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PPM 1-12, Faculty Senate Constitution |
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Responsible Office: President |
1.0 PURPOSE
The purpose of this Constitution is to establish and authorize an organization through which administrators, faculty personnel, and students may share in the review of academic policy. The authority and responsibility of this organization are determined through the authority delegated to the President by law and the Utah Board of Higher Education. Having grown out of the mutual trust and respect that exists between the faculty, administration, and students of the University, the academic government shall strive constantly to aid in achieving the aims of the entire University. This Constitution is intended to comply with the laws of the State of Utah.
2.0 REFERENCES
2.1 PPM 1-10, Administrative Standing Committees
2.2 PPM 1-13, Faculty Senate Bylaws
2.3 PPM 1-20, Policy Governing Policies
2.4 PPM 3-2, Employee Definitions
2.5 Utah Code § 53B-2-106
3.0 DEFINITIONS
3.1 Adjunct Faculty Members - Adjunct faculty members shall consist of two (2) designated adjunct faculty duly elected by the adjunct faculty (as defined in PPM 3-2), as directed by the Executive Committee of Faculty Senate. The adjunct faculty members may not be in the same organizational unit. All adjunct faculty who have taught in the academic year immediately preceding the election, with the exception of those who concurrently hold executive appointments, are eligible to be elected to Faculty Senate.
3.2 Administrative Members - The President, the provost, and eleven (11) additional administrators of the University as designated by the President shall be administrative members of Faculty Senate. Administrators above the position of department chair shall be eligible for appointment as administrative members of Faculty Senate but shall not be eligible for election as faculty members.
3.3 General Faculty - General faculty shall be composed of faculty members holding full-time salaried appointments, with the rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, or title of instructor, and whose primary function is that of instruction but who may also hold administrative appointments at the organizational level of department chair or lower.
3.4 Student Members - Members of the Student Senate shall be eligible to serve on Faculty Senate. Student members shall consist of up to four (4) designated students duly appointed by the Executive Cabinet of the Weber State University Student Association.
4.0 MEMBERSHIP
4.1 Composition. Faculty Senate shall consist of administrative members designated by the President, elected members of general faculty, elected adjunct faculty members, and appointed student members. Members shall be chosen in ratios proportionate to the number of members in each organizational unit as provided in the Bylaws. The number of elected members shall be determined by maintaining not less than a one (1) to three (3) ratio between administrative and elected members. The total number of administrative and elected members shall not exceed 52.
4.1.1 Faculty Members. Faculty members shall consist of members of general faculty chosen in ratios proportionate to the number of members in each organizational unit as provided in the Bylaws. Members shall be elected for three-year terms. No member shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms. The appropriate ratios shall be set yearly by the Committee on Constitutional Review, Apportionment, and Organization. Any professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor or instructor specialist of general faculty may be elected a member of Faculty Senate. Elected faculty members shall have full privileges of Faculty Senate, including the right to introduce and to second motions and to vote. Each member of general faculty shall have representation through an organizational unit as defined in the Bylaws (PPM 1-13).
4.1.2 Administrative Members. The administrative members shall be appointed by the President for a term of not less than one academic year. Administrative members shall have the right to introduce and to second motions and all other rights and responsibilities specified in the Constitution and Bylaws but not the right to vote.
4.1.3 Student Members. Student members shall be appointed for one academic year. Duly appointed student members shall have the right to introduce and to second motions and to vote.
4.1.4 Adjunct Faculty Members. The term of an adjunct member is one year, but serving as adjunct senator does not guarantee ongoing University employment. Adjunct faculty member’s eligibility to serve depends on continued employment as adjunct faculty. No adjunct faculty may serve more than six consecutive one-year terms. Adjunct faculty members shall have the right to discuss, make motions, second motions, and to vote.
4.2 Officers. The chair and the vice chair elected by Faculty Senate from among the faculty members of the Executive Committee shall preside as chair and vice chair respectively of general faculty. The term of office shall be for one year. A secretary will be designated by Faculty Senate.
5.0 FACULTY SENATE
5.1 Name. The Weber State University Faculty Senate shall be the deliberative, representative, and organizational agency of the academic community and hereinafter shall be referred to as Faculty Senate.
5.2 Shared Governance.
5.2.1 Policy Review. The President and Board of Trustees approve Faculty Senate to engage in policy development and recommend policy as outlined in this section, subject to the provisions of state and federal law, Board of Higher Education policy, consistency with general objectives established by the President, PPM 1-20, and final approval of the President and Board of Trustees (review depending on the policy). The policies outlined below are not under the exclusive responsibility or purview of Faculty Senate, and Faculty Senate is charged to work collaboratively with all stakeholders in policy development and review.
5.2.1.1 Policy Development (Statutory). Faculty Senate is approved to develop and recommend policy in the following areas, based on the recognition in Utah statute that faculty are best positioned and capable of doing so within their fields of expertise:
5.2.1.1.1 academic requirements for admission, degrees, and certificates;
5.2.1.1.2 course curriculum and instruction.
5.2.1.2 Policy Development (Institutional). Recognizing the particular importance and academic expertise of faculty, Faculty Senate is delegated responsibility to collaborate in policy development and make recommendations regarding policy in the following areas:
5.2.1.2.1 development, creation, and endorsement of new programs, stewarding course proposals through the campus review process, program assessment, and/or program discontinuation;
5.2.1.2.2 appointment, promotion, tenure, evaluation, and dismissal of faculty personnel;
5.2.1.2.3 standards for student conduct in the context of instruction;
5.2.1.2.4 academic freedom for faculty personnel;
5.2.1.2.5 Faculty Board of Review and due process (see PPM 1-13, 9.0);
5.2.1.2.6 formulation of bylaws governing all nominations and elections provided for in the faculty Constitution and governing such other procedures and processes as require detailed clarification.
5.2.1.3 Advisement. General faculty and university policies may be brought to Faculty Senate for discussion and input, but are not subject to the vote of Faculty Senate, including in the following areas:
5.2.1.3.1 standards for general student conduct;
5.2.1.3.2 expenditure of funds allocated for instruction, research and travel;
5.2.1.3.3 faculty salaries, annuities, insurance programs and leaves of absence.
5.2.1.4 Faculty Communication. Faculty Senate is the forum to communicate on issues of general relevance to the faculty.
5.2.2 Establishment and Maintenance of Committees. In consultation with the President, Faculty Senate shall establish and maintain standing and ad hoc committees as it deems necessary to carry out its functions. Faculty Senate may also appoint members to administrative standing committees consistent with PPM 1-10.
5.2.3 Review of Policy by General Faculty. Policy reviews described in sections 5.2.1.1 and 5.2.1.2 shall not become the official recommendation of Faculty Senate until general faculty shall have had an opportunity to review it.
5.2.4 Challenging Faculty Senate Action. General faculty may challenge decisions made by Faculty Senate as established in the Bylaws.
5.3 Executive Committee. Nine (9) members from among the elected faculty members of Faculty Senate shall be elected annually by general faculty to serve as the Executive Committee. The President and the provost shall serve as administrative members, or others as designated by the President, without the right to vote. This committee shall meet at the call of the chair, or the President, or on the request of any two of its members. It shall serve as the steering committee of Faculty Senate and shall, if requested by the President, represent, or designate persons to represent, Faculty Senate with other University bodies. The chair and vice chair of Faculty Senate shall be chair and vice chair of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall serve as the agenda setting committee for Faculty Senate. It shall provide for the reporting to Faculty Senate by administrative officers, by chairs of standing and ad hoc committees and by individuals. The Executive Committee shall recommend to Faculty Senate the membership of committees. Committees may be composed of members of Faculty Senate, elected or administrative, or of members of general faculty.
5.4 Meetings. Faculty Senate meetings shall be open to all members of the University community except closed sessions as set forth in the Bylaws. Members of the University community who are not members of Faculty Senate may address Faculty Senate only upon the invitation of the presiding officer of Faculty Senate. Meetings shall be held as follows:
5.4.1 Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of Faculty Senate shall be held at least once a month during the academic school year.
5.4.2 Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called upon due notice at any time during the academic year:
5.4.2.1 by the chair of Faculty Senate or the President,
5.4.2.2 upon request by a majority of the Executive Committee,
5.4.2.3 by a majority vote of Faculty Senate at any regular or special meeting,
5.4.2.4 by petition to the chair of at least 25 percent of Faculty Senate members, or
5.4.2.5 by petition to the chair of at least 10 percent of the members of general faculty.
5.4.3 Emergency Business. When a majority of Faculty Senate is not able to meet, the Executive Committee shall be empowered to act upon matters of routine or emergency business in accordance with established University policy.
5.4.4 Rules and Procedures. Faculty Senate shall have power to establish rules of procedure and to determine all matters pertaining to its own meetings. Such general regulations as may be established regarding procedure shall be clearly set forth in its Bylaws.
5.4.5 Distribution of Minutes. An abstract of the minutes of all Faculty Senate meetings shall be distributed to general faculty.
6.0 AMENDMENTS
Amendments to this Constitution made by Faculty Senate shall be proposed to general faculty if approved by a majority of Faculty Senate who have voted on the proposal. Faculty Senate shall not take its final action on an amendment during the first meeting at which it is introduced. This Constitution of Faculty Senate may be amended by Faculty Senate only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths of general faculty who vote yea or nay on the proposal as determined by electronic ballot, overseen by the secretary of Faculty Senate and by three faculty members appointed by the chair of Faculty Senate and ratified by the Executive Committee. A ballot shall be valid only if received by the secretary of Faculty Senate within 15 (fifteen) days after the date on which ballots were provided to general faculty. A faculty member who wishes to abstain from voting shall be provided that opportunity on the ballot: abstentions will not affect the outcome of the vote. At the end of ten (10) days, the secretary shall send a reminder to all members of the faculty who have not yet submitted ballots. At the end of the 15- (fifteen-) day period, the results of the ballots will be announced to all faculty.
Notwithstanding anything herein, amendments to the Constitution may be made at any time by the President, in accordance with PPM 1-20.
Revision History
Creation Date: 4-20-77
Amended: 9-13-18; 5-19-21; 4-20-22; 5-16-23; 12-2-24