Faculty Senate Bylaws

Functions

  1. To serve as liaison between faculty and administration.
  2. To serve as the primary long-range academic planning body for the faculty.
  3. To coordinate faculty responsibilities and activities as carried out through the various committees. These duties include but are not limited to the following:
    1. To nominate at large candidates for the Curriculum Committee, the Academic Operations Committee, the International and Experiential Education Committee, the Program Assessment and Development Committee, the Personnel Committee, and the Faculty Development Committee.
    2. To appoint faculty to the Faculty Committee on Student Life and to the Special Faculty Assignments except for the Faculty Secretary.
  4. To recommend candidates for honorary degrees to the President and the Board. The Vice Chair of the Senate shall be designated to evaluate proposals for honorary degrees as they are submitted, consult with appropriate members of the academic community, and make recommendations to the Senate.
  5. To serve as the review committee
    1. in those situations where programmatic changes due to financial exigency are identified by the administration as specified in the FACULTY MANUAL Section 2.6.2.2.
    2. if requested, for situations where appointments have been terminated for medical causes (See FACULTY MANUAL Section 2.6.2.3).
  6. To serve as an appeals committee as specified in FACULTY MANUAL Section 3.2.4.3.1.
  7. To act on behalf of the faculty in matters such as faculty may direct.
  8. To originate proposals and recommendations as it may deem advisable.
  9. To have primary responsibility for updating of the FACULTY MANUAL and HANDBOOK. Following the end of each academic year, the outgoing chairperson of the Faculty Senate and the outgoing Faculty Secretary shall have responsibility for final editing.

Membership

  1. Elected: Each division shall be represented by one member; seven members shall be elected at-large; they shall hold at least the rank of assistant professor. Elected members shall have held at least half-time positions on this faculty (as distinct from administrative duties) and shall be at least in their second year of service at the time of nomination.
  2. Members of the Faculty Senate are ineligible for immediate re-election. Any senator elected to fill out less than half of an unexpired term will be allowed to immediately succeed her/himself for one full term, if so elected.
  3. Nomination and Election
    1. The Senate divisional representative will act as convening officer for her or his division.
    2. Each division shall nominate and elect its divisional representative.
    3. Nominations for at-large positions shall be advanced to the faculty by the Faculty Senate. Additional nominations may be made from the floor of the faculty meeting.
    4. The faculty shall elect the at-large representatives.
    5. Election shall precede the general elections to committees.
  4. Ex officio: President, Dean of the Faculty, Faculty Secretary.

Meetings

  1.  The Faculty Secretary shall convene the new Senate in the spring for the purpose of electing a chair. The chair of the Senate shall call the first meeting in the fall of each year not later than the second week of classes. Thereafter the Senate shall set the time and place of its own meetings.
  2. Special meetings of the Senate may be called, with sufficient notice, by any of the following: the Chair of the Senate, two members of the Senate, three non-Senate faculty members, the President of the College or the Dean of the Faculty.

Officers

  1.  The Chair of the Senate shall be an elected member (chosen at the final meeting in the spring), shall serve for one year, and shall keep the faculty regularly informed of the proceedings of the Senate.
  2. The Secretary of the Faculty shall be Secretary of the Senate.

Subcommittees

  1. Compensation Committee
    1. Functions:
      To serve as the representative of faculty interests in the discussion of salary and fringe benefits with the administration and as liaison between the administration and the Faculty Senate in such matters.
    2. Membership:
      Four members, appointed by the Senate for four-year terms. Appointments shall be staggered, so that one new member shall be appointed each year.
      Consideration shall be given to rank, gender, marital status, knowledge of financial operations of the college, etc. in the selection of appointees, with the intent of representing a broad range of interests within the faculty.
      Faculty membership on the College Budget Committee shall be selected by the Senate from this subcommittee.