Articles of the Faculty Senate

ARTICLES OF FACULTY ORGANIZATION

Proposed revision 10/12/07

PREAMBLE

We, the faculty of the University of Montana Western, in order to improve the organization and define the duties, authority, and the responsibility of the faculty, in accord with the Constitution and Laws of Montana and the Administration/Faculty Association contract in force, adopt these Articles of Faculty Organization providing for the establishment of a Faculty Senate and other necessary faculty committees.

It is the purpose of these articles to provide the means by which the faculty may exercise its prerogatives and further the welfare of the University of Montana Western in consultation and cooperation with the Chancellor and the Provost of the University of Montana Western, and the President of the University of Montana Missoula.

Embedded within a structure of shared governance (see Appendix A for a statement on shared governance), the mission of the Faculty Senate is to provide a democratic form of government for the coordination of the University’s academic program; maintenance of academic freedom and academic responsibility; the promotion of creative and responsible inquiry, thought, and expression in an atmosphere of scholarly excellence; and the protection of a vital balance among the various academic programs of the University, free of prejudice or undue partiality.

Above all, the mission of the faculty of the University of Montana Western is to promote and support the attainment of excellence by all elements of the University’s academic program and by all members of its academic community.

ARTICLE I: THE FACULTY

Section 1. Faculty

Faculty includes all teaching, research, and administrative staff with academic rank. Each faculty member is entitled to one vote on matters arising in meetings of the full faculty and in the filling of elective faculty offices (such as departmental elections), except those Faculty Senate elections governed by section 2 below.

Section 2. Voting Faculty

For purposes related to these articles, voting faculty (faculty eligible to vote in certain faculty senate sponsored votes, as described herein) includes all faculty with academic rank who belong to an academic unit and who teach seven (7) or more credit hours per semester. For the purposes of this definition, faculty members whose teaching load is temporarily reduced or eliminated by any of the following assignments are still considered to be voting faculty: grant-based research, departmental level administrative duties, sabbatical leave, and other approved leave. When a faculty member takes a position as a senior administrator (e.g., dean, director, or higher), they lose their status as voting faculty until they relinquish that position. Each member of the voting faculty is entitled to one vote in Faculty Senate sponsored elections (e.g., voting on amendments to these Articles, as described in Article IV herein, and the election of at-large senator, as described in Bylaw VIII).

Section 3. Responsible parties

The Chancellor and the Provost have general direction, management, and control of the University and its academic program, subject to the authority of the Board of Regents of Higher Education. The faculty possesses those prerogatives concerning the prescription of the curriculum, the granting of degrees, and other related matters that it exercises subject to the reserved powers of the Board of Regents of Higher Education and the President of the University of Montana. In the spirit of shared governance, the Faculty Senate holds the further prerogative of thorough and timely before-the-fact consultation with the Chancellor and the Provost in the development of University policy, the administration of the University, and the selection of academic administrators. It is the purpose of these articles to provide the means by which the faculty may exercise its prerogatives and further the welfare of The University of Montana Western in consultation and cooperation with the Chancellor and the Provost.

Section 4. Degrees

Recommendations to the senior academic administration of candidates for degrees are the exclusive prerogative of the faculty. The awarding of honorary degrees will follow processes consistent with the policies of the University of Montana and MUS Board of regents.

Section 5. General meeting

The Faculty Senate will call a general meeting of the faculty before the conclusion of spring semester and after the election of new members and officers for the next academic year. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce the new members and officers to the faculty as well as to issue a report of the Faculty Senate’s activities for the previous year.

Section 6. Faculty meetings

Additional meetings of the faculty may be called by the Chancellor, the Provost, by majority vote of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate (ECOS), by majority vote of the Senate, by ECOS upon receipt of a petition and accompanying agenda signed by 50% of the voting faculty (as defined in Article 1, section 2), or by the Chair of the Senate. Such call, and the agenda of the meeting, shall be published prior to the date of the meeting. The Senate Chair, or his or her designee, shall chair the meetings of the faculty called by ECOS, or by majority vote of the Senate, or upon receipt of a petition as outlined above, or by the chair of the Senate. The Chancellor, the Provost, or their designee shall chair meetings called by those administrators. The recording secretary of the Faculty Senate will keep a record of faculty meetings, and a faculty parliamentarian may be designated by the presiding officer.

ARTICLE II: THE SENATE

Section 1. Faculty Senate established

There is hereby established a Senate, to which the faculty delegates the authority and power of action it has possessed and exercised, subject to the limitations herein specified.

Section 2. Non-voting senate members

The following are members of the Senate without vote: The Chancellor, the Provost, and one student member appointed by ASUM Western. A report by the Chancellor will be included on the Faculty Senate agenda once per block. There is no reporting responsibility for either the Provost or the ASUM Western representative.

Section 3. Voting senate members & duties

The Senate shall consist of nine tenured or tenure track faculty members including: one at-large Senator elected by the voting faculty (as defined in Article I, section 2), two Senators elected from and by the Education Department, and one Senator elected from each of the following departments: English, Fine Arts, History, Philosophy and Social Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, and Business. The charge of the at-large Senator is to represent the entire faculty and not as an additional representative of one of the departments listed above.

(1) The Faculty Senate shall act as the final recommending body for all curricular proposals. Refer to the duties of the Curriculum Committee (see By-Laws IV) for further details on the curricular review process.

(2) Departmental representatives of the Senate shall be elected by the departments for three-year, staggered terms. Each department may determine which faculty are eligible to vote for departmental representatives. The at-large representative shall be elected by the voting faculty (as defined in Article I, section 2) for a three-year term. The terms of approximately one third of the members will expire each year. See appendix B for election rotation.

a. The term of any Senator whose academic appointment changes out of the department from which elected shall terminate upon such change.

b. Faculty members holding dual appointments in more than one department are responsible for selecting a primary affiliation for the purposes of determining from which department they are eligible to run for the Senate.

Section 4. First senate meeting after elections

Following the spring elections of members of the Senate, including the at-large senator, the first order of business of the next Senate meeting (the spring annual organizational meeting) will be devoted to reorganization of the Senate and election of officers from among the members of the newly constituted Senate (refer to ARTICLE III, Sections 3 & 4, & BYLAWS VII & VIII for details).

Section 5. Senate actions

The Senate shall:

(1) Debate, discuss, and make recommendations to the Chancellor and the Provost concerning all issues that pertain to the academic affairs of the University.

(2) Review and recommend the general requirements for admission to the University of Montana Western. Recommend in accordance with regulations of the Board of Regents of Higher Education, the general requirements for graduation, including total credits required, credits required in work outside the department or school of specialization, and such other provisions as shall affect the general education of graduates of the institution. Approve recommendations for specific curricular changes submitted by faculty in the various schools or departments through the Curriculum Committee or other appropriate committees.

(3) Approve and forward to the Chancellor and the Provost for recommendation to the Board of Regents of Higher Education, the nature of the degree to be conferred upon completion of any given course of study; and the rules and standards for candidates for degrees and for the assignment of honors. To ensure that requirements and qualifications are met, several procedures may be followed in the process of awarding degrees.

(4) Make all regulations for its own proceedings, consistent with the acts of the Board of Regents of Higher Education.

(5) Make recommendations to the Chancellor and the Provost, and through him or her to the President of the University of Montana and the Board of Regents of Higher Education, regarding matters of critical concern to the welfare and administration of the University. In addition, the chair of the Senate, or a member of the ECOS, will serve as the University of Montana Western Faculty Representative to Board of Regents meetings.

(6) Through appropriate committees consult with the Chancellor and the Provost in matters of policy affecting faculty appointment, tenure, promotion, salary, and termination of service.

Section 6. Senate Procedures

(1) Any faculty member and designated students may attend meetings of the Faculty Senate, but they shall have the privilege of the floor and right to speak only upon invitation of the Chair. The agenda and a report of action taken at each meeting of the Senate shall be published promptly. The agenda for each forthcoming meeting shall be published and distributed to all members of the Faculty Senate in advance of that meeting. At the first full meeting of the Senate each semester, a schedule of subsequent meetings for that term will be established and published as part of the official minutes.

(2) Except for the election of the Senate Chair and Vice Chair, which are conducted by secret ballot, voting in Faculty Senate meetings must be by roll call vote if requested by any voting member of the Senate. Any exceptions to this procedure must be consistent with Roberts Rules of Order.

(3) A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of elected members of the Senate.

(4) A special meeting of the Senate may be called by the Faculty Senate Chair with at least five working days notice to the members of the Senate.

(5) Upon the written request of seven members of the faculty, or on the written request of three members of the Senate, the Senate shall consider either at its regular meeting or in a special session, the agenda accompanying such a request as information items only.

(6) Acts of the Senate shall take effect upon publication of its minutes unless specified otherwise. The copy of record of Senate minutes shall be the signed, printed copy maintained by the Senate Chairperson. Publication of the minutes shall be by means of posting on the Senate web site or distribution of printed copies or via email. Where time is of the essence, the Senate Chair, with the approval of ECOS, may make a Senate action immediately effective by signing and dating a copy of the Senate instrument and transmitting copies to the parties directly concerned. Documents so treated will ordinarily be posted on the Senate web site.

Section 7. Faculty Senate communications

Faculty Senate communications with the Chancellor and the Provost that require a response from either party will be in the form of printed documents, signed by the Faculty Senate Chair and dated.

ARTICLE III: SENATE COMMITTEES

Section 1. Establishment of committees

The Senate may establish committees comprised of its membership or of the members of the tenured and tenure track faculty to assist it in the discharge of its powers and duties. In addition, the Senate may request non-members of the faculty (staff and contract professionals) to sit on committees and/or subcommittees with the understanding that they will normally participate as non-voting members of those committees. The Senate shall define the powers, duties, and responsibilities of each such committee. Committees shall file annual reports with the Senate. All committees other than the ECOS shall elect their own chairs from the membership of the committees.

Section 2. Ad hoc committees

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate (ECOS) shall have the power to form ad hoc committees to study any problem of concern to the faculty. The standing committees of the Faculty Senate (Academic Admissions and Standards, Curriculum, Advising, and General Education Committees) shall have the power to form ad hoc committees to study specific problems in their respective areas of responsibility.

Section 3. Annual election of Executive Committee

At the annual organizational meeting each spring, the Senate shall elect the members of the Executive Committee (refer to Section 4), following the rules of order as provided in the Bylaws. New officers’ duties will commence on the first day following the end of the semester.

Section 4. Executive Committee of the Senate

(1) ECOS serves in an executive capacity between meetings of the Senate and reports its actions to the Senate no later than the next Senate meeting. The Chair of the Senate is a voting member and Chair of ECOS.

(2) The committee shall consult with the Chancellor and the Provost and offer its advice regarding matters affecting the faculty. It shall consult with the Chancellor and the Provost about those budgetary matters that directly involve the academic affairs of the University. The committee shall make recommendations regarding the composition of committees appointed by the Chancellor and the Provost. Further, it shall advise the Chancellor and the Provost and the Senate relative to policies affecting the welfare of the University of Montana Western.

(3) The Committee shall consist of three members, the Chair of the Senate, the Vice Chair of the Senate, and the Recording Secretary of the Senate. Two members shall constitute a quorum.

(4) The Senate officers will be elected for one-year terms. Nominations for ECOS members will be taken from the voting members of the Senate. Election of the ECOS will take place during the annual organizational meeting of the new Senate each spring.

(5) The Vice Chair shall serve as Chair in the Chair's absence, and shall join the Chair, when possible, in meetings where the Chair represents the Senate.

(6) In the event that an ECOS member is compelled to give up her/his Senate seat during their term as an officer of ECOS, the resulting Senate vacancy will be filled for the remainder of the term from the department of said member or, in the case of the At-Large Senator, using the methods of election outlined in Bylaw VIII, while the ECOS vacancy will be filled according to the following order of succession: Vice Chair replaces Chair, Secretary replaces Vice Chair, and Senate elects from their ranks a new Secretary.

(7) The Executive Committee shall make appointments to all Faculty Senate committees, subject to confirmation by a majority vote in the Senate during its next meeting.

ARTICLE IV: ENACTMENT AND AMENDMENT

Section 1. Approval of Articles

Upon approval by an affirmative vote of two thirds of those eligible faculty members voting (voting faculty are defined in Article I, section 2), these articles shall be forwarded to the Chancellor for final approval. (Approval by the faculty will be by ballot, with the vote conducted by an Elections Committee appointed by ECOS).

Section 2. Amendments to Articles by Senate

The Senate, by majority vote, may propose amendments to these Articles. Upon approval by an affirmative vote of two thirds of those eligible faculty members voting (voting faculty are defined in Article I, section 2), amendments shall be forwarded to the Chancellor for final approval (Approval by the faculty will be by ballot, with the vote conducted by an Elections Committee appointed by ECOS).

Section 3. Amendments to articles by voting faculty

Amendments to these Articles may be proposed by petition signed by 20 percent of the members of the voting faculty (as defined in Article I, section 2). Upon approval by an affirmative vote of two thirds of those eligible faculty members voting, amendments shall be forwarded to the Chancellor for final approval (Approval by the faculty will be by ballot, with the vote conducted by an Elections Committee appointed by ECOS).

BYLAWS OF FACULTY SENATE

I. Parliamentary procedure

The Faculty Senate shall, in matters of parliamentary procedure, except as otherwise provided by its Articles or Bylaws, follow the latest revision of Robert's Rule of Order. The phrase "voting quorum present" means those present and voting, assuming the presence of a quorum. The description in the agenda must contain sufficient detail to permit advance consideration of the merits of the matter. The Faculty Senate agenda will be available 48 hours prior to the meeting.

II. Order of Business

The Order of Business for the first meeting of the block, held on the second Monday of the block, shall be as follows:

Call to Order

Approval of Minutes

Unfinished Business

New Business

The Good and Welfare/Question and Answer

The Order of Business for the meeting held on the fourth Monday of the block shall be as follows:

Call to Order

Approval of Minutes

Communications

Reports of Committees

Report of the Chancellor

Unfinished Business

New Business

The Good and Welfare/Question and Answer

III. Secretary of the senate

The official recorder of the Senate will be the Secretary chosen to serve as a member of the Executive Committee through the process described in these bylaws.

IV. Faculty Senate Committee Membership and Functions

A. Executive Committee of the Senate

Described in Article III, sec. 4

B. Faculty Elections Committee

The membership and function of the Elections Committee is described in Bylaw VII.

C. Faculty Senate appointed committees

Faculty Senate appointed committees (listed in sections F-I, below) include tenured and tenure track faculty, student representatives, and, administrative staff. Each spring, the ECOS will contact departments for recommendations for committee memberships for the following academic year. New faculty members will be appointed through the Faculty Senate process described in Article III, section 4.7. For all committees, except the General Education Committee, four faculty members will be appointed for staggered three-year terms, on a rotation described in Appendix C, one each from each of the following four units: (a) Business and Technology (b) Education, (c) Humanities and Social Sciences, and (d) Environmental Sciences and Mathematics. The General Education Committee will consist of representatives from each academic department, appointed for staggered three-year terms, on a rotation described in Appendix D.

D. Student membership on committees

Each fall, the ASUM Western will nominate a total of eight students to serve on the committees listed below. Upon receiving those nominations, the Faculty Senate will appoint four students from that list to serve on committees for one-year terms.

E. Provost appointed committee members

Administrative appointments will be made by the Provost each spring, for the following academic year.

F. Academic Admissions and Standards Committee

(1) The committee proposes new policies related to student admissions and enrollment, reviews and recommends changes to admissions and enrollment related policy, proposes, reviews, and recommends changes to the academic calendar, and reviews and acts on student appeals of any/all decisions made by the committee or by members who are designated to make decisions on behalf of the committee.

(2) The committee will consist of seven voting members representing a cross section of the campus community:  one student, the Provost or one administrator/contract professional appointed by the Provost, four tenured or tenure track faculty, and a representative of the Registrar’s office. (See Appendix C for rotation).

(3) The committee will elect a faculty member to serve as a chairperson to conduct meetings and advocate committee recommendations to other groups on campus. A vice chair will be elected to serve as chair in the absence of the chair. A secretary will be appointed to keep official minutes of each meeting.

(4) The committee will meet once each block on a regular meeting day and will meet in special session at other times as needed and called by the chair.

G. Curriculum Committee

(1) This committee reports directly to Faculty Senate. Voting members shall consist of four tenured or tenure track faculty members with at least three years of service (See Appendix C for rotation). Additionally, nonvoting members will include one student, and the Provost or one administrator/contract professional appointed by the Provost. The chair and secretary will be elected from and by the voting members of the committee.

(2) Curriculum proposals will be made available to all faculty members for review no later than two weeks before the committee meets for first consideration of the proposals.

(3) Curriculum Committee shall make a continuing study of the academic curriculum of the University, review and recommend action to the Senate for all proposed alterations of the academic program. Items for consideration by the Curriculum Committee will be proposed by departments or individual faculty members through their departments. Curriculum Committee shall be responsible for the content of those portions of the University catalog consistent with its duties.

H. General Education Committee

(1) This committee reports directly to Faculty Senate. Voting members shall consist of seven tenured or tenure track faculty members, one representative from each academic department, each with at least one year of service (See Appendix D for rotation). Additionally, nonvoting members will include one student, and the Provost or one administrator/contract professional appointed by the Provost. The chair and secretary will be elected from and by the voting members of the committee.

(2) The responsibilities of the committee include: reviewing and clarifying the goals and objectives of general education; determining the extent to which existing general education requirements meet these goals and objectives; proposing revisions of the general education curriculum to improve its ability to meet perceived needs; explaining general education to students and faculty.

I. Advising Committee

(1) The Advising Committee reports directly to the Faculty Senate. Voting members shall consist of four tenured or tenure track faculty members (See Appendix C for rotation). Additionally, nonvoting members will include one student, the Provost or one administrator/contract professional appointed by the Provost, and the Director of Student Success. The chair will be elected from and by the voting members of the committee. The chair and secretary will be elected from and by the voting members of the committee.

(2) The responsibilities of the committee include regular review of the advising process, circulation of information pertinent to advising issues, and making recommendations on how advising procedures may be improved.

J. Subcommittee Structure

An orderly way to promote coordination and accessibility is to utilize a subcommittee structure. It is assumed that any committee has the authority to appoint subcommittees and that the members of such need not be members of the parent committee. Terms of appointment are at the discretion of the parent committee. All voting faculty members (as defined in Article I, section 2) are eligible to serve on all Faculty Senate subcommittees.

V. Senate decisions

The Senate shall take no action or decision except upon affirmative vote of a majority of those present, assuming a quorum to be present.

VI. Senate procedures

Except by vote of two thirds of the voting quorum present, the Faculty Senate shall take no action with respect to any matter other than that which relates to parliamentary procedure or referral to a committee unless the matter shall have been described in an agenda for the meeting distributed to members of the faculty as provided in Article II, Section 6 (1), of the Articles of Faculty organization, and unless it shall also have been considered by the appropriate committee.

VII. Senate vacancies

The election to fill vacant seats on the Faculty Senate shall be conducted by faculty vote at the departmental level during block five, during the Spring Semester. After that election, if a vacancy occurs in the seat filled by a departmental representative, that department will elect a replacement as soon as possible. Such elected Senator will fill the vacancy until the next regular election. (See rotation, Appendix B. Also refer to Article II, Section 3.2)

VIII. Procedure for election of at-large senator

General responsibility for the election of an at-large member of the Faculty Senate is hereby delegated to ECOS and subject to the following provisions:

A. ECOS shall comprise an Elections Committee to conduct an election every three years when the at-large seat is open.

B. The Elections Committee shall conduct elections in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws and specific directions that may be made from time to time by the Senate or Executive Committee.

C. Procedures:

(1) Voting faculty, as defined in Article I, section 2, are eligible to vote for the at-large member of the Faculty Senate.

(2) The Faculty Senate Elections Committee, in consultation with the Provost, shall compile a list of those tenured and tenure track faculty eligible to serve as Senators, listed by department, which shall then be distributed to all eligible voters for review no less than two weeks prior to the spring elections.

(3) No later than one week before the date of the election ballot, the Elections Committee shall issue a written invitation to all eligible faculty members with the instruction to sign, date, and return the invitation to the Chairperson of the Elections Committee or their designee, if the faculty member is available and willing to serve in the Senate. The Elections Committee shall prepare the elections ballot provided for in subsection D hereof.

(4) All ballots shall bear the seal of the Faculty Senate.

(5) Election ballots shall allow voting for no more persons than the number of Senate vacancies existing.

D. The election to fill the vacant seat for the at-large member of the Faculty Senate shall be conducted during or before block seven, during the Spring Semester. The election will take place in two steps as outlined in (1) below:

(1) In the election for the at-large seat, as a representative of the entire campus rather than a department, voting faculty (as defined in Article I, section 2) shall be allowed to vote for candidates from any department. When an at-large vacancy exists, the Elections Committee will compile a ballot after departmental senators have been elected. The at-large ballot will include the names of those remaining and willing eligible candidates from all departments and be distributed to all eligible voters. Voters will indicate their selection for the at-large seat from among these candidates and return the ballot to the Elections Committee or their designee.

E. The Elections Committee will tally the votes and the candidate receiving the highest number of votes in the at-large election will be declared elected. In the event of a tie vote, a runoff election will be administered by the Elections Committee, following the above procedures, but limiting the listing of candidates to those who tied on the first ballot.

F. If, after the final election, a vacancy occurs in the at-large position, ECOS will conduct a new election to fill the vacancy. Such selected faculty member will fill the vacancy until the next regular election.

G. Each faculty member eligible to vote (as defined in Article I, section 2) may seal the envelope containing a completed ballot. The Elections Committee may authorize the Senate staff to receive ballots and record who voted. Only the Elections Committee shall count ballots. In order to ensure full publicity to the entire faculty with respect to elections, the counting of ballots shall be open to any of the faculty, and the number of votes cast for each candidate shall be made available promptly to any member of the faculty upon request.

IX. Amendments to Bylaws

These Bylaws may be amended or repealed at any meeting of the Senate by a majority vote of those present, provided that notice of proposed amendments and repeals shall have been given at the immediately preceding meeting. It shall be the duty of ECOS to send written notice of proposed amendments and repeals to each member of the Senate promptly after the meeting at which they are proposed and to report at the next meeting of the Senate its recommendation. Amendments and repeals shall become effective immediately following their passage.

X. Temporary suspension of Bylaws

Temporary suspension of a Bylaw, or of adopted rules of procedure at any meetings, shall require a two-thirds vote of the Senate, in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.

XI. Senate meeting dates

During the regular academic year, the senate shall meet on the second and fourth Monday of each block, unless a special session is called. ECOS may change the regular meeting time in the event of a legal holiday. If a change in this schedule is necessary, the Chair shall so inform each member of the Senate in writing one week in advance of both the old and the new meeting dates.

XII. Provost - State of the academic program message

It is the responsibility of ECOS to consult with the Provost regarding needs, plans, problems, and programs of the University. After such consultation, the Provost shall be invited by ECOS to present each year at the September meeting of the Senate a "State of the Academic Program" message. At the conclusion of the spring semester the Faculty Senate will hold a special meeting to develop an annual report to the faculty and to outline a program of goals and objectives for ensuing year. Both the annual report and proposed program will be made available to the faculty.

XIII. Review of senior academic administration

Biennially, ECOS shall initiate a review of the senior academic administration by the faculty, to include academic administrators at the level of dean and above. The results and any recommendations will be brought to the Senate for discussion and appropriate action. The review is intended to be an appraisal of job performance as it bears on matters of academic and administrative leadership. It is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all official responsibilities. The review may be made through selected interviews, questionnaires or other appropriate techniques.

In addition to bringing the results before the Senate, ECOS is to present the results of the review in writing to those reviewed. The individual under review will be allowed to submit a written response to the review. Following a preliminary discussion of the results of the review with the Chancellor, ECOS will assemble a formal report to give to the Chancellor, including responses to the review, with a covering letter stating the purposes and method of the faculty's review of the senior academic administration of the University of Montana Western, including discussion of the limitations on its use. The report will be copied to the President of the University of Montana and the Chair of the Board of Regents.

Appendices

Appendix A: AAUP Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities

American Association of University Professors Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities

Refer to:

http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/policydocs/contents/governancestatement.htm

Appendix B: Faculty Senate Election Cycle

Block 5 - Departmental Representatives elected;

Block 7 - At-Large Senator elected