Bylaws of the University Senate

Preamble

As a community of scholars and teachers, students, staff, and administrative officers, the University of Pittsburgh is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge, and to the cultivation of the skills and abilities that make human knowledge meaningful. In order to foster the public discussion and debate, and individual participation, requisite to fulfillment of any community's life and purpose, the University Board of Trustees has authorized the creation of the Senate.
 

Article I. The Senate

Section 1. Purpose

The Senate of the University of Pittsburgh is an official University body for shared governance. Through its various organs, it considers and makes recommendations concerning educational policies and other matters of University‑wide concern. The Senate shall foster discussion and maintain adequate communication channels among students, staff, faculty, administrative officers, and the Board of Trustees on all matters affecting the welfare of the University or its constituent members.
 

Section 2. Consultation

The University administrative officers shall consult the Senate, its officers, or its committees on any matter of University‑wide concern.
 

Section  3. Membership

The membership of the Senate shall consist of:
  • the Chancellor of the University;
  • all persons who hold full‑time academic appointments in the University of Pittsburgh or a degree-recommending unit with the titles of lecturer, senior lecturer, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor or professor;
  • all part‑time tenured faculty;
  • all persons who hold full‑time appointments at the University of Pittsburgh as faculty librarians;
  • the Deans;
  • eight other administrators who are members of Senate Council;
  • four additional administrators designated by the Chancellor;
  • student, postdoctoral and staff members of Senate Council and of Senate Standing Committees;
  • those part‑time untenured faculty who annually indicate to the Director, Office of the University Senate, their desire for membership and who, during each of the two academic years previous to the desired year of membership, have taught a minimum of 6 credits per year for remuneration;
  • those emeriti and retired faculty and librarians who were Senate members at the time of their retirement and who indicate to the Director,Office of the UniversitySenate, their desire to remain members; and
  • such other individuals as shall be elected by the Senate.

Section 4. Officers:

(a) Positions: The officers of the Senate shall be a President, a Vice President and a Secretary, all elected from the faculty members of the Senate who are eligible for membership in Faculty Assembly.
 
(b) Term of Office: Each Senate officer shall serve for a term of two years or until a successor has been elected. No person shall be eligible for more than two successive terms in any one office. Newly elected officers shall begin their terms on July 1. Election of the President and Vice President shall take place on odd numbered years and election of the Secretary shall take place on even numbered years.
 
(c) Removal:  Any officer may be removed by a two-thirds vote of members at a Faculty Assembly meeting and at a Senate Council meeting when the meeting notices or agendas state that removal of an officer will be proposed at the meetings.  The initial vote may be taken by either the Faculty Assembly or the Senate Council.  Following a successful vote for removal by the initiating body, no more than one meeting of the second body may elapse before its vote.
 
(d) Replacement:  In the event of the death, resignation, or removal of an officer, the Senate Council shall elect a replacement to serve until the next election. However, if the vacancy created is that of President, the Vice President shall become President and a new Vice President shall be elected by the Council.
 

Section 5. Plenary Sessions:

(a) Regular Plenary Sessions: At least one plenary session of the Senate shall be held during the Fall or Spring terms.  The date(s) of such session(s) shall be determined by the President of the Senate.
 
(b) Special Plenary Sessions:  Special sessions of the Senate may be called by its Executive Committee, by the Faculty Assembly, by the Senate Council, or by petition of 50 Senate members.
 
(c) Powers:  Sessions attended by no fewer than 200 Senate Members may pass resolutions that will constitute Senate policy, provided that these resolutions have been circulated with the call to the session at least one week prior to the date of the session,  or that they are amended versions of such circulated resolutions, differing only in ways that do not introduce substantively different subject areas. Plenary sessions are barred from reversing previous decisions of Senate Council on particular cases not covered by then‑existing Senate policies; however, the plenary sessions may discuss the particular cases and decisions made, and enunciate different policies to govern future cases.
 

Section 6.

Constituent Bodies: Faculty Assembly, Senate Council, and the Committees are the normal constituent bodies within the structure of the Senate, as described in detail in Articles II, III, and IV.
 

Section 7.

Responsibilities and Functions:
 
(a) Consultation: The University's administrative officers shall consult the Senate, either at a plenary session or via its officers or constituent bodies, before decisions are made or actions taken on matters of University‑wide concern. Consultation shall be characterized by
 
(1) a reasonable time for the Senate or its constituent bodies (or its officers, if there are unavoidable time constraints) to consider an issue or a proposal, and
 
(2) a serious attempt to reach consensus on issues or to set up a mechanism for resolving differences if a consensus cannot be reached. The University administrators shall inform the Senate and/or its officers as soon as reasonable of any actions thereafter taken on matters brought for consultation.
 
(b) Recommendations: The Senate shall make recommendations to the Chancellor of the University, or to other appropriate University officers, on various aspects of University policies including: education; tenure; academic freedom; student affairs; physical plant (including expansions); substantive and procedural budgetary matters; health and welfare of the faculty, students, and staff; athletics; admissions; nondiscrimination; creation, termination, or merger of schools or major academic divisions; creation or termination of major administrative units; the University‑wide mission and Plan; and other matters of University‑wide concern. The Chancellor shall inform the Senate of action on such recommendations in a reasonably expedient manner.
 
(c) Search Committees:  The  Senate  shall  participate in the selection  and  functioning of search committees in accordance with the University policy on search committees.
 

Article II. Faculty Assembly

Section 1. Purpose:  

The Faculty Assembly is a forum of elected representatives of the eligible faculty, where discussion of any matters of faculty concern can lead to expression of a faculty position. It is the principal avenue for broad faculty participation in University governance.
 

Section 2. Composition:

The Faculty Assembly shall consist of directly elected and ex officio voting members:
 
(a) Directly Elected Members from the four major components of the University: 
 
(1) School of Arts and Sciences:  at least fifteen members, with a minimum of five elected faculty members from each of the three divisions (units) -- Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences; 
 
(2) Professional Schools (non-health): at least sixteen members with a minimum of two elected faculty members from each professional school (unit) and the University Library System (unit); 
 
(3) Health Sciences: at least twenty-one  members, with a minimum of two elected faculty members from each school (unit) of the Health Sciences and the Health Sciences Library System (unit) except for the School of Medicine (unit) which shall have 9 members; 
 
(4) Regional Campuses: at least eight members with a minimum of two elected faculty members from each regional campus (unit); 
 
(5) Should the number of faculty within a unit of any of the four major components of the University be greater than 100 (excepting the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine), there shall be one additional elected faculty member from that unit.
 
                                                                                                                                                  
(b) Ex Officio Members:
 
(1) The officers and most immediate past President of the Senate serving on the Executive Committee; and
 
(2) one representative of each standing committee of the Senate, either the chair, one of the co-chairs, or an eligible faculty member to represent the standing committee.
 

Section 3. Terms of Office:

(a) For Directly Elected Members: three years. Terms shall be staggered so that one‑third thereof shall expire each year. An elected member shall be eligible to serve for a period of no more than the remainder of an unexpired term and two additional consecutive full terms. Eligibility for re-election to the Faculty Assembly after such service shall not occur until at least one year has elapsed following the expiration of the last term. In case of a vacancy during a term, the procedure stated in Article V, Section 7(b)(9) shall be followed. New members of Faculty Assembly shall begin their terms on July 1.
 
(b) Alternate Members:  Should an elected member of Faculty Assembly be unable to regularly attend Faculty Assembly meetings for at least  one semester, the affected Unit may select an alternate for that semester from those eligible to be members of the Faculty Assembly.  The Director, Office of the University Senate, must be notified of the alternate prior to the first Faculty Assembly meeting of the semester. 
 
(c) Ex Officio Members:  serve for the term of their office.
 
(d) Vacancies:  In case of a vacancy during a term, the procedure stated in Article V, Section 7(b)(9) shall be followed.  (See also Article VI. Section 3.)
 
Section 4. Responsibilities and Powers:
 
(a) The Assembly shall exercise initiative in any matters of faculty concern, including the well‑being of the University and its overall programs and facilities. It shall, through its membership, encourage faculty members to bring their concerns before the Assembly.
 
(b) The Assembly has the responsibility to elect, to interact with, to monitor the progress of, and to offer guidance to Senate Standing Committees. It shall receive and review all reports from Standing and special committees and shall submit those reports, with any recommendations and comments, to the Senate Council for consideration.
 
(c) When appropriate, the Assembly shall refer matters of concern to Senate Standing Committees for study and recommendation. The Assembly may, as needed, create and, through the Senate Executive Committee, appoint special committees for matters lying outside the purview of existing Standing Committees. The Assembly may request that Senate Council join in creating and appointing a special committee.
 
(d) The Faculty Assembly has the responsibility to select five faculty from the eligible Senate constituency to serve on the University Review Board. The slate of candidates shall be developed by the Senate Executive Committee with additional nominations by the Faculty Assembly membership.
 
 
(e) The Faculty Assembly may adopt rules and policies for its own operations not inconsistent with the Charter or Bylaws of the University or the Bylaws of the Senate. The Assembly may elect an Assistant Secretary to aid the Secretary of the Senate. The Assembly may select a spokesperson to present special faculty views at meetings of the Senate Council.
 
(f) The Officers of the Senate shall serve as Officers of the Faculty Assembly.
 

Section 5. Eligibility:

The membership of the Faculty Assembly shall be elected from those Senate members who hold full‑time academic appointments, part‑time tenured appointments, or full‑time appointments as faculty librarians and who serve primarily in a teaching, research, or librarian capacity and not as administrative or support personnel.
 

Section 6. Meetings:                                                                                                                                  

Schedule: The Faculty Assembly shall meet at least eight times during the year and at other times when called into session by the Executive Committee.
Quorum: One‑third of the members shall constitute a quorum.
Attendance:  Attendance shall be taken and recorded for every meeting.
Notice: Written notice of each meeting, including the agenda, shall be sent to each member of the Assembly at least one week prior to the meeting.
Observers:   All meetings are normally open to members of the University Community, although Faculty Assembly may meet in Executive Session when necessary and appropriate for dealing with confidential matters. 
 

Article III. Senate Council

Section 1. Purpose:

The Council is a principal mechanism for the faculty, the administration, the staff, and the student body to discuss and seek consensus on policies and practices of University‑wide concern, as noted in Article I.
 

Section 2. Composition:

The Council of the Senate shall consist of 
 
(a) elected members of Faculty Assembly serving in their second and third years in their current term; 
 
(b) Ex Officio Members: the officers and most immediate past President of the Senate serving on the Executive Committee; 
 
(c) the Chancellor of the  University and eight administrators designated by the Chancellor; 
 
(d) three staff members selected by the Staff Council; 
 
(e) one postdoctoral representative appointed by the University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Association;
 
(f) seven undergraduates, of whom two represent the College of General Studies and one from the regional campuses (rotated among them on an annual basis); and 
 
(g) one graduate student from each of the three academic areas (the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the non‑health Professions, and the Health  Sciences)   and one  graduate   student   from the Graduate   and   Professional   Students 
Association: 
 
(1) The Faculty of Arts and Sciences member selected by the Council of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences - Graduate Student Organization;
 
(2) the (non-health) Professions member selected by the representatives of the Graduate School Governments of the (non-health) Professions to the Assembly of the Graduate and Professional Students Association;
 
(3) the Health Sciences member selected by the representatives of the Graduate School Governments of the Health Sciences to the Assembly of the Graduate and Professional Students Association;
 
(4) the Graduate and Professional Students Association member selected by the Executive Committee of the Graduate and Professional Students Association.
 

Section 3. Terms of Office:

(a) Terms of the faculty members shall be for the last two years of each three‑year term on Faculty Assembly.  New members of Senate Council shall begin their terms on July 1.  Should a faculty Senate Council  member be unable to regularly attend Senate Council meetings for at least one semester, the affected Unit may select an alternate for that semester from those eligible to be members of the Faculty Assembly.  The Director, Office of the University Senate, must be notified of the alternate prior to the first Senate Council meeting of the semester.
 
(b) Ex Officio Members: serve for the term of their office.
 

Section 4. Responsibilities and Powers:

(a) Council shall consider matters when requested by Faculty Assembly, Senate Committees, Council members, or any other member of the University Senate. It may make recommendations to the University administrative officers or to the Board of Trustees.
 
(b)  The Council shall have the power to act for the Senate during periods between Senate plenary sessions, and its actions shall be reported at the next plenary session. The Council shall take no action and make no commitments that are contrary to existing Senate policies.
 
(c) The Council may form special committees for its own operation as it determines necessary or desirable. [See Art. IV, Sec. 2.]         
 
(d)  The Council may adopt rules and policies for its own operations not  inconsistent with the Charter or Bylaws of the University or the Bylaws of the Senate
 
(e)  The Officers of the Senate shall serve as Officers of the Senate Council.
 
Section 5. Procedure: Matters brought to the attention of Council for consideration may be referred to appropriate Senate committees as created and constituted in Article IV. Committee proposals shall undergo initial review and evaluation by the Faculty Assembly. Council shall then receive committee reports and recommendations, together with the comments of Faculty Assembly, to assist its deliberations and actions.
 

Section 6. Meetings:

(a)  Schedule: The Senate Council shall meet at least eight times during the year and at other times when called into session by the Executive Committee.
 
(b) Quorum: Fifty percent of the members shall constitute a quorum.
 
(c) Attendance:  Attendance shall be taken and recorded for every meeting.
 
(d) Notice:  Written notice of each meeting, including the agenda, shall be sent to each Council member at least one week prior to the meeting.
 
 (e) Observers:  Meetings of the Council shall be open to members of the University community as observers.
 

Article IV. Committees of the Senate

Section 1. Standing Committees:

(a) Creation and Demise: Standing committees may be established or abolished by two‑thirds vote of the members present at a meeting of the Faculty Assembly and ratified by a two‑thirds vote of the members present at a meeting of the Senate Council. Such action will automatically constitute an amendment of these Bylaws and shall be recorded automatically.
 
 
(b) Composition:  Each standing committee shall have a voting membership of nine faculty Senate members, one staff member appointed by the Staff Council, one postdoctoral member appointed by the University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Association, and four students (one graduate student selected by the Assembly of the Graduate and Professional Students Association, two undergraduate students selected by the Student Government Board, and one student selected by the College of General Studies Student Government Council).
 
(c) Names:  The following Standing Committees are hereby created:
 
 (1)  Athletics and Recreation Committee
 (2)  Benefits and Welfare Committee
 (3)  Budget Policies Committee
 (4)  Bylaws and Procedures Committee
 (5)  Campus Utilization, Planning and Safety Committee
 (6)  Community Relations Committee
 (7)  Computing and Information Technology Committee
 (8)  Educational Policies Committee
 (9)  Equity Inclusion and Anti-discrimination Advocacy Committee
(10) Faculty Affairs Committee
(11) Governmental Relations Committee
(12) Library Committee
(13) Student Admissions, Aid and Affairs Committee
(14) Research Committee
(15) Tenure and Academic Freedom Committee
 
 
(d)  No faculty member shall simultaneously run for election or serve on more than one 
Standing Committee.
 
(e) Any question concerning election of student representatives shall be referred to the Senate Committee on Bylaws and Procedures.
 
(f) When any elected member of a standing committee of the Senate becomes an officer of the Senate, his or her position on the Standing Committee shall automatically become vacant.
 

Section 2. Special (or Ad Hoc) Committees:

Special committees for purposes other than those encompassed by Standing Committees may be created for a specific duration, not to exceed two years, by the Executive Committee, the Council, the Faculty Assembly or by action of the Senate in plenary session.  Their membership shall be determined by specific action of the body creating the Special Committee, or, if unstated, by the Executive Committee.
 

Section 3. Committee for Elections:

The Committee for Elections, as set forth in Article V, shall not be considered a Standing or a Special Committee.
 

Section 4. Meetings and Reports:

Standing and Special Committees of the Senate shall meet regularly and report to the Faculty Assembly and Senate Council on matters in areas of their responsibility. They shall provide the Senate Office with the minutes (including the attendance lists) of their meetings, as well as with the dates and brief agendas of their forthcoming meetings. When a Committee meets in Executive Session, a statement of any decision reached and its supporting reasons must be provided to the Senate Office. Five members shall constitute a quorum, at least three of who must be faculty members. In order to obtain the greatest possible representation of all voting members, when deemed appropriate and desirable by the chair, any vote of the committee may be held by electronic means.
 

Section 5. Monitoring of Attendance:  

When an elected member of a Standing Committee has been absent from three consecutive meetings of that Committee without due notice to the Committee Chair, the Secretary of the Standing Committee shall report this fact to the voting members of the Committee.  The Committee may then declare that person’s position on the Committee to be vacant.  (See Article V. Section 7.(c)(5) for procedures to fill vacancies.)
 

Section 6. Liaison:

In order to assure effective dialogue in the context of the University system of shared governance, the Chancellor of the University shall designate non‑voting liaison persons to serve as resource persons to each Standing Committee.
 

Section 7. Observers:

All meetings are normally open to members of the University community, although Standing Committees may meet in Executive Session when necessary and appropriate for dealing with confidential matters.
 

Section 8. Method of Election and Term of Office:

Faculty members of all Standing Committees shall be elected by the Faculty Assembly for three‑year overlapping terms or for the remainder of unexpired terms in case of vacancies.[See Article V, Section 7(c)(5).] No person shall be eligible for membership on any committee for a period of more than the remainder of an unexpired vacancy and two additional consecutive full terms. Eligibility for reelection after such service shall not occur until at least one full year after the expiration of the second consecutive elected term.
 

Section 9. Chair and Secretary:

(a) The voting members of each Standing Committee shall elect the Committee Chair and Secretary for terms of office of one year.  The Chair shall be an elected faculty member; the Secretary may be either an elected or pro tem faculty member of the Committee. Co-chairs may be elected at the Committee’s discretion.  Terms shall run July 1 through June 30. The sitting Committee Chair will organize the election of a new Chairman and Secretary at a meeting or, if necessary, by electronic means (email, video conference, etc.) before July 1. The immediate past chair shall, for the first four months of the new term year, be a non‑voting (unless the Chair continues to hold membership on the Committee) member ex officio of the Committee.
 
(b) Chairs of Standing Committees also serve as Ex Officio voting members of Faculty Assembly.  (See Article II. Section 2.(b).)
 

Section 10. Pro Tem Members:

Any member of the University community may be asked to serve pro tem as a non‑voting member of any committee of the Senate, by its Chair, or by the Senate President with consent of the Chair, for purposes of providing expertise, balance, or different positions or concerns. During this term of service, the pro tem member may participate in Assembly or Council discussion of the Committee's work.
 

Article V. Committee for Elections and Method of Election

Section 1. Purpose:

The primary responsibility of the Committee for Elections is to nominate candidates for Senate officers and for members of Standing Committees, and to coordinate the nomination for members of Faculty Assembly. It shall conduct a continuing search for a range of electoral nominees with the goals of keeping the Senate's constitutive bodies and Committees broadly representative, dynamic, and responsive to changing needs, and for providing each faculty member the opportunity to participate in University community governance.
 

Section 2. Composition:   

(a) The total membership of 25 shall be allocated as follows: six faculty members elected from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, two from each of the three divisions (units) -- Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences; eight faculty members elected from the (non‑health) Professions [Business, Education, Engineering, GSPIA, Information Sciences, Law, Social Work, University Library System], one from each school (unit);  seven faculty members elected from the Health Sciences [Dental Medicine, GSPH, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, SHRS, Health Sciences Library System], one from each school (unit); and four faculty members elected from the regional campuses, one from each campus (unit).
 
(b)  The most immediate past president of the Senate shall be a voting member Ex Officio. 
 
Section 3. Chair: The Elections Chair will be held by the immediate past president. If the immediate past president is seeking office, then the Committee for Elections will elect a chair from its membership.
 

Section 4. Terms of Office:

Terms for all members of the Committee for Elections shall be two years, with one additional consecutive term allowed. Terms  shall be staggered so that half of the members are elected each year.  On November 1, the new members will begin their term of office. In case of a vacancy during a term of a Committee member, a special election shall be held by the unit that incurs the vacancy, to select a member for the unexpired term.
 

Section 5. Method of Election of Committee Members:

(a) Each school and academic division (unit)whose faculty is to elect a member shall elect one of its Senate members to serve on the Committee for Elections not later than October 31.
 
(b) To ensure full representation, the Committee for Elections may nominate an eligible candidate in each such election.
 
(c) Members of the Committee for Elections must also be eligible to be elected to the Faculty Assembly, and cannot be Senate officers.
 

Section 6. Nominations:

The Committee for Elections shall at any time receive suggestions for nominations for Senate officers, Faculty Assembly, Standing Committees, and for the Committee for Elections. It shall:
 
(a) consult with the respective committees in order to select nominees with expertise, interest, and willingness to serve;
 
(b) give due regard to the quality of past service and/or promise of future contributions;
 
(c) seek representation from all areas of the University, including the Regional Campuses;
 
(d) ensure diversity of background of nominees;
 
(e) ensure procedural fairness of elections.
 

Section 7. Method of Holding University Senate Elections:

(a) The Committee for Elections shall require of each nominee a brief, relevant statement of background; and, of each nominee for an office, a statement of interests and goals; and shall specify the format and length thereof.
 
(b) Senate Officers and Members of the Faculty Assembly:  The method of regular elections of Senate officers and members of the Faculty Assembly shall be as follows:
 
(1) The Committee for Elections shall nominate at least two eligible members of the Senate for each office, and shall obtain their consent to serve before their names appear on the ballot.  In a rare situation in which the Committee deems it impractical to nominate more than one eligible member, the Committee may nominate a single eligible member by a majority vote.  A unit-wide faculty-elected representative body from each unit shall be recognized by the Committee for Elections for the purpose of nominating candidates for election to Faculty Assembly.  In the absence of a representative body, a total faculty body for a Unit may be recognized as a substitute by the Committee for Elections.  The recognized body shall nominate at least two eligible members for each position on Faculty Assembly to be filled from that unit and shall obtain their consent to serve before their names appear on the ballot.  These nominees shall be reported to the Committee for Elections on or before February 15.  If the Committee for Elections is unable to recognize such a body in any unit, the Committee for Elections shall serve as the substitute for that body for the purpose of nominating candidates from that unit. These nominees shall be announced on or before March 1.  Additional nominees to a Senate office or to Faculty Assembly may be certified by the presentation of a nominating petition, signed by ten unit members or 30 percent of the unit members (whichever is less), to the Secretary of the Senate by March 15.
 
(2) The Committee for Elections shall prepare the ballots. The nominees for Faculty Assembly positions within each unit shall be presented on one separate ballot for that unit.  On each ballot, and on the accompanying background statements, the nominees for each position shall be presented alphabetically.
 
(3) The ballot for Senate Officers shall be made available to all members of the University Senate electronically, while the ballot for Faculty Assembly members from each unit shall be made available electronically to all members of the University Senate in that unit.  All ballots shall be accompanied by the background and personal statements provided for above, a listing of members of the Faculty Assembly whose terms do not expire, and instructions for completing the electronic ballot.
 
(4) Ballots must be authenticated using a secure system for faculty identification. The ballot must be submitted  not later than May 1.
 
(5) Each member of the Senate may cast a ballot for one nominee for each Senate office and for each position on Faculty Assembly indicated on the ballots received.
 
(6) The  ballots shall  be counted  electronically and the results  shall be certified by a past President of the Senate who is not associated in any way with the current election.
 
(7) To be elected to Senate Office or Faculty Assembly, a candidate must receive a majority of the total votes cast. If, for any office, no candidate has a majority, there shall be a runoff between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes. In case of a tie in the runoff elections, the position shall be filled by drawing lots.
 
(8) The Director, Office of the University Senate, shall announce all election results on or before May 20, or, in the case of a runoff, as soon thereafter as practical. The vote totals for any individual shall not be announced.  Newly elected officers and new members of Faculty Assembly and Senate Council shall begin their terms on July 1.
 
(9)  In the event of a vacancy in the membership of Faculty Assembly and, concomitantly, in Senate Council, the remainder of the term shall be filled by the candidate who, in the respective electoral unit in which the vacancy occurs, had received the next highest number of votes in the most recent election. This is to be determined from the certified record in the Office of the Senate. This individual shall be notified by the Director, Office of the University Senate.  The action shall subsequently be published in the University Times and reported to the Unit represented.
 
(c) Standing Committees -- Faculty Members:  The method of regular elections of faculty members of Standing Committees of Senate shall be as follows:
 
(1) The Committee for Elections shall nominate eligible members of the Senate for the positions to be filled in each Standing Committee, in accordance with the considerations specified in Article IV, Section 1. The number of nominees for each committee must be at least two more than the number of positions to be filled. No person shall be a candidate for more than one standing committee.
 
(2) The names of nominees for each committee, and the accompanying background statements, shall be arranged on the ballot alphabetically.  Ballots for all committee positions shall be made available to members of the Faculty Assembly electronically by April 30.  Ballots will be submitted by the members of the Faculty Assembly no later than May 15.  With the ballot there shall be enclosed the background statements provided for in Section 7(a). Additional nominees for each committee may be certified at the Faculty Assembly meeting in April by the presentation of a nominating petition signed by at least two members of the Faculty Assembly.
 
(3) Each Faculty Assembly member may vote for a number of candidates not exceeding the number of vacancies.  The candidates with the most votes shall be declared elected.  If necessary, ties will be resolved by lot. The Director, Office of the University Senate, shall announce the results of the election no later than May 20 and by whatever means deemed appropriate to inform the entire membership of the Senate.
 
(4) Upon notification of election, the members shall immediately take their positions on the respective committees. Notification should occur no later than May 20.
 
(5) In the event of a vacancy on a committee, the remainder of the term shall be filled by the candidate who had received the next highest number of votes in the most recent election. This is to be determined from the record in the Office of the Senate. This individual shall be notified by the Director, Office of the University Senate.  In the event that the candidate with the next highest vote count is unavailable or declines to serve, the other candidates will be notified of their appointment to the committee by the Director, Office of the University Senate, in descending order by number of votes received in the most recent election, until a replacement is found.  In the event that the vacancy cannot be filled through this process, the position on the committee will be filled by appointment by the Chair of the committee following guidelines in Article V, Section 6.  This appointment will be made official for the remainder of the unexpired term upon ratification by a majority of the voting member of the committee. 
 

Article VI. Executive Committee

Section 1. Composition:

The officers of the University Senate (President, Vice President, and Secretary) shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Senate. The Executive Committee shall be subject to the policies of the Senate. The Director, Office of the University Senate, shall be a non‑voting member ex officio.  The President‑Elect shall be a non‑voting member ex officio (unless holding an Executive Committee office by direct election) from notification of election until assuming office. The most immediate past President not holding an Executive Committee office by direct election shall be a nonvoting member ex officio.
 

Section 2. Responsibilities and Powers:

The Executive Committee shall:
 
(a) ensure that the Senate is available and a party to consultation with the University administrators;
 
(b) supervise the affairs of the Senate between its plenary sessions, fix the hour, place, and agenda of meetings, make recommendations to the various Senate bodies, refer matters to committees, receive and publish reports, conduct elections, and perform such other duties as specified in the Bylaws or as may be judged necessary or desirable;
 
(c) keep records of attendance at meetings of the Senate Council, the Faculty Assembly, and Senate Committees, for the purposes described in Section 3 of this Article;
 
(d) identify committees not worthy of continuing as Standing Committees and publicly question the future usefulness of any Senate committee whose meetings are so infrequent as to suggest a lack of appropriate business;
 
(e) with assistance of Faculty Assembly [see Art. II, Sec. 4(d)], nominate candidates for the University Review Board.
 

Section 3. Monitoring of Attendance for Faculty Assembly and Senate Council:  

When a directly elected member of the Faculty Assembly has been absent either from three consecutive meetings of the Assembly or, in case that person is also serving on the Senate Council, from three consecutive meetings of the Council without due notice to the President of the Senate, the Director, Office of the University Senate, shall report this fact to the Executive Committee.  The Executive Committee may then declare that person's position on the Assembly and, concomitantly, the Council to be vacant.  Such vacancies shall be filled in accordance with Article V. Section 7(b)(9).
 

Section 4. Reports:

The Executive Committee shall report the activities of the Senate to all members by posting on the Senate website meeting notices, meeting minutes, reports, newsletters and Senate Matters columns generated by the Executive Committee, Faculty Assembly, Senate Council and/or Senate Standing and Special Committees.
 

ARTICLE VII. Parliamentary Authority

The most recent edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised” shall govern all points of order and parliamentary procedure unless modified by action of the members during  a meeting of  the University Senate or its entities (Faculty Assembly, Senate Council, or the Standing Committees of the Senate).
 

Article VIII. Amendments

Section 1. Methods:  

The process to amend, repeal, or replace bylaws may be initiated at any time by either (a) a member of the Faculty Assembly or Senate Council, who must submit the proposal to a Senate Officer or (b) a petition signed by 100 Senate members which may be presented to a Senate Officer or delivered to the Senate Office.   A proposal for Bylaw change must be considered by the Faculty Assembly and the Senate Council.
 
(1)  The Officers shall notify the University Times of the proposal's substance and invite the community to submit statements of evaluation to the Senate Bylaws and Procedures Committee.
 
(2) The Officers shall refer the proposal to the Bylaws and Procedures Committee for its review and recommendation. Absent an extension from the Senate President, the Committee must report its recommendation to the Faculty Assembly not later than one month following its submission. If the proposal succeeds in the Faculty Assembly by vote of a majority of members present, the proposal will be referred to Senate Council with a summary of the comments of Faculty Assembly members.
 
(3) The proposal for Bylaw change must then be approved by a majority of the Senate Council members present at a regularly scheduled meeting.
 
(4) If the proposal is approved by both the Faculty Assembly and the Senate Council, the proposed changes shall be published on the Senate Web site.  The Senate Officers will inform the Senate membership of the location of the proposed change(s). The Senate Officers may include explanatory material and Senate members may include brief position papers discussing the proposed changes.  The changes shall become effective 45 days after publication unless Faculty Assembly or Senate Council recommends a mail ballot or the Senate Office receives a petition signed by at least 50 members of the Senate requesting a vote of the full membership.
 
(5)  If a vote of the full membership is required [see (4)], the Senate Office will distribute ballots to the full Senate membership.  The amendment shall become effective immediately if approved by a majority of the ballots returned within three weeks from the mailing date.
 

Section 2. Standing Committee Creation and Demise:

The creation or demise of a Standing Committee,  as provided for in  Article IV,  Section l(a),  shall  constitute an amendment of these Bylaws and shall be recorded by the Director, Office of the University Senate.  No further action is required for these amendments.
 

Section 3.  Editorial Changes:  

Editorial changes in these Bylaws, including, but not limited to, changes in the name of a unit, title, or position, shall be recorded by the Director, Office of the University Senate, following notification and unanimous approval by the Senate Bylaws and Procedures Committee.  The Faculty Assembly and Senate Council shall then be notified by the Chair of the Senate Bylaws and Procedures Committee of such changes. 
 
 
 
Approved by Faculty Assembly, March 17, 2021
Approved by Senate Council, March 25, 2021
 
Effective July 2021