Governance Committee
Faculty Senate Governance Committee
Report, 2002-2003
Faculty Senate Review:
The Ad-Hoc Faculty Senate Review Committee issued its report late in the Spring of 2002, and the Governance Committee took up those recommendations during the Fall semester. Working through the semester, the Governance Committee met its goal of issuing in December its report recommending by-law changes which would fully enact the recommendations of the Review Committee. The Senate adopted those by-laws in Resolution 03-01, on February 19, 2003.
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Review Committee Recommendation |
Response |
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1. Improve communication and redefine position of secretary. |
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Amend bylaws to require more documentation in minutes and include timeline for their publication |
Enacted Bylaw 6.62 |
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Maintain electronic archive and searchable database of Senate records |
Enacted Bylaw 6.61 |
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Amend Constitution and Bylaws to require timely distribution of agenda to interested parties |
Enacted Bylaw 6.10, which meets Constitutional provisions |
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Amend bylaws to establish online discussion forum |
Enacted Bylaw 6.61, clause 5 |
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Employ full-time administrative assistant |
Passed resolution requesting one “as recommended by the Ad Hoc committee…” |
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2. Establish Ad Hoc Conference Committees |
Enacted Bylaw 7.53 |
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3. Reduce the size of the Faculty Senate |
Enacted Bylaw 3.20
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4. Impose Faculty Senate term limits |
Amended Bylaw 7.5504. |
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Term Limits: The Ad Hoc Faculty Senate Review Committee recommended that the Senate consider adopting one of four suggestions for limiting certain kinds of terms. The Governance Committee recommended, and the Senate adopted, the Review Committee proposal that limits how long a Senator may serve as Chair of a legislative committee. At the direction of the Senate, the Governance Committee also prepared a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment limiting how long a Senator may serve on the Senate. The resolution did not receive the necessary 2/3 vote, and was not adopted. The Governance committee also issued a report explaining why that type of term limit could only be enacted by a constitutional amendment.
Non-Senators on Legislative Committees: In response to some calls to expand existing legislative committees by permitting non-Senators to serve on them as voting members, the Governance Committee prepared a resolution proposing by-law changes which would permit the addition of a limited number of non-Senators to those committees. The fate of that resolution was not known at the time of preparation of this report.
Approved by Committee
April 30, 2003
Rick Althaus, Chair