Constitution of the Faculty Senate

The Constitution of the Faculty Senate determines the selection and composition of the Senate, its organization, and rules, and procedures for amending the Constitution. The full text of the Constitution follows.

Article I

Composition and Selection

Section 1.

The Faculty Senate shall be composed of elected members of the teaching/research faculty, Department Chairs and School Directors and university libraries as described under (a), (b), and (c), below, and ex officio members as described under (d) and (e), below.

  1. All employees who have teaching/research/library responsibilities of 50% or more and .5 FTE or greater will be eligible for membership in the Faculty Senate, including: temporary faculty, probationary faculty, tenured faculty, contingent unclassified professionals, provisional unclassified professionals, and regular unclassified professionals. These employees all have the e-class designation of FA or F2. Eligible members of the faculty also serve as the electorate.

    Administrators are ineligible for the Faculty Senate electorate. Administrators include those persons holding the title of President, Provost and Senior Vice President, Vice President, Associate Vice President, Assistant Vice President, Dean, Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, and Directors of all non-academic programs including, but not limited to, the Director of the Computer Center, Director of the Office of Institutional Research, Director of Physical Plant, the Registrar, and Director of Cooperative Education.

  2. For purposes of representation, faculty senators shall be allotted on the basis of a proportional system, with one senator for every twelve faculty members, rounded up to the nearest integer. It is the responsibility of the Senate Rules Committee to determine the number of representatives from each area prior to the elections. Senators will be elected from the following areas: the W. Frank Barton School of Business; the Colleges of Applied Studies, Engineering, Fine Arts, and Health Professions; Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the University Libraries. Each area will determine the distribution of its representation on the basis of subdivisions or departments.
  3. Four faculty senators will be elected at-large, but not more than two from any one Faculty Senate division. The nine Faculty Senate Divisions are the Barton School of Business; the Colleges of Applied Studies, Engineering, Fine Arts, and Health Professions; the divisions of Humanities, Math/Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the University Libraries. The Faculty Senate President and Past President also serve as at-large senators.
  4. The President of the University, the Provost and Senior Vice President, and the President of the Student Government Association are ex officio, non-voting members of the Faculty Senate.
  5. Upon assuming office, the President of the Senate begins a two-year term as an at-large senator. If the President's previous elected term has not expired it will be filled by election.

Section 2.

Elections shall be held annually to replace approximately one-half the membership of the Senate. The Senate also will elect two at-large members each year.

Section 3.

Regular election to the Senate shall be for a term of two years. Senators are eligible for re- election.

Section 4.

During the spring semester of each academic year, the Vice President of the Senate shall circulate to each eligible faculty member a list of those ineligible for Senate election by reason of continuing Senate membership and solicit nominations for senators at-large. The Vice President will conduct an election to fill the senator at-large positions.

Section 5.

Each year, subsequent to the at-large election described in Section 4, the Vice President will distribute to the members of each area mentioned in Article I, Section I, paragraph (b), a list of its members ineligible for Senate election by reason of continuing Senate membership or election as senator at-large. Nominations for senator from each area will be solicited and the Vice President will disseminate ballots to the appropriate faculty members. The Vice President will determine the need for run-off elections.

Section 6.

Senate members elected in the spring semester shall take office June 1, but shall meet in May for the purpose of electing Senate officers for the forthcoming academic year.

Section 7.

Senate members whose term is expiring in May shall not participate in electing Senate officers for the forthcoming academic year.

Section 8.

Vacancies on the Senate shall be filled by vote of the Senate for unexpired terms with the provision that the selected member shall be of the appropriate division.

Section 9. A senator who leaves the area from which he or she was elected will be considered to have resigned. However, the term may be completed if the change occurs during the spring semester of the last year of the member's term.

Section 10.

The Executive Committee of the Senate has the responsibility of consulting with any senator who has a record of poor attendance at Senate meetings. After consultation with the senator, the senator may choose to resign, or the Executive Committee may recommend to the Senate dismissal of the senator. A two-thirds vote of the members present at the Faculty Senate meeting is required for dismissal.

Article II

Organization of the Senate

Section 1.

The Senate shall elect its own President-elect, Vice President, and Secretary from among its membership. Following service as President-elect, that officer becomes President of the Senate. In the year after serving as President, that officer becomes Past President. The duties of these positions are identified in the Senate Rules.

Section 2.

Meetings generally shall be held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month during the fall and spring semester. The time and place shall be set by the Executive Committee.

Section 3

The Senate shall determine its own rules.

Article III

Authority of the Senate

Section 1.

The President of the Senate will consult with the President of the University regarding the scheduling of General Faculty Meetings. Matters that shall be submitted to the General Faculty for ratification include fundamental principles of academic policy, substantive issues associated with faculty welfare, and significant changes in the governmental structure or organization of the faculty.

Section 2.

The Senate may deliberate and take action on all matters related to the faculty.

Section 3.

The Standing Committees shall report in the manner specified by the Faculty Senate Rules.

Section 4.

The Senate shall create and delete faculty standing committees and shall select their membership.

Section 5.

Action of the Faculty Senate is final, unless twelve or more faculty members, representing at least three departments and two college/school/University Libraries, request the Executive Committee to place a topic on the agenda for the next General Faculty Meeting. Such requests must be filed at least twenty-one days in advance of the scheduled meeting.

Article IV

Amendments

Section 1.

An amendment to the Constitution may be introduced to the Senate by any faculty member. In order for the amendment to be placed by the Executive Committee on the Senate agenda for one of the next two meetings, it must have the support of no fewer than twelve faculty members, representing at least three departments and two college/school/University Libraries.

Section 2.

If the amendment was proposed by a member of the Senate or by a Senate committee, a negative Senate vote is final. If, however, the amendment was proposed by no fewer than twelve faculty members, representing at least three departments and two college/school/University Libraries, the proposed amendment together with the Senate recommendation shall be placed on the agenda of the next General Faculty Meeting.

Article V

Senate Committee Structure

Much of the work of the Senate is done through its committees. In addition to the Senate's standing committees, ad hoc committees may be formed to address major issues arising at the University. The composition, selection procedures, and charges of each standing committee are listed in the Faculty Senate Rules on the Faculty Senate website and are subject to modification by recommendation of the Rules Committee and majority vote of the Faculty Senate.

The nine Faculty Senate Divisions are the W. Frank Barton School of Business; the Colleges of Applied Studies, Engineering, Fine Arts, and Health Professions; the divisions of Humanities, Math/Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the University Libraries.

Revision Dates

  1. April 29, 2019: Approved by Faculty Senate 4.22.19; approved by General Faculty 4.29.19
  2. January 27, 2017: Approved by Faculty Senate 11.28.16