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[janicejoplin]

Can anyone give me advice on what to do about departmental affiliations with outside organizations?  One of our faculty members in our history department insists that the department become affiliated with a local chapter of a national history organization. The university itself has a few identified affiliations, but I've never seen departments do this. I worry that if one professor wants us to affiliate with the mid-west chapter of the Black Studies Association another one will want us to affiliate with the Illinois Medieval Association, or the Gender Studies Association etc. etc. with every faculty member demanding affiliation for their academic area. I'd appreciate it if anyone would share their guidelines for departmental affiliations if they have one.

[sinatra]

Check into what is required with "affiliation." Literally, in my discipline's national and regional associations, affiliation means you submit a link to your department webpage to the webmaster of the association and the association lists you. If affiliation is more substantive in the group that your faculty member is proposing, you will probably need to check with your immediate supervisor. I would ask the faculty member proposing affiliation to investigate what is required from the association then inform you of the details and put you in contact with the right people at the association so that you can verify everything. Then contact your dean or appropriate university office as needed.