Faculty Handbook Revision: Constitution

Effective Date

Faculty Senate approved on April 22, 2024.

Provisions will become effective following adoption of the complete revised Faculty Handbook by the Senate and the Board of Trustees.

Background

The Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Handbook Revision is working to update and consolidate the Faculty Handbook and nine appendices into one document. Specifically, it has developed a draft proposal combining the materials into one handbook, deleting all but three appendices, and referring to policies that exist elsewhere.

At the April 8 Senate meeting, President Dupont briefed Senators on the draft Constitution. Key changes include:

  • Article 3 - Faculty Senate
    • Adds collaborations with other units on budget, planning, and policy
    • Clarifies that voting members of the Senate are those faculty elected by colleges and then lists non-voting members
    • Adds AS representative to the non-voting list
    • Clarifies that standing committee chairs are not (necessarily) members of Senate
  • Article 4 - Senate Officers
    • Moves sections IV.6 - IV.9 into this section on primary duties, with details and duties to be in Senate bylaws
    • Adds that secret ballots are used for elections in which there are multiple nominees
  • Article 5 - Executive Council
    • Clarifies voting/non-voting status, moving Faculty Legislative Representative to non-voting status to be consistent with Budget Representative/Deputy Budget Representative
    • Adds UFWW president as non-voting member
    • Updates duties to reflect current practice
    • Requires four of five voting members to be present for quorum
    • Adds that Executive Council meets regularly on alternating Mondays
  • Article 6 - Amendments
    • Creates a 2/3 threshold for votes to approve amendments to the Constitution
    • Removes earlier reference to Board of Trustees' role on amendments
  • Article 7 - Ratification
    • Proposed 2/3 threshold for ratification
    • Removes reference to Board of Trustees' role on ratification

The Faculty Senate will vote on each section of the revised handbook separately, with a final vote on the omnibus document before it is submitted to the Board of Trustees for final adoption.

Senate Action

The Senate unanimously approved a motion by Ron Helms and seconded to adopt the proposed changes to the Constitution on April 22, 2024.