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Ohio Administrative Code (Last Updated: January 12, 2021) |
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3344 Cleveland State University |
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Chapter3344-13. Bylaws |
3344-13-02. The faculty senate
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(A) Membership categories (revised June 28, 2011). There shall be a faculty senate constituted as follows:
(1) Elected members as follows: two representatives of the teaching faculty from the college of graduate studies. For all other colleges*: colleges with fewer than twenty-five full time faculty members eligible to serve as elected members of faculty senate shall have one representative for each five eligible faculty members; colleges with twenty five or more full-time faculty eligible to serve as elected members of faculty senate shall each have five representatives, with one additional representative for each such twenty-five members in excess of twenty-five. The professional librarians shall have one voting representative elected from and by their membership.
(2) *For the purpose of senate representation, the free-standing school of nursing is viewed as a "college."
(3) Corresponding members: the president of the university, the chief academic officer, the deans of each college, and other appropriate administrators (not to exceed ten in number) designated by the president of the university; two representatives from the professional staff organizations, two retired faculty association representatives, and four student representatives shall be corresponding members with the right to participate in discussions but without the right to vote. Administrators not currently corresponding members may be called to faculty senate meetings for information purposes.
(B) Selection of elected members.
The elected members shall be chosen in the following manner:
(1) Eligibility. Only a member of a college faculty (paragraph (A) of rule 3344-13-01 of the Administrative Code) shall be eligible to vote for and act as a representative for the college. A member of more than one college faculty shall be eligible to represent only one, except that a member of the teaching faculty of graduate studies shall be eligible to act as a representative from either this college or the other college to which they are assigned, but not both. Only those members of a college faculty other than the president, the chief academic officer, the dean, associate deans, assistant deans, vice provosts, associate provosts, assistant provosts, and executive assistants to the president shall be eligible to serve as elected college representatives to the faculty senate.
(2) Representatives shall serve two-year terms and not more than three terms consecutively. In the first year's election, half the representatives from each college shall serve only a one-year term. Those receiving the larger number of votes will in the initial election serve two years. The initial one year term shall count as one of the three consecutive terms for which a representative may serve.
(3) Each college faculty shall set up a procedure for nominating at least twice the number of representatives to be elected. The college shall select the required number of representatives by mail ballot to be supervised by a body designated by the college faculty. This election shall take place during the spring semester of each academic year on a schedule such that the balloting is completed, counted, and senators selected by March first. Members elected take office on September first.
(4) When faculty senate representative positions are vacated during the term of office, the representatives to faculty senate from the college concerned shall elect temporary replacements. At the next regular election, each vacancy shall be filled by an election for the unexpired term. A person so elected to fill out one year of an unexpired term shall be considered as having served one of the three consecutive terms for which a representative may serve.
(C) Selection of professional representatives.
The corresponding members representing the two professional staff organizations shall be chosen in the following manner:
(1) Eligibility. Only professional members of the two professional staff organizations shall be eligible to act as corresponding non-voting representatives for the professional members of the professional staff organizations in the faculty senate.
(2) Professional representatives shall serve two-year terms and not more than two terms consecutively. Upon ratification of this provision those eligible to vote according to paragraph (C)(1) of this rule will elect two members from each of the two professional staff organizations, one of each organization as determined by lot shall serve two years, the other of each organization only one. The initial one-year term shall count as one of the two consecutive terms for which a representative may serve. Each professional organization shall set up a procedure for nominating at least twice the number of representatives to be elected. They shall select the required number of representatives by mail ballot to be supervised by a body designated by the total membership of each group. Election shall take place during the spring semester of each academic year.
Members elected take office on September first (revised February 27, 2002.)
(3) Faculty senate positions (paragraph (C)(2) of this rule) vacated during term of office will be filled until the next election by appointment by the academic steering committee of faculty senate from among those eligible. At such next election each vacancy shall be filled by an election for the unexpired term.
(D) Selection of retired faculty association representatives.
The two corresponding non-voting members of the retired faculty association shall be selected according to a procedure that is determined by the association. Members selected take office on September first, (revised February 27, 2002.)
(E) Selection of student representatives.
The four student corresponding non-voting members shall be appointed by the student appointments board for terms of one year each. Such students shall have earned forty-five credit hours and shall have a GPA of at least 2.50 for all credit hours earned. No student may be appointed unless an adequate and timely notice requesting student applications appears in student publications. Vacancies in student membership on faculty senate occurring during the term of office shall be filled by the student appointments board for the remaining term of service when one full semester or longer (summer term not included) remains of his or her term of service.
(F) Faculty senate quorum.
A majority of the voting members of the faculty senate shall constitute a quorum.
(G) Faculty senate officers.
The faculty senate shall be served by three officers chosen from its elected membership (paragraph (A)(1) of this rule). These three faculty senate officers shall be senate president, the senate vice president, and senate secretary.
(1) Senate president's duties and responsibilities. The faculty senate president shall:
(a) Preside at all meetings of the faculty senate;
(b) Preside at all meetings of the academic steering committee;
(c) Officially inform in writing the university president or other appropriate administrative officers of the formal transactions of the faculty senate;
(d) Officially represent the interests of the faculty as a faculty representative to the board of trustees of Cleveland state university;
(e) Informally represent the interests of the faculty to university administrators and, when appropriate, to other intra-university and extra-university agencies;
(f) Manage the faculty senate administrative office (paragraph (G) of this rule);
(g) And perform such other duties as may be assigned by these bylaws and by actions of the faculty senate.
(2) Senate vice president's duties and responsibilities. The faculty senate vice president shall:
(a) Preside at meetings of the faculty senate and the academic steering committee in the absence of the senate president;
(b) Assume all of the duties of the senate president whenever they are absent from campus or otherwise incapacitated by illness or injury for more than two consecutive weeks;
(c) And perform such other duties as may be assigned by these bylaws, by the senate president, and by actions of the faculty senate.
(3) Secretary's duties and responsibilities. The faculty senate secretary shall:
(a) Supervise the preparation and distribution of the agenda for faculty senate meetings to all members at least one week prior to all scheduled meetings;
(b) Supervise the preparation and distribution of the minutes of the meetings of the faculty senate. Such minutes shall be distributed within ten days following faculty senate meetings.
(c) Conduct all university-wide faculty elections, provide timely notice to college faculties of needed college nominations for appointments and elections, and receive notification of the results of all college wide faculty elections.
(d) Serve as the archivist of important faculty senate documents, including minutes, correspondence, reports, and similar documents;
(e) And perform such other duties as may be assigned by the bylaws, by the senate president, and by actions of the faculty senate.
(H) Election of officers (revised September 20, 2007).
(1) Elected members of the faculty senate who have served as a chair of a standing faculty senate committee or as an elected member of the faculty senate for at least one year and who hold tenure shall be eligible for election to the offices of faculty senate president, vice president, or secretary.
Elections for the offices of president and secretary normally shall be held in even years and for vice president in odd years, except that any vacancy in any of the three offices shall be filled by election during the spring semester of that academic year. (revised October 24, 2001)
(2) The terms of office for all three positions shall commence at the start of the fall semester subsequent to the spring election and shall continue for two years, with no more than two consecutive terms to be served by any faculty member in any single office. Outgoing senate officers will work with officers-elect during the summer semester after the election to ensure a smooth transition into the new academic year.
(3) The procedures governing regular elections shall be as follows:
(a) Immediately following the election of senators each year (to be completed no later than March first, per paragraph (B)(3) of this rule), the faculty senate president shall appoint three elected members of the academic steering committee, each representing a different college, to serve as the nominating committee. This nominating committee shall nominate of its own motion up to two candidates for each of the offices to be filled. The nominating committee shall add to the slate of nominees' any and all nominations by petition, signed by at least five elected members serving on the faculty senate in the following academic year and received by the nominating committee by April first (revised September 12, 2008).
(b) The nominating committee shall determine the willingness of proposed candidates to serve in advance of entering their names into nomination. Each person so nominated shall submit concurrently a brief biographical sketch and may contribute a brief voluntary statement.
(c) At the April steering committee meeting the nominating committee shall provide faculty senate members with the final slate of candidates for each office to be filled. Under each candidate's name shall be the brief biographical sketch and, if received, the candidate's statement.
(d) From their final slate of candidates, the nominating committee will organize a ballot of senators continuing in the following year and senators-elect. Elections shall be by a majority of the votes cast. In the event that a majority is not received by any candidate, the two candidates receiving most votes will be retained and another vote shall be conducted.
(e) Elections must be completed by the final faculty senate meeting of the spring semester, where results will be announced. President-elect, vice-president-elect, and secretary-elect will have the opportunity to work with outgoing executive committee members in order to provide a smooth transition from one year to the next.
(I) Faculty senate administrative office.
To assist the faculty senate officers, committee chairpersons, members, and others, a faculty senate administrative office shall be established. This administrative office shall be staffed adequately by the chief academic officer with a secretary and appropriate office facilities. The three officers shall be accorded released time commensurate with their responsibilities.
(J) Faculty senate meetings.
Written notice of the time and agenda of all meetings of the faculty senate shall be given to members of the faculty senate by the faculty senate secretary approximately one week in advance of the meeting. The faculty senate shall schedule a meeting at least once each month from September through May. Meetings in addition to the regular monthly meeting may be held on call of the faculty senate president or on the written request to the faculty senate secretary of six elected members of the faculty senate. Meetings shall be open to all members of the university community. Visitors from outside the university may attend by permission of the faculty senate.
(K) Faculty senate duties and responsibilities. The faculty senate shall have the duties and responsibilities to:
(1) Initiate educational and academic policies of the university. The faculty senate shall have the authority to designate ad hoc committees for this purpose and to act upon reports from any university committee to the extent that the academic policies of the university are affected. There shall be standing committees of the faculty senate as specified in these bylaws (rule 3344-13-03 of the Administrative Code).
(2) Adopt rules to effectuate the educational and academic policies of the university.
(3) Bring up for consideration proposals on matters pertaining to the general welfare of the university, including any parts of it such as faculty, students, or administrative units.
(4) Make recommendations to the administration relative to buildings, budget priorities, and new proposals and developments.
(5) Act upon all matters of routine faculty business in pursuance of already established university policies.
(6) Elect members to the equal opportunity hearing panel. Four of the total of twelve faculty members shall be elected each year for a three-year term. The election shall take place in the spring semester of each academic year.
(7) Summaries of the actions of the faculty senate shall be sent to all members of the university faculty and professional members and student members of faculty senate within approximately fifteen days following the meeting.
(L) Faculty senate voting (revised September 20, 2007).
Issues brought before the faculty senate shall be decided by a majority of members present and voting, except that members of Senate standing committees shall be elected by plurality vote. Voting shall be by voice or show of hands, except that a secret ballot may be taken by a majority vote of those present and voting.
(M) Faculty senate procedures.
All meetings, except as otherwise provided for by the faculty senate, shall be conducted according to the most recently revised edition of Robert's Rules of Order.
(N) Faculty senate attendance.
A faculty senator who cannot attend a senate meeting shall provide notice to the faculty senate secretary no fewer than twenty-four hours in advance of the meeting. Failure to provide such notice will constitute an unexcused absence for the senator, to be recorded by the faculty senate secretary. If a senator accumulates two unexcused absences during an academic year, the faculty senate secretary will inform the caucus of the college represented by the senator of the absenteeism. If a senator has been declared an absentee, the college caucus will have the option to replace the absentee senator using the temporary election provisions described in paragraph (B)(4) of rule 3344-13-02 of the Administrative Code.