Handbook of Operating Procedures > Series 300 Faculty and Academic Policies > 3.6.0 Faculty Senate

3.6.0 Faculty Senate

A. Purpose

It is the purpose of this policy to provide guidelines for the operation of the Faculty Senate of The University of Texas at Tyler.

B. Persons Affected

Full-Time Faculty

C. Policy and Procedures

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT TYLER FACULTY SENATE
CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I
NAME

The name of this organization shall be The University of Texas at Tyler Faculty Senate, hereafter referred to as the Faculty Senate.

ARTICLE II
PURPOSE

The Faculty Senate of UT Tyler provides a systematic means for effective participation of the faculty in the affairs of the university by developing channels of communication for the faculty to make recommendations to the President of the University and for the UT Tyler administration to seek the judgment and counsel of the faculty about matters of mutual concern. 

ARTICLE III
AUTHORITY

The Faculty Senate shall act on the authority delegated to it by the Board of Regents Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter IV, Section 2 and applicable provisions of the UT Tyler Handbook of Operating Procedures. When appropriate, actions or decisions reached by the Faculty Senate may be subject to the approval of the President of the University, the UT System Administration, and the Board of Regents.

In addition to changes directed by the President of the University, amendments to the Handbook of Operating Procedures shall be sent to the President of the University for review and approval before submission to the System for approval. The Faculty Senate will be given the opportunity to review and comment on all additions and revisions of that document pertaining to faculty policies and welfare and faculty rules before any additions or revisions are processed for incorporation therein.

ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP AND ELECTION OF MEMBERS

Section 1 – Membership

The membership of the Faculty Senate shall consist of elected (voting) members and ex- officio (non-voting) members.

A. Voting faculty members shall be elected from among the full-time faculty, those on both the tenure track and non-tenure track. Department Chairs, School Directors, Deans at any level, and higher administrative officials are not eligible for election as voting members.

B. A voting library staff member shall be elected from among the professional library staff. The Directors of Library Services are not eligible for election as a voting member.

C. Non-voting ex-officio members shall be named at the discretion of the Faculty Senate from among persons not presently serving as elected members.

Section 2 – Apportionment of Voting Members

A. There shall be three faculty members elected at large who also serve as the president, president-elect, and past president, respectively, of this body. 

B. There shall be three additional faculty members elected at-large. 

C. There shall be three faculty members elected from each academic college/school.

D. There shall be one professional librarian elected from library services.

Section 3 – Qualifications for Voting

A. Voting faculty members shall be elected by the full-time faculty, tenure track and non-tenure track (including clinical faculty). Deans and higher administrative officials are not eligible to vote in these elections.

B. A voting library member shall be elected by the professional librarians. The Director of the Library is not eligible to vote in this election.

Section 4 – Elections

A. President-Elect

In March of each year, the President of the Faculty Senate shall solicit nominations and conduct the at-large election of the President-Elect from among the faculty at the associate professor rank or higher.  

B. Additional At-Large Senator

Following the election of the president-elect, the president of the Faculty Senate shall solicit nominations and conduct the election of one additional at-large senator from among the faculty at the associate professor rank or higher. One of the three faculty members elected in this manner over a three-year period shall have attained the rank of professor

C. Academic College/School Senators

Following election of the at-large senators, each academic college shall elect a senator, ensuring there are three senators, from among its full-time faculty.

D. Library Services Senator 

Following election of the at-large senators, library services shall elect a senator from among its qualified professional staff prior to the start of an academic year in which a vacancy shall occur, to ensure there are three library senators serving.  

Section 5 - Terms of Office

All voting at-large and academic senators shall serve three-year terms. The library senator shall serve a three-year term.  Each year of service shall begin on September 1st following the election.

Section 6 – Vacancy

A. In case of death, resignation, or incapacity of any voting member of the Faculty Senate, except the past president, a special election shall be held to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term.

B. In the event the immediate past-president of the Faculty Senate is unable to fulfill the duties of past president, the previous year’s past president will assume the duties for the current year. In the event the previous year’s past president is unable to fulfill the duties, then the President of the Faculty Senate will appoint a previous Faculty Senate President that is not currently on the Faculty Senate to fill the role of past president for the current year.

ARTICLE V
OFFICERS

The elected officers of the Faculty Senate shall be the president, president-elect, past president, secretary, and treasurer. The president shall also appoint a parliamentarian to assist in conducting the business of the meeting in accordance with the current issue of Robert’s Rules of Order. 

ARTICLE VI
ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section 1 - Election

Prior to the close of the spring semester, the president-elect shall conduct the election of the incoming secretary and treasurer from among the voting members of the Faculty Senate for the next academic year. 

Section 2 – Terms of Office

The terms of office for the Faculty Senate officers shall be one year.

Section 3 – Vacancy

In case of vacancy of an office, the Faculty Senate shall fill such vacancy for the unexpired term.

ARTICLE VII
DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1 - President

The duties of the President shall be

A. to preside at all meetings,

B. to appoint ad hoc committees in consultation with the Executive Committee,

C. to chair the Executive Committee,

D. to serve as the budget authority of all accounts related to the Faculty Senate,

E. to conduct the election of the at-large members of the Faculty Senate,

F. to conduct the election of the Hearing Panel,

G. to carry out the responsibilities as outlined in the Handbook of Operating Procedures regarding University committees and the Faculty Grievance Panel, 

H. to represent the Faculty Senate on the University Council and the President's Cabinet, 

I. to serve as a voting member of the UT System Faculty Advisory Council and to appoint, from the executive committee, the alternate member to the UT System Faculty Advisory Council, and

J. to serve as a member of the Texas Council of Faculty Senates (or designate a representative from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to serve).

Note: Due to the significant nature of the active President duties, faculty in this position may elect: 1). A course reassignment each semester or 2). An overload of pay equivalent to the cost of an adjunct to cover a course reassignment per semester or an equivalent stipend/pay if course coverage is not needed, on recommendation of the faculty member’s department chair and with approval of the Faculty Senate President.

Section 2 - President-Elect

The duties of the president-elect shall be

A. to fulfill the duties of the Faculty Senate president in the absence of the president,

B. to chair the Committee on Committees and the Emeritus Committee,

C. to conduct the election of Faculty Senate officers for the next academic year,

D. to serve as a second voting member of the UT System Faculty Advisory Council and an alternate to the Texas Council of Faculty Senates.

Section 3 - Past President

The duties of the past president shall be

A. to fulfill the duties of the Faculty Senate president in the absence of the president and president-elect,

B. to consult with the Faculty Senate president in the appointment of the Emeritus Committee,

C. to monitor the progress of resolutions enacted by the Faculty Senate during the previous academic year and to file a written report summarizing the final disposition of these findings,

D. to represent the Faculty Senate on the University’s Academic Council and University Council.

Section 4 - Secretary

The duties of the secretary shall be

A. to record and maintain the minutes of the Faculty Senate,

B. to compile and maintain a list of faculty eligible for voting membership,

C. to compile and maintain a list of the members of the Faculty Senate and to record those present, those absent, and those serving as proxies at every meeting,

D. to present copies of the minutes to the members of the Faculty Senate, the President of the University, the UT System Administration, the university archivist, and the Texas Council of Faculty Senates, and 

E. to prepare a summary report of matters discussed and actions taken to be distributed to all members of the faculty.

Section 5 - Treasurer

The duties of the treasurer shall be

A. to assist the Faculty Senate president in the management of the Faculty Senate accounts, and

B. to file a written report at the end of the academic year summarizing the income and expenditures of the Faculty Senate for that academic year. 

ARTICLE VIII
COMMITTEES

Section 1 – Standing Committees

The standing committees of the Faculty Senate shall be:

Executive Committee 

In addition to this standing committee, the Senate may form ad-hoc or standing committees on Educational Policy, Effective Teaching, Student Relations, Health Affairs, a Committee on Committees, or other committees as needed in line with matters of faculty governance, representation, and duties. The president shall convene the call for such committees from the Senate, with the full Senate selecting members of the committees as needed. 

Section 2 – Executive Committee

A. Membership. The president, president-elect, past president, secretary, treasurer, and additional faculty approved by the Faculty Senate shall constitute the membership of this committee. 

B. Function. This committee shall be empowered to conduct Faculty Senate business on an emergency basis between regular meetings of the Faculty Senate, to consult with the Faculty Senate president on the appointment of ad hoc committees, and to carry out responsibilities as delineated in the Handbook of Operating Procedures with regard to other committees, such as, the Student Media Advisory Board and the Faculty Grievance Panel. 

Section 3 - Chairs

The chair of any standing or ad-hoc committee shall be an elected member of the Faculty Senate. 

ARTICLE IX
MEETINGS

Section 1 – Schedule

The Faculty Senate shall meet at least once each month during the fall and spring semesters beginning in September. A December and August meeting shall be optional. The Faculty Senate shall also meet at such other times as the president of the Faculty Senate or a majority of that body deems necessary.

Section 2 – Notice of Meetings

Written notice, including an agenda, shall be given to all members of the Faculty Senate in advance of all regular and called meetings. If a senator wishes to call a meeting, the senator shall inform the president of the Faculty Senate, in writing. After being polled, if a majority of the voting members agree, a meeting shall be called. 

Section 3 - Agenda

Items may be placed on the agenda by any member of the Faculty Senate and, through the president of the Faculty Senate or the Executive Committee, by any member of the university community. The agenda shall be distributed to the members of the Faculty Senate and to all members of the university community prior to the meeting. 

Section 4 – Quorum

A majority of the duly elected voting members shall constitute a quorum.

Section 5 - Attendance

Although meetings of the Faculty Senate are open to all members of the university community, a member of the Faculty Senate may request that some items of business be conducted in executive session. All action items shall be voted on in open session. 

Section 6 - Initiation of Action

Though resolutions may be initiated and acted upon by members of the Faculty Senate only, all members of the university community are encouraged to bring proposals and measures to the attention of the Faculty Senate and to comment on proposed Faculty Senate initiatives.

Section 7 - Designation of Proxy

If a voting member cannot attend a Faculty Senate meeting, the senator shall designate another voting member, by written statement, filed with the Faculty Senate secretary prior to the meeting, to be a voting proxy for that meeting.

ARTICLE X
FACULTY REFERENDUM

Proposed amendments to the Faculty Senate Constitution in HOP 3.6.0 shall be approved by a faculty referendum. Other proposals may also be presented to the faculty at large for approval when at least two-thirds of the attending members of the Faculty Senate request a referendum. To approve a referendum, an affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by full-time faculty shall be required. 

ARTICLE XI
AMENDMENTS

Section 1 – Presentation

The process of amending the constitution shall begin with the presentation of the proposed amendment in writing at a meeting of the Faculty Senate.

Section 2 – Faculty Approval

The proposed amendment shall be voted on at the next meeting of the Faculty Senate following written presentation. An affirmative vote of two-thirds of this body is required for approval of the amendment. A faculty referendum shall also be conducted to amend the constitution. 

Section 3 – Final Approval

No amendment to this constitution shall become effective until approved by the President of the University.