CONSTITUTION of the FACULTY SENATE

of the UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

(Last Revision Approved by the Board of Trustees on June 8, 2001)

I. PURPOSE

A. The Faculty Senate shall determine its own agenda, which will be particularly concerned with policies affecting educational activities and academic personnel related to the University as a whole, and the relation of the various academic units to those policies and to one another.

II. MEMBERSHIP

A. Representation. The voting membership of the Senate shall consist of approximately 50 elected representatives of the several faculties. Representation of the elected members shall be approximately as follows: one Senator from each department of the three division faculties; eight Senators from the Daniels College of Business; five Senators from the College of Law; two Senators from the Graduate School of International Studies; two Senators from the Graduate School of Social Work; one Senator from the College of Education; one Senator from the Graduate School of Professional Psychology; one Senator from the library professionals who are faculty members; two Senators from University College; one Senator from The Women's College; and six Senators elected at large. The Provost as Dean of the Faculty shall serve ex officio as a nonvoting member.

B. Electorate. The electorate of the Senate, eligible to nominate, to elect, and to stand for election to the Senate, shall include:

1. all persons holding full-time continuing appointments as Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Instructors, Senior Lecturers, and Lecturers,

2. all persons holding full-time continuing appointments in the Professional, Research, and Librarian ranks, e.g. Research Scientist or Research Engineer,

3. all persons holding at least half-time appointments in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University College, or The Women's College, with primary teaching responsibility for at least one full course per year,

4. administrators: Department Chairs, Assistant Deans, Associate Deans, Deans, Vice-Provosts and Vice-Chancellors who devote at least one-half of their time to teaching and research.

C. Term. The term of an elected Senator shall be three years. One-third of the total number of Senators (as nearly as practicable) shall be elected each year.

D. Elections. Elections to the Senate shall be conducted by members of the University faculty in each unit as follows:

1. Nominations shall be made by members of the voting unit. Procedures shall provide that every member of the electorate have the opportunity to place names in nomination.

2. There shall be at least twice as many nominations as there are Senators to be elected (if size of voting unit permits).

3. Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot.

4. Elections in the voting units shall be held before the first day of May.

5. All faculty members (as defined in Sec. B) shall be eligible to nominate and to stand for the position of Senator at large.

6. The Senators at large shall be elected, by secret ballot, at the last meeting before the May election meeting.

7. Newly elected Senators shall take office at the end of the May election meeting.

E. Adjusting representation. The Nominations, Credentials and Rules Committee shall be responsible for annual reviews of voting units and the number of Senators to be elected from each, and may make recommendations to the Senate for adjustments as required.

F. Resignations for Leave. Any Senator who expects to be out-of-residence for more than four consecutive months (exclusive of summer) must resign membership in the Senate. Senators will be regarded as out-of-residence when they take sabbatical leave for more than one quarter or engage in any activity which implies absence from the University.

G. Filling Vacancies. In the event a Senator does not complete his/her term, the faculty of the voting unit shall elect, as soon as practicable, a replacement for the unexpired term.

III. OFFICERS

A. Officers listed:

1. President, representative ex officio to the Board of Trustees, elected for a single two-year term.

2. President-elect, elected to a one-year term to coincide with the second year of the President's term, thereafter succeeds automatically to the Presidency.

3. Secretary, elected for a two-year term.

4. Chair of the Financial Planning Committee, member ex officio of the Board of Trustees Committee on Budget, elected for a two-year term.

5. Three representatives to the Board of Trustees Committee on Faculty and Educational Affairs, elected to staggered three-year terms.

6. Editor of the Faculty Forum, elected for a one-year term.

B. Elections. The officers of the Senate shall be elected by the Senate membership, at the last regular meeting in May of the academic year, after nomination by the Committee on Nominations, Credentials and Rules or by any Senator, at the last meeting before the May election meeting. All officers shall themselves be Senators, except that one of the three representatives to the Board of Trustees Committee on Faculty and Educational Affairs may be a faculty member who is not a Senator. If an officer's term as a Senator expires before his/her term as an officer, and the officer is not reelected to the Senate by the constituency, then the officer shall be appointed a Senator-at-large until the end of the term of office. Upon assuming the office of President, a Senator shall be assigned a three-year term as Senator at large, and his/her unit shall elect a replacement.

C. Executive Committee. The President; President-elect; Secretary; Chair of the Financial Planning Committee; Chairs of the Academic Planning Committee, Nominations, Credentials and Rules Committee, Personnel Committee, Student Relations Committee; two Senators elected as Members-at-large; and the editor of the Faculty Forum shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Senate. Following the election of its members at the close of the spring quarter, the newly-constituted Executive Committee shall examine its membership to ascertain whether all major University constituencies are represented. If not, it may appoint one additional Senator as member-at-large for a one-year term.

D. Vacancies.

1. President.

a) If the President is temporarily unable to perform the duties of the office, the President-elect will assume the duties; if no President-elect is in office, the Chair of the Financial Planning Committee shall assume the duties of the presidency, and may then be called Vice-President.

b) If a President vacates office during the second year of the term, the President-elect shall succeed to the presidency. If a president vacates office during the first term, the Secretary shall call an early meeting of the Senate to elect a President to finish out the unexpired term. In such rare cases, the Committee on Nominations, Credentials and Rules shall rule on the length of the partial term, eligibility for reelection, and time for election of another President-elect, in order to regularize terms.

2. Other officers. If the position of any other officer falls vacant, the President, with the approval of a majority of the Executive Committee, shall call an election or appoint a Senator to the unexpired term.

IV. POWERS, DUTIES, AND PROCEDURES

A.Powers and Duties.

1. Recommend policy. To formulate, debate and adopt policy recommendations regarding any aspect of the life of the University, and to communicate these recommendations to the administration through the Provost and, as determined appropriate by the Senate and the Chancellor, to the Board of Trustees. The Senate's purview shall include, but shall not be restricted to:

a) Educational policies: such matters as admission requirements, curricula, degrees offered and degree requirements;

b) Research policies: policies relating to faculty scholarship, research, and other creative activities;

c) Scholastic policies: such matters as grading, calendar, and conferring of degrees, which affect the entire University;

d) Personnel policies: policies relating to appointment and conditions of service of academic personnel;

e) Scholarships policies: policies to govern the awarding of scholarships and fellowships;

f) Policies governing affiliates: policies to regulate agreements between the University and other educational institutions which are or may become affiliated with it, especially concerning degrees, diplomas and certificates to be awarded by the affiliated institution;

g) General: any policies which may serve to increase the quality or efficiency of the work of the University.

2. Consider finances. To receive from administrative officers appropriate information respecting the finances of the University and to disseminate that information insofar as it is deemed necessary for efficient work by the Senate.

3. Consider conduct of University officers. To recommend policies to the administration to ensure the accountability of officers of instruction or administration; and to consider any questions that may arise concerning the conduct or efficiency of any officer of instruction or administration, reporting its findings to the Chancellor and, as determined appropriate by the Senate and the Chancellor, to the Board of Trustees.

4. Appoint to University committees. To designate between one-quarter and one-half of the members (fraction to be determined in consultation with the Provost) of any all-University committee which deals with formulating policies or plans, recruiting key personnel, or like matters; and to receive interim, preliminary and final reports from such committees, so that standing Senate committees can contribute suggestions to their deliberations.

5. Call General Faculty meetings. To call, with at least five days notice, a General Faculty Meeting (through the President, with the approval of the Executive Committee) when need for one arises in addition to the two convened by the Provost at the beginning of the Winter Quarter and before the close of the Spring Quarter.

6. Invite consultants. To invite consultants from within or outside the University to participate in Senate deliberations, either by action of the Executive Committee or by a majority vote at a Senate meeting.

7. Enact By-Laws. To adopt and amend such By-Laws as are deemed necessary to implement the provisions of this Constitution.

B. Limitation of Powers. In addition to any other reservation or restriction herein contained, no exercise of Senate powers which changes admission requirements or graduation requirements shall take effect until specifically approved by the Board of Trustees. No commitment for the expenditure of University funds shall be made except as provided in the University budget or otherwise authorized by the Trustees and approved by the appropriate officers of the University. No contracts or agreements shall be signed by the officers or members of the Senate on behalf of the University.

C. Procedures.

1. Majority and quorum. Passage of legislation, election of officers, and amendment of this Constitution shall require a simple majority of Senators present. A quorum for such actions shall be forty per cent of the Senate's members. If a quorum call fails, either the President or the members in attendance may adjourn the meeting to a new time, at least five days later, and inform all Senators of the agenda. At the next meeting a reduced quorum requirement of thirty per cent of the membership shall be in effect for those agenda items re-listed.

2. Proxies. A Senator who must be absent from a Senate meeting may designate any other faculty member to vote on her/his behalf. Such designation must be written and presented to the President at or before the beginning of the meeting. Designated voters shall be counted in quorum calls.

3. Accessibility. Faculty, staff, and other members of the University community may bring their concerns regarding University policies directly to the attention of a Senate committee or, with prior approval from the Executive Committee or the President, to the Senate floor for a limited time prearranged with the President.

V. STANDING AND AD HOC COMMITTEES

A. General Functioning. The Senate's standing committees shall be the normal, but not exclusive, forum for the formulation of faculty recommendations respecting policies and plans likely to affect the life of the University. Such issues, referred to the Senate by Senators, other faculty members, staff members or administrators, shall be debated in committee; ensuing recommendations, after possible modifications and acceptance by the full Senate, shall be promptly forwarded to the Provost by the Senate President and, when determined appropriate by the Senate and the Chancellor, to the Board of Trustees. When, however, the administration appoints an ad hoc committee to deal with a special problem of policy or planning, then lines of communication with the Senate shall be assured as provided in IV.A.4.

B. Standing Committees.

1. The Executive Committee is constituted as in III.C. Its functions shall be to represent the Senate when the Senate is not in session, to coordinate the work of the other standing committees, to conduct long-range planning for the Senate, and to prepare the agenda for meetings of the full Senate. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once per quarter with the Chancellor, with the Provost (see V.B.2) and with the Vice-Chancellor for Business and Financial Affairs (see V.B.3)

2. The Academic Planning Committee shall normally be composed of no fewer than ten Senators. This committee shall recommend to the Senate policies pertaining to curriculum and quality of instruction; research and scholarship, instructional and scholarly technology, and long-range planning. The following Faculty Senate appointments to university committees shall be made from the Academic Planning Committee (or appointees shall become members of the Academic Planning Committee): for a two year term, one representative to the Undergraduate Council; for staggered two year terms two representatives each to the Library Advisory Committee and the Graduate Council (one to represent the three faculties and the other to represent the professional schools). The Academic Planning Committee shall meet twice per year with the Vice-Provost for Research to review and make recommendations on applications for the Faculty Research Fund. The committee shall meet once per quarter jointly with the Executive Committee and the Provost.

3. The Financial Planning Committee shall normally be composed of no fewer than six Senators. This committee shall, with the approval of the Executive Committee, initiate such studies of financial policy as may contribute to the maximum effectiveness of the program of the University. It may also engage in studies requested by the administration through the Executive Committee of the Senate. The Committee shall meet once per quarter jointly with the Executive Committee and the Vice-Chancellor for Business and Financial Affairs.

4. The Nominations, Credentials and Rules Committee shall normally be composed of no fewer than six Senators. This committee shall establish procedures for nomination and election of officers, and shall make nominations. It shall determine eligibility for membership in the Senate, in accordance with II.B; shall appoint standing committees, in accordance with V,C; and shall periodically consider the need for bringing the Constitution and By-Laws into conformity with current Senate practice. The committee shall, upon request of the President or the Executive Committee, assist in appointing Senate representatives to all-University committees.

5. The Personnel Committee shall normally be composed of no fewer than six Senators. This committee shall evaluate and recommend to the Senate all matters of policy respecting academic freedom, tenure, rank, advancement, evaluation, and improvement of services, salaries, and retirement annuities for faculty. The committee shall also consider and evaluate requests for sabbatical leaves and recommend faculty recipients of University honors.

6. The Student Relations Committee shall normally be composed of no fewer than six Senators. This committee shall investigate and make recommendations regarding academic and non-academic components of student and alumni life at the University. It shall also pay attention to student support services such as computing access, the Driscoll University Center, the Daniel L. Ritchie Sports and Wellness Center, the Robert Yegge Student Center, and the bookstore. The Committee shall facilitate communication regarding these issues among faculty, staff, administrators, students and alumni. The Committee shall meet at least once per quarter with the Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Studies, Wellness, and Campus Life, and at least once per year with the Director of Alumni Relations.

C. Appointment of Standing Committees

1. Before the first of May, continuing Senators may request reassignment to a new committee for the coming year.

2. Each standing committee (except Financial Planning), including its outgoing members, shall elect a chair for the coming year at its last committee meeting before the Senate election meeting.

3. At the election meeting in May, the Nominations, Credentials and Rules Committee shall distribute and collect questionnaires for all new Senators to record at least two committees, ranked, on which they would prefer to serve.

4. The members of the Executive Committee in place at the close of the election meeting shall meet within two days to appoint Senators to vacancies in the Nominations, Credentials and Rules Committee.

5. Within a week of the election meeting, the newly constituted Nominations, Credentials and Rules Committee shall appoint members to all other standing committees and report them to the secretary. Appointments both by the Executive Committee (see preceding section) and by the Nominations, Credentials and Rules Committee shall give due consideration to a) Senators' preferences, b) continuity of committee membership, and c) balance in each committee among Senate constituencies. Generally a Senator shall sit on only one committee.

6. Before the date of the Spring commencement exercises, each standing committee chair shall call a brief meeting to organize the committee. The Chair shall report back to the Senate Secretary the committee's choice of its secretary, and chairs of subcommittees where appropriate.

7. All members of standing committees must be members of the Senate, unless otherwise ordered by the Senate; but committees may form subcommittees which include faculty members who are not Senators.

D. Reports. All standing committees shall submit written reports of their work before the end of each academic year, to be filed with committee records, and shall report orally to the full Senate.

E. Ad Hoc Committees. An ad hoc committee, with specified charge and specified term, may be elected by the Senate at any meeting, or may be appointed by the Executive Committee subject to final consent of the Senate. Faculty members who are not Senators are eligible for appointment to ad hoc committees. When the ad hoc committee has fulfilled its charge, it shall submit a written report to the Senate.

VI. ADVISORY COMMITTEES

A. Faculty Review Commmittee

1. Function: the committee shall consider, for review, investigation, evaluation and report, complaints by faculty members of three kinds

a) Grievances respecting faculty status, working conditions, and appointments

b) Grievances respecting salary allocations, providing that a pattern of inequity extending over at least a two-year period is alleged

c) Grievances respecting reappointment, promotion, tenure or dismissal, if the Provost has recommended in the negative (see Faculty Personnel Guidelines, VI.C.II) and the appellant alleges lack of adequate consideration (Faculty Personnel Guidelines, III.C.5) or violation of academic freedom.

2. Election of Committee and its Chair

a) Representation.

(1) One member shall be appointed at large by the Provost for a three year term.

(2) Nine members shall be elected by academic units to staggered three-year terms. NCR Committee shall determine the rotation of electing units, modifying the plan from time to time to effect optimal representation of all Senate constituencies.

(3) As many as three additional members may be appointed by the Senate Executive Committee for a one-year term in order to achieve diversity on the Committee and rectify perceived underrepresentation.

(4) One member may be appointed by the Senate President for the hearing of a single case, if the appellant's academic unit is not currently represented on the Committee. The appointment must be made from that academic unit, at the request of the appellant.

b) Procedures.

(1) The Senate shall keep lists of the Committee members and their terms, and organize elections each April in units to fill seats as it determines.

(2) As soon as elections are completed, the Senate Executive Committee shall determine whether further appointments are needed to serve the cause of diversity, and make such appointments.

(3) The Provost's appointee shall convene the Committee, as constituted in section 2, a above, no later than the end of May, to elect its chair for the coming academic year.

(4) For the business of the Committee, any seven members shall constitute a quorum.

3. Reports.

a) To the Senate. At the close of the academic year the Committee shall report on the process of its deliberations and shall report, to the extent possible without compromising the confidentiality essential to its work, on any significant general findings, to the Personnel Committee of the Senate.

b) To the administration. The Committee shall report severally on the validity of each individual complaint, and may recommend remedies either for procedural inadequacies or for inequities or injustices. These findings shall be reported to the immediate administrative superior of the complainant, to the appropriate dean, and to the Provost.

B. Faculty Athletic Committee

1. Function: the committee shall protect the academic integrity of the University and insure the primacy of the educational experience in athletic programs, in three ways:

a) formulating and recommending policy to the Provost and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies regarding all aspects of athletic programs at the University, including, but not limited to, policies to assure that athletes have the opportunity to participate fully in the processes of educational and career development, and to assure that admissions officers, administrators, faculty and students are protected from inappropriate pressures associated with athletic performance

b) monitoring the educational experiences of student-athletes and the impact of athletics on all academic programs at the University

c) assuring that there is regular and open sharing of information with the university community about all aspects of the University's athletic programs, including information about new and existing policies, information about the academic performance of student athletes and academic support services for them, and information about the finances of athletic programs and their impact on the University budget.

2. Composition of the Committee

a) Membership

(1) Voting members:

(a) Faculty representatives: four members elected by and from the faculty of the University (as defined in Art II, sec B) shall serve staggered three-year terms

(b) Senate representatives: three members of the Faculty Senate appointed by the Senate Executive Committee to represent standing committees on Academic Planning, Financial Planning, and Student Relations shall serve renewable two-year terms

(c) Student representatives: two undergraduate student-athletes competing at the intercollegiate level shall serve staggered two-year terms

(d) None of the seven faculty members will serve for more than six years consecutively.

(2) Non-voting members

(a) the NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative (appointed by the Chancellor in consultation with the President of the Faculty Senate)

(b) the Director of Athletics

(c) the Associate Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Studies, Wellness and Campus Life

b) Election and Appointment Procedures:

(1) Faculty representatives

(a) During the Spring quarter of each academic year the Senate Nominations, Credentials and Rules Committee shall conduct elections to replace faculty members who are approaching the end of their terms

(b) NCR shall solicit nominations from all faculty, with a statement of the purpose and duties of the Committee

(c) All nominations submitted must certify the nominee's agreement to serve

(d) NCR, through the Faculty Senate office, shall distribute ballots to all faculty (as

defined in Art. II, sec. B), count the votes, and announce the results.

(2) Student representatives

(a) The Director of Athletics shall determine the procedure for electing or appointing the two student-athletes.

c) Officers and their duties

(1) The voting members shall elect a chair from the ranks of the elected or appointed faculty members for a two-year term. The chair will be responsible for calling meetings, setting agendas, representing the Committee to Board of Trustees Athletic Affairs Committee, and organizing reports for the Athletic Affairs Committee, the Faculty Senate, and the University community

(2) The voting members shall elect a recording secretary from among the entire membership for a one-year term, to record and circulate minutes and official actions among Committee members

(3) The voting members shall annually elect a second representative to the Board of Trustees Athletic Affairs Committee

3. Reports

a) The three Faculty Senate representatives will report regularly on the Committee's activities, deliberations, policies and reports, to their respective standing committees (Academic Planning, Student Relations, and Financial Planning) and to the full Senate.

b) Regularly each quarter (Fall, Winter and Spring), at the invitation of the Senate President, the Director of Athletics and Recreation shall report to the Senate on all aspects of the University's athletic programs, and respond to questions.

c) The elected chair and second representative (sec. 2,c,3 above) shall serve as faculty liaisons to the Athletic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees. They will provide reports and recommendations from the FAC to the Athletic Affairs Committee, and will report the Athletic Affairs Committee's activities and decisions back to the FAC, the Faculty Senate, and the University community

VII. MEETINGS

A. Meeting Calls. The Senate shall normally hold monthly meetings throughout the academic year. Special meetings may be held also, on call of the President or on petition of ten Senators. Written notice of each meeting shall be sent to all Senators at least five days before the date of the meeting, with an agenda of the meeting.

B. Attendance and Excuses. Regular attendance is required of Senators; absence from three consecutive Senate meetings without due cause shall be cause for revocation of the Senator's membership.

C. Participation. Attendance at meetings of the Faculty Senate is open to all members of the University community. Participation in any meeting, however, is restricted to Senators and any guests specifically invited to participate (e.g. as in IV.C.3, V.C.6, or V.E).

D. Rules. Operations of Senate meetings shall be governed by Roberts Rules of Order (latest revision) wherever applicable and not superseded by other regulations of this Constitution or the By-Laws of the Faculty Senate.

VIII. AMENDMENTS

A. Vote. Amendments to this Constitution may be made by majority vote at any Senate meeting, provided the proposal has been presented at a previous meeting and reported in the minutes thereof.

B. Board approval. An amendment shall take effect only after approval by the Board of Trustees of the University of Denver.

Adopted by The Senate at its regular meeting of 20 Nov l986, amended at meetings of 24 Nov 1986, 19 Jan l987, 21 Jan 1987, 2 Mar 1987, 26 Jan 1990, 11 May 1990, 15 Nov 1990, 31 Mar 1995, 19 May 1995, 12 April 1996, 14 Feb 1996, 14 Mar 1997, 3 Apr 1998, 12 March 1999, 8 June 2001.