considerable amount , and th ere is r easo n to
believe that very large additions will be obta ined to the same
throughout the different counties of the said Shore, i f t hey we re
made capable in law to receive and apply the same towa rds
founding and carrying on a college or general s eminary of
learning with such salutary plan and with such legisla tiv e
assistance and direction as the General Assembl y might t hink fi t,
and this General Assembly, highly approving tho se gene rou s
exertions of individuals, are desirous to embrace the pre s ent
favorable occasion of peace and prosper ity for making las t ing
provision for the encouragement and advancement of all us eful
knowledge and literature through every part of this State ;
BE IT ENACTED:
II. That a college or general seminary o f learn ing by the
name of "St. John's College " be establ ished on the s aid Western
Shore upon the following fundamenta l and invio l a ble princ iples;
namely, first, the said college shall be found ed and main tained
forever upon a most liberal plan for the benefi t of youth of
every religious denomination, who shall be freel y admitted to
equal privileges and advantages of education and to all th e
literary honors of the college, according to their merit without
requiring or enforcing any religious or civil test, or urg ing
their attendance upon any particular religious worship or serv ic e
other than what they have been educated in or ha v e the consent
and approbation of their parents or guardians to attend; nor
shall any preference be given in the choice of a Principal, Vice Principal or other Professor, Master or Tutor in said college on
account of his particular religious profess ion, having regard
solely to his moral character and literary abilities and other
necessary qualifications to fill the place for which he shall be
chosen.
IV. That the governing body or board of said College shall
consist of not more than fort y -nine nor less than thirteen
Visitors and Governors, to be chosen and to hold office in such
manner as the said Visitors and Governors may determine and
prescribe by their fundamental ordinances; provided, however,
that the Governors of the States of Maryland and New Mexico shall
act ex officio as two of the total number of Visitors and
Governors of said college during their respective terms in said
offices; and that the said Visitors and Governors and their
successors duly chosen shall be and are hereby declared to be one
community, corporation and body politic to have continuance
forever by the name of
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
and by the same name they shall have perpetual succession.
VII. That if the City of Annapolis should be fixed upon _as
a proper place for establishing the said intended college, this
General Assembly give and grant, and upon that condition do
hereby give and grant to the Visitors and Governors of the said
college by the name of "The Visitors and Governors of Saint
John's College in the State of Maryland, and their successors
all that four acres within the City of Annapolis purchased for
the use by the public and conveyed on the 2nd day of October,
1744, by Stephen Bordley, Esq. to Thos. Bladen, Esq., then
Governor, to have and to hold the said four acres of land with
the appurtenances to the said Visitors and Governors and their
successors for the only use, benefit and behoof of the said
college and seminary of universal learning forever.
VIII. That the said Visitors and Governors and their
successors by the same name shall be able and capable in law to
purchase, have and enjoy to them and their successors in fee, or
for any other less estate or estates, any _lands, tenements,
rents, annuities, pensions or other hereditaments by the gift,
grant, bargain, sale, alienation, enfeoffment, release,
confirmation, or devise of any person or persons, bodies politic
or corporate capable to make the same, and such lands, tenements,
rents, annuities, pensions or other hereditaments or any less
estates, rights or interests of or in the same at their pleasure
to grant, alien, sell and transfer in such manner and form as
they shall think meet and convenient for the furtherance of the
said college; And also that they may take and receive any sum or
sums of money, and any kind, manner or portion of goods and
chattels that shall be given, sold or bequeathed to them by any
person or persons, bodies politic or corporate capable to make a
gift, sale or bequest thereof and employ the same towards
erecting, setting up and maintaining the said college in such
manner as they shall judge most necessary and convenient for the
instruction, improvement and education of youth in the vernacular
and learned languages, and generally in any kind of literature,
arts and sciences, which they shall think proper to be taught for
training up good, useful and accomplished men for the service of
their country, in church and state.
IX. That the said Visitors and Governors and their
successors by the name aforesaid shall be able in law to sue and
be sued, plead and be impleadable in any court or courts, before
any judge, judges, or justices within this State and elsewhere in
2
3
�all and all manner of su it s, comp l a int s, pleas, causes, matters
and demands of whatsoeve r kind, natu re or form they be and ·all
and every other matter and thing t here in to do in as full and
effectual a manner as any other perso n or persons, bodies politic
or corporate within this State or any o f the United States of
America in like cases may or can do.
X.
That the - said Visitors and Gove rnors and their
successor s shall have fu l l power and aut hority to have, make and
use one common and public seal and l ikew i s e one privy seal with
such devices and inscriptio ns as th ey shall think proper, and to
ascertain , fix and regulate the uses of bo th seals, by their own
laws and the same sea l s or either of th e m to change, break, alter
and renew at their pleasure.
XI. That the said Visitors and Governors and their
successor s from time to time and at all times hereafter , forever,
shall have full power and author i t y to c onstitute and appoint in
such manner as they shall think best and mo st convenien t, a
principal , a vice-prin cipal of t h e sa i d college and professor s
with proper tutors and assistant s for instructi ng the students
and scholars of the said seminary in al l the liberal arts and
sciences, and in the ancient and modern tongues and languages ;
and the said principal , vice-prin cipa l and professor s so
constitut ed and appointed from time to time shall be known and
distingui shed forever as one learned body or faculty by the name
of "The Principal , Vice-Prin cipa l and Professor s of St. John's
College"; and by that name s hall be capable of exercisin g such
powers and authoriti es as the Visitors and Governors of the said
college and their successor s shall by th e ir ordinance s think
necessary to delegate to them for t h e i ns truction, disciplin e and
governmen t of the said seminary and of a l l the students,
scholars, ministers and servants be lo ng ing to the same.
XIV. That a majority of t h e sai d Vi s itors and Governors for
the time being and duly assembled a t any mee ting upon due notice
given to the whole body of Vi si t ors and Go v e rnors shall have full
power and authority to make fundamen tal ord inanc es for the
governmen t of the said college and the instructi o n of youth as
aforesaid , and by these ordinance s to appo int such a number of
their own body not less than seven, as t h e y may think proper for
transacti ng all general and necessary busin e ss of the said
seminary and making temporary ru l es for th e governmen t of the
same; and also by the said fundamen tal ordi n ances to delegate to
the principal , vice-prin cipal and profess or s such powers and
authoriti es as they may think best for the sta ndin g governmen t of
the said seminary and of the execution o f t he ordinanc es and
rules of the same; provided always that t h e y be not repugnant to
the form of governmen t of any law of th i s State.
XV. And for animating and encourag i ng the students of said
college to a laudab l e diligence , industry a nd progres s in useful
literatur e and science, be it enacted t hat t h e s ai d Visito r s and
Governors and their successor s shall b y a wr i t te n ma n date u n der
their privy seal and the hand of someone of the Vi s it o r s an d
Governors to be chosen annually as their President , according to
the ordinance to be made for that purpose, have full power and
authority to direct the principal , vice-prin cipal and professor s
to hold public commencem ents either on stated annual nary or
occasiona lly as the future ordinance s of the said seminary may
direct and at such commencem ents to admit any of the students in
the said college or any other persons meriting the same (whose .
names shall be severally inserted in the same mandate) to any
degree or degrees in any of the faculties , arts and sciences and
liberal professio ns to which persons are usually admitted in
other colleges or universit ies in America or Europe; And it is
hereby enacted that the principal , or in the case of his death or
absence, the vice-prin cipal, and in case of the death or absence
of both, the senior professor who may be present, shall ma~e ~ut
and sign with his name diplomas or certifica tes of the admission
to such degree or degrees, which shall be sealed with the public
or greater seal of the said corporati on or college and delivered
to the graduates as honorable and perpetual testimoni als of such
admission ; which diplomas, if thought necessary _for doing greater
honor to such graduates , shall also be signed with the names of
the different professor s or as many of them as can convenien tly
s i gn the same; prov i ded always that no student or students within
the said college shall ever be admitted to any such degree or
degrees, or have their name inserted in any mandate for
degree,
until such student or students have been first duly examined, and
thought worthy of the same.
XVI. That the ordinance s which shall be from time to time
made by the Visitors and Governors of the said college and their
successor s with an account of their other proceedin gs and of the
managemen t of the estate and moneys committed to their trust,
.
shall when required be laid before the General Assembly for their
i nspection and examinati on, but in case at any time tereafter
through oversight , or otherwise through misappreh ension and
mistaken construct ions of the powers, liberties and franchise s in
this Charter or Act of Incorpora tion granted, or intended to be
granted, any ordinance should be made by the said corporati on of
Visitors and Governors or any matters done and transacte d by the
corporati on contrary to the tenor hereof, it is enacted that
although such ordinance s, acts and doings shall in themselve s be
null and vo i d, yet they shall not, however, in any courts of law,
or by the General Assembly, be deemed, taken, interpret ed or
adjudged into an avoidance or forfeitur e of this Charter and Act
of Incorpora tion, but the same shall be and remain unhurt,
inviolate and entire unto the said corporati on of Visitors and
Governors in perpetual successio n; and all their acts conformab le
to the powers, true intent and meaning hereof shall be and remain
i n full force and validity, the nullity and avoidance of such
illegal acts to the contrary in any wise notwithst anding.
XVII. That this Charter and Act of Incorpora tion and every
part thereof shall be good and available
i n all things in the law
according to the true intent and meaning thereof, and shall be
construed , reputed and adjudged in all cases most favorably on
the behalf and for the best benefit and behoof of the said
4
5
�Visitors and Governors and their successo rs, so as most
effectually to answer the valuable end of this Act of
Incorporatio n towards the general advancement and promotion of
useful knowledge, science and virtue.
XVIII. That the College may establish and operate one or
more branches in one or more states of the United States.
In the Polity as hereinafter set forth the
nouris "alumnus" and "alumni" and "man" and "men",
either alone or in compounds such as "chairman"
and "chairmen", and the pronouns "he", "him",
and "his", are to be taken as referring to
persons whether male or female.
6
7
�Article I
THE COLLEGE
Polity of st. John's College
Preamble
Education is the making of men o ut of children by
bringing them into the world of inherited customs,.
intellectual traditions, and spiritual ties. Institutions
of learning are set up for this purpose. Beyond this they
should also seek to develop the mora l and intellectual
powers of men to enable them to fulfill be st their freely_
chosen tasks and thus to take their own re sponsible_part in
shaping the future.
St. John's College is a community of
learning committed to holding these ends c onstantly in sight
and to seeking the best means of attaining them.
st. John's College strives to illuminate the common
heritage of mankind in a persisting study of the great
documents in which that heritage can be fo und.
It is
concerned with the unity of knowledge, an understanding of
the great issues faced by men, and the mo r a l foundations_ o n
which the conduct of men's lives can be based. To provide
proper conditions for the pursuit of these ends, we, the
Board of Visitors and Governors, after con sultation with t he
Faculty, do ordain and establish this Poli ty for St. John 's
College.
(1) St. John's College is by its Charter a legal entity,
carrying on its functions in Annapolis, Maryland, and in Santa
Fe, New Mexico.
Under the Charter of the College, all power,
authority, and responsibility pertaining to the College are
vested in the Visitors and Governors.
(2) The College consists of the following:
The Board of
Visitors and Governors, the Faculty, the Students, the Graduate
Institute, the Alumni and the Staff, and other members who may be
named from time to time by the Board of Visitors and Governors.
(3) Under the Charter, "the said Visitors and Governors,
and their successors, from time to time, and at all times
hereafter, forever, shall have full power and authority to
constitute and appoint, in such manner as they shall think best
and most convenient, a principal and vice-principal of the said
College, and professors, with proper tutors and assistants, for
instructing the students and scholars of the said seminary in all
the liberal arts and sciences, and in the ancient and modern
tongues and languages; and the said principal, vice-principal,
and professors, so constituted and appointed from time to time
shall be known and distinguished forever as one learned body or
faculty, by the name of 'The Principal, Vice-Principal, and
Professors of St. John's College'; and by that name shall be
capable of exercising such powers and authorities as the Visitors
and Governors of the said college and their successors shall by
their ordinances think necessary to delegate to them for the
instruction, discipline, and government of the said seminary and
of all the students, scholars, ministers and servants belonging
to the same."
(a) The "principal" shall be the President, or if
there are two Presidents, the Presidents. When 'president' is
used in this Polity it shall mean:
(i) with respect to membership on the Board of
Visitors and Governors, in the Faculty, on committees of the
Board, and sitting ex officio with the Instruction Committee, and
for presentation of, and response to, the Statement of
Educational Policy and Program (Article IV (l)(c)), the President
of the Annapolis campus and the President of the Santa Fe campus;
(ii) with respect to membership on committees or
sitting ex officio with committees, and actions or procedures
relating to one campus, the President of that campus;
(iii) with respect to actions under Article II
(12)(b) or actions or procedures involving the entire College
under Article IX (l)(a)(i) and Article IX (l)(a) (iii), either
President.
8
9
�(bl
The "vice-principal" shall be the Dean who is
serving as the Chairman of the Instruction Committee.
(cl There shall be a Dean of St. John's College in
Annapolis and a Dean of St. John's College in Santa Fe.
(d)
The "professors, tutors and assistants" shall bear
the title Tutor or Tutor Emeritus. Tutors who have completed
their tenure appointments and are no longer teaching shall be
Tutors Emeriti.
being understood in accordance with the proscriptions of federal
law.
(ml No one shall be employed by the College beyond June
30th of the academic year in which he reaches the age of 70,
without the annual approval of the Board of Visitors and
Governors.
(e) There shall be Vice-Presidents for Co llege
Advancement and Treasurers.
(fl
There shall be Associate members of the Faculty,
hereinafter called Associates, who shall be on eithe r campus, as
the offices may be deemed necessary, the Registrar, the
Librarian, the Director of Athletics, the Director of Student
Activities, the Director of Admissions, the Directo r of Alumni
Activities, the Director of Financial Aid, and the Director of
Career Counseling.
(g) The "one learned body or faculty," composed of th e
President, the Deans, the other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti, the
Vice-Presidents for College Advancement, the Treasurers, and the
Associates, shall bear the title The Faculty of St. John's
College.
(hi All who have formally matriculated, are at the
present enrolled, and are in good standing shall be called
Students of St. John's College.
(i) The Directors and the Tutors of the Graduate
Institute shall be called The Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(j)
All who have been awarded a degree by the College
shall be called Alumni.
In addition, all who have completed at
least one semester of undergraduate study or at least one segment
of Graduate Institute study, but who are not currently enrolled,
shall be called Alumni either a) in the case of undergraduate
students, when their class has graduated, or b) in the case
of Graduate Institute students, at the end of three full sessions
of the Graduate Institute, summer and winter, after the one in
which they last enrolled. All who have ever been Alumni shall
continue to be,
(k) The Staff shall consist of all persons appointed
by the President who are not members of the Faculty of St. John's
College or the Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(1)
There shall be no discrimination at St. John's
College in appointments, conditions of employment, admissions,
educational policy, financial aid programs, athletics, or other
activities, on the basis of race, religion, age, sex, national
origin, color, or physical handicap, discrimination in each case
Article II
VISITORS AND GOVERNORS
(1) Qualifications for Membership. Persons shall be
eligible for membership on the Board of Visitors and Governors
who are concerned for the maintenance, progress, and vitality of
St. John's College's educational program and who are willing and
able to discharge the responsibilities of trusteeship with
devotion and energy.
(2) Members. The Board of Visitors and Governors shall
consist of not more than sixty members, comprising the President,
the Deans, the Governors of Maryland and New Mexico, ex officio
and fifty-four members, of whom forty-eight shall be elected by
the entire Board and six shall be elected by the Alumni of the
College, in the manner and for the terms hereinafter provided.
In recognition of meritorious service to the College, Visitors
Emeriti may be elected to the Board who may attend all meetings
of the Board, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(3) Elections by the Board. At each annual meeting, the
Board shall elect a class of sixteen members for a term of three
years, to succeed those members whose term expires at the
conclusion of said meeting.
Those members elected shall begin
their term at the meeting next following their election. The
procedure for nomination and election shall be as follows:
There shall be a Nominating Committee of four members of the
Board appointed by the Chairman. The Chairman and the President
shall sit with the committee, ex officio, when nominations to
Board membership are being considered. The Nominating Committee
shall recommend to each member of the Board in writing, not later
than thirty days prior to the annual meeting at which the
election is to be held, at least one candidate for each of the
places_to be filled by such election, including each position as
an officer of the Board. Additional nominations may be made in
writing, addressed to the Chairman, signed by at least five
members of the Board, prior to the date above provided for the
report of the Nominating Committee, and any such additional
nominations shall be reported to the Board by the Committee at
the time of its report.
10
11
�Voting on nominatio ns at annual meetings may be by ballot,
In
each member present to vote for sixteen of th e said nominees.
,
positions
more
case the balloting results in a tie for one or
No
the Board shall determine the procedure to resolve the tie.
nominee for member or officer of the Board shal l be deemed
elected who has not received the affirma tive vot es of at least a
majority of the members present at the meeting.
If there should be fewer than si xte en members in any class
prior to the end of the term for such class, the vacancy may be
filled pursuant to the procedure provided above for regular
elections , except that the election may take place at any regular
meeting. A member elected to fill any such vac ancy shall hold
office for the remainder of the term of th e class in which such
vacancy occurred.
(4) Elections by the Alumni. Each year in the spring, two
alumni shall be elected to membersh ip fo r a term of three years,
in such manner that there shall be six members of the Board
elected by the alumni, consistin g of three classes of two members
each. Outgoing alumni members shall continue to serve until
their successor s are elected.
The Director of Alumni Activitie s sha ll request the Board of
the Alumni Associati on to nominate at least one candidate for
each vacancy. Additiona l candidate s may be nominated by petition
of any thirty alumni. All alumni shall be elig ible to vote for
the alumni members of the Board. Balloting will be conducted by
mail by the Director of Alumni Activitie s.
In the event that for any reason there should be fewer than
two alumni members in any class prior to the end of the term of
that class, the vacancy shall be filled by interim election,
conducted in the same manner. Newly-ele cted alumni shall begin
their term at the meeting next following the annual meeting of
the Board.
Faculty Represen tation at Board Meetings. Three
(5)
members of the Faculty shall be elected by the Faculty on each
campus to attend all regular sessions of the Board on the campus
to which they belong, with voice in deliberat ion, but without
vote.
Student Represen tation at Board Meetings. Two students
(6)
shall be elected by the students on each campus to attend al l
regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which they belong,
with voice in deliberat ion, but without vote.
(7) • Graduate Institute Director Represen tation at Board
Each Director of the Graduate Institute may attend all
Meetings.
regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which he belongs,
with voice in deliberat ion, but without vote.
(8) Graduate Institute Student Represen tation at Board
Meetings. A student of the Graduate Institute shall be elected by
the students of the Graduate Institute on each campus to attend
all regular sessions of the Board on the campus to which he
belongs, with voice in deliberat ion, but without vote.
(9) Alumni Associati on Represen tation at Board Meetings.
The President of the Alumni associati on shall be invited to
attend all regular sessions of the Board, with voice in
deliberat ion, but without vote.
(10) Staff Represen tation at Board Meetings. The Staff on
each campus shall be invited to send two represent atives to all
regular sessions of the Board at that campus, with voice in
deliberat ion, but without vote.
(11) Reelectio n. A member of the Board elected by the
Board or by the Alumni may be elected for not more than two
consecuti ve terms, but may, after a second consecuti ve term, be
reelected to membersh ip at the annual meeting in the year
following the expiratio n of the member's second term.
(12)
Meetings of the Board.
(a) Regular meetings of the Board shall be held
quarterly in either Annapolis or Santa Fe. The Spring meeting
shall be called the annual meeting. The time and place of
regular meetings shall be determine d by the Chairman, in
consultat ion with the President , and notice of regular meetings
shall be given not less than fifteen days prior to such meetings.
(b) Special meetings of the Board may be called by the
President , the Chairman, the Executive Committee , or any ten
members of the Board, not less than seven days after the dispatch
of written or telegraph ic notice of the time, place, and purposes
of the meeting. Such notice may be dispensed with if waived in
writing by all members of the Board either before or after the
meeting.
(c) Any business may be conducted at a regular meeting
without specific notice of such business (except that which is
required by law or as provided herein as to elections and
amendmen ts), but no business shall be conducted at any special
meeting unless notice of such business has been given, or has
been waived as above provided.
(d) Twelve members of the Board present at a meeting
shall constitut e a quorum for the transacti on of business.
(e) The Board in regular session is open to elected
members, to Visitors Emeriti, to Associate s
officio
ex
and
invited by the President , and to official represent atives of the
Faculty, Students, Graduate Institute , Alumni Associati on and
Staff. Attendanc e at Executive sessions shall be limited to
voting members and Visitors Emeriti. Public sessions shall be
open without restrictio n. The Chairman of the Board, in
consultat ion with the President , shall determine whether any
12
13
�meeting or portion of a meeting shal l be in regular, executive,
or public session.
(13) Officers of the Board. At e ach annual meeting the
Board shall elect a Chairman, two Vice- Chairme n, and a Secretary ,
to hold office until the next annual meet ing or unti l the ir
successors are elected. Vacancies i n any such offices may be
filled at any regular meeting, or a ny special meeti ng c alled f or
that purpose. Such officers shall p e rform th e customa ry dutie s
of such offices, and such other dut ies as th e Board may from t i me
to time direct.
(14)
•
(ii) The Finance Committee shall review the
proposed annual budgets of the College prior to their
presentation for approval by the Board and shall make
recommendations to the Board with respect to the budgets at the
meeting at which they are presented.
Committees of the Board .
Executive Committee. The Cha irma n, the Vice(a)
Chairmen, the Secretary, the Presi dent, the Deans, and four oth er
members chosen annually by the Board at th e an nual meeting shall
comprise the Executive Committee of the Board. In intervals
between meetings of the Board, t h e Executive Comm ittee may act
for the Board, except in those ma tt e rs expres s ly de l e gated to
some other committee, person, or persons. Seve n members of the
Executive Committee present at a meeting sha ll cons titute a
quorum for the transaction of bus i nes s.
(b) Presidential Searc h Committee . There shall be a
Presidential Search Committee to recommend the appoin tment of a
President as provided i n Artic l e I I I(2).
(c) Nominating Commi ttee. There sha ll be a nomina ti n g
Committee for membership of the Board a nd for office r s of the
Board as provided in Article II ( 3).
(iii) The Finance Committee shall study, and
periodically advise the Board with respect to, the financial
business policies and practices of the College, and shall make
such special studies and reports as the Board may from time to
time request.
•
(d) Visiting Committee. Ther e s hall be a Visiting
Committee of not more than ten persons a ppo inted by th e Chairman.
There shall be an eastern and a western Co-C ha irman of the
Visiting Committee, and the Committee ' s me mb er s hip shal l i nc l ude
an equal number of members from the t wo sect ions of the co u ntry.
Each half of the Visiting Committee sha ll ma k e at least one visit
to the campus in its area each y ear to repo r t to the Board on how
well the aims of the College are being rea li zed . Each half of
the Visiting Committee shall meet at least once annually with the
Instruction Committee on the campus i n it s a r ea to discuss the
Statement of Educat i onal Pol i c y a nd Program of th e Chairman of
the Instruction Committee and to acquain t th emse lves with other
educational matters.
Finance Commit t ee. There sha ll be a Finance
(e)
Committee consisting of the Ch a i r man, t h e Pr e s i den t, and the
off i c i o , and s i x members appointed
Treasurers of the College,
by the Chairman. The Chairman of the Board s h a ll appoint one of
In carrying out
the members to be the Chairman o f th e Committee.
its functions the Committee may be d i vided int o t wo working
subcommittees, one on investments , one on budget , e ac h with it s
Chairman. The Fi nance Committee shall have the foll ow ing po wers
and duties:
14
(i) The Finance Committee shall have full power
to direct the investment and reinvestment of all funds of the
College, including endowment and restricted funds, and the proper
officers of the Board and the College are authorized to carry out
all written directions, signed by the Chairman of the Committee,
with respect to such investments and reinvestments. The
Committee shall report at each regular meeting any action taken
hereunder since the previous meeting.
(f) Audit Committee. There shall be an Audit
Committee of three persons, including a Chairman, appointed by
the Chairman of the Board. The Treasurers shall serve as nonvoting Staff to the Committee .
(i) The Committee shall review in detail the
the independent auditors and discuss audit
of
annual report
findings with the auditors, unattended by employees of the
College.
(ii) The Committee shall meet with
representatives of the independent auditors to the next audit to
discuss scope and procedures and any other matters requiring
special attention.
(iii) The Committee shall discuss with College
personnel any corrective action required as a result of the audit
report.
(iv) The Committee shall recommend to the Board
the appointment or reappointment of independent auditors to
conduct the audit for the next fiscal year.
The Committee shall report to the Board
(v)
annually on its review of the audit and shall bring to the
attention of the Board any matters related thereto requiring
Board action.
•
(g) Compensation Review Committee. There shall be a
Compensation Review Committee of not more than five members, including a Cha i rman, appointed by the Chairman of the Board.
(i ) The Committee shall recommend to the Board
policies for direct and indirect compensation of Tutors,
15
�Associate members of the Faculty, other Faculty membe rs, a nd
Staff at the College. It shall annually review t h e compensati o n
policies and performance with respect to them and r e p o rt the
findings of this review to the Board.
(ii) The Committee shall recommend to the Board
the compensation of the Presidents, Vice-Presiden ts for College
Advancement, and Treasurers of the College.
(iii) In matters of policy and compensation, the
Committee shall consult the Presidents and the Chairman of the
Finance Committee.
(h) Polity Review Committee. There shall be a Polity
Review Committee of not more than five members appointed by the
Chairman every fifth year. The Committee shall receive the
report of the Faculty Committee and after appropriate study shall
make recommendations to the Board for co n sidera tion at the annual
meeting when the final review of the Po li ty i s co nsummated. The
respective Chairmen of the Board and Facu l ty Rev iew Committees
shall make such arrangements as they deem appropr iate for joint
consultation prior to and after the adopt io n of the report by the
Faculty.
(i) Other Committees. The Cha irman ma y appoint such
other standing or special committees of t h e Board as he may deem
desirable or which the Board may request.
(j)
Former members of the Board and Visitors Emeriti
may .be appointed by the Chairman to serve on Committees at his
discretion.
(k)
Except for the Presidential Searc h Committee and
the Polity Review Committee, committee appointme nts shall be ma d e
annually. Members of the Committees serve unti l t he ir success or s
have been appointed.
(1)
Any member of the Board may, without invitatio n,
attend any Board committee meeting, except those of t he
Presidential Search and Executive Committees, but witho ut v ote.
(15)
Execution of Contracts, Transfer of Secur ities, Etc.
All contracts of $50,000 or more, notes, deeds, l eases,
mortgages, releases, bonds for security or indemnity , negotiable
instruments, stock certificates, transfers, and powers, and like
papers and documents on behalf of the College or the Endowment
Funds shall be executed by two persons, of whom one shall be the
President, the Chairman, or the Vice-Chairman, and of whom the
other shall be the Secretary of the Board or the Treasurer of the
campus concerned.
(16)
Signing of Checks, Drafts, Etc. All
acceptances, and similar orders for the payment
behalf of the College may be signed by the same
authorized to execute contracts, etc., pursuant
checks, drafts,
of money on
persons
to Section (15)
hereof, but may also be signed by such persons, and in such
manner, as the Board may from time to time direct by appropriate
resolution.
THE FACULTY
The Visitors and Governors by these ordinances
hereby delegate to the Faculty of St. John's College - the President, the Deans, the other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti, the VicePresidents for College Advancement, the Treasurers, and the
Associates - "powers and authorities" for the "instruction,
discipline, and government" of the College.
Article III
THE FACULTY:
THE PRESIDENT
(1) There is delegated to the President by the Visitors and
Governors executive responsibility and authority for the
instruction, discipline, and government of the College, and the
President, in turn, may delegate his authority.
There shall be a President for the Annapolis campus and
a President for the Santa Fe campus, each appointed as provided
in Article III (2). There is delegated to each President by the
Visitors and Governors executive responsibility and authority for
the instruction, discipline, and government of the campus of
which he is President, and the President, in turn, may delegate
his authority. In the interest of the orderly conduct of
business and of maintaining and promoting the unity of the
College, the Presidents shall regularly consult and communicate
with each other and, as appropriate, with other College
officials, on matters of common concern.
(2) The President shall be appointed by the Board of
Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of a Committee
composed of five members of the Board of Visitors and Governors,
at least one of whom is an alumnus, the Deans, and one Tutor from
each campus selected from among themselves by the Tutors on that
campus having tenure. This Committee shall be known as the
Presidential Search Committee. It shall consult with all
appropriate persons on both campuses prior to making its final
recommendation and shall arrange for the candidates to meet with .
the Instruction Committee on each campus.
(3) The President shall concurrently be a Tutor, but the
provisions of Article V need not apply.
16
17
�(4) The President and persons to whom he delegates his
authority shall consult with the Deans, other appropr i ate
persons, and appropriate Faculty committees in matters o f po licy,
initiation of programs, and setting of priorities af f ec ting the
general welfare of the College.
(5) There shall be a Financial Committee on each campu s
consisting of the President as Chairman and the Dean and
Treasurer of the campus.
It will review proposed budgets prio r
to their being presented to the Finance Committee o f the Board.
It will also meet prior to Board meetings to review performance
in the fiscal year to date and emerging budgetary s trengths and
weaknesses. The President shall appoint, or delegate the power
to appoint, other committees as may be necessary for the carrying
out of his duties and for which no provision is made under
Article VIII.
(6)
If in the judgment of the Board of Vis itors and
Governors, the College is facing a financial exig ency at eithe r
or both of its campuses which could call for a reduction in the
number of Faculty positions, both President s shal l immediately
advise the Faculty of the nature and extent of the financial
difficulty and consult with them concerning the be st way to
address the situation. The Faculty may then make a formal
recommendation to the Presidents on ways to meet th e problem, or,
if the Faculty fails so to act, the Deans and the Instruction
Committee shall propose a plan to the Pres i dents. The Preside nt s
shall jointly then determine a plan which specifies a preferr ed
course of action to be taken.
All necessary steps must be ta ken
in timely fashion as prescribed by the Board. Nothing herein
provided shall limit the power of the Board to act o therwise in
the event of need to reduce or eliminate Faculty pos itions.
•
(c)
Each year the Chairman of the Instruction
Committee shall, after consultation with the Instruction
Committee on his campus, and after discussion with the
Instruction Committee of the College, submit a Statement of
Educational Policy and Program to the Faculty as a whole for
discussion.
The President shall present the Statement, together
with an account of the Faculty discussion of it and his response
to it, as a report to the Board of Visitors and Governors for its
consideration.
as he may
Governors
questions
Chairman,
(2)
•
(d) The Chairman of the Instruction Committee shall,
deem appropriate, report to the Board of Visitors and
on instructional issues, and shall respond to such
about instructional matters as the Board, through its
may from time to time direct to him.
The Deans.
(a) There is delegated to the Deans on their
respective campuses responsibility and authority for the
supervision of the program of instruction and for the general
welfare of the students and for whatever government of the
students be necessary for the greatest possible attainment of
aims of the program. Each Dean shall be the Chairman of the
Instruction Committee on the campus where he serves. In carrying
out their duties, the Deans shall consult regularly with the
Instruction Committee and other appropriate Faculty committees.
(b) The Deans shall be appointed for terms of five
years from among the Tutors by the Visitors and Governors on the
recommendation of the President after consultation with the
special committee of six, three from each campus, selected from
among themselves by the Tutors having tenure.
(c) The Deans shall be Tutors with tenure, the
provisions of Article V(3) notwithstanding.
Article IV
(d) To assist them in carrying out their duties, the
Deans shall recommend one or more Tutors to be appointed by the
President with the title of Assistant Dean.
THE FACULTY:
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE AND THE DEANS
The Chairman of the Instruction Committee.
(e) During the absence of the President from either
campus, the Dean on that campus shall if necessary exercise the
President's prerogative of final decision.
(a) There is delegated to the Chairman of the
Instruction Committe responsibility and authority for the
organization of the program of instruction in the liberal arts
that is followed by the Tutors and the Students.
(f) During the absence of either Dean from the campus
a Tutor with tenure named by him shall act for the Dean.
(1)
(b) The Deans shall serve alternately, for a term of
one year, as Chairman of the Instruction Committee.
•
(g) The Dean on each campus shall appoint such
committees as may be necessary for the carrying out of his duties
and for which no other provision is made.
18
19
�Article V
THE TUTORS
THE FACULTY:
(1) The primary responsibilities of the Tutors are to teach
and to make themselves as competent as possible in all parts of
the St. John's Program.
(2) The Tutors in Annapolis and the Tutors in Santa Fe
shall have authority to recommend to the Visitors and Governors
candidates for degrees.
(3) Appointment and Reappointment of Tutors. Tutors shall
be appointed by the Visitors and Governors upon recommendation of
the President in accordance with the recommenda tion of the Dean
and the Instruction Committee on that campus where the Tutors so
appointed shall teach.
(a) Regular appointment of Tutors shall be upon the
following terms:
(i) New Tutors shall be appointed for one year
unless they are appointed at mid-year, in which case the initial
First reappointments
appointment shall be for a year and a half.
shall be for one year. Second and third reappointments shall be
for two and three years respectively. Tenure appointments shall
not continue beyond June 30th of the academic year in which a
Tutor attains the age of 70, subject to the provisions of Section
(6) below.
(ii) Before making recommendations to the
President on tenure appointments the Dean on each campus shall
consult with the Instruction Committee on that campus, after
seeking the advice of the Tutors on that campus having tenure.
(iii) A Tutor who has completed two one-year
appointments followed by a two-year appointment and a three-year
appointment must either be given a tenure appointment or not be
reappointed as Tutor. A Tutor may, however, be given a tenure
appointment as early as the conclusion of the first year of a
Procedures leading to a recommendation
three-year appointment.
for an early tenure appointment shall be initiated by the Dean
and Instruction Committee, but not without the consent of the
appointee, and shall not prejudice subsequent consideration for a
tenure appointment.
(iv) A Tutor, to be recommended for a tenure
appointment, must have served full-time at the campus where the
recommendation is to · be made for the two years immediately
preceding the year in which that recommendation is made, the
In ordinary cases,
provisions of (iii) above notwithstanding.
these two years of service will be the second year of a two-year
appointment and the first year of a three-year appointment. The
requirement that the service be full-time may be waived by the
Dean and Instruction Committee on that campus.
20
(b) A non-tenure appointment as Tutor establishes the
possibility, but not the presumption, of its renewal and the
granting of a tenure appointment. Procedures for considering
non-tenure appointments differ from those for considering tenure
appointments. Satisfaction of appointment criteria admits of
degree. With each successive reappointment, the criteria are
For a tenure appointment the
applied more rigorously.
application is especially strict.
(c) For the purpose of temporary transfer between
campuses, special appointments of one or two years may be granted
to a Tutor in addition to his regular appointments. The Tutor
may ask that such an appointment be counted as a regular
In the case of a
appointment for the purpose of (a) above.
permanent transfer a Tutor may ask that his years of service at
the other campus be counted toward tenure according to the
provisions of (a) above. Nevertheless, the provisions of (3)
(a) (iv) prevail.
(d) Special one-year appointments and reappointments may
be given to Tutors who intend to teach on a part-time basis only.
Such a Tutor may subsequently apply for and receive a regular
appointment. Special part-time appointments may then be counted
on a fractional basis toward eligibility for tenure, but see
(3)(a)(iv). In establishing eligibility for sabbatical leave,
special part-time appointments shall be computed proportionately.
(4)
Notification.
(a) A Tutor under consideration for a non-tenure
appointment to begin in a certain calendar year shall be notified
by the President no later than December 15th of the preceding
calendar year whether his reappointment will be recommended to
If he is reappointed the
the Board of Visitors and Governors.
President shall so notify him by March 1st of the calendar year
in which the new appointment is to begin.
(b) A Tutor under consideration for a tenure
appointment to begin in a certain calendar year shall be notified
by the President no later than May 31st of the preceding calendar
year whether his appointment will be recommended to the Board of
If he is appointed the President shall
Visitors and Governors.
so notify him by July 31st of that same preceding year.
(5) A Tutor may apply to the Instruction Committee of the
College not later than January 15th for a transfer of campus for
the next academic year. Transfers shall require approval of both
Deans after consultation with their Instruction Committees.
(a) A Tutor may have his appointment terminated by the
(6)
Board of Visitors and Governors for one of the following reasons
(i) failure or inability to perform his teaching duties in
only:
a satisfactory manner, or (ii) moral turpitude. The President
shall make such a recommendation to the Board of Visitors and
Governors only with the concurrence of the Dean and the
21
�Before the
Instruction Committee of the campus co n cerned.
President makes such a recommenda ti on h e s hall advise the Tutor
affected of his intention to do so , a nd the Tutor shall have the
right to be heard by the Instruct i on Committee or, if he pref 7rs,
by another committee to be designated by the President for this
purpose.
(b) Either Dean, with the a pp roval of the Instruction
Committee on the campus concerned , may r ec omme nd to the President
that in the interest of instruction a Tuto r be temporarily
relieved of his duties in whole or in p art at any time. When
such action is taken, the Tutor's sal ary s h a ll be continued for
the remainder of the current acad emi c year .
(7) The sabbatical leave p rogram i s designed to provide
Tutors with an opportunity for s tudy , re st , and renewal of
It is the objective
spirit, in anticipation of future te achi ng.
of the program to grant all applicat ions f o r sabbatical leave
meeting the conditions for eligib ility set out in (a) of this
section. It is understood that Tut o rs on such leave will not
undertake full-time remunerative e mp loyment elsewhere and will
return to the College.
Eligibility for sabbat ica l leave shall be upon the
(a)
following conditions:
(i) A Tutor who has rece ive d a tenure appointment
may apply for a full year of sabbatical leave at full salary,
provided he shall have completed the equivalent of seven full
years of service to the College since his o riginal appointment,
or the equivalent of six full years of service since any previous
sabbatical leave, and the sabbat i ca l leave would not occur in the
last two years of his tenure appo i n t men t.
Such a Tutor ma y a pp ly fo r an earlier
(ii)
sabbatical leave of a full year at pa r t ial sala ry, or a partial
year at full salary. The fractional salary or fractional year
shall be determined by the number of y ears of te aching completed
in relation to the prescribed tota l for e i t h er a n initial or a
In no case
subsequent sabbatical leave, as the case may be.
Sabbatical
salary.
ar
l
egu
r
shall a Tutor be paid more than his
leave for a fraction of a year may not occur dur ing the last t wo
years of a Tutor's tenure appointment.
If, in the judgment of the President, f ina n c ial o r
(b)
academic needs at a campus should require tha t fe we r s abbatic a l
leaves be granted there in a given year than there a re qualifi ed
applicants, and if the number that can be gra n ted there shoul d be
smaller than one-sixth of the number of Tutors a t that campu s
having tenure and not on full-time l eave under th e pr ovisio ns of
section (8) below, the President shall so notif y t he Boa r d of
Visitors and Governors and seek its approval for de l a yin g a
sabbatical leave for one or more of the applicants.
22
(c) If in a year there are more qualified applicants for
sabbatical leave at any one campus than there are leaves to be
granted at that campus, then those members shall have precedence
who meet the following conditions in the order set forth:
(i) Those who have served for the greater number
of years since their first appointment as Tutor or since their
last sabbatical leave, whichever is more recent;
(ii) Those whose service has been continuous
throughout those years;
(iii) Those whose last sabbatical leave was
postponed because of the financial or academic needs of the
College;
(iv)
Those who have seniority of appointment.
When there is a conflict of precedence, the Dean and the
Instruction Committee on the campus concerned shall be consulted.
(d) A Tutor eligible for sabbatical leave shall make
application to the President before November 1st for leave to
begin the following July 1st, and shall be informed of the action
upon his application not later than January 1st.
(8) The President, with the concurrence of the Dean after
cqnsultation with the Instruction Committee on the campus
concerned, may grant leaves of absence to Tutors for a period of
one year or less. At that time it shall be determined whether
the leave shall be counted as service to the College with respect
to eligibility for sabbatical leave and, if so, how. The
decision with respect to a request for leave of absence shall be
made in the light of the requirements both of the applicant Tutor
and of the whole College.
(a) Leave of absence may be renewed upon request but
not more than twice in succession except in extraordinary
circumstances.
(b) A request for a leave of absence shall be
submitted to the President as early as possible in the academic
in which the leave is to be taken, but not
year before the year
later than January 15th of that year. Requests for leaves of
absence may be withdrawn at any time prior to April 1st of the
year in which the request is submitted. Requests for leaves of
absence for the second semester must be submitted no later than
October 15th.
(c) Tutors on sabbatical leave or leave of absence
remain members of the Faculty with the right of full
participation in Faculty meetings and all other College
e·xercises.
23
�Article VI
THE FACULTY:
THE VICE-PRESIDE NTS
FOR COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT AND THE TREASURERS
(1) The Vice-Preside nts for College Advancement shall be
responsible to the President for the supervision and development
of all programs in fund-raising , public relations , a n d alumni
relations on their respective campuses.
(2) The Vice-Preside nt
campus shall be appointed by
on the recommendati on of the
with the Dean on that campus
resolution of the Faculty on
for College Advancement on each
the Board of Visi t or s and Governors
President made afte r co nsultati on
and a committee con stituted by
that campus.
(3) The Treasurers shall have charge, on thei r respecti ve
campuses, under the supervision of the President , of all fund s
and property, and shall have authority to carry o ut fiscal and
property transactions , and to receive and disbursemen
funds,
ts
subJ ect
to the provisions of this Polity and other directions and
arrangements pursuant thereto.
(4) The Associates' Council may establish such committees
as it deems appropriate.
(5) There shall be the following Associates, as deemed
necessary on each campus, with the powers and responsibil ities
provided.
(a) The Registrars. The Registrars shall be
responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses. They
shall prepare and supervise the registration of students and
shall be responsible for the academic records and schedules of
students.
(b) The Librarians. The Librarians shall be
responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for the
operation of the library. Appointments of professional members
of the Library Staff shall be made upon the recommendati on of the
Librarian to the Dean on each campus.
(c) The Director of Student Activities and the
Director of Athletics. The Director of Student Activities and
the Director of Athletics shall be responsible to the Deans on
their respective campuses for devising and directing programs of
recreational activities.
(4) The Treasurer on each campus shall be appo inted by the
Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendat io n of the
President made after consultation with the Dean on t hat campus
and a committee constituted by resolution of the Faculty on that
campus.
(d) The Directors of Admissions. The Directors of
Admissions shall be responsible to the Deans on their respective
campuses for the annual enrollment of qualified Freshmen.
(5) The Vice-Preside nts for College Advancemen t and
Treasurers may be appointed Tutors under the provis ions of
Article V(3)(d).
(e) The Directors of Alumni Activities. The Directors
of Alumni Activities shall be responsible to the Vice-Preside nts
for College Advancement. Their primary duty is to enable the
College and the Alumni Association to be of service to alumni.
Article VII
THE FACULTY:
THE ASSOCIATES
(1) Associates on each campus shall be appointed by the
Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendat ion of the
President in consultation with the Dean of that campus.
(2) Associates may be appointed Tutors under the provisions
of Article V (3) (d).
(3) The Associates on either campus may establish for
themselves an Associates' Council for the purpose of considering
college matters of concern to them and communicatin g with other
members of the College.
(£)
The Directors of Financial Aid. The Directors of
Financial Aid shall be responsible to the Deans on their
respective campuses for the administrati on of financial aid
programs.
(g) The Directors of Career Counseling. The Directors
of Career Counseling shall be responsible to the Deans on their
respective campuses for counseling students with respect to
graduate and professional schools and careers.
(h)
Persons designated Associates under the provisions
of Article I(3)(f) or of Article VII(3)(k) of this Polity as
amended through April 20, 1985, whose offices are not
specifically named in this Article, shall continue to be
Associates until the expiration of their appointments to those
offices.
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Article VIII
THE FACULTY:
(1)
FACULTY COMMITTEES
The Instruc tion Committ ee
The Instruc tion Committ ee shares with its Chairme n
(a)
respons ibility for the program of instruc tion of the College . It
shall consist of twelve Tutors in additio n to the Deans. The
Preside nt shall sit with the Committ ee ex officio . Six of the
Tutors shall be elected from each campus of the College . The
Instruc tion Committ ee shall meet annuall y. On each campus the
members of the Instruc tion Committ ee and the Dean as Chairma n
constit ute the Instruc tion Committ ee of the College on that
campus. The Preside nt sits ex officio with the Instruc tion
Committ ee on each campus.
(b) Each of the members of the Instruc tion Committ ee
shall serve for a term of three years, and the terms shall be
arrange d in such a way that each year the terms of two members at
each campus shall expire. Terms begin and end the day followin g
commenc ement exercis es. Annuall y, and separat ely at each campus,
the Preside nt with the Dean on his campus, after consult ing with
the Instruc tion Committ ee and seeking the advice of the other
Tutors on that campus, shall at the last regular Faculty meeting
on that campus nominat e four Tutors of whom two shall be elected
by the Tutors to members hip on the Instruc tion Committ ee. The
Faculty shall be informe d of the names of the nominee s prior to
the meeting at which the electio n occurs. At the expirat ion of
the three-y ear term a member of the Instruc tion Committ ee shall
for one year be ineligib le for reelect ion.
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The Library Committ ees. The Preside nt, in consult ation
with the Libraria n and the Dean, shall appoint three Tutors on
each campus to serve as a Library Committ ee. The Preside nt, the
Dean, and the Libraria n shall themsel ves be ex officio members of
the Committ ee, and the Libraria n shall serve as Chairma n. It
shall be the duty of the Library Committ ees to assist the
Libraria ns in making the Librarie s serve the ends of the College
and its program ; it shall be their duty to advise the Librari ans
in regard to Library policy and acquisi tions. The Manager s of
the Booksto res may be invited to sit with the Commit tees.
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(a) There shall be a Tutors' Compen sation Committ ee of
six Tutors, three to be elected by the Tutors on each campus,
whose chairma nship shall annuall y alterna te between campuse s.
The Committ ee shall advise the Preside nt concern ing Tutors'
compen sation and related matters ; it shall make annual reviews of
26
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(3)
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The Campus Planning Commit tees. The Faculty on each
campus shall elect five of its members as a Campus Plannin g
Committ ee. Two members shall be elected to the Committ ee
annuall y at the first regular meeting of the academi c session
except in every third year, when one member shall be chosen. The
Preside nt shall sit ex officio with both Commit tees. The Dean,
one of the Assista ntDean s, and the Treasur er on each campus
It shall
shall sit ex officio with the Committ ee on that campus.
be the duty of the respect ive committ ees to advise the Preside nt
on the constru ction of new buildin gs, the renovat ion of old
buildin gs, landsca ping of grounds , and all matters relating to
the mainten ance and developm ent of the campus.
(4)
•
The Prize Committ ees. Every three years the Preside nt
shall appoint five Tutors on each campus to supervi se the
awardin g of prizes on the respect ive campuse s. The Committ ees
shall have full authori ty to decide what prizes shall be awarded
and to name the recipie nts of the prizes.
(5)
If the Instruc tion Committ ee resigns with the
(d)
Deans on a matter of confide nce and the resigna tions are
accepte d, the Preside nt, in consult ation with the new Deans and
after seeking the advice of the other Tutors, shall nominat e nine
Tutors for the six vacanci es on each campus in such a manner that
two out of each three nominee s shall be elected by the Tutors for
each of the three classes to fill the unexpir ed terms.
The Tutors' Compen sation Committ ee
Members of the Committ ee shall be elected annuall y
on each campus for terms of three years in such a manner that the
term of one member on each campus termina tes each year. The
Tutors' Compen sation Committ ee on each campus shall provide the
Tutors on that campus with two nominat ions for each vacancy on
the Committ ee on that campus. Additio nal nominat ions may be made
at the Faculty meeting when election shall be made.
(b)
If for any reason a member of the Instruc tion
(c)
Committ ee is unable to serve for a part of his term, another
Tutor shall be chosen to take his place for that part of the
For this purpose the Preside nt and the Dean, in
term.
consult ation with the Instruc tion Committ ee on the campus where
the vacancy occurs, shall nominat e two Tutors of whom the Tutors
shall elect one in a regular Faculty meeting .
(2)
the College 's stateme nt of Tutors' salarie s and other
compens ation of Tutors and report to the Tutors and the Preside nt
recomme ndations consequ ent upon the review.
The Fellows hip Committ ees. On each campus there shall
It shall be the
be a Fellows hip Committ ee appoint ed by the Dean.
hips for
fellows
of
s
student
inform
to
duty of this Committ ee
for
applying
in
them
assist
to
which they may be eligibl e,
matter
any
in
College
fellows hips, and to act on behalf of the
relating to applica tion for fellows hips.
(6)
•
Other Commit tees. The Faculty on each campus shall
have authori ty to elect, or to request the Preside nt to appoint ,
addition al committ ees that may from time to time become
necessa ry.
(7)
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�Article IX
THE FACULTY:
(1 )
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FACULTY PROCEDURE
Procedure for Instructiona l Proposals.
(a)(i) Any major proposal concerning matters of
instruction affecting the College as a whole shall originate with
the Dean and the Instruction Committee on either campus, and the
decision as to what proposals are major shall be within the
discretion of the said Dean and Instruction Committee who shall
then consult with the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the
In normal circumstance s major proposals concerning
other campus.
instruction shall be formulated at the annual meeting of the
Instruction Committee of the College. Written statements of such
a proposal shall be distributed to the Faculty at least two weeks
before the Faculty meeting at which they are to be presented; the
proposal shall be presented to the whole Faculty by the Chairman
of the Instruction Committee, either in his own person or through
If, after full discussion
the other Dean as his representati ve.
of any proposal so presented, there be no objection on the part
of any Tutor, the measure stands approved and becomes effective
If, after full discussion, a
as of the date specified therefor.
Tutor objects to the proposal and holds to his objection, the
proposal shall be submitted to vote of the Tutors at special
In
Faculty meetings called by the President within a fortnight.
Instruction
the
of
Chairman
the
vote
to
submitting the proposal
Committee and the Dean on the other campus shall state whether it
be a matter of confidence. The vote may then be taken and
tallied by the President in such a fashion that the Tutors shall
If the proposal
have recorded their decision acting as a whole.
and the
Committee
Instruction
the
of
Chairman
the
be one that
it be
if
and
confidence
of
other Dean have declared a matter
defeated by majority vote, the Deans and the Instruction
If it be passed by majority
Committee shall immediately resign.
vote, it shall become effective as of the date specified
For the confidence procedure a quorum shall consist of
therefor.
three-fourth s of all resident Tutors on each campus.
(ii) Proposals concerning instruction that are
not considered major shall originate with the Dean and the
Instruction Committee on the campus where they are intended to be
put into effect, and shall be presented by the Dean to the
Faculty on that campus. The procedure set forth above for the
approval or rejection of proposals shall be followed, except that
it shall apply only on the campus concerned.
In the event that the proposal be defeated
(iv)
and the resignations be accepted, the President shall proceed to
the choice of new Deans in accordance with the provisions of
Article IV (2)(b).
Upon petition of not less than one-tenth of the
(b)
campus, the Dean and Instruction Committee on
either
Tutors on
that campus shall consider any recommendati on concerning
instruction that may be made by the petitioning members, and the
Dean and the Instruction Committee shall report to the Faculty
within one year their proposal concerning it. They shall decide
whether their proposal is a major proposal, and the procedure of
Article IX(l) shall apply.
(2)
Faculty Meetings.
(a) Regular monthly meetings of the Faculty shall be
called upon due notice by the President; except that in the
period comprising the months of December and January only one
regular meeting need be called. The President or, in his
absence, the Dean, shall preside. In the absence of the
President and the Dean, the Faculty shall elect one of its
members to preside.
(b) Special meetings of the Faculty may be called upon
due notice by the President, either at his own discretion or at
the request of five Faculty members.
(c) Due notice shall be construed to mean no less than
three days' notice, except in cases of emergency.
(d) A quorum shall consist of a majority of the
Faculty in residence except as otherwise provided.
(3) The Secretary of the Faculty. At the last regular
meeting of an academic year the Faculty on each campus shall
elect one of its members, then in at least his third year at the
College, as Secretary. The Secretary shall assist in the
preparation and circulation of the agenda for Faculty meetings,
shall keep the minutes of such meetings, and shall collect and
circulate reports of Faculty committees.
Article X
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(iii) The President may refuse to accept the
resignation of the Deans or the Instruction Committee, any or all
of them, whenever in his judgment such resignation would be
detrimental to the proper functioning of the College; provided,
however, that if any six or more Tutors shall petition the
Visitors and Governors, the latter shall review the President's
decision within four weeks, during which time the Deans and the
Instruction Committee shall continue in office.
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THE SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE AND THE ARTISTS-IN-R ESIDENCE
The Scholars-in- Residence and the Artists-in-R esidence shall
be appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the
recommendati on of the President after consultation with the Dean
and the Instruction Committee on the campus where the Scholars
and Artists shall reside.
29
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�Article XI
Article XII
THE STUDENTS
THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE
The primary responsibilities of the students are to
(1)
study and to make themselves as competent as possible in all
Their advice and service shall
parts of the St. John's Program.
be sought by the Faculty in such matters and in such ways as may
best serve the general welfare of the College.
The students of St. John's College in Annapolis shall
(2)
constitute the Student Polity of St. John's College in Annapolis;
the students of St. John's College in Santa Fe shall constitute
the Student Polity in Santa Fe.
The Student Polity in Annapolis or Santa Fe may
(3)
establish for itself a government which is representative of all
polity members. The Dean on each campus may delegate to the
Student government a share of the responsibility for the general
welfare of the students and whatever government of the students
may be necessary for the greatest possible attainment of the aims
of the program. The duties of the Student Government may
include:
Polity;
(a)
the management of funds available to the Student
the sanctioning of all student clubs,
(b)
organizations, and activities, and their regulation, if
necessary;
the representation of the students of St. John's
(c)
College to the community outside the College;
the establishment and maintenance of formal
(d)
channels of communication between the students and the spokesmen
of the Faculty; and
the Dean.
(e)
any other duties agreed upon by the students and
(1)
The Directors.
(a) There shall be a Director of the Graduate
Institute on each campus to whom shall be delegated
responsibility and authority, under the Chairman of the
Instruction Committee, for the organization and supervision on
his campus of the graduate program of instruction in the liberal
arts and for matters concerning the general welfare of the
students. He shall consult with the Dean on his own campus
concerning matters that affect the Graduate Institute there and
with his fellow Director concerning matters that affect the
Graduate Institute as a whole; when necessary, the final decision
shall be reached by the Coordinator of the Graduate Institute in
consultation with the Chairman of the Instruction Committee of
the College.
(b) The Directors shall be appointed for terms of
three years from among the Tutors by the Board of Visitors and
Governors on the recommendation of the President, after
consultation with the Deans and a special committee consisting of
four members, two from each campus, selected from among
themselves by the Tutors having tenure. The Directors shall be
Tutors of the Graduate Institute.
(2)
The Coordinator of the Graduate Institute.
(a) That Director who resides on the same campus as
the Chairman of the Instruction Committee of the College shall be
designated Coordinator of the Graduate Institute for that year.
He shall be responsible for coordinating the work of the Graduate
Institute on the two campuses.
(b) Every three years, after consultation with his
fellow director and the Committee for the Graduate Institute on
his own campus, the Coordinator shall submit a Statement of
Educational Policy and Program for the Graduate Institute to the
Instruction Committee for discussion at its joint meeting. After
making any revisions he deems appropriate he shall submit it to
the Faculty as a whole for discussion.
(3)
The Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
(a) Each Director, after consultation with the
Committee for the Graduate Institute on that campus, and in
accordance with the recommendation of the Instruction Committee
on the same campus, shall recommend to the President Tutors of
the Graduate Institute for summer appointment to teach in the
Graduate Institute for one session.
30
31
�(b) On each campus the Tutors of the Graduate
Institute shall have the authority to recommend to the Board of
Visitors and Governors candidates for degrees.
(4)
Committees for the Graduate Institute.
(a) On each campus the Committee for the Graduate
Institute shares with the Director on the same campus
responsibility for carrying out the program of instruction of the
Graduate Institute and for the general welfare of the students.
(b)
Each Committee shall consist of three Tutors who
have experience in the Institute, in addition to the Director,
who shall serve as Chairman.
(c) Members of each Committee shall be appointed by
the Director with the concurrence of the Dean on the same campus,
after consultation with the Committee for the Graduate Institute
on that campus.
I
(5 )
I
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Procedure for Instructional Proposals.
(a) Major proposals concerning matters of instruction
or policy shall originate with one of the Directors, after
consultation with the other Director and with the Committee for
the Graduate Institute and the Dean on his own campus.
Such
proposals shall be submitted to the Instruction Committee of the
College; if approved, they shall come before the Faculty in
accordance with Article IX(l)(a)(i).
(b)
Proposals concerning instruction or policy that
are not considered major shall originate with the Director on the
campus where they are intended to be put into effect, after
consultation with the Committee for the Graduate Institute and
the Dean on that campus. Such proposals shall be submitted to
the Instruction Committee on that campus; if approved, they shall
come before the Faculty in accordance with Article IX(l)(a)(ii).
•
(3) The College shall cooperate with the Alumni Association
to enable alumni to assist in providing services such as
recruiting and interviewing prospective students, placing
graduates in appropriate employment, and advising students
concerning careers and admission to graduate and professional
schools.
(4) The College, in cooperation with the Alumni
Association, shall provide seminars and other appropriate
educational activities in Annapolis, in Santa Fe, and in other
places.
Article XIV
THE STAFF
(1) Members of the Staff assist with the administration and
maintenance of the College, performing duties necessary to its
well-being. They are subject to appropriate Staff rules and
regulations.
(2) Members of the Staff on either campus may establish for
themselves a Staff Council for the purpose of better
communication and understanding of College policies as a benefit
to the College as a whole. The Staff Council shall seek to
establish and maintain formal channels of communication among the
whole Staff and between the Staff and the appropriate College
Officers. The Treasurer on each campus shall review Staff
employment regulations with the Staff Council and discuss with
them any changes proposed.
(3) The Staff Council may establish such committees as it
deems appropriate.
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Article XIII
THE ALUMNI
(1)
Alumni shall be life-long members of the College, since
St. John's College is a community not limited by geographical
location or fixed periods of time.
I
(2)
The Alumni Association is the formal means by which
alumni participate in the life of the College. Through the
election of alumni members of the Board of Visitors and
Governors, alumni share in the direction of that life.
In these
and other ways, alumni shall be given the opportunity to serve
the College.
32
Article XV
AMENDMENTS AND REVIEW
(1) This Polity may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the
members present at any regular or special meeting of the Board
provided written notice of the proposed amendment shall have been
given to members of the Board and to the Faculty not less than
thirty days prior to such meeting. The Faculty shall have the
right to inform the Board in writing of its recommendation with
33
�respect to the propose d amendme nt by the date of the Board
meeting at which the amendme nt is to be conside red.
(2) Amendm ents may be propose d at any regular meet ing of
either the Faculty in Annapo lis or the Faculty in Santa Fe upon
petitio n of not less than ten percent of the members on either
campus. No such proposa l shall be acted upon earlier than the
next regular meeting of the Faculty , whether in Annapo li s or in
Santa Fe. Two-thi rds vote of the entire Faculty in resi dence
shall be require d for approva l and the amendme nt shall not become
effectiv e unless approve d by the Board in the manner set forth in
Section (1) above.
Every five years this Polity shall be reviewe d by a
(3)
committ ee of the Faculty elected by a majorit y vote of the
Faculty . The report of the Committ ee shall be submitt ed to one
regular Faculty meeting and voted upon at the next regula r
Faculty meeting . A two-thi rds vote of the Faculty in res idence
shall be require d for approva l.
Whateve r action is thus recomme nded by the Facu lty
shall be submitt ed to the Board for final decisio n in the manne r
set forth in Section (1) above.
Article XVI
No provisio n of this Polity shall be constru ed to contrav en
If any provisi on is
any applica ble federal or state law.
determi ned to contrav ene any such law, that provisi on shal l be
deemed not a part of this Polity, and this Polity' s remaini ng
provisio ns shall remain in full force and effect:
34
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Charter and Polity of the College
Description
An account of the resource
Revised and amended editions of the St. John's College Charter and Polity.<br /><br />The College's first Charter and Polity was published as the <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3768">September 1950</a> issue of the <em><a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/collections/show/37">Bulletin of St. John's College in Annapolis</a></em>. Revised and amended versions were published as individual issues of the <em>Bulletin</em> in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3746">1951</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7844">1960</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7845">1963</a>, and <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7846">1965</a>. <br /><br />The Charter and Polity was published as a separate document in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7850">1955</a> and again from <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7851">1970</a> forward. The most recent version of the Charter and Polity is also available on the College's <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/about/leadership/board-visitors-governors/charter-polity">website</a>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=62&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate">Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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St. John's College
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St. John's College
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
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PDF
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34 pages
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Title
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Charter and Polity of the College, 1987
Description
An account of the resource
Charter and Polity of the College, April 1987.
Creator
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St. John's College
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe, NM
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1987-04
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text
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PDF
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St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Legal instruments
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English
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Charter_and_Polity_1987
Charter and Polity
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/449d723e466cc25a7b79ca2c068c950c.pdf
702044109db8c6989cce2a8521bd2918
PDF Text
Text
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
CHARTER AND POLITY
OF
THE COLLEGE
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
May, 1976
Founded as King William's School, 1696, Chartered as St. John's College, 1784
�History
I
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St. john's College was founded in 1696 as King William's School in
accordance with a Petitionary Act for free-schools of the General Assembly of
the Colony of Maryland. Following the Revolutionary War, the General
Assembly of the new State of Maryland granted a Charter to St. John's
College pursuant to and as a part of Chapter 37 of the Laws of Maryland of
1784. This Charter was subsequently amended by the General Assembly
through Resolution No. 41 of 1832.
The Visitors and Governors of St. John's College in 1950 revised the
Charter to eliminate extraneous and obsolete matter and to make certain
other amendments consistent with present requirements and conditions. It
was the opinion of the Attorney General of Maryland that the original
Charter of the College was subject to the general Corporation Laws of
Maryland and might accordingly be amended by the Visitors and Governors,
pursuant to these laws, without legislative action by the General Assembly.
Subsequent amendments were made in 1961, in 1963, in 1965, in 1970, and
in 1975.
When the decision was reached to establish a second St. john's College in
Santa Fe, New Mexico, amendments were made to the Charter to authorize
branches or extensions of the College. The Charter was then filed with the
Corporations Commission of the State of New Mexico as a foreign
corporation. The College was thus empowered to grant degrees in New
Mexico under the provisions of its Maryland Charter.
A Polity for the College was first suggested at a faculty meeting in 1943 by
the Dean. A faculty committee was elected and drafted a Polity which was
then promulgated by the President. In April 1949 the Faculty elected a
committee to revise the Polity. The resulting document was approved by the
Faculty on April 9, 1950, and was adopted by the Board of Visitors and
Governors on July 8, 1950. Subsequent quinquennial reviews were made by
elected faculty committees, and desired amendments were recommended by
the Faculty to the Board of Visitors and Governors. The Polity was thus
amended at regular annual meetings of the Board held in Annapolis on May
14, 1955, May 21, 1960, May 15, 1965, June 6, 1970, and April 19, 1975.
Other amendments were adopted by the Board at regular meetings in
Annapolis on February 22 and December 9, 1961, February 23, 1963,
October 3, 1970, and October 25, 1975; also at regular meetings in Santa Fe
on September 28, 1963, February 18, 1972, and January 24, 1976.
1
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�IV. That the governing body or board of said College shall consist of not
more than forty-nine nor less than thirteen Visitors and Governors, to be
chosen and to hold office in such manner as the said Visitors and Governors
may determine and prescribe by their fundamental ordinances; provided,
however, that the Governors of the States of Maryland and New Mexico shall
act ex officio as two of the total number of Visitors and Governors of said
college during their respective terms in said offices; and that the said Visitors
and Governors and their successors duly chosen shall be and are hereby
declared to be one community, corporation and body politic to have
contmuance forever by the name of
Charter of St. John's College
WHEREAS, institutions for the liberal education of youth in the principles of virtue , knowledge and useful literature are of the highest benefit to
society, in order to train up and perpetuate a succession of able and honest
men for discharging the various offices and duties of life, both civil and
religious, with usefulness and reputation , and such institutions of learning
have accordingly been promoted and encouraged by the wisest and best
regulated States; And whereas, it appears to this General Assembly that many
public spirited individuals, from an earnest desire to promote the founding a
college or seminary of learning on the Western Shore of this State have
subscribed and procured subscriptions to a considerable amount, and there is
reason to believe that very large additions will be obtained to the same
throughout the different counties of the said Shore , if they were made capable
in law to receive and apply the same towards founding and carrying on a
college or general seminary of learning with such salutary plan and with such
legislative assistance and direction as the General Assembly might think fit,
and this General Assembly, highly approving those generous exertions of
individuals, are desirous to embrace the present favorable occasion of peace
and prosperity for making lasting provision for the encouragement and
advancement of all useful knowledge and literature through every part of this
State;
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
and by the same name they shall have perpetual succession.
VII. That if the City of Annapolis should be fixed upon as a proper place
for establishing the said mtended college, this General Assembly give and
grant, and upon that condition do hereby give and grant to the Visitors and
Governors of the said College by the name of ''The Visitors and Governors of
Saint John's College in the State of Maryland," and their successors all that
four acres within the City of Annapolis purchased for· the use by the public
and conveyed on the 2nd day of October, 1744, by Stephen Bordley, Esq . to
Thos. Bladen, Esq., then Governor, to have and to hold the said four acres
of land with the appurtenances to the said Visitors and governors and their
successors for the only use, benefit and behoof of the said college and
seminary of universal learning forever.
BE IT ENACTED :
II. That a college or general seminary of learning by the name of "St.
John's College" be established on the said Western Shore upon the following
fundamental and inviolable principles ; namely, first, the said college shall be
founded and maintained forever upon a most liberal plan for the benefit of
youth of every religious denomination , who shall be freely admitted to equal
privileges and advantages of education and to all the literary honors of the
college, according to their merit without requiring or enforcing any religious
or civil test, or urging their attendance upon any particular religious worship
or service other than what they have been educated in or have the consent and
approbation of their parents or guardians to attend; nor shall any preference
be given in the choice of a Principal, Vice-Principal or other Professor, Master
or Tutor in said college on account of his particular religious profession,
having regard solely to his moral character and literary abilities and other
necessary qualifications to fill the place for which he shall be chosen.
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VIII. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the same
name shall be able and capable in law to purchase, have and enjoy to them
and their successors in fee, or for any other less estate or estates, any lands,
tenements , rents, annuities, pensions or other hereditaments by the gift,
grant, bargam, sale, alienation, enfoeffment, release, confirmation, or devise
of any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate capable to make the
same, and such lands, tenements , rents, annuities, pensions or other
hereditaments or any less estates, rights or interests of or in the same at their
pleasure to grant, alien, sell_ and transfer in such manner and form as they
shall think meet and convement for the furtherance of the said college; And
also that they ma_y take and receive any sum or sums of money, and any kind,
manner or pomon of goods and chattels that shall be given, sold or
bequeathed to them by any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate
capable to make a gift, sale or bequest thereof and employ the same toward
erecting, setting up and maintaining the said col.lege in such manner as they
shall Judge most necessary and convenient for the instruction, improvement
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and education of youth in the vernacular and learned languages, and
generally in any kind of literature, ans and sciences, which they shall think
proper to be taught for training up good , useful and accomplished men for
the service of their country , in church and state .
professors such powers and authorities as they may think best for the standing
government of the said seminary and of the execuuon of the ordmances and
rules of the same; provided always that they be not repugnant to the form of
government of any law of this State.
IX. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors by the name
aforesaid shall be able in law to sue and be sued, plead and be impleadable in
any court or courts, before any judge, judges, or justices within this State and
elsewhere in all and all manner of suits, complaints, pleas, causes, matters
and demands of whatsoever kind, nature or form they be and all and every
other matter and thing therein to do in as full and effectual a manner as any
other person or persons, bodies politic or corporate within this State or any of
the United States of America in like cases may or can do.
XV. And for animating and encouraging the students of said college to a
laudable diligence, industry and progress in useful literature and science, be it
enacted that the said Visitors and Governors and their successors shall by
a written mandate under their privy seal and the hand of someone of the
Visitors and Governors to be chosen annually as their President, according to
the ordinance to be made for that purpose, have full power and authoriry to
direct the principal, vice-principal and professors to hold public commencements either on stated annual days, or occas10nally as the future ordmances of
the said seminary may direct and at such commencements to admit any of the
students in the said college or any other persons meriting the same (whose
names shall be severally inserted in the same mandate) to any degree or
degrees in any of the faculties, arts and sciences and liberal professions .to
which persons are usually admitted in other colleges or universities in Amenc_a
or Europe; And it is hereby enacted that the pnncipal, or in the case of his
death or absence, the vice-principal, and in case of the death or absence of
both, the senior professor who may be present, shall make out and sign with
his name diplomas or certificates of the admission to such degree or degrees,
which shall be sealed with the public or greater seal of the said corporatton or
college and delivered to the graduates as honorable and perpetual
testimonials of such admission; which diplomas, if thought necessary for
doing greater honor to such graduates, shall also be signed with the names of
the different professors or as many of them as can conveniently sign the same;
provided always that no student or students within the said college shall ever
be admitted to any such degree or degrees, or have their name mserted in any
mandate for a degree, until such student or students have been first duly
examined, and thought worthy of the same.
X. That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors shall have full
power and authoriry to have, make and use one common and public seal and
likewise one privy seal with such devices and inscriptions as they shall_ think
proper, and to ascertain, fix and regulate the uses of both seals, by their own
laws and the same seals or either of them to change, break, alter and renew at
their pleasure.
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XI . That the said Visitors and Governors and their successors from time to
time and at all times hereafter, forever, shall have full power and authority to
constitute and appoint in such manner as they shall think best and most
convenient, a principal, a vice-principal of th_esaid college and professors with
proper tutors and assistants for instructing the students and scholars of the
said seminary in all the liberal arts and sciences, and in the ancient and
modern tongues and languages; and the said principal, vice-principal and
professors so constituted and appointed from time to time shall be known and
distinguished forever as one learned body or faculry by the name of ''The
Principal, Vice-Principal and Professors of St. John's College"; and by that
name shall be capable of exercising such powers and authorities as the Visitors
and Governors of the said college and their successors shall by their ordinances
think necessary to delegate to them for the instruction, discipline and
government of the said seminary and of all the students, scholars, ministers
and servants belonging to the same.
XIV. That a majority of the said Visitors and Governors for the time being
and duly assembled at any meeting upon due notice given to the whole body
of Visitors and Governors shall have full power and authority to make
fundamental ordinances for the government of the said college and the
instruction of youth as aforesaid, and by these ordinances to appoint such a
number of their own body not less than seven, as they may think proper for
transacting all general and necessary business of the said seminary and making
temporary rules for the government of the same; and also by the said
fundamental ordinances to delegate to the principal, vice-principal and
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XVI. That the ordinances which shall be from time to time made by the
Visitors and Governors of the said college and their successors with an account
of their other proceedings and of the manag_ement of theestate and moneys
committed to their trust, shall when required be laid before the General
Assembly for their inspection and examination,but in case at 3:°Y time
hereafter through oversight, or otherwise through misapprehension
and
mistaken constructions of the powers, liberties and franchises m this Charter
or Act of Incorporation granted, or intended to be granted, any ordinance
should be made by the said corporation of Visitors and Governors or any
matters done and transacted by the corporation contrary to the tenor hereof,
it is enacted that although such ordinances, acts and doings shall in
themselves be null and void, yet they shall not, however, in any courts of law,
or by the General Assembly, be deemed, taken, interpreted or adjudged into
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�an avoidance or forfeiture of this Charter and Act of Incorporation, but the
same shall be and remain unhun , inviolate and entire unto the said
corporation of Visitors and Governors in perpetual succession; and all their
acts conformable to the powers , true intent and meaning hereof shall be and
remain in full force and validity, the nullity and avoidance of such illegal acts
to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
XVII. That this Charter and Act of Incorporation and every pan thereof
shall be good and available in all things in the law according to the true
intent and meaning thereof, and shall be construed, reputed and adjudged in
all cases most favorably on the behalf and for the best benefit and behoof of
the said Visitors and Governors and their successors , so as most effectually to
answer the valuable end of this Act of Incorporation towards the general
advancement and promotion of useful knowledge, science and virtue.
Polity of St. John's College
PREAMBLE
XVIII. That the College may establish and operate one or more branches
in one or more states of the United States.
Education is the making of men out of children by
bringing them into the world of inherited customs,
intellectual traditions, and spiritual ties. Institutions of
learning are set up for this purpose. Beyond this they
should also seek to develop the moral and intellectual
powers of men to enable them to fulfill best their
freely chosen tasks and thus to take their own
responsible part in shaping the future. St. John's
College is a community of learning committed to
holding these ends constantly in sight and to seeking
the best means of attaining them.
C
St.John's College strives to illuminate the common
heritage of mankind in a persisting study of the great
documents in which that heritage can be found. It is
concerned with the unity of knowledge, an understanding of the great issues faced by men, and the
moral foundations on which the conduct of men's lives
can be based. To provide proper conditions for the
pursuit of these ends, we, the Board of Visitors and
Governors, after consultation with the Faculty, do
ordain and establish the polity for St. John's College.
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Anicle I
THE COLLEGE
II
(1) St.John's College is by its Chaner a legal entity, carrying on its functions in Annapolis, Maryland, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Under the Charter of the College, all power, authority, and responsibility penaining to the
College are vested in the Visitors and Governors.
(2) The College shall be understood to consist of the following: (a) the
Board of Visitors and Governors; (b) the Faculty; (c) the Scholars-in-Residence;
(d) the Anists-in-Residence; (e) the Students; (f) the Faculty of the Graduate
Institute; (g) the Alumni; and (h) the Staff.
(3) Under the Chaner, "the said Visitors and Governors, and their
successors, from time to time, and at all times hereinafter, forever, shall have
full power and authority to constitute and appoint, in such manner as they
shall think best and most convenient, a principal and vice-principal of the
said College, and professors, with proper tutors and assistants, for instructing
the students and scholars of the said seminary in all the liberal arts and
sciences, and in the ancient and modern tongues and languages; and the said
principal, vice-principal, and professors, so constituted and appointed from
time to time shall be known and distinguished forever as one learned body or
faculty, by the name of 'The Principal, Vice-Principal, and Professors of St.
John's College'; and by that name shall be capable of exercising such powers
and authorities as the Visitors and Governors of the said college and their
successors shall by their ordinances think necessary to delegate to them for the
instruction, discipline, and government of the said seminary and of all the
students, scholars, ministers and servants belonging to the same."
(a) The "principal" shall bear the title President.
(b) The "vice-principal" shall be the Dean who 1s servmg as the
Chairman of the Instruction Committee.
(c) There shall be a Dean of St. John's College in Annapolis and a
Dean of St. John 's College in Santa Fe.
(d) The ''professors, tutors and assistants'' shall bear the title Tutor or
Tutor Emeritus. Tutors who have completed their tenure appointments and
are no longer teaching shall be Tutors Emeriti.
(e) There shall be a Vice-President of St. John's College in Annapolis
and a Vice-President of St. John's College in Santa Fe.
(f) There shall be Associates of St. John's College, who shall be on
either campus, as the offices may be deemed necessary, the Treasurer, the
Registrar, the Librarian, the Assistant Librarian, the Director of Athletics, the
Director of Student Activities, the Director of Admissions, the Director of
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Alumni Activities, the College Archivist and Alumni Secretary, the Director
of Financial Aid, and the Director of Placement.
(g) The '' one learned body or faculty,'' composed of the President, the
Deans, the other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti, the Vice-Presidents, and the
Associates, shall bear the title The Faculty of St. John's College.
(h) There may be on either campus Scholars-in-Residenc~ and Anistsin-Residence.
(i) All who have formally matriculated, are at the present enrolled, and
are in good standing shall be called Students of St. John's College.
(j) Tutors of the Graduate Institute, the Director, the Assistant
Director, and the Registrar of the Graduate Institute shall be called the
Faculty of the Graduate Institute .
(k) All who have formally matriculated on either campus, who are not
at present enrolled, and whose class has graduated, whether graduates or
non-graduates, whether in undergraduate or post-graduate programs, shall be
called Alumni of St. John's College.
(1) The Staff shall consist of all persons who are appointed by the
Vice-Presidents to the performance of duties necessary to the proper
functioning of the College. The Staff may, as appropriate to either campus,
consist of two parts, the Administrative Staff and the Buildings and Grounds
Staff.
(m) In all appointments and in student admissions there shall be no
discrimination with respect to sex, race, color, creed, and national or ethnic
ongm.
(n) Normal retirement of any person employed by the College shall
take place on June 30th following the date on which such person shall have
attained the age of 65 years. For persons other than Tutors, any extension of
employment beyond normal retirement age shall be authorized annually at the
discretion of the President and reponed by him to the Board of Visitors and
Governors; except that in the case of the President and of those Associates
who are appointed by the Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of
the President, any extension shall be at the discretion, expressed by resolution
annually, of the Board of Visitors and Governors.
Anicle II
VISITORS AND GOVERNORS
(1) Qualifications for Membership. Persons shall be eligible for membership on the Board of Visitors and Governors who are concerned for the
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�maintenance, progress, and vitality of St. John's College's educational
program and who are willing and able to discharge the responsibilities of
trusteeship with devotion and energy.
(2) Members. The Board of Visitors and Governors shall consist of not
more than fony-nine members, comprising the President, the Deans, the
Vice-Presidents, the Governors of Maryland and New Mexico, ex officio, and
fony-two members, of whom thiny-six shall be elected by the entire Board
and six shall be elected by the Alumni of the College, in the manner and for
the terms hereinafter provided. In recognition of meritorious service to the
College, honorary members may be elected at the discretion of the Board.
(3) Elections by the Board. At each annual meeting, the Board shall elect
a class of nine members for a term of three years, to succeed those members
whose term expires at the conclusion of said meeting. The procedure for
nomination and election shall be as follows:
There shall be a standing Nominating Committee of three members of
the Board appointed by the Chairman. The Chairman and the President shall
sit with the committee, ex officio, when nominations to Board membership
are being considered. The Nominating Committee shall recommend to each
member of the Board in writing, not later than thirty days prior to the annual
meeting at which the election is to be held, at least one candidate for each of
the places to be filled by such election. Additional nominations may be made
in writing, addressed to the Chairman, signed by at least five members of the
Board, prior to the date above provided for the report of the Nominating
Committee, and any such additional nominations shall be reported to the
Board by the Committee at the time of its report.
Voting on such nominations at such annual meetings shall be by ballot,
each member present to vote for nine of the said nominees. In case there are
more than nine nominees, and the balloting results in a tie for one or more
places, the Board shall determine the procedure to resolve the tie. No
nominee shall be deemed elected who has not received the affirmative votes
of at least a majoriry of the members present at the meeting.
In the event that for any reason there should be less than nine members in
any class prior to the end of the term for such class, the vacancy may be filled
pursuant to the procedure provided above for regular elections, except that
the election may take place at any regular meeting. A member elected to fill
any such vacancy shall hold office for the remainder of the term of the class in
which such vacancy occurred.
(4) Elections by the Alumni. Each year in the spring, two alumni shall be
elected to membership for a term of three years, in such manner that there
shall be six members of the Board elected by the Alumni, consisting of three
classes of two members each. Out-going alumni members shall continue to
serve until their successors are elected.
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. The Director of Alumni Activities shall request the Board of the Alumni
Association to nominate_ at least one candidate for each vacancy. Additional
candidates may be nominated by petition of any thirty alumni. All Alumni
(which shall include all Alumni and honorary members of the Alumni
Association) shall be eligible to vote for the Alumni members of the Board.
Balloting will be conducted by mail by the Director of Alumni Activities.
In the event that for any reason there should be less than two Alumni
members in any class prior to the end of the term of such class, the vacancy
shall be filled by interim election, conducted in the same manner.
(5) Faculty Representation at Board Meetings. Three Tutors shall be elected
by the Faculty on each campus for a term of three years, one to be elected at
the last meeting in each academic year, to attend all regular meetings on the
campus to which they belong, with voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(6) Student Representation at Board Meetings. Two students shall attend
all regular meetings on the Board on the campus to which they belong, with
voice in deliberation, but without vote.
(7) Alumni Association Representation at Board Meetings. The President
of the Alumni Association shall attend Board meetings, with voice in
deliberation, but without vote.
(8) _Reelection. A member of the Board elected by the Board or by the
Alumm may be elected for not more than two consecutive terms, but may,
after a second consecutive term, be reelected to membership beginning with
the annual meeting in the year following the expiration of his second term.
(9) Meetings of the Board.
(a) Regular meetings of the Board shall be held quanerly in either
Annapolis or Santa Fe in the month of September, December, February, and
May of each year, or in such other months as the Board may determine· the
meeting in May shall be called the annual meeting. The time and place of
regular meetings shall be determined by the Chairman, in consultation with
the President, and notice of regular meetings shall be given not less than
fifteen days prior to such meetings.
(b) Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President, the
chairman, the Executive Committee, or any five members of the Board, not
less than seven days after the dispatch of written or telegraphic notice of the
time, place, and purposes of the meeting. Such notice may be dispensed with
if waived in writing by all members of the Board either before or after the
meeting.
(c) Any business may be conducted at a regular meeting without
specific notice of such business (except that which is required by law or as
provided herein as to elections and amendments), but no business shall be
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�conducted at any special meeting unless notice of such business has been
given, or has been waived as above provided.
(d) Twelve members of the Board present at a meeting shall constitute
a quorum for the transaction of business.
(10) Officers of the Board. At each annual meeting the Board shall elect a
Chairman, two Vice-Chairmen, and a Secretary, to hold office until the next
annual meeting or until their successors are elected . Vacancies in any such
offices may be filled at any regular meeting, or any special meeting called for
that purpose. Such officers shall perform the customary duties of such offices,
and such other duties as the Board may from time to time direct.
(11) Committees of the Board.
(a) Executive Committee. The Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, the
Secretary, the President, the Deans, and four other members chosen annually
by the Board at the annual meeting shall comprise the Executive Committee
of the Board. In intervals between meetings of the Board, the Executive
Committee may act for the Board, except in those matters expressly delegated
to some other committee, person, or persons. Five members of the Executive
Committee present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction
of business.
(b) Visiting Committee. There shall be a Visiting Committee of not
more than ten persons appointed by the Chairman. There shall be an eastern
and a western Co-Chairman of the Visiting Committee, and the Committee's
membership shall include an equal number of members from the two sections
of the country. Each half of the Visiting Committee shall make at least one
visit to the campus in its area each year to repon to the Board on how well the
aims of the College are being realized. Each half of the visiting Committee
shall meet at least once annually with the Instruction Committee on the
campus in its area to discuss the statement of educational policy and program
of the Chairman of the Instruction Committee and to acquaint themselves
with other educational matters.
(c) Finance Committee. There shall be a Finance Committee consisting
of the Chairman, the President, the Vice-Presidents, and the Treasurers of the
College ex officio, and four members appointed by the Chairman to serve at
the pleasure of the Board or until their successors have been duly appointed.
The members of the Committee shall select one of their members to be the
Chairman of the Committee. In carrying out its functions the Committee may
be divided into three working subcommittees, one on investments, one on
budget and finance for the Annapolis campus, and one on budget and
finance for the Santa Fe campus. The Finance Committee shall have the
following powers and duties:
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(i) The Finance Committee shall have full power to direct the
investment and reinvestment of all funds of the College, including
endowment and restricted funds, and the proper officers of the Board and the
College are authorized to carry out all written directions, signed by the
Chairman of the Committee, with respect to such investments and
reinvestments . The Committee shall repon at each regular meeting any action
taken hereunder since the previous meeting.
(ii) The Finance Committee shall review the proposed annual budgets
of the College prior to their presentation for approval by the Board and shall
make recommendations to the Board with respect to the budgets at the
meeting at which they are presented.
(iii) The Finance Committee shall study, and periodically advise the
Board with respect to, the financial business policies and practices of the
College, and shall make such special studies and reports as the Board may
from time to time request.
(d) Polity Review Committee. There shall be a Poliry Review Committee of not more than five members appointed by the Chairman every fifth
year to serve for one year. The Committee shall receive the repon of . the
Faculry Committee and after appropriate study shall make recommendations
to the Board for consideration at the annual meeting when the final review of
the Polity is consummated. The respective chairmen of the Board and Faculty
Review Committees shall make such arrangements as they deem appropnatc
for joint consultation prior to and after the adoption of the repon by the
Faculty.
(e) Other Committees. The Chairman may appoint such other standing
or special committees of the Board as he may deem desirable or which the
Board may request.
(f) Former members of the Board may be appointed by the Chairman
to serve on Committees at his discretion.
(12) Execution of Contracts, Transfer of Securities, etc. All major
contracts of $5,000 or more, notes, deeds, leases, mongages, releases, bonds
for security or indemnity, negotiable instruments, stock cenificates, transfers,
and powers, and like papers and documents on behalf of the College or the
Endowment Funds shall be executed by two persons, of whom one shall be
the President, the Chairman, or the Vice-Chairman, and of whom the other
shall be the Secretary of the Board, the Vice-President, or the Treasurer of the
campus concerned.
(13) Signing of Checks, Drafts, Etc. All checks, drafts, acceptances, and
similar orders for the payment of money on behalf of the College may be
signed by the same persons authorized to execute contracts, etc., pursuant to
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�Section {12) hereof, but may also be signed by such persons, and in such
manner, as the Board may from time to time direct by appropriate resolution.
(7) The President shall appoint, or delegate the power to appoint, such
committees as may be necessary for the carrying out of his duties and for
which no provision is made under Article VIII.
THE FACULTY
Article IV
THE FACULTY: THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE AND THE DEANS
The Visitors and Governors by these ordinances hereby delegate
to the Faculty of St. John 's College - the President, the Deans, the
other Tutors, the Tutors Emeriti, the Vice-Presidents, and the
Associates - "powers and authorities" for the "instruction, discipline, and government" of the College.
{1) The Chairman of the Instruction Committee.
{a) There is vested in the Chairman of the Instruction Committee
responsibility and authority for the organization of the program of instruction
in the liberal arts that is followed by the Tutors and the Students.
(b) The Deans shall serve alternately, for a term of one year, as
Chairman of the Instruction Committee.
(c) The Chairman of the Instruction Committee shall, after consultation with the Instruction Committee on his campus, and after discussion with
the Instruction Committee of the College, submit a Statement of Educational
Policy and Program to the Faculty as a whole for discussion. The Statement
shall be presented by the President as a report to the Board of Visitors and
Governors.
Article III
THE FACULTY: THE PRESIDENT
(1) There is vested in the President by the Visitors and Governors
executive responsibility and authority for the instruction, discipline, and
government of the College, and the President, in turn, may delegate his
authority.
(2) The President shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and
Governors on the recommendation of a Committee composed of five
members of the Board of Visitors and Governors, the Deans, and one Tutor
from each campus selected from among themselves by the Tutors on that
campus having tenure . This Committee shall consult with all appropriate
persons on both campuses prior to making its final recommendation and shall
arrange for the candidates to meet with the Instruction Committee on each
campus .
(2) The Deans.
(3) The President shall concurrently be a Tutor, but the provisions of
Article V need not apply.
(4) The President and persons to whom he delegates his authority shall
consult with the Deans, other appropriate persons, and appropriate faculty
committees in matters of policy, initiation of programs, and setting of
priorities affecting the general welfare of the College.
(5) The President may appoint members of the Faculty to serve as
administrative assistants, and he shall have power to relieve them of their
administrative duties at any time.
(6) The President shall appoint a member of the Faculty on each campus
to serve as Marshal at convocation and commencement ceremonies.
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(a) There is vested in the Deans on their respective campuses
responsibility and authority for the supervision of the program of instruction
and for the general welfare of the students and for whatever government of
the students be necessary for the greatest possible attainment of aims of the
program. Each Dean shall be the Chairman of the Instruction Committee on
the campus where he serves. In carrying out their duties, the Deans shall
consult regularly with the Instruction Committee and other appropriate
Faculty committees.
(b) The Deans shall be appointed for terms of five years from among
the Tutors by the Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the
President after consultation with a special committee of six, three from each
campus, selected from among themselves by the Tutors having tenure.
(c) The Deans shall be Tutors with tenure, the provisions of Article
V(3) notwithstanding.
(d) To assist them in carrying out their duties, the Deans shall
recommend one or more Tutors to be appointed by the President with the
title of Assistant Dean.
(e) Either Dean, with the approval of the Instruction Committee on
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the campus concerned, may recommend to the President that in the interest of
instruction a Tutor be relieved of his duties in whole or in part at any time.
When such action is taken, the Tutor's salary shall be continued for the
remainder of the current academic year.
(f) During the absence of the President from either campus, the Dean
on that campus shall if necessary exercise the President's prerogative of final
decision .
(g) During the absence of either Dean from the campus a Tutor with
tenure named by him shall act for the Dean.
(h) The Dean on each campus shall appoint such committees as may be
necessary for the carrying out of his duties and for which no other provision is
made.
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AnicleV
THE FACULTY: THE TUTORS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the Tutors are to teach and to make
themselves as competent as possible in all parts of the St. John's Program.
(2) The Tutors in Annapolis and the Tutors in Santa Fe shall have
authority to recommend to the Visitors and Governors candidates for degrees
which the College is empowered to grant.
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(3) Appointment and Reappointment of Tutors. Tutors shall be
appointed by the Visitors and Governors upon recommendation of the
President in accordance with the recommendation of the Dean and the
Instruction Committee on that campus where the Tutors so appointed shall
teach.
(a) Regular appointment of Tutors shall be upon the following terms:
(i) New Tutors shall be appointed for one year. First and second
reappointments shall also be for one year. Third and fourth reappointments,
that are not tenure appointments, shall be for two years. Tenure
appointments shall continue until June 30th after the Tutor's sixty-fifth
birthday, subject to the provisions of Section 5 below.
(ii) Before making recommendations to the President on tenure
appointments the Dean on each campus shall consult with the Instruction
Committee on that campus, after seeking the advice of the Tutors on that
campus having tenure.
(iii) A Tutor under the age of thiny at first appointment may upon
the completion of three one-year and one two-year appointments be given a
tenure appointment. If he is not given a tenure appointment, he may be
reappointed for another two years, after which he must either be given a
tenure appointment or not be reappointed as Tutor. \
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(iv) A Tutor of 30 to 45 years of age at first appointment shall upon
the completion of three one-year and one two-year appointments either be
given a tenure appointment or not be reappointed as Tutor.
(v) A Tutor over 45 years of age at first appointment may upon the
completion of three one-year appointments be given a tenure appointment. If
he is not given a tenure appointment, he may be reappointed for two years,
after which he must either be given a tenure appointment or not be
reappointed as a Tutor.
(b) For the purpose of temporary transfer between campuses, special
full-time appointments of one or two years may be granted to a Tutor m
additional to his regular appointments. The Tutor may ask that such an
appointment be counted as a regular appointment for the purpose of (a)
above.
(c) In exceptional circumstances, notwithstanding the provisions of
Section (3) (a) of this Anicle, a Tutor who has not been given a tenure
appointment may be reappointed as Tutor annually provided that he serve
concurrently as Assistant Dean.
(d) Special one-year initial appointments and re-appointments may be
given to Tutors who intend to teach on a pan-time basis only. Such a Tutor
may apply for and receive a regular appointment. Special pan-time
appointments may be counted on · a fractional basis toward eligibility for
tenure. Notwithstanding, a Tutor shall not be considered for a tenure
appointment without having served three regular one-year appointments. In
establishing eligibility for sabbatical leave, special pan-time appointments
shall be computed proponionately.
(e) When Tutors are reappointed to non-tenure appointments, the
President shall notify them of their appointment no later than March 1st of
each year. In the event that a Tutor is not recommended for reappointment,
he shall be so notified by December 15th. When Tutors are appointed to
tenure appointments, the President shall notify them of their appointment
before the beginning of the last year of their non-tenure appointment. In the
event that a Tutor is not recommended for a tenure appointment, he shall be
so notified prior to June 30 of the year preceding the beginning of the last
year of his non-tenure appointment.
(4) A tutor may apply to the Instruction Committee of the College not
later than January 15 for a transfer of campus for the next academic year.
Transfers shall require approval of both Deans after consultation with their
Instruction Committee.
(5) A Tutor may have his appointment terminated at any time by the
Board of Visitors and Governors upon recommendation of the President for
17
�(i) Those who have served for the greater number of years since their
first appointment as Tutor or since their last sabbatical leave whichever is
more recent;
(ii) Those whose service has been continuous throughout those years.
(iii) Those who have seniority of appointment.
When there is a conflict of precedence, the Dean and the Instruction
Committee on the campus concerned shall be consulted .
(c) A Tutor eligible for sabbatical leave shall make application to the
President before November 1st for leave to begin the following July 1st, and
shall be informed of the action upon his application not later than January
1st.
(8) The President, with the concurrence of the Dean after consultation
with the Instruction Committee on the campus concerned, may grant leaves
of absence to Tutors for a period of one year or less. At that time it shall be
determined whether the leave shall be counted as service to the College with
respect to eligibility for sabbatical leave and, if so, how. The decision with
respect to a request for leave of absence shall be made in the light of the
requirements both of the applicant Tutor and of the whole College.
(a) Leaves of absence may be renewed upon request but not more than
twice in succession except in extraordinary circumstances.
(b) A request for a leave of absence shall be submitted to the President
as early as possible in the year before the year in which the leave is to be
taken, but not later than January 15th of that year. Requests for leaves of
absence may be withdrawn at any time prior to April 1st of the year in which
the request is submitted. Requests for leaves of absence for the second
semester must be submitted no later than October 15th.
(c) A Tutor applying for leave of absence to further his studies may also
apply for a grant from the College.
(d) Tutors on sabbatical leave or leave of absence remain members of
the Faculty with the right of full panicipation in Faculty meetings and all
other College exercises.
Article VI
one of the following reasons only: (1) failure or inability to perform his
teaching duties in a satisfactory manner, or (ii) moral turpitude. The
President shall make such recommendation only with the concurrence of the
Dean and the Instruction Committee of the campus concerned. Prior to the
termination of such appointment, the Tutor concerned shall have the right to
be heard by the Instruction Committee and by the Visitors and Governors.
~6)(a) The College makes provision for members of the Faculty who have
atta10ed age 65 through the program of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity
of America and the Federal Old Age Benefits program.
Association
Participation in the former is required after the first three one-year
appo10tments.
(b) Tutors who have completed their tenure appointments may be
recommended by the Dean, after consultation with the Instruction
Committee, for as many as five successive one-year appointments with a
full-time or reduced teaching responsibility as individually determined.
(7) The sabbatical leave program is designed to provide Tutors with an
I
opporturuty for study, rest, and renewal of spirit. Sabbatical leaves shall
normally be granted to four _or five Tutors at each campus each academic year,
dependmg upon the financial capability of the College. It is understood that
Tutors on such leave will not undenake full-time remunerative employment
elsewhere and will return to the College.
. (a) Eligibility for sabbatical leave shall be upon the following
cond1t1ons:
(i) A Tutor who holds a tenure appointment may apply for a full
year_ of sabbatical leave at full sal3:tr, provided he has completed the
equivalent of nine full _years of service to the College since his original
appointment, or the equivalent of six full years of service since any previous
sabbatical leave, and the sabbatical leave does not coincide with the last year
of his tenure appointment.
(ii) Such a Tutor may apply for an earlier sabbatical leave of a full
year at panial salary, or a partial year at full salary. The fractional salary or
fractional year shall be determmed by the number of years of teaching
completed 10 relation to the prescnbed total for either an initial or a
subsequent sabbatical leave, as the case may be. In no case shall a Tutor be
paid more than_ his regular salary. Sabbatical leave for a fraction of a year may
be granted dunng any but the last year of a Tutor's tenure appointment.
(b) If in a year there are more applicants for sabbatical leave at any one
campus than there are leaves to be granted at that campus, then those
members shall have precedence who meet the following conditions in the
order set forth:
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THE VICE-PRESIDENTS
I
(1) There is delegated to the Vice-Presidents on their respective campuses
responsibility and authority for the supervision of administrative affairs as
hereinafter provided; for the supervision of financial affairs; for the
appointment of members of the Staff; and for relations with the local
community outside the College.
• 19 •
�(2) The Vice-Presidents shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors and
Governors on the recommendation of the President after consultation with
the Dean and a committee constituted on each campus by resolution of the
Faculty on that campus.
(3) The Vice-Presidents may be appointed Tutors under the provisions of
Article V (3) (d).
(4) The Vice-Presidents, and persons to whom they delegate their
authority, shall consult with the Dean, other appropriate persons, and appropriate faculty committees in the exercise of their responsibilities.
(5) The Vice-Presidents shall make themselves as familiar as possible with
the aims and methods of the program of instruction and to that end may sit
with the Instruction Committee on their respective campuses.
Article VII
THE FACUL1Y: THE ASSOCIATES
(1) Associates on each campus shall be appointed by the Board of Visitors
and Governors on the recommendation of the President in consultation with
the Dean and Vice-President of that campus .
(2) Associates may be appointed Tutors under the provisions of Article
V
(3) (d).
(3) There shall be the following Associates, as deemed necessary on each
campus, with the powers and responsibilities provided.
(a) The Treasurers. The Treasurers shall have charge on their respective
campuses, under the supervision of the Vice Presidents, of all funds and
property , and shall have authority to carry out fiscal and property
transactions, and to receive and disburse funds, subject to the provisions of
this Polity and other directions and arrangements made pursuant thereto.
(b) The Registrars. The Registrars shall be responsible to the Deans on
their respective campuses and shall prepare and supervise the registration of
students, maintain current student records, assist in the preparation of
instruction schedules, compile statistics about the students, record grades,
issue and interpret transcripts, and perform archival functions.
(c) The Librarians. The Librarians shall be responsible to the Deans on
their respective campuses for the operation of the Library. Appointments of
professional members of the Library Staff shall be made upon the
recommendation of the Librarian to the Dean on each campus.
(d) The Director of Student Activities and the Director of Athletics.
The Director of Student Activities and the Director of Athletics shall be
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20
responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for devising and
directing programs of recreational activities.
(e) The Directors of Admissions. The Directors of Admissions shall be
responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for the annual
enrollment of qualified Freshmen.
(f) The Directors of Alumni Activities. The Directors of Alumni
Activities shall be responsible to the Vice-Presidents on their respective
campuses. Their primary duty is to enable the College and the Alumni
Association to be of service to alumni.
(g) The College Archivist and Alumni Secretary. The College Archivist
and Alumni Secretary shall be responsible to the Vice-Presidents on their
respective campuses for maintaining the archives of the College at that
campus.
(h) The Directors of Financial Aid. The Directors of Financial Aid shall
be responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for the
administration of financial aid programs.
(i) The Directors of Placement. The Directors of Placement shall be
responsible to the Deans on their respective campuses for counselling students
with respect to graduate and professional schools and careers.
Article VIII
THE FACUL1Y: FACUL1Y COMMITTEES
(1) The Instruction Committee
(a) The Instruction Committee shares with its Chairmen responsibility
for the program of instruction of the College. It shall consist of twelve Tutors
in addition to the Deans. The President shall sit with the Commmee ex
officio. Six of the Tutors shall be elected from each campus of the College.
The Instruction Committee shall meet annually . On each campus the
members of the Instruction Committee and the Dean as Chairman constitute
the Instruction Committee of the College on that campus. The President sits
ex officio with the Instruction Committee on each campus.
(b) Each of the members of the Instruction Committee shall serve for a
term of three years and the terms shall be arranged in suth a way that each
year the terms of twomembers at each camp:i,is shall expire. Terms begin and
end the day following commencement exercises. Annually, and separately_ at
each campus, the President with the Dean on his _campus, after consultmg
with the Instruction Committee and seeking the advice of the other Tutors on
that campus, shall at the last regular Faculty meeting on that campus
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nominate four Tutors of whom two shall be elected by the Tutors to
membership on the Instruction Committee. The Faculty shall be informed of
the names of the nominees prior to the meeting at which the election occurs.
No member of the Instruction Committee shall serve more than two terms in
succession.
(c) If for any reason a member of the Instruction Committee is unable
to serve for a pan of his term, another Tutor shall be chosen to take his place
for that pan of the term. For this purpose the President and the Dean, in
consultation with the Instruction Committee on the campus where the vacancy
occurs, shall nominate two Tutors of whom the Tutors shall elect one in a
regular Faculty meeting.
(d) If the Instruction Committee resigns with the Deans on a matter of
confidence and the resignations are accepted, the President, in consultation
with the new Deans and after seeking the advice of the other Tutors, shall
nominate nine Tutors for the six vacancies on each campus in such manner
that two out of each three nominees shall be elected by the Tutors for each of
the three classes to fill the unexpired terms.
I
I
(2) The Salary Committee.
(a) There shall be a Faculty Salary Committee of six members, three to
be elected by the Faculty on each campus, whose chairmanship shall annually
alternate between campuses. The Committee shall advise with the President
concerning Faculty salaries and related matters; it shall make annual reviews
of the College's statement of salaries and other compensation of Tutors and
repon to the Faculty and the President recommendations consequent upon
the review.
(b) Members of the Committee shall be elected annually on each
campus for terms of three years in such manner that the term of one member
on each campus terminates each year. The Salary Committee on each campus
shall provide the Faculty on that campus with two nominations for each
vacancy on the Committee on that campus. Additional nominations may be
made at the Faculty meeting when election shall be made.
(3) The Library Committees. The President, in consultation with the
Librarian and the Dean, shall appoint three Tutors on each campus to serve as
a Library Committee. The President, the Dean, and the Librarian shall
themselves be ex officio members of the Committee, and the Librarian shall
serve as Chairman. It shall be the duty of the Library Committees to assist the
Librarians in making the Libraries serve the ends of the College and its
program; it shall be their duty to advise the Librarians in regard to Library
policy and acquisitions. The Managers of the Bookstores may be invited to sit
with the Committees.
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(4) The Campus Development Committees. The Faculty on each campus
shall elect five of its members as a Campus Development Committee. Two
members shall be elected to the Committee annually at the first regular
meeting of the academic session except in every third year, when one member
shall be chosen. The President shall sit ex officio with both Committees. The
Dean, the Vice President, one of the Assistant Deans, and the Treasurer on
each campus shall sit ex officio with the Committee on that campus. It shall
be the duty of the respective committees to advise the President on the
construction of new buildings, the renovation of old buildings, landscaping of
grounds, and all matters relating to the maintenance and development of the
campus.
(5) The Prize Committees. Every three years the President shall appoint
five Tutors on each campus to supervise the awarding of prizes on the
respective campuses. The Committees shall have full authority to decide what
prizes shall be awarded and to name the recipients of the prizes.
(6) The Committee for the Graduate Institute. There shall be a
Committee for the Graduate Institute as specified in Article XII.
(7) Other Committees. The Faculty on each campus shall have authority
to elect, or to request the President to appoint, additional committees that
may from time to time become necessary.
Article IX
THE FACULTY: FACULTY PROCEDURE
(1) Procedure for Instructional Proposals.
(a) (i) Any major proposal concerning matters of instruction affecting
the College as a whole shall originate with the Dean and the Instruction
Committee on either campus, and the decision as to what proposals are major
shall be within the discretion of the said Dean and Instruction Committee
who shall then consult with the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the
other campus. In normal circumstances major proposals concerning instruction shall be formulated at the annual meeting of the Instruction Committee
of the College. Such a proposal shall then be presented to the whole Faculty
by the Chairman of the Instruction Committee, either in his own person or
through the other Dean as his representative. If, after full discussion of any
proposal so presented, there be no objection on the part of any Tutor, the
measure stands approved and becomes effective as of the date specified
therefor. If, after full discussion, a Tutor objects to the proposal and holds to
his objection, the proposal shall be submitted to vote of the Tutors at special
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�Faculty meetings called by the President within a fonnight. In submitting the
proposal to vote the Chairman of the Instruction Committee and the Dean on
the other campus shall state whether it be a matter of confidence. The vote
may then be taken and tallied by the President in such fashion that the Tutors
shall have recorded their decision acting as a whole. If the proposal be one
that the Chairman of the Instruction Committee and the other Dean have
declared a matter of confidence and if it be defeated by majority vote, the
Deans and the Instruction Committee shall immediately resign. If it be
passed by majority vote, it shall become effective as of the date specified
therefor. For the confidence procedure a quorum shall consist of three-founhs
of all resident Tutors on each campus.
(ii) Proposals concerning instruction that are not considered major
shall originate with the Dean and the Instruction Committee on the campus
where they are intended to be put into effect, and shall be presented by the
Dean to the Faculty on that campus. The procedure set fonh above for the
approval or rejection of proposals shall be followed, except that it shall apply
only on the campus concerned.
(iii) The President may refuse to accept the resignation of the Deans
or the Instruction Committee, any or all of them, whenever in his judgment
such resignation would be detrimental to the proper functioning of the
College; provided, however, that if any six or more Tutors shall petition the
Visitors and Governors, the latter shall review the President's decision within
four weeks, during which time the Deans and the Instruction Committee
shall continue in office.
(iv) In the event that the proposal be defeated and the resignations
be accepted, the President shall proceed to the choice of new Deans in
accordance with the provisions of Article IV (2) (b).
(b) Upon petition of not less than one-tenth of the Tutors on either
campus, the Dean and Instruction Committee on that campus shall consider
any recommendation concerning instruction that may be made by the
petitioning members, and the Dean and the Instruction Committee shall
report to the Faculty within one year their proposal concerning it. They shall
decide whether their proposal is a major proposal, and the procedure of
Article IX (1) shall apply.
(2) Faculty Meetings.
(a) Regular monthly meetings of the Faculty shall be called upon due
notice by the President who shall preside. In the absence of the President, the
Dean shall preside. In the absence of the President and the Dean, the Faculty
shall elect one of its members to preside.
(b) Special meetings of the Faculty may be called upon due notice by
the President, either at his own discretion or at the request of five Faculty
members.
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(c) Due notice shall be construed to mean no less than three days'
notice, except in cases of emergency.
(d) A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Faculty in residence
except as otherwise provided.
(3) !he Secretary of the Faculty. At the last regular meeting of an
academic year the Faculty on each campus shall elect one of its members then
in at least his third year at the College, as Secretary. The Secretary shall, assist
in the preparation and circulation of the agenda for Faculty meetings, shall
keep the minutes of such meetings, and shall collect and circulate reports of
Faculty committees.
AnicleX
THE SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE AND THE ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
The Scholars-in-Residence and the Anists-in-Residence shall be appointed
by the Board of Visitors and Governors on the recommendation of the
President after consultation with the Dean and the Instruction Committee on
the campus where the Scholars and Artists shall reside.
Article XI
THE STUDENTS
(1) The primary responsibilities of the students are to study and to make
themselves as competent as possible in all parts of the St. John's Program.
Their advice and service shall be sought by the Faculty in such matters and in
such ways as may best serve the general welfare of the College.
(2) The students of St. John's College in Annapolis shall constitute the
Student _Polity of St. John's College in Annapolis; the students of St. John's
College in Santa Fe shall constitute the Student Polity in Santa Fe.
(3) The Student Polity in Annapolis or in Santa Fe may establish for itself
a government which is representative of all Polity members. The Dean on
each campus may delegate to the Student Government a share of the
responsibility for the general welfare of the students and whatever
government of the students may be necessary for the greatest possible
attamment of the aims of the program. The duties of . the Student
Government may include:
(a) the management of funds available to the Student Polity;
(b) the sanctioning of all student clubs, organizations, and activities,
and their regulation, if necessary;
- 25
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�(c) the representation of the students of St. John's College to the
community outside the College;
(d) the establishment and maintenance of formal channels of communication between the students and the spokesmen of the Faculty; and
(e) any other duties agreed upon by the students and the Dean.
Article XII
1HE GRADUATE INSTITUTE
(1) The Director
'
(a) The President, after consultation with the Deans and a committee of
four, two from each campus, selected from among themselves by the Tutors
having tenure, shall recommend to the Board of Visitors and Governors for
appointment from the Tutors one of their number as Director of the
Graduate Institute to serve for three years with powers and duties as
hereinafter provided.
(b) There is vested in the Director, acting under the authority of the
Chairman of the Instruction Committee, responsibility and authority for the
organization and supervision of the graduate program of instruction in the
liberal arts, and for matters concerning the general welfare of the students
and for whatever government may be necessary for the greatest possible
attainment of the aims of the program.
(c) To assist in carrying out his duties the Director may recommend a
Tutor to be appointed by the President with the title of Assistant Director.
(4) Procedure for Instructional Proposals. Any proposals concerning major
matters of instruction and policy shall originate with the Director and the
Committee for the Graduate Institute and shall be submitted to the
Instruction Committee of the College. If approved by the Instruction
Committee, such proposals shall then be presented to the Faculty in
accordance with the provision for major proposals.
Article XIII
THE ALUMNI
(1) Alumni shall be life-long members of the College, since St..John's
College is a community not limited by geographical location or fixed periods
of time.
(2) The Faculty of the Graduate Institute.
11
I
I
(a) The Director, after consultation with the Committee for the
Graduate Institute, and in accordance with the recommendation of the
Instruction Committee of the College, shall recommend to the President
Tutors of the Graduate Institute for appointment to teach in the Graduate
Institute for one session.
(b) The Faculty of the Graduate Institute, acting for the Tutors of the
College, shall have the authority to recommend to the Visitors and Governors
candidates for the appropriate degree.
(2) The Alumni Association shall be the formal means by which alumni
participate in the life of the College. Through the election of Alumni
members of the Board of Visitors and Governors, alumni share in the
direction of that life. In these and other ways, alumni shall be given the
opponunity to serve the College.
(3) The College shall cooperate with the Alumni Association to enable
alumni to assist in providing services such as recruiting and interviewing
prospective students, placing graduates in appropriate employment, and
advising students concerning admission to graduate and professional schools.
(3) Committee for the Graduate Institute.
(a) The Committee for the Graduate Institute shares with the Director
responsibility for the program of instruction of the Graduate Institute and for
the general welfare of the students.
- 26
(b) The Committee shall consist of three Tutors residing on the same
campus as the Director who have taught in at least one full session of the
Institute, in addition to the Director, who shall serve as Chairman. Members
of the Committee shall serve for three-year terms, in such manner that the
term of one member terminates each year.
(c) Members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Director with
the concurrence of the Dean on the same campus, after consultation with the
Committee for the Graduate Institute.
(d) In the absence of regularly appointed members, the Director, in
consultation with the Committee, may appoint Tutors who are members of
the Faculty of the Graduate Institute to serve as members of the Committee
for one session of the Institute.
(4) The College, in cooperation with the Alumni Association, shall
provide seminars and other appropriate educational activities in Annapolis, in
Santa Fe, and in other places.
-
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I
27
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�Article XIV
THE STAFF
Members of the Administration Staff and members of the Buildings and
Grounds Staff assist with the administrative and maintenance duties of the
College. They are subject to appropriate Staff Rules and Regulations.
Article XV
AMENDMENTS AND REVIEW
(1) This Polity may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members
present at any regular or special meeting of the Board provided written notice
of the proposed amendment shall have been given to members of the Board
and to the Faculty not less than fifteen days prior to such meeting. The
Faculty shall have the right to inform the Board in writing of its
recommendation with respect to the proposed amendment by the date of the
Board meeting at which the amendment is to be considered.
(2) Amendments may be proposed at any regular meeting of either the
Faculty in Annapolis or the Faculty in Santa Fe upon petition of not less than
ten percent of the members on either campus. No such proposal shall be
acted upon earlier than the next regular meeting of the Faculty, whether in
Annapolis or in Santa Fe. Two-thirds vote of the entire Faculty in residence
shall be required for approval and the amendment shall not become effective
unless approved by the Board in the manner set forth in Section (1) above.
(3) Every five years this Polity shall be reviewed by a committee of the
Faculty elected by a majority vote of the Faculty. The report of the
Committee shall be submitted to one regular Faculty meeting and voted upon
at the next regular Faculty meeting. A two-thirds vote of the Faculty in
residence shall be required for approval.
Whatever action is thus recommended by the Faculty shall be submitted
to the Board for final decision in the manner set forth in Section (1) above.
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28
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��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Charter and Polity of the College
Description
An account of the resource
Revised and amended editions of the St. John's College Charter and Polity.<br /><br />The College's first Charter and Polity was published as the <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3768">September 1950</a> issue of the <em><a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/collections/show/37">Bulletin of St. John's College in Annapolis</a></em>. Revised and amended versions were published as individual issues of the <em>Bulletin</em> in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3746">1951</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7844">1960</a>, <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7845">1963</a>, and <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7846">1965</a>. <br /><br />The Charter and Polity was published as a separate document in <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7850">1955</a> and again from <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7851">1970</a> forward. The most recent version of the Charter and Polity is also available on the College's <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/about/leadership/board-visitors-governors/charter-polity">website</a>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=62&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate">Items in the Charter and Polity of the College Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
PDF
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
28 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Charter and Polity of the College, 1976
Description
An account of the resource
Charter and Polity of the College, May 1976.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
St. John's College
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Santa Fe, NM
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1976-05
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Subject
The topic of the resource
St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)
Legal instruments
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Charter_and_Polity_1976
Charter and Polity
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/b7151d2faef25702618219262a03973f.mp3
ee63e1a2cad5b9fd192ca595b1a6782b
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
St. John's College Lecture Recordings—Santa Fe
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Meem Library
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Santa Fe, NM
Sound
A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
m4a
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
01:03:30
Dublin Core
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Title
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What is the Measure of Electricity?
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Audio recording of a lecture given by tutor Howard Fisher on February 23, 2024 as part of the Dean's Lecture & Concert Series. The Dean's Office has provided this description of the event: “Faraday made use of numerous electrical measuring instruments; but what, exactly, did they measure? What properties of electricity are “measurable” at all? Faraday’s efforts to identify these properties raised a question which Meno would have recognized: how can we know the properties of electricity unless we first know what electricity actually is?”
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Fisher, Howard J., 1942-
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St. John's College
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Santa Fe, NM
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2024-02-23
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Meem Library has been given permission to make this item available online.
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sound
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mp3
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Faraday, Michael, 1791-1867
Electricity
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<a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7885" title="What is the Measure of Electricity? Transcript">https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/7885</a>
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English
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SF_FisherH_What_is_the_Measure_of_Electricity_2024-02-23
Friday night lecture
-
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Text
1
What is the Measure of Electricity? 1
Howard J. Fisher
What is the measure of electricity? The question itself raises questions. For not all
things are susceptible to measure; and even when they appear to be, it is not always
clear whether “measure” applies to them as wholes, or only in certain respects. For
purposes of this talk, let me propose that a measure of something must, at minimum,
enable us to speak of that thing in terms of more and less. Faraday inherited an
electrical vocabulary that appraised electricity as more and less in two respects: first,
in quantity; and second, in intensity. At the outset of Faraday’s researches, neither he
nor anyone else had been able to state just what these two characteristics were, nor to
explain how they related to one another. On the other hand, everybody had some rough
and practical idea of them, as we may gather from Faraday’s unassuming
characterization in the Third Series:
The term quantity in electricity is perhaps sufficiently definite as to
sense; the term intensity is more difficult to define strictly. I am using
both terms in their ordinary and accepted meaning. [360, note]
If Faraday regarded the term “quantity” as relatively straightforward, it is probably
because at the time he began his researches, the conventional idiom of electrical
thinking was that of electric fluid, a special kind of substance, thought to be endowed
with the power to attract or repel other portions of electric fluid. Electric fluid was either
vitreous, like that which could be evolved upon glass surfaces, or resinous, like that
which could be produced on rubber, gum, amber, and similar materials. Portions of
unlike fluids attracted one another; portions of like fluids repelled each other; and the
more fluid there was, the stronger that attraction or repulsion would be. It is easy to
know what we mean by “quantity” if electricity is a fluid. But is it a fluid? And how can
we know?
In contrast, as Faraday implies, the fluid language fails to offer a similarly clear
image of intensity. What can it mean for a fluid to be more or less “intense”? Faraday
will seek, and perhaps he will find, a clearer understanding of both these terms.
As the Third Series opens, we find Faraday in almost the same position as Socrates
of the Meno; for how can we hope to know the properties of electricity unless we first
know what electricity actually is? We well remember Meno’s reply when Socrates
asked after the “what” of virtue:
1
Meno. “There will be no difficulty, Socrates, in answering that. Take
first the virtue of a man: it is to know how to administer the state, in
which effort he will benefit his friends and injure his enemies, and will
take care not to suffer injury himself. A woman’s virtue may also be
easily described: it is to order her house, and keep what is indoors,
Lecture delivered 23 February, 2024 at St. John’s College, Santa Fe
�2
and obey her husband. Every age, every condition of life, young or old,
male, or female, bond or free, has a different virtue....” [71]
Meno is positively exultant as he contemplates the rich variety of virtues! How
disheartening is it, then, to consider that the electrical science of Faraday’s time,
though professing to seek a unitary account of electricity, can offer little more than a
Meno-like catalog of “electricities.” These include:
Voltaic electricity, which is evolved by devices like Alessandro Volta’s “cups.”
Faraday will study voltaic action extensively in the Seventh Series and will show there
its relation to chemical combining power.
Magneto-electricity, obtained through the
relative motion of magnets and conductors, and
which Faraday had already studied in the First
Series.
Thermo-electricity, produced when the junction
between two different metals is exposed to heat.
A.
B
Animal electricity, which is produced by several fascinating families of both
freshwater and saltwater fishes. Faraday will study the wonderful electric eel in the
Fifteenth Series, one of the most engaging of all his researches. And, finally...
Common or ordinary electricity. This is what we
now call “static” electricity: the electricity produced
primarily by friction—for example, by rubbing a
resinous rod with wool, or a glass rod with silk. But how
often do we undertake such highly specialized activities
as these, except in a classroom or similarly contrived
setting? In our day there would seem to be nothing at
all “ordinary” about the electricity that arises from
friction; but I assure you that when I was a child, rugs,
sofas, and especially automobile seats, could easily give
you a very unpleasant jolt if you carelessly walked across a carpeted room, or slid out
of an upholstered piece of furniture, and then touched a doorknob or a water faucet.
Today, many fabrics contain antistatic materials which greatly reduce the frequency of
�3
such experiences; so for us, the terms “common electricity” and “ordinary electricity”
are no longer apt, and they are consequently no longer in common use.
Unfortunately, today’s more familiar term, “static electricity,” is misleading in its
own way; for many of the signs that alert us to the presence of static electricity occur
precisely when that electricity is not static! Those unpleasant shocks which lurked in
my family’s home and automobile, patiently awaiting their opportunity to strike,
represented the discharge of electricity which had previously been built up by friction:
they were instances of electricity in motion, not electricity at rest.
Faraday’s efforts to demonstrate the identicality of this “swarm” of electricities
occupies the first and longer part of the Third Series. Only then does he set out upon
the second part, where the topic is measure—and particularly the measure of quantity.
Readers may notice a distinctive suppleness in the language Faraday adopts for this
discussion: while he does not reject the imagery of electric fluids outright, he never
crafts his descriptions in a way that depends on that imagery.
Now, one way we can estimate quantity—whether of electricity or anything that is
evolved or produced—is to identify a repetitive element in the process that produces it;
then, presumably, each repetition of that action will produce an equal amount afresh.
Faraday obtained common electricity from a frictional “plate machine,” in which a large
plate of glass was rotated against a fixed
“rubber”—which was usually made of silkwrapped leather, rather than what we now
call rubber. The appliance shown here is a
smaller version of Faraday’s enormous
machine, which featured a glass plate of
fifty inches diameter—nearly four times as
large as this one. 2
At several points in the Third Series
Faraday treats each turn of his machine as
developing the same quantity of electricity.
You can see why such a supposition is
reasonable; for it is easy to make sure that all revolutions of the crank are
accomplished with uniform effort and speed. And to the extent that individual turns
are identical to each other, there is no obvious reason why successive turns would not
produce identical results.
2
Photo courtesy London Science Museum. The glass disk is 35 cm in diameter.
�4
This “same-again” principle of reasoning is familiar to us in other contexts, such as
grinding pepper in a mill. Indeed, in the case of grinding we are rewarded with a clear
image of “quantity” in the form of a heap of the ground
substance, as shown here. But when Faraday cranks
his plate machine, no “heap” of electricity is produced.
Is electricity even the sort of thing that possesses
“quantity” in the sense of a heap, a pile, or a mound?
Once again we are reminded of Socrates’ lament to
Meno: “If I do not know the ‘what’ of something, how
can I know the ‘such’ of it?” 3 In our present case, if we
do not know the “what” of electricity, is it really
meaningful to ask the “how much” of it?
When Faraday remarked that the term quantity
was “perhaps sufficiently definite as to sense,” he
meant to acknowledge that we habitually think of “quantity” through images of
accumulation or gathering up. But do not overlook the note of reservation suggested
by his word “perhaps.” Faraday is far from confident that electricity is really amenable
to such imagery. We regularly use such language for electricity without a second
thought; but can we point to any body of experience that gives real content to that
language?
If electricity does not manifest its quantity directly in experience, might it do so
indirectly? Sometimes, for example, we think it natural to express the magnitude of
something in terms of the power it exercises. Galileo offers a memorable instance in
the Two New Sciences; Sagredo is speaking:
“Thus a vast number of ants might carry ashore a ship laden with
grain. And since experience shows us daily that one ant can easily
carry one grain, and it is clear that the number of grains in the ship is
not infinite, but falls below a certain limit, then if you take another
number four or six times as great, and if you set to work a
corresponding number of ants they will carry the grain ashore and the
boat also. It is true that this will call for a prodigious number of ants...”
[67]
That delightful phrase, “a prodigious number of ants,” seems to employ the imagery
of number; but its rhetorical burden is rather the sheer magnitude implied by the
ability to move “the grain and the boat also.” The phrase expresses huge
undifferentiated totality, whose greatness is known primarily by what it can
accomplish. It is an indirect representation of quantity.
3
71A
�5
Frictional electricity, too, seems to express quantity only indirectly. When a rubber
rod is stroked with woolen cloth, it acquires the power to attract a small ball of cork or
I
\
pith. We say that the rod has been electrified, or charged with electricity; and in the
left-hand sketch, the electrified rod has succeeded in drawing the ball aside through a
moderate angle of perhaps 9 or 10 degrees. But after receiving additional strokes with
the wool, the rod is able to urge the ball to a greater angle—perhaps as much as 18 or
20 degrees, as shown on the right. Is it not reasonable to believe that the rod on the
right exerts more attractive force precisely because it has acquired more electricity?
But this is conjecture, not direct experience. Any notion of quantity we can gain
from this experiment is limited to what we can surmise from the angle of the
suspended pith ball. But angle is no image of “muchness,” and it shares none of the
straightforwardness of such eminently legible figures as heap, mound, or—in the fluid
case—puddle.
If not the pith ball, then, might some other electrical instrument offer a more
immediate experience of electrical “quantity”? The distinctive power of electrified
bodies to attract or repel other electrified bodies is the principle of several electric
indicators that are considerably more refined than the pith ball.
Two early
instruments operate on the principle of mutual repulsion. The leaves of the gold-leaf
electroscope, pictured here on the left, diverge from one another more or less,
.
depending, partly, on how many times the rubber rod has been stroked. On the right,
Henley’s electrometer calls even sharper attention to angle by incorporating an obvious
pointer and protractor in its design; when the instrument is mounted on the electrified
conductor of a plate machine like Faraday’s, the pointer is repelled from the body, just
like the leaves of the electroscope. With its angular scale, the Henley instrument
emphatically announces its rhetoric of numerical measurement—and hence its name
“electrometer” rather than “electroscope.” But what, exactly, does it measure? The
�6
angle of the pointer, even when expressed numerically, still seems far removed from a
direct image of quantity.
In fact, one of Faraday’s experiments in the Third Series suggests that the
electrometer is better understood as indicating some other electrical attribute—an
attribute rather different from quantity, though it may be related to quantity. Faraday
describes that experiment in paragraph 363 of the Third Series. It involves an array,
or “battery,” of fifteen identical Leyden jars, like this one. You see that the central
conductors, which are connected to the jars’ inner coatings, are all joined together.
Within the wooden container, the outer coatings rest upon a conductive plate that is
connected to the flexible chain B, which in turn is connected to the earth.
Faraday will charge these jars using the plate electric machine. Notice the Henley
electrometer mounted on the prime conductor; this was one of the chief applications
of the Henley device.
At first Faraday connects only eight of the jars, charging them by thirty turns of the
plate machine. This causes the electrometer to rise to some position A. Does that
position represent the quantity of electricity supplied to the jars? Certainly that
quantity must be considerable, since Faraday noted that merely one revolution of the
plate will, in his words, “give ten or twelve sparks from the conductors, each an inch in
length.” 4
At a later stage of his experiment, Faraday charges all fifteen jars, again by thirty
turns of the machine. This time, he reports,
The Henley’s electrometer stood not quite half so high as before...
4
Paragraph 290.
�7
Obviously the electrometer is not measuring quantity! For the quantity of
electricity was the same in both cases—the result of thirty turns of the machine. Yet
with a greater number of jars, the electrometer reading was lower by more than half.
What electrical characteristic was it, then, that the electrometer measured when it
registered that striking reduction?
In hopes of answering this question, let us conduct an experiment of our own. Recall
that Faraday noted the generous number of sparks produced with each turn of the plate
machine. This should give us pause: why does the machine produce a series of sparks
rather than one continuous spark?
To study the conditions under which spark develops, I will use an electrometer of
still greater refinement—one which, although invented long after the Henley device,
does not differ greatly from that instrument in the essentials of its operation. The
electrostatic voltmeter operates on the principle of attraction rather than repulsion. On
C
the left is a photograph of our meter. It dates from the 1950s, and is therefore
calibrated in units whose defining assumptions would have had little meaning to
Faraday. But we can regard the scale divisions as arbitrary units of attractive force; let
me explain this.
On the right is a much-simplified diagram of the meter’s internal mechanism. A
movable plate B is mounted on a pointer which pivots at C and is held in an equilibrium
position by a very light spring. Plate A is fixed in place. When the plates are oppositely
electrified, they attract one another; and plate B will move upward until its force of
attraction is balanced by the spring. The pointer’s angle of displacement then reflects
the amount by which the spring has been stretched, and therefore, also, the force of
attraction between the plates. The scale divisions are so marked as to represent,
broadly, equal increments of that force. 5
We will connect the electrometer’s plates to a Wimshurst machine. I have separated
the machine’s terminals by about a millimeter or so (VIDEO BEGINS).
This is not really accurate, since true volt-meters must take into account both the plate separation and
effective plate area, both of which vary as the reading increases. But in the meter we are using, the
correction can be ignored for our purposes.
5
�8
Next, I will slowly crank the machine—and notice that the meter rises until a spark
develops, at which point the needle suddenly falls. As I continue to crank, the meter
repeatedly exhibits this pattern of rise to a maximum, followed by abrupt descent when
the spark passes. The maximum is not always the same; but there always is a
maximum, and the subsequent descent always coincides with the spark.
The regular association between the meter’s descent and the spark suggests a more
pointed question: “What is the condition between the terminals just before the spark
passes?” Whatever that condition is, it evidently results in spark each time it occurs.
And since the electrometer consistently develops a maximum reading just prior to each
spark, it seems very likely that the electrometer is indicating precisely that condition
which, when it reaches a certain degree, results in spark. What, then, is the nature of
that condition?
Faraday thought of the spark—and, for that matter, all instances of electric
discharge—as the breakdown of an antecedent state of stress in the region where the
discharge takes place. Faraday calls that region, or the material which may occupy it,
the “dielectric.” Here is his description in the Twelfth Series:
All the effects prior to the discharge are inductive; and the degree of
tension which it is necessary to attain before the spark passes is
therefore ... a very important point. It is the limit of the influence
which the dielectric exerts in resisting discharge; it is a measure,
consequently, ... of the intensity of the electric forces in activity.
This golden passage finally lends imaginative content to the term “intensity,” which
seemed so questionable to Faraday at the outset of the Third Series. The chief
manifestation of electrical action is a condition of tension in the region between two
surfaces, and that action is said to possess intensity commensurate with the degree of
that tension. “Intensity,” then, characterizes the action; “tension” the region or
material that experiences that action.
The distinction between intensity and tension is a subtle, but a natural one. We find
a comparable distinction in two descriptions of Odysseus’ great bow in Book 21 of the
Odyssey. The suitor Antinous knows the bow in terms of its own strength, which makes
stringing it so difficult. He warns the crowd: 6
6
Homeric passages translated by Gilbert Murray.
�9
“For not easily, I think, is this polished bow to be strung.”
(line 90)
(The image in this slide is that of a fifth-century Theban coin.) But once the bow is
strung and in action, it is known by the thrum of its string, the sign of surpassing
tension: 7
And Odysseus held it in his right hand, and tried the string, which sang
sweetly beneath his touch...
(line 408)
Just as Odysseus’ stout bow reveals its strength through the superlative degree of
tension it creates in the string, so electric action reveals its strength, or intensity, in the
form of tension in the material between oppositely-charged electrodes. Intensity and
tension are two different rhetorical aspects of electrical action: “intensity”
characterizes the action itself (corresponding to the bow); “tension” characterizes the
material or region which experiences that action (analogous to the bowstring). Do not
underestimate the scientific importance of such metaphorical images as those of string
and bow. Without them, or something like them, our understanding of natural powers
would degenerate into a merely formal correlation of numbers with numbers. But any
reader of Faraday quickly discovers that Faraday has little interest in symbols,
numerical or otherwise. Faraday is constantly alert for legible images that convey the
essential character of nature’s beings and powers. What is so remarkable about
Faraday’s experimental practice is how much of it consists in allowing the phenomena
to reveal their own images. 8
7
8
Illustration: detail from an etching by Theodoor van Thulden, part of a series produced in 1632–33.
Fisher, Howard, “The Great Electrical Philosopher,” The College, XXXI,1 (July 1979).
�10
Faraday’s interpretation of electrical discharge as being essentially a release of
antecedent tension departed sharply from the then-accepted account, represented here
on the left. Conventional thinking posited a buildup of opposite electric fluids on the
0 5 ed buildup of
.
Sup_
1• e (+) electric fluid
pos11v
sed buildup of .
Supo. (-) electric fluid
negative
j Tension
surfaces between which spark took place. As those fluids accumulated—or so the
account maintained—the inherent repulsion of like portions of fluid, combined with
the mutual attraction of unlike portions, would eventually propel the electrical
substances across the gap to combine with and nullify one another. Notice that the
conventional view recognizes no role for the space or material between the charged
surfaces; all action is ascribed to the electrical fluids.
Faraday’s view—represented on the right—reverses the order of priority by
focusing on the gap rather than the bodies which it separates, ascribing tension to the
gap, but assigning no causative role to the adjoining bodies, nor to any supposed
buildup of electricity upon them. If the dielectric material occupying the gap is capable
of sustaining high degrees of tension, it constitutes what we call an “insulator”; but all
known insulators, including air, have a limit to the tension they can sustain, and when
this limit is exceeded, they break down, electrically speaking. The release of tension
associated with that breakdown is disruptive discharge, or spark. In contrast to
insulators, the materials classed as “conductors” are incapable of withstanding any
tension at all; they break down under the slightest degree of electrical tension, and the
condition of continuous breakdown under tension is how Faraday understands
“current” in a conductor.
Thus the electrometer’s pattern of rise and sudden fall in our spark experiment
gives us reason to believe that the electrometer measures that very tension—or its
rhetorical counterpart, intensity. 9 How does it do so? If you recall our earlier diagram
of the electrometer’s inner workings, you will remember that the needle’s
Throughout the Eleventh and Twelfth Series we find Faraday using the terms “tension” and “intensity”
almost synonymously.
9
�11
displacement indicated the degree of extension of the internal spring, and hence the
force on the moving plate—or, rather, the tension in the region between the plates. But
of course the condition of the electrometer’s own plates is not what we are interested
in! If the electrometer is to function as a measuring instrument, the pointer’s
displacement must tell us about some other object—the object whose condition we
wish to measure. How is that possible?
Consider, from the standpoint of tension, what must be the case when the
electrometer plates are connected to the terminals of the Wimshurst machine. When
C
the machine is operated, electrical tension is established in the air between its
terminals D and E. I say that equal tension must therefore develop in the region
between the electrometer plates A and B; for if the tensions were not equal, the
conductors DA and EB would together have to bear the difference between those
tensions. But recall that, for Faraday, a conductor is incapable of sustaining electrical
tension. Thus the tension between A and B must be equal to the tension between D
and E; and the needle’s displacement will therefore reflect not only the tension
between the electrometer plates but the tension between the Wimshurst terminals as
well.
Have we gained any fuller understanding of those troubling electrical terms,
quantity and intensity? Faraday’s study of the forms of electric discharge, especially
spark, led to the idea of electric tension; and that image of tension, in turn, does indeed
seem to offer a firmer notion of intensity, namely, the action producing a certain level
of tension in a dielectric.
But what about quantity? Initially, we looked to the electroscope as an indicator of
quantity; but successive refinements of that instrument brought us, not closer to, but
farther and farther away from the expected imagery. All our attempts to find, in
experience, the imagery that a material substance would ordinarily demand—a
localized heap, mound, or puddle—have led us instead back to tension. Why do the
phenomena of static electricity seem to lead us so persistently away from “heap”
imagery and toward the vocabulary of tension? Might that be a sign that tension is
actually more fundamental than quantity?
In fact, Faraday already has ample grounds for this view; for if electrifying a body
really represents the accumulation of electric substance upon it, we ought to be able to
�12
electrify a body “absolutely," that is, without relation to any other body—just as we can
fill a glass with water regardless of whether or not we fill any other container with
water. But Faraday’s famous Cage Experiment, along with other investigations,
showed definitively that no body can be in a “charged” condition at all except through
a mediating relation with some other, oppositely charged, body. This means that there
is no such thing as a quantity of electricity in itself. Every instance of electric charge is
but one element of a mutual relation to which Faraday gives the name “induction”; and
in a striking passage in the Eleventh Series he explicitly elevates the relation over the
things related:
All charge is sustained by induction. All phenomena of intensity
include the principle of induction ... All currents involve previous
intensity and therefore previous induction. INDUCTION appears to be
the essential function both in the first development and the
consequent phenomena of electricity. [1178]
Furthermore, since all of what Faraday calls the “phenomena of intensity” involve
tension in a dielectric, then it is the dielectric, not the so-called “charged” body, which
is to be counted as the principal entity in static electricity. In Faraday’s words,
In the theory of induction founded upon ... action of the dielectric, we
have to look to the state of that body principally for the cause and
determination of the ... effects. [1368] 10
If the dielectric is indeed the principal entity in static electric induction, it is easy to
see why Faraday devoted so much of the Eleventh Series to studying the dielectric
specifically. To that end, he designed the special “inductive apparatus” illustrated here.
The appliance on the left is an historical reproduction; 11 Faraday’s own diagram
appears on the right. Today we would call this contrivance a spherical capacitor; but it
In an omitted term Faraday characterizes the action in question as “molecular.” By this he merely means
action at the level of small portions of the dielectric. He does not refer to chemical molecules of the sort
propounded by atomic theory—as readers of his 1844 paper, “A Speculation touching Electric Conduction
and the Nature of Matter,” will appreciate. See Experimental Researches in Electricity, Vol. II (1844), p. 284.
10
Photograph generously supplied by Dietmar Höttecke; see Höttecke, Dietmar, “How and What Can We
Learn From Replicating Historical Experiments? A Case Study.” Science & Education 9, 343–362 (2000).
11
�13
is essentially a Leyden jar consisting of an outer and an inner conductor, with electrical
connection to the inner conductor established by a conductive wire terminating at the
little sphere on top. Faraday’s experiments established for all time the pre-eminent
role of the dielectric in induction.
We can emulate Faraday’s induction experiments. 12 In place of his spherical
capacitors, we shall use a pair of our adjustable plate capacitors, set to equal plate
separations and thus electrically identical.
Faraday placed his two identical inductive devices on a grounded metal work
surface, so that their outer conductors were permanently connected to the earth while
their inner conductors remained free. We will use a heavy copper wire for the same
purpose by connecting it to the earth. The righthand plates of our capacitors are joined
to it, and are thus in permanent electrical contact. The lefthand plates will be isolated
from one another, except when I briefly connect them later.
To measure the electrical tension that developed when his devices were charged,
Faraday employed a sensitive torsion balance, pictured here on the left. That fine
instrument balanced the tension between two electrified spheres against the elastic
twist of a slender thread—just as our modern electrometer, as in the diagram we saw
earlier, balances the tension between two electrified plates against the elastic stretch
of a spring. Both instruments, therefore, serve to measure electric tension.
12
Faraday describes this series of experiments in paragraphs 1208–1214.
�14
Faraday possessed only a single balance with which to measure both his inductive
devices; but we have the luxury of using two electrometers, one for each capacitor,
A
B
To earth
designated A and B, respectively. Let me first outline the procedure we shall be
following; then I’ll show some videos of the actual experiment.
Faraday began by charging only one of his devices. Similarly, I will connect the
Wimshurst machine to capacitor A alone, and crank it until the electrometer
B
To earth
approaches its full scale reading. Capacitor A will thus sustain a definite tension,
indicated by the electrometer. Capacitor B, of course, will remain uncharged and will
sustain no electric tension.
Next I will momentarily join the ungrounded capacitor plates. Now, think about
To oatlh
what must happen when I do that. The joining wire is a good conductor, so it cannot
�15
sustain tension; therefore when contact is made, the electrical condition of both
capacitors should instantly change to make their respective tensions equal, and we
should expect both electrometers to read the same. That will constitute the first part
of our experiment; so now, let us carry out the steps I just described (VIDEO BEGINS).
Here is the setup. The copper wire that is appearing on the left will connect
capacitor A to the Wimshurst machine... Now I am cranking the machine, and you can
see the electrometer rise almost to its full scale.
And here is a closeup view of the electrometer; it shows that Capacitor A is
sustaining a tension of 2.80 units. I could not fit the second electrometer into this view,
but it reads zero—as of course it must, since Capacitor B was not charged.
Now I join the capacitors momentarily ... and the tension in Capacitor A falls; we’ll
take a closeup look at the electrometer to see the new value...
The tension in Capacitor A has fallen to 1.37 units, while the tension in Capacitor B has
risen to the same amount, as it must—though, again, I could not include both meters in
the same view.
Now, this change in tension took place when I allowed Capacitor A to share its
electricity with Capacitor B. But since the capacitors are identical, they ought to divide
that electricity equally—so that each capacitor should now embrace half the quantity
of electricity that resided originally in Capacitor A alone.
And the tension in both capacitors is 1.37 units, that is, almost exactly half the initial
tension of 2.80 units. Thus as the quantity of electricity in Capacitor A diminished to
half, so too its tension diminished to half. Evidently tension is here proportional to
�16
quantity! But doesn’t this contradict what we saw in the Third Series? For there, when
Faraday charged first eight Leyden jars, and then fifteen, with the same quantity of
electricity, his Henley electrometer gave two different readings; and obviously if one
magnitude can take on two different values while the other remains unchanged, those
magnitudes cannot be proportional.
This reasoning, though, overlooks a critical difference between the two
experiments. In the Third Series, Faraday was comparing the tension of a fixed quantity
of electricity distributed first over eight jars and then over fifteen jars, as illustrated
here. The electrometer readings are indeed very different, just as Faraday reported.
But our experiment, like Faraday’s in the Eleventh Series, compares the tensions of
different quantities of electricity in one and the same capacitor. The two experiments
are not comparable, because in the earlier exercise the physical environment
underwent significant change—from a smaller number to a greater number of jars—
while in the later experiment the environment did not change: the electrometer
measured the variation of tension in one and the same capacitor.
Clearly, the physical environment affects how much tension a given quantity of
electricity will develop. This should not surprise us, since that environment includes
the dielectric; and we have already seen how central is the role of the dielectric,
according to Faraday’s thinking.
The next step in Faraday’s experiment, and in ours, will confirm that central role by
showing that different dielectric materials develop specifically different tensions.
Faraday filled the air space in one of his devices with various substances; and we shall
do the same to our capacitor B by inserting a sheet of glass between its plates. Then
we will run through the same experimental sequence as before; but remember that this
time, our capacitors will no longer be identical.
(VIDEO BEGINS.) You see I have mounted a glass sheet between the plates of
Capacitor B.
�17
And again we connect Capacitor A to the Wimshurst machine, and charge it to an
initial tension.... Its electrometer reads 2.83 units, nearly the same as before, while of
course the other electrometer continues to read zero.
Again I briefly join the two capacitors together; and the electrometers once more
display equal deflections—as they must, since the tensions have to be equal. But notice
that this time the tension is not equal to half the original tension... Instead the tension
is only 1.02 units, roughly one-third of the initial tension. How shall we understand
this?
When Faraday obtained a similar result with his spherical capacitors, he concluded
that the apparatus containing a solid dielectric had, in his words, “a greater aptness or
capacity for induction” than the apparatus whose dielectric was air. To see what he
means by this phrase, let us analyze our results in the same way that Faraday
interpreted his. When I joined the two devices, the charged capacitor gave some of its
electricity to the uncharged capacitor. Specifically,:
The capacitor with air dielectric lost a certain quantity of electricity, and
its tension decreased by 1.81 units.
The capacitor with glass dielectric gained that same quantity of
electricity, but its tension increased by only 1.02 units—a much smaller
amount.
Air dielectric-greater change
Glass dielectric-smaller change
I~ \
I~ \
by 1.81 units
by 1.02 units
�18
Thus one and the same quantity of electricity is associated with lower
tension when the dielectric is glass, and higher tension when the
dielectric is air.
Evidently, then, “greater capacity for induction” means the ability to sustain the
same quantity of electricity at a lower tension. Or, equivalently, it denotes the ability
to sustain a greater quantity of electricity at the same tension.
We could go on, as Faraday does, to show that a dielectric’s “capacity for induction”
depends on its dimensions as well as its specific material. But the main point is clear:
where static electricity is concerned, our only access to electrical “quantity” is
indirect—through the measurement of tension, 13 taking account of the medium’s
capacity for induction. And thus we must regard electrical quantity as only an
alternative rhetorical expression for tension—a special figure of speech. Recall
Faraday’s earlier remark, that we have to look principally to the state of the dielectric
for the determination of the electric effects. In contrast, he described the supposedly
“charged” conductors in this almost dismissive way:
The conductors ... may be considered as the termini of the inductive
action.... [1361]
Charged bodies, then, are merely the boundaries of electrical action, not its cause!
To say that a body is “charged” no longer labels it as the source of electric effects, but
merely the place where a medium that does sustain tension switches to a medium that
does not. With this characterization, Faraday has effectively turned the conventional
order of causal priority on its head. Charge is no longer prior to tension; rather, tension
is prior to charge. Whatever else this may mean, it fatally undercuts the notion that
“charge” is the name of an electrical substance, for—to use an Aristotelian formulation
that would have been quite foreign to Faraday: “How can a non-substance be prior to
a substance?” 14
I hope I have conveyed how thoroughly Faraday’s account of electricity inverted the
conventional understanding. At the same time, I hope it is clear that Faraday did not
arrive at his unorthodox view through polemic or disputation. He did not marshal
evidence so as to refute the established conceptual scheme. In fact, at least in the
Experimental Researches, Faraday hardly ever engages in “collecting evidence,” any
more than he engages in symbolic mathematics. Instead, he looks directly to nature
showing itself.
Classic doctrines of scientific “method” emphasize putting hypotheses and
conjectures to the test, establishing a preponderance of evidence for or against them.
For electricity undergoing discharge, as Faraday shows, the ballistic galvanometer offers an alternative
measure of quantity. But while it might seem obvious that when electricity discharges, its quantity in
discharge must be the same as its quantity prior to discharge—when it was still static—the problem of
correlating the measures of static and dynamic electricity would prove to be a knotty one. It would
eventually become the problem of relating the electrostatic unit to the electromagnetic unit, the problem
that would lead Maxwell to his electromagnetic theory of light.
13
14 Aristotle, Physics, Book I (189a34) tr. Cornford. In the present case, how can tension (not a substance) be
prior to electric fluid (a substance)?—implying that electric “fluid” is not actually a substance after all.
�19
Such an approach is suited to an alien world, a world indifferent to human
understanding, a world in which, as has been said, “nature loves to hide.” 15 Faraday’s
world, on the contrary, shows itself in forms that may challenge our understanding;
but they are not incommensurable with it. Faraday’s science flourishes in a world that
is fit for us, a world that is preeminently knowable.
How did Faraday manage to nourish a scientific outlook so little influenced by
conventional scientific doctrine? A customary answer to this question singles out
Faraday’s lack of a conventional education. To be sure, Faraday had little formal
education and was largely self-taught; but the materials of his self-education were
steeped in established knowledge. As a bookbinder’s apprentice, he read volumes of
the Encyclopædia Britannica while engaged in binding them. By his own account he
benefited greatly from Jane Marcet’s Conversations in Chemistry, a lovely book which,
however, reliably held to established and accepted teachings. 16 Through the
generosity of a friend of his employer, Faraday was able to attend lectures by
Humphrey Davy, an establishment figure in science if there ever was one. I do not think
it was ignorance of established science that explains Faraday’s relative indifference to
it. Much of his practice in “reading the book of nature” 17 points instead to his religious
tradition.
Faraday belonged to a very small Christian denomination, the Sandemanians, a
dissenting offshoot of the Church of Scotland. Sandemanians eschewed theology and
had no established clergy; instead, the Bible was the central source of guidance in every
aspect of their lives. Reading the Bible demanded no special credentials, for it was
written in human language for the sake of human understanding. 18 Similarly, they saw
the natural world as having been created as a gift and a fitting home for mankind. Like
the biblical text itself, the created world was seen as a channel of God’s communication
with the human race.
You can see how such views concerning nature could inform Faraday’s methods of
natural investigation. If natural phenomena show themselves in terms we can grasp,
they will not need to be expressed mathematically—or, for that matter, through any
other external symbology. We see from Faraday’s own example that the study of
nature requires patient and prolonged labor—but much of that labor stems not from
nature’s recalcitrance but from our own sluggishness to put familiar thought patterns
aside—what Faraday once called “mental inertia” 19—and allow the phenomena to
speak to us directly. For Faraday, at least, the means for cultivating an ear for nature’s
15
Heraclitus, B123
Jane Marcet never sought to break new scientific ground; but by composing instructional texts that were
explicitly directed to young women, she conspicuously broke new social and educational ground.
17 Geoffrey N. Cantor, “Reading the Book of Nature: The relation between Faraday’s Religion and his
Science” in Faraday Rediscovered: Essays on the Life and Work of Michael Faraday, 1791–1867. The
Macmillan Press, Ltd. (1985).
16
See David Gooding, Michael Faraday, 1791–1867: Artisan of Ideas. http://www.bath.ac.uk/~hssdcg/
Michael_Faraday.html, 15 June 2002; accessed 4 September 2023 through the Wayback Machine.
18
See Faraday’s “Observations on Mental Education” (1854) in Experimental Researches in Chemistry and
Physics (1859), p. 463
19
�20
dialect and an eye for its forms are practical rather than analytical. Before he asks
questions in speech, he asks them in practice; such are Faraday’s experiments.
Nevertheless, while Faraday’s mode of experimenting clearly reflects central
elements of the Sandemanian outlook, it would be a mistake see him only as dutifully
putting the Sandemanian creed into action. Faraday just doesn’t write as though he
were feeling the weight of doctrinal obligation. His prose, both in his laboratory Diary
and in the published Researches, is simply too fresh, too lively, too responsive to what
just happened. There is a palpable difference between being open to nature and
observing a code of being open to nature. I invite you to think about that difference—
the difference between responsiveness and responsibility 20—and how it plays out both
in consciousness and in speech. But for now let us return to the terms “quantity” and
“intensity,” the two candidates for electrical measure; for as regards their lucidity, I
think we will have to acknowledge that the terms have effectively exchanged places.
The term intensity, which Faraday initially found “more difficult to define,” has
gained considerable clarity, since Faraday has been able to assimilate to it the figures
of speech associated with tension; and we may now understand electrical intensity as
commensurate with the degree of tension developed in a specified region. But the term
quantity, which Faraday previously thought “sufficiently definite as to sense” has
instead become highly questionable. For the “definite sense” of that term rested on the
image of heaping up or accumulation of electrical substance; and we have seen how
that image has repeatedly failed to find any grounding in experience. Moreover, now
that Faraday has identified the primary electrical entity as being the dielectric under
tension, not the so-called charged body, any idea of “quantity of electric substance” can
only be regarded as a merely verbal one—a figure of speech. Under such
circumstances, would it not behoove any responsible thinker to avoid the term
“quantity of electricity” altogether? And yet Faraday continues to speak of “quantity of
electricity” throughout the remainder of the Eleventh Series, and in the Twelfth,
Thirteenth, and Fifteenth Series. Why would he do this?
Faraday nowhere speaks directly to that question as regards electrical terminology;
but he does address a similar one in connection with the language of atoms. Some of
you have read, and some of you will read, his 1844 paper, “A Speculation touching
Electric Conduction and the Nature of Matter.” 21 In that essay, after having reviewed
his many reservations about the theory of atoms, and hence also the atomic language
that takes their existence for granted, he nevertheless admits,
I feel myself constrained, for the present hypothetically, to admit them
[that is, atoms], and cannot do without them.
Here, then, is another instance where Faraday feels obliged to make at least
provisional use of a terminology that has not been grounded in phenomena. A
doctrinaire purist would have avoided such a compromise; but Faraday’s openness
Contrast, for example the Knight of Faith in Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling with the rule-inferring
“insomniac” who, reflecting on Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac, confidently deduces, “Oh, I see how
it works: you raise the knife, and then suddenly there’s a ram!”
20
21
Experimental Researches in Electricity, Vol. II (1844), p. 284, esp. page 289.
�21
extends to language as well as to experience, for each of these must evolve along with
the other.
Natural phenomena show themselves in forms and images that human beings can
apprehend; and those images continually try to shape a language that is anchored in
the phenomena. But such a language requires discovery, interpretation, and
adeptness; and these in turn require time, patience, and love. As we do not expect to
take in a dialogue, or a drama, on first reading, we must not expect to “perform”
experiments once only and then set them aside. We must live with them, enter into
them, and try them again and again. The idea is less to get the right answer, than to
capture the right idiom. The book of nature deserves multiple readings; and no two of
those readings are likely to be quite the same.
�
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St. John's College Lecture Transcripts—Santa Fe
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St. John's College Meem Library
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21 pages
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What is the Measure of Electricity?
Description
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Transcript of a lecture given by tutor Howard Fisher on February 23, 2024 as part of the Dean's Lecture & Concert Series. The Dean's Office has provided this description of the event: "Faraday made use of numerous electrical measuring instruments; but what, exactly, did they measure? What properties of electricity are "measurable" at all? Faraday's efforts to identify these properties raised a question which Meno would have recognized: how can we know the properties of electricity unless we first know what electricity actually is?"
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Fisher, Howard J., 1942-
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St. John's College
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Santa Fe, NM
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2024-02-23
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text
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pdf
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Electricity
Faraday, Michael, 1791-1867
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English
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SF_FisherH_What_is_the_Measure_of_Electricity_2024-02-23
Friday night lecture
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/918955aa969820ba91330685ca00088a.mp3
da58b213e69eeab5c7b5a8b7e1ecc7c3
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Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts.<br /><br />For more information, and for a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <strong><a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a></strong>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.<br /><br />A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://anchor.fm/greenfieldlibrary" title="Anchor.fm">Anchor.fm</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84Yzk5MzdhYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw" title="Google Podcasts">Google Podcasts</a>, or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe.
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
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St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis
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formallectureseriesannapolis
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01:02:44
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The Discovery of Entropy, 1824-1865
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Audio recording of a lecture delivered on August 31, 2001, by Adam Schulman as part of the Formal Lecture Series.
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Schulman, Adam
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
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2001-08-31
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A signed permission form has been received stating, "I hereby grant St. John's College permission to: Make an audio recording of my lecture, and retain copies for circulation and archival preservation in the St. John's College Greenfield Library. Make an audio recording of my lecture available online. Make a typescript copy of my lecture available for circulation and archival preservation in the St. John's College Greenfield Library. Make a copy of my typescript available online."
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sound
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mp3
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Carnot, Sadi, 1796-1832. Réflexions sur la puissance motrice du feu.
Clausius, R. (Rudolf), 1822-1888. Ueber die bewegende Kraft der Wärme.
Entropy
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English
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LEC_Schulman_Adam_2001-08-31_ac
Friday night lecture
Tutors
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https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/ff2cff0f5a91a5c2b864f29583b31cfe.mp3
1b35ca27be5727703363cb80adc896b7
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St. John's College Lecture Recordings—Santa Fe
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St. John's College Meem Library
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m4a
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01:10:50
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Ecology, Evolution, and Ontology of Elevational Ranges
Description
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Audio recording of a lecture given by Ethan Linck on February 16, 2024 as part of the Dean's Lecture & Concert Series. The Dean's Office has provided this description of the event: "The elevational distributions of organisms have long fascinated scientists, an interest that has burgeoned with expectations of upslope movement of species in response to climate warming. Yet tests of this hypothesis have produced conflicting results, perhaps due to varied approaches and assumptions. In this lecture I will explore the historical roots of the concept of the elevational range in ecology and evolutionary biology, highlighting how it has been treated as both a byproduct of other phenomena and an object of study in its own right. I will then argue that this divide has created ontological and statistical issues for the field, and suggest areas for improvement."
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Linck, Ethan
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St. John's College
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Santa Fe, NM
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2024-02-16
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Ecology & environment
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English
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SF_LinckE_Ecology_Evolution_and_Ontology_of_Elevational_Ranges_2024_02-16
Friday night lecture
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/f52c75f0b9eaace1cabeec234e90b71c.pdf
bb216559fbb3be5f324ee55e843357ff
PDF Text
Text
Colloquy
On Creation
1
�2
�Table of Contents
4. Letter from the Editor
6. Poetry
22. Short Stories & Musings
32. Essays
66. Translations
79. An Interview with Associate Dean Brendan Boyle
3
�Letter from the Editor
4
�On Creation and the Value of Themes
I think a short explanation of the role of theme within a publication is warranted, given its inclusion in a handful of recent issues of Colloquy. Not only is it useful for you,
the reader, but for the contributors, and the editorial team. Without theme, we have
nothing to judge against. I’m not speaking of judgements of quality, as we would have
a difficult and spirited discussion about how to ascertain a work’s quality. Instead I
mean “judge” as in weigh the value of any particular work within the context of its
setting. I think the simplest way to explain the importance of a theme is to highlight
how prevalent the habit of keeping something “thematic” is. You cannot say something coherently unless a theme renders what you say coherent.
I’d first point to books, like the many we read here at St. John’s. If Kant deviated at all
from theme then the Critique of Pure Reason would suddenly find itself impure and unreasonable. And what a detriment to the ends of that work such a change would be. A
core aspect of our ingrained habit of storytelling is theme. It ties one plot point to the
next and allows metaphor to shine in the liminal space between word and interpretation. The role of theme is the same as the role of words, to communicate, but theme
on its own can communicate an entire catalogue of interpretations and emotions that
words cannot in their isolation.
So, let us focus on the theme for this issue of Colloquy: On Creation. Creation is among
the most transcendent capabilities of any single thing. It can refer to the creation of
new life or new purpose. We talk of artists as creators, and we say the same of gods.
The role of creation is that something comes to fruition, and moves from a space purely other, that of the non-existent, to that of the tangible and knowable, materializing
reality from concept.
In a way, “On Creation” is not a theme that enforces rigid boundaries. Creation as act
is available to the entirety of life’s beings, and seems to belong to nature’s fundamental forces. The Universe forges stars as we create an idea. As a theme, “On Creation”
does invite the polity of the Graduate Institute to participate in the single most unifying capability of all the Universe. And so I would like to end this musing with what I
hope the following submissions create within you, dear reader.
I hope they create inspiration, so that some aspect of the style, content, or beauty of
what you read here aids you in creating something wholly your own. I hope they
create a reaction, as emotional states are a sudden and startling reminder that we are
alive. And I hope they create a sense of appreciation for the brilliant, curious, and creative minds that make up the polity of the Graduate Institute, in this time and place.
Thank you, and give witness to creation.
Stephen Borsum - Editor
5
�Poetry & Musings
On Creation
Old Dog
Forbidden Fruit
Children of that World
Mimi
My Mind’s a Dark Forest
Before the Blank Stare
6
�Contributors
Austin Suggs
Chris MacBride
Stacey Rains
Louis Petrich
Sydney Rowe
Sylvie Bernhardt
John Harwood
7
�On Creation
Austin Suggs
What was in that dark
Over which the Spirit’s spark
hovered?
There was water there it seems
Though not the water of our streams.
This was of a different order
Not teeming with life
But humming with the power
Of a world not yet made
But somehow already there.
Did you tame primordial chaos
Or disturb a primal peace?
And what happened on that second day
That caused the pen to betray
Something was off.
For it was not good
Nor was it great.
It simply was.
Did the mass of land amidst the seas
Begrudge the Spirit its roaming free
A new strife where once there was peace?
And tell me, how great was man, really,
If you came to regret his progeny?
And if he’s an image of you,
Well, what are we to do
With that?
8
�Somewhere with Warm Waters - Louis Petrich
9
�Old Dog
Chris Macbride
The click-clicking of four arthritic ankles
announce him into the kitchen
At 17, he’s still turning up whenever the recipe begins
warm olive oil over medium heat, add 2 cloves garlic…
We met him at a rescue and were told his first owner was a chef
it explains a lot
His back is now a long, deep sway between hip and shoulder
curved like the mountain valley in Virginia where he was born
He shakes his head and the World’s softest ears
slap against sunken cheekbones
These days, he speaks in low groans as if to say
getting older stinks (like dog poop)
And yet
when the air outside turns chilly
darn if he isn’t a pup again
Trotting up the driveway eager to sniff out
the latest news left by four-legged friends
Nose to ground, tail wagging
he is happy
10
�Forbidden Fruit
Stacey Rains
In 9th grade Biology, we dissected lilies;
we carefully opened the white petals to access the pale green center,
separated the stamen from the pistil, and
learned that even flowers have ovaries
to grow life inside of life,
inside the deep, protected center, comes the slow swelling and upwelling,
‘til the petals drop away, and all is given
to the potential.
I have wrestled with
the discovery that trees can be dioecious–
that plants also are gendered–and, more, that there exists
a botanical misogyny. “When used for street plantings,
only male trees should be selected,
to avoid the nuisance from the seed.”
Fertility is so inconvenient.
Nevermind the spewing,
fertile pollen that now dominates the landscape,
causing red eyes and running noses.
Nevermind regret.
11
�Children of that World
Louis Petrich
(Luke 20:34-36)
“—they neither marry, nor are given in marriage—”
That’s all, perhaps, you need to say to inculcate
thy kingdom come and save us bouts of parables:
your sower, famed as seeding ground that’s cursed,
then straining after roots to clutch at light,
next family farms and winter strawberries—
all angelically void when wings caress
god’s breath and ‘tis enough to harvest songs.
Your late-hired field hands, prodigally paid for?-consider angels--any time--for free.
The good Samaritan gets even better,
stays the night with beaten travelers
instead of backing home to wife and stacking
nursing on an innkeeper, whose own shrewd wife,
though scraping profit from the dirty sheets,
with years grows tired of busybody neighbor feats.
12
�There’d be no rigmarole with folks declining
t’attend the wedding--no resorting last
to uncast idlers outing for a lark—
when kingdom come has come, the nights are done
that consummate, no made-up faces fine
or bodies nipped and tucked to light a spark—
O what a load from off the mind!--you lookers, mark.
My savior dear, your promised kingdom
parabolic could have been a kingdom
literal, in words that summon what they mean
forthright as prince’s peal: I say there shan’t be
children given away from honied skies.
For yes, I do remember Paradise-creation, mine to color.
Then the pall,
for none do slice off married once for all
until they deal their evil able parts
and die while knowing them inseparable.
She, hearing how to swallow serpentine
the world, tends him naked taste of inside
out desire; henceforth, he’s good no more alone
to name things as he will and hear the Lord approve.
13
�If only kingdom come, pie rained from sky,
were plated now for simple thanks to still
the pulpy verbiage, round it goes: “Now eat
at once the astronomical wee apple
that lets fall the dominoes.” Along come back pains,
raking leaves from tree left-o’er uneaten,
cracking truth on fossil fruit pertaining
not to peaceful night of sleep ‘til death-with tugging of the limbs and closing in
and never deeper getting than this flushing skin.
To walk with God in cool breeze
of the evening--unafraid
of after-hidden, poor performing fool—
that’s ever, and forever, bliss.
For that, be overcome, O world amiss.
14
�Mimi
Sydney Rowe
Vertebrate coast.
Silent boat.
Cusp of tropics, touch pearl.
Medicine inside embers.
Sails high; flatter.
Arcing Inwards to you.
The tiny cabin with a bowl of salt.
Cut open, pouring.
15
�My Mind’s a Dark Forest
Sylvie Bernhardt
Escape—run for the trees—evade;
Before they mark me freak,
No hope flickers warmth I might save.
No others will I need learn.
Down, down a dark stone cave
Goes I, who dares and burns.
I’ll claim honors as renegade,
Down, down these mountain graves
As friend to claw and beak.
That shutter, crack, and groan.
No good friend have they been to me—
Community of Fear—
Scratching fang nails on rusty rails,
These wretched creatures roam.
Conquer my last youthful decree:
I’m no Devil nor deity;
“I know this dark mirror.”
Grisly death wings me home.
Under night’s blanket I make haste
Away from light, away.
To fall in sight would lead to waste;
Safety in darkness lay.
Know I seek not a Paradise
Where those wretched do roam.
Those that claw against their stone
tombs
Wail, weak cretin cries.
As I descend, no lights a friend
Forever suckling purple blooms,
To delve through depths returned.
They who lives no more dies.
Wicked shadows cling to bright kin,
To I, who dares and burns.
Brutish heads prevail in disorder,
In guise of man though beast.
Debased are they, the exploiter,
And violence of brutes won’t cease.
16
�I move quietly in shadow
But if my flesh be not my end,
With sharp claw I unsheathe.
Then question not my aim.
No hatred I harbor in tow,
Makers of form are divine kin,
But blood be what we breathe.
So worship not to tame.
Should I consent to suffer more
Tread on, but move most steadily,
Or live in sunk despair?
Else these shales might splinter,
I know in cruelty they’ll restore
And break. Striking me readily,
A lust for death so fair.
As done in past winter.
Earth, oh Earth, cries do bury
Depths I dove, and air gusts led
An evil rot in mind.
Through caverns and deluge.
Spoken in tongues—restless fury
A moonlit grove, past tamed, then freed—
Stirs frenzied force blind.
Now my living refuge.
If only I had strength in hand to rake
A melody of crinkling leaves
The tremors from my flesh.
Invokes safety’s soft glee.
From my throat’s rage to the world’s
break,
Lantern flower blooms now breathes
All cries ever languish.
A loving warmth through me.
Death I keep always in soft heart,
Hold I no more despotic dark,
That will know endless cold.
While rose, mint and oak grows;
Love binds us before we depart;
Reflecting sanctuary’s mark
Of All, this I now hold.
Away I from old woes.
17
�Ruins are ripened with dull time.
On this bed of oak leaves I sleep;
I find the warm glow safe.
No company I seek.
Lonely lantern’s golden flame climbs
My tale always to tell as creep,
An ancient etched-stone waif.
As friend to claw and beak.
Secret garden beneath the falls
Spiraling to center.
Fire sprouts flame on vine-meshed
walls
Blooming in November.
To stir thoughts of metaphysics
I deny mind’s fetters.
Alight there glows hieroglyphics—
Spells in gold letters.
Timber crackles in a dirt pit.
Smoke fails to reach the floor.
Poems I babble and I spit,
So to deepen the lore.
Tonight, what dreams will I endure?
Be they kind or bleak?
While rosy-cheeked dawn will ignore
Me so tender and meek.
18
�Puck: Consider it a Dream - Nadine Bucca
19
�Before the Blank Stare
John Harwood
Here I sit and kneel
Before the blank stare
Of some little earth,
An image, of one
I have never seen nor touched.
The more thoughts rattle
In between my ringing ears,
The less I can manage
To imagine even the carving
Of the one I’ve never seen.
A faceless and mangled
Homunculus of marble
Stands before my penitent’s gaze.
In fear, I can not fathom to begin;
To set a chisel into the creature,
To even gesture to the creator.
How can I release anger and dread,
Praise and duty, pent up
In the veins and muscles
Of marble, so finely shaped
By the hands of the Almighty?
20
�Would even a painting,
A lead etching,
A mindless praying,
Or even tranced dancing
Begin to evoke the Unspeakable,
The Ever-Perplexing?
So, I sit and scratch lines into letters
And letters into the pages of my heart
That resembles the stone
That patiently awaits
Before my artist’s first minding.
After a purging time of pondering
Before the blank stare
Of the One Unfathomed,
Who fathoms me gently,
I dare begin to finally set a mark.
21
�Short Stories & Musings
Dialogue: Meeting with Descartes
TRANSLATIONS
The First Postulate
22
�Contributors
Yonas Ketsela
Cynthia Crane
23
�Dialogue: Meeting with Descartes
Yonas Ketsela
I set out on a journey today to meet with Descartes. He invited me to come and chat
with him at his house. I have been anxiously waiting to see him all day. I have his
book, Meditations on First Philosophy under my arms. After a long walk, I arrived at the
appointed time, and I am now only waiting for his call. This is roughly how our conversations go:
Descartes: “Let us for example take the wax; it has only just been removed from the
honeycomb; it has not yet lost all the flavour of its honey; it retains some of the scent of
the flowers among which it has gathered; its colour, shape, and size are clearly visible;
it is hard, cold, easy to touch, and if you tap it with your knuckle, it makes sound. In
short, it has all the properties that seem to be required for a given body to be known as
distinctly as possible.”
Yonas: What you said makes sense to me. This is in fact what I myself experimented on
a candle before coming here. If I put it in my own words, what you describe is exactly
what I characterise as my conscious sense-experience or sensations: the colour, shape,
size of the candle belongs to my vision; it has some cedar flavour which belongs to my
sense of smell and taste; its hardiness and coldness to my sense of touch; and its sound
to my ear. Thus, all these sensations are distinct to me. Even though I am not sure if I can
say that it is clear, nor do I know exactly what this experience means to me.
Descartes: “But wait–while I am speaking, it is brought close to the fire. The remains of
its flavour evaporate; the smell fades; the colour is changed, the shape is taken away, it
grows in size, becomes liquid, becomes warm, it can hardly be touched, and now, if you
strike it, it will give off no sound. Does the same wax still remain?”
Yonas: It is unclear to me now how I can precisely answer the question whether the
same wax remains or not. But one fact is clear to me that it has undergone some changes
of appearance. Its previous qualities are not there anymore. My sensations are obviously diminished in reaction to this change. I can barely smell it, its colour is unclear, its
shape somewhat deformed or irregular as a result of being in a change of state—from
that of solid to liquid; I also cannot grasp it; its sound is not as distinct as before. So, I
guess, so far as my sensation is diminished, I can say it is not exactly the same wax as
before. In fact, if someone now breaks into the house and senses this wax, he would
hardly be able to exactly predict or imagine its previous state. But as for me, I know
what happened and I can remember its previous state–however vague it might be. So I
don’t see the same wax as before.
24
�Descartes: [I see what you are saying but] “we must admit it does remain: no one would
say or think it does not. So what was there in it that was so distinctly grasped? Certainly, none of those qualities I apprehended by the senses: for whatever came under taste,
or smell or sight, or touch, or hearing, has now changed: but the wax remains.”
Yonas: Ahh, you are right. I hadn’t reflected in this way before. But If I follow your suggestion, it does seem to me that what I distinctly grasped was first its number, namely,
there was one wax here which has undergone a change from one state to another. But
as you said, for its taste, smell, sight, touch and hearing, they become very obscure and
even my imagination can only be a little to no help (given that my imagination is not
good enough). My senses may still retain a certain trace of sensations in them, but I am
sure they will disappear pretty soon (given that my memory does not always record
these sensations accurately). In another extreme case, someone who does not have one
of these sense organs may not participate in the same experience at all as I am now. I am
now wondering if these qualities are not necessarily what belongs to the essence of this
wax, then what is the essence of the wax apart from these qualities?
Descartes: [Good], “perhaps the truth of the matter was what I now think it is: namely
that the wax itself was not in fact sweetness of the honey, or the fragrance of the flowers
or the whiteness, shape, or sonority, but the body which not long ago appeared to me
as perceptible in these modes, but now appears in others. But what exactly is this that I
am imaging in this way?”
Yonas: That is exactly what I am wondering about too.
Descartes: [Okay] “let us consider the matter and, thinking away those things that do
not belong to the wax, let us see what remains.”
Yonas: Ok. Good.
Descartes: “Something extended, flexible, mutable: certainly, that is all.”
Yonas: I think I can understand that.
Descartes: “But in what do this flexibility and mutability consist? Is it in the fact that
I can imagine this wax being changed in shape, from a circle to a square, and from a
square into a triangle?”
Yonas: Well, speaking in clear concepts, I think, that may be what we can understand by
terms such as flexibility and mutability. But I am not sure if that is exactly what happens
in reality.
Descartes: [Okay] “That cannot be right: for I understand that it is capable of innumerable changes of this sort, yet I cannot keep track of all these by using my imagination.”
25
�Yonas: Now, I see what you mean, namely that the limitation of my faculty of imagination would not at all allow me to keep track of all these changes ad infinitum.
Descartes: “What about ‘extended’? Surely, I know something about the nature of its
extension. For it is greater when the wax is melting, greater still when it is boiling, and
greater still when the heat is further increased.”
Yonas: Yes, in some vague estimation, I can surely think of changes in its state, that is to
say, from a solid state to liquid or further to gas, consequently its extension increases.
Yes, I am not sure whether at a certain point, we may want to say that it is dispersed,
and not any longer an extension but discrete parts in space.
Descartes: [Okay, hold that thought] “And I would not be correctly judging what the
wax is if I failed to see that it is capable of receiving more varieties, as regards extension,
than I have ever grasped in my imagination.”
Yonas: Your meaning is that if I cannot determine what this wax is like as it changes
from one state into another in some notion or idea, then it seems that I could not do that
by my imagination alone.
Descartes: “Now [see] I am left with no alternative, but not to accept that I am not at all
imagining what this wax is, I am perceiving it with my mind alone: I say ‘this wax’ in
particular, for the point is even clearer about wax in general. So then, what is this wax,
which is only perceived by the mind?”
Yonas: If I remember correctly, we previously said that if we remove all the qualities
from the wax, we will arrive at only flexibility, mutability, and extension. Is that what
you mean? I mean that the mind can grasp the wax in these ideas and yet it would be
the same wax.
Descartes: “Certainly, it is the same wax I see, touch, and imagine, and in short it is
the same wax I judged it to be from the beginning. But yet—and this is important—the
perception of it is not sight, touch or imagination and never was, although it seemed to
be so at first: it is an inspection by the mind alone, which can be either imperfect and
confused, as it was before in this case, or clear and distinct, as it now is, depending on
the greater or lesser degree of attention I pay to what it consists of.”
Yonas: Indeed, that seems to be an interesting and important point. There seems to be
much more happening in perception than my simple sensations. But I don’t quite see
the problem yet. I do trust my senses that they can give me accurate sensations, but
I hadn’t quite reflected in this way before—how my mind can be problematic to this
experience or how it would inspect the wax apart from the senses and yet could be in
error?
Descartes: “...I am amazed by the proneness of my mind to error. For although I am considering this in myself silently and without speech, I am ensnared by words themselves,
and all but deceived by the very ways in which we usually put things. For we say that
26
�we ‘see’ the wax itself, if it is present, not that we judge it to be there
on the basis of its colour or shape. From this I would have immediately concluded that
I therefore knew the wax by the sight of my eyes, not by the inspection of the mind
alone.”
Yonas: That difference makes sense to me.
Descartes: [For example, as I am seeing this wax]..”If I had not happened to glance out
of the window at people walking along the street, I have immediately concluded that I
knew the wax by the sight of my eyes, not by the inspection of the mind alone but using
the customary expression, I say that I ‘see’ them [the people in the street] just say I ‘see’
the wax. But what do I actually see other than hats and coats, which could be covering
automata? But I judge that they are people. And therefore, what I thought I saw with
my eyes, I in fact grasp only by the faculty of judging that is in my mind.”
Yonas: This explanation does make much more sense to me now, especially when I
connect it to what you said before about the degree of attention one needs to put in his
observation of facts of experience. Thus, my mind’s imperfection and confusion then
only consist in that it judges quickly and that is when it errs.
Descartes: [Good] “Let us then go on where we left off by considering whether I perceived more perfectly and more evidently what the wax was, when I first encountered
it, and believed that I knew it by these external senses, or at least by what they call common sense, that is imaginative power; or whether I perceive it better now, after I have
more carefully investigated both what it is and how it is known. Certainly, it would be
foolish to doubt that I have a much better grasp of it now. For what, if anything, was
distinct in my original perception?”
Yonas: I don’t believe we arrived at that yet.
Descartes: [That is right] When I distinguish the wax from its external forms, and as if
I had stripped off its garments, consider it in all its nakedness, then, indeed, although
there may still be error in my judgement. I cannot perceive it in this way except by [my]
mind…I have learned now that bodies themselves are perceived not, strictly speaking,
by the senses or by the imaginative faculty, but by the intellect alone and that that they
are not perceived because they are touched or seen, but only because they are understood, I clearly realise that nothing can be perceived by me more easily and more clearly
that by own mind.
Yonas: I am amazed by this conclusion. I think I would rather stop our discussion here.
I want to go now and come back another day for more discussions. For now, I have
enough thoughts to contemplate for the coming days. It is really nice meeting you and
talking to you in such a respectful way.
27
�Walking to My House
My dialogue with Descartes was very interesting and, on my way back home, I was
contemplating deeply the significance of his conclusion. Descartes’s assertion is that in
one’s act of thinking, he said, it is possible to strip all external impressions and concentrate a certain degree of attention to the object and receive a correct perception in the
mind. This is conceivable. After a long walk, I finally arrived at my house. I was completely lost in contemplation; only when I looked at the flowers at the front door of my
house that I was awakened to the facts of this amazing world. I said to myself, ‘that is
my house.” I judged it correctly but the question that is still with me is how I did that—
is it my mind or my senses that showed me the way here?
Note: The Full Treatise of Descartes’s Discussion of the Wax is found in Book II of his
Meditations on First Philosophy.
28
�The First Postulate
Cynthia Crane
A false and scurrilous tale
Let it be postulated to draw a straight line from any point to any point.
East of the dusty market, under a low dry tree, a girl put an open wooden box at the feet
of her little brother. The boy did not notice, but stared at the curling clouds brushing the
near-white sky, broken to bits by the branches and leaves of the olive. “Euclid, look,”
she said, and tapped the box. Their mother, working the edge of the market, stopped her
hawking, saw the children safe in conversation, and turned back to her selling. Nothing
would come of it, she knew, and wished the girl would let her brother be. Euclid’s eyes
moved slowly off the clouds and his mind moved slowly off the job of assembling them
back to wholes from the fragments between the leaves. The box of sand assembled itself
at his feet, and then his sister’s face: lips, teeth, sunned freckles, black eyes obscured by
curls. “Euclid,” she said, “come back.” So he did.
The boy knelt and smoothed the sand
And smoothed the sand
And smoothed the sand,
Grains of glass under his palms
Grains of glass under his palms
Grains of glass under his palms and fingertips.
Mother’s cries, “here, here, sailor,”
Cut his ears like
Grains of glass under his palms and fingertips.
“Don’t listen,” the girl said, and shifted the box around so Euclid would not watch their
mother. His tears were leaving tracks in the dust on his face, but she did not wipe them
away, would not touch him and set him off.
He spit the dirt out of his mouth, and watched it bead then sink into the ground.
29
�No.
He smoothed the sand and smoothed the sand and smoothed the sand, grains of glass
under his palms and fingertips.
“Yes. Look.”
His sister’s dirty finger poked a dot in the sand,
And by it, another,
And by it, another,
And by it, another,
Snaking a line across the box of sand,
Awaking a serpent in his mind,
Between his eyes,
Behind his nose,
Above the taste of salty olives and grape leaves boiled in wine
Lingering
Annoying
On his tongue.
He spit again.
No.
The serpent reared its hooded head, smelling tongue and clouded eyes. It curled around
his thoughts and flicked them into disarray.
Euclid jabbed his finger into the sand, dragged it straight across the box, connecting one
of his sister’s dots to another and abandoning the rest. He pulled his finger out again,
and smoothed the sand on either side of the line he’d made. He leaned forward, his face
close to the surface of the sand, and then he leaned back. Strange. Sensation. He felt his
face with his fingertips and palms. It moved soft as shifting sand or dust and as though
and as though and as though .
“You’re smiling,” his sister said.
30
“Yes.”
�Galaxy in a Flower - Nadine Bucca
31
�Essays
Corruption at the Symposium
How to Read Well
The Galileo Affair
The Nature of the Pilgrimage
The Creation of the Self
32
�Contributors
Sam Hage
Siobhán Petersen
Shirley Quo
Noah Vancina
Kyle Reynolds
33
�Corruption at the Symposium
Sam Hage
At the conclusion of the Symposium’s six speeches about Eros, the drunken Alcibiades
interrupts the party with a crowd of attendants in tow. At the conclusion of Alcibiades’
speech, another, drunker crowd of revelers interrupts the party, sending things into
confusion and signaling the end of Aristodemus’ narrative. Unlike Alcibiades’ initial
entrance, which enables his long and rhapsodic depiction of Socrates—providing key
biographical information found in only a handful of places in Plato—this second entrance seems to serve no discernible dramatic purpose.
A small detail, however, included almost as an afterthought, may tell us a great deal.
The second time around, the intruders find the door to Agathon’s house already open,
because “someone had gone out.” We mustn’t suppose this detail is accidental; according to ancient anecdotes, Plato revised individual lines of his dialogues hundreds of
times. What’s more, the preposterous custodial chain of the Symposium’s narrative is a
clear indication of Plato’s own authorial hand at work.
So who has left the party? And why does Plato wish for us to know? Once noticed, the
first question is not difficult to answer: Alcibiades is still speaking or has just finished;
Phaedrus and Erixymachus are mentioned as leaving right after this; Socrates, Agathon, and Aristophanes stay awake talking all night; Aristodemus is there to witness and
narrate it all. Of the seven speakers, plus Aristodemus, Pausanias is the only one not
explicitly mentioned. Unless this is a meaningless addition meant to refer to one of the
unnamed speakers whom Aristodemus or Apollodorus forgot about, the only possibility is Pausanias.
Why Plato should present us with this detail is a much greater question. Pausanias,
we are told in the opening pages, is still hungover from last night’s festivities—but no
reader will be satisfied to think he has left simply because he isn’t feeling well. More
relevant is the fact that he has been witnessing his beloved, Agathon, flirt with the beautiful newcomer Alcibiades—and with Socrates from the very start of the party. Given
that it is during Alcibiades’ speech that Pausanias finally storms out, it seems likely that
34
Alcibiades will provide us with the key to Plato’s lesson.
�Without undertaking a tedious examination of Pausanias’ and Alcibiades’ speeches, we
can at least observe some cursory points. Pausanias’ defense of Eros is highly unerotic;
even the “highest” relationships are for him ultimately transactional. In truth, Eros is
not defended at all, but instead undergoes a kind of technical scrutiny and classification. Pausanias’ bizarre focus on the jurisprudence of pederasty is especially startling
in juxtaposition with Phaedrus’ emphasis on the tragic nobility of a lover’s self-sacrifice
and Eryximachus’ rapturous elevation of Eros as the governing principle of the entire
cosmos. His focus on the shameful is revealing: he seems rather ashamed of erotic relationships altogether.
No character could be further opposed than that of the shameless and bombastic Casanova who delivers the evening’s unexpected epilogue. Whereas Socrates reveals the
true nature of Eros properly understood, Alcibiades vividly illustrates the corruption
that this philosophic attitude can sometimes leave in its wake. As a youth, Alcibiades has been partially won over by an appeal to wisdom; nonetheless, the conversion
has not entirely succeeded. Plato’s dramatic art demonstrates the extreme care Socrates
took in choosing to whom, and how, he disclosed his teachings. Socratic education does
not admit of half measures, and a little learning is a dangerous thing. No doubt Socrates
is not entirely to blame for the schizophrenic political career of a man with such unreformable erotic impulses. Nevertheless, many Athenians would have seen Alcibiades
as a prime example of Socratic corruption.
However strange his views of pederasty might seem to us, Pausanias, by contrast, is a
spokesman for the conventional. His archetypal pederastic relationship exchanges the
beauty of the body for the knowledge of a wise teacher. The lover possesses the good
that is truth, and desires the beauty he lacks. Socrates recognizes the beauty of his own
soul as superior to that of any mere body; he would never participate in this transaction. Socrates’ students instead come to recognize the beauty of his soul, and become
his lovers instead.
Plato offers us many indications that corruption is a theme of the Symposium. When
Apollodorus is first approached by his unnamed companion in the dialogue’s opening
lines, he reports that just the other day, Glaucon had asked to “question him closely”
about the party where “Socrates, Alcibiades, and the others” made erotic speeches.
35
�The singular focus on Alcibiades is understandable, not only because of his prominent
role in Athenian politics throughout the Peloponnesian War, but especially on account
of suspicions that Socrates was somehow responsible for Alcibiades’ spectacular downfall. The party depicted in Plato’s dialogue occurred not long before the Sicilian expedition, Alcibiades’ recall, and his subsequent desertion to Sparta; the framing device at
the start of the dialogue takes place just over a decade later—only a handful of years
before Socrates’ trial.
This offhand inclusion of Glaucon as Apollodorus’ interrogator is extremely notable:
the evidence of this dialogue, in addition to that of other Platonic works, suggests that
of all Socrates’ close associates, Glaucon in particular may have felt himself corrupted
by Socrates’ tutelage.
At the start of this dialogue we learn that “everything” is more important to Glaucon
than philosophy. This might indicate that he now holds a conventional and suspicious
view of Socrates’ way of life; moreover, it tells us that his concern with the details of the
speeches at the party can’t possibly have been philosophical. How odd, indeed, that if
he is so interested in the events of the drinking party, he did not simply consult Socrates
himself. Glaucon’s importance is also signaled by similarities between the opening lines
of the Symposium and the Republic, in which Glaucon is Socrates’ central interlocutor:
both begin with the narrator “going up” to town, before being arrested by a combative
acquaintance. In this case, the verb used by Apollodorus in the dialogue’s first line,
πυνθάνεσθε (“I am not unprepared for what you ask about”), is in the second person
plural—is he now being scrutinized by a group of inquisitors?
Xenophon also wrote a dialogue called the Symposium, also with an unmistakable suggestion of the theme of corruption: Socrates is there depicted in the company of the
beautiful youth Autolycus and his father, Lycon—one of Socrates’ accusers in his trial
for corrupting the young.
In general, Xenophon seems more willing than Plato to concede the reality of the corruption charge. He grants in the Memorabilia, first, that Socrates did indeed impart political skill to his associates and, second, that Alcibiades and Critias were among those
associates.
36
�(It is often taken for granted that the ruination of these two supreme criminals was the
real substance of Socrates’ indictment, but that because of the amnesty of 403, such
a charge could not be made explicit.) Commentators have even pointed out that the
Greek verb απομνημονεύω, from which the title Memorabilia is derived, can mean, in
addition to simply “call to mind,” to “hold something against another”; not just “bear
in mind,” but also “bear a grudge.”
Just like Plato’s inclusion of the detail of the open door, Xenophon cannot possibly
have placed Lycon among the banquet’s attendees by accident. He must wish for us to
learn something about what would become Lycon’s motivations for accusing Socrates
23 years later. It is true that in Xenophon’s version of events, just as in Plato’s, Socrates
subverts commonly accepted pederastic norms, urging both Callias and Critobulus to
avoid sexual entanglements and to care only for the virtue of their young beloveds. But
while disagreements like this might explain a frustrated lover’s early departure from
a party, they can hardly provide motive for the prosecution of a capital crime. Besides,
this chaste exhortation is exactly the kind of thing Lycon, the father of a handsome
youth, would most wish to hear.
Doubtless far more important, then, is the revelation that Autolycus was killed by the
Thirty Tyrants after the Peloponnesian War. Did Lycon hold a particular grudge against
Socrates for his role in Critias’ education, or associate him with Thirty’s rise? Did he
blame Socrates for Autolycus’ being an “outspoken” member of the insurgent democratic faction, as Diodorus Siculus describes him?
Beyond his putative influence on Critias, there is admittedly a strong case against Socrates as an opponent of democracy. Republicanism and the rule of law are presented a
number of times in Plato’s dialogues as a “second sailing” to the rule of a wise statesman, and in the Republic, Kallipolis bears certain unmistakable similarities to Sparta
and other monarchic or oligarchic regimes. Socrates’ theories about “intellectual despotism”—the belief that the wise alone hold a rightful claim to rule—could easily have
been taken by men like Lycon to constitute support for actual despots.
It is understandable that an embittered father could attribute some blame to Socrates,
the famous political philosopher, for the power and brutality of the oligarchic Thirty
37
�Tyrants. It may not at first make sense that Lycon could also blame him for his son
Autolycus’ membership in the coalition that resisted them. But Xenophon once again
suggests the connection. Despite the fact that no reader of the dialogues could mistake
Callias III of Alopece for a genuine follower of Socrates, the debaucherous grandee
presents himself at the beginning of Xenophon’s Symposium as a devoted student of
philosophy and a member of the Socratic circle.
In Xenophon’s depiction of the party, Socrates exhorts Callias to a career in politics, and
tells him the surest way to woo Autolycus is to make him more virtuous. Indeed, the
theme of the evening’s conversation is introduced by the question of who can “make
Autolycus better.” Socrates quickly warns the others that this is a dangerous topic, and
should be put off to another time. It seems he was right: Callias’ unfortunate political
career during the Peloponnesian War demonstrates a respect in which Autolycus chose
the wrong mentor.
Perhaps Lycon sees it thus: a follower of Socrates ensured Autolycus became an outspoken member of the losing side; a follower of Socrates caused the winning side to form a
powerful, repressive oligarchy that put Autolycus to death.
Socrates’ supposed intellectual despotism, it turns out, is not unconnected to his erotic
innovations. In both Symposia, erotic attachment to the beautiful is supplanted by attraction to the good. This reorientation is of a piece with the typical Socratic line about deliberate action and human motivations: everyone is always pursuing what seems good
to him, and wrongdoing is thus the result only of mistaken apprehension of the good.
Human action, in other words, is to be understood in terms of a kind of self-interest;
elevated self-interest perhaps, but self-interest nonetheless.
To truly comprehend this outlook is to radically undermine traditional notions of noble
virtue. If what it means to act deliberately is to act in accordance with a belief in one’s
own good, how could beautiful sacrifice be possible? On this extreme Socratic view of
human nature, the brave or noble person really thinks what he’s doing is best.
Orpheus, Alcestis, and Phaedrus’ invincible regiment of male lovers would no longer
deserve our admiration—not to mention pediatricians, special ed teachers, firemen, and
38
�Nobel Peace laureates.
In teaching this doctrine, Socrates did something far more subversive than impugn the
city’s religion. Most Athenians, in any case, seem to scorn literal belief in the gods: Euthyphro is openly ridiculed for his unusual fundamentalism. It was corruption of the
young that carried the real weight in Socrates’ indictment, for which impiety was mere
window dressing. Socrates has done something much worse than simply contravene
the city’s religion; he has taken away its idols, and undermined the very basis for noble
and heroic deeds. No wonder the city tries to kill him. We would, too.
39
�Nightmare - Nadine Bucca
40
�How to Read Well
Siobhán Petersen
How is it that I’m able to say that I’m not sure I ever read a book before I started the
Program? Close reading – attending deeply to what is said, the way it was said, what
it could mean – has never been a weakness of mine. Yet, something was still missing;
some crucial engagement beyond merely what the author has put on offer that gets to
the vitality of what our labors are all for. How do we facilitate a meaningful conversation with an inanimate object, how do we engage with ideas so renowned they’re
practically cliché? If we decide the inexhaustibility we’re seeking in the Great Books
actually comes from ourselves, can this teach us how to drink deeper from them? I
offer some thoughts on how I’ve met that challenge.
I
On a pragmatic concern: I am a strong advocate of writing in our books. The best
advice I ever got on annotation – after it was too late to help with my first semester,
incidentally – was to not to try to make insights or observations in the margins, but
rather to be indexing them for things I found interesting about it as I read. My margins
are full of notes that just describe the action, like “Patroclus’ ghost;” running motifs
specific to the text, like “synthetic judgment” or “The Moment;” and big ideas it might
speak to, like “fate” or “death” or “divine justice.”
i This makes it easy to find quotes in discussion, and come paper season, it’s so
helpful to know what I was thinking about and where. I’ve turned my copy into a
bespoke reference for textual evidence on every line of inquiry that matters to me. But
more to the point, it helps me read deeper because it helps me return to the text as I
think about it later on; it is perhaps only half of the experience to actually read and
discuss, the other half is how you turn it over in your mind after.
ii Beyond the practical value, I’d also advocate for an aesthetic value to the practice.
Books are strange, fourth dimensional objects – they carry our thoughts forward in
time. A thought is ephemeral; a body of them preserved against the passage of time is
a text, and that can be as true for the reader as it is for the writer. Further, I am creating a shelf of artifacts of my life at St. John’s. What starts as a two-way conversation
between the reader and the author becomes a trialogue, with the version of myself
as a Master’s student participating too. Just as I feel privileged to see inside the head
of people I care about when I read their annotated books, someone is likely to value
these thoughts from this particular stretch of time of my life at some point in the future, even if that someone is only me.
41
�II
I think what separates a lay reading and a close reading is a decision: to take nothing
within a text as incidental. Every word was deliberately chosen for a particular effect;
every tangent, every metaphor was considered in light of the whole. I take as axiom that
no one writes anything because they want to say something – they do it because they
need to say something. Whatever the author set out to express lies
in the background of every small detail, so it pays to attend them with care.
How do we attend to details that will enhance the discussion? I think that anything that
sticks out to you is interesting. A particular use of language, a mention of something
else you read, the way some pet interest of yours appears in a reading: I’ve seen some
of the most profitable inquiries come out of someone’s peculiar observation. Someone
offering their idiosyncratic take opens up vistas of thought that, definitionally, I could
never have hoped to imagine myself. Ultimately (or with an eye to the Good Life, let’s
say penultimately), we read to come ready to share; to me, this is what we call the
“learning community.” No one else can give your perspective, and it’s our function as
classmates in-community to offer it.
i In trying to sort out the big picture, I think it’s valuable to remind myself – as anyone who’s written anything can probably relate to – I’ve never gotten to the end of any
writing project and felt like I’d fully said everything I set out to. I try to leave space in
the text for what the author perhaps couldn’t write. I think this is different from simply
granting a charitable reading; I’m perhaps suggesting we can sometimes glimpse past
the text if we look hard enough at the totality as well as the particularity: can see the
forest and the trees. Whether we’re impressed with the picture we see is up to us, but
given the choice between two readings, I try to default to the one that is most nuanced,
human, interesting.
ii Counterintuitively, what I’m not suggesting is a devotion to the author, nor their
intended message. What I’ve found reading so many Great Texts birthed from Great
Minds is that somewhere along the way I stopped reading to find out what Plato, or
Descartes, or Dostoevsky thought; I only read to find out what I think. We talk about
ourselves as “in conversation” with the books. Part of being a good conversationalist is
to hold up your end of the discussion. Have your own thoughts! There’s a bit of a
pressure-relief in realizing I can be nearly certain I can’t have a wholly original idea
about texts so widely read, but that doesn’t mean we have to rely on cliché, or pre-made
understandings. What does a text mean to you, right now?
III
In that spirit of the “now,” I’ll even go so far as to say it is okay to disinterpret a text to
the end of creating the most interesting possible reading. “Disinterpretation” implies
willfulness; we are free to develop accounts of the reading that run contrary to good
sense, so long as we can support it with textual evidence. Put a quote in another context!
Take one out of context!
42
�Are you unsatisfied with the answer the author provides, can you develop a more elegant account with what else they’ve said?
i Even if you end up spiraling out or spinning the wheels; experimenting by analyzing, combining and recombining ideas from all over the canon, from your classmates,
from your favorite novel will be a worthwhile skill to build in its own right. I try not
to worry myself with the products of any of these experiments, nor do I try to disguise
my experiments in-seminar as completed positions; the idea is to
push every idea to its limits. I only ever want to be a better scientist.
ii Partly, my decision to close-read is built on this disinterpretation; I can’t know for
sure what was in the mind of the author when they selected any element, but I choose
to read it otherwise, even if I’m wrong. I joyfully forfeit any spurious claim on the
Necessary for a ground in the realm of the Aesthetic. If something seems to come out
of nowhere based on everything you’ve previously understood about the work, it’s
easy enough to disregard it as incidental, but far more worthwhile to examine it as
vital, integral. Why might this be here? There’s no ambition to exactitude in “might,”
only pliable openness. It is my firm opinion we are not here to be right about anything; we’re here to be wrong in interesting ways.
43
�Galileo and the Interaction between Religion and Science
Shirley Quo
Introduction
Galileo’s Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican (Dialogue) is one of the most important texts of the Copernican and Scientific revolution.
It started the transition from the geocentric to a geokinetic worldview by means of interdisciplinary considerations based on Galileo’s new physics, observational evidence
stemming from his telescopic discoveries and methodological principles including critical reasoning.
The Dialogue is also noteworthy because it led to Galileo’s trial by the Roman Catholic
Inquisition in 1633. His book was banned and he was found guilty of ‘vehement suspicion of heresy’. This was because the Catholic Church believed that the Holy Scriptures
supported the geocentric worldview i.e. that the sun revolved around the earth. To
support a geokinetic worldview was therefore an act of heresy. These developments are
known as the Galileo Affair.
The purpose of this article is to examine the conflict between science and religion in the
context of the Dialogue, the Galileo Affair and its aftermath. What, if any, is the role of
religious authority and the Bible in scientific inquiry?
The Geostatic Worldview
The geostatic worldview assumed that the earth is spherical, motionless and that it is
located at the center of the universe i.e. geocentric theory. Aristotle and Ptolemy were
the two main contributors to this view of the universe. The old view considered that
there was a fundamental division in the universe between the earthly and the heavenly
regions and each region consisted of bodies with different properties and behavior.
This is called the heaven-earth dichotomy.
Terrestrial bodies occupied the central region of the universe below the moon, whereas
heavenly bodies occupied the outer region from the lunar to the stellar sphere (the highest heaven or the firmament). Earthly bodies moved naturally straight toward (downward for earth and water) or away from the center of the universe (upward for air and
fire), whereas celestial bodies (aether) moved circularly around the same center.
44
�Geometrically there were only two lines with the property that all parts are congruent
with any other part – the circle and the straight line. Motion could be simple or mixed.
Simple motion was motion along a straight line. Thus there were only two types of simple motion – straight and circular. Mixed motion was motion which is neither straight
nor circular.
There was a theoretical reason why upward and downward natural motions could
belong to the same fundamental region of the universe but were essentially different
from natural circular motion. This is the theory of change as contrariety according to
which all change derives from contrariety and no change can exist where there is no
contrariety. Contrarierty means opposites such as hot and cold, dry and humid. So up
and down is a fundamental contrariety. This applies to terrestrial bodies which is full
of qualitative changes e.g. birth, growth, generation, destruction etc. Circular natural
motion of heavenly bodies by contrast have no contrary therefore it lacked an essential condition for the existence of change. Because no physical or organic or chemical
changes were detected or observed in the heavens, it was claimed that the heavenly
realm, unlike the terrestrial realm, was unchangeable, ingenerable, incorruptible etc.
This provided the basis for the heaven-earth dichotomy.
The Copernican System
Copernicus published ‘On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres’ (Revolutions) in
1543. Unlike the old view, the stellar sphere was motionless and did not revolve around
the earth with westward diurnal rotation. Instead, the diurnal rotation belonged to the
earth, though its direction was eastward in order to result in the observational appearance of the whole universe rotating westward. This is called a geokinetic worldview.
The earth was given a second motion, an orbital revolution around the sun with a period of one year, and also in an eastward direction. The annual motion was shifted from
the sun to the earth thus making the earth a planet rather than the sun. This terrestrial
orbital revolution meant that the earth was located off-center, the center being instead
the sun. This is called a heliocentric worldview.
45
�Copernicus’s view was based on an idea proposed by the Pythagoreans in ancient
Greece which had been rejected in favour of the Ptolemaic worldview. In Copernicus’s
worldview, the earth moves by rotating on its own axis daily and by revolving around
the sun once a year. It was a simpler and more coherent theory if the sun rather than the
earth is assumed to be at the center and the earth is taken to be the third planet circling
the sun yearly and spinning daily on its own axis. It had fewer moving parts than the
geokinetic system because the apparent daily motion of all heavenly bodies around the
earth is explained by the earth’s axial rotation and thus there is only one thing moving
daily (the earth) rather than thousands of stars.
There were also theological and religious objections. The biblical objection claimed that
the idea of the earth moving is heretical because it contradicts many biblical passages
stating or implying that the earth stands still.1 For example, Psalm 104:5 provides that
the Lord “laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever”.
In Ecclesiastes 1:5, it provides that “the sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and
hasteth to the place where he ariseth” which seems to attribute motion to the sun and
support the geostatic system.
Another theological objection was based on the idea that God is all powerful – this
may be called the divine omnipotence argument.2 This was endorsed by Pope Urban
VIII during whose reign Galileo was tried and condemned. One version of this argument was that since God is all powerful, He could have created any one of a number
of worlds e.g. one in which the earth is motionless. It was religiously heretical because
it conflicted with Holy Scripture and the biblical interpretations of the Church Fathers
and therefore undermined belief in an omnipotent God.
The Galileo Affair
In 1615, the Holy Office, or Roman Inquisition, asked its Inquisitors for an opinion on
two propositions based on some formal complaints filed against Galileo in relation to
the Copernican system:3
(1) the Sun is the centre of the world and completely immovable by local motion; and
(2) the Earth is not the centre of the world nor immovable, but moves as a whole and
also with a diurnal motion.
46
�The Inquisitors returned a unanimous opinion:
(1) The first proposition was declared unanimously to be foolish and absurd in philosophy and formally heretical inasmuch as it expressly contradicts the doctrine of Holy
Scripture in many passages, both in their literal meaning and according to the interpretation of the Fathers and learned theologians.
(2) All were agreed that this proposition merits the same censure in philosophy and
that, from a theological point of view, it is at least erroneous in the faith.
In 1616, the Congregation of the Index issued a Decree declaring that the doctrine of the
earth’s motion was physically false and contrary to Scripture; condemning and permanently banning Foscarini’s book, Letter on the Pythagorean Opinion, which had argued
that the earth’s motion was probable and not contrary to Scripture; and temporarily
prohibiting Copernicus’s Revolutions until and unless it was revised.5
Although Galileo was not mentioned at all in the Decree, he was given a warning in
private. This warning exists in two versions. One is written on a certificate given to
Galileo and signed by Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, who was an authoritative member
of both the Congregation of the Index and of the Inquisition; it stated that Bellarmine
had informed Galileo that the earth’s motion could not be held or defended. The second
version is in an unsigned note written by a clerk and found in the file of Inquisition trial
proceedings; it stated that the Commissary-General of the Inquisition gave Galileo the
special injunction that he must not hold, defend, or discuss in any way the earth’s motion. Galileo claimed that he had never received the second version.6
Despite the warning given to him by the Catholic Church, Galileo published the Dialogue in 1632. The book was a discussion of the earth’s motion but took the form of
a critical examination of all the arguments for and against the idea; the arguments on
both sides were presented, analysed, and evaluated. The arguments for the earth’s motion turned out to be much stronger than those against it. This was an implicit defence
of Copernicanism. However, Galileo believed that he had acted within the spirit of
Bellarmine’s warning because it was only a hypothesis.
47
�In 1633, Galileo was brought to trial by the Inquisition on the charge that in his Dialogue, published in the previous year, he had disobeyed the injunction of 1616 and
had defended the Copernican system, knowing it to be heretical. In the course of their
judgment the Inquisitors twice reaffirmed that the system was heretical, in two slightly
different forms. In the first place they recalled and quoted the judgment of 1616, citing
it as evidence that it had already been duly examined and condemned. The Inquisitors
then delivered their own verdict:7
“We say, pronounce, sentence and declare that you, the said Galileo... have rendered
yourself, in the judgment of this Holy Office, vehemently suspected of heresy, namely
of having believed and held the doctrine, which is false and contrary to the Sacred and
Divine Scripture, that the Sun is the centre of the Earth and does not move from east to
west, and that the Earth moves and is not the centre of the world, and that an opinion
may be defended and held as probable after it has been declared and defined contrary
to Holy Scripture.”
According to one commentator, there is an interesting difference between the two statements.8 The Inquisitors in 1616 condemned as heretical the proposition that the Sun is
the centre of the world (centro del mondo) and immovable; in 1633 they condemned as
heretical the proposition that the Sun is the centre of the Earth (centro della terra) and
does not move from east to west (i.e. does not move in a diurnal orbit around the Earth).
What does this mean? Surely it cannot be taken to mean literally that the Sun is the centre of the Earth? Perhaps it means that it is the centre of the Earth’s orbit or, as in Copernicus’s own theory, the centre of the celestial sphere in which the Earth is embedded
(which might be called ‘the Earth’ in an extended sense).9
As time went on, however, the situation changed. In the new theory, the fixed stars did
not rotate and hence, it was no longer necessary for them to be held together in a rigid
sphere. The whole system of rigid spheres could be abandoned. The universe need not
be spherical, it could be any shape or even infinite. Even if it was a sphere there was no
need for the Sun to be at its centre or immovable (for the whole planetary system might
be in motion).
48
�Galileo was aware of this theory. In the Dialogue, Salviati, the advocate of the Copernican centre of the universe; if any centre may be assigned to the universe, we shall rather
find the sun to be placed there, as you will understand in due course’.10 Galileo added
this marginal note “The sun more probably at the centre of the universe than the earth.”
In 1633, the Inquisition found Galileo “vehemently suspect of heresy” for holding and
defending the thesis that the earth revolves around the sun and for thinking “that one
may hold and defend as probable an opinion after it has been declared and defined
contrary to the Holy Scripture”.
The content of Galileo’s suspected heresy was two-fold. The first was an astronomical
or cosmological claim about physical reality, which Galileo had supported and defended in the Dialogue. The second was a methodological principle or rule about how to
proceed in the search for physical truth or the acquisition of natural knowledge i.e. the
principle that Scripture is not an authority and may be disregarded as irrelevant in astronomy and natural philosophy. Galileo’s new telescopic evidence removed most of
the observational-astronomical objections against the earth’s motion and added new
evidence in its favor. Galileo believed not only that the geokinetic theory had greater
explanatory coherence than the geostatic theory (as Copernicus had shown) and that it
was physically and mechanically more adequate (as Galileo’s new physics suggested)
but also that it was empirically and observationally more accurate in astronomy (as the
telescope now revealed). His assessment was that the arguments for the earth’s motion
were stronger than those for the earth being at rest; that Copernicanism was more likely
to be true than the geostatic worldview.
According to one argument, the view was developed during the Enlightenment that
Galileo’s trial embodied the inherent incompatibility between science and religion, and
later this view became widely accepted. The case of Galileo may be one of those where
science and religion happened to be in conflict. Galileo’s trial does exhibit such a conflict if science is interpreted in that context as Copernicanism and religion as Scripture;
for although Galileo believed and argued that Copernicanism is compatible with Scripture, the Catholic Church (through Bellarmine, Pope Urban VIII, the Index, and the
Inquisition) claimed that Copernicanism is contrary to Holy Scripture.
49
�The conflict between science and religion is a striking feature of both the original and
the subsequent Galileo affair: in the original episode in 1616, it takes the form of Copernicanism versus Holy Scripture; in the subsequent controversy in 1633, it takes the
form that Galileo’s trial was widely perceived to epitomise the conflict between science
and religion.
Aftermath of the Galileo Affair
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith
and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed
the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever
contradict truth.
Consequently, methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried
out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict
with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the
same God. The humble and preserving investigator of the secrets of nature is being
led, as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the conserver of
all things, who made them what they are. By 1939, Pope Pius XII was praising Galileo
for being among the “most audacious heroes of research … not afraid of the stumbling
blocks and the risks on the way, nor fearful of the funereal monuments.”
Galileo was again mentioned with approval by Pope Pius XII in an address to the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union in 1952, where he concluded his
remarks saying:
As so, friends, above and beyond the deep respect which we entertain for all the sciences and for yours in particular, this is yet another reason why we are moved to pray: may
the science of astronomy, founded on the highest and most universal horizons, the ideal
of so many great men in the past such as Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton,
continue to bear the fruit of marvellous progress and, through to the heartfelt collaborations promoted by such groups as the International Astronomical Union, bring the
astronomical vision of the Universe to an ever deeper perfection.
50
In 1979, at a meeting of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences commemorating the centen
�nial of Einstein’s birth, Pope John Paul II gave a speech in which he talked about the
Galileo affair. The Pope admitted errors on the part of ecclesiastic individuals and institutions and acknowledged some wrongdoing on their part. He spoke of Galileo having
been caused “suffering,” of his treatment as an instance of unwarranted interference
into the autonomy of scientific research, and of the fact that the Second Vatican Council
had “deplored” such interferences.
From the point of view of the principles Galileo held regarding the relationship between
science, religion and the Bible, Pope John Paul II spoke with unprecedented clarity and
remarkable accuracy. In the 1979 Einstein centennial speech, the Pope said:17
He who is rightly called the founder of modern physics declared explicitly that the two
truths, of faith and of science, can never contradict each other . . . The Second Vatican
Council does not express itself otherwise.
Pope John Paul II also issued a call for further studies of the Galileo affair that would
be guided by three goals: bipartisan collaboration between the Galilean scientific side
and the ecclesiastic religious side; open-mindedness to the wrongs of one side and the
merits of the other side; and validation of the harmony between science and religion.
Although the third goal was in some tension with the other two, it was the one closest
to the Pope’s heart. For he argued that Galileo believed that science and religion are
harmonious and that Galileo conducted his scientific research in the spirit of religious
service and worship.
Galileo also elaborated important epistemological principles about Scriptural interpretation, which correspond to the correct ones later clarified and formulated by the Catholic Church. The Pope wanted to reverse the traditional interpretation of Galileo’s trial
as epitomising the conflict between science and religion.
For Pope John Paul II, a key lesson from the Galileo affair is the need and importance of
methodological pluralism i.e. the rule that different branches of knowledge call for different methods. This is what Galileo himself had advocated. In contrast, his theological
opponents were committed to a misplaced cultural unitarianism that led them to fail to
distinguish scriptural interpretation from scientific investigation and so to illegitimately transpose one domain into the other.
51
�Some commentators argue that the Inquisition was wrong to condemn Galileo since
he preached and practiced the principle that scriptural passages should not be used in
astronomical investigation, but only when dealing with questions of faith and morals.
The Inquisition found this principle intolerable and abominably erroneous, and wanted to uphold the opposite principle that Scripture is a scientific authority, as well as a
moral and religious one. On this question of theological and epistemological principle,
Galileo was ultimately exculpated.
In regard to the biblical issue, the main point of Galileo’s letters to Castelli and to Christina is that the literal interpretation of the Bible is binding only for questions of faith
and morals and not for physical questions.18 Although in a sense this proposition can
be accepted as true, it was regarded and was in fact singularly dangerous at that time.
The most detailed description of how the Church views the interaction between religion
and science can be found in a 1987 letter written by Pope John Paul II to Fr. George
Coyne SJ, director of the Vatican Observatory. In this letter, he insisted on the equal
value of science and religion:19
… both religion and science must preserve their autonomy and their distinctiveness.
Religion is not founded on science nor is science an extension of religion. Each should
possess its own principles, its pattern of procedures, its diversities of interpretation and
its own conclusions.
Science can purify religion from superstition; religion can purify science from false absolutes. Each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish.
The Pope also argued that this dialogue was essential to progress within science itself,
a theme which Pope Francis would later develop in Laudato Si’:20
… science develops best when its concepts and conclusions are integrated into the
broader human culture and its concerns for ultimate meaning and value. Scientists …
can also come to appreciate for themselves that these discoveries cannot be a genuine
substitute for knowledge of the truly ultimate.
And in 1992, at the conclusion of his inquiry, the Pope had not changed his mind in this
regard but reaffirmed the point with these words:
52
�“Paradoxically, Galileo, a sincere believer, showed himself to be more perceptive in this
regard than the theologians who opposed him . . . The majority of theologians did not
recognize the formal distinction between Sacred Scripture and its interpretation, and
this led them unduly to transpose into the realm of the doctrine of the faith a question
that in fact pertained to scientific investigation.
Moreover, from the Galileo affair . . . another lesson we can draw is that the different
branches of knowledge call for different methods . . . The error of the theologians of the
time when they maintained the centrality of the earth was to think that our understanding of the physical world’s structure was in some way imposed by the literal sense of
Sacred Scripture.”
The Galileo myth claims that Galileo was not condemned for his astronomical conclusion that the earth moves, but for his theologically unsound practice of supporting an
astronomical view with biblical passages.22
This explanation is untrue because Galileo preached and practiced the opposite principle that Holy Scripture should not be used to support physical propositions. This myth
seems to have acted as a catalyst for the subsequent Galileo affair to become the cause
celebre it is today.
Commentary
As Galileo put it, quoting Cardinal Baronius, “The intention of the Holy Ghost is to
teach us how one goes to heaven, not how the heavens go.”
Galileo added the following note in the preliminary leaves of his own copy of the Dialogue:
“Take note, theologians, that in your desire to make matters of faith out of propositions
relating to the fixity of sun and earth you run the risk of eventually having to condemn
as heretics those who would declare the earth to stand still and the sun to change position – eventually, I say, at such time as it might be physically or logically proved that
the earth moves and the sun stands still.”
Galileo rejected the conception of the center of the universe which deprived the justi
53
�fication for the idea of the immovable earth. Following Copernicus, Galileo set forth
the advantages of assuming the sun to be at rest. It is simpler to assume a rotation of
the earth around its axis than a common revolution of all fixed starts around the earth.
The assumption of a revolution of the earth around the sun makes the motions of the
inner and outer planets appear similar and does away with the troublesome retrograde
motions of the outer planets, or rather explains them by the motion of the earth around
the sun.These arguments are convincing but are only of a qualitative nature i.e. since
humans are tied to the earth, our observations will never directly reveal to us the “true”
planetary motions but only the intersections of the lines of sight (earth-planet) with
the fixed star sphere. Galileo demonstrated that the hypothesis of the rotation and
revolution of the earth is not refuted by the fact that we do not observe any mechanical
effects of these motions. However, this misled him into formulating a wrong theory of
the tides.
Galileo’s work represents the passionate fight against any kind of dogma based on authority. Only experience and careful reflection are accepted by him as criteria of truth.
In Galileo’s time, this was a revolutionary concept. Merely to doubt the truth of opinions which had no basis but authority was considered a capital crime and punished accordingly. This is one of the reasons that Galileo is considered to be the father of modern science. The Dialogue is the book which historically did the most toward breaking
down the religious and academic barriers against free scientific thought.
As Einstein said, ‘the leitmotif which I recognise in Galileo’s work is the passionate fight
against any kind of dogma based on authority’. Galileo’s works were not removed from
the Catholic Church’s prohibited list until 1741 by Pope Benedict XIV.
The Inquisitions of Galileo Galilei between 1615 and 1633 highlighted the Catholic
Church’s interpretation of the role of tradition. In that time, the Church was facing the
fact that Copernican heliocentrism was better able to predict planetary motion than biblical tradition. Galileo has also been celebrated as a figure of valor to the scientific community because the Dialogue pulled no punches in mocking the then Pope Urban VIII.
Galileo allegedly used direct quotes in the Dialogue and attributed them to a character
called Simplicio. What is less appreciated however, is that Galileo agreed that the natural world could not be in contradiction with the faith that he maintained his whole life.
54
�Conclusion
The moon is 40 million years older than we thought, according to a new analysis of lunar samples collected by Apollo astronauts a half-century ago.
This research looked at moon dust brought back by the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, the
last time humans set foot on the surface.
The results, published in the journal Geochemical Perspectives Letters, suggest it must
be at least 4.46 billion years old and that it could have formed as long as 4.51 billion
years ago.
“It’s important to know when the moon formed”, Professor Philipp Heck of the Field
Museum in Chicago, senior author of the study, said, “(because) the moon is an important partner in our planetary system – it stabilises the Earth’s rotational axis, it’s the
reason there are 24 hours in a day, it’s the reason we have tides. Without the moon, life
on Earth would look different.
In the Dialogue, Galileo argued that the tides are caused by the compounding motion
of the earth as a conclusive proof of heliocentrism. Despite this error, the Dialogue remains one of the most important texts of the Scientific revolution.
The Galileo affair illustrates that changing scientific paradigms caused increasing
problems for religious doctrines that had been reconstructed according to the scientific knowledge of earlier times. It has been claimed that science and religion constitute
“non-overlapping magisteria” whereby science pertains to the empirical realm of facts
and religion to ultimate meaning and moral value.28
From the late nineteenth century, free inquiry came to encompass the study of religion
itself. Emile Durkheim, a prominent social scientist, defined religion as “a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and
forbidden.” This assumes conflict whenever scientists attempt to study sacred things
“set apart and forbidden” and in so doing, challenge religious prohibitions. Today,
stem cell research invokes some of the same deep-seated religious prohibitions as heliocentrism once did.
55
�Mind in a Fog - Nadine Bucca
56
�The Nature of the Pilgrimage:
The Meaning of Springtime in The Canterbury Tales
Noah Vancina
“Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages” (12)—why now, and whence the longing?
Before he even arrives at the human subjects of his tale of pilgrimage, all described in
the General Prologue, Chaucer, as an “introduction” to the General Prologue, gives the
sweetest description of springtime, which evokes already in the hearer the longing for
the peaceful time he describes. Let us go on our own pilgrimage to seek how Chaucer
awakes this longing, and how we might then be ready to join the pilgrims as “to Caunterbury they wende.”
Chaucer begins by providing a context for pilgrimages: “whan” (1). “When” is a temporal description that is precise or imprecise, depending on what follows. What follows
must be some event, identifiable such that the time, the “when” of the sought-after
occurrence, appears. Yet, Chaucer draws out his “whan” for eleven lines, one great dependent clause, in which he lists multiple conditions before the long-desired “thanne”
arrives. Even these conditions, though, remain imprecise: “Whan that Aprille with
his shoures soote/The droughte of March hath perced to the roote/And bathed every
veyne in swich licour/Of which vertu engendred is the flour” (1-4); at what moment
have all these things come to pass? Rain falls gradually, only in drops, and slowly it
soaks into the earth, uprooting the drought that preceded. So likewise the blowing of
the zephyr until it reaches and warms end of every damp wood. Thus, the awaited
fulfillment is an atmosphere, not a moment, in which pilgrimages begin. With these
descriptions, Chaucer evokes a dawning awareness, a longing that does not come all
at once and overwhelm but that grows like the fitful entrance of springtime and the
growth of young shoots, like the passing away of sickness and the coming of full health.
Chaucer presents meteorological events not exactly as personified, but yet as intentional and moving towards a goal. April, with “his” sweet showers, as if the showers
belonged to April (as opposed to “April’s” showers, which feels more distant), who
brought them with the intention of ending the drought and bringing the moisture needed for the flowers. The zephyr and the sun, too, play a part with “sweete breethe” and a
“cours” to run. This almost personification suggests that natural phenomena act in the
world as more than dumb happenings.
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�Each verb, too, is loaded with intentions. April’s showers pierce the drought of March
(2). Not a simple statement of cause and effect in nature, “pierce” suggests attack, an
intentional breaking through as if much depends on not being repelled. The next line
reveals the goal: to “bathe[] every veyne in . . . licour” (3), that life be not hindered. The
zephyr then inspires the “tendre croppes” (5-7) as if it had breath to share, or the shoots
could receive spirit. When Chaucer arrives at the birds, no change of language is necessary. One might even say that the verbs applied to the birds, “maken” and “slepen,”
are the least suggestive of life, although birds are the most obviously conscious of the
characters so far.
Curious also is the peacefulness suggested by Chaucer’s diction. The showers are
“soote” (1), the zephyr’s breath is “sweete” (3), the shoots are “tendre” (7), and the birds
are “smale” (9). Everything in this springtime bespeaks gentleness and peace. Only
against the intruder is any harsh word said, for the “droughte of March” is “perced” to
the root (2): the drought being an unwelcome condition that would forestall the coming
of spring and, perhaps, also of pilgrimage.
It is in this verdant time, teeming with life, that men long to go on pilgrimages. Now
why at a time when everything seems so right with the world would men desire change
rather than rest? We find a suggestion in a line that sits right between the dependent
clause description of springtime and the independent clause discussion of pilgrimage:
“So priketh hem nature in hir corages” (11). Of whose hearts is Chaucer speaking? It
may seem natural, as the immediate antecedent, to think that the birds are meant, who
make melody and sleep with open eyes due to nature’s influence. But could it not be
looking ahead as well, to the folk who long to go on pilgrimages? Even the rhyme
scheme would couple “hir corages” with “pilgrimages.” Line 11, situated close to the
midpoint of this introduction to the General Prologue and at the meeting of the dependent and independent clauses, joins weather, plants, animals, and humans in the influence of nature on their thoughts and actions.
What kind of nature incites men to longing? Two meanings of “nature” seem possible:
the inherent constitution of a creature or the creation itself. But perhaps neither meaning is really distinctive. If nature is understood the first way, Chaucer is saying that
something within man stirs him up in the springtime, in reaction to what it perceives
around it. If the second way, creation in springtime moves man to longing.
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�Chaucer points to the importance of the natural world in either case, leading us to wonder why springtime would cause such feelings in human beings.
There is, first, a correspondence between the creation emerging from winter and a man
recovering from sickness. Chaucer lavished attention on explicating the blooming flowers, the tender shoots, and the centrality of the sun, but these conditions or incitements
for longing are only linked to humans with a “thanne,” the termination of the dependent clause. Nevertheless, the pilgrims on the road to Canterbury are seeking a saint
who helped them recover from sickness. The parallel is evident, though human convalescence is not described so lyrically. It has already been described through springtime.
But more darkly seen is a lack in men out of which rises this longing. Before nature, with
its wholeness and life, man is disturbed. The showers do not enliven him; the wind does
not warm him. Or not primarily. Man stands across from a natural world that seems as
conscious as he. He longs, and so he leaves his familiar home, sometimes to go to foreign lands. Still, what is the lack, the source of longing? As has been said, those pilgrims
that go to Canterbury have been healed from sickness. Wholeness there; so we would
have to say those pilgrims are responding to wholeness, not to want. Thus, man at his
best state would still not possess something of which he is made aware by springtime.
The conceit behind Chaucer’s tales suggests that this want is filled by fellowship. Plurality is present throughout the introduction: “every” vein is bathed by the rain, “every”
wood and field is inspired by the zephyr, and multiple “foweles” sing. As emphasized
to by the loading of all these plurals into a dependent clause, these plurals are bound
together, as if joining one another in a festival of spring. Thus, people who recover out
of the loneliness of sickness (or whatever separates them from others) find in springtime the inspiration to join fellowship on pilgrimages. The newness of spring incites
men to seek new acquaintances, new sights, and new experiences. We see how Chaucer
(or whoever the narrator may be) embarks on his pilgrimages alone but quickly seeks
out, and is accepted into, the company of other pilgrims (19-34). Men desire to mirror
the character of the season around them. They participate in this way not solely with
creation, but with each other, each individual being drawn out of himself and into a
community.
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�Of course, we should not force Chaucer to say that he has described all people in springtime or even all who go on pilgrimages, just as not every springtime is as consistently
idyllic as the one represented in the General Prologue. What Chaucer does offer is insight into human nature, seasons, and pilgrimage. The wholeness found in a beautiful
springtime does incite longing in the human heart, but not a longing of despair or unrequited passion. Instead, it draws people together into communities of thanks—for to
this end Chaucer’s pilgrims wend to Canterbury. While it may be less common now to
make a pilgrimage of the kind Chaucer describes, springtime can still create longing in
our hearts and, now that we better understand what it means, we are better prepared to
meet our own longing “to goon on pilgrimages.”
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�The Creation of the Self: Shakespeare and Aristotle
Kyle Reynolds
It might seem self-evident that Prince Hal undergoes a significant change in character
throughout Shakespeare’s Henry IV. His character is first introduced as a drunken degenerate ne’er-do-well. Yet, by the end of Part One, Hal has redeemed himself in the
eyes of his father and is hailed as a hero. This does not necessarily signify a change in
character though, only a change in his conduct. One does not need to be virtuous to
act virtuously. As Plato’s Ring of Gyges allegory demonstrates, the utilitarian benefits
of acting justly are often enough to compel just behavior. Still, perhaps a change in
conduct is enough to result in a genuine change in character, even if this result is unintended. This begs the question, does Hal’s character truly change and does he become
a more virtuous man?
Hal’s first soliloquy, spoken to the audience after the prince agrees to join his comrade
Poins in a plot to embarrass their friend, Falstaff, provides some critical insight on this
question. Shakespeare uses this soliloquy to help elucidate Hal’s intentions and provide an explanation for his behavior. The prince tells us he is seeking to “imitate the
sun / Who doth permit the base contagious clouds / To smother up his beauty from
the world, / That, when he please again to be himself, / Being wanted, he may be more
wond’red at” (Shakespeare 15). If the prince is to be believed then, his juvenile and
dishonorable behavior is all in service to a grand façade. By shirking his duties and
ensuring he is perceived as worthless and reprehensible throughout the kingdom, Hal
is tempering the expectations of his subjects, his father, and his peers. So, when he does
finally cast off this façade, his redemption and reformation “shall show more goodly
and attract more eyes”.
However, it’s not clear that Hal’s behavior is merely a façade. He seems to thoroughly enjoy taking part in the debauchery perpetrated by his dishonorable cohort. Take
the dialogue directly preceding Hal’s soliloquy for example. Hal is at first weary of
Poins’s scheme to prank the unsuspecting Falstaff. To convince the prince, Poins offers
the prophetic argument, “[t]he virtue of this jest will be the incomprehensible lies that
this same fat rogue will tell us when we meet for supper: how thirty, at least, he fought
with; what wards, what blows, what extremities he endured; and in the reproof of this
lives the jest”.
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�Hal, now convinced, responds, “[w]ell, I’ll go with thee. Provide us all things necessary
and meet me tomorrow night in Eastcheap. There I’ll sup. Farewell” (Shakespeare 14).
It is the prospect of humiliating Falstaff and catching him in his lies and exaggerations
that finally compels Hal to join Poins’s plan. There does not appear to be any utilitarian
benefit for Hal in joining Poins. His willingness to go along with the prank seems best
explained by a genuine and wholly ignoble desire to humiliate Falstaff.
Hal’s reactions to Falstaff’s all too predictable lies concerning the prank only a few
scenes later serve to further illustrate this point. Falstaff begins to eagerly, and inaccurately, recount his ordeal to Hal and Poins, telling them of the men who robbed him of
his stolen gold, entirely unaware of the fact that those men were in fact Hal and Poins.
Almost immediately, Falstaff begins to, in a rather obvious manner, increase the number of his attackers, for which Hal derides him, saying, “O monstrous! Eleven buckram men grown out of two!” (Shakespeare 47). Falstaff, surprisingly unphased by the
prince’s derisions, continues with his fictional account of the “battle” and Hal continues
with his mockeries. Finally, after Falstaff becomes wholly indignant due to Hal picking
apart every aspect of his tale, the prince tells Falstaff the truth, stating:
“We two set on you four and, with a word, outfaced you from your prize, and
have it; yea, and can show it you here in the house. And, Falstaff, you carried your
guts away as nimbly, with as quick dexterity and roared for mercy, and still run
and roared, as ever I heard a bullcalf. What a slave art though to hack thy sword
as though hast done, and then say it was in a fight! What trick, what starting hole
canst thou now find out to hide thee from this open and apparent shame?”
Every action Hal has taken and every word he has spoken in this scene seems to have
been aimed at maximizing Falstaff’s embarrassment. If this is simply a part Hal is playing, such intricate scheming would be unnecessary. However, if Hal truly is morally
degenerate and elicits genuine joy from poking fun at and participating in the schemes
of his corrupt and contemptible crew, then his behavior makes a great deal more sense.
Hal’s so called “reformation” begins in earnest when he confronts his father and pledges to fulfill his duties as a prince of the realm.
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�He tells the king, “So please your Majesty, I would I could / Quit all offenses with as
clear excuse / As well as doubtless I can purge / Myself of many I am charged withal”
. The king rejoices at this news, but is, at first, skeptical. Hal reassures him, promising
to “[b]e more”.
Hal appears to honor his commitment, marching off to battle against a rebel force, to the
astonishment of his enemies. Percy Hotspur, the leader of the rebels, inquires as to the
statues of Hal and his forces, asking, “Where is … [t]he nimble-footed madcap Prince of
Wales”. His cousin, Vernon, replies:
“All furnished, all in arms; / All plumed like estridges that with the wind / Bated like
eagles having lately bathed; / Glittering in golden coats like images; / As full of spirit
as the month of May / And gorgeous as the sun at midsummer; / Wanton as youthful
goats, wild as young bulls. / I saw young Harry with his beaver on, / His crushes
on his thighs, gallantly armed, / Rise from the ground like feathered Mercury, And
vaulted with such ease into his seat / As if an angel dropped down from the clouds /
To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus / And witch the world with noble horsemanship”.
Hal has, at least in the eyes of his enemy, become an entirely different person. He is no
longer seen as the “madcap Prince of Wales,” but is instead viewed as a gallant warrior.
Hal has done little except show up to the battle, yet, Vernon offers him some of the most
striking and sincere praise seen throughout the play. At this point, the reformation Hal
prophesized seems to be coming to pass. Hal is executing his plan and those around
him are taking note.
However, Hal’s plan is to simply feign virtue so as to be better looked upon by those in
his kingdom. He is only interested in the utilitarian benefits of being perceived as virtuous. Yet, after the conclusion of the battle with Hotspur’s forces, Hal takes an action
which appears entirely inconsistent with this philosophy. Falstaff falsely tells Hal and
his brother, John, that he had killed Hotspur. Hal responds, truthfully, “[w]hy, Percy
I killed myself”. This, of course, does not stop the invariably deceitful Falstaff from
arguing that his account of Hotspur’s death is accurate, going so far as to threaten to
make anyone who doubts him “eat a piece of [his] sword” (Shakespeare 114). Hal, despite knowing the falsehood of Falstaff’s claims, agrees to allow him to take credit for
the killing of Hotspur, saying, “if a lie may do thee grace, / I’ll gild it with the happiest
terms I have”.
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�While it’s not entirely clear why Hal chooses to let Falstaff persist in his lie, it seems
to come from a genuine desire to see Falstaff improve himself and his circumstances,
which Falstaff commits to do only a few lines later. There doesn’t appear to be any
benefit to Hal in allowing Falstaff to claim the glory and honor associated with killing
Hotspur. Hal’s motivations are instead altruistic in nature and demonstrative of true
virtue.
Despite deciding to reform himself in the eyes of those around him, Hal is unable to
entirely forgo his old ways. Much to the dismay of his father, Hal continues to associate
with Poins, Falstaff, and his other sinful companions. When the king learns that Hal is
back in London with his band of scoundrels, he laments;
“Most subject is the fattest soil to weeds, / And he, the noble image of my youth, /
Is overspread with them. Therefore my grief / Stretches itself beyond the hour of
death. / The blood weeps from my heart when I do shape / In forms imaginary th’
unguided days / And rotten times that you shall look upon / When I am sleeping
with my ancestors. / For when headstrong rage and hot blood are his counselors,
/ When means and lavish manners meet together, / O, with what wings shall affections fly / Towards fronting peril and opposed decay!”
The king is deeply afraid that Hal cannot truly reform and will ultimately succumb to
his rage and other vices which will destroy him.
Finally, at the conclusion of Part Two, Hal ultimately casts of his old habits and comrades. In a cutting and markedly harsh speech directed at Falstaff, the prince announces:
“I know thee not, old man. Fall to thy prayers. / How ill white hairs becomes a
fool and jester! / I have long dreamt of such a kind of man, / So surfeit-swelled,
so old, and so profane, / But, being awaked, I do despise my dream. / Make less
thy body hence, and more thy grace. / Leave gormandizing. Know the grave doth
gape / For thee thrice wider than other men. / Reply not to me with a fool-born
jest. / Presume not that I am the thing I was, / For God doth know, so shall the
world perceive, / That I have turned away my former self. / So will I those that
kept me company”.
The way Hal speaks of his transformation makes it sound not as if he is simply put
64
�ting on a different mask but as if he has truly undergone a metamorphosis of spirit. He
likens his reformation to wakening from a bad dream, a dream he now despises.
So, although Hal may not have meant to undergo a genuine change in character, he did.
His actions make clear that he was a morally corrupt degenerate that enjoyed taking
part in the activities of his London gang. Then, he undergoes a reformation, which may
have at first simply been an act, but ultimately results in a changed character capable of
committing acts of altruism. Hal does seem to waver in his new convictions, returning
to the London tavern to fraternize with Poins and Falstaff, but finally lets his old wayward acquaintances go. But why does Hal undergo this change in character? Perhaps
Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics can provide some insight. Aristotle tells us:
“oral virtue comes about as a result of habit, whence also its name (ethike) is one
that is formed by a slight variation from the word ethos (habit). From this it is also
plain that none of the moral virtues arises in us by nature; for nothing that exists
by nature can form a habit contrary to its nature. … Neither by, then, nor contrary
to nature do the virtues arise in us; rather we are adapted by nature to receive
them, and are made perfect by habit”.
Hal lived a life of vice and did not create a habit of virtue. He thus became sinful and
devoid of moral integrity. Hal then began to act virtuously. Eventually, acting ethically
became habitual. However, habits are engrained on the soul and Hal struggled to overcome his past transgressions. Though, finally, a new, virtuous Hal was created through
the prince’s actions. For, the self is formed by our habits, and Hal is no different.
65
�Translation
On the Creation of Man
66
�Contributor
Stephen Cunha
67
�On the Creation of Man
By Wolfgang Musculus
Translation by Stephen Cunha
Now, accordingly, in proper order, we proceed to consider the work of God in the creation of
man: which consideration must be understood, not only to be next after those things which we
have noted concerning God the maker of all things, but also to especially concern man. For what
is more properly suitable for man than, after his creator, to understand himself? We are drawn
to this knowledge not only by that which Lactantius somewhere puts into words, “Great is the
power of man, great his reason, great his mystery, so that not undeservedly Plato gave thanks
to nature, because he was born a human being”—yes indeed, because next to God nothing is
more sublime than man, nothing more excellent has been made;3 but also because no small
portion of our salvation requires this, that we know ourselves, wherein even those who have
everywhere inculcated the saying γνωθε σεαυτόν, that is, “know thyself,” as if it had dropped
down from heaven, have admonished that the greatest part of wisdom is found. But who does
not know that it is especially required for the knowledge of man, that we should not be ignorant
of the origin and making of mankind? And the Holy Spirit has described the creation of man
with singular care and greater diligence than all other created things in the Sacred Scriptures,
undoubtedly for this purpose, that even from the origin of our race, we might be reminded that
when God made man, he wanted to create a certain remarkable work, which would be much
more outstanding, and would much more closely approach the glory of his divinity, than the
rest of creation; and in the next place, that the knowledge of our beginning might be very much
conducive to the consideration of divine wisdom, goodness, and power, and contain, as it were,
some principles of heavenly philosophy.
And I also think that some parameters of knowledge are required, so that we do not extend our
consideration beyond those things that are able to advance Christian godliness. What should be
thought by the godly person concerning the creation of man cannot be better determined than
from the instruction of the Holy Spirit, which Sacred Scripture sets forth to us. For the mind of
man has been so darkened, that he is able to judge rightly neither of his maker nor of himself.
For this reason, man must take care to search for the things that ought to be known, and held
with certainty, not only concerning man himself but also concerning God his creator, from the
Sacred Scriptures rather than from human opinion.
And those things which have been handed down in the Sacred Scriptures, having rejected all
curiousness, are so composed, that they are adapted to both our capacity and our benefit. They
are moderate, but solid, certain, profitable, necessary, and harmonious. Therefore, concerning
the creation of man, this is related to us in few words in Genesis chapters one and two. First,
that man is a work, just as all other created things. He was made in time; he did not exist before
time. Indeed, if we consider the time of our beginning, which Sacred Scripture also reveals, every creature is more ancient than man. Now everything which has been made does not exist on
account of itself, but by reason of another source. And just as
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it does not exist from itself, so whatever it has, it does not have from itself, but from the one by
�69
�whom it was made. Nor when it was made, was it able to cause itself to be made different, either
better or worse, than what it was made according to the will of its maker. On the contrary, it has
not even contributed in the smallest degree to become what it has been made. Accordingly, it
should be observed concerning man, that since he also, just like the rest of creation, was made,
all that he is and all that he has (in terms of natural abilities), depended on the will, wisdom,
and power of his maker.
Second, since the very consideration that we have been made immediately leads us forward to
become acquainted with our maker, we next inquire about the maker and creator of man. Sacred
Scripture attributes the creation of man to the same One by whom all other things were made.
It says, “God created man.”The books of the Gentiles say concerning a certain Prometheus, the
father of Deucalion, that he first formed man. And he did not form man, but the image of man
from clay: for which reason he is also the author of the art of molding. We acknowledge that
the maker of our race is the only and true God, who made heaven and earth, and all the things
which are in them, visible and invisible, and so we confess that whatever we are and whatever
we have is from him. Moreover, it is properly required that in all things we depend on him
alone, as the creature on his creator. Israel is reproached in the Mosaic and prophetic books
because it abandoned its maker. And God himself cries out, saying: “I made you.” Wherein it is
sufficiently demonstrated how perverse the heart of man is, to such an extent that he forsakes
his own maker, God.
Furthermore, we are admonished by this knowledge, since we all have the same creator and
maker, lest any man find fault with his work, either in himself or in others, saying: “Why
did he make me like this?” In Isaiah chapter forty-five we read as follows: “Woe to him
who speaks against his maker, a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay
say to its potter, ‘What are you making?’” And in Proverbs chapter fourteen we read: “He
who finds fault with a poor man, reproaches his maker.”Therefore, that faith by which we
believe that we have been created by God, will work these three things in our hearts. First,
that in all things we depend with our whole heart on God our creator. Second, that each man
is content with how he has been created, and even embraces it with thanksgiving, for which
he has been made by God the creator. Third, that no one looks down on how his neighbor
has been made, however base and lowly, lest he dishonors in him their common creator.
In the third place, the Sacred Scriptures are not silent about this, of what man was made. In Genesis chapter two we read the following, “Therefore, the Lord God formed man from the dust of
the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living creature.” In
Hebrew it is, המדאה ןמ רפע. Notice the material from which man was made. And what is baser,
what is poorer and more unstable, than the dust of the ground, from which not even bricks can
properly be made? He could at least have been made from solid earth. This origin of our race
warns us all, that in consideration of it we maintain modesty, lest it be said to us: “Why are you
prideful, O earth and ashes?” For what other assessment is to be made of that, which is made
from dust? The Holy Spirit could have said, “The Lord God formed man from the ground,” or
“from the dust”: but in order to inculcate the lowliness of man, he called man, made from dust,
“the dust of the earth.” And what did
God say to Adam? “Dust you are, and to dust you will return.” He did not simply say, “you are
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�71
�from dust,” but “you are dust.” Lest the flesh should say, “So what that I am from dust? Whatever I came from, I am now a human being, and am not dust”; the sentence of God our maker
comes to us, saying: “And from dust you are, and dust you still are, and to dust you will return,” just as if you were to say to a magnificent glacier: “And water you were, and water you
are, and to water you will return.”
In the fourth place, the way in which the first man was made is read in the Sacred Scriptures.
We read the following in Genesis chapter two: “Therefore, the Lord God formed man, from
the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living
creature.”11 By the verb “formed,” the Holy Spirit expresses the singular diligence put into the
creation of man. Second, in order to describe what material God formed, when he built man,
he adds: “dust of the earth.” Third, he adds, “and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,”
by which words he teaches us how the figure of the human body, first formed from the dust,
and still inanimate, was made animate and living. His maker poured into him spirit and breath
(for in the Hebrew it is )םייח תמשנfrom which he would live, and so he was made into a living
soul: that is, he began to live, a man now animated, who before was dust and inanimate. Thus,
the things concerning the first man Adam.
And how Eve was subsequently made, is in the same chapter read in this way: “The
Lord God sent a deep sleep on Adam. And while he slept, he took out one of his ribs, and replaced the flesh over it. And the Lord God built the rib, which he had taken from Adam, into a
woman, and brought her to Adam. And Adam said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh
of my flesh. She is called woman, since she was taken out of man.’”
In both cases, the singular purpose and care that God used in the creation of man is
sufficiently intimated. And yet, in like manner, we are permitted to see how the Holy Spirit describes in three words the wonderful way man was formed—wherein the body together with its
members, both internal and external, such as bones, veins, cartilage, vertebrae, muscles, joints,
and limbs were most harmoniously fashioned, put together, and adorned, and then vivified by
the infusion of the soul—when he says, “he formed,” “he built,” and “he breathed [inspired].”
And in this way, he restrains our curiosity, which is itching to know each of these things, how,
by what industry, by what strength, and in what space of time it was accomplished, admonishing us to reverently hold fast to those things imparted in few words, and to acknowledge and
honor God our maker.
In the fifth place, it is also taught in the Sacred Scriptures, what kind of man was made.
With respect to the figure of the body of both, male and female, its stature, and the fitting together of the body and soul, it is in itself plain, of what constitution we have been made. But
as for clearly perceiving the nature and dignity of man, since both have been corrupted, and
deprived of their original quality, of what kind both were in the first man, we are not able to
know, unless the Holy Spirit speaks of and teaches it to us.
And I do not understand in this place by quality of nature the bodily necessities and
affections, in which we are still subjected, but that original quality of rectitude, which it is read
that God imparted to the first man in Ecclesiastes chapter seven. For Ecclesiastes says the following, “I have found this only, that God made man [ רשיthat is, upright].” This is not to be un
72
�73
�derstood of the uprightness of the body, but of the soul, which men call original righteousness,
and which comprises the knowledge of God the creator, obedience, faith, love toward both God
and one’s neighbor, and the freedom of an upright will, together with other adornments of that
nature.
Therefore, when the first man by nature was made such—namely, upright, not only in
body, but also in soul—he possessed free will in such a way, that he was able to obey God, if he
wanted: and, on the other hand, he was able to sin, if he wanted. For however upright and free
to do good he was made, nevertheless, at the same time, he differed from the angels in this, that
he was able to be tempted by inordinate affections, and consent to them, and be led away from
the rectitude of original righteousness. This does not have a place in those angels who, since the
fall of the reprobate spirits, have remained in the truth of God.
The Sacred Scriptures also testify concerning the dignity of the first man, when they
teach that he was made in the likeness and image of God. God says in Genesis chapter one, “Let
us make man in our own image and likeness, and let him rule over the fish of the sea, and over
the birds of the air, and over every living creature on the earth, and over every creeping thing
that moves on the earth. And God created man in his image and in his likeness, in the image of
God he created him,” and the things which follow in that place.
Most ancient and contemporary authors expound the dignity of man as uprightness of
nature, of which we have made mention, so that the image of God was what separated man
from the beasts, by reason and by the internal integrity of man which more nearly resembled
the divine nature, wisdom, and righteousness. But although that exposition is not to be altogether discarded, it is nevertheless clear from the very words of Sacred Scripture that man was
so made in the image of God, that he should be like God on the earth, and have all things placed
under his feet. For what else is being said where it reads, “And God created man in his image
and likeness,” than what follows, “in the image of God he created him”? In Hebrew it is םלצב
םיהלא. And to be created in the image of God, is to be constituted like a certain God. Whence,
magistrates and rulers are in the Scriptures called םיהלא: that is, “gods” and “mighty ones.”
And this image of God granted to man does not exclude the internal uprightness of man, which
is so necessary for the former to be retained, that without it a ruler differs nothing from a savage
beast, except perhaps that he employs more subtlety and cunning in carrying out the malice of
his tyranny. This understanding of human dignity, according to which man is made in the image of God, was plainly set forth by Chrysostom in his exposition of Genesis chapter one, and
occasionally by Augustine in his dispute with the Manicheans.
And when the apostle says in First Corinthians chapter eleven that “a man indeed ought
not cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man,”
he thus plainly makes a distinction between the man and the woman, saying that the man is indeed made in the image of God, but the woman in the image of man. This cannot be understood
only of internal human rectitude and righteousness, of which the woman is a partaker together
with the man in the Lord, but is wholly to be understood of the authority of rule, which, as is
well known, was granted at once to the man at the beginning, but denied to the woman.
74
The putting of Adam in a paradise of pleasure after he was made, a place more excellent and
exceptional in comparison with all other habitations on the whole earth, and that he put names
�75
�upon all the living creatures, also relate to this dignity of the image of God. For what else do
these things prove than that he was the lord and ruler of the whole earth?
Many other things are disputed concerning the status that our first parents had in paradise, and
what they would have had if they had not sinned, but these things from Sacred Scripture are
more certain and more profitable to students of theology: briefly, to hold, first, that man was
made; second, that he was made by God; third, that he was made from the dust of the earth;
fourth, that he was built with the special care of God; and fifth, that he was made in and elevated to the image of God, so that he is more outstanding in both nature and worth than all other
creatures. If properly considered, these things contain most ample subject matter of Christian
philosophy, and are conducive to this, that through the consideration of our origin we are restored to modesty, and through the knowledge of the uprightness and dignity of our first parents, we understand more deeply what we have lost in them, and what we have recovered, and
not without great gain, in Christ our second Adam, and the author of our regeneration.
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�77
�Bad Dreams - Nadine Bucca
78
�“Creating a Community”
An Inter view with Associate Dean
Brendan Boyle
A vision for building community at the
St. John’s College Graduate Institute.
By Stephen Borsum
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�It was what I would call the first cold day of the year when I came to the BBC to meet
Mr. Boyle for an interview. It was cold only in that the rain falling that day was a chilling one, one lacking the distinct warmth that rain has in summer and early fall here in
Annapolis. As I entered, I approached Mr. Boyle’s office to see it closed. Unexpected,
given I was just on time for our scheduled meeting. But he called to me from within the
GI Conference room where he had been taking some calls for the day, and after some
polite banter and the brewing of some green tea, we began our discussion. What follows
has been edited for clarity, and is ultimately a poor reflection of just how engaging a
face-to-face conversation with Mr. Boyle can be.
Stephen:
I’m really curious to hear your thoughts on the role you play as dean. You know, you’re
a liaison to the college. You are a tutor. You’re a family man. You have all of these responsibilities and so, where does worrying about the health of the GI community fall in
the list of priorities?
Mr. Boyle:
I think my top priority is the GI as a community. One thing I realized when I was thinking about this interview this morning is that I’m probably going to be borrowing a lot of
formulations that I heard from Walter Sterling yesterday. And I’m happy to credit him
and you can credit him in whatever way you think is necessary, but I hadn’t really even,
until yesterday, begun to notice that the first statement of the program is that St. John’s
College is a community of learning, and that even if I hadn’t noticed that, I don’t think
I had caught what he drew attention to. Which is that sentence, at least on his construction, is meant to distinguish St. John’s qua community from St. John’s qua institution
like in the first instance. At the same time it might well be an institution. But if it’s an
institution, that description is somehow much lower than the description of St. John’s
as a community. So I do feel like my first responsibility is to the community of learning
and more particularly to the community of learning that is the Graduate Institute now.
And that there’s a new aspect to that community given the fact that the community now
includes persons who are not physically located here, namely low-residency students.
And so, in some sense, I’m the first Associate Dean to inherit this. To walk into a community or to have responsibility of shepherding the community that is not physically in
the same place. It is true that Emily Langston also had that in the latter part of her term,
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�and maybe I’m the first to come into a term for a community of this sort. And that will
present, you know, new different challenges, but those are very much on my mind.
How does one hold together a community that includes a not small number of persons
who are not residents of this place? I’m trying to do some things, reading groups, for
example, that in the past, I think, would be unheard of for an associate dean to have a
reading group that was held online by design. But for me, in having the dean’s reading
group be part of the weekend, I made it online by design because I was trying to be responsive to the nature or shape of the community now. To return to to the formulation
of your question, I really do think that my job is as the steward of the community and
its intellectual health, but intellectual health understood in the most capacious term. I
also want people to be flourishing affectively and interpersonally because, in so doing,
their intellectual flourishing will be still greater.
Not to go on too long — I do want to make this conversation — but I will say one thing
that I really liked about some of the things [Walter Sterling] said yesterday is that it’s
very important for the person in a position of leadership to be physically present. And
I’m trying to keep that at the center of my own mind. Now, I think I can actually do a
much better job of being at ASG on Thursday nights — things like that. I could, in fact
— and should, in fact, do a better job of that. So one of the things that’s important to me
is to acknowledge the importance of the associate dean being physically present here as
much as possible.
Stephen:
I will say, I think the impact of that is already palpable. You and Ms. Langston both
have prioritized that, and I think it’s noted. I will give you the pass on being there at
ASG. You’re here at, you know, eight or nine in the morning. I don’t think we need you
there at 10 p.m. at night. That’s not on you.
Mr. Boyle:
That’s kind of you to say.
Stephen:
That splits off into two things, and feel free to go either direction with these questions.
I do think the gap between the in-person students and the low-residency students is a
very tough one to address and some things are being done like low residency weekends
and I think everyone really enjoys those and it’s hard to require them to come to us
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�more. So I think that solutions like online reading groups are excellent. The other thing
is the relationship between tutors and students seems so vital and, as much as I know,
certain tutors really enjoy the GI but I don’t see them present in some of those additional events. So I think the two main questions there are: Are there other things you are
considering to bridge the gap between in-person and low-residency? And how do we
keep the tutors involved at a greater level?
Mr. Boyle:
Yeah, two hard and great questions. I have some ideas for bridging this gap, and I’m not
sure even if the ideas were put in place and they were successful, I’m still not sure how
much the gap would be bridged.
One of the things that I’d like to do and want to start doing in the near future is just
doing something like a spotlight on a low-residency student, weekly or biweekly, or
something like that, and maybe having a little interview and then putting it up on the
board or sending it around. Just as a way to get the in-person students to know about
the low-residency students who are out there. Would that make intellectual connections? I don’t know. I’m hopeful that something like that, and I don’t know what their
exact right form is, could go some way. Now, to me, it’s still an open question. What
would the best possible outcome look like? How much of a divide would there be in
the best of all possible worlds between the low-residency students and the in-person
students? I don’t think that the answer would be none. But maybe it would be rather
little and I think that’s a perfect question. How do you achieve that “rather little.” The
question about tutors is also a good and hard one. And I think that one of the things
that Emily Langston did really well is integrate the Graduate Institute into the larger
life of the college, and I think that she would say that that was an important part of her
own work. I think that she would also say that it’s probably not yet finished, and it’s
my job to, if not finish it, then hopefully advance it. But it’s also true that we haven’t
really found a way to bring more tutors to the GI. I feel like there’s a somewhat small
subset of tutors, and the faculty who are teaching in the GI and we haven’t yet found
a way to broaden that subset. There are some restrictions, like untenured faculty can’t
teach in the GI seminar. OK, leave that to the side. I would like to find a way, and I’ve
begun to speak with [Annapolis Dean] Susan Paalman about this to find a way to bring
in mid-career tutors beyond the current subset of regulars into the GI, because I feel
like that problem is related to the problem that you’ve said of getting tutors to just be at
other co-curricular or curricular-adjacent events.
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�They seemed like separate problems, but I think they’re related in that if people think of
the GI as a regular part of the academic life of the college tutors, that is, they will see GI
events — be they ASG or (Campus) Convening weekend or what have you — as much
more of a piece with homecoming weekend or just general college events that they go
to with some regularity, even if they’re not teaching in the GI in that particular semester. So, that’s an aim of mine, and I think it would be good for the GI to have greater
circulation of the faculty through it. And I think that some of the GI students even like
the fact that there a subset of tutors who are especially dedicated to GI. I think there is
something to be said for that, but it would be nice for that subset to be larger, and then
I think we would have that circulation which would be good for all parties.
Stephen:
I think all of that addresses another question I have. It seems that It’s hard to build a
community with busy adults when you only have four segments to do so. And I know
that’s how the program is built and marketed, but do you see that as a hindrance to a
sustaining a community? Are there inclinations you have on how to address that other
than GIs coming back to do precepts and audit classes later?
Mr. Boyle:
Can I first ask a question in response? Is it somehow a corollary of that question that the
MALA could or should be longer than four segments?
Stephen:
It certainly could be. And I’m thinking of the four semesters and particularly how I hear
it marketed in some ways where you could do summer or fall, spring, summer and be
done in a year, and you can hardly form a friendship in a year regardless of your lifelong relationships.
Mr. Boyle:
That seems that seems fairly said. On the one hand, I think that the MALA is by most
Master’s standards long. Most other programs speak in the language of credit hours.
This Master’s program, seeing as it takes, let’s say, two academic years, generally is
more time for students to form community than I think a lot of other Master’s programs
have. I’m not entirely sure that the time component is works against us. I do agree that
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�when the program is marketed, or at least described, as a program that you could finish
in a year — summer, academic year, following summer — then the question of how
to put that frame together with the emphasis on community is a hard one, and maybe
even might sound a little bit disingenuous. As in, how can you promise the creation of
community in one calendar year? I would respect that criticism. I don’t actively talk
about the program as one that should be done in a single calendar year. When people
ask if they can do this, I tell them that of course they can, and I recognize that some
people have a year off of their job or a sabbatical that is just the calendar year, and we
want them to be able to do this in that in that single calendar year and I guess we’re in
some sense crossing our fingers that the intensity of the program will generate some
sort of community and lasting friendship that is typically brought about by time. It
might be important for me to think about those persons who have done the program in
a year and calendar year and whether they as a distinct group feel connected or not to
the college now.
One other open question for me is: does this segment structure itself work against community? That wasn’t precisely your formulation, but I wonder if you might endorse
it? And I say that because it’s not as if students move through the program together.
You’re in a segment with somebody one semester and then they’re in segment X in the
spring semester, but you’re in segment Y spring semester and you just don’t see each
other or aren’t reading the same texts any longer. Does that work against community?
Maybe it does. It’s certainly true that the undergraduates, you know, don’t have that
experience. So that’s something I may have to give some more thought to, but maybe I
could just pause for a second and ask you, do you think that segment structure works
against community? Insofar as the person with whom you are forging a deep friendship
now this fall very well will not be in the same class with you next semester, let alone in
the same segment.
Stephen:
I do think this type of thing plays out in ASG. And I haven’t seen enough evidence to
say that it’s positive or negative, but it is interesting to see the... I want don’t use the
term “clique” because it’s often so loaded, but it’s the most apt word. Cliques will form
in ASG often, and if they’re not people who are already established friends they will
form because of the shared texts. And those are bright and vibrant conversations, but
84
�at the same time, there is such a genuine interest in what everyone else is experiencing
that I think it overcomes itself, so I don’t think the segment structure is necessarily a
hindrance. I would be curious to know, and this is more of a general question, if there
is a perceived issue, how even flexible is the structure of the GI? It doesn’t seem like it’s
something that can change on a whim.
Mr. Boyle:
Definitely not something that could change on a whim. But the GI structure has changed
a lot, even in the short time that I’ve been at the college. For example, the decoupling of
the preceptorials from the segments. At one point, not during Emily Langston’s associate deanship but back in Jeff Black’s deanship, it used to be the case that the preceptorials were in a pretty strong sense pegged to the segments offered that term. So, if you
take this term for an example, Math and Natural Science, and Literature. The preceptorials offered would be two Literature preceptorials and two Math and Natural Science
preceptorials. Instead, what we actually have this fall is Canterbury tales, Galileo, three
modern poets, the Greek, and Plato. And yes some of those may fit the themes of the
current segments, but that seems to be circumstance, not designed.
I think in years past one might have said that Plato’s Republic somehow belongs to
Philosophy and Theology. So I do think that there is some kind of openness for the
structure of the GI to change, and you might hear people around the halls talk about
other paths to degree that the GI might pursue. Maybe we decouple — and I’m not
endorsing this, I’m just reporting things that I’ve heard — decouple the seminars and
tutorials. And it’s no longer the case that one needs to take four seminar-tutorial pairs
plus four preceptorials, but one needs to take four seminars, four tutorials and four preceptorials. And they can be somehow mixed and matched. That could not be changed
on a whim and I’m not sure that that’s even a good idea. I would say I do think that
the relationship between seminar and tutorial in the GI is unique and it’s not like the
relationship between seminar and tutorial in the undergraduate program. Insofar as
it’s unique, I can imagine people in the future thinking about different ways forward
to the degree that may not abandon the segment structure, but might actually in some
sense alter it because one would be no longer bound to these seminar-tutorial pairs.
Again I’m not endorsing this. I’m just speculating on things that I have heard, and I’m
of two minds. As you might recall yesterday, Walter Sterling talked about the GI as be
85
�ing a place for experiments, and I think that there’s definitely some truth to that. Now,
one needs to be cautious about imagining the GI as just some kind of laboratory where
one can try a bunch of different things, because that’s a deep disservice to the Institute,
as an institution with its own coherent program. It’s true that it’s more amenable to experimentation, new offerings, new MALA segments than with the undergraduate. Well,
obviously it might be amenable to new offerings than undergraduate programming is,
but one needs to be very measured about how one goes about doing such a thing.
Stephen:
I think this discussion of the structure of the GI program raises a question that ties the
conversation back to the relationship between the GI and the broader college community. I think the first thing I want to just hear your input on is, there is such a difference
in how the GI and the undergrad programs are built — and this might get at the heart
of the issue — do you think GIs and undergrads graduate from their programs prepared to have the same conversation with each other? Is there something inherently
true about the structure either way that creates that unity?
Mr. Boyle:
I think there’s enough overlap between the texts that are at the center of the GI. I want
to say that at the center of the GI are the books and at the center of the undergraduate
program are the books. It just so happens that we have kind of carved them up into segments for reasons that might be related to the unique position that a number of persons
who are coming to the GI find themselves in. That they’re organized by segments to
me will always remain a secondary fact about the about the Graduate Institute, and the
books on the lists will always remain the absolute center, and insofar as there is great
overlap between those lists and the list for the undergraduate program. I do think that
the two sets of graduates, GI and undergraduates, go out ready to talk to one another,
and the places in which they differ, it’s probably the case that undergraduates know
about and wish that they could have read things that are in the GI program and vice
versa. For example, the entire history segment. GI’s have ready ears to hear about things
that are in the graduate program but not in the undergraduate one, and seem genuinely
curious about the undergraduate experience and what it offers that they may not see
in the GI. Labs are a terrific example there. Music, by and large. But yeah, there’s a nice
amount of overlap. But with the possibility for growth because the overlap is not total.
86
�Stephen:
Absolutely. Well, I only have two more quick questions for you. I’m curious to hear
your take on what it is that makes the GI community so unique amongst the polity or
even in the world. And then the last question is just a question on your background and
what got you here. So I guess you if you want to take the GI community question first
and then we can jump into the other one.
Mr Boyle:
This is where I’m definitely going to steal from Walter yesterday because I thought it
was so moving of him to have said that. In some sense, the GI is most reflective of what
it is that is at the heart of St. John’s College. Insofar as, people come to the graduate program, people do not drift into the Graduate Institute in the way that 18-year-olds can
drift into the undergraduate program or be helped along by their parents into the undergraduate program, directed by their parents say, into the undergraduate program.
It’s not a knock on anybody, it’s just a recognition of that’s how life is. One at 18 is still
not quite in charge of one’s own life. But when one decides at the age of 25, 55, 75 to give
of oneself one’s time and one’s finances to intellectual inquiry, that is a demonstration
of the true choice-worthiness of the undertaking that we do here. That characterizes
the work of the college. And yes, it will always be the case that the undergraduate program is at the center of St. John’s. No one, no one is doubting that. But I thought that
Walter really highlighted a way in which something about the presence of persons who
have made a very considered and deliberate choice, in something like the middle of
their lives, to undertake this mode of inquiry through conversation is the best possible
endorsement of it. So, I found that very, very moving. And in some sense wish all GIs
could have heard that. It helps me even think about what I find so moving about seeing
a 25-year-old, a 55-year-old, a 75-year-old here together learning from one another. I
see in them hunger for a life of learning with others and in community with others but
also, recognition that that hunger is one that can be met by this distinct community, the
institution of St. John’s College. So, their presence here in the Graduate Institute is in
some sense the greatest endorsement of the institution as a whole.
Now, how did I get here? Again, I’m going to borrow a little bit from something that I
heard Walter say in a different meeting. I’ve been a tutor for 10 years, more or less. And
at some point along the way, I think I felt some sort of calling to take on a role in the
college over and above my work and the working of the classroom, which is, I believe,
the most important work at the college. But I thought that I might have had one or two
administrative talents that are in some sense very minor virtues like staying on top of
87
�things or keeping some things organized, that I felt like I could put in the college’s service. I Won’t be in this position forever and look forward to returning to the classroom,
but as I felt like I had these minor virtues I wanted to share them with the college. And
so when they asked me to do this, I was very glad to do it. And I came into the role with
the GI in a great position and hope to leave it in a still better one.
Stephen:
Building on your journey to this position I have one last question is and then we’ll get
you out of here. I saw in your background in classics is what led you into this world
of inquiry. But clearly, just even having a couple of brief intro or Campus Convening
Weekend seminars with you, there’s a vibrancy in you about educating itself. So I’m
curious, does that drive to be an educator come before the passion of the classics, or did
the passion of the classics inspire the drive to be an educator?
Mr. Boyle:
Can I do the thing that interviewers hate and just reject the terms of question?
Stephen:
Be my guest.
Mr Boyle:
I think I might have at one time thought of myself as an educator, but I’m very grateful
to St. John’s because I don’t any longer really think of myself as an educator. But I feel
like I can passionately model being a student, like I just love learning and I love learning
with others and I think I’m not bad at it. I think I know how it goes well, and what in
what conditions it goes well, and what conditions it goes somewhat poorly. And I think
I can model that for people. If I’m educating them in that regard, I’m happy to, but I’m
definitely not filling their minds with any theories.
88
I’m grateful to St. John’s because to be perfectly honest, before I came to St. John’s I
did just want to be filled with facts that I could report, but not really own as my own.
St. John’s, as I think it’s true for many tutors, marked a real new beginning in my own
intellectual life. What I could say if I have to start again from nothing and say, almost
all of what I take myself to know I know in only the most attenuated sense because it’s
so mediated. It’s been handed to me by so many other persons that I have never really
taken any ownership of my own education, and I think I was able to do that when I
�became a tutor and I hope I’m showing people that they can do that, too. And you can
start at any time. It’s available to anybody to just take ownership of their education.
And insofar as I’m showing people what that might look like, I may consider myself an
educator, but in the main, I’m just a student.
Stephen:
Well, it’s certainly palpable and thank you for taking some time with me today
Mr. Boyle:
It was a pleasure, glad to.
89
�Thank you to all our contributors
90
Austin Suggs
On Creation
Chris Macbride
Old Dog
Cynthia Crane
The First Postulate
John Harwood
Before the Blank Stare
Kyle Reynolds
The Creation of the Self
Louis Petrich
Children of That World
Nadine Bucca
Visual Art
Noah Vancina
The Nature of the Pilgramage
Sam Hage
Corruption at the Symposium
Shirley Quo
The Galileo Affair
Siobhán Petersen
How to Read Well
Stacey Rains
Forbidden Fruit
Stephen Cunha
On the Creation of Man
Sydney Rowe
Mimi
Sylvie Bernhardt
My Mind’s a Dark Forest
Yonas Ketsela
A Dialogue with Descartes
�COLLOQUY
St. John’s College, 60 College Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland
Volume 13: Fall 2023
Editor
Stephen Borsum
Editorial board:
Sarah Ritchie, Paul Harland-White, Shirley Quo, Stuart Williams,
Kyle Reynolds, Sylvie Bernhardt
With thanks to: Kashya Boretsky, Associate Dean Brendan
Boyle, and the Graduate Student Council
.....
Colloquy is a biannual publication of the Graduate Student
Council and St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. The journal is free of charge. Address correspondence to Colloquy, The
Graduate Institute at St. John’s College, 60 College Avenue,
Annapolis, Maryland, 21401. Or email to colloquy@sjc.edu.
Students, tutors, and alumni of St. John’s College and the Graduate Institute are encouraged to submit their manuscripts in PDF
or Word format by email to colloquy@sjc.edu . The journal also
accepts submissions of poetry, original art, and photography.
Please include your name, contact information, and the title of
your work with your submission.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the journal do
not necessarily reflect those St. John’s College, the Graduate
Council, or Colloquy.
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�
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Colloquy, Fall 2023
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Volume 13 of Colloquy, published in Fall 2023. The theme of the issue is On Creation.
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Borsum, Stephen (Editor)
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
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2024-02
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text
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English
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St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)--Periodicals
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English
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Colloquy_Fall2023_Online-Copy
Graduate Institute
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c1087d574f863f5ada7fa05f8863e78b
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St. John's College Lecture Recordings—Santa Fe
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St. John's College Meem Library
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Santa Fe, NM
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m4a
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Hair, Clothes, Brush: On Becoming Human in The Tale of Genji
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Audio recording of a lecture given by tutor Patricia Locke on February 2, 2024 as part of the Dean's Lecture & Concert Series. The Dean's Office has provided this description of the event: "In the hothouse of courtly life in Heian Japan, people cultivated themselves and their relationships through deliberate attention to hair, clothes and the aesthetic realm dominated by arts of the brush: calligraphy, painting, and poetry. What can the material aspects of their highly refined lives tell us about becoming human? What is it to be members of a species immersed in our environment, yet able to affectively distance ourselves enough to create and sustain poetic meaning? Genji, the radiant and accomplished prince, paradoxically devoted himself to both amorous adventures and religious rituals. He caused heartache in his sometimes violent encounters, yet he suffused the world with beauty wherever he appeared. Through practices of reading and writing aligned with The Tale of Genji, we are invited to participate in becoming more attuned to loveliness and suffering, invited to become more fully human."
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Locke, Patricia M.
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St. John's College
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Santa Fe, NM
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2024-02-02
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Meem Library has been given permission to make this item available online.
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sound
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mp3
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Murasaki Shikibu, 978?-. Genji monogatari.
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English
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SF_LockeP_Hair_Clothes_Brush_2024-02-02
Friday night lecture
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CELLS AND GENES ARE PARTS OF ANIMALS: ARISTOTLE IN THE LATE 2QTH CENTURY
James N. Jarvis, M.D., SJC '75 (Annapolis)
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, MI
1
�ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE LEC1'URE 09/16/M
CELLS AND GENES ARE PARTS OF ANIMALS: ARISTOTLE IN THE LATE 20TH CENTURY
Ms. Braun, members of the St. John's faculty, fellow-members of the St. John's community. It is a
pleasure to be your guest this evening and to return to the campus where my intellectual and spiritual
life was nurtured for four years. I must begin by reassuring Mr. Michael Dink that I really do have a
talk planned this evening and that this is not just an elaborately-organized scheme for me to get a
bully-pulpit to regale yet. another generation of St. Johnnies about events that occurred on a nearby
softball field just under 20 years ago. Let me also assure those who think that the words •... mental
lapse .. ." and "Michael Dink" can't be spoken in the same sentence that the full telling of this story will
occur (yet again) during my class's 20th reunion a little more than a year from now.
This lecture has been incubating for more than eight years, since, in fact, my first introduction to
biomedical science in Paul Levine's laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis. Until then, my
exposure to medical research, even in medical school, had been more bookish than practical and my
own view of how hypotheses are generated and tested was, I think, limited. Since that time, I have had
the great privilege of participating in a first-hand way in the investigation of living matter and how it
works. My primary interest in this activity has been a practical one: I have accepted the Baconian
premise that understanding how the body functions or operates under normal conditions is the key to
understanding what happens when it doesn't function or doesn't function well. I have, in effect, taken
a rather narrow and what might otherwise be called mechanistic approach to living matter. More
precisely, I have become interested in how cells, genes, and proteins work (this distinction between the
understanding the whole and the parts, and understanding how something works versus other kinds
of understanding, will be explored further in this lecture). Thus, this lecture will have something of a
narrow focus. Please don't expect insights of a profound nature, either about living matter or about
Aristotle. I am fully aware that there are individuals in this audience (probably sophomores, who have
read just enough Aristotle to be menacing) who may even be expecting me to finish this lecture by
telling you what "life", or living matter is. Please accept my humble apologies for not providing this and
offering, instead, some thoughts about the study of living things and Aristotle's contributions to that
study. During the course of this lecture I will share some of my insights into Aristotle's The Parts of
Animals, and I will also tell you a little bit about how to clone a gene. In the process of doing so, it is
my intention to awaken you to the incredible beauty and complexity of living things and enhance your
respect for Aristotle's understanding of them.
While engaged in this wonderful challenge of understanding the working of nature and its relation to
health and disease, I have been struck by the vocabulary of biological scientists, my friends and
colleagues. Although they themselves may not recognize it, it seems to me that the language of biology
is different from the language of other sciences, certainly different from the languages of geology,
physics, and chemistry, three disciplines I follow at a distance as an interested amateur (largely through
my perusal of the weekly journal, Science). What is more, that language, the language of modem
biological science, reminds me of an older scientific language, a language of a discipline that my friend
and mentor Leon Kass calls natural philosophy as a reminder of its pre·Baconian origins. This language
of biology, I submit, still uses important concepts which have been central to the study of biology since
they were articulated in The Parts of Animals. What I will try to point out to you this evening is how
those concepts articulated by Aristotle more than 2,000 years ago are still used in modem cell and
molecular biology, and I will try to convince you (as I continue to try to convince my colleagues) that
the use of these concepts is appropriate and, I think, necessary. I will this evening argue that not only
is the language of modern biology still essentially "Aristotelian," but that our approach to understanding
2
�living matter and how it works differs little from the paradigm presented in the opening paragraphs
of Parts of Animals. I will, furthermore, try to convince you that "good" and "bad" biological science
rests, to a large extent, upon the investigator's ability to see .the world of living things through
Aristotle's eyes.
a
should point out that I am not using the words "good" and "bad" here in a moral sense. What I mean
by "good science" is a shorthand for investigation that would be publishable in peer-reviewed medical
or scientific journals: experiments and conclusions that would be accepted by other knowledgeable
people in the investigator's field. Whether there is morally "good" and "bad" science, and whether
Aristotle's system of the investigation would recognize such, is a question I will not address here but
might be raised in the question period when I am finished these remarks).
I clearly cannot talk about all of The Parts of Animals this evening, so I have and will restrict my
observations to the opening chapter of the first book, in which Aristotle presents the terms and format
for the ensuing discussion. I think that this is really the richest part of the book, because, at risk of
stealing my own thunder, I believe that the genius of Aristotle is not his own particular observations
about animals and the functions of their parts. Many or most of his observations have not subsequently
been found either verifiable or generalizable. Rather, Aristotle's brilliance, at least in the field of
biology, rests in his having provided the framework for all future discussions about living matter.
I will share an anecdote that introduces some of the points that I will be making in the rest of this talk.
I was visiting a colleague at the University of Michigan Medical Center in nearby Ann Arbor last
winter, and, like a polite and interested scientist, I asked her how her work was going. She beamed and
proudly answered, "Great! I think I've found a function for my gene." This is a response that perhaps
only another cell or molecular biologist could understand or appreciate. Suffice it to say that, while the
modern revolution in molecular biology and medicine has given us tremendous power to clone and
sequence genes from every species of living matter, including human beings, those of us engaged in this
sort of endeavor are actually looking for something more than a genomic or complementary DNA library
and a gene sequence. What my colleague was telling me, I think, was that she had finished the 20th
century part of her work (discovering; cloning, and sequencing a gene), but that her work was seriously
deficient until she had done the Aristotelian part. She understood that a gene sequence in itself is a
rather paltry contribution to science and very unlikely to be published in a prestigious journal or by
itself provide the basis for a grant application to the National Institutes of Health without a context for
that gene sequence. That is, even after having intimate knowledge of the structure of a gene and the
related DNA sequences that control its transcription to RNA and protein, there is something more that
needs to be explored and considered before even one's fellow-scientists will consider the work either
compelling or complete. Let us look in more detail at the type of work that my friend had done and
try to define, in Aristotle's terms, what more needed to be done.
Anyone who has taken a high-school level biology course or is reasonably well-versed with the lay press
is aware that living things possess within their cells the information required to replicate either identical
copies of themselves or semi-allogenic copies which contain genetic material from another member of
the same or a nearly-related species (we call these copies "offspring", and, for the human species, they
are called "children"). However, although the discovery of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as the source
of genetic information and the unravelling of its marvelous code has assuredly contributed in an
enormous way to our understanding of genetics and reproductive physiology, an equal impact bas come
in our ability to explore in a detailed fashion the functioning of cells and how the expression of
particular genes is controlled in particular cell types. Thus, specific cells in specific tissues are capable
of being studied in intricate detail and this, in turn, has allowed us tremendous insight into how these
cells and tissues function. It is this level of study, sometimes subsumed under the heading, •eeu and
Molecular Biology," that provides the core for much of modem medical research.
3
�If you examine appropriately-stained human tissue under a light microscope, it is very clear that what
you are viewing consists of an ordered arrangement, and that different-appearing cell types contribute
to this pattern. In fact, the absence of pattern and the appearance or predominance of a single cell type,
the pattern observed in tissue sections of malignant tumors, appears obviously pathological. Similarly,
within these cells, a semblance of pattern emerges, different for each cell type, with some common
patterns for all cells. DNA is largely confined to the nucleus, while RNA and the structures for protein
biosynthesis can be found in the cytoplasm. These observations, which have been accepted for many
years, suggest that, although every cell of a given organism contains the same genetic material as every
other cell, in multicellular organisms (and especially complex organisms like vertebrates), every gene
is not expressed in every cell of every tissue. That is, the different cell types and specialized functions
of specific cells (for example, insulin secretion by what are know as islet cells of the pancreas)
demonstrate or indicate that the transcription of encoded DNA into a messenger RNA template and
subsequently into protein occurs differently in the cell types, and sometimes differently depending upon
the tissue in which a given cell type might be found. This has lead to the hypothesis that certain cells
and tissues express genes that are not expressed in other cells or tissues, and that our understanding
of the functioning of such cells or tissues in health and disease might be aided considerably by our
knowledge of the genes expressed exclusively in these tissues and the factors that control their
expression.
The discovery of gene sequences expressed only in specific tissues is undertaken by the construction by
what are called gene libraries. This was the process that my colleague in Ann Arbor was engaged in
when I visited her last winter, and because the process by which this is accomplished is relevant to the
discussion that follows, I will share some of that with you. I apologize in advance for the somewhat
technical nature of this exposition, realizing that I am about to provide you with something that is
almost certain to squelch fruitful discussion at St. John's: factual information. Please bear with me,
however, because I believe your understanding of the process through which data is generated in the
modem biological sciences will help you to understand what I have to say about understanding this data
from Aristotle's point of view. I should also say that I believe the process itself would have been
interesting to Aristotle, and that I believe that it's the sort of thing he himself would have delighted
in had he had the means to do it.
The construction of gene libraries from specific cell or tissue types begins again with the "First Law"
of modern biology: that DNA contains information that encodes specific protein sequences, and that the
protein is synthesized from a template molecule of RNA, whose synthesis serves as the intermediary
step. You will recall (again, please forgive my pedantry) that proteins are composed of smaller building
blocks called amino acids. Each amino acid is specified within the DNA molecule by a three base-pair
sequence called a codon. The DNA code is somewhat "degenerate", as the currently-used jargon has
it, in that some of the amino acids are specified by more than one codon. In the normal sequence, a
gene is activated by the binding of certain proteins to a region of DNA called the promotor, which
results in the transcription of an RNA molecule whose sequence is complementary to that of the DNA
template (remembering the Second Law of modem biological science: adenine pairs with thymine [or,
in an RNA molecule, with uracil] and guanine with cytosine ). The newly-synthesized RNA molecule
is processed further in the cell cytoplasm and used as a template for the biosynthesis of a new protein.
Because of the complementarity of DNA or RNA, gene libraries can be constructed from either, those
using DNA referred to as genomic libraries (containing all the genes of the specific species from which
they were obtained and therefore identical whether the starting tissue was brain or skin) and those
starting with RNA being designated "complementary DNA libraries," as they begin with a RNA which
is then synthesized in vitro to a complementary strand of DNA Complementary DNA libraries contain
only the gene sequences are expressed in the tissue or cells from which they were obtained
The next steps in cloning involve the digestion of the DNA into smaller fragments that can be analyzed
4
�in a practical way, and the insertion of the fragments into a host (usually a virus) that will allow its
insertion into a cell (at this stage, usually, a bacterium) that will propagate and produce multiple copies
of the gene fragments. This is. necessary in order to have an adequate amount of DNA to manipulate
and analyze. After millions of copies of each gene are produced, the gene fragments can be isolated from
the bacteria, which grow as colonies on agar plates. Selection of the specific colonies which contain the
genes or genes of interest can be accomplished by examining products secreted by the bacteria or by
techniques which rely upon the binding of related DNA sequences to the DNA within the bacterial
plasmids. The bacteria containing the genes of interest can then be selectively grown, the plasmids
containing the cloned DNA isolated from the rest of the bacterial DNA, and the sequence and structure
of the cloned genes ascertained (the techniques used to sequence DNA are in themselves rather
interesting but not within the purview of a talk like this one). Using complementary DNA libraries,
unique genes expressed in specific tissues in response to specific stimuli or at specific times in
development can be identified, isolated, and their sequence determined
I want you to note that up to this point all we have is a gene sequence, a structure, a very minute part
of an animal (or plant). Furthermore, although there is some marvelous technical wizardry involved in
obtaining this sequence, the process through which the sequence is obtained is more or less mechanical
and, with some exceptions, more or less the same no matter what cell type, tissue, or even species the
scientist is working with. This is the equivalent, more or less, of doing what Aristotle describes in
lines 15-18 of the first chapter: taking a lion, or ox, or human being and describing the parts in infinite
detail. No attempt is made (yet) of relating the minute DNA sequences to commonly-expressed cell,
tissue, or organism functions. The reason for this relates, in part, to the method through which genes
are isolated and cloned. It should be clear from how I have described the method of cloning and
sequencing that the manipulation of DNA required for this process involves the almost complete
separation of that particular gene or DNA sequence from the context in which it is normally found
However, it is just that context that is crucial to our understanding of the role of that gene within the
cell and, subsequently, its role in the function of that particular tissue or organism. The rest of the
process, the activity that makes cloning and sequencing truly interesting, involves the understanding
of how the protein encoded by that gene functions or what it does (which is why my colleague was so
excited about having a function for her gene). To put it another way, one seeks the telos for that gene.
Until that is found, the mere gene or protein, sequence is singularly uninteresting to either the natural
philosopher or the molecular biologist. To put it in language that my peers might understand, it would
be very difficult to publish a gene sequence by itself without a context for that sequence which suggests
a functional. role for that gene in a cell or tissue or in a particular biological process. My knowledge of
that function might be limited or vague, but publishable molecular work invariably contains and
requires a context without which the gene sequence is neither useful nor enlightening.
So what does all this have to do with Aristotle? Because this is early in the year, I think I should say
a few things about the reading of Aristotle to the freshman, who should be engrossed in and captivated
by Homer at this time and have probably had little no exposure to Aristotle's scientific books. In this
way I will also reveal some of the prejudices that I have brought to this book as I read and reread it
over the past 8 years. I was once told that a key to reading Aristotle is the understanding that many
of his books seem to be written as answers for which the reader must supply the question. I have found
this insight very useful. Furthermore when reading The Parts of Animal.s, I have found it helpful to
pause after every sentence or two and ask, "As opposed to what?" We are fortunate that Aristotle
sometimes gives us alternative explanations or possibilities, but I think that one appreciates the genius
of Aristotle only after considering the explanations or alternative ideas that he has rejected without his
having belabored the point in writing Oest the freshmen should be misguided, let me quickly point out
that Aristotle is not above belaboring points).
To begin this discussion, we have to confront, first and foremost, our archnemesis. I believe that
understanding The Parts of Animal.a requires some insight into the alternative point of view about
5
�living things, which Aristotle attributes to Empedocles. I feel unfortunate that most of what I know
about Empedocles comes from Aristotle, and I think that we at St. John's, especially, have to be
cautious in judging a philosopher's thought simply on the basis of what somewhat else says about him.
I certainly would not want to judge Aristotle's system of natural science on the basis of what is said
about him in modern science textbooks, for example. However, be that as it may, whether fairly or
unfairly, Empedocles is used as representative of a school of thought that suggests that the coming·
to-be of living things has occurred by chance, that their formation has occurred haphazardly, and that
the compelling force in this process is necessity, in Greek, anangke. For example, the process of the
formation of the backbone, Empedocles is said to argue, occurs by necessity, a consequence of the fetus
becoming twisted in the uterus.
This approach is one that, on the surface, seems attractive to modern scientists. It is certainly consistent
with classical physics and mechanics and the so-called scientific ideal exemplified in Newtonian physics.
When I was a junior here at St. John's, I remember reading a quote by French biologist Andre Lwoff
attempting to support a role for Empedoclean necessity in biological science:
"The machine is built for doing precisely what it does. We may admire it, but we should
not lose our heads. If the living system did not perform its task, it would not exist. We
simply have to learn how it performs its task. "1
This same mechanistic approach seems to have been what Claude Bernard had in mind when he stated
that:
"...a created organism is a machine that necessarily2 works by virtue of the physico-chemical
properties of its constituent elements. "3
At a certain level, this seems to remain a deeply-cherished belief or prejudice of modern scientists, who,
even after the demise of classical physics in the early 20th century seem to yearn for a world more like
Newton's than Einstein's. However, when I confront this belief, as I often do when I encounter other
colleagues, particularly those who work exclusively in the laboratory rather than at the bedside, I recall
the words of Marcel Proust:
"Error is more obstinate than faith and does not examine the grounds of its belief."
I do believe that in biology and experimental medicine, the Newtonian/Cartesian model is erroneous,
or at least incomplete. The ·problem with this approach, is, ironically, a practical one: it simply doesn't
work. It may very well be. true that the coming-to-be of living matter occurred as an accident in the
"primordial soup" billions of years ago, requiring neither the direction of a beneficent deity or even
directedness from the impersonal forces of nature. It may very well be that what transpired was
1
Quoted from The Cell Carl Swanson. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 3rd Ed., 1969, p.7.
2
My italics
3
Claude Bernard, An Introducti.on to the Study of Experimental Medicine, trans. Henry Copley
Green. New York: Dover Books, 1957, p. 93.
6
�inevitable based on the laws that govern large molecules that we now call "organic" and the chemistry
of carbon and nitrogen. That does not negate the fact that what has come to be is organized matter,
and that our understanding of that matter requires our understanding of that organization and the
relationship between structure and function. As Aristotle points out, the Empedoclean view falls short
because of its lack of logos. It does not provide a framework which makes the phenomena
understandable. Aristotle follows this by gleefully pointing out that Empedocles, too "... being led and
guided by Truth itself, stumbles upon this.. ."' and is required to recant and retract, admitting, for
example that bone is more than its elements per se, but that there is a logos (which, in this context,
I believe might be translated "understandable feature" or "... understandable features ... ") that requires
several layers of explanation for us to discern.
Thus, while the mechanistic language borrowed by modern biologists from classical physics might
sometimes be used in the biological sciences, that is not the common language and certainly not the
language used in published research. Let me add that this is not because, in their heart of hearts,
modern biologists don't wish to have a language reminiscent of classical physics. Indeed, one of the
prejudices common among biological researchers is that the laws of biological science (dealing, as they
do, with the macroscopic world) are or will be shown to be more like classical mechanics, with orderly
phenomena of cause and affect occurring in ti.me, than like the topsy-turvy world of quantum physics
and relativity. They have learned however, that the language of classical physics and mechanics has
limited practical usefulness in modern biological research.
I will here therefore submit that there are several critical concepts in Aristotle's biology that remain
in common use in modern biological science (although in a somewhat disguised form), that remain
crucial to how we understand living matter. I will spend the rest of my time examining two of these
concepts in more detail. They are telos and anangke. My list is intentionally limited to these two, but
before I proceed I should state that a complete understanding of Aristotle's biological works and their
relevance to modern biology should also include a deeper discussion of cause and all its layers of
meaning. Similarly, eidos is clearly a unifying concept in Aristotle's physics and metaphysics and any
discussion of his natural works that does not address this concept is incomplete. However, both of these
topics are by themselves suitable lecture material and I have decided to avoid them in this discussion.
I envy the sophomores, however, who will able to immerse themselves in Aristotle's Physics later this
year and will have, therefore, a rich and ample opportunity to think about these issues.
There is, among modern scientists, perhaps no more greatly-misunderstood concept that of telos as
Aristotle understood it. Indeed, "teleologic" thinking is often apologized for in "serious" research seminars
and can subject its user to a measure of skepticism (if not scorn) by other investigators. This is, of
course, due to a misunderstanding of the concept of telos. We are, in this instance, partly at the mercy
of St. Thomas Aquinas, who brilliantly engrafted Aristotelian thought (physical and metaphysical) into
Christian theology. Thus, the Christian view of a beneficent Deity ordering Nature to His own
(sometimes inscrutable 5 but unquestionably _beneficent) ends has clearly influenced, or tainted, the
reading of Aristotle ever since. No such world view informs the Parts of Animals or the concept of
telos as used in Aristotle's works in the natural sciences. As used in the Parts of Animals, telos is
intended to describe the predictable culmination of natural processes. A robin's egg predictably hatches
a robin. A seed predictably grows into a plant. Thus, the end of the egg is the mature robin; the end
of the seed is either growth or the mature plant. These ends exist without either striving on the part
of the organisms or intervention from the deity. They do, however, provide the foundation for our
4
Aristotle, Parts of Animals, trans. AL Peck. Cambridge, MA; Harvard University Press, 1983.
5
" ••• where
were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" Job
7
�understanding of the egg or the seed, their logos, as Aristotle says. 6 Furthermore, while they c8n be
thought of separately, telos and necessity (anangke) are clearly co-existent and inter-related, just as
matter and form are. If an egg is to grow into a mature robin (its telos) it must, of necessity, have
certain characteristics which will protect it during gestation (e.g., a hard shell). None of this sort of
thinking, which is central to Aristotle's way of looking at living things, is completely foreign to cell
biology or experimental medicine. In the example of our gene sequence, the telos of the gene is twofold: the transmission of genetic information to progeny and the encoding of information required to
synthesize a protein, which, in turn, has its own its own telos. The second part of the molecular biology
in which my friend in Ann Arbor was engaged required that she put her gene back into context, both
literally and mentally, to discern the function of the protein encoded by the gene and factors regulating
its expression in different cells.
In my own career I was blessed to work with an outstanding molecular scientist (Dr. John Atkinson,
now chair of the Department of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis) who was singularly
unapologetic for his use of teleologic language and thinking. From Dr. Atkinson I learned how serious
scientific problems can be approached in a practical and illuminating way if the Aristotelian concept of
telos is applied creatively. Indeed, posing questions in cell biology that start with telos is often the best
way to start an inquiry into structure and mechanism, form and function. In this sense, telos remains
the prior or primary concept in much of cell biology, just as in Aristotle's biology. 7 Let me provide
some examples.
In both cell and molecular biology, the discovery of new genes and/or structures, or the finding that
a certain gene or protein is unexpectedly expressed in a certain cell or tissue, is one of the exciting and
rewarding events in the life of any investigator. However, insight into the significance of such a finding
is often provided only by an understanding of its telos. Scientists refer to this work and thoughtprocess as the elucidation of the function of the new gene or protein. This is nothing more or less than
an understanding of its telos and it is considered to be an essential part of the understanding of new
genes and proteins. They provide, I submit, the only means by which their biological significance can
be discerned, or, if I may speak in Aristotle's terms, the telos provides rational ground, or logos, for
the subsequent inquiry. That other scientists agree with my assessment of the importance of this
process is measured by my friend's excitement at finding a "...function for her gene." What my colleague
was asserting was the importance of the Aristotelian concept of telos in modern biology.
A question that Dr. Atkinson often used to ask at the beginning of his work was, ''Why would this cell
express this protein (or gene)?" Or, "Why would this cell express this protein (or gene) under these
conditions?". I learned by watching an experienced scientist begin his work this way that a tremendous
amount of experimental biology can be undertaken if such questions are asked and allowed to provide
the rationale for a series of well-designed experiments. Thus, the concept of telos provides not only a
theoretical framework which allows a scientist to understand the meaning of certain phenomena
produced in the laboratory, but it also provides a valuable starting point for further investigations. In
this very real sense, telos is the practical and logical starting point for the investigation, as Aristotle has
pointed out. 8
Necessity (anangke), is another concept that is used in modern biological research with some of the
same breadth of meaning as in Aristotle's biological works. Christianized Aristotelianism has attempted
6
Parts of Animals I, i, 639b 15-17.
7
Parts of Animals I, ~ 639b, 15.
8
Parts of Animals II (1) 646a25 - 646b5
8
�to elevate telos above necessity, maintaining that God's will and the mechanisms by which His world
operates are separable in fact and in thought. This allows, among other things, provision for Jaws of
nature to be suspended for the benefit of the Church, as Edward Gibbon stated. While this is a
convenient world view for the structuring of a politically-powerful church on earth, it had devastating
effects on the understanding of living creatures, and allowed the evolution of the concept of vitalism that
so seriously stymied biological thinking in Europe into the nineteenth century should also point out
that it made theology tough, too. The distinction between God's foreknowledge versus foreordination,
Grace versus Free Will, etc. are innate, I believe, in this dualistic approach to Nature and Nature's
God). This distinct separation of telos from anangke is clearly excluded from Aristotle's natural works,
and The Parts of Animal.sin particular. Rather, anangke and telos go hand in hand, and provide a basis
for the understanding of one-another. Thus, while telos is primary for Aristotle, in that it provides the
framework through which biological processes are understood (again, the logos), it is also clear that
both the coming-to-be and the maintenance of living things obeys the laws of anangke in the physical
and logical way that Aristotle understood this term.
a
I have mentioned before the wistful engagement of classical (Newtonian) physics and modem biology,
an engagement that is ever-prolonged while the wedding is continually postponed. I believe that there
is still a yearning among many biologists to believe that, because living things adhere to the Jaws of
chemistry and physics (or, more correctly, that novel laws of chemistry and physics are not required
to understand either the coming-to-be or the functioning of living matter), that all of the biological
sciences will be eventually be focused on understanding laws of absolute necessity which are the direct
descendants and consequences of the original Big Bang. However, in many cases, this concept of
absolute necessity (because "A" happened, "B" absolutely must happen) is only one of the ways in which
the concept of necessity is used in biological science and medicine. Furthermore, such logical thinking
is seldom the starting point in the practical world of modern medical research. Rather, modem
biologists, working with concepts of structure and function (telos, if you will), are more often fruitful
when they operate in the world of what may called "...conditional necessity." That is, the argument
that if "A" is to be formed, then other things must also occur. For example, if health is to be produced,
then certain actions are necessi~ted by the physician or the healer. This may still seem somewhat
abstract, so let me use an example from my own experiences at Washington University.
The complement system is a series of proteins that provide one of the important defenses of higher
organisms against invading micro-organisms. However, unlike other parts of the immune system,
complement proteins do not, in themselves, discriminate "self' from "non-self." Once activated, there
is nothing in the biochemistry of these proteins that precludes their amplifying on and destroying host
cell or tissues instead of the invading viruses or bacteria. This discovery that the complement system
is non-specific was made simultaneously in St. Louis and San Diego and much of this early work was
done by my mentor, Paul Levine. These discoveries led to the hypothesis that if the biochemistry of
the complement proteins is such that they can activate even on host cells, then by necessity there must
be some mechanism through which host cells can deactivate them. This is a very Aristotelian approach,
and it was the beginning of a series of investigations, carried out in St. Louis, Baltimore, and Cleveland,
that elucidated a new family of cell-surface proteins with a common genetic structure. These proteins
were shown on mammalian cells but not on bacteria or viruses (at least not under normal
circumstances) and were shown to deactivate complement on host cells exactly as would be predicted.
An understanding of these proteins and how they function has provided new insight into rheumatic
diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus, as well as some understanding of how cells
of the immune system are destroyed during the course of HIV infection (the latter is work from my
oWn laboratory). Thus, the concept of necessity, as used in its broader, "Aristotelian" sense, provided
the foundation not just for a theoretical approach to mammalian cells but for practical advances in the
science of immunology.
This is not to say that so-called "absolute" necessity is not used in modern biology. We know, for
9
�example, that if the pH or hydrogen ion concentration of the intracellular fluid drops below a certain
"physiologic" range, that certain predictable consequences will occur to in the efficiency with which
intracellular enzymes will function. We know that, eventually, prolonged lowering of intracellular pH
will eventually have profound disturbance of cellular energy metabolism and eventually lead to cell
death. However, in these cases, the concept of absolute necessity is still informed by the concept that
the enzymes in question do, in fact, have functions that relate to their roles in cellular processes. The
dysfunction of the enzymes is made more intelligible by the understanding that they are involved in
a process that we call intracellular metabolism. In the absence of this understanding, we have hydrogen
ions and a denatured polypeptide that can no longer catalyze the transfer of electrons. Even the most
ardent Newtonian would concede that such an understanding is incomplete.
These two concepts, telos and anangke, are ubiquitous in modern biology and appear to be tmavoidable.
They provide the core of work appearing in peer-reviewed journals as well as an important aspect of
any grant application to agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. They remain in use, as I
have said, not because, in the deepest hearts, modern experimental biologists are enamored of Aristotle,
but because they are unavoidable. Furthermore, they have been shown to be practically useful,
especially when linked to the modern techniques of cell and molecular biology. The admission that these
concepts are essential to the biological sciences is different from saying that unusual laws of chemistry
and physics are required to understand living things. What I am saying, and what Aristotle has said,
is that these concepts provide the framework through which the laws of chemistry and physics can be
understood in living matter.
I hope I have provided you, in this very brief way, with some insight into how certain ideas articulated
in Aristotle's Parts of Animals remain in use in modern experimental medicine. Furthermore, I hope
that I have convinced you that these ideas are not just part of a theoretical framework, but that they
provide a very practical starting point for the process of modern biological research. Let me also say
that I believe that if Aristotle were alive today, he would find very little in modern laboratory research
that is in direct conflict with his approach to living things as articulated in the Parts of Animals.
Let me close by saying a word about what modern experimental medicine has not borrowed from
Aristotle and something about how this may limit, or at least define, our understanding of living
things. Of all the concepts in modern biology, evolution is the one most clearly foreign to Aristotle's
biology. To Aristotle, the species were permanent, more or less immutable, and eternal. To the modern
biologist, species are what's left. over aft.er a process called natural selection. In its most extreme case,
evolution is so totally lacking in either direction or permanence that, ultimately, the theory of natural
selection is just as appropriately described as "... survival of the survivors... " rather than "... survival of
the fittest." Eidos (species) and telos are conspicuously absent from modern evolutionary theory. It is
thus hard to fmd common ground between evolutionary biologists and Aristotle. The two world views
are clearly not compatible.
However, in modern experimental medicine, the concept of evolution is, ironically, partly-informed by
the concept of telos. For example, the existence of certain structures or proteins in lower animals (for
example, fish) and humans is oft.en used an argument for their physiological importance. That is,
structures or proteins highly-conserved through evolution are considered significant. For example, the
fact that fish have complement proteins is used as an argument for the importance of this primordial
wing of the immune system. To put it another way, the telos of a structure is considered vital to the
extent that it is conserved in evolution. Thus, even with modem evolutionary theory as an overlay,
experimental medicine still derives tremendous power from essentially-Aristotelian ideas.
Another aspect of Aristotle's biology that is lacking in modem experimental medicine is its scope. By
this I mean that Aristotle's physics and metaphysics are essentially inseparable, and that they are part
of a system of thought that addresses human beings and their relationship to the world around them.
10
�While the world of clinical medicine may t.ake a person into many parts of the world of man and
display some of the best and worst of human life, the world of experimental medicine is, in the end,
neatly circwnscribed. People engaged in medical research are, in the end, focused on understanding how
things work. The final goal of this is, of course, to fmd out what's happening when something doesn't
work (that is, when someone is ill) so that remedies can be found. The answers given to the questions
raised by modern biologists will, therefore, reflect the form in which the question was asked. That is,
our answers will always only tell us how something works, not what it is or what our relationship to
it should be. We are, in essence, like the Lilliputians, who could dismantle Gulliver's watch and could
understood its mechanism perfectly, but were unaware of its purpose (believing, as they did, that it was
the god that he worshipped).
I will close as I began, with an anecdote, or actually, two anecdotes. Let me t.ake you, on a cool sunny
November afternoon, into the delivery room of an upstate New York hospital, where I, a third-year
medical student, am spending my first afternoon in labor and delivery. I want you to see a wet, blue
infant who t.akes her first gasp, utters her first cry, and begins to wiggle and squirm, her cries
becoming more vigorous with each passing second I want to see the beaming father and mother as they
hold their first-born daughter, call her by her name, and put their cheeks against her soft pink skin.
I also want to t.ake you into the pediatric intensive care unit on a frosty November evening. I will t.ake
you to the bed of an eight-year-old boy dying of infectious complications of AIDS. I will tell you that
this boy was the only child, the adopted son of an otherwise childless couple, and that I had come to
respect this couple's sorrow and struggle as one of the most profoundly sad and noble chapters I had
witnessed in my career. When the time came to accept that we had nothing left to offer but the
prolongation of suffering, when decisions were made to remove noxious tubes and hardware, when I
watched this child gasp his last breaths in the arms of his tearful parents, I understood the profound
ignorance of doctors, biologists, philosophers, and clergy. My experiences at the bedside, and with
birth and death in particular, have taught me that there is a great deal about life that I cannot explain.
I fully understand that the method of inquiry that I have inherited by Bernard, Bacon, and Descartes
was not designed to probe into the more compelling questions that raised by my experiences as a
physician. Thus, while my own career remains focussed in the understanding of the human body and
how it works, I remain profoundly humbled at how inadequate even a complete understanding at that
level would be. For all of our knowledge and our attempts at knowledge, we...
"...are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night."
11
�
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Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts.<br /><br />For more information, and for a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <strong><a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a></strong>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.<br /><br />A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://anchor.fm/greenfieldlibrary" title="Anchor.fm">Anchor.fm</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84Yzk5MzdhYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw" title="Google Podcasts">Google Podcasts</a>, or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe.
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St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis
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formallectureseriesannapolis
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paper
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Cells and Genes are Parts of Animals: Aristotle in the Late 20th Century
Description
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Typescript of a lecture delivered on September 16, 1994, by James N. Jarvis as part of the Formal Lecture Series.
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Jarvis, James N.
Publisher
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
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1994-09-16
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text
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pdf
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Aristotle. De partibus animalium
Cytology
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English
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lec Jarvis 1994
Alumni
Friday night lecture
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/d29e9c045e69232e417d175ef3c2ae97.mp3
16b4f5a1c38055e7818b841ad72ee3cc
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Description
An account of the resource
Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts.<br /><br />For more information, and for a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <strong><a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a></strong>. <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.<br /><br />A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://anchor.fm/greenfieldlibrary" title="Anchor.fm">Anchor.fm</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84Yzk5MzdhYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw" title="Google Podcasts">Google Podcasts</a>, or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe.
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
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St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis
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formallectureseriesannapolis
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wav
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01:10:07
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Argument Not Less But More Heroic: Milton's Advent'rous Song in <em>Paradise Lost</em>
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Audio recording of a lecture delivered on February 11, 2005, by Thomas May as part of the Formal Lecture Series.
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May, Thomas
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
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2005-02-11
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sound
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mp3
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Milton, John, 1608-1674. Paradise lost
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English
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LEC_May_Thomas_2005-02-11_ac
Friday night lecture
Tutors
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