Section l. Regular Meetings
The Senate shall hold regular meetings each month of
the academic year from September through May, except
January. The first regular meeting of each new Senate
session shall be held in May. A written schedule of all
regular meetings shall be sent by the Secretary to the
members of the Senate at the beginning of each academic
year.
Section 2. Special Meetings
The Senate may meet in special session at the direction
of the Senate's president, on the order of the
Senate or its Executive Committee, or on the written
request of six senators. Written notice of such special
meetings shall be sent to the members by the secretary
as far in advance as is feasible.
Section 3. Quorum
A majority of the membership of the Senate shall constitute
a quorum for the transaction of the business of the Senate.
Section 4. Agenda
The agenda of a regular meeting shall include items
proposed by the Executive Committee and by any member
of the Senate if the proposed item is submitted in writing
to the secretary at least five days before the meeting.
The person or persons calling a special meeting shall
determine the agenda of that meeting. The secretary shall
send the agenda to members at least three days before
the meeting. By a two-thirds vote of members present
at a duly convened meeting, items not timely placed on
the agenda, or items which arise as new business after
the meeting has been called to order, may be considered
at either a regular or special meeting.
Section 5. Conduct of Business
(a) Robert's Rules of Order shall inform
the conduct of Senate business.(b) The Senate may act
by a majority vote of the members present at a duly-convened
meeting unless the Constitution or these Bylaws provide
otherwise.
(c) The president shall preside at meetings of the Senate.
In the absence of the president , the president-elect
shall preside. In the absence of both the president and
president-elect, the members present at a duly-convened
meeting shall elect from the members of the Executive
Committee a chairperson to preside.
Section 6. Records and Reports
A set of minutes of each meeting shall be kept by the
secretary and copies sent to the president of the University,
the provost, and the deans of the Schools of the University.
The secretary shall provide the members of the General
Faculty at the opening of each regular semester a written
report of all business transacted by the Senate since
the last report.
Section 7. Guests
Members of the General Faculty, members of the Student
Senate, and any person invited by the president of the
Senate or by the Senate may attend all meetings of the
Senate; such guests shall have the privilege of the floor
by acknowledgment of the chair or by majority vote but
shall not have the right to propose motions or to vote.
The Senate may conduct an executive session limited to
its membership.
Section l. Executive Committee
(a) There shall be an Executive Committee comprised
of the president (who serves as its chair), the
president-elect, and the immediate past-president.
In addition, the secretary and four or
more senators will be elected by the Senate to
serve on the Executive Committee. An effort will
be made to provide representation on the Executive
Committee for all Schools and their electoral
units. All members of the Senate are eligible
for election to the Executive Committee.
(b) At the first meeting of each session the
Senate shall elect the members of the Executive
Committee who are to be selected from the Senate.
The choices will come from among candidates nominated
by the Committee on Committees; additional nominations
may be made from the floor provided that those
nominees have agreed to serve if elected.
(c) As soon as is feasible, the Senate shall
elect a member to fill any vacancy on the Executive
Committee from among candidates nominated by
the remaining members of the Executive Committee.
A member so elected shall serve for the unexpired
term of the person replaced.
(e) The Executive Committee shall exercise all
functions granted to it by Article III of the
Constitution. In particular the Committee shall:
(i) Represent the Senate to the University
Administration between Senate meetings;
(ii) Act for the Senate between academic
semesters;
(iii) Review annually the necessity of
continuing various standing committees
and propose to the Senate the abolition
of unnecessary standing committees;
(iv) Monitor the Faculty Handbook and
the Policy Manual and from time to time
appoint a special committee to revise the
Faculty Handbook;
(v) Conduct all General Faculty elections.
(vi) Nominate members of the Committee
on Committees in a timely manner so that
they can be elected at the first meeting
of each new session of the Senate.
(f) The secretary shall keep a full set of minutes
of each Executive Committee meeting and in a
timely manner shall provide senators with copies
of such minutes as have been approved by the
Committee. The Executive Committee shall report
to the Senate at each regular Senate meeting
on the subjects and general content of its discussions,
on any action taken in the name of the Senate,
and on any action the Committee proposes to be
taken by the Senate. The Senate shall have an
opportunity to question and to advise the committee
about the Committee's discussions and to
confirm, alter, or void any actions taken by
the Committee acting for the Senate.
g) The terms of members of the Executive Committee
shall be for one year and normally begin upon
the election of senators to the Committee at
the first meeting of a new session of the Senate,
shall be for one year, and shall end at such
time as their successors are elected. No person
shall serve more than six consecutive one-year
terms on the Executive Committee.
Section 2. The Standing Committees and Subcommittees
(a) The standing committees of the Faculty Senate
are the:
Academic Policies Committee and its standing
subcommittees on Admissions and Financial
Aid, Libraries, and the Academic Calendar
of the University;
All-University Finance Committee and its
standing Subcommittees on Faculty Benefits
and the Economic Status of the Faculty;
Athletics Policies Committee;
Committee on Committees;
Faculty Ethics and Tenure Committee;
Honorary Degrees Committee;
Student Policies Committee;
Information Technology Committee.
(b) The charges to these committees and subcommittees
shall be adopted and, as necessary, revised by
the Senate.
(c) The Senate shall elect members of each committee.
Any full-time faculty member is eligible for
membership subject to the following restrictions:
(i) No more than three members shall be
from the same School;
(ii) No faculty member may be elected
to serve on more than one standing committee,
except in the case of members of the Senate;
in the latter case, an exception may be
made only when every senator is already
a member of a standing committee or of
another University-wide committee, and
then only when the position to be filled
has to be filled by a senator.
(iii) Ordinarily, no faculty member may
serve while on leave from the University;
(iv) Ordinarily, no faculty member may
serve for more than six consecutive years
on the same committee or subcommittee.
(v) The Senate shall elect new members
and chairs of its committees and subcommittees
from among those nominees provided by the
relevant nominating body or persons nominated
from the floor; the latter must have agreed,
prior to the meeting of the Senate in which
the elections take place, to serve if elected.
(d) The president of the Senate shall name at
least one member to each of the standing committees
from the members of the Executive Committee.
These members shall be voting, ex officio members
and are in addition to the numbers of committee
members provided for in the following sections.
(e) The Senate shall elect a chairperson, to
serve for a term of one year, from among the
members of each standing committee and each standing
subcommittee. Normally, the chair of each standing
committee shall be a senator; subcommittee chairs
need not be senators.
(f) The terms of new chair and new members shall
start immediately upon election; the terms of
the retiring chair and retiring members shall
end when a successor to the chair and new members
have been elected.
(g) The term of a committee or subcommittee
member shall not end only because that member
retires from full-time faculty status during
the elective term.
(h) Retired faculty may be elected as additional,
nonvoting members of standing committees or subcommittees,
but may not chair those bodies.
Section 3. The Academic Policies Committee
(a) This Committee represents the General Faculty
in all academic matters. In accord with Article
V, Section 2 of the Senate Constitution, the
Committee shall
"monitor the general education curriculum,
interdisciplinary academic programs, university
libraries, university research subventions, university
support for scholarly publications, and the activities
of non-school academic institutes and programs" and
shall "establish the academic calendar of
the University." In addition, in accord
with that same Article V, Section 2, the Committee
shall "assist in formulating and enforcing
general admissions requirements to the undergraduate
programs."
(b) The Committee shall be responsible for certain
subcommittees, including the standing subcommittees
listed below as well as others that may be created
as needed. The chairs of these subcommittees
shall be members of the Committee but other subcommittee
members need not be. The standing subcommittees
are:
(i) Subcommittee on Libraries; nine or
more members to serve staggered terms of
three years. One member should come from
each School other than Dedman College and
one from each electoral unit within Dedman
College.
(ii) Subcommittee on Admissions and Financial
Aid, three or more members to serve staggered
terms of three years; members of the Subcommittee
shall also be the Senate's nominees
to the University Admissions Council, and
the chair of the Subcommittee shall normally
serve as chair of that Council;
(iii) Subcommittee on the Academic Calendar
of the University, three or more members
to serve staggered terms of three years;
(c) The committee shall consist of nine members.
In addition, the Council on General Education
(or its successor) shall select annually one
of its fellows to serve as an ex officio member
of this committee.
(d) Members shall be elected for staggered terms
of three years.
Section 4. All-University Finance Committee
(a) This Committee shall represent the faculty
to the University Administration in all matters
concerning the financial status of the University
and, in addition, this Committee shall also serve
as an oversight committee on all financial matters
affecting the General Faculty.(b) This Committee
shall be responsible for subcommittees concerned
with financial affairs, including those listed
here below as well as others that may be subsequently
created. The chairs of these subcommittees shall
be members of the Committee but other subcommittee
members need not be. The standing subcommittees
are:
(i) Subcommittee on Faculty Benefits;
three or more members to serve staggered
terms of three years; members of this Subcommittee
shall also be the Senate's nominees
to the University Benefits Council, and
the chair of the Subcommittee shall normally
serve as chair of that Council;
(ii) Subcommittee on the Economic Status
of the Faculty; three or more members to
serve staggered terms of three years.
(c) The Committee shall consist of nine members.
(d) Members shall be elected for staggered terms
of three years.
Section 5. Athletics Policies Committee
(a) In accord with Article V, Section 2 of the
Senate Constitution, the Athletics Policies Committee
shall review and recommend to the Senate policies
and standards pertaining to intercollegiate athletics;
to preparing and implementing the Athletic Department
budget; to selecting administrative personnel
and head coaches in the Athletic Department;
to controlling the eligibility of all participants
in athletics; to controlling the scheduling of
games; and to all other matters embraced within
the rules of those intercollegiate athletic organizations
of which the University is a member. The committee
shall discharge these duties in cooperation with
and, where appropriate, in coordination with
the All-University Finance Committee and the
Subcommittee on Admissions and Financial Aid.(b)
The committee shall consist of six members, who
shall also be the Senate's nominees to
the University Athletic Council.
(c) Members shall serve for staggered terms
of three years.
Section 6. Committee on Committees
(a) This Committee shall normally be responsible
for acting on behalf of the General Faculty to
provide nominees for president-elect, secretary,
the Executive Committee, the Senate Webmaster,
standing committees of the Senate (except the
Committee on Committees), subcommittees, special
committees, and other entities as well as for
diverse-constituency committees.(b) The Committee
shall recommend to the Executive Committee, for
its approval, nominations for the following positions:
(i) Chief Marshal; (ii) All-University Judiciary,
and other appointments involving the University
Administration.(c) Normally, the Committee shall
consist of the president, the president-elect,
one senator from each School other than Dedman
College, and one Senator from each electoral
unit within Dedman College. The secretary shall
assist the Committee by providing rosters of
current members of standing committees and subcommittees
and their service terms and a roster of full-time
faculty members.
(d) Members shall be elected for staggered terms
of three years at the first meeting of each new
session of the Senate.
Section 7. Faculty Ethics and Tenure Committee
(a) In accord with Article V, Section 2 of the
Senate Constitution, the Faculty Ethics and Tenure
Committee shall:
(i) Defend the exercise of academic freedom
throughout the University, investigate
any matter endangering such freedom, and
recommend remedies as these are warranted;(ii)
Recommend criteria and procedures for granting
and protecting academic rank and tenure,
investigate any matter endangering the
established rank or tenure of a faculty
member, and make appropriate recommendations
to the president of the University and
to the Board of Trustees;
(iii) Provide guidance concerning the
professional behavior of members of the
University faculties and making recommendations
for action to the president of the University
in instances where professional ethics
are found to have been violated.
(b) The Committee shall consist of one member
from each School other than Dedman College, and
one member from each electoral unit within Dedman
College.
(c) Members shall serve for staggered terms
of three years.
Section 8. Honorary Degrees Committee
(a) In accord with Article V, Section 2 of the
Senate Constitution, the Honorary Degrees Committee
shall recommend to the Senate candidates for
the Senate to nominate to the Board of Trustees
for Honorary Degrees.(b) The Committee shall
consist of nine members. There shall be at least
one member from each School. The president of
the Faculty Senate shall be an ex officio member.(c)
Members, other than the president of the Faculty
Senate, shall serve for staggered terms of three
years. The names of the chair and members of
this Committee will be held in confidence and
will not be published in the minutes of Senate
meetings, in the Committee's annual report,
or on the Senate web site.
(d) The recommendations and reports of the Committee
to the Executive Committee and to the Senate
will be presented during confidential executive
sessions.
Section 9. Student Policies Committee
(a) In accord with Article V, Section 2 of the
Senate Constitution, the Student Policies Committee
shall review and recommend policies to achieve
and maintain a high quality of intellectual life
for students at the University.(b) The Committee
shall consist of six members. In addition, the
Council on General Education (or its successor)
shall select annually one of its members to serve
as an ex officio member of this committee.
(c) Members shall serve for staggered terms
of three years.
Section 10. Information Technology Committee
(a) In accord with Article V, Section 2 of the
Senate Constitution, the Information Technology
Committee shall review and recommend to the Senate
policies concerning information technology, including
issues regarding systems and networks.(b) Members
of the Committee shall serve on all university-wide
information technology committees.(c) The Committee
shall represent the concerns of the Faculty with
regard to information technology to the University
Administration.(d) The Committee shall consist
of four or more members, in addition to both
the Director of Academic Computing, who shall
serve as an ex officio voting member, and the
Faculty Senate Webmaster.
(e) Members shall serve for staggered terms
of three years.
Section 11. Special Committees
The Senate may by resolution create any special
committees that it deems proper and assign to
such special committees appropriate powers, duties,
and terms of service. These special committees
may be known as ad hoc committees, task forces,
or by other appropriate names.
Section 12. Meetings and Quorum
Except as otherwise specifically provided, meetings
of any standing or special committee shall be
called by its chair or by the Executive Committee
of the Senate. A committee may invite any member
of the University community to attend its meetings
as guests or consultants. Committee meetings
shall, on majority vote of the committee, be
open to all faculty members. A majority of any
committee shall constitute a quorum.
Section 13. Replacements
Any faculty member elected by the Senate to
serve on a Senate committee who either resigns
or is on a leave of absence for more than one
semester shall be replaced for the remainder
of the committee or subcommittee term to which
the member was elected. The Committee on Committees,
or the Executive Committee in the case of vacancies
on the Committee on Committees, shall nominate
the replacement to the Senate.
Section 14. Relation to the Senate
(a) All Senate committees are responsible to
the Senate. The chair of each standing committee
and subcommittee shall maintain a written file
of that body's records, reports, data,
and other significant documents, and shall pass
these on to the succeeding chair. All committees
shall file reports of their meetings and attendance
with the secretary of the Senate. Each chair
of a committee or subcommittee shall report to
the Executive Committee any matter brought to
the committee or subcommittee by the Administration
or any matter relevant to the welfare of the
General Faculty.(b) Each standing committee and
subcommittee shall make regular reports to the
Senate. At the September meeting of the Senate,
the Executive Committee shall provide a tentative
agenda for these reports during the remainder
of the Senate term. This agenda will be posted
to the Senate web site and updated as needed.(c)
Special committees shall make reports as instructed
by the Senate.(d) The timing and subjects of
all committee reports to the Senate shall be
coordinated with the Executive Committee in time
for their inclusion on the agenda published ahead
of Senate meetings; this coordination shall ordinarily
include a preliminary oral or written report
to the Executive Committee.(e) Each report of
a committee or subcommittee to the Senate shall
be in writing, for distribution to members of
the Senate, except that:
(i) initial reports containing confidential
or time sensitive information, such as those
from the All-University Finance Committee,
may be given orally but shall be followed
by written summaries; and
(ii) reports of the Honorary Degrees Committee
shall be oral only; any accompanying written
materials will be shared with senators for
use in executive session only.
Section l. Responsibility
The Senate shall administer faculty
elections each spring for president-elect
and at-large senators and as necessary
to fill vacancies or unexpired terms
or for any other all-University body
that might request the Senate to conduct
its elections. This responsibility is
delegated to the Executive Committee
who shall see that the following procedures
are adhered to, including the replacement
for vacancies due to a faculty leave
of absence, resignation, retirement from
the University, or other reasons. The
Executive Committee has the responsibility
of determining when an election is required
and notifying electoral units to elect
a senator or to nominate a faculty member
for election of senators at-large.
Section 2. Elections and Nominations
by Electoral Units
(a) The faculty of each School shall
decide whether to elect its electoral
unit senators by vote of that faculty
group at-large or, alternatively, to
dedicate one or more of its electoral
unit Senate seats to two or more subdivisions
of the faculty of the School, except
as provided in (c) (i) below. The creation
of electoral subdivisions shall not affect
an electoral unit's total entitlement
to Senate representation.
(b) The faculty of each School may nominate
one person each year to run for election
to the Senate at-large, except that the
faculty of Dedman College may nominate
three persons; these nominations shall
be made by vote of the whole faculty
of the School, except that the faculty
of Dedman College may nominate by electoral
units.
(c) The faculty of each school, through
an appropriate official, shall inform
the secretary of the Senate as to:
(i) its choice to elect, or elect
and nominate, by vote of the whole
school faculty or by subdivisions,
and any subsequent changes in that
procedure, except that the faculty
of Dedman College shall continue
to elect its electoral unit senators
and nominate its at-large senatorial
candidates by electoral units and
the faculties of all other schools
shall continue to elect and nominate
by vote of the whole school faculty,
unless and until those faculties
report adoption of different methods
to the Senate;
(ii) the person or persons to
whom the Executive Committee should
give notice of vacancies and expiring
terms; and
(iii) the results of its senatorial
elections and nominations.
Section 3. University At-Large Elections
(a) President-elect: Nominations
for president-elect are made by a majority
of the Senate. Concurrently with the
elections of senators at-large, the Executive
Committee shall conduct the election
of the president-elect by a secure and
secret process. Election shall be by
majority of votes cast. In the event
no candidate receives a majority, a run-off
election shall be conducted between the
two candidates receiving the largest
number of votes.
(b) Senators at-large: Each electoral
unit shall be notified by the Executive
Committee of a forthcoming general election.
Each electoral unit may submit one nomination
for senator at-large, except that the
faculty of Dedman College may submit
three nominations. Nominations must be
received within a period to be specified
by the Executive Committee. The Executive
Committee shall then conduct an election
by a secure and secret process, and positions
shall be filled by persons receiving
the highest numbers of votes in the election.
A run-off election shall be held as needed
in the Senate in the event of a tied
vote for the last at-large position being
filled. In at-large elections, faculty
members shall vote for as many persons
as there are at-large positions to fill;
ballots showing votes for fewer or more
at-large candidates than there are positions
to fill shall be considered void.
Section 4. Replacement for a Vacancy
in an Unexpired Term
Any faculty member serving as a senator
or as a member of any other all-University
governing body for whom the Senate conducts
elections, who either resigns, or is
on a leave of absence for more than one
semester shall be replaced as follows:
(a) For a faculty member on a temporary
leave of absence of more than one semester
from the campus, the replacement shall
be for the period of the absence. In
this case, the replacement period may
not exceed the unexpired term of the
faculty member being replaced. If the
original faculty member was elected at-large
by the General Faculty, the replacement
shall be the previous runner-up if available
to serve; otherwise, the replacement
shall be elected by the Faculty Senate.
If the original faculty member was elected
to represent an electoral unit, the replacement
shall be elected by that unit. The original
faculty member shall resume membership
upon return to the campus and serve any
remaining unexpired portion of the term.
(b) For a faculty member who resigns
from the body or from the University
and who was elected at large by the General
Faculty, the replacement shall be for
the unexpired term. The replacement shall
be the runner-up in the at-large election
that chose the original member, if available
to serve; otherwise, the replacement
shall be elected by the Senate.
(c) For a faculty member who resigns
from the body or from the University
and who was elected by an electoral unit,
the replacement shall be for the unexpired
term. If the original faculty member
was elected to represent an electoral
unit, the replacement shall be elected
by the electoral unit that elected the
original member.
Section 1. Written Communications
Except as specified elsewhere in these Bylaws, all official communications
will be conveyed in written form, either on paper or through electronic media
(including web pages, emails, and faxes).
Section 2. Senate Webmaster and Senate Web Site
The Senate Webmaster, a faculty member elected for a one-year term, will be
responsible for maintaining, updating, and backing up the Faculty Senate web
pages in a timely manner. The Webmaster will be nominated by the Committee on
Committees; additional nominations may be made from the floor provided that
those nominees have agreed to accept. The Webmaster may not serve more than six
consecutive terms.
Amendments to the Bylaws of the Senate may be proposed by the Executive
Committee or by written notice to the Executive Committee signed by at least
three senators. The secretary of the Senate shall send the text of proposed
amendments and notification of the date of the Senate meeting at which they will
be presented to each member of the Senate not less than twenty days prior to the
date of the meeting. Amendments may be adopted only by action taken at a meeting
of the Senate by a vote of two-thirds of those voting.