Faculty Constitution

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Constitution of the Faculty of the State University of New York, College at Geneseo

(As amended April 2023)

Article I: Names of the Governing Bodies of the College

The names of the governing bodies of the State University of New York at Geneseo shall be the Faculty, Standing Committees of the Faculty, Standing Committees of the College, and College Senate.

Article II: Purposes and Powers of the Governing Bodies

Section 1: The Faculty

a.The voting faculty of SUNY College at Geneseo shall be the assembly of the teaching and professional faculty, the president of the college, and the Chancellor of SUNY.

b. The teaching faculty shall comprise all academic employees (defined in the Policies of the SUNY Board of Trustees as those in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit holding academic or qualified academic rank) whose primary responsibility lies within an academic department or school of the College or the library. The teaching faculty shall be grouped into five academic areas according to their home departments: Arts (Art History, Music & Musical Theatre, and Theatre & Dance), Humanities (English, Languages & Literatures, History, Philosophy), Natural Science (Biology, Chemistry, Geological Sciences, Mathematics, Physics & Astronomy), Professional Studies (School of Education, School of Business, College Libraries), and Social Science (Anthropology, Communication, Geography, Political Science & International Relations, Psychology, Sociology). Those with part-time temporary appointments are excluded from the teaching faculty.

c. The professional faculty shall comprise all professional employees (defined in the Policies of the SUNY Board of Trustees as those in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit holding neither academic nor qualified academic rank), as well as academic employees not included in the teaching faculty. Those with part-time temporary appointments are excluded from the professional faculty.

d. The non-voting faculty shall comprise all other members of the academic staff (those holding academic or qualified academic rank).

e. Membership in the faculty shall be determined by records maintained by Human Resources.

f. The Faculty shall be empowered to ratify constitutional amendments, to decide matters brought to it by referendum, and to decide matters referred to the faculty-at-large by the President of the College or by the College Senate.

Section 2: Standing Committees of the Faculty

The Standing Committees of the Faculty shall consist of the committees enumerated in ARTICLE III of this Constitution, and the membership and powers of each shall be as described therein. The Standing Committees of the Faculty shall be responsible to the Faculty through the Executive Committee of the College Senate and through the College Senate.

Section 3: The College Senate

The College Senate shall be the representative governing body of the Faculty. It shall be empowered to recommend policy relating to matters dealing with the faculty affairs, student affairs, undergraduate academic affairs, graduate academic affairs, and any other matter of general faculty concern not coming within the purview of one of the Standing Committees of the faculty; to discuss and express its view on any matter deemed to be of general College or University interest; to make recommendations on any such matters to the President of the College, the College Council, the University Chancellor, the University Board of Trustees, the University Faculty Senate, or any other appropriate individual or body; and to organize itself with officers elected every year chosen from the teaching Faculty.

Section 4: Standing Committees of the College

The Standing Committees of the College shall consist of the committees enumerated in ARTICLE X of this Constitution, and the membership and powers of each shall be as described therein. The Standing Committees of the College shall make recommendations to either or both the President and the Faculty through the Executive Committee of the College Senate and through the College Senate.

Article III: Standing Committees of the Faculty

Section 1: Committee on Nominations and Elections

a. Membership:

The membership of the Committee shall consist of six members of the teaching faculty, three of whom shall be elected each year before December 1 from a slate composed of nominations by the existing Committee on Nominations and Elections and from the floor. Member's terms shall start on December 1. The three candidates receiving the highest number of votes cast shall be elected for two-year terms. The Committee shall elect its own Chair. Re-election of any member shall be possible.

b. Functions:

  1. The Committee shall conduct elections for all offices and positions for which teaching faculty are eligible. The Committee shall prepare and submit a slate of two or more candidates for each position.
  2. The Committee shall designate members to prepare an online ballot and conduct the voting procedure for each office in a timely way. At least three of the members of the Committee shall have administrator rights to the on-line ballot to examine election results.
  3. The Committee shall notify eligible voters when elections begin and send a reminder one week before the end of the voting period.
  4. The Committee shall notify the Chair of the Senate of the results of the balloting so s/he can notify the nominees of the results and announce same to the College community.
  5. A secretary in the Office of the Provost will be responsible for maintaining the database of voters.

Section 2: Committee on Undergraduate Academic Standards

a. Membership:

The membership shall consist of eight or more members of the faculty. The members shall be appointed by the Dean of Academic Planning and Advising in consultation with the Chair of the Senate. The Dean of Academic Planning and Advising, a representative of the Vice President for Student and Campus Life, and a representative of the Director of Admissions shall serve as non-voting advisors

b. Functions:

The Committee will hold Academic Standards Hearings at the end of each academic semester. The Committee will be convened by the Dean of Academic Planning and Advising, and may be divided into subgroups in order to conduct, in a timely way, hearings for students subject to academic dismissal. Temporary chairs for each hearing subgroup will be designated by the Dean in consultation with the Committee. With respect to the hearings, the Committee shall reach one of two decisions which shall be implemented by the Dean of Academic Planning and Advising: 1) uphold student dismissal; 2) permit student reinstatement provided he/she meets certain conditions stipulated by college policy or imposed by the Committee.

Section 3: Committee on Faculty Personnel

a. Membership:

  1. Seven members, elected at large. The term of office for members of the Committee on Faculty Personnel shall be two years and shall expire on December 31, with 3 members elected in even years and 4 members elected in odd years. This ensures continuity on the Committee from one year to the next. Members will be eligible for re-election.
  2. The Committee must include representation from across both Associate and full or Distinguished ranks. Each member must have continuing appointment and hold the rank of Professor or Associate Professor of the teaching Faculty or Librarian or Associate Librarian.
  3. No Committee member may be a Dean or Department Chair.
  4. The Committee Chair shall be elected by the Committee members.
  5. At least three members must hold the rank of full or Distinguished Professor or Librarian.
  6. No two members of the Committee may come from the same school or department.
  7. A member will be recused from discussion and voting on a candidate from their own school or department, and should recuse themselves concerning a candidate with whom they have had a romantic or intimate relationship, or if they cannot be unbiased due to any other conflict of interest.

b. Selection of Committee Members:

  1. In the Spring prior to an election, the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall

    (i) determine and announce in the College Senate Bulletin the number of Faculty Personnel Committee members to be elected and the minimum number of full or Distinguished ranks to be elected,

    (ii) create a list of those Associate, full, and Distinguished Professors and Librarians who are eligible for election as described in Section 3a "Membership",

    (iii) send a letter to all eligible individuals asking them to indicate a willingness or unwillingness to serve. Those not wishing to serve will be responsible for asking to have their names removed.

  2. During the first week of the fall semester, the Chair of the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall present a list of responses from the Spring letter to the Committee. Members of the Committee shall immediately contact all eligible individuals who failed to respond to the spring letter of inquiry to ascertain their willingness to accept nomination to the Faculty Personnel Committee.
  3. Those willing to serve are expected to provide a description of their interest in the position of up to 150 words.
  4. By the middle of the second week of Fall semester, the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall construct a list of eligible persons willing to serve and shall distribute that list to all teaching faculty including librarians for final revision. By the third Monday in September, the final list with interest statements shall be forwarded to all Deans and Department Chairs with a charge to nominate no more than four persons from the list, and no more than one from their respective School or Department. Two Fridays prior to the October All-College meeting will serve as the deadline for Schools and Departments to return their nominees to the Chair of the Committee. The Committee shall call all Deans and Department Chairs who fail to submit nominations by the deadline.
  5. The Committee on Nominations and Elections shall compile the nominations from Schools and Departments and create the slate of candidates and interest statements for presentation to the Presiding Officer of the Faculty at least one week prior to the October All-College meeting, for inclusion in the Senate Bulletin with interest statements. The slate shall include double the number of positions to be filled at each rank.
  6. The Presiding Officer will request that the Provost’s office send the following letters. Letters to members leaving the Committee will thank them for their service. Letters to returning and elected members will 1) confirm the start and end dates of their terms, 2) include information about when and where dossiers will be made available 3) include the deadline for their final recommendations to the Provost, 4) remind that anti-bias training is required within the 24 months prior to service, and 5) give times when training will be available.

c. Functions and Responsibilities:

  1. The Committee shall act on:

    (i) All cases when a Dean or Department Chair and/or school/department personnel committee have recommended a member of the teaching Faculty for promotion and/or continuing appointment.

    (ii) Any case in which an individual Faculty member (in his/her own case), a Dean or Department Chair, or a school/department personnel committee asks in writing for the Committee’s review and recommendation regarding promotion, continuing appointment or renewal of term appointment.

  2. The Presiding Officer of the Faculty will call a meeting of the incoming Committee before the end of the Fall semester to 1) elect a chair, 2) work out a timeline for the evaluations to be completed in the spring, 3) provide basic orientation to members who have never before served, and 4) confirm that members will complete anti-bias training as required. The newly-elected chair of the Committee shall provide their name to the Office of the Provost to streamline communication in the spring semester.
  3. In all cases under review, the Committee will require access to materials submitted in support of a recommendation for promotion, continuing appointment, or renewal of term appointment. The Committee will consider only the following materials within the candidate’s dossier: the Dean or Department Chair’s recommendation, the school/department personnel committee’s recommendation, and, in the case of promotion to full, reports from outside reviewers, the respective school/department guidelines for continuing appointment and promotions, the candidate’s self-reflective statement, and the candidate’s curriculum vitae. Other materials in the dossier, such as the candidate’s supplemental documentation, may only be consulted as specifically directed in this Section. Material in support of promotion, continuing appointment, and renewal of appointment should be submitted to the Committee within two weeks after recommendations from the established channels are received in the Office of Provost.

  4. The Committee will consider each candidate’s dossier only in relation to the respective school/department guidelines for continuing appointment and promotion.

    (i) Where there is conformity in the recommendations, the Committee shall confirm whether the recommendations are based on the guidelines and whether the candidate meets those guidelines. If so, the Committee shall make a recommendation in alignment.

    (ii) Where there are opposing recommendations, or if the Committee finds that the recommendations do not align with the guidelines, then the Committee shall proceed to review the entirety of the candidate’s dossier including supplemental material. The rationale for this extended review must be in writing and included in the candidate’s dossier.

    (iii) The Committee may reach out to the school Dean or department Chair or personnel committee or the candidate for clarification of either the guidelines or the basis for the recommendations. Any such consultation must be in writing and included in the candidate’s dossier.

    (iv) The Committee will not finalize a recommendation based on an incomplete dossier, unless absolutely necessary to meet the deadline from the Provost.

  5. Before submitting its recommendation to the President, the Committee shall meet with the Provost to discuss its recommendations, including disclosure of vote tallies.
  6. The Committee shall submit to the President a simple negative or positive recommendation for each candidate. A copy of these recommendations shall be sent by the Committee to the Provost and shall become a part of the candidate’s file of evaluative material that is reviewed by the President. Copies of each of the Committee’s recommendations shall also be sent to the respective Dean or department Chair, the Chair of the department personnel committee, and candidate.
  7. The Committee shall meet with the President to discuss its recommendations; this meeting must be open to the whole membership of the Committee.
  8. The Committee shall publish in the Senate Bulletin an annual report detailing the number of candidates considered for promotion and/or continuing appointment and the names of the candidates that the Committee recommended for each.

Section 4: Committee on Professional Leave Review

a. Membership:

  1. The Professional Leave Review Committee will consist of one academic representative from each of the five academic areas listed in II.1.b.
  2. Any full-time member of the teaching Faculty with continuing appointment is eligible for election to the Professional Leave Review Committee. At least half of the Committee members must have had professional leave approved in the past.
  3. Each member of the Professional Leave Review Committee shall be elected to a three year term. Terms of office shall end on May 31. No member shall be elected to more than two consecutive terms. Election from the areas of Natural Science and Humanities is to occur in 2004 and every third year thereafter, election from the areas of Social Science and Fine Arts is to occur in 2006 and every third year thereafter, and elections from the remaining area is to occur in 2005 and every third year thereafter.
  4. No member with a conflict of interest (for example, whose application for a leave is to come before the committee) is permitted to serve on the Professional Leave Review Committee. Members having a conflict of interest will identify themselves to the Executive Committee, which will replace the member with the other candidate from his/her area from the year of the member’s election, or if that person is unable to serve, with another full-time member of the teaching faculty from that area. The replacement will be for the year of the conflict of interest only.
  5. The Vice Chair of the Professional Leave Review Committee, who shall chair the committee in the following year, shall be elected annually from within the committee by the six committee members. In the event that the Vice Chair cannot serve as Chair, the committee shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair from its membership. The Chair and Vice Chair must have previously served on the Committee for at least one year.

b. Selection of Committee Members:

  1. The members of the Committee will be elected during the spring semester of each year.
  2. Each spring, the Committee on Nominations and Elections will identify individuals who are willing and eligible to be elected from within each area needing a new representative. This list will be provided to the departments by the end of January, including an indication of which of them are previous leave individuals.
  3. Each department within the eligible areas shall nominate two individuals from within the department's area, only one of whom may be from within the department itself, and at least one of whom must be a previous leave individual. These nominations will be returned to the Committee by the end of February.
  4. The Committee on Nominations and Elections shall accept these nominations and select the two candidates from each area who receive the most nominations. However, if at least one previous leave individual must be elected in that year, then the Committee will select as candidates from each area the previous leave individual who receives the most nominations and the person from all other eligible individuals who receives the most nominations.
  5. These names will be placed on the ballot. The teaching faculty shall vote for one of the two candidates in each of the areas. The minimum number of previous leave individuals required will be chosen to serve on the Committee according to which such candidates receive the most votes, with no two of them being in the same area. To fill the remaining open seats, the candidate in each unrepresented area receiving the most votes will serve on the Committee.

c. Procedures:

  1. By the end of the Spring semester, the Committee will publish, in the College Senate Bulletin and other appropriate campus publications, a request for leave applications, including a list of materials to be submitted, a list of criteria to be used in evaluating applications, and the deadline date for the submission of applications to the Office of the Provost.
  2. The applicant shall submit applications in accord with the Policies of the Board of Trustees and the College Handbook. The proposal will be forwarded to the Office of the Provost, who will submit the materials to the Professional Leave Review Committee. The Committee will complete its own review and forward its written comments with the proposal package to the Provost for action and transmittal to the President.
  3. The Committee shall publish in the Senate Bulletin an annual report detailing the number of candidates considered for professional leave and a summary of the Committee's recommendations.

Section 5: Faculty Budget and Resource Allocation Committee

a. Membership:

  1. The Committee shall consist of five elected members of the teaching faculty, one academic representative from each of the five academic areas listed in II.1.b of the Constitution.
  2. In consultation with the Chair of the College Senate, the President may appoint up to three additional members selected from those eligible for membership in the College Senate as defined in Article IV of the Constitution other than members of the teaching faculty described in Article II, Section 1.b of the Constitution.
  3. The President may appoint a senior representative from Division Administration and Finance to serve as advisory non-voting member of this Committee.
  4. The Chair of the Committee will be selected by its elected members.
  5. Terms of office shall begin on May 1. Each elected member of the Faculty Budget and Resource Allocation Committee shall be elected to a two-year term with teaching faculty members from Natural Science, Humanities and Social Sciences elected in even years and teaching faculty members from Fine Arts and Professional Studies elected in odd years.

b. Selection of teaching faculty members:

  1. The teaching faculty members of the Committee will be elected during the spring semester of each year.
  2. Each spring, the Committee on Nominations and Elections will identify individuals who are willing and eligible to be elected from within each academic area needing a new representative. The Committee on Nominations and Elections' slate will be presented at Spring All-College Meeting where the Committee on Nominations and Elections will call for nominations from the floor. Any eligible individual nominated and seconded from the floor will be added to the slate of candidates.
  3. These names will be placed on the ballot and grouped according to their academic area. The teaching faculty shall vote for one candidate in each of the areas. The candidate in each unrepresented area receiving the most votes will serve on the Committee.

c. Functions and Responsibilities The committee shall have the following responsibilities:

  1. To become fully informed on the financial planning and resource allocation issues of the College. Specifically, it shall examine College budgets, financial statements and other related documents used in developing budgetary and resource allocation plans.
  2. To meet with the President, representatives from the university budget office, and other college committees to provide faculty input on priorities for future expenditure.
  3. To review and provide timely prospective advice, prior to finalizing budget decisions, concerning the College's and its division's annual budgets, the processes used to determine them, and their potential impact on the instructional, academic, research and outreach missions of the College to the President, Provost, Deans, and other officers of administration with responsibility for the University's annual budgets.
  4. To review budgets of newly proposed or substantially revised College programs to determine their viability.
  5. To communicate to the Faculty and the College Senate information, including an annual report, about the College's annual budgets and resource allocations and their potential impact on instructional, academic, research and outreach programs.

Section 6: GLOBE Committee

a. Membership:

  1. A member of the teaching faculty designated by the Provost who will Chair the GLOBE Committee for a three-year term.
  2. Ten elected members of the teaching faculty who shall serve staggered two-year terms. Two elected members from each of the five disciplinary areas (Humanities, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Social Sciences, Arts, Professional Programs), each from a different academic department.
  3. One faculty member from the Division of Student & Campus Life who is appointed by the President for a two-year term.
  4. One student member from the Academic Affairs Committee of the Student Association who shall serve a one-year term.
  5. A student representative majoring in a different disciplinary area from the first, proposed by the Student Association president and approved by the Provost. Appointment term is two years.
  6. One professional staff member with oversight responsibilities for curriculum and/or assessment appointed by the Provost.
  7. When considering proposals to recognize or modify courses, experiences, or other pathways to meet the Integrative & Applied Learning (IAL) graduation requirement, the GLOBE committee shall consult with a group of individuals representing areas in both Academic Affairs and Student & Campus Life that oversee various kinds of IAL experiences. Three of these individuals, coming from Academic Affairs, shall be appointed by the Provost; three of these individuals, coming from Student & Campus Life, shall be appointed by the Vice President for Student & Campus Life. Appointment term for these individuals is two years.
  8. The Director of Institutional Research, along with one professional staff member with oversight responsibilities for student success appointed by the Provost, shall serve as a resource to the committee.

b. Election of Ten Teaching Faculty Members:

There shall be ten elected teaching faculty: Two members each from Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences with Mathematics, Professional Programs, and Social Sciences. The term of office shall be two years. Each year, one representative from each of these areas shall be elected. The slate of nominees for these elections shall be prepared by the Committee on Nominations and Elections.

c. Functions: The functions of the GLOBE Committee shall be as follows:

  1. Review and report on alignment between (i) the Geneseo curriculum and GLOBE, and (ii) GLOBE and emerging developments in higher education. (Every 5 years.)
  2. Ensure alignment between the Geneseo curriculum and the SUNY General Education Requirement. (Continuous.)
  3. Maintain an up-to-date, publicly shared data file showing which courses, experiences, and other pathways students may use to satisfy the various common baccalaureate degree requirements. (Continuous.)
  4. Review new requests for courses, experiences, and pathways to be counted as satisfying common baccalaureate degree requirements. (Continuous.) These include (i) courses, experiences, and pathways that meet curricular requirements, (ii) courses, curricular and co-curricular experiences, or other pathways that meet the IAL graduation requirement, and (iii) student petitions for individualized experiences that meet the IAL graduation requirement.
  5. Assess the effectiveness of the curriculum in helping students meet the GLOBE learning outcomes. (Yearly.)
  6. Propose modifications to the Geneseo curriculum as needed for consideration by the College Senate. (Continuous.)
  7. Consult with other offices on offering professional development opportunities and other resources that support educational experiences that align with common baccalaureate degree requirements. (Continuous.)
  8. Assess the availability of IAL experiences with an equity mindset. (Continuous.)
Article IV: College Senate Membership

Section 1

The College Senate shall be composed of 85 to 100 members as described below. When the membership drops below 85 or rises to above 100, the Executive Committee or an ad hoc committee appointed by the Executive Committee shall recommend a revision of the formula for determining membership in Section 7, Part b. This revision must be approved by the College Senate.

Section 2

The duly elected representative of the Faculty to the University Faculty Senate shall be a Senator by reason of office.

Section 3

The officers of the Faculty shall be members of the College Senate by reason of office.

Section 4

The President of the College, the Provost, all Vice Presidents, and the Assistant Provost for Curriculum and Assessment shall be members of the College Senate by reason of their offices. The President and Provost shall be non-voting members.

Section 5

The Professional Faculty shall be represented in the College Senate by eight senators, two of whom shall be elected by and from the Academic Affairs professional faculty (one elected each year), one by and from the Administration and Finance professional faculty (elected every other year), two by and from the Student & Campus Life professional faculty (one elected each year), one by and from the College Advancement professional faculty (elected every other year), one by and from the Enrollment Management professional faculty (elected every other year), and one elected at-Large by and from the entire professional faculty (elected every other year). Professional Senators will be elected to two year terms.

Section 6

Seventeen representatives of the student body shall be members of the College Senate and shall enjoy full parliamentary rights within the College Senate. Three of the student representatives shall be graduate students and shall be appointed by the Dean of Curriculum and Academic Services. Fourteen shall be undergraduate students and shall be selected in a manner established by the Executive Committee of the Student Association.

Section 7

Senators from the teaching Faculty shall be selected on the following basis:

a. Eighteen Faculty Senators shall be elected at-large by the entire teaching faculty. Each year these at-large seats shall be apportioned into two groups by the Committee on Nominations and Elections using the following procedure: Divide the number of full time teaching Faculty with more than six years of professional employment by the total number of full time teaching Faculty. Multiply this result by eighteen and round to the nearest integer. This shall be the number of seats allotted to group A. The remainder of the eighteen seats shall be allotted to group B. Any vacant seats in group A shall be filled from candidates having more than six years of professional employment by the start of the term of office. Any vacant seats in Group B shall be filled from candidates having one to six years of professional employment by the start of the term of office. Seats in each group will be filled for two-year terms by the candidates in that group receiving the highest number of votes cast by the Faculty. Each Senator shall be eligible for re-election.

b. Each academic department shall be represented in the College Senate according to the following formula: Departments with one to ten full time teaching faculty shall be entitled to one Senator, Departments with eleven to twenty full time teaching faculty shall be entitled to two Senators, Departments with twenty-one or more full time teaching faculty shall be entitled to three Senators. Each Departmental Senator shall have a two-year term and shall be elected by his/her department prior to the end of the Spring Term.

Section 8

Faculty in part time appointments shall be represented in the College Senate by two senators elected for terms of one academic year. Nominations will be solicited by the Committee on Nominations and Elections in the spring semester and confirmed each August. The part-time senators will be elected by the College Senate from this slate at the first Senate meeting of the academic year.

Section 9

Each Senator (including student representatives) shall normally have one, but not more than one College Senate Standing Committee assignment. Persons who are members of the College Senate by reason of their office will not be assigned to a Standing Committee.

Section 10

The term for Senators who do not hold the position by reason of office shall start on June 1 and expire on May 31.

Article V: Officers

Section 1

The officers of the Faculty shall be the Presiding Officer of the Faculty, the Vice Chair, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the university Faculty Senator, the Past Presiding Officer, and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor. The Presiding Officer of the Faculty shall serve as the Chair of the College Senate. The Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor shall also serve in these capacities for the College Senate.

Section 2

The Presiding Officer of the Faculty shall be elected as specified in Section 6 to serve a one year term. The term of office shall expire on May 31. Re-election to this office is permissible. Any vacancy in the office shall be temporarily filled by the Vice Chair for up to 30 days. The Executive Committee shall meet within the 30 days and may fill the position of Presiding Officer either by majority vote of the committee or through an election consistent with Section 6. In the case of an election, the Vice Chair will continue to serve until the new Presiding Officer is elected.

Section 3

The Vice Chair shall be elected as specified in Section 6 to serve a one-year term. The term of the office of Vice Chair shall expire on May 31. Any vacancy in the office of Vice Chair shall be filled by appointment by the Chair with the consent of the Executive Committee. Re-election to the office of Vice Chair is permissible.

Section 4

The Secretary, Treasurer, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor shall be elected as specified in Section 6 to serve one-year terms. These terms shall expire on May 31. Any vacancy in the Secretary or Treasurer offices shall be filled by appointment by the Chair with the consent of the Executive Committee. Any vacancy in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor office shall be filled by appointment by the Chair after consultation with the Chair(s) of the President’s Commission on Diversity and Community and/or the Chief Diversity Officer and with the consent of the Executive Committee. If a faculty member cannot be identified to fill the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor position, the Chief Diversity Officer or their designee may serve as a non-voting member. Re-election to the office of Secretary, Treasurer, or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor is permissible.

Section 5

The University Faculty Senator, elected in the Fall semester of the last year of the incumbent's term, shall be considered an officer of the Faculty and representative officer to the College Senate. The Alternate University Faculty Senator shall be the person receiving the second highest number of votes. The term of office for the University Faculty Senator and the Alternate shall be three years and shall expire on May 31 with re-election possible in accordance with University Faculty Senate Bylaws. The Alternate University Faculty Senator shall act in the absence of the University Faculty Senator only on matters described in ARTICLE VI, Section 5 of this Constitution. Any vacancy in the office of University Faculty Senator shall be filled immediately by the Alternate. Any vacancy in the office of Alternate shall be filled by election as in Section 6 within the first two weeks that the College is in session following the occurrence of the vacancy.

Section 6

Election to offices of the Faculty shall be by secret ballot by the highest number of votes cast by the Faculty from a slate prepared by the Committee on Nominations and Elections.

Section 7

The Past Presiding Officer shall be the most recently elected Presiding Officer, excepting the current one. Any vacancy in the office shall be filled by appointment by the Presiding Officer with the consent of the Executive Committee.

Article VI: Duties of Officers

Section 1: The Chair

The Chair of the College Senate shall preside at all meetings of the College Senate, all meetings of the Executive Committee, and all general Faculty meetings not called by the President of the College. S/He shall prepare and circulate agenda for meetings. S/He shall circulate agenda of College Senate meetings to the Faculty prior to all meetings of the College Senate. S/He shall represent the Faculty at appropriate College functions. S/He shall appoint, with the advice of the officers, Chairs of the Standing Committees from among the Teaching Faculty members of the Senate. S/He shall represent the College at meetings of the SUNY Campus Governance Leaders or other appropriate SUNY-wide meetings. S/He shall be responsible for the publication of the proceedings of the Standing Committees of the Faculty and of the College Senate and its Standing Committees. S/He shall assume responsibility for the establishment and maintenance of a full and permanent record of all policies established by the College Senate. S/He shall report all actions of the Senate to the President and receive a response from the President.

Section 2: The Vice Chair

The Vice Chair shall, in the absence of the Chair, preside at meetings of the College Senate, the Executive Committee, and the Faculty, and represent the Faculty at appropriate College functions. S/He shall organize a Committee on Excellence Awards and Distinguished Ranks, see that the Committee completes its tasks in a timely manner and report the results of the process to the President. S/He shall assume responsibility for other duties delegated by the Chair. Re-election is permissible.

Section 3: The Secretary

The Secretary shall review the minutes of the Executive Committee of the College Senate, of the College Senate, and of those general Faculty meetings which the Presiding Officer of the Faculty chairs. The Secretary shall prepare such correspondence for the Senate as directed by the Chair. The Secretary shall perform other duties as directed by the Chair.

Section 4: The Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be accountable for the receipt and distribution of all the funds of the Faculty and shall submit an annual written report to the membership of the College Senate showing all receipts and expenditures of the academic year, June 1 to May 31. The current Treasurer shall present to the Faculty a summary of receipts and expenditures in writing prior to the submission of the following year's budget, and such report shall date from last accounting of funds to the Faculty. A voucher system shall be used with the Chair or Vice Chair signing vouchers for expenditures over $500. Expenditures of over $500 shall also require a majority vote of the Senators present at a College Senate meeting.

Section 5: The University Faculty Senator

The University Faculty Senator or Alternate shall represent the Faculty at all meetings of the University Faculty Senate and shall serve as the spokesperson for the view of the local Faculty in all University Faculty Senate meetings. The University Faculty Senator or Alternate shall keep the Faculty informed as to all business of the University Faculty Senate and shall report regularly on proposed items or resolutions before the University Faculty Senate.

Section 6: Past Presiding Officer

The Past Presiding Officer shall serve as advisor to the Presiding Officer. The Past Presiding Officer shall serve a one-year term to end on May 31. The Past Presiding Officer serves as a member of the Strategic Planning Group.

Section 7: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor shall serve as an advisor to the Presiding Officer, the Executive Committee, and Chairs of the Standing Committees of the Senate to increase the equity and inclusiveness of Senate policies and practices.

Section 8

The Officers of the College Senate shall not serve as Chair or member of the Standing Committees of the College Senate.

Article VII: Membership of the Executive Committee

The membership of the Executive Committee of the College Senate shall consist of the following:

Section 1

The Chair, the Vice Chair, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Past Chair, and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor.

Section 2

The Chairs of the Standing Committees of the Senate.

Section 3

The President and the Provost of the College or their designee or designees.

Section 4

The University Faculty Senator.

Section 5

The Vice President of the Student Association as a voting member.

Section 6

The Chair of the GLOBE Committee.

Article VIII: Duties of the Executive Committee

Section 1

The Executive Committee shall receive all reports of all College Senate Committees and must include such reports on the agenda of business to come before the College Senate.

Section 2

The Executive Committee shall apportion the business of the College Senate to the appropriate Standing Committees of the College Senate.

Section 3

The Executive Committee shall appoint ad hoc committees composed of both faculty and students as the need may arise for consideration of matters not appropriate to the Standing Committees of the College Senate.

Section 4

The Executive Committee, on the recommendation of the Treasurer, shall submit to the College Senate a budget estimate for general faculty functions and shall recommend voluntary remittances for the ensuing year, June 1 to May 31.

Section 5

The Executive Committee, when a special meeting is consistent with the purposes of the College Senate, shall call special meetings of the College Senate pursuant to a majority vote of the Executive Committee, or a petition of 10% of the College Senate or 10% of the total Faculty.

Section 6

The Executive Committee, through its members who are Chairs of Standing Committees of the College Senate, shall receive reports of College Senate Committee activities and conduct a continuing review of Committee work.

Section 7

The Executive Committee, through the Chair of the College Senate, shall receive reports of the activities of the Standing Committees of the Faculty and shall conduct a continuing review of the work of the Faculty Committees.

Section 8

The Executive Committee shall advise the College Senate Chair on nominees to fill vacancies in the roster of at-large teaching Faculty Senators, elected members of the Standing Committees of the Faculty, Secretary, Treasurer, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor, and appointed members of the Standing Committees of the Faculty. Nominations to fill such vacancies shall be submitted to the College Senate for its approval. The appointees shall serve the remainder of the specific terms of office.

Section 9

The Executive Committee, by a two thirds vote of its members on a resolution, shall have the authority to express an opinion on behalf of the College Senate or general Faculty. Such a resolution may be reversed by a majority vote of the College Senate or a referendum of the Faculty.

Section 10

The Executive Committee shall be consulted by the President of the College or other appropriate administrative officer on all administrative appointments above the level of Assistant Dean. This consultation shall occur prior to the appointment of an individual to fill the position.

Section 11

The Executive Committee, itself or through an appointed subcommittee, shall solicit nomination letters for a Faculty Career Achievement Award from faculty members with continuing appointment, to be received by March 1 of each year. Nominees named in at least three letters will be considered, on the basis of materials requested by the committee, for having made outstanding contributions in all three areas of scholarship in their discipline, teaching and curriculum development for the college, and service to the college and community. At most one award will be conferred yearly.

Article IX: Standing Committees of the Senate

Section 1: Committee on Undergraduate Curricula

a. Membership: The membership of the Committee shall include at least two professional Faculty Senators appointed by the President of the College and at least 20% of the teaching Faculty Senators appointed by the College Senate Chair, in consultation with the officers of the Faculty. Three of the undergraduate student Senators shall be appointed by the President of the Student Association to serve as voting members of the Committee. The Chair shall be named by the College Senate Chair from among the teaching Faculty members of the Committee. The term of office for the Chair and Committee members shall be one year. Re-appointment of the Chair and members of the Committee shall be possible.

b. Functions: The functions of the Committee shall be to transmit to the Executive Committee of the College Senate its recommendations relating to undergraduate courses, majors/minors, and core courses. The Chair shall meet as needed with the Chair of Undergraduate Policies, Core and Review Committee and/or the Chair of the Graduate Academic Affairs Committee to coordinate committee recommendation. At the request of any of the Chairs a joint meeting of the committees shall be convened and chaired by the Chair of the committee requesting the joint meeting. Recommendation approved at the joint meeting of the two committees shall be referred to the Executive Committee.

Section 2: Committee on Undergraduate Academic Policies, Core, and Review

a. Membership: The membership of the Committee shall include at least two professional Faculty Senators appointed by the President of the College and at least 20%of the teaching Faculty Senators appointed by the College Senate Chair, in consultation with the officers of the Faculty. Three of the undergraduate student Senators shall be appointed by the President of the Student Association to serve as voting members of the Committee. The chair shall be named by the College Senate Chair from among the teaching Faculty members of the Committee. The term of office for the Committee Chair and Committee members shall be one year. Re-appointment of the Committee Chair and Committee members shall be possible.

b. Functions: The functions of the Committee shall be to transmit to the Executive Committee of the College Senate its recommendations relating to the undergraduate academic policies, standards, core policies, and program reviews. The Chair shall meet as needed with the Chair of the Undergraduate Curricula Committee and/or the Chair of the Graduate Academic Affairs Committee to coordinate committee recommendation. At the request of any of the Chairs, a joint meeting of the committees shall be convened and chaired by the Chair of the Committee requesting the joint meeting. Recommendation approved at the joint meeting of the committees shall be referred to the Executive Committee.

Section 3: Committee on Graduate Academic Affairs

a. Membership: The membership of the Committee shall include at least one professional Faculty Senator appointed by the President of the College and a least 10% of the teaching Faculty Senators appointed by the College Senate Chair, in consultation with the officers of the College Senate. Two graduate student Senators shall be appointed by the Dean of Curriculum and Academic Services. The Committee Chair shall be named by the College Senate Chair from among the teaching Faculty members of the Committee. The term of office of the Committee Chair and Committee members shall be one year. Re-appointment of the Committee chair and Committee members shall be possible.

b. Functions: The functions of the Committee shall be to transmit to the Executive Committee of the College Senate its recommendations relating to graduate curricula, academic policies and standards. The Chair shall meet as needed with the Chair of the Undergraduate Curricula Committee and/or the Chair of the Undergraduate Policies, Core and Review Committee to coordinate committee recommendations. At the request of any of the Chairs, a joint meeting of the committees shall be convened and chaired by the Chair of the committee requesting the joint meeting. Recommendations approved at the joint meeting of the committees shall be referred to the Executive Committee.

Section 4: Committee on Student Affairs

a. Membership: The membership of the Committee shall include at least two professional Faculty Senators appointed by the President of the College and at least 15% of the teaching Faculty Senators appointed by the College Senate Chair, in consultation with the officers of the Faculty. Six undergraduate student Senators shall be appointed by the President of the Student Association to serve as voting members of the Committee, and the one graduate student Senator shall be appointed by the Dean of Curriculum and Academic Services to serve as a voting member of the Committee. The Chair shall be named by the College Senate Chair from among the Faculty members of the Committee. The term of office for the Chair and Committee members shall be one year. Reappointment of the Chair and members of the Committee shall be possible.

b. Functions: To consult with students on problems relating to faculty-student relationships, viewed broadly as problems of concern to the Campus Community, to work with other student committees on matters which affect faculty and students and which overlap the boundaries between the specific responsibilities of the Student Affairs and other Committees, and to recommend to the Executive Committee of Senate such policies as it may consider advisable. The Chair shall meet with the Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee to consider recommendations affecting both Faculty Affairs and Student Affairs, to assist in the resolution of any type of student complaint and, in particular, to serve as a source of information, consultation, mediation for students such that, in many cases, formal grievance procedures need not be initiated. At the request of either Chair, a joint meeting of the two Committees shall be convened and chaired by the Chair of the Committee requesting the joint meeting. Recommendations approved at the joint meeting of the two Committees shall be referred to the Executive Committee.

Section 5: Committee on Faculty Affairs

a. Membership: The membership of the Committee shall include at least one professional Faculty Senator appointed by the President of the College and at least 20% of the teaching Faculty Senators appointed by the College Senate Chair, in consultation with the officers of the Faculty. Two of the undergraduate student Senators shall be appointed by the President of the Student Association to serve as voting members of the Committee. The Chair shall be named by the College Senate Chair from among the teaching Faculty members of the Committee. The term of office for the Chair and Committee members shall be one year. Re-appointment of the Chair and members of the Committee shall be possible.

b. Functions: To recommend to the Executive Committee of the College Senate general policy relating to the professional affairs of the faculty and general policy on criteria for promotion and tenure of teaching Faculty. The Chair shall meet with the Chair of the Student Affairs Committee to consider recommendations affecting both Student Affairs and Faculty Affairs. At the request of either Chair, a joint meeting of the two Committees shall be convened and chaired by the Chair of the Committee requesting the joint meeting. Recommendations approved at the joint meeting of the two Committees shall be referred to the Executive Committee.

Article X: Standing Committees of the College

Section 1: Research Council

a. Functions:

The functions of the Research Council are to encourage and promote research and scholarly activities on the campus. It shall improve present means and initiate new means to help faculty and staff members to obtain external funding. The Research Council will accomplish these functions by helping to set research direction for the campus, initiating programs that will aid researchers and scholars, and reviewing applications for internal grants that will further advance research on campus and the procurement of external funding. The Research Council will review applications for faculty and student summer fellowships, student research assistantships, the Hurrell/McNaron award and review the status of research and scholarly activities on the campus.

b. Membership:

  1. There will be at least twelve and no more than one member from the teaching Faculty of each academic department.
  2. All members must be or have been an externally funded Project Director and/or Principal Investigator, or currently performing scholarly creative activities or research, as evidenced by publication and presentations at professional meetings, exhibits, or performances.
  3. The membership term for teaching Faculty is three years, and shall expire on May 31st. Consecutive terms are allowed.
  4. In the event that a seat becomes vacant, the Chair of the Research Council and the Director of Sponsored Research shall confer with the Chair of the appropriate academic department to identify a potential member. Each department may establish its own method for choosing their departmental representative on the Research Council.
  5. Each academic year, prior to June 1st, the Research Council will provide to the President of the College a list of nominees for appointment to the Research Council to fill vacant seats. Mid-term vacancies will be handled as needed.
  6. The Director of Sponsored Research is an ex-officio non-voting member.
  7. A representative of the Teaching and Learning Center is designated by the President as an ex-officio non-voting member.
  8. One or more representatives designated by the Vice President of Administration and Finance will serve as ex-officio non-voting member(s).
  9. In May of odd years, the Research Council shall elect a Vice Chair from the teaching Faculty members of the Council. The term of office shall be two years from June 1st until May 31st, followed by a two year term as Chair.

c. Subcommittees and ad hoc Working Groups:

  1. Each member of the Research Council will serve on at least one subcommittee or ad hoc working group.
  2. Membership: The Research Council Chair will appoint faculty members of the Council to each subcommittee or working group and designate subcommittee and working group chairs. The Director of Sponsored Research is an ex-officio non-voting member on all subcommittees and working groups.
  3. Subcommittees or working groups may be created or dissolved at the discretion of the Research Council.

d. Procedures and Protocol

  1. Role of the Chair: direct activities of the Research Council, to include, but not be limited to: overseeing nomination of members, appointment of members to sub-committees or working groups, calling and chairing meetings, advising the Provost, serving as a liaison to the Director of Sponsored Research, and upholding the Constitution.
  2. Role of the Vice Chair: fulfill the role of the Chair in the case of his/her absence and assist in the timely publication of the minutes.
  3. Minutes will be published in the Senate Bulletin.
  4. Research Council members applying for internal grants, summer fellowships, or sponsoring students applying for undergraduate research programs will be excused from discussions and evaluations involving their own interests. Research Council members in the same department as another faculty member or student under consideration will be excused from discussions and evaluations at the discretion of the Chair.
  5. The Research Council is an advisory body to the President of the College that reports their recommendations through the Office of the Provost as facilitated by the Director of Sponsored Research. All decisions will be held in confidence until officially approved and acted upon by the President, the Provost, or the Director of Sponsored Research. The Director of Sponsored Research will ensure that all applicants are informed of the official decisions concerning their funding requests, and will also be responsible for notifying faculty and staff of changes to any research policy.

Section 2: Strategic Planning Group

a. Membership:

All members listed below except for resource staff are voting members.

  1. The Provost and Vice President for Finance and Administration will co-chair the Strategic Planning Group
  2. The current Presiding Officer of the Faculty
  3. The Past Presiding Officer of the Faculty
  4. Five teaching Faculty, one from each of the five academic areas described in Article II Section 1b
  5. Two Students
  6. One member of the professional staff
  7. The Vice President of each College division
  8. The Director of Communications and Marketing
  9. The Chief Diversity Officer
  10. Resource staff, including the Associate Provost responsible for assessment, and others as deemed appropriate by the President
  11. The Executive Committee of the College Senate will act as a monitoring and recommending body to the Strategic Planning Group.

b. Selection of Strategic Planning Group faculty, staff and student members:

  1. Teaching faculty terms will be for three years. As each teaching faculty member rotates out of the group, the Executive committee will strive to provide a diverse slate of candidates to the President, which will include at least three candidates for each vacant position. From these the President will select an appointee. Faculty may be reappointed for consecutive terms but may serve no more than six uninterrupted years.
  2. One of the two student members will be the President of the Student Association or his/her designee. The second student representative will be a sophomore or junior chosen by the President from a list of three students recommended by the President of the Student Association. This student representative will serve a two-year term, renewable for one additional year.
  3. The president will appoint one professional staff member.
  4. The resource staff will be named by the president

c. Functions:

The Strategic Planning Group (SPG) will define overarching goals for the College, evaluate priorities and, where appropriate, recommend new or revised goals and strategies that will strengthen the mission of the College. SPG will review the goals of the College and its constituent units to ensure that they are in keeping with the Vision and Mission Statements and will regularly review the College's progress towards these goals. The Strategic Planning Group will make all of its recommendations directly to the President.

Section 3: College Assessment Council

a. Membership:

  1. The following will be members by reason of office: Associate Provost responsible for assessment, who will Chair the Council, Director responsible for college budget, Director of Institutional Research, Director of the Teaching and Learning Center, Accreditation Liaison Officer for Middle States, Presiding Officer of the Faculty or designee.
  2. The Council shall have the following additional members: A representative named by the Vice President of each division of the college except Academic Affairs, One member from the President's Office , One member of the Teaching Faculty elected to a 3-year term, One Student Representative appointed by the President to a 2 year term.
  3. All council members shall be referred to as the "Assessment Coordinator" for their respective divisions.

b. Functions:

  1. The Council shall facilitate College-wide assessment seeing that each division of the College shall have an assessment process that will provide:

    (i) A review of assessment results from the units within the division

    (ii) Constructive feedback to the units on their assessment plans

    (iii) An annual report to the College Assessment Advisory Council that addresses College planning objectives as manifested within each division

  2. The Council shall

    (i) Review annual reports from divisional assessment processes provided by the Vice Presidents to the Council

    (ii) Send a summary report to the Strategic Planning group

    (iii) Evaluate campus assessment procedures

    (iv) Develop recommendations regarding the coordination of campus assessment and planning processes

    (v) Encourage the campus-wide use of evidence in programmatic decision-making

    (vi) Organize assessment training and professional development across the campus.

  3. The Chair of the CAC will be a non-voting member of the Strategic Planning Group and will operate as a liaison between the College Assessment Council and the Strategic Planning Group.

Section 4: Budget Priorities Committee

The Budget Priorities Committee (BPC) advises the President on budget priorities and works with the Strategic Planning Group to link resources with college planning goals.

a. Membership:

  1. The Budget Priorities Committee shall be co-chaired by the Past Presiding Officer of the Faculty and Vice President for Administration and Finance.
  2. Treasurer of the Faculty
  3. Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
  4. All other Vice Presidents of the College
  5. Chief Communications and Marketing Officer and Chief Diversity Officer
  6. President of the Student Association or his/her designee
  7. A member of the professional staff – appointed
  8. Two members of the faculty – appointed
  9. The Director responsible for college budget will serve as resource staff to the Budget Priorities Committee

b. Process for appointment:

The President shall appoint a member of the professional staff to serve a two-year term. The President, in consultation with the Executive Committee of the College Senate, shall appoint two members of the faculty for two-year terms.

c. Function:

The Budget Priorities Committee will play a key role in certain matters as they pertain to the College’s Budget, and may on occasion be asked to serve in a consultative role with the President.

  1. The BPC will review responses to Budget Call Letters and prepare a prioritized listing of requests for the President’s review. This listing shall be prepared in a manner that is consistent with and in support of the College’s strategic planning goals and budget priorities as established by the Strategic Planning Group (SPG).
  2. On an annual basis, the BPC will conduct general reviews of the College’s budget and report on the same to the College Senate.
  3. From time to time, the BPC may be called upon by the President and/or SPG to undertake special studies and analyses consistent with its role as an advisory committee on budget related matters. Such studies or analyses should be done in the context of the College’s overall goals and priorities, and may have tight timelines for completion.
  4. The President may also choose to convene the BPC to consult with him/her on specific budgetary matters requiring a more immediate response.

Section 5: Honorary Degree & Speaker Committee

a. Membership

  1. One representative from each of the divisions of College Advancement, appointed in even years, and Student & Campus Life, appointed in odd years. Appointments are made by the respective vice presidents.

  2. Three faculty from the division of Academic Affairs appointed by the Provost, of whom at least two are teaching faculty.

    (i) Two are appointed in even years, and one in odd years.

    (ii) The Faculty Presiding Officer makes an open call for self-nominations in the first week of April.

    (iii) From those self-nominations the Executive Committee approves a list of at least double the number of open positions, from which appointments are made.

  3. One student member, appointed by the President, in consultation with the Student Association President and the Vice President for Student & Campus Life.
  4. All terms are for two years, except that the student member term shall be one year. All terms end on May 31.
  5. The President names the chair of the committee from among the teaching faculty members.

b. Functions

  1. The committee solicits nominations, vets candidates, and makes recommendations to the President and Cabinet for honorary degree recipients (typically two each year), and speakers for commencement, the Wadsworth Lecture (political figures & journalists), the Roemer Lecture on World Affairs, the President’s Diversity Lecture, and the President’s Sustainability Lecture. A member of the Wadsworth family is notified of speaker recommendations for the Wadsworth Lecture.
  2. The committee works closely with the President’s office regarding when speaker nominees are contacted and by whom.
Article XI: Meetings

Section 1

Regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be scheduled by the Chair of the College Senate during the academic year from September through May.

Section 2

The Chair of the College Senate shall, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee, schedule at least four College Senate meetings per semester, with the meetings evenly distributed throughout the semester.

Section 3

Special meetings of the College Senate or of the Faculty, when such a meeting is consistent with the purposes of the Faculty or of the Senate or is petitioned by 10% of the Senate or of the total Faculty, shall be called by the Chair of the College Senate with the majority vote of the Executive Committee.

Section 4

Meetings of the Faculty may be called by the President of the College at his/her discretion.

Section 5

Meetings of the Executive Committee, Faculty, College Senate, College Senate Committees, and Faculty Committees shall be open to the Faculty, administration, support staff, and students unless declared executive sessions by majority vote of the respective bodies.

Section 6: Electronic Meetings

a. Committees of the Senate may conduct meetings and distribute materials to be considered by electronic means. Members of a committee may participate electronically in meetings they are unable to attend in person.

b. With the consent of two-thirds of their entire membership, committees may vote on motions by electronic means.

Article XII: Changes in By-Laws

Section 1

Proposals for additions or changes in the By-Laws of the Constitution of the Faculty shall be submitted in writing to the Chair of the College Senate and must be supported by a majority vote of the Executive Committee or by petition of 10% of the total Faculty. After receiving such proposals, the Chair of the College Senate shall promptly present them to the Faculty for its consideration and vote.

Section 2

Revisions and additions to the By-Laws of the Constitution of the Faculty shall be enacted by a majority vote of the members of the total voting Faculty who shall have voted, subject to quorum requirements in ARTICLE II, Section 3 of the By-Laws of the Constitution of the Faculty. Voting shall occur no sooner than one month following the original presentation of the proposals to the Faculty by the Chair of the College Senate. Upon enactment, proposals shall be incorporated in the By-Laws of the Faculty Constitution and become immediately effective.

Section 3

A referendum on the interpretation of any provision of the Constitution of the Faculty and/or By-Laws may be called for by a majority vote of the Executive Committee or by a joint petition from 10% of the members of the Faculty and 5% of the Students. A referendum calling for reversal of a Senate decision may be called for by a majority vote of the Executive Committee or by a joint petition from 10% of the Faculty and 5% of the Students, provided that the petition is presented within three weeks of the original Senate decision. Petition signatures will be validated by the Vice Chair of the Senate within seven days from the date the petition is received by the Executive Committee. All faculty and all students are eligible to vote in any referendum. A vote on any referendum may be taken no sooner than three weeks following the original presentation to the total Faculty and Students. The method of administration of the vote on the referendum will be decided upon and carried out jointly by the College Senate Chair and the President of the Student Association. A referendum is passed when it is approved by a majority vote weighted according to the current distribution of faculty senators and student senators and subject to quorum requirements imposed by Article II, Section 3 of the By-Laws of the Constitution of the Faculty.

The total number of votes in a referendum shall be equal to the number of members in the College Senate and shall be apportioned between students and faculty in the same ratio as faculty senators and student senators. The votes apportioned to the faculty shall be counted on the ratio of yes votes of the faculty to total faculty who shall have voted. The votes apportioned to the students shall be counted on the ratio of yes votes of the students to the total number of students who shall have voted. For example, if the Senate membership consists of 17 Student Senators and 70 Faculty Senators, the total number of votes in a referendum is 87, with 17 votes apportioned to Students and 70 votes apportioned to Faculty. Further assume that in a given referendum 1200 students voted (700 voting yes and 500 voting no) and 120 faculty voted (80 voting yes and 40 voting no). The votes will be counted:

17 X 700/1200 = 10 Student yes votes
+ 70 X 80/120 = 47 Faculty yes votes
57 Total yes votes

17 X 500/1200 = 7 Student no votes
+ 70 X 40/120 = 23 Faculty no votes
30 Total no votes

The example referendum requires 44 yes votes (a majority) to pass and received 57 yes votes.

Article XIII: Amendments

Section 1

Proposals for amendment of the Constitution of the Faculty may be made at any time by an ad hoc or other committee appointed by the Executive Committee for the purpose of proposing amendments to the Constitution. Such proposed amendments need only be accepted by the Executive Committee before being presented to the Faculty at an announced open hearing. The Secretary's report of this hearing shall be distributed to the Faculty prior to voting. They shall be voted on by the Faculty no sooner than one month after the original presentation.

Section 2

Proposals for amendment may be submitted in writing to the Chair of the College Senate by any member of the Faculty, provided the proposal is supported by petitions of 10% of the Faculty. The Chair of the College Senate shall submit proposals to the vote of the Faculty at a time and place determined by him/her, with the advice of the Executive Committee and consent of the College Senate, but no sooner than one month after the original presentation of proposals to the Faculty at an announced open hearing. The Secretary's report of this hearing shall be distributed to the Faculty prior to voting.

Section 3

After the presentation of the proposals for amendment, they may be revised by the Executive Committee, with the advice and approval of the proposers of the amendments. Any revisions must be noted in the College Senate Bulletin at least two weeks before being submitted to the vote of the Faculty. Enactment of amendments to the Constitution shall require a majority vote of the members of the Faculty who shall have voted, subject to quorum requirements imposed by ARTICLE II, Section 3 of the By-Laws of the Constitution of the Faculty. Enactment of amendments may be by a mailbox (physical or electronic) ballot or by vote of the Faculty at a Faculty meeting. If a mailbox ballot is used, it must be preceded by an announced open hearing for the purpose of discussion of the proposed amendments. The Secretary's report of this hearing shall be distributed to the Faculty prior to voting.

Section 4

Proposals for amendments that are editorial in nature, as determined by the Executive Committee, do not require a vote of the members of the Faculty. These proposals may include but are not limited to updating the names of College offices, departments, academic areas, or personnel titles. All such revisions must be announced in a meeting of the College Senate and noted in the College Senate Bulletin. Challenges to the determination of the proposed amendments being editorial rather than substantive in nature should be supported by petitions of 10% of the Faculty, and will result in the proposals following the procedure outlined by the above sections 1, 2, and 3.

Section 5

Amendments to Articles and Sections dealing with Standing Committees of the College may be made by the President in consultation with the College Senate Executive Committee. The above sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 do not apply to Standing Committees of the College.