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Faculty Senate By-laws

(Revised on: May 31, 2025)

A. Composition of the Senate

  1. For the purposes of the Faculty Senate, the Faculty is defined as: Teaching Professors, Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, Professors, Chancellor Professors, Assistant Librarians, Associate Librarians, Librarians, Clinical Assistant Professors, Clinical Associate Professors, Clinical Professors, and Professional Technicians who are associated with a particular department. Members of the faculty are eligible to serve on the Senate and its committees and to vote in elections to those positions.
  2. All Senators will be elected for three-year (3) terms, except when elected to fill unexpired terms. The candidates receiving the largest plurality will be elected.
  3. In the event that an election does not result in filling the vacancies, the President of the Faculty Senate, with the advice and consent of the Steering Committee, will appoint members from eligible faculty. In the event an incumbent Senator must vacate their seat between May 1 and November 30, a special election to fill the seat for the remainder of the term will be held in December, and when they must vacate their seat between December 1 and April 30 a special election to fill the seat for the remainder of the term will be held concurrent with the next regular election.
  4. In cases where an individual elected as a Senator or committee member takes a sabbatical leave or other temporary leave, the President of the Senate, with the advice and consent of the Steering Committee, shall appoint an interim member during the time of their leave, and the elected individual will resume that seat upon their return, so long as the date of their return remains within their initial term of office.  In cases where an individual elected as a Senate Officer takes a sabbatical leave or other temporary leave, their seat shall be vacated and filled in accordance with the provisions in E.3.j.
  5. Members will begin serving their terms at the last regularly scheduled meeting of the academic year of their election.
  6. The Senate will consist of eighty (80) voting members as follows:
    1. Forty (40) designated representatives apportioned to the following Senate Councils by the “Huntington-Hill Method” formally described in A.6(a)xii:
      1. Engineering Senate Council
      2. Visual and Performing Arts Senate Council
      3. Humanities Senate Council
      4. Social Science Senate Council (including STEM Education and Teacher 2 Development)
      5. Natural Science Senate Council
      6. Business Senate Council
      7. Nursing and Health Sciences Senate Council
      8. SMAST Senate Council
      9. Law Senate Council
      10. Librarians Senate Council
      11. Professional technicians shall be members of the Council for the department with which they are associated.
      12. Each Council is allocated one seat by default. The remaining seats are allocated one at a time to the Councils, with each subsequent seat allocated to the Council with the largest priority number. The priority number, recalculated after each seat is allocated, is the ratio of the number of full-time faculty in the Council to the geometric mean of the number of seats it has already been allocated and the number it would hold if it were allocated an additional seat.
      13. These designated seats shall be reapportioned following the method described in A.6(a).xii every six academic years based on full-time faculty numbers at the start of the Fall semester of the reapportionment year, such that the new apportionment shall be in place for the subsequent Spring election. The academic year in which the reapportionment is calculated and implemented in the Spring election shall be termed the “reapportionment year.”
      14. If a Council gains a seat in reapportionment, that seat shall provide a term coincident with the term of the seat that was lost, which may be a partial term, so as to preserve the number of designated seats allocated to each Cohort in E.1.a. The lost-and-gained seat shall be a seat granting a full three-year term if possible and, if no such seat is available, the seat with the longest term to be filled at the election. If more than one seat is lost by one Council and gained by another, random selection shall be used to determine which lost seat shall be associated with each gained seat. If the gained seat is allocated to Cohort with a partial term remaining, it will be filled for the remainder of the term by special election.
      15. If a Council loses a seat in reapportionment and following the procedures in 6.a.xiv, the lost seat is in a Council with years remaining in the term, the following procedure shall be used: from among those Senators elected to a designated seat in that Council who shall have the fewest remaining years left in their term after he reapportionment year, a random selection shall determine which individual Senator will be associated with the lost seat, unless there is only one such Senator, in which case they will be associated with the lost seat. That individual Senator shall serve the remainder of their term as an at-large Senator, their seat reducing by one the number of available at-large seats in the election taking place at the end of the reapportionment year. At the expiration of their term, their at-large seat shall be vacated and filled by election for a term lasting until such time as that seat is up for its regular Cohort election. At no time may the total number of elected Senators exceed 80.
    2. Five (5) persons who are Part-Time Lecturers from any Senate Council, no more than three (3) from the same Senate Council. Part-Time Lecturers shall be eligible to vote in the election of the seats designated to Part-Time Lectures.
    3. Thirty-five (35) members-at-large elected from the full-time members of the faculty.

B. Senate Officers

  1. Every effort will be made to adjust the schedule of the President of the Faculty Senate for the execution of all duties as a faculty member and responsibilities to the Faculty Senate. The duties of the President will be:
    1. To preside at meetings of the Senate.
    2. To call special meetings of the Senate on personal initiative or at the petition of the faculty membership or Steering Committee.
    3. To preside at meetings of the Steering Committee.
    4. To appoint the members to all Senate Committees.
    5. To serve ex officio on all Senate Committees.
  2. The duties of the Secretary will be:
    1. To keep the official rolls of the membership of the Senate.
    2. To prepare and publish minutes of all Senate meetings.
    3. To act as a liaison between the Senate President/Steering Committee and all Senate Committees, which includes receiving reports from all Committees of the Senate to be filed as part of the permanent records of the Senate, reviewing committee charges, and assisting with scheduling and facilitating committee meetings as needed.
    4. To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the By-laws or by the Steering Committee.
  3. The Steering Committee will be composed of the President and nine (9) members apportioned to the Senate Councils, defined in A. 1) a), as follows:
    1. One (1) from the Humanities Senate Council
    2. One (1) from the Social Science Senate Council
    3. One (1) from the Natural Science Senate Council
    4. One (1) from the Business Senate Council
    5. One (1) from the Engineering Senate Council
    6. One (1) from the Nursing and Health Sciences Senate Council
    7. One (1) from the Visual and Performing Arts Senate Council
    8. One (1) from the Librarians Senate Council
    9. One (1) from the combined membership of the SMAST Senate Council, the Education Senate Council and the Law Senate Council
  4. The Steering Committee will meet regularly at least once a month during the academic year and at the call of the President. On petition of any three (3) of its members, the President must call a Steering Committee meeting within five (5) working days. The duties of the Steering Committee will be:
    1. To prepare the agenda for regular meetings of the Senate.
    2. To submit to the President of the Senate for consideration a list of nominees for membership on Senate Standing Committees except for those Committees for which the By-laws provide for an alternate method of selection.
    3. To create all ad-hoc Senate Committees. Any member of the faculty may be appointed to these Committees.
    4. To serve as the Faculty Senate’s primary channel of communication with the Provost and Chancellor.
    5. To elect from its faculty ranks, at the first meeting of the Steering Committee, a President Pro-Tempore to serve in place of the President for a period of now more than six weeks.
  5. The Representative to the Board of Trustees will be elected annually by the members of the Senate from its membership. The duties of the Representative to the Board of Trustees will be:
    1. To serve as a liaison between the Senate and the Board of Trustees.
    2. To report to the Senate on matters of interest from the Board of Trustees meeting at the Senate meeting following the Board of Trustees meeting.
  6. The Associate Representative to the Board of Trustees will be selected by re-running the ranked choice results for the Representative to the Board of Trustees, excluding the individual who was elected to the primary position. Duties will be to assist the Representative to the Board of Trustees in serving as a liaison between the Senate and the Board of Trustees.
  7. The Faculty Senate President, Representative to the Board of Trustees, and Associate Representative to the Board of Trustees will be members on the University of Massachusetts System Intercampus Faculty Council.
  8. Parliamentarian: The role of the Parliamentarian is to be a non-voting Senator and resource to the President and body and to assist the President in the role of chair in the conduct of the meeting. The chair can and should consult with the  Parliamentarian when not certain on how to rule on a question or proceeding in the circumstances.

    Additionally, the Parliamentarian will have the following duties:
    1. Prior to the election, the Parliamentarian will clearly explain the rank choice voting system.
    2. The Parliamentarian will address any issues in votes and upon completion certify the vote as in compliance with all the rules of the Senate.
    3. As needed, advise the Senate on proper procedure and make recommendations to the By-Laws Committee about necessary changes to be compliant with standing rules of order.
    4. Parliamentarian will assist the Senate President and body in drafting an interpretation of by-laws and rules of order and the planning and conduct of meetings.

C. Committees

1. Role and function of committees

  1. All Standing Committees shall take items on referral from the Senate and shall make 5 recommendations to the Senate, in the interest of shared governance.
  2. The role of these committees is to provide the faculty perspective to administration and 7 others on matters directly related to the committee's charge. The charges listed below 8 are examples; the Senate President and Steering Committee may request other items.
  3. The Faculty Senate may establish Standing Committees beyond those specified herein 10 and may participate with the Administration and other campus governance bodies in 11 establishing joint committees.

2. Committee procedures

  1. Any member of the faculty may be appointed to these Committees. There may be 14 student representation on University Standing Committees, and the student 15 representatives shall be designated by the appropriate student government 16 organization. The membership on Committees will be chosen to reflect a range and 17 diversity of experience and representation.
  2. In the event a member of an elected committee must vacate their seat between May 1 19 and November 30, a special election to fill the seat for the remainder of the term will be 20 held in December, and when they must vacate their seat between December 1 and April 21 30 a special election to fill the seat for the remainder of the term will be held concurrent 22 with the next regular election.
  3. Unless otherwise specified, the Senate President will appoint the faculty members of 24 each Senate ad-hoc and Standing Committee
  4. Unless defined otherwise, each Committee will contain at least one (1) Faculty member 26 from each of the Colleges (Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Nursing and Health Sciences, 27 Business, and Visual and Performing Arts), but no College shall have a majority of voting 8 faculty members.
  5. Each Committee will establish its rules of procedure and elect its own officers.
  6. Each Committee will elect a Secretary whose duties will be:
    1. To prepare minutes of each meeting of the Committee.
    2. To record attendance at each meeting of the Committee.
    3. To forward copies of the Committee minutes, attendance and 2 recommendations to the Senate President and Secretary for action.
    4. To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Committee procedures.

3. The Standing Committees of the Faculty Senate

  1. Admissions Committee
    1.  The Admissions Committee will review admissions and admissions numbers, financial aid, enrollment management, and admission standards.
  2. By-laws Committee
    1. The By-laws Committee will conduct an annual review of the Constitution and By-laws and make recommendations as appropriate.
  3. Graduate Council
    1. The Council comprises the Graduate Program Directors, the Chair of the School of Law’s Academic Council (or designee), the designees of graduate programs where there is no Director (chosen by the Department offering the program), and two (2) graduate students chosen by the Committee. The Council may form ad-hoc subcommittees.
    2. The Council shall review policies and issues regarding new graduate programs and existing graduate programs (including, but not limited to, admission criteria, admissions process, graduation process, graduate student funding, and support for faculty mentoring graduate students) and make recommendations to the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies.
  4. Institutional Review Board
    1. An Institutional Review Board is established for the purpose of protecting the rights of human subjects.
    2. The IRB will operate in a manner consistent with the requirements of federal law and regulations.
    3. It will be composed of nine (9) members as follows: four (4) designated by the 29 Faculty Senate and five (5) designated by the Chancellor. Of these five (5), one must not be affiliated with the University of Massachusetts. There must always be one such member.
    4. Each member is to have a 3-year term which may be renewable.
    5. The terms of the nine (9) members are to be staggered so that no more than three (3) terms terminate concurrently.
  5. Library Committee
    1. The Library Committee will review library policies that impact academics, 5 including, but not limited to, library hours, significant changes in collections, and 6 access to resources.
    2. The Library Committee will have at least two (2) librarians as voting members.
  6. Policy and Process Review Committee
    1. The Policy and Process Review Committee (PPRC) will accept and review formal proposals from faculty to alter any administrative policy, guideline, procedure, or process.
    2. Formal proposals will include a description of the policy or process along with an argument and/or evidence showing why the policy or process could be improved. The proposal will also include a description of suggested improvements. The PPRC will then solicit input from the department/unit responsible for the policy or process to determine the rationale behind it. If, after reviewing the formal proposal and the administrative response, the PPRC determines the policy or process should be altered, it will make a formal recommendation to the Faculty Senate, which shall take up the 20 recommendation as an action item.
  7. Research Committee
    1. The Research Committee will review policies that impact faculty research. They shall receive and review annual reports regarding grant administration and sponsored research, and make recommendations for improving support for research on campus.
  8. Campus Engagement Committee
    1. The Campus Engagement Committee will identify opportunities to enhance campus culture, encourage broad participation in shared governance, and support events and programs that strengthen campus identity. It will serve as a liaison between the Senate and various campus constituencies, ensuring faculty perspectives are well-represented in university-wide initiatives that impact campus life. The committee may also recommend strategies to improve campus culture, engagement, and morale in alignment with the University’s mission and values.
  9. Student-Faculty Academic Affairs Committee
    1. The Student-Faculty Academic Affairs Committee will review academic regulations and policies, including but not limited to those in the catalogue. The committee will make recommendations to the Senate regarding any academic matters that need to be added or amended.
  10. Technology Committee
    1. The Technology Committee will review faculty technology needs in the areas of instruction and research.
  11. Facilities Committee
    1. The Facilities Committee will review and, when relevant, make recommendations related to the physical infrastructure and built environment of the University, including, but not necessarily limited to, campus planning, space utilization, maintenance, renovation, and new construction projects. The committee will work in collaboration with university facilities management, administration, and other relevant stakeholders (including graduate students).

4. Curriculum Committees

  1. General
    1. There will be Curriculum Committees to review and make recommendations regarding all curriculum changes involving courses or programs offered under the auspices of the University if credits earned in those courses or programs can be applied to an academic degree granted through a department or college of the University. The term "curriculum changes" refers to new courses, new programs of courses, discontinuing of existing courses and programs and substantial changes in either title or content of existing courses.
    2. These Committees will include Departmental Curriculum Committees, College Curriculum Committees, a University Curriculum Committee, an Honors Curriculum Committee, and a General Education Committee.
    3. In reviewing and making recommendations regarding curricular matters, each Curriculum Committee may make use of evidence describing student learning that results from student work in a course, seek information regarding the experience of students within a course or series of courses, and make use of relevant information regarding student success post-graduation.
    4. The Department, College, and University Curriculum Committees will base their review and recommendations on educational standards and the availability and qualifications of faculty members and the budgetary resources as determined by the appropriate Dean.
    5. When a Department, Dean, or Curriculum Committee deems that a proposed curriculum change impinges on its academic area or involves possible allocation of resources, a conference may be requested before the appropriate Curriculum Committee. The appropriate Committee is the College Curriculum Committee for conferences requested by a Department or Dean within the same college; and the University Curriculum Committee for conferences requested on matters pertaining to more than one (1) college.
    6. Copies of Curriculum Committee recommendations in regard to proposed curriculum changes that involve either graduate level courses or programs will be sent by the Curriculum Committee Chairpersons within seven (7) days from the date of the adoption of the recommendation to the Graduate Program Committee for its information.
    7. A suggested credit course which does not fall within an established department but within the general subject area of a college must be approved by the College Curriculum Committee. If the subject of a suggested credit course is university wide in scope, it must be approved by the University Curriculum Committee. The department(s) closest to the subject area shall be the sponsoring department(s) and will carry out the departmental provisions of this Article.
  2. Procedures
    1. Copies of any proposed curriculum changes being considered by any of the Department, College, and University Curriculum Committees will be sent to all Deans and Department Chairs whose academic programs require the affected courses, and to the Department in which the course resides. This information will be given at least seven (7) days in advance of the vote on the proposals.
    2. Copies of the recommendations of the Department, College, and University Curriculum Committees will be sent to the Provost, the Faculty Senate President and Secretary, the Dean of Library Services, all Deans and Department Chairpersons whose curricula require the affected courses, and the Department 3 in which the course resides within seven (7) days from the date of their 4 adoption. The Provost's Office shall maintain an indexed and searchable website summarizing curriculum changes and recommendations. The faculty will be notified of updates to this website on a regular basis.
    3. All new course and course change requests received by the Provost's Office will be presented for review for a period of no less than six (6) weeks before approval is granted.
    4. Where significant overlap or duplication of course offerings from different departments is identified, the Provost's Office will refer the matter to the Senate. The Senate will request that the appropriate College Curriculum Committee (when the two departments are in the same College) or the University Curriculum Committee (when the two departments are in different Colleges) serve as a Hearing Committee. The recommendation of the Committee on a resolution of whether the proposed new course significantly duplicates an existing course will be sent to the Provost within thirty (30) days.
  3. Departmental Curriculum Committees
    1. Each department will establish a Departmental Curriculum Committee of a size  to be determined by vote in each department. Departments with multiple programs, program options or graduate programs may establish such a Committee for each option. Each department shall establish policies that govern its Curriculum Committees. The Committee will elect its own Chairperson, who will be a faculty member.
    2. This Committee will receive input from students on curriculum matters. Student input may include student membership, student surveys or focus groups, or other methods defined by the department policies.
    3. This Committee will make recommendations to the department for curriculum changes within the department, and upon departmental approval, submit them to the Dean of the College or School.
    4. Where a College does not have independent and separate departments, there will be a single College Curriculum Committee. This Committee will make recommendations to the full faculty membership for curriculum changes within the college, and upon college approval, submit them to the Dean of the College.
    5. When the proposed curriculum changes involve another department or college, the Dean will forward the proposals to either the College or University Curriculum Committee, as appropriate, for its recommendation.
    6. This Committee will report to the Senate President at least once during each academic year on any and all actions taken.
  4. College Curriculum Committees
    1. Each college will establish a College Curriculum Committee. This Committee will consist of at least one (1) Faculty member elected from each department in the college. The Committee will elect its own Chairperson, who will be a faculty member.
    2. Where possible this Committee will have a student majoring in each department in the College serving as non-voting members, except where required by external accreditation agencies, in which case the student members will be voting members.
    3. In the School of Law there will be a single Curriculum Committee. This Committee will be composed of three (3) full-time faculty members recommended by the Committee on Committees and confirmed by a vote of the voting faculty members of the School of Law; and two (2) law student members, one each from the day and night/weekend divisions selected by the Student Bar Association.
    4. This Committee will recommend the requirements for earned degrees granted within the college including minimum requirements for majors, minors and special options in a field. Such recommendations will be forwarded to the Dean of the College for action then to the Provost, then to the Chancellor.
    5. This Committee will periodically review and make recommendations regarding college-wide curricular requirements.
    6. vi. This Committee will make its recommendations to the Dean of the College on all proposed curriculum changes that involve two (2) or more departments within the college. The College Curriculum Committee will be the Hearing Committee when there is a disagreement between two departments, one of which requires a course for its majors in another department and the other of which provides that course. The recommendation of the Committee on a resolution of the disagreement will be sent to the Dean of the College for action within thirty (30) days. A copy of the recommendation will be sent to the Provost.
    7. This Committee will serve as an Appeals Committee if the recommendations of the Dean of the College and a Departmental Curriculum Committee should differ. The recommendation of the Committee on a resolution of the disagreement will be sent to the Provost for action within thirty (30) days.
    8. All motions on curriculum will be passed at one (1) meeting by a vote of the majority of the actual membership of the Committee, or by a simple majority of 11 those attending the meeting at two (2) consecutive meetings for which adequate notice is given for the meeting and of the agenda.
    9. This Committee will report to the Senate President at least once during each academic year on any and all actions taken.
  5. University Curriculum Committee
    1. This Committee will consist of two (2) Faculty members from each Senate Council elected by the faculty therein, one (1) librarian elected by the Librarians Senate Council and one (1) student elected from a department within each Senate Council serving as non-voting members except where required by external accreditation agencies, in which case the student members will be voting members.
    2. The term of service will be two (2) years with the terms staggered for the two (2) Faculty members elected by the same Senate Council.
    3. This Committee will consider and make recommendations to the Provost for action on all undergraduate degree programs or certificates being proposed by any of the Colleges.
    4. This Committee will consider and make recommendations to the Provost for action on all proposals for the establishment or discontinuance of graduate programs or graduate certificates at the University.
    5. This Committee will make recommendations to the Provost for action on all new courses or programs which involve the faculty from two (2) or more Colleges, or courses required for students outside the college in which the course is being offered. The Committee will also make recommendations on new programs, certificates or courses falling outside one of the established Colleges, or where the location of the new course, certificate or program is itself a matter of debate.
    6. This Committee will be the Hearing Committee when there is disagreement between departments of two (2) Colleges, one (1) of which requires a course for its majors in another department and the other which provides that course. The recommendation of the Committee on a resolution of the disagreement will be sent to the Provost for action within thirty (30) days. A copy of the  recommendation will be sent to the Chancellor. The recommendation will take effect upon approval by the Chancellor.
    7. This Committee will serve as an Appeals Committee if the recommendations of the Dean of the College and the College Curriculum Committee should differ. The recommendation of the Committee on a resolution of the disagreement will be sent to the Provost for action within thirty (30) days. A copy of the recommendation will be sent to the Chancellor. The recommendation will take effect upon approval by the Chancellor.
    8. This Committee will report to the Senate President at least once during each academic year on any and all actions taken.
    9. This Committee will consist of two (2) Faculty members elected from the departments within each of the Senate Councils that includes a Department with an undergraduate program, elected by the members of that Senate Council.
  6. Honors Curriculum Committee
    1. Honors courses shall be defined as those courses offered with the Honors HON designation or with the Honors H suffix. Honors Faculty (those with a formal appointment to the Honors College) and Honors Affiliated Faculty shall be defined by the Honors College by-laws.
    2. There shall be an Honors Curriculum Committee. The size of this Committee shall be determined by the Honors Faculty, but in no circumstances shall there be fewer than six (6) Faculty members together with the President and Vice President of the Honors Student Council, who shall be voting members. The Faculty Director of Honors shall serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of the Committee. The Committee shall elect its own Chairperson, who shall be a faculty member.
    3. All Honors Faculty shall be eligible to vote in a secret ballot to elect the members of the Honors Curriculum Committee from among the Honors Faculty. Should the number of Honors Faculty elected be fewer than the number of positions to be filled, then there shall be a secret ballot to elect members of the Honors Affiliated Faculty to serve on the Committee.
    4. The Honors Curriculum Committee shall review and make recommendations regarding the initial approval of Honors courses and shall conduct periodic review of all Honors courses. The Honors Curriculum Committee shall recommend requirements for meeting the curriculum standards of the Commonwealth Honors Program. Such recommendations shall be forwarded to the Director of the Honors College for action then to the Provost then to the Chancellor. The recommendation shall take effect upon approval by the Chancellor. A copy of the recommendation shall be forwarded to the President of the Faculty Senate for informational purposes.
  7. General Education Committee
    1. This Committee will consist of two (2) Faculty members from each Senate Council offering undergraduate degree programs, elected by the faculty therein. The term of service will be two (2) years with the terms staggered for the two (2) Faculty members elected by the same Senate Council.
    2. No member of the University Curriculum Committee may serve on the General Education Committee. 
    3. No member of a College Curriculum Committee may serve on the General Education Committee.
    4. This Committee's recommendations will include the establishment, maintenance and periodic updating of lists of designated courses that satisfy each of the categories of general education requirements. Courses shall be 30 considered by the General Education Committee only upon endorsement by Department Chairs or Program Directors. To be included on a list of courses 32 that satisfy a General Education Requirement, a course must meet the standards approved by the Faculty Senate for the category. Lists of designated courses will be recommended by the General Education Committee to the Provost and may be reviewed for continuation by the General Education 4 Committee. Recommendations of designated lists shall be updated in response to new course proposals offered by departments or programs. The list shall be reviewed in a regular time frame.
    5. A summary report of all course recommendations made by the General Education Committees shall be provided to the Faculty Senate President on November 15 and April 15.

5. Ad hoc Committees

  1. The Faculty Senate may participate with the Administration and other campus governance bodies in establishing joint Committees, and may establish ad-hoc Committees.
  2. Motions establishing ad-hoc Committees will include:
    1. The name of the Committee and its charge.
    2. The size and composition of the Committee.
    3.  Whether members of the Committee shall be appointed or elected, and by what methods.
    4. The date by which the Committee shall present a progress or final report to the enate.

D. Meetings

  1. The Senate will meet regularly four times each semester.
  2. Special meetings may be requested through the President of the Faculty Senate. The President must call a special meeting not more than fourteen (14) days after written petition to the President of the Senate by a majority of the members of the Steering Committee or ten (10) percent of the faculty membership. Members of the Senate will receive at least five (5) days’ notice of a special meeting. Special meetings held in an emergency with less than five (5) days’ notice may transact business only on a vote receiving an absolute majority of the Faculty Senate.
  3. A quorum for the transaction of any business will be the presence of thirty-two (32) Senators.
  4. Any member of the faculty will have the right to attend meetings of the Senate (but without the right to vote or make motions) and to address the Senate on a matter of interest at the appropriate time at any duly constituted meeting when recognized by the presiding officer.
  5. The Senate may invite whomever it desires to attend meetings and address the assembly.
  6. Executive Session: Any member can make a motion to move a portion of a regularly scheduled meeting of the Faculty Senate into Executive Session, which would provide an opportunity for the elected membership to meet privately to address sensitive or confidential issues and to foster robust discourse, strengthen trust and communication. Non-members will be asked to leave the meeting during Executive Session.

E. Election procedures

  1. Senate Cohorts

    1. Designated seats will be allocated across three cohorts, with the at-large seats also 15 divided up, as follows:
      1. Cohort 1: 14 Designated, 12 At-large, 1 Part-time Lecturer = 27 total
      2. Cohort 2: 13 Designated, 12 At-large, 2 Part-time Lecturers = 27 total
      3. Cohort 3: 13 Designated, 11 At-large, 2 Part-time Lecturers = 26 total
    2. Cohort 3 will stand for election in Spring 2018, followed by Cohort 1 in Spring 2019 and Cohort 2 in spring 2020. Each year, one cohort will stand for election, such that each cohort stands for election every three years.

  2. Election of Senators

    1. Election will take place in two phases. The first is the election of designated seats. The second is the election of at-large seats.
    2. Designated Seats
      1. A call for nominations or self-nominations will go out to faculty within each 25 Senate Council electing a seat. This will be conducted online, with faculty able 26 to choose from a list of Senate Council faculty members.
      2. After confirming each nominee’s candidacy, elections will take place online with the faculty members of each Senate Council casting one vote for a candidate running for the designated seat. The candidate with the highest plurality of votes wins the seat.
    3. At-Large Seats
      1. After the winners of the designated seats have been determined and announced, a call for nominations or self-nominations will go out to all faculty. Those who ran for designated seats and lost are eligible to run for an at-large seat. Nominations will take place online.
      2. After confirming each nominee’s candidacy, elections will take place online with each faculty member casting as many votes as there are at-large seats, which in normal circumstances will be seventeen. The candidates with the nine highest plurality of votes will win the seats.
    4. In the case of a tie, the seat will be determined by random draw.

  3. Election of Senate Officers

    1. After all designated and at-large seats have been filled, a call will go out to the Senate membership for nominations and self-nominations for Senate officers: Senate President, Secretary, and Steering Committee Members.
    2. After confirming each nominee’s candidacy, ballots will be prepared in advance of the final Senate meeting of the academic year.
    3. At the final Senate meeting of the academic year, the newly elected Senators take their seats and begin serving their terms.
    4. At this meeting, candidates for Senate offices will have an opportunity, if they choose, to address the Senate.
    5. Senators will cast ballots for contested officer elections by ranking all candidates in order of preference.
    6. Winners will be selected through a process of instant run-off voting:
      1. Each voter’s first preference will be counted and a tally calculated. If a candidate receives a majority of all votes cast, that candidate will be determined the winner.
      2. If no candidate receives a majority, a run-off round of tallying is held. In this round, the candidate receiving the fewest votes in the initial tally is eliminated from all ballots. In those cases where the eliminated candidate was a voter’s first preference, the voter’s second preference would “move up” and be considered their first preference.
      3. A second tally is held based on the run-off round of candidate rankings. If a candidate receives a majority of all votes cast, that candidate will be determined the winner.
      4. If no candidate receives a majority, another run-off round of tallying is held, following the same procedures as the initial run-off round.
      5. The process would continue until there are only two candidates remaining, in which case one will receive a majority unless it is a tie. In the case of a tie, the winner will be selected by random draw.
    7. The tallying of votes will be overseen by at least two sitting officers of the Senate. No candidate may oversee the tallying of votes for his or her own election.
    8. Senate officers will formally take their offices at the adjournment of the final Senate meeting (rather than at the point of election).
    9. All Senators will have an opportunity to cast a ballot for officer elections.
    10. In the event a Senate Officer must vacate their seat, a special election to fill the seat for the remainder of the term will be held within six weeks.

F. Rules of order

  1. The Senate shall follow Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, as its parliamentary authority.
  2. Special Rules
    1. A quorum shall be defined as the presence of thirty-two (32) Senators.
    2. Before a final vote to approve a motion to make a Recommendation under the provisions of Section G of the Faculty Senate Constitution can be in order, the motion must be stated by the Chair at a minimum of two Senate meetings. This rule may be waived by unanimous consent of those in attendance at a duly constituted meeting.
    3. There shall be no limit to the number of times Senators may speak on a debatable motion, except subsequent to a successful motion for the previous question, in which case no additional debate can be permitted.
    4. The Chair may, at their discretion, participate in debate on pending motions, but should limit their comments to those of an informational or factual nature, and should not engage in overt advocacy for one side of the motion.
    5. The following Order of Business shall be followed for Senate meetings:
      1. Approval of Minutes
      2. Reports of Officers
      3. Reports of Committees
      4. Unfinished Business
      5. New Business
      6. Remarks from Invited Guests

(Amended March 2017)
(Amended February 2018)
(Amended May 2018)
(Amended October 2021)
(Amended February 2022)
(Amended March 2022)
(Amended April 2022)
(Amended April 2023)
(Amended May 2025)