Faculty Senate Constitution
From the UCA Faculty Handbook (May 2024), Chapter 2, Section V (https://uca.edu/go/facultyhandbook)
ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION OF THE FACULTY
Section 1. The Faculty Association shall include those full-time employees of the university who hold faculty rank as described in Chapter 3 of the Faculty Handbook and those full-time employees of the university who have teaching included as a responsibility of their appointment.
Section 2. The Faculty Senate, hereinafter referred to as the senate, shall serve as the representative body of the faculty of UCA.
ARTICLE II. FUNCTION OF THE SENATE
Section 1. Within the limitations stated in the remainder of this article, the senate shall have the responsibility to review university policies in all areas that directly pertain to the academic function of UCA, such as curriculum and standards, academic programs, faculty affairs, and continuing education.
Section 2. To facilitate the timely review of policy proposals that pertain to the academic function of the university, each university standing committee shall forward copies of its minutes to the senate membership and shall make available to the senate for its review any proposals that emanate from said standing committee. The senate may call on chairs of university standing committees to discuss policy proposals that the senate may wish to review.
Section 3. The senate shall provide for representation of the faculty in matters affecting the welfare of the faculty.
Section 4. The senate shall establish such committees as it deems necessary to carry out its functions.
Section 5. The senate shall consider all matters proposed by university and senate committees, by individual faculty members, by the provost, or by the university president, if placed on its agenda.
Section 6. The senate shall serve as the faculty committee on committees for the selection of faculty members on all university standing committees.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP OF THE SENATE
Section 1. The senate shall consist of ex officio and elected members as follows:
A. Ex Officio: Provost
Ex Officio: (For purposes of this paragraph “part-time faculty” means “part-time employees of the university with teaching included as a responsibility of their appointment.”) One part- time faculty member of the university elected by the part-time faculty of the university. This shall be a non-voting member except on issues that directly affect the part-time faculty of the university as determined by the president of the senate.
C. Elected
1. College senators: Three Faculty Association members from each academic college and three Faculty Association members from all of the unaffiliated faculty units of the university shall be elected by a secret ballot of the Faculty Association of the respective academic units in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
2. At-large senators: Three Faculty Association members shall be elected by a vote of the entire Faculty
Section 2. No more than two senators shall be from any single department, and no more than two chairs (or equivalent position) shall be elected from each college. No administrator at the assistant dean or above level shall be eligible to be elected.
Section 3. Elected senators shall serve for a term of three years, and vacancies shall be in accordance with the senate bylaws. However, no person shall serve more than seven successive years.
Section 4. Each group of senators is divided into three classes, such that within each group, one of the three classes is elected each year.
Section 5. The senate shall adopt election procedures in its bylaws.
Section 6. The term of office for newly elected senators shall begin on the date of the first called meeting after the end of spring classes or May 1, whichever comes first.
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the senate shall be as follows: president; vice president, who shall serve as president-elect; secretary-treasurer; parliamentarian; and webmaster/archivist.
Section 2. Eligibility for election to an office shall be restricted to elected members of the senate. The president and vice president shall both hold academic tenure at the time of their election as officers.
Section 3. The term of office for any senate officer shall be one year or until a successor has been chosen and qualified.
Section 4. The officers of the senate shall be elected by vote of the elected members of the senate before May 15 each year.
Section 5. The president and vice president of the senate shall be eligible for reassigned time as approved by the provost so that the functions of the office may be properly carried out. The secretary-treasurer shall notify the provost of the name of the person selected as senate vice president (president-elect) so that any necessary schedule planning may be effected.
Section 6. Once elected, the vice president and president shall vacate their positions as college or at-large senators in order to lead the senate. Without regard to the date of their election to the senate, the vice president shall serve two more years: one year as vice president and one year as president. After serving as president, a senator’s term shall end. The vacancies created by their election as officers shall be filled in accordance with the senate bylaws.
ARTICLE V. MEETINGS
Section 1. The senate shall hold regularly scheduled meetings each month of the academic year.
Section 2. The senate may be called into special session by the president of the senate or by request of a majority of the senate.
Section 3. Any faculty member may attend any regular or special session of the senate and may participate in its deliberations with the consent of the presiding officer. Only senate members shall be eligible to propose a motion or to vote. Neither the president nor vice- president shall vote unless there is a tie, in which case the president, or vice president if they are presiding in the president’s absence, may vote to break the tie.
Section 4. A quorum for any meeting of the senate shall consist of a majority of the members.
Section 5. The rules of parliamentary procedure contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised shall govern the proceedings of the senate, subject to such special rules as may be adopted by the senate.
ARTICLE VI. AMENDMENTS
Section 1. An amendment to this Constitution may be proposed at any regular meeting of the senate by a majority vote of the membership, provided a copy of the proposed amendment has been presented to each member in attendance at the immediately preceding meeting.
Section 2. Any amendment proposed by the senate shall be submitted to a vote of the faculty. Each faculty member shall be notified at least two weeks in advance of such a vote and at the time be furnished with a copy of the proposed amendment.
Section 3. Any proposed amendments to the Constitution that are submitted by the Faculty Senate will be submitted to the Faculty Association for a vote.Voting shall be conducted similar to the election of senators as prescribed by the faculty senate bylaws.
Section 4. In order for an amendment to pass and thus become a part of the Constitution, over half of the faculty association members must vote, and a proposed amendment must receive “do pass” from at least two-thirds of those voting. Ratified August 20, 1990.
Section 5. Subsequent to the approval of an amendment by the Faculty Association, this Constitution shall be considered amended upon approval by the university president, and by the Board of Trustees of UCA.