A: Definition of the Faculty
The faculty of the College consists of three groups: the teaching faculty, the administrative faculty, and the directors of academic offices who meet certain criteria defined below. The teaching faculty includes all persons appointed by the Board of Trustees to the ordinary ranks of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, or instructor and to the full-time temporary positions of visiting professor, visiting associate professor, visiting assistant professor, or visiting instructor; and as full-time officers of instruction in positions that specify responsibility for teaching at least one course per year. For purposes of these Statutes, tenured members of the faculty are tenured professors and associate professors. Tenure-track members are untenured faculty members of any ordinary rank. For purposes of representation in faculty governance, each member of the teaching faculty belongs to one of the Divisions. Division membership is determined by the academic department except for members of the teaching faculty who are not in a department who shall be assigned to a Division by the Provost.
DIVISION A - Biology; Chemistry; Mathematics and Computer Science; Physics
DIVISION B - Critical Race and Ethnic Studies; English; Music; Spanish; Theatre and Dance;
Visual Arts; World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
DIVISION C - Economics and Accounting; Education; Political Science; Psychology;
Sociology and Anthropology
DIVISION D - Classics; Environmental Studies; History; Philosophy; Religious Studies
The administrative faculty consists of persons with faculty status by reason of their office. The senior administrative faculty consists of the President, the Provost and Dean of the College, and the Senior Vice President for Student Development and Mission. The regular administrative faculty is further subdivided into three groups: the academic administrative faculty, the student development administrative faculty, and the chaplains.
The academic administrative faculty consists of the Vice Provost(s), Associate Provost(s), Dean(s), Associate Dean(s), the Class Deans, the Registrar, the Vice President for Enrollment Management, the Director of Library Services, the Vice Provost and Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Director and the two Associate Directors of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, the Director of Admission, and the Director of Financial Aid. However, for purposes of representation, when members of the academic administrative faculty are also members of the teaching faculty, their membership of the teaching faculty shall take precedence. The student development administrative faculty consists of the Associate Deans of Students and the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services. The chaplains consist of the Director of the Office of College Chaplains, the Associate Chaplains, and the Assistant Chaplains.
The directors of academic offices shall have faculty status defined in their appointment letters for the purpose of voting in the faculty assembly and serving on appointed and ad hoc committees as long as their role is to: a) work closely with students and faculty in support of curricular goals, and/or b) academically mentor/advise students. Each year, the Office of the Provost shall send a list of directors of academic offices to be extended this faculty status for the following academic year for approval by the Academic Governance Council before the last scheduled meeting of the Academic Governance Council.
Every member of the faculty, as defined above has the right to vote at all meetings of the Faculty Assembly and in mail or electronic balloting of the faculty. Members of the ordinary ranks of the teaching faculty with concurrent part-time administrative appointments are eligible for election or appointment as faculty representatives to College councils and committees; those with full-time administrative appointments are not. Other members of the teaching faculty are not eligible for election as faculty representatives to College councils and committees. They are eligible for appointment to statutory College committees unless otherwise specified. All members of the faculty are eligible for appointment to ad hoc committees.
B: The Finance and Planning Council
1. Scope and Function
a. Advises the President on long-term financial planning needs and on general budget policy for each fiscal year.
b. Discusses priorities, makes recommendations and hears explanations of budget and planning decisions made by the President.
c. Receives recommendations from the Provost and Dean of the College, and from the Senior Vice President for Student Development and Mission on behalf of the Academic Governance and Student Life Councils; and reports decisions to these councils promptly and regularly.
d. Meets with the Faculty Compensation Committee during the Spring semester and receives recommendations to be considered when salary and benefits figures are being set during the next budget planning cycle.
e. Can create ad hoc committees. These may be constituted from its own membership or any other member of the College community.
f. Determines its own rules of order or conducts its meetings according to Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised. The Finance and Planning Council meets at least once a month during the academic year. Additional meetings may be called by the Chair or by a majority vote of the members of the Finance and Planning Council.
2. Membership
The Finance and Planning Council is composed of the President (Chair), the Provost and Dean of the College, the Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff, the Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance, the Senior Vice President for Student Development and Mission, the Vice President for Advancement, the Director of the Office of College Chaplains, two teaching faculty elected as described in Chapter I.B.4. below (“elected Teaching Faculty FPC Members”) two teaching faculty members appointed by the Academic Governance Council from the sitting members of the Academic Governance Council, three selected students, and two administrative faculty elected by division (one from Student Affairs and one from Academic Affairs).
3. Eligibility for Election as Elected Teaching Faculty FPC Members
Teaching faculty are eligible to be elected as Elected Teaching Faculty FPC Members for the Finance and Planning Council, provided that they are either instructors or assistant professors who have been at the College of the Holy Cross at least two years, or associate professors or professors who have been at the College of the Holy Cross for at least one year, and are not serving concurrently on the Committee on Tenure and Promotion, the Committee on Faculty Affairs, the Faculty Compensation Committee, the Student Life Council, or the Academic Governance Council.
4. Election Procedures
a. Two teaching faculty shall be elected as Elected Teaching Faculty FPC Members by the teaching faculty from a slate proposed by the Committee on Nominations and Elections.
b. The administrative faculty shall determine their own election procedures.
c. The students shall be selected in a manner determined by the Student Government Association.
5. Length of Term
a. The term for the Finance and Planning Council Members appointed by the Academic Governance Council shall be designated by the Academic Governance Council.
b. The terms for the Elected Teaching Faculty FPC Members shall be two years. The terms of the Elected Teaching Faculty FPC Members shall be staggered.
c. The term for the administrative faculty members shall be two years.
d. The term for selected students shall be determined by the Student Government Association.
6. Vacancies
a. A vacancy in a member seat appointed by the Academic Governance Council shall be filled by the Academic Governance Council from its sitting members who are teaching faculty.
b. When a vacancy in an Elected Teaching Faculty FPC Member position occurs on the Finance and Planning Council, that eligible faculty member with the next highest number of votes on the final ballot in the election that resulted in the seating of the outgoing member shall occupy the vacant seat for the period of the vacancy. If no replacement can be identified in this way, the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall exercise its discretion in filling the vacancy.
c. An administrative faculty vacancy on the council shall be filled by procedures determined by the administrative faculty.
d. A student vacancy on the council shall be filled by procedures determined by the Student Government Association.
1. Scope and Function
a. Advises the Senior Vice President for Student Development and Mission on all areas of his or her responsibility, including housing and residence life, student activities, counseling and health services.
b. Discusses and makes recommendations on issues concerning student life to the Senior Vice President for Student Development and Mission and/or the Finance and Planning Council.
c. Distributes notices of decisions made or pending to the Academic Governance and Finance and Planning Councils, the Student Government Association, the Office of College Chaplains, and student affairs professionals subordinate to the ex officio members of the Council.
d. Can create ad hoc committees. These may be constituted from its own membership, or any other member of the College community.
e. Determines its own rules of order or conducts its meetings according to Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised. It meets at least once a month during the academic year. Additional meetings may be called by the Chair or a majority vote of the members of the Student Life Council.
2. Membership
This council is composed of the Senior Vice President for Student Development and Mission (Chair), the Associate Deans of Students, the Director, Student Inclusion and Belonging, the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services, the Director of the Office of the College Chaplains, one of the Class Deans, appointed by the Dean of the College or her or his designee, one teaching faculty member elected at large (“Elected Teaching Faculty SLC Member”), one faculty member appointed by the Academic Governance Council from the sitting members of the Academic Governance Council, the Associate Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, Athletics Director and four students selected by the Student Government Association.
3. Eligibility for Election as Elected Teaching Faculty SLC Member
Teaching faculty members are eligible for election as the Elected Teaching Faculty Member to the Student Life Council, provided that they are instructors or assistant professors who have been at the College of the Holy Cross at least two years, or associate professors or professors who have been at the College of the Holy Cross for at least one year and are not serving concurrently on the Committee on Tenure and Promotion, the Committee on Faculty Affairs, the Faculty Compensation Committee, the Finance and Planning Council, or the Academic Governance Council.
4. Election Procedures
a. The one teaching faculty member shall be elected by the teaching faculty as the Elected Teaching Faculty SLC Member from a slate proposed by the Committee on Nominations and Elections.
b.The students shall be selected in a manner determined by the Student Government Association.
5. Length of Term
a. The terms for teaching faculty members appointed by the Academic Governance Council shall be determined by the Academic Governance Council.
b. The term for the Elected Teaching Faculty SLC Member shall be two years.
c. The term for the Class Dean shall be two years.
d. The terms for selected student members shall be determined by the Student Government Association.
6. Vacancies
a. A vacancy in the faculty member seat appointed by the Academic Governance Council shall be filled by the Academic Governance Council.
b. When an Elected Teaching Faculty SLC Member vacancy occurs on the Student Life Council, that eligible faculty member with the next highest number of votes on the final ballot in the election that resulted in the seating of the outgoing member shall occupy the vacant seat for the period of the vacancy. If no replacement can be identified in this way, the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall exercise its discretion in filling the vacancy.
c. When a vacancy occurs in the position filled by a Class Dean, another Class Dean shall be selected by the Dean of the College to serve out the unexpired term.
d. A student vacancy on the council shall be filled by procedures determined by the Student Government Association.
D: The Academic Governance Council
1. Scope and Function
The academic governance council (“Academic Governance Council”):
a. Represents faculty interests regarding all issues of an academic nature at the College;
b. Serves as a primary resource for addressing faculty concerns about any matter affecting the academic life of the College. Faculty members may approach the Academic Governance Council at any time with such concerns and requests for action. The Academic Governance Council may request information relevant to the academic governance of the College and consult with any individual or group at the College.
c. Serves as the primary body representing the faculty in all matters relating to the College administration and areas outside Academic Affairs.
d. Advises the Provost and Dean of the College on the administration of Academic Affairs, is responsible for approving non-statutory academic policy changes related to the academic calendar and curricular programs, and works together with the Provost and Dean of the College to establish academic policies and initiatives.
e. Is responsible for reviewing and recommending changes in policies on all issues of teaching faculty status including hiring, tenure, promotion, professional standards, academic freedom and other policy matters that relate to the professional responsibilities and performance of the teaching faculty. The Committee on Tenure and Promotion reports to this committee when its deliberations raise questions that may require changes of policy concerning tenure and promotion. The Committee on Faculty Affairs reports to this committee when its deliberations raise questions that may require changes of policy concerning grievances or dismissal. The Provost and Dean of the College shall consult with the Academic Governance Council regarding any academic policies affecting the faculty or the academic experience of students.
f. Informs academic departments and the faculty about governance activities, and its members communicate the views and concerns of the departments and of individual faculty members to deliberations of the Academic Governance Council. It encourages and facilitates communication within the College among students, administrators, and teaching faculty, and maintains regular communication with the Finance and Planning Council and the Student Life Council.
g. Sets the agenda for discussion and voting for all meetings of the Faculty Assembly except those called by petition of members of the faculty, or special meetings called by the Speaker of the Faculty. All statutory changes must be presented to the Academic Governance Council prior to being presented to the Faculty Assembly. Upon recommendation of the Curriculum Committee, the Academic Governance Council shall transfer proposals for curricular changes that are not within the mandate of the Curriculum Committee (e.g. the establishment of new majors) to the Faculty Assembly.
h. Members of the Academic Governance Council appointed to the Finance and Planning Council will contribute to Finance and Planning Council discussions and provide reports to the Academic Governance Council. The Academic Governance Council works together with the Provost and Dean of the College to review the yearly operating budget for Academic Affairs and offers recommendations for budgetary priorities to the Provost and to the Finance and Planning Council for consideration. The Provost and Dean of the College will respond in writing with the rationale for rejection of any of the Academic Governance Council recommendations.
i. Can request that the Speaker of the Faculty call special meetings of the Faculty Assembly (see Chapter I.E.4.a).
j. Annually elects from its membership a vice chair, recorder, and parliamentarian.
k. Elects from its membership a committee on nominations and elections (the “Committee on Nominations and Elections”). The Committee on Nominations and Elections conducts nomination processes for candidates for elective faculty positions. Except for positions on the Academic Governance Council (which is treated in Chapter I.D.4.), the Speaker of the Faculty (which is treated in Chapter I.E.3.c.), the Committee on Faculty Affairs (which is treated in Chapter III.A.3.d.), the Faculty Compensation Committee (which is treated Chapter III.A.2.c.), and the Committee on Tenure and Promotion (which is treated in Chapter III.A.1.d.), the Committee on Nominations and Elections proposes to the faculty slates of nominees for elective faculty positions, to which the faculty may add names. In composing these slates the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall give consideration to representation of the various academic disciplines. The slate for each committee shall contain two names more than the number of positions to be filled. The individual receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected to the regular full term. The Committee on Nominations and Elections also conducts the elections for elective faculty positions. It tallies and records votes taken at faculty meetings or by mail or electronic ballot, and certifies the results to the Recorder of the Faculty. In all cases regarding nomination procedures, elections procedures, or procedures for the filling of vacancies on elective faculty committees, where procedures are not otherwise
specified by these Statutes, the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall meet and decide by a majority vote, giving due consideration to transparency and precedent, and include a written report of its procedures and decisions to the Academic Governance Council. The Committee on Nominations and Elections may also make recommendations to the Provost and Dean of the College or the President, as appropriate, for the staffing of appointed committee positions; provided, however, that the sole authority to appoint such positions remains exclusively with the Provost and Dean of the College or the President, as applicable.
l. Can establish ad hoc committees at its own discretion, at the suggestion of regular members of the faculty or in response to a request from the Provost and Dean of the College. The Academic Governance Council will oversee the charging and staffing of these ad hoc committees including clarifying specific mandates and time limits. These ad hoc committees may be constituted from its own membership, teaching faculty of any rank or any other member of the College community. The Academic Governance Council will be responsible for oversight of action taken on reports submitted by the ad hoc committees it creates.
m. All elected academic committees of the faculty report to the Academic Governance Council and through it to the Faculty Assembly. These committees are the Committee on Tenure and Promotion (which is treated in Chapter III.A.1.), the Faculty Compensation Committee (which is treated in Chapter III.A.2.), the Committee on Faculty Affairs (which is treated in Chapter III.A.3.),the Committee on Academic Standing (which is treated in Chapter III.B.1.), the Committee on the Curriculum (which is treated in Chapter III.B.2.), the Committee on on Academic Programs (which is treated in Chapter III.B.3.), and the Committee on Faculty Scholarship which is treated in Chapter III.B.4.).
2. Membership
The Academic Governance Council is composed of fourteen (14) members, of which (a) twelve (12) members shall be elected as described in Chapter I.D.3 below and (b) two are the Speaker
of the Faculty (Chair) and the Provost and Dean of the College, who shall be non-voting ex officio members. Faculty members sitting on the Academic Governance Council are not required to serve on any other standing College committee and/or council described in these Statutes except as they may be appointed to any such standing committee or council by the Academic Governance Council. Faculty members sitting on the Academic Governance Council may, but are not required to, serve on ad hoc committees.
3. Eligibility for Election
Teaching faculty are eligible for election to the Academic Governance Council as AGC Division Members (as defined in Chapter I.D.4(a) below) provided that they are tenured
professors who have not served on the Academic Governance Council during an immediately preceding term and who are not continuing members of the Committee on Tenure and Promotion. Teaching faculty are eligible for election to the Academic Governance Council as AGC At-Large Members (as defined below) if they are tenure-track faculty members who have not served on the Academic Governance Council during an immediately preceding term. In the event that a tenured faculty member has served six years in any combination of terms on the Academic Governance Council, he or she shall have the right to decline any further nomination to the Academic Governance Council as an AGC Division Member or AGC At-Large Member.
4. Election Procedures
Electronic ballots shall be used in both the nomination and the election processes. These ballots shall be kept for recording purposes.
a. Eight AGC Division Members. Two tenured members of the teaching faculty from each of the four academic divisions shall serve on the Academic Governance Council for staggered two year terms (“AGC Division Members”).
(1) Nomination Procedure. Each academic year, as soon as possible after the
beginning of the Spring semester and following the election of the Speaker
of the Faculty and the Committee on Tenure and Promotion, the Committee
on Nominations and Elections shall send to each faculty member in a
department that does not have an AGC Division Member serving in the
subsequent academic year a list of tenured teaching faculty members in
such department who are eligible for election as an AGC Division Member.
From the list from the Committee on Nominations and Elections, each
faculty member in such department may nominate one eligible tenured
teaching faculty member in their department. The eligible teaching faculty
member with the highest nomination total from each department shall be
nominated to be listed on the election ballot; provided, that in the event of a
tie, the Speaker of the Faculty shall select the nominee. In the event that the
service by a department member on the Academic Governance Council
would pose an undue burden on the department, the department chair may
request an exemption from nominating a candidate from the Provost and
Dean of the College, the Speaker of the Faculty, and the vice-chair of the
Academic Governance Council and such exemption must be approved by
all of them.
(2) Election of AGC Division Members. The Committee on Nominations and
Elections shall prepare a ballot on which appear the names of the nominees
from the departments grouped by division. The Committee on Nominations
and Elections shall send this ballot to each voting member of the teaching
faculty. Each voting member of the teaching faculty may vote for one
nominee from each division. The nominee from each division receiving the
highest number of votes shall serve for a two year term. In the event of a tie
in any division, the Speaker of the Faculty shall select the AGC Division
Member for that division. No more than two members of any single
department may serve as AGC Division Members at any time. The
Committee on Nominations and Elections shall report the elected AGC
Division Members to all faculty.
b. Two AGC At-Large Members. Two tenure-track faculty members of the teaching faculty shall serve on the Academic Governance Council for staggered two year terms (“AGC At-Large Members”).
(1) Nomination Procedure. No teaching faculty member shall be eligible for election
as an AGC At-Large Member if such teaching faculty member is in the same
department as another continuing AGC At-Large Member. Each academic year,
as soon as possible after the beginning of the Spring semester and following the
election of the Speaker of the Faculty, and the Committee on Tenure and
Promotion, the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall call for
nominations of two tenure-track teaching faculty members as at-large members of
the Academic Governance Council (“AGC At-Large Members”) by sending to
each faculty member a list of the tenure-track teaching faculty members who are
eligible for election and soliciting nominations. Each faculty member may
nominate two eligible tenure-track teaching faculty members.
(2) Election of AGC At-Large Members. The Committee on Nominations and
Elections shall prepare a ballot on which appear the names of those eligible
tenure-track faculty members who received the three highest nomination totals.
Each voting member of the faculty member may vote for one nominee. The
nominee receiving the highest number of votes shall serve for a two year term. In the event of a tie,
the Speaker of the Faculty shall select the AGC At-Large Member from those nominees. The Committee on Nominations and Elections
shall report the elected AGC At-Large Member to all faculty members.
c. Appointment of Student Member: The two Student Government Association (“SGA”) co-presidents will appoint a student member to serve for a one (1) year term.
(a) This student member will enjoy conditioned voting privileges, with full voting privileges except on issues directly pertaining to Chapter I, Section
A; Chapter II; Chapter III, Sections A.1, A.2, A.3, and B.4; Chapters IV, V, VI, VII; Chapter VIII, Section A, as these matters are listed as strictly faculty concerns in Section E.4.a.
d. Election of an Administrative Faculty member. A voting member will be elected by the Administrators with Faculty Status.
5. Length of Term
The terms for elected members of the Academic Governance Council shall be two years.
6. Vacancies
When a teaching faculty vacancy occurs on the Academic Governance Council, that eligible faculty member with the next highest number of votes on the final ballot in the election that
resulted in the seating of the outgoing member shall occupy the vacant seat for the period of the vacancy. If no replacement can be identified in this way, the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall exercise its discretion in filling the vacancy.
7. Meetings of the Academic Governance Council.
a. The Academic Governance Council ordinarily meets at least twice a month during the academic year. Additional meetings may be called by the chair of the Academic Governance Council or a majority vote of the members of the Academic Governance Council.
b. The Speaker of the Faculty, the Provost and Dean of the College and vice-chair of the Academic Governance Council set the agenda for meetings of the Academic Governance Council; provided, however, that faculty members may request items be placed on the agenda. The agenda will be made available by the Speaker of the Faculty to all faculty in a timely fashion before the meeting.
c. The Academic Governance Council determines its own rules of order or conducts its meetings according to Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
d. Not less than nine (9) members of the Academic Governance Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and, at any meeting at which a quorum is present, not less than seven (7) members shall vote in the affirmative to carry any matter brought before the meeting.
e.Following approval of the minutes of the meetings of the Academic Governance Council, the minutes will be posted electronically by the Speaker of the Faculty.
1. Scope and Function
a. The Faculty Assembly is the principal legislative body on all matters relating to academic affairs and faculty status.
b. It acts upon all legislative proposals from the Academic Governance Council.
c. It receives regular reports from the Finance and Planning Council and Student Life Council of actions taken and work in progress. Through the Speaker of the Faculty it also submits similar reports to these councils.
d. By a two-thirds vote of members present it may direct the Academic Governance Council to study or undertake action on matters related to academic affairs or faculty status.
2. Membership
The Faculty Assembly consists of the Speaker of the Faculty (Chair), faculty defined in Chapter I.A, the Co-Presidents of the Student Government Association (one vote), and thirteen other voting student members elected or selected in a manner determined by the Student Government Association.
3. Speaker of the Faculty
a. Duties and Powers
(1) The Speaker of the Faculty convenes and chairs all meetings of the Faculty Assembly, including calling special meetings. The Speaker of the Faculty is responsible, in conjunction with the Academic Governance Council and other appropriate officials and committees, for preparing the Call to Meeting and all accompanying materials. The Speaker of the Faculty sends written notice, including the agenda, to each voting member, one week in advance of each Faculty Assembly meeting. If the Speaker of the Faculty is absent, the meeting of the Faculty Assembly shall be chaired by the Provost and Dean of the College.
(2) The Speaker of the Faculty is an ex officio member and chair of the Academic Governance Council.
(3) To help fulfill his or her function as representative of the Faculty Assembly to the President and the Board of Trustees, the Speaker of the Faculty shall meet with any committee or its representatives as needed.
(4) The Speaker of the Faculty may, with the majority approval of the Faculty Assembly, appoint ad hoc committees of the Faculty Assembly.
(5) On matters of academic affairs and faculty status, the Speaker of the Faculty represents the Faculty Assembly to the President and the Board of Trustees.
b. Eligibility for Election
Teaching faculty are eligible for this position provided they are tenured faculty members are not serving concurrently on the Committee on Tenure and Promotion, and have not served more than one term as Speaker of the Faculty. If a member of the Committee on Faculty Affairs, the Faculty Compensation Committee, the Academic Governance Council, the Finance and Planning Council, or the Student Life Council is elected Speaker of the Faculty, that person shall vacate the seat on that committee or council.
c. Election Procedures
In a preliminary nomination ballot by mail conducted by the Committee on Nominations and Elections, each voting member of the Faculty Assembly shall nominate up to five members of the tenured teaching faculty. The three eligible faculty members who receive the highest number of nominations and who agree to serve if elected shall be listed on the final election ballot in alphabetical order. Each faculty member listed on the final election ballot shall make readily available to each member of the Faculty Assembly a document explaining their interest in and preparation for the position of Speaker of the Faculty. Each voting member of the Faculty Assembly shall vote for no more than one of the nominees. This election shall take place in the fall semester and prior to the election for the Committee on Tenure and Promotion. The newly elected Speaker of the Faculty shall be seated at the beginning of the next academic year.
d. Term of Office
The Speaker of the Faculty shall serve for a period of three years. In the event of an unexpected vacancy, the Provost and Dean of the College shall preside as acting Chair of the Faculty Assembly until the Committee on Nominations and Elections conducts a special election.
The Speaker of the Faculty shall receive a reduction of two courses each academic year during the period of his or her term.
4. Procedures of the Faculty Assembly
a. Meetings
The Faculty Assembly normally meets four times per year but at least once each semester. These meetings shall be scheduled by the Academic Governance Council for any Tuesday afternoon within the academic semester. The Speaker of the Faculty shall convene and chair all Faculty Assembly meetings, including special meetings called by the Speaker of the Faculty upon his or her own initiative, upon the request of a majority of the Academic Governance Council, or upon receipt of a written petition to the Speaker of the Faculty, stating the topic for discussion, signed by at least ten voting members of the Faculty Assembly.
Meetings shall be chaired by the Speaker of the Faculty, or, in his or her absence, by the Provost and Dean of the College. The presiding officer may vote on all motions, but shall relinquish the chair to speak to a motion.
Meetings shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, except as shall be modified by these statutes.
Questions of procedure and interpretation and points of order shall be resolved by a parliamentarian appointed annually by the Speaker of the Faculty for this purpose.
The presence of one third of the voting members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at meetings. All members of the Faculty Assembly are expected to attend each meeting, but attendance, other than a quorum count, shall not be recorded. All new proposals calling for the adoption of any amendment to a portion of these statutes must be presented to the Academic Governance Council so they can be included in the Call to Meeting prior to discussion at the Faculty Assembly. Motions calling for the adoption of additions, deletions, or amendments to these statutes shall require the approval of a two-thirds majority of those members of the faculty who vote in a mail or electronic ballot, provided that at least one half of the members eligible to vote cast valid ballots within two weeks of the meeting at which the motion passed. However, student members are not eligible to vote on amendments pertaining to matters in Chapter I, Section A; Chapter II; Chapter III, Sections A.1, A.2, A.3, and B.4; Chapters IV, V, VI, VII; Chapter VIII, Section A. These matters are considered strictly faculty concerns. Therefore, students shall not vote in the meeting or in a mail ballot on any of these issues. On all non-statute matters, a simple majority of those present and voting shall suffice; these votes may be by voice, show of hands, or written ballot.
Each year the Office of the Provost and Dean of the College shall provide the Speaker of the Faculty with an accurate, up-to-date listing of voting members of the Faculty Assembly.
b. Office and Duties of the Recorder of the Faculty
The voting teaching and administrative faculty members shall annually elect from their ranks a Recorder of the Faculty. The Committee on Nominations and Elections shall present a slate of three nominees, to which additions may be made from the floor; the Recorder of the Faculty shall be chosen from these nominees by a written ballot. In the case of a tie, the winner shall be decided by the toss of a coin. The Recorder of the Faculty shall prepare and present minutes of all meetings of the Faculty Assembly.
The duties of the Recorder of the Faculty shall commence at the start of the academic year for which he or she is elected and shall end with the completion of the minutes of the last meeting of the Faculty Assembly of that year.
The Office of the Provost and Dean of the College shall preserve the records, minutes, and results of all actions at meetings, as well as the reports made to the faculty by committees, councils and other persons.
These records shall be open to the inspection of any voting member of the Faculty Assembly or to the Board of Trustees, upon request.
c. Agenda
A written agenda shall be prepared for each meeting and sent to each member by the Speaker of the Faculty with the Call to Meeting. Ordinarily, the agenda is prepared by the Academic Governance Council. For meetings called by petition, the agenda shall include the topic for which the meeting was petitioned. Items not on the agenda may be proposed by any voting member, discussed and voted upon at any meeting; the consent, however, of two thirds of the members present and voting shall be necessary for immediate consideration of such topics; failing this, such topics shall be added to the list of unfinished business.
d. Order of Business
(1) Call to order and quorum call.
(2) Scripture reading by one of the chaplains.
(3) Approval of minutes of the last meeting.
(4) Conducting of elections.
(5) Reports from the Academic Governance Council, the Finance and Planning Council, the Student Life Council, and the representatives of the Student Government Association. All of these reports are subject to a time-controlled question-and-answer period determined by the Speaker of the Faculty.
(6) Unfinished business.
(7) Agenda of proposals submitted by the Academic Governance Council.
(8) New business, including invited addresses.
(9) Adjournment.
e. Meeting in times of extenuating circumstance
In times of extenuating circumstance, the Faculty Assembly may meet using remote communication technology. The Academic Governance Council must pass a motion declaring the extenuating circumstance. Ordinarily, the agenda for a Faculty Assembly Meeting in a state of extenuating circumstance is prepared by the Academic Governance Council. The Faculty Assembly Meeting will conduct business using standard statutory procedures, modified as necessary for available technology, at the discretion of the Speaker. The Assembly may vote to object and over-rule the Speaker’s procedure modifications by majority vote of those assembled using the remote communication technology.
The following rules may not be modified by the Speaker in times of extenuating circumstance:
The standard quorum of 1/3 of the membership of the Faculty Assembly shall apply to conduct transactional business in extenuating circumstances. Amendments to the Statues must be approved by electronic ballot as in standard procedures. The Assembly Meeting convened during an extenuating circumstance refers amendments to the Statutes to electronic ballot by 2/3 vote of those present on the communications platform.