Revised Bylaws
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT OSWEGO
FACULTY BYLAWS
MAY 1975
REVISED as of April 2009
PREAMBLE
We, the Faculty of the State University of New York at Oswego, in compliance with the Policies of the Board of Trustees, hereby establish these Bylaws to insure the participation of the faculty in the governance of this institution.
ARTICLE I
FACULTY MEMBERSHIP AND VOTING
Section 1. Definition of Faculty
The faculty of the College shall be comprised of the chancellor, the chief administrative officer and other members of the voting faculty of the College, other members of the academic staff of the College, and such non-voting administrative officers and professional staff as may be designated by the Faculty Bylaws of the College.
Section 2. Definition of Voting Faculty
The voting faculty of the College shall be composed of:
a)The chancellor and the chief administrative officer of the College; and
b)Members of the academic staff of the College having academic rank and term or continuing appointments; and
Such other members of the staff in the non-classified service as may be recommended by the Personnel Policies Council and approved by the Faculty Assembly.
Section 3. Definition of Faculty with Limited Voting Status
a)Limited voting status shall be granted to those faculty who meet one of the following criteria:
i. Members of the academic staff who have been employed on a part-time basis for six (6) consecutive semesters in a position designated as being in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit and who have been granted a term appointment.
ii. Members of the academic staff who have qualified academic rank as defined by the Policies of the Board of Trustees and who have been employed on a full-time basis for six (6) consecutive semesters in a position designated as being in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit.
b) Faculty with limited voting status shall be eligible to participate in governance processes and to be governed by relevant policies as delineated below:
i. Faculty with limited voting status may participate as voting faculty in all aspects of department and College-wide governance except on committees that make personnel recommendations (e.g., term and continuing appointment, chair review and search, peer review, academic administrative officer review or search, Faculty Assembly chair election, etc.).
ii.Faculty with limited voting status must be reviewed using the evaluation procedures contained in these By-Laws.
c) Limited voting status ceases at the first non-reappointment to another semester of service. Faculty in paragraph a) i above have limited voting status once they again receive a term appointment. Faculty in paragraph a) ii above have limited voting status once they again receive qualified academic rank.
Section 4. Voting Membership List
The president or the president’s designee shall publish a list of voting faculty annually, before the first meeting of the General Faculty, publishing thereafter additions to, and deletions from, the list within one week of their occurrence.
Section 5. Voting Procedures
Voting procedures for meetings of the General Faculty shall be determined by the faculty in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.
ARTICLE II
MEETINGS
Section 1. Calling of Meetings
Meetings of the General Faculty may be called by the president of the College or the president’s designee. The president shall also call a meeting of the General Faculty subject to the provisions of Article III, if so requested by the chair of the Faculty Assembly, or by signed petition of ten percent of the faculty.
Section 2. Chair of Faculty
The president of the College shall be the chair of the faculty. The chair of the Faculty Assembly shall be the presiding officer at meetings of the General Faculty, or in the chair’s absence, the vice—chair of the Faculty Assembly. In the absence of both, the chair of a council of the Assembly as prescribed in Article IX, Section 6.
Section 3. Meetings
A minimum of three regular meetings of the General Faculty shall be held each academic year as follows:
a)Within 30 calendar days of the beginning of the fall semester;
b)Within 30 calendar days of the beginning of the spring semester;
c) Within 30 calendar days prior to commencement of each academic year. The faculty shall approve the awarding of degrees at this meeting.
d)Other meetings may be called as outlined in Section 1.
ARTICLE III
AGENDA AND PROCEDURES
Section 1. Agenda
a) Items may be proposed by any member of the voting faculty by submitting such items in writing to the chair of the Faculty Assembly at least ten working days prior to an announced meeting. The chair of the Faculty Assembly shall draw up and distribute the agenda to the total faculty at least five working days prior to an announced meeting.
b) The agenda shall be approved, both as to content and order as the first order of business of any general faculty meeting except that at a General Faculty meeting called by the president, the president’s report shall not be subject to the provisions of this section. At any other meeting the president’s report shall be a priority item.
Section 2. Quorum
A quorum for a meeting of the General Faculty shall be one-third of the total number of voting faculty as defined in these Bylaws.
Section 3. Recorder
The recorder of the Assembly shall serve as recorder to the meetings of the General Faculty.
Section 4. Minutes
Minutes of every meeting shall be kept and distributed to the entire faculty within seven working days of the meeting.
Section 5. Rules of Order.
The meeting of the General Faculty shall be bound by Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section 6. Parliamentarian
The parliamentarian of the Assembly shall serve as parliamentarian for meetings of the General Faculty.
ARTICLE IV
PROVISIONS FOR FACULTY CONSULTATION
Section 1. General Faculty Consultation
The faculty of the College shall be consulted by and initiate consultation with the president on matters of College-wide concern through the appropriate councils of the Faculty Assembly, or the faculty itself, sitting in general session, in order that the faculty as a whole may contribute significantly to the governance of the College, including the conduct of the College’s instruction, research and service programs. Such consultation shall be consistent with the Policies and the Agreement.
Section 2. Divisional and Departmental Consultation
Consistent with the Policies, these Bylaws, and the Agreement, departments and divisions shall have provision for faculty consultation consistent with the Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York insofar as every department and division shall have the right to organize itself for such consultation by majority vote of its voting members and with notification to the Faculty Assembly. The right of the minority to dissent and to have this dissent recorded shall not be denied.
The term “Policies” refers to the current Policies of the Board of Trustees and the term “Agreement” refers to the agreement between the State of New York and the employees serving in positions in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit in the State University of New York as certified by the Public Employment Relations Board.
ARTICLE V
FACULTY SENATOR
Section 1. Election
At the first regular spring meeting of the General Faculty, the voting faculty, and professional staff on term or permanent appointment shall elect a faculty senator and alternate for a term of office of three years commencing July 1. An elected representative who has served a full three-year term or major fraction thereof shall be eligible to serve a second consecutive three-year term. Representatives shall not be eligible to serve again as members of the Senate until the expiration of one year from the end of their last preceding term.
Section 2. Reports of Senator
d) Except for provisions in Article III, Section 1, the report of the senator to the General Faculty shall be a priority agenda item. It shall be included in the agenda immediately after any reports by the president.
e) The senator shall make a written report following each plenary session of the University Faculty Senate. This report shall be attached to the minutes of the next meeting of the Faculty Assembly. The senator shall also make an oral presentation at the next meeting of the Faculty Assembly following each University Senate Plenary (or special) meeting.
ARTICLE VI
THE FACULTY ASSEMBLY
Section 1. Title
A representative organization of the faculty, hereinafter to be known as the Faculty Assembly, shall be established, to be directly responsible to the faculty of the College at Oswego.
Section 2. Purpose and Functions
The Faculty Assembly shall be the deliberative body through which the faculty participates in the governance of the College. It shall formulate policy recommendations in all areas of faculty concern consistent with the Policies and the Agreement. It shall exercise both directly, and through its councils and committees, oversight to ensure faculty consultation pursuant to Article IV, Section 1. It shall be empowered to discuss and express its views on any matter deemed of general College concern; to make recommendations to the president of the College, the College Council, and/or the Board of Trustees, the University Senate, or to any other appropriate individual or body.
ARTICLE VII
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATION
Section 1. Communication and Reports
It shall be the duty of the chair of the Faculty Assembly to communicate the recommendations of the Faculty Assembly to the president of the College. The chair of the Assembly shall do so not later than one month after such recommendations are made by the Assembly. Assembly recommendations requesting action to be taken by the president of the College shall be submitted by the chair of the Assembly in writing with a copy filed with the recorder of the Assembly. The chair of the Assembly shall report on the disposition of these recommendations at least monthly.
Section 2. State of the College
The president of the College shall be invited to report to the Assembly on the state of the College at least once during each semester. The Assembly shall submit to the president via the chair fourteen days prior to the report a list of matters on which the Assembly would like to hear comments.
Section 3. Reports from Officers of the College
Each officer of the College as described in Article VIII, Section 2c shall be invited by the chair of the Faculty Assembly to report to the Assembly at least once during the fall semester. The Assembly shall submit to each officer of the College via the chair fourteen days prior to the report a list of matters on which the Assembly would like to hear comments. The report by each officer of the College shall disclose all initiatives requiring consultation with the faculty. A written document of the report prepared by each officer of the College shall be submitted to the chair within seven days after the report is presented to the Assembly and subsequently published in the minutes of the Assembly.
Section 4. Governance Task Forces
a) The Faculty Assembly and the administration shall concurrently create task forces on issues of college-wide concern and charge them with specific duties in order to enhance communication and consultation among faculty, administration, professional staff, the unions, and the students. Each task force and its charge shall be established by formal written approval of both the Faculty Assembly and the administration. The written charge shall include a deadline for the work to be completed and a detailed description of how the membership shall be determined. A report of the results shall be recorded in the minutes of the Faculty Assembly. Upon reaching its deadline, the task force shall cease to exist, unless otherwise extended by the consent of both the Assembly and the administration.
b) Each task force shall include balanced representation from the faculty, administration, professional staff, unions, and, when appropriate, the Student Association.
c) Members of the Faculty Assembly or the administration shall request the creation of a task force whenever initiatives may require special expertise from among the faculty, the administration, professional staff, the unions, and the students.
d) In situations where governance procedures involving both the faculty and the administration and the College Council are not fully specified in the Policies of the Board of Trustees or in the Faculty Bylaws, a task force may be created to resolve procedural ambiguities.
ARTICLE VIII
ASSEMBLY MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Qualifications
A member of the voting faculty becomes eligible for Assembly membership after serving one year at Oswego with voting faculty status. A new department whose members do not meet these requirements shall have one representative on the Assembly, or as may be otherwise specified in these Bylaws. A full-time member of the Professional Staff Group (NTP) becomes eligible for Assembly membership after serving full-time for one year at Oswego.
Section 2. Ex-Officio Members
a)The Faculty Assembly shall include the College’s State University senator or alternate.
b) The Professional Services Negotiating Unit chosen by the employees shall select a member of its executive board to serve as an ex-officio member of the Assembly without vote.
c) The Faculty Assembly shall include without vote, officers of the College or their designees. Officers of the College are those individuals so listed in the College’s Undergraduate Catalog.
Section 3. Representation
a)The Assembly shall include representation from each department as indicated from the table below:
Departmental FTE Representation
16 or fewer 1
More than 16 but fewer than 31 2
31 or more 3
b) Departmental representation shall be based on departmental FTE. In determining departmental FTE, individuals who are full-time or part-time faculty, regardless of the type of appointment or rank, and regardless of whether or not they teach on- or off-campus shall be counted. The departmental FTE for the following academic year shall be based on the average of two FTE counts, the first taken on October 15 and the second taken on February 15 of the current academic year.
c) Members of the administration with management confidential status shall constitute the Administrative Group. This group shall have representation in the Faculty Assembly based on the table in section (a) above.
d) Members of the professional staff on term or permanent appointment shall constitute the Professional Staff Group. This group shall have representation in the Faculty Assembly based on the table in section (a) above.
Section 4. Definition of Academic Department
a) An academic department shall be defined as a department in which at least one-half of the members teach at least one-half a standard teaching load. In computing a standard teaching load, research shall be counted. Librarians shall be classified as members of an academic department.
b) Any department or group not satisfying the preceding criteria may petition the Faculty Assembly through the Personnel Policies Council for recognition and representation.
c) The Personnel Policies Council shall publish between February 1 and March 15 the names of the departments entitled to representation on the Assembly and the number of representatives to which the department is entitled in accordance with Article VIII, Section 3.
Section 5. Election of Representatives
a) Members of the Assembly shall be elected by the department by majority vote of those present and voting without nominations and by secret ballot, the results of which are to be announced to the membership in rank order. The elections shall be supervised by the Personnel Policies Council.
b) A department may conduct its own election(s) for Faculty Assembly representative(s) and/or alternate(s) provided it meets the following conditions:
1)There must be a unanimous vote to this effect by secret ballot at a meeting of the department.
2) The fact that a vote will take place on this question must be conveyed to all faculty members at least five working days before the scheduled meeting.
3)The election(s) for Faculty Assembly representative(s) and/or alternate(s) must take place within two weeks of a) above.
4)The department must follow the same nomination and election procedures described at the beginning of this section.
Section 6. Date of Election
Representatives for the following year shall be elected in the spring semester between March 16 and May 1. Departmental representation shall be based upon existing departmental FTE.
Section 7. Term of Office
Representatives of the Assembly shall be elected for a term of two years with staggered terms for those departments having more than one representative. The representatives may be reelected. Terms of office shall begin one week prior to the commencement of classes in the fall semester.
Section 8. Special Elections
A representative or alternate who, for any reason, ceases to serve as department representative shall be replaced for the remainder of the representative’s term at a special election supervised by the Personnel Policies Council or by the department under the procedures described in Section 5 above.
Section 9. Alternates
An alternate for each representative shall be elected by each department in accordance with the voting procedures outlined in Article VIII, Section 5. The alternate shall serve at any Assembly meeting that the representative does not attend and will have the same rights as the representative.
Section 10. Department Recall of Representatives
A department may terminate the appointment of representatives at any time by a two-thirds majority vote of the department at a departmental meeting. Prior to the vote to recall, the Personnel Policies Council shall conduct a hearing to ascertain the reasons for recall, at which time the faculty member in question shall have the right of due process as set forth in Robert’s Rules of Order.
ARTICLE IX
ELECTIONS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. Officers
The officers of the Assembly shall consist of the chair and vice-chair.
Section 2. Chair of the Assembly
a) The chair of the Assembly shall be elected from and by the voting faculty. The chair shall be a member of the faculty whose primary responsibility shall be teaching, librarianship and/or research.
b) Between April 1 and April 10 of each year, the Personnel Policies Council shall accept nominations for the chair of the Faculty Assembly. Each nomination may be accompanied by a concise statement from the candidate.
c) On or about April 15 of each year, the Personnel Policies Council shall send to the voting faculty, via campus mail, (1) a ballot, and (2) the candidates’ statements. To be counted, ballots must be received by the Personnel Policies Council by April 25. Furthermore, returned ballots must be sealed in a blank envelope inside a signed envelope to be considered valid.
d)If no candidate receives a majority on the first ballot, then a second ballot shall contain either:
1)the two candidates with the two highest vote totals, if there are no ties;
2)all candidates with the highest vote totals, if there is a tie for first place; or
3)all candidates with the two highest vote totals, if there is no tie for first place, but there is a tie for second place.
The individual with a plurality of the votes cast on the second ballot shall be elected as chair of the Faculty Assembly. If there is a tie for first place, then this process shall be repeated.
e) The chair of the Faculty Assembly shall serve for one year, beginning on June 1 after the chair’s election, and expiring on May 31 of the following year. The chair shall be eligible for re-election.
Section 3. Vice-chair
The vice-chair of the Assembly shall be elected from and by the new Assembly at its first meeting.
Section 4. Teaching Load of Chair
The chair shall have no more than half a teaching load.
Section 5. Duties of Chair
The chair shall preside at meetings of the Assembly. The chair shall also preside over Commencement, Honors Convocation, and all other College functions involving academic processions and perform such other duties as may be specified in these Bylaws. The chair shall have adequate secretarial assistance provided.
Section 6. Vice-Chair as Presiding Officer
a)In the absence of the chair, the vice-chair shall preside at the meetings of the Assembly.
b) In the absence of both the chair and the vice-chair, a chair of a council of the Assembly shall act as chair pro tempore. The order of choice shall be the order of listing under Article XII, Section 2.
Section 7. Disability of Chair
If for any reason the chair becomes unable to perform the chair’s functions, the vice-chair shall call a meeting of the Assembly to determine whether a special election for chair shall be held.
Section 8. Recorder
A recorder shall be appointed by the chair.
Section 9. Duties of Recorder
It shall be the duty of the recorder to prepare and preserve the minutes of the Assembly and to carry out such correspondence as the Assembly may request.
Section 10. Parliamentarian
The parliamentarian shall be appointed by the chair from the faculty.
Section 11. Term of Officers
All officers shall have terms of one year. They shall be eligible for reelection.
ARTICLE X
MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of the Assembly shall be held at least once a month from September through May 31. The first meeting of the new Assembly shall be held within the first month of the fall term, and prior to September 30.
Section 2. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Assembly may be called at any time during the academic year by the chair, or in the chair’s absence from the College, by the vice-chair. Also, special meetings shall be called by the chair, within one week, upon petition of ten or more members of the Faculty Assembly.
Section 3. Attendance
a)Meetings of the Assembly shall be open to all faculty.
b)Regular meetings of the Assembly shall be open to all professional and academic employees and matriculated students.
ARTICLE XI
PROCEDURE AND VOTING
Section 1. Dispute on Procedure
In the event of a dispute on a matter of parliamentary procedure, the Assembly will be bound by Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section 2. Quorum
A Quorum of the Assembly shall consist of at least two-thirds of its members.
Section 3. Agenda
a)Agenda items may be proposed by any member of the Assembly by submitting them to the chair of the Assembly in writing.
b)The agenda for each meeting will be published and distributed to the faculty at least three working days before the meeting.
Section 4. Minutes
Minutes shall be published and distributed to the entire faculty within four working days after approval by the Assembly.
Section 5. Voting
a)Voting on all questions shall be by hand count except for the following:
1)a roll-call vote is requested, or
2) a secret ballot is authorized by invoking subsection c) below. Voting shall not be by secret ballot except as provided for in these Bylaws, as in Article IX, Section 5 and in b) and c) below. Counting of votes may be done by machine, if the house wishes.
b) All votes concerning the recommendation or appointment of personnel to councils and committees of the Assembly shall be decided by secret ballot.
c) A secret ballot on any other matter before the Assembly may be requested by any member of the Assembly. Upon request, the chair shall poll the Assembly by a hand count. If a majority of those voting agree, the vote shall be secret. A positive vote will disallow a roll-call vote as an option.
ARTICLE XII
COUNCILS OF THE ASSEMBLY
Section 1. Responsibilities
The councils of the Assembly are advisory groups which report to the Assembly. Such reports shall be made at least once during each semester unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws. Each council, with opportunity for review by the Assembly, is empowered to appoint ad hoc committees whose duties and responsibilities shall be described by the individual councils. The primary duty of the councils is to perform the functions delegated to them severally as hereinafter specified.
Section 2. Standing Councils
The standing councils shall be:
Academic Policies Council (see Article XIV)
Priorities and Planning Council (see Article XXII)
Personnel Policies Council (see Article XXI)
Assembly Executive Board (see Article XVI)
General Education Council (see Article XVII)
Information Technology Council (see Article XVIII)
Graduate Council (see Article XIX)
Library Council (see Article XX)
Admissions and Student Services Council (see Article XV)
Undergraduate Curriculum Council (see Article XXIII)
Academic Outreach Council (see Article XXIV)
Section 3. Ad Hoc Committees
Subject to the approval of the Assembly, the chair of the Assembly may, from time to time, appoint ad hoc committees to report to the Assembly on special matters not covered by existing councils.
Section 4. Composition of Membership
The membership of the councils, except as otherwise provided, shall be composed as follows:
a)Ex-Officio and other Non-Voting Members
One or more ex-officio or other non-voting members as described hereinafter. All ex-officio, liaison, honorary or other non-faculty shall be eligible to participate fully in any council or committee, except for the right to cast a vote.
b)Assembly Members
Three assembly members shall be elected by the Assembly for two-year staggered terms. A council member from the Assembly may serve for one year beyond the council member’s Assembly term. The Assembly member so serving shall then be considered as a member-at-large in accordance with the following section. The election of these council members shall precede the election of non-Assembly members.
c)Non-Assembly Members
1) The Faculty Assembly shall elect for two-year staggered terms four members from the General Faculty who shall meet the eligibility requirements for Assembly membership in accordance with Article VIII, Section 1. The Faculty Assembly may elect to fill one of these positions with a member of the Professional Staff Group (NTP) who meets the eligibility requirements, provided no other member of the Professional Staff Group serves on the council. If a non-Assembly member serving a two-year term on a council is elected to the Assembly at the end of one year, this individual must resign from the council. This individual may stand for election to that council or any other council as an Assembly member. At the annual spring elections, the Personnel Policies Council shall canvass department members as to their council preference.
2) At any given time only one member of an academic department or the Administrative Group or the Professional Staff Group may serve on any given council with the exception of the Faculty Advisory Council to the president and excepting ex-officio members.
Section 5. Selection of Members
At its first meeting the Assembly shall elect by secret ballot the members of the councils. No assembly member shall serve on more than two councils concurrently. If for any reason a council member fails to serve, the council chair, after consultation with its members, shall, on a majority vote of its members, request the election of a replacement.
Section 6. Meetings
Within three weeks after the first meeting of the new Assembly, the councils shall organize. They shall meet at least once a month during the academic year from October 1 to May 31. Any two members of a council may call a meeting of a council by announcement to the chair of the council.
Section 7. Reports to President
If a council of the Assembly shall be called upon by the president of the College to perform special tasks, the council shall report its findings and conclusions to the president and the Assembly concurrently. No such council shall have the power to act for the Assembly in approving or disapproving policies. Neither shall it make public elsewhere its findings or conclusions prior to reporting to the Assembly. The chair of the Faculty Assembly shall, whenever appropriate, offer the services of the Assembly councils to the president of the College.
ARTICLE XIII
STUDENT PARTICIPATION
Section 1. Student Representation in the Faculty Assembly/Faculty Representation in the Student Association Senate.
a)There shall be reciprocity of representation in the Faculty Assembly and meetings of the Student Association.
b) The student body of this College shall be entitled to four representatives on the Faculty Assembly who shall serve with full rights and responsibilities. These representatives shall be selected by the Student Association from currently enrolled students who have attended this College for at least one year. The Student Association shall be responsible for the selection of these representatives and the alternate for each representative.
c) There shall be three faculty and/or Professional Staff representatives on the Student Association who shall serve with full voting rights. These representatives shall be elected by the Faculty Assembly from the voting faculty of this College
Section 2. Student Representation on councils of the Faculty Assembly/Faculty Representation on Standing Committees of the Student Association
a) There shall be one student representative on each of the following councils of the Faculty Assembly. These students shall serve with full rights and responsibilities, and they shall be elected by the Student Association. The student who serves on the Graduate Council shall be a graduate student.
Academic Outreach Council
Academic Policies Council
Admissions and Student Services Council
General Education Council
Graduate Council
Information Technology Council
Library Council
b) There shall be one faculty representative on each standing committee of the Student Association. These faculty members shall serve with full rights and responsibilities, and they shall be elected by the Faculty Assembly. At its option, the Faculty Assembly may choose to elect as its representatives individuals from the Professional Staff Group (NTP) or from the staff with management confidential classification.
ARTICLE XIV
ACADEMIC POLICIES COUNCIL
Section 1. Ex-Officio Member
The Vice President for Academic Affairs
Section 2. Function
a) The Academic Policies Council shall be concerned with long-range planning, organization and evaluation of all academic aspects of the College’s undergraduate program, and shall recommend changes in such programs to the Assembly.
b) A representative of the Academic Policies Council shall sit on the Academic Planning Committee of the Assembly Executive Board.
ARTICLE XV
ADMISSIONS AND STUDENT SERVICES COUNCIL
Section 1. Ex-Officio Members
The Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, the Dean of Student Affairs, the Director of the Office of Learning Services, and the Coordinator of Accessibility Resource Services.
Section 2. Functions
a)The council shall recommend policy to the Assembly as it relates to the admission of undergraduate students to the College.
b) The council shall recommend policy to the Assembly on all matters pertaining to the welfare of students not directly concerned with classroom instruction, faculty research, or the public service function of the College.
c) Representatives from the Admissions and Student Services Council and the Information Technology Council shall meet at least once per semester, or more often as needed, to review the status of the work of these respective councils.
ARTICLE XVI
ASSEMBLY EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. Membership
a)Ex-officio members will be the President and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
b) The voting members of the Assembly Executive Board shall include the chair of the Faculty Assembly and standing council and committee chairs or representatives, and the faculty senator, and the campus United University Professions (UUP) representative or designee.
c) The chair of the Assembly at the chair’s discretion may invite chairs of ad-hoc committees and task forces to attend meetings as the business of the Assembly requires.
d)The Assembly Executive Board shall be chaired by the chair of the Faculty Assembly.
e) Representatives to the Assembly Executive Board from Academic Policies Council, Graduate Council, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, General Education Board, and the Priorities and Planning Council shall constitute the Academic Planning Committee of the Assembly Executive Board.
Section 2. Functions
a) The Assembly Executive Board shall be concerned with organizing, directing, and promoting the business of the Faculty Assembly in an efficient and timely manner. This board shall advise the chair of the Assembly on matters of faculty governance and relations with the administration, and on matters concerning the implementation of initiatives and programs.
b) The Assembly Executive Board shall provide coordination for the work of the councils of the Assembly and shall consult regularly with the administration on matters that relate to the activities of the councils. The Assembly Executive Board shall instruct representatives of councils to meet as the need arises.
c) The Assembly Executive Board shall act as an agent of the Assembly during recess periods when timely action is necessary. Action taken under these circumstances shall be reported to the Assembly in a timely manner.
d)The Assembly Executive Board shall make reports to the Assembly.
e)The Assembly Executive Board shall consult on college-wide issues with the administration.
f) The Academic Planning Committee of the Executive Board shall review actions of its councils and report to the Executive Board and, when appropriate, to the Assembly as a whole.
Section 3. Meetings
a)The Assembly Executive Board shall meet at least once per month from September to May 31.
b)Special sessions of the Assembly Executive Board may be called by the chair of the Assembly at any time of the year.
c)The Academic Planning Committee of the Executive Board shall communicate before each regular meeting of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE XVII
THE GENERAL EDUCATION COUNCIL
Section 1. Membership
a)Nonvoting members are the Director of General Education and a member of the administration designated by the president.
b) The Faculty Assembly shall elect seven voting faculty members with staggered three-year terms. Three shall be elected from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, one from each of the following three groups: (1) Humanities, (2) Social and Behavioral Sciences, and (3) Natural Sciences, Computer Science and Mathematics. One shall be elected from the School of Education. One shall be elected from the School of Business. One shall be elected from the School of Communication, Media and the Arts. One shall be elected from the Library.
Section 2. Functions
a)The General Education Council shall be responsible for all reviews and revision proposals of the General Education Program.
b) The General Education Council shall review and approve courses and proposals for general education credit, and monitor the General Education Program.
c) The General Education Council shall, upon request of the president or the president’s designee, review the performance of the Director of the General Education Program and make recommendations to the president or the president’s designee.
d) Upon request of the Provost, the General Education Council shall oversee the selection and review of campus candidates for the position of Director of General Education and make recommendations to the provost for this position.
e) One member of the General Education Council must report the activities of the council at every meeting of the Faculty Assembly.
ARTICLE XVIII
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL
Section 1. Ex-Officio Members
Chief Technology Officer, designee from the instructional technologies division of Campus Technology Services, and the chair or designee of the Campus Technology Advisory Board (CTAB).
Section 2. Functions
a) The council shall promote initiatives to develop the College’s computer and telecommunications systems. It shall raise questions and recommend solutions on matters concerning information technology, access, and efficiency.
b) The council shall make recommendations regarding the operations of computing, networking, and telecommunication services, the awarding of Student Computing Access Program (SCAP) grants, and the issues considered by the Campus Technology Advisory Board (CTAB).
c) The council shall help faculty stay informed about campus information and instructional technology constituents by making sure that information about the personnel, membership, and operating procedures of these constituents is easily accessible. These constituents shall include but are not limited to Campus Technology Services, Information Technology Council (ITC), Student Computing Access Program (SCAP), and Campus Technology Advisory Board (CTAB).
d) Representatives from the Admissions and Student Services Council and the Information Technology Council shall meet at least once per semester, or more often as needed, to review the status of the work of these respective councils. ITC shall address information technology issues raised by these other councils in support of their constituents.
ARTICLE XIX
GRADUATE COUNCIL
Section 1. Ex-Officio Member
The Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.
Section 2. Eligibility
The members of the Graduate Council shall be elected from members of the graduate faculty.
Section 3. Functions
a) The Graduate Council shall concern itself with policies on admission, academic regulations, curriculum, and all other matters pertaining to the graduate program of the College.
b)A representative of the Graduate Council shall sit on the Academic Planning Committee of the Assembly Executive Board.
ARTICLE XX
LIBRARY COUNCIL
Section 1. Ex-Officio Members
The Director of Libraries and the Chief Technology Officer, or their designees.
Section 2. Functions
a) The council shall recommend library policy to the Faculty Assembly on all matters concerning the library and its instructional technology resources development.
b) Representatives from the Library Council; the Admissions and Student Services Council; and the Information Technology Council shall meet at least once per semester, or more often as needed, to review the status of the work of these respective councils.
ARTICLE XXI
PERSONNEL POLICIES COUNCIL
Section 1. Chair
The vice-chair of the Assembly shall serve as chair of the Personnel Policies Council and shall hold one of the three seats reserved for Faculty Assembly members.
Section 2. Non-voting Member
A non-voting representative selected by the agent chosen by the employees serving in positions in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit shall serve as an ex-officio member.
Section 3. Functions
The Personnel Policies Council shall:
a) Set up and publish rules for the conduct of elections and shall supervise elections, reporting results to the Assembly, including certification of amendments to these Bylaws.
b) At the time of the spring election, the Personnel Policies Council shall prepare from its canvass a slate of council nominees for presentation to the Faculty Assembly for consideration at its first meeting the following fall. These slates shall recognize the need for appropriate expertise on each council. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.
c) Develop and recommend criteria and procedures for promotions, discretionary increases, and continuing appointment; and set up procedures for consultation with faculty on: (1) appointment of staff to academic rank, (2) selection and reappointment of department chairs, (3) appointment of academic officers such as vice president for academic services, academic deans and others with similar responsibilities. Such procedures shall be approved by the Assembly and made part of an appendix to these Bylaws. (Pursuant to Article X, Section 5b of the Policies of the Board of Trustees: Provisions of bylaws concerning consultation with the faculty shall be subject to the approval of the chief administrative officer of the College.)
d) Be responsible for receiving and raising questions and recommending solutions about matters concerning academic administrative evaluations and appointments.
e) Be the standing council for initial consultation regarding interim academic administrative appointments in addition to consultation with the appropriate academic unit.
f)Be responsible to the Assembly on faculty personnel matters not covered by other councils of the Assembly and the Agreement.
ARTICLE XXII
PRIORITIES AND PLANNING COUNCIL
Section 1. Membership
a)Non-Voting Members
•The Vice President for Academic Affairs
•The Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
•The Vice President for University Development
•The chair of Faculty Assembly
b) The Faculty Assembly shall elect eight voting faculty members with staggered three-year terms. Three shall be elected from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, one from each of the following three groups: (1) Humanities, (2) Social and Behavioral Sciences, and (3) Natural Sciences, Computer Science and Mathematics. Two shall be elected from different departments in the School of Education. One shall be elected from the School of Business. One shall be elected from the School of Communication, Media and the Arts. One shall be elected from the Library.
The Faculty Assembly shall elect one member from the Professional Staff Group.
Section 2. Functions
The Priorities and Planning Council shall:
a) Be concerned with all long-range academic program planning, including budget, enrollment, and infrastructure, in light of strategic planning.
b)Work to resolve difficulties between academic units and promote shared initiatives, including interdisciplinary programs.
c)Be responsible for consultation on budgetary and enrollment matters relating to program implementation.
d) Consult fully with departments, the School of Business, School of Education, and the College of Arts and Sciences, the Division of Graduate Studies, and the Division of Continuing Education, either on its own initiative or when requested by a department, a school or college, or division, or the Assembly.
e) Raise questions, evaluate issues, and recommend solutions concerning budget, resources, and enrollment prioritization and planning.
f) One member of the Priorities and Planning Council must report the activities of the council at every meeting of the Faculty Assembly.
ARTICLE XXIII
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COUNCIL
Section 1. Membership
a)Nonvoting member is the Registrar.
b) The Faculty Assembly shall elect eight voting faculty members with staggered two-year terms. Three shall be elected from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, one from each of the following three groups: (1) Humanities, (2) Social and Behavioral Sciences, and (3) Natural Sciences, Computer Science and Mathematics. Two shall be elected from different departments in the School of Education. One shall be elected from the School of Business. One shall be elected from the School of Communication, Media and the Arts. One shall be elected from the Library.
Section 2. Functions
a) At the beginning of each academic year the council shall make recommendations regarding course approval procedures and formats for approval by the Assembly.
b) The council shall be responsible for reviewing, in a timely manner, all undergraduate course proposals and recommending courses for Assembly approval.
c)The council shall review each proposed course in light of its:
1)consistency with the College’s mission and academic standards;
2)consistency with the mission and academic expectations of the sponsoring school or college;
3)appropriateness to the sponsoring department;
4)utilization of library and information resources; and
5)possible redundancy with existing courses.
d) One member of the Undergraduate Curriculum Council must report the activities of the council at every meeting of the Faculty Assembly.
e)The council, in conjunction with the administration, shall:
1) ensure that approved courses conform to the format approved by the Assembly and meet all requirements for accreditation and the College’s undergraduate catalog;
2)maintain an electronically-accessible database that tracks course proposals through the approval process; and
3)maintain a central campus archive of approved courses and documentation associated with those courses.
Section 4. Reports
In addition to timely reports to the Assembly, the council shall establish its calendar for the academic year, including deadlines for submissions of courses, and submit this to the Assembly within the first eight weeks of the fall semester.
ARTICLE XXIV
ACADEMIC OUTREACH COUNCIL
Section 1. Ex-Officio Members
The Dean of Extended Learning, the Coordinator for Summer Sessions, the Dean of Graduate Studies, the Director of the Center for Business and Community Programs, and the Registrar.
Section 2. Functions
a)The council shall promote initiatives to develop programs in Continuing Education, Distance Learning, and related areas.
b)The council shall raise questions and recommend solutions on matters concerning all aspects of academic outreach.
ARTICLE XXV
PERMANENT RECORDS
Section 1. Definition
The permanent records of the Assembly shall include the minutes of all regular and special meetings, correspondence of the Assembly, and such other records as the Assembly shall vote to include in the permanent records.
Section 2. Storage
At the end of each year, the recorder shall place three copies of the permanent records of the Assembly in the custody of the Director of Libraries as part of the permanent records of the Assembly. One copy shall be designated as an archive copy and the other two shall be available for inspection and research.
ARTICLE XXVI
AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS
Section 1. Proposal
Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by any member of the faculty in writing to the Personnel Policies Council, which shall report to the Assembly. Upon favorable action by a two-thirds majority of the total membership of the Assembly, or if a petition for such amendment is presented to the chair of the Faculty Assembly signed by 20% of the voting faculty, they shall be presented at the next General Faculty meeting for adoption or rejection without amendment from the floor.
Section 2. Failure to Vote
a) If the Assembly fails to adopt or reject a proposed amendment within five regular meetings, then such amendment shall be submitted to the next regular meeting of the General Faculty.
b) If the faculty fails to act upon a proposed amendment when it is presented to it in compliance with Section 1 above, the said amendment, without change, shall be placed on the agenda of subsequent General Faculty meetings until adopted or rejected.
Section 3. Adoption
The adoption of amendments to these Bylaws shall require the affirmative action of a majority of the voting faculty present and voting at a meeting duly called for that purpose. All amendments shall be distributed to the voting faculty in writing at least two weeks prior to the meeting called to discuss them.