By Laws
Faculty Senate
- University of Denver
Committee Operations
Senate Meetings and Actions
Duties of Certain Officers
Election of Officers
Publication
Budget
Amendments
President of a Member of all Committees. The Senate President shall be a non-voting member ex officio of all standing and ad hoc committees unless his/her status as a voting member is specified.
Calling meetings.
Committees shall meet during the first two weeks of each quarter to plan for the quarter's activities, unless their particular charge makes this unnecessary.
Any two members of a standing or ad hoc committee may petition the Senate President to call a meeting of their committee.
The President and Recording Secretary of the Senate shall be notified of all scheduled committee meetings.
Records. Committees shall submit records of their meetings, to be kept in Senate office files for at least three years.
Reporting to Executive Committee. Chairs of the standing and ad hoc committees, and representatives of the Senate to all other bodies, shall report at least quarterly to the Executive Committee. Chairs of ad hoc committees shall be invited, upon the request, to report to the next or subsequent meeting of the Executive Committee.
Timely reporting to administration. When a request by the administration for consideration of a matter is accepted by the Senate or a Senate committee, a mutually acceptable time schedule for reporting shall be established. Progress reports shall be submitted. Should the Senate fail to meet the schedule agreed upon, the administration shall have n obligation to await its report.
Resignation by absences. Absence of a committee member from three consecutive committee meetings without a valid excuse (as judged by the committee chair with the consent of the other committee members) shall constitute resignation from the committee. The chair shall inform the resigning member and the Senate Secretary.
Quorum. To transact business, a committee shall require a quorum equal to majority of its members. If a quorum fails, a date for a new meeting may be set by those present, allowing at least five days for the meeting call. In the call, the agenda and failed quorum shall be announced. At the follow-up meeting, any members in attendance shall constitute a quorum.
II. Senate Meetings and Actions
Parliamentarian. The President may appoint a parliamentarian to assist in conducting meetings. Unless chosen from the Senate membership, the parliamentarian shall have no vote.
Seating. When business is to be transacted at a Senate meeting, voting members shall sit in a separate section from the visitors.
Referral to a committee. Motions proposed as new business shall normally be referred to one of the standing committees, either by action of the mover, or by subsequent action of the Executive Committee.
Procedure for action. The normal steps by which the Senate acts on a committee recommendation:
The committee report shall be presented to the Executive Committee before submission to the full Senate.
Committee reports requiring detailed discussion and Senate approval shall be distributed to all Senators not later than the call for the meeting at which the report is to be presented and discussed.
The report shall be discussed at the meeting without considering specific action, allowing the Senate to form an opinion on the substance of the report and on its controversial aspects.
The committee shall solicit written comments to be submitted within two weeks, and then reconsider the report, preferably consulting with those proposing changes.
If significant changes have been made, the revised report shall be sent to Senators, preferably with the changes indicated, not later than the call for the meeting at which the report is considered for adoption. If necessary, steps 3 to 5 shall be repeated. Amendments shall normally be ruled out of order if they refer to items on the report that were neither revised nor brought to the committee's attention during earlier consideration.
III. Duties of Certain Officers
President
To preside over the meetings of the Senate and of the Executive Committee.
To serve as representative of the faculty to the Board of Trustees.
To transmit to the administration and , as determined appropriate by the Senate and the Chancellor, to the Board of Trustees, all recommendations adopted by the Senate.
To provide to the administration, after consultation with the Executive Committee, the names of faculty members to be appointed to certain University committees, as provided in IV.A.4 of the Constitution. The President may ask the Nominating, Credentials and Rules committee to assist in identifying candidates.
To report to the full Senate the disposition of recommendations it has made.
Together with the Secretary, to meet regularly with the Chancellor and Provost. and Vice-Chancellor for Financial Affairs.
Secretary.
To distribute the call and agenda for each regular and special Senate meeting.
To provide minutes of meetings of the Senate and of the Executive Committee.
To keep a record of actions the Senate takes, their disposition, and whether or not they are implemented.
To keep files of committee minutes and committee memberships.
To inform the voting unit when a Senate seat is vacated; to inform the Nominating, Credentials and Rules committee when a committee position is vacated.
Preparing the Ballot. Before the May election meeting, the Nominating, Credentials and Rules committee shall seek nominations for the offices with expiring terms, providing more candidates in each case than the number of positions to be filled. The committee shall prepare the ballot, identifying each candidate by the unity represented, and allowing space for nominations from the floor.
Majority and run-offs. All officers must be elected by a majority of the Senators voting; a run-off election between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes my thus be required.
Content. The Senate shall regularly distribute a newsletter summarizing actions and considerations of the Senate and Senate committees, and other information of general interest. It may include administrative plans, faculty concerns, position papers, minutes, letters, essays or other newsworthy items.
Distribution. The newsletter shall be sent to all members of the faculty electorate, as defined in the Constitution, II.B., and to all members of the Board of Trustees.
Items. The President and Secretary shall annually prepare a budget for Senate operations, to include such items as:
Salary for the Recording Secretary
Staff support for committees to prepare minutes, reports, etc.
Support for a planning conference for the Executive Committee, usually in early June
Preparation and distribution for the newsletter
Part-time release from other duties for the Senate President
Maintenance of the Senate office
Budgetary head. The Provost shall act as budgetary head for this account.
Amendments to these By-Laws may be made by a majority vote of those present at any meeting of the Senate, provided the proposal has been presented at a previous meeting and reported in the minutes thereof.
Adopted by the Senate at its regular meeting of 20 Nov 1986.