BYLAWS
OF THE UNIVERSITY SENATE
MEMBERSHIP
1. The
University Senate shall consist of the following: Ex-Officio members, Council members elected
by the Council, student members elected by the students and staff members
elected by Staff Senate.
The total number of elected
Council members on the Senate shall be three times the number of ex-
officio
members. The Council members of each
professional school or college and the libraries shall
elect two
Senate members with the exception of the
the
right to elect eight senators, two each from the areas of Natural and Physical
Sciences,
Humanities, Social Sciences
and Fine Arts; the balance of the faculty membership of the Senate shall
be
elected at large by the Council. One of the faculty-at-large positions will be held by the
incoming
Chair of the
Senate to assure that the Chair is a voting member of the Senate.
2. The procedure for electing Senate members
at large shall be as follows:
a. During
the first week of April each year, the Registrar shall distribute to members of
the Council a nominating list of those eligible to serve on the Senate and
shall state the number to be elected at large according to the provisions of
the Constitution and this legislation.
b. Each member of the Council may indicate his/her choices for
nomination by choosing from the list of nominees not to exceed in number the
number of vacancies to be filled; any nomination list choosing more than the
number to be elected at large shall be void.
c. Those equal in number to twice the number to be elected who shall
have received the most nominating votes shall be declared nominees.
d. A list of these nominees shall be printed as the ballot and
distributed to all members of the Council; each member shall vote for a number
of nominees not to exceed the number to be elected; any ballot choosing more
than the number to be elected at large shall be void.
e.
The Registrar shall prescribe the time and
method for returning marked ballots and nominating lists and shall count and
tabulate the same, providing that all nominating and balloting shall be secret,
and these election procedures shall be completed before the third week of
April.
3. The procedure for electing faculty members by each school or
college faculty and the term of office thereof shall be as follows:
a. During the third week of April of each year each school or
college and the libraries shall provide for the nomination and election by the
Council members of his/her school, college, or the libraries to the Senate two
Council members who shall have been listed by the Registrar as eligible to
serve on the Senate in accordance with Section 2a, in such a manner as the
dean/director shall prescribe, providing that the voting for the nominated
candidates shall be by secret ballot, with the exception of the College of Arts
and Sciences, which shall have the right to elect eight senators, two each from
the areas of Natural and Physical Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Fine Arts.
b. Only those of the respective faculties who are qualified to be
members of the Council shall be entitled to vote.
c. Such Senate members shall hold office for one year and shall not
serve consecutively for more than three terms.
In the event of a vacancy in such Senate seat, the faculty concerned may at any time hold a special election, in the same manner
as provided in Section 3a, to fill the vacancy.
d. In the event the faculty of a school, college, or the libraries
should desire to waive its right to elect members to the Senate, it shall so
notify the Council prior to the regular April elections held by the Council,
and the Council shall then nominate and elect one or more of its members to
serve for the one‑year term of the seat involved along with the regular
members at large elected by the Council.
4. Members
at large shall hold office for two years, and shall not serve consecutively for
more than two terms. Representatives of
schools or colleges shall hold office for one year and shall not serve
consecutively for more than three. No
elected member, however, shall serve consecutively for more than four years.
5. September
1 of each year shall be the date upon which all terms due to expire in a
particular year shall expire, and upon which new terms of those elected earlier
in the calendar year at regular elections shall commence. In the event that a Senator,
elected at-large, leaves the University prior to August 15, the person
receiving the next highest number of votes shall serve. College representatives who leave the
University prior to August 15 shall be replaced using procedures determined by
the college. The pool of eligible
candidates will be those individuals entering at least their second year on August
16 of the next academic year.
6. Procedure for selecting student members
of the University Senate:
The Student Senate will provide for the selection of fourteen student members to the University Senate and will also provide the duration of their terms of office. Starting dates will be the same as for other University Senate members.
7. Procedure for electing staff members of
the University Senate:
The Staff Senate will provide
for the election of three staff members to the University Senate and will also
provide for the duration of their terms of office. Starting date will be the
same as for other University Senate members.
OFFICERS
At
the first meeting of the seating of the new members of the Senate, the Chair
Elect will assume the position of the Chair. A Vice Chair/Chair Elect shall be
elected from the elected members. The Vice
Chair/Chair Elect shall serve a term of one year,
and then automatically assume the role of Chair of University Senate the next
year. Nominations shall be made
by the Committee on Committees which must name at least two nominees for each
position. The chair must always ask for
nominations from the floor. In the event of any vacancy in the office of Chair,
the Vice Chair/Chair Elect shall become the Chair. In the event of any vacancy in the office of
Vice Chair/Chair Elect, the Committee on Committees shall at the next regular
meeting of the Senate nominate at least two elected members, the Chair must ask
for nominations from the floor, and the Senate shall elect a new Vice
Chair/Chair Elect from all the nominees.
In Fall 2004, there will be an election of a
Chair for 2004-2005 and an election of a Vice Chair/Chair elect (as specified
by the new policy).
MEETINGS
1. Items
for the agenda shall be in the hands of the Secretary of the Senate not later
than 14 days (exclusive of holidays) before a Senate Meeting. The agenda shall be distributed one full week
before each Senate meeting to all faculty, student body and staff
representatives. Items not included in
the agenda may not be considered at a meeting except with the special consent
of the Senate. Only members of the
Senate may submit items for the agenda.
2. The
Senate's official guide for parliamentary procedure shall be the "Standard
Code of Parliamentary Procedure" by Alice F. Sturgis.
3. The
minutes of all Senate meetings shall be distributed to the members of the
Senate and shall be available to all members of the faculty.
COMMITTEES
1. Executive Committee
There
shall be an Executive Committee of the University Senate. It shall consist of these members of the
Senate: the Chairperson; the Vice
Chairperson/Chair Elect, the immediate past Chairperson, whether or not still a
member of the Senate (if this individual is unable to serve, then the available
past Chairperson who most recently served as chairperson shall serve); three
faculty representatives, one to be elected each year for a two-year term, and
one, the member of the Council of College Faculties serving the third year of a
three-year term (if this individual is unable to serve, then a substitute will
be chosen from the remaining UND Council of College Faculties by the UND
Council of College Faculties delegation); the Vice President for Academic
Affairs; one student, elected annually; and the Registrar. The Registrar shall serve as Secretary of the
Executive Committee. The functions of
the Executive Committee are to: (1) call special meetings of the Senate; (2)
change the time of the regular meeting in emergencies; (3) prepare the agenda;
(4) approve the minutes of the Senate meetings; (5) act on behalf of the Senate
when a meeting of the Senate does not seem justified or when such a meeting is
prevented by lack of a quorum.
Subsequent to the action taken by the Executive Committee, the Committee
will report to the next meeting of the Senate to seek approval for the action
that was taken by the Committee; (6) monitor the implementation of Senate
legislation; (7) coordinate action between the Senate and its committees; (8)
edit, publish, and keep current the Faculty Handbook; (9) care for the Senate
bylaws by keeping them current, providing a codified copy to the chairperson at
every meeting of the Senate and publishing codified copies to the Senate as
often as it deems advisable; (10) care for the University Constitution,
attending specifically to publication, distribution, amendment, and
interpretation; (11) care for the Standing Rules, exercising the sort of
supervision directed for the bylaws; (12) codify Council and Senate
legislation, publishing the codified legislation at the direction of the
Senate; (13) maintain the University Senate Committee Manual.
2. Permanent and ad hoc committees
The
Executive Committee created by these bylaws is a permanent committee of the
Senate. The Senate may create such other
permanent and such ad hoc committees as it deems necessary and convenient to
the conduct of its business. Other
permanent committees may be created only by the Senate, after reasonable
notice, at a regular or special meeting, and shall continue until dissolved by
the Senate at a regular or special meeting following reasonable notice. Ad hoc committees may be created by the
Senate at any meeting or by the Executive Committee, and shall continue until
the delegated responsibility is accomplished or until dissolved by the creating
authority.
AMENDMENTS
Amendments
to the Senate bylaws may be submitted in the agenda at any regular meeting but
shall not be acted upon until the next regular meeting.
(Senate
Minutes pages 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 56, 251, 254, 279, 596, 641, 773, 856, 935,
958, 961, 962, 1224, 1367, 1531, 1698, 1742, 2535, 2913, 3236, 3237, 4156,
5111, 5174)