University Senate Bylaws & Rules

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Organization and Bylaws of the State University at Oneonta Faculty
(Revised September 2023)

Note on Faculty Bylaws: “Bylaws shall be consistent with and subject to the Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, the laws of the State of New York, and the provisions of agreements between the State of New York and the certified employee organization established pursuant to Article 14 of the Civil Service Law. Provisions of bylaws concerning consultation with the faculty shall be subject to the approval of the chief administrative officer of the college. All actions under bylaws shall be advisory upon the Chancellor and the chief administrative officer of the college.” [Article X, 5 (b)]

Article I: Name

§1. The name of this organization shall be the State University at Oneonta Faculty, hereafter referred to as the Faculty.

Article II: Purpose and Responsibility

§1. The purpose and responsibility of this organization shall be to carry out the mandate of Article X of the Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York through significant participation in the initiation, development, and implementation of the educational program of the University, and to assume such other responsibilities as the Board of Trustees may direct.

Article III: Membership

§1. Membership in the Faculty shall include the Chancellor of the State University, the appropriate University Vice Chancellor, the President of the University, the academic staff of the University, those other members of the University professional staff in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit charged with responsibility for admissions and counseling of students or with responsibility for the service and research programs of the University, and Library Faculty.

§2. Ex-Officio non-voting members of the Faculty shall be Vice Presidents of the University and the Deans.

§3. Eligible to vote shall be those persons identified in §1. Each eligible voter shall be entitled to one vote.

§4. Questions of eligibility for membership shall be decided by the Presiding Officer, in accordance with the published Policies of the Board of Trustees and the rules governing the listing of faculty in the Directory of College Faculties of the State University, and reported to the University Senate.

Article IV: Officers

§1. In accordance with the Policies of the Board of Trustees, the President of the University shall be the Chair of the Faculty.

§2. Presiding Officer of the Faculty

  1. The Presiding Officer shall be a tenured member (or equivalent) of the Faculty as defined in Article III.
  2. The Presiding Officer shall serve as Chair of the University Senate.
  3. The Presiding Officer shall preside over University Senate meetings.
  4. The Presiding Officer shall serve as Past Presiding Officer of the Faculty for one year after their term as Presiding Officer expires.
  5. If the Presiding Officer and Alternate Presiding Officer will be absent from an upcoming meeting, the Presiding Officer or if unavailable, the University Senate Steering Committee may designate a Presiding Officer Pro Tem to preside in their place.
  6. The Presiding Officer shall have no more than a three-quarter workload each semester (i.e., 3 credit hours course release or equivalent for professional faculty per semester) or equivalent stipend as compensation for service.
  7. The Presiding Officer shall receive suggestions for the agenda and bring them to Steering Committee, as well as prepare the agenda set by the Steering Committee for University Senate meetings, which shall be distributed to the Faculty no less than two business days in advance of those meetings.

§3. Alternate Presiding Officer of the Faculty

  1. The Alternate Presiding Officer shall serve as Vice Chair of the University Senate.
  2. In the absence of the Presiding Officer, the Alternate Presiding Officer shall assume all duties and responsibilities of the Presiding Officer.

§4. Past Presiding Officer of the Faculty

  1. The Past Presiding Officer shall serve for one year as an advisor to the Presiding Officer of the Faculty to ensure continuity of efforts after a new Presiding Officer is elected.
  2. The Past Presiding Officer shall serve as a member of the University Senate Steering Committee.

§5. Secretary of the Faculty

  1. The Secretary shall record, distribute to the Faculty, and be custodian of the minutes of University Senate meetings.

§6. Elections and Terms of Presiding Officer, Alternate Presiding Officer, Past Presiding Officer, and Secretary of the Faculty

  1. The Faculty Business Committee shall conduct the election of the Presiding Officer, Alternate Presiding Officer, and Secretary of the Faculty.
  2. The Faculty Business Committee shall request nominations from the Faculty by March 15 of each year. Elections shall be completed by April 15 of each year; except in the event that a run-off election is required.
  3. The Presiding Officer shall be elected for a two-year term with a maximum of three consecutive terms. The Alternate Presiding Officer and Secretary of the Faculty shall be elected for a one-year term with a maximum of six consecutive terms.
  4. After a term-limit is reached, any of these officers may run again for the same office after an intervening term has passed.
  5. The Past Presiding Officer shall serve a single one-year term during the first year of a new Presiding Officer. This shall not be an elected position, but is expected of any outgoing Presiding Officer.
  6. All terms for Presiding Officer, Alternate Presiding Officer, and Secretary shall begin on July 1.

§7. Vacancies.

  1. A vacancy in the office of Presiding Officer, Alternate Presiding Officer, and Secretary shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term.
  2. In the event of a vacancy, the Faculty Business Committee shall request nominations from the Faculty within one week of receiving notice of the vacancy from the University Senate Steering Committee.
  3. Interim elections shall be completed by the Faculty Business Committee no later than one month following the notice of the vacancy.
  4. Until elections are completed, the University Senate Steering Committee shall elect, from its membership, temporary officers until the vacancies are filled.

§8. Recall.

  1. The Faculty may recall the offices of Presiding Officer, Alternate Presiding Officer, and Secretary, providing that the recall vote be requested by a petition signed by at least 1/3 of the Faculty and that the petition is presented at a University Senate meeting.
  2. The petition shall be verified by the Faculty Business Committee within two weeks of receipt by the University Senate.
  3. The Faculty Business Committee shall distribute a ballot of recall for the said officer position(s).
  4. A recall motion shall be declared passed with an affirmative vote of 2/3 of the Faculty.
  5. If a recall motion passes, the Faculty Business Committee shall follow the same guidelines of filling officer vacancies as noted in §6.

§9. University Faculty Senator and Alternate University Faculty Senator

  1. The following procedures are provided in accordance with the State University of New York University Faculty Senate By-Laws and Procedures.
  2. The term of the University Faculty Senator shall be three years with a limit of two consecutive terms.
  3. The Alternate University Senator shall serve for the same term as the University Senator for whom they are serving as alternate.
  4. The Alternate University Senator shall serve in the absence or inability to act for the representative for whom they are alternates and, in that event, such alternate representatives shall exercise all the powers and duties of the representatives for whom they are alternates.
  5. All terms for the University Faculty Senator and the Alternate University Senator shall begin on July 1.
  6. If a leave of absence or other reason will prevent the University Faculty Senator or the Alternate University Senator from performing the duties of the office for a period of one academic year or longer, the position will be declared vacant and a new election will be held to fill the remainder of the unexpired term. An individual currently serving as the Alternate University Senator may run in the election for University Faculty Senator that has been vacated in this manner. In the event that both the University Faculty Senate and the Alternate University Senator are simultaneously unable to represent the campus for a period in excess of four months during the academic year, both offices will be declared vacant and the unexpired terms will be filled by a new election for a three-year term.

§10. All above officers shall be ex-officio voting members of the University Senate.

§11. Parliamentarian

  1. The Presiding Officer, prior to the first University Senate meeting of the new term, shall appoint a Parliamentarian.
  2. The Parliamentarian shall advise the Presiding Officer and other officers, committees, and Faculty on matters of parliamentary procedure and all bylaws and rules pertaining to Faculty governance.
  3. The Parliamentarian need not be a member of the Faculty and shall not have voice or vote during a Faculty Plenary or University Senate meeting except on matters of parliamentary procedure.

Article V: Faculty Plenary Meetings

The following are guidelines and procedures for a Faculty Plenary meeting. For guidelines and procedures affecting meetings of the University Senate, please see Article VIII.

§1. The President of the University or the Presiding Officer of the Faculty shall call meetings of the Faculty, with an announced agenda.

§2. The Presiding Officer of the Faculty shall call a duly constituted meeting of the Faculty when he/she:

  1. is requested to do so by the University President;
  2. deems it necessary for the Faculty to meet;
  3. is requested to do so by the Senate;
  4. receives a petition signed by 10 percent or more full-time Faculty members requesting that the Faculty meet; or
  5. receives a petition signed by 10 percent or more full-time students requesting that the Faculty meet.

§3. The quorum for all Faculty meetings shall be 1/3 of its total voting membership, when at least 48 hours lapses between the announcement of the meeting and the meeting time; but 50% when a meeting of an emergency nature is called on short notice.

§4. Any Faculty member or group of Faculty may place items on the agenda for a Faculty meeting by submitting the items in writing to the Secretary of the Faculty.

§5. The regular order of business for meetings of the Faculty and for the University Senate, unless altered by majority vote of the members present, shall be: call to order, approval of minutes, president’s report, faculty senator’s report, committee reports, unfinished business, new business, program for the day, adjournment. Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised shall be the authority when questions arise concerning parliamentary procedure.

§6. Voting shall be by secret ballot if any faculty member requests it. Otherwise, voting shall be by voice vote.

§7. Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall be the authority when questions arise concerning parliamentary procedure.

Article VI: Standing Faculty Committees

§1. The Standing Faculty Committees shall be as follows:

  1. The Curriculum Committee
  2. The Library Committee
  3. The Committee on Student Life
  4. The Committee on Public Events
  5. The Faculty Business Committee
  6. The Committee on Instruction
  7. The Committee on Research
  8. The Graduate Committee
  9. The Committee on Administrative Review
  10. The Committee on Academic Planning and Resource Allocation
  11. The Committee on Technology
  12. The Committee for Part-time Faculty Concerns
  13. The General Education Committee
  14. The Academic Calendar Committee

§2. The functions of Standing Faculty Committees shall be as follows:

a. Standing committees, when operating within the framework of accepted policy, shall have the responsibility and power to

  1. study problems they deem to be within their jurisdiction;
  2. consult with persons or groups affected by current or proposed actions, including students and/or student groups;
  3. recommend appropriate actions or responses to events germane to the Faculty;
  4. present draft policy statements for consideration to the University Senate for consideration;
  5. consult on matters referred to their committee by the University Senate, University Senate Steering Committee, or the Faculty Plenary, and report back to the referring body with appropriate recommendations or resolutions;
  6. suggest to the President of the University the names of persons to be designated by him/her to carry out necessary actions.

§3. Requirements of the Standing Faculty Committees shall be as follows:

  1. Committees shall keep the Faculty informed by:
    1. holding open meetings;
    2. making minutes of their meetings available to the University Community, and;
    3. submitting a written yearly report to the University Senate, detailing plans and actions of the committee.
  2. Each Standing Faculty Committee shall maintain regular communication with the University Senate Steering Committee.
  3. Each committee will meet at least once per year and select a chair. Terms of service shall be for one year and shall begin September 1 and expire August 31.
  4. Each committee Chair shall be responsible for submitting to the Presiding Officer or Secretary:
    1. a list of planned meeting times and dates at the start of each academic semester;
    2. a copy of the minutes from each meeting; and
    3. a written report of the committee's activities at the end of each academic year and an oral report to the University Senate.
  5. Minutes from each standing committee meeting shall be distributed to the Faculty either by inter-office mail or electronically within two weeks of the meeting.

§4. Any individual or group may refer problems to a standing committee.

§5. The Curriculum Committee shall

  1. carry on a continuous study of undergraduate degree-granting programs and of curricular and degree requirements of such programs;
  2. inform the faculty on curriculum matters within such programs;
  3. review proposals for additions, deletions and modifications to all undergraduate curricula;
  4. study ways of evaluating all phases of the curriculum; and
  5. consist of one voting member designated by each academic department or program, one voting member from the Library Faculty, and two voting students as designated by the Student Senate.
  6. The Vice-President for Academic Affairs, the Deans of the academic divisions, one representative from areas responsible for Transfer Credit Evaluation, and one representative from Academic Advisement shall be eligible to participate as ex-officio non-voting members of the Curriculum Committee.
  7. The curriculum committee shall interact and consult by liaison with other relevant committees as necessary, especially the General Education Committee regarding matters of the General Education curriculum.

§6. The Library Committee shall

  1. assist the Library Director and University Library Faculty in guiding the development and growth of the University library, in formulating policy for use of the library, and in allocating library funds to be spent in academic areas;
  2. serve as liaison to the faculty, students, and community; and
  3. consist of the Library Director and Library Faculty, one member from each academic department (chosen by the department), and two student representatives designated by the Student Senate and confirmed by the University Senate.

§7. The Committee on Student Life shall:

  1. be concerned with policies, programs, issues, and services that affect the quality of student life and the campus environment of the State University of New York at Oneonta;
  2. make recommendations concerning student life policies; and
  3. consist of five Faculty members elected by the Faculty-at-large, an ex-officio non-voting member chosen from the Student Development Division staff by the Vice President for Student Development, and five student representatives designated by the Student Senate and confirmed by the University Senate.

§8. The Committee on Public Events shall:

  1. propose a well-rounded program of public events in keeping with desirable cultural and educational standards by distributing funds made available to the committee;
  2. develop standards for the guidance of groups presenting public events funded by the committee;
  3. produce an annual campus/community event to increase their positive interaction; and
  4. include the President of the University consist of five Faculty members elected by the Faculty-at-large, the President of the University or his/her representative and the person responsible for community relations, and two student representatives designated by the Student Senate and confirmed by the University Senate.

§9. The Faculty Business Committee shall

  1. solicit nominations for Standing Faculty Committees and Faculty Positions;
  2. conduct elections for Standing Faculty Committee memberships, Faculty Officers, and other committee or subcommittee memberships as determined by the President of the University or Presiding Officer of the Faculty. Requests for nominations from the voting faculty shall occur by March 15 of each year. Elections shall be completed by April 15 of each year. Voting shall be by a digital format that ensures voter anonymity;
  3. keep records of faculty service in elected positions; and
  4. consist of five faculty members elected by the Faculty and two student representatives designated by the Student Senate. Student members shall have full committee privileges including the right to vote.

§10. The Committee on Instruction shall

  1. propose policy regarding standards for admission and retention of students;
  2. formulate policy for the evaluation of student academic performance;
  3. inform the Faculty of newer methods and technologies of teaching and recommend policy regarding their application to the academic program;
  4. recommend policy concerning the improvement of the academic program;
  5. recommend policy regarding class attendance, extended absences, and related matters;
  6. consist of five full-time teaching faculty members elected by the Faculty and two student representatives designated by the Student Senate and confirmed by the University Senate.

§11. The Committee on Research shall

  1. study and recommend means for enhancing research among students and faculty;
  2. keep the faculty informed concerning sources of funds and opportunities for conducting research;
  3. be charged with overseeing the faculty/student research grant program that is offered a minimum of once per year and funded by the investment income of the University at Oneonta Foundation’s Unrestricted Endowment, made possible through charitable gifts and grants to the University; and
  4. consist of five full-time teaching faculty members elected by the Faculty and two student representatives designated by the Student Senate and confirmed by the University Senate. A representative from the Grants Development Office shall be eligible to participate as a ex-officio non-voting member of the Committee.

§12. The Graduate Committee shall

  1. study, advocate for, and advise the Vice President for Academic Affairs on graduate activities, including policies, curricular programs, and degree requirements;
  2. inform the Faculty on graduate matters;
  3. review proposals for new graduate programs or changes in established programs and proposals for new policies or changes in established policies in order to make recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. All new graduate programs and changes in existing programs that require re-registration with SUNY Administration additionally require the approval of the University Senate;
  4. review credentials for Graduate Teaching Faculty status;
  5. evaluate graduate policies and practices; and
  6. consist of up to two voting graduate students (appointed by the Chair upon recommendation of the Committee), a minimum of one faculty member to be elected by and from each department with an active graduate program (the maximum number from each department to be equivalent to the number of graduate programs offered by the department), and three full-time graduate teaching faculty members to be elected by the Faculty. Except for the three committee members to be elected by the Faculty, only those who regularly teach 500/600 level courses shall be eligible for election to this committee. Any department or staff unit not represented in the voting membership may designate one non-voting observer to attend meetings and report to his/her department or unit on the Committee’s activities. Additionally the Vice President for Academic Affairs (or an appointed designee) and the Director of Graduate Studies shall serve as non-voting ex officio members of the committee.

§13. The Committee on Administrative Review shall

  1. be the chief body of the faculty for reviewing and evaluating the performance of

Administrative Officers (as recognized in Article III, 1, c), and proposed reorganizations;

  1. be consulted about and represented on all search committees at the level of Dean or above; and
  2. consist of seven faculty members elected by the Faculty and two student representatives designated by the Student Senate. Student members shall have full committee privileges including the right to vote.

§14. The Committee on Academic Planning and Resource Allocation shall

  1. review budgetary procedures and priorities for planning and resource allocation in the presidential, provostial, and vice presidential areas;
  2. be consulted by the administration on these matters and on proposals for new programs;
  3. during the budgeting process, gather and disseminate information about the University budget and plans for resource allocation in Academic Affairs, with a focus on staffing and infrastructure. It shall act as a conduit between the University Senate and administration about these matters;
  4. seek advice from other committees whenever appropriate; and
  5. consist of five faculty members elected by the Faculty and two student representatives designated by the Student Senate. Student members shall have full committee privileges including the right to vote.

§15. The Committee on Technology shall

  1. study proposed policy, inform the Senate, and advise the President on all matters of educational technology, computing, and electronic communication; and
  2. consist of five faculty members elected by the Faculty and two student representatives designated by the Student Senate. Student members shall have full committee privileges including the right to vote.

§16. The Committee for Part-time Faculty Concerns shall

  1. advocate for part-time faculty concerns;
  2. communicate with other campus groups on part-time concerns; and
  3. consist of five faculty members elected by the Faculty, of which three must have part-time status, as well as two student representatives designated by the Student Senate. If a part-time committee member shall become a full-time faculty member of the University, that seat shall be declared vacant if it would bring the number of part-time seats to below three. Student members shall have full committee privileges including the right to vote.

§17. The General Education Committee shall

  1. carry on a continuous study of all aspects of the General Education curriculum and of transfer issues related to that curriculum at the University;
  2. inform the faculty on issues related to that core curriculum and those transfer issues;
  3. stay current on SUNY requirements and other relevant trends that might affect the University core curriculum;
  4. be the first committee to review curricular proposals for additions, deletions, and modifications to the General Education curricula, including proposals for new programs. These shall be considered by this committee with regard to their impact on General Education curricula and transfer issues related to General Education.
    1. This committee shall report to the University Senate on the disposition of any General Education curricular proposals it receives;
    1. interact and report by liaison with other relevant committees as necessary, including the Curriculum and Instruction committees.
  6. consist of one voting member from each attribute category (SUNY and campus specific) elected by the Faculty;
  7. include representatives from Admissions, Academic Advisement, the Registrar’s office, and the Library Faculty;
  8. include two voting student representatives designated by the Student Senate;
  9. the Vice-President for Academic Affairs and the Deans of the academic schools shall be eligible to participate as ex-officio, non-voting members of the General Education Committee.

§18. The Academic Calendar Committee shall

  1. establish SUNY Oneonta’s academic calendar with the interests of the students, faculty, and staff in mind;
  2. be a joint faculty-administration committee consisting of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (or their designee), the Vice President for Student Affairs (or their designee), the Vice President for Finance & Administration (or their designee), the Vice President for University Advancement (or their designee), the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Presiding Officer of the Faculty, the Alternate Presiding Officer of the Faculty, the President of the Student Association, and five full-time teaching Faculty members elected by the Faculty at-large, as well as two voting student representatives designated by the Senate. The University Registrar shall participate as an ex-officio non-voting member of the Calendar Committee and have the duty of constructing calendar options for review by the Committee. The Office of Continuing Education is entitled to an ex-officio non-voting representative on the committee;
  3. be chaired by the Vice President for Academic Affairs;
  4. meet at least once a year, with timely drafted minutes distributed to the Faculty-at-large; and
  5. forward its recommendations directly to the President of the University for eventual approval.

§19. Elections of Standing Faculty Committee Members. Members elected by the Faculty to Standing Faculty Committees shall have terms of membership for three years. Elections for Senate officers and Faculty committees shall be completed no later than two weeks prior to the end of the Spring semester. The Student Association shall report the result of their committee appointments by October 1 of each academic year, and students shall serve one-year terms.

§20. Vacancies.

  1. A vacancy of an elected faculty member of a Standing Faculty Committee occurs when:
    1. a member resigns from the committee or leaves the University,
    2. a member has not responded to calls to meet or participated in committee work for more than three committee meetings spanning a period of at least four weeks.
  2. Upon request of the Standing Faculty Committee, a vacancy of an elected faculty member of a Standing Faculty Committee shall be filled with an interim member until the next scheduled election through an appointment made by the Presiding Officer in consultation with the Standing Faculty Committee and the Senate Steering Committee.
  3. The positions held by interim members will be added to the ballot of the next scheduled election with the successful candidate serving the remaining of the unexpired term, or a new three-year term if the term has expired.

§21. Temporary Leaves.

  1. An elected faculty member may take a temporary leave from a Standing Faculty Committee by reporting to the chair of the committee that they are unable to contribute to the committee work for an extended period which concludes, or is expected to conclude, prior to the end of the term of that member. Factors giving rise to this may include but are not limited to sabbatical, family leave, sick leave, or a temporary unresolvable scheduling conflict; however, these bylaws do not specifically require that a Standing Faculty Committee member take a temporary leave under these or any conditions.
  2. Upon request by the Standing Faculty Committee, the temporary leave shall be filled with an interim member appointed by the Presiding Officer in consultation with the Standing Committee and Steering Committee until the circumstances necessitating the leave have concluded.

Article VII: Provisions for Faculty Consultation and Shared Faculty Governance

§1. Elected Faculty governance shall be the administration’s first avenue of consultation on matters related to the initiation, development, and implementation of the educational mission of the University.

§2. “Consultation with the Faculty.” The Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, 2006, makes several references to “consultation with the faculty.” Specifically, consultation shall mean that

  1. in addition to statements included in Article IX, Title B, Section 2 of the Trustees’ Policies, appointment of academic officers such as Vice President for Academic Affairs, academic deans and others with similar responsibilities shall be made after consultation with the Faculty;

§3. It shall be the duty of the Presiding Officer of the Faculty to communicate the recommendations of the Faculty to the President of the University. The Presiding Officer of the Faculty shall do so not later than one month after the Faculty Plenary or the University Senate makes such recommendations. Recommendations requesting action to be taken by the President of the University shall be submitted by the Presiding Officer of the Faculty in writing. The Presiding Officer of the Faculty shall report on the disposition of these recommendations at least monthly.

§4. Committees Outside the Faculty Standing Committee Structure.

  1. The Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, Article IX, makes several references to provision for administrative officers, committees, and functions. Recognition is made, therefore, of the existence and activities of certain administrative advisory committees that operate outside the Faculty Standing Committee structure. Among these are the Council of Department Chairs, the Council of Deans and Directors, and the Educational Technology Committee.
  2. The responsibilities of these groups are strictly advisory; membership is by virtue of position.
  3. When the areas of responsibility of an administrative advisory committee overlaps with that of a Standing Faculty Committee or the University Senate, it is expected that a liaison from the Standing Faculty Committee be designated to maintain communication between the committees and ensure that faculty governance is being consulted appropriately.

§5. In the spirit of shared faculty governance, the Presiding Officer of the Faculty shall meet with the President of the University at least once a month.

Article VIII: The University Senate

§1. Purpose and Powers.

  1. The University Senate shall serve as a representative body of the Faculty to oversee and regulate the initiation, development, and implementation of the educational mission of the University pursuant to Article X of the Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York.
  2. The University Senate is empowered to act on behalf of the faculty of the State University at Oneonta in all matters, procedures, and prerogatives reserved to said faculty in its meetings.
  3. Only during a meeting of the Faculty Plenary may decisions of the University Senate be overturned. Overturning a decision of the University Senate shall require a 2/3 vote of those attending the Faculty Plenary.

§2. Membership

  1. Faculty. The Faculty shall have one representative for each five and any remaining major fraction of five full-time members of each of the University departments and professional programs but not less than one representative and one alternate for each department or program. The Library Faculty, as part of the Teaching Faculty, shall select two voting representatives from their membership and be reported in the same manner as above.
    1. Chairs of academic departments and directors of represented professional programs shall present to the chair of the University Senate before the first University Senate meeting of the academic year a roster of all full-time Faculty members in the department or program.
    2. The roster shall indicate the department/program representatives to the University Senate and alternates, and it shall be the basis for determining the number of representatives to which the department/program is entitled.
  2. The President of the University and President of the Student Association shall be ex officio voting members of the University Senate.
  3. Student. The student body shall have a student representation equal to 11 percent of the faculty membership in the Senate and at least one alternate.
  4. Part-time Faculty. The faculty shall elect two part-time faculty representatives. These will be “teaching only” representatives who have no other full time position on campus. They will be at-large representatives and may come from any department.
  5. Each negotiating unit of University employees not already represented on the Senate is entitled to one non-voting representative.
  6. Other members of the University community shall be invited to attend meetings of the University Senate and may request to speak on issues being discussed, but shall not be entitled to vote
  7. All elected representatives shall serve one-year terms that begin on September 1 and end on August 31.

§3. Supervision

  1. Faculty representatives shall be validated by the Chair of the University Senate before the first meeting of the University Senate for the academic year.
  2. Student representatives shall be validated by the Chair of the University Senate before the second meeting of the University Senate for the academic year.

§4 Removal for Excessive Absence

  1. A representative’s seat will be declared vacant and the constituency represented will redesignate a representative if the representative misses more than two meetings per semester.
  2. A meeting would not be considered missed if a properly designated alternate attends in place of the absent representative.

§5. Officers

  1. As described in Article IV, the Faculty Presiding Officer, Alternate Presiding Officer, and Secretary shall serve as University Senate Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary, respectively.
  2. The University Senate shall, by a majority vote, elect an Assistant Secretary from the official roster of Senate representatives.
  3. Offices and Duties
    1. The Chair shall preside at meetings of the Senate and shall be the Chair of the University Senate Steering Committee.
    2. Vice Chair. The Vice Chair shall act for and assist the Chair at his/her request.
    3. Secretary. The Secretary shall record, keep, and distribute to the University community a full and accurate account of the Senate’s proceedings, acts, and agendas.
    4. Assistant Secretary. The Assistant Secretary shall act for and assist the Secretary at his/her request and shall be responsible for informing the Chair if quorum has been met or lost.
  4. Procedures for the Recall of Officers
    1. Recall of Chair, Vice Chair or Secretary are outlined in Article IV §8.
    2. Recall of the Assistant Secretary shall be requested by a petition signed by at least 1/3 of the Senate membership. The petition is to be presented at one Senate meeting and the recall voted on at the next meeting by secret ballot. A meeting at which a recall vote is to be taken shall be chaired by the Presiding Officer of the Faculty, and the recall vote shall be the first order of business. It shall be initiated by a motion from the floor and treated as a main motion, except that it shall require a 2/3 majority for passage. When a recall motion passes, it shall be immediately followed by an election to fill the vacant office.

§6. Committees

  1. University Senate Steering Committee.
    1. Composition. The Steering Committee shall consist of all Faculty Officers listed in Article IV as well as the President of the Student Association and the Assistant Secretary of the University Senate, plus four at-large members elected from the official roster of Senate representatives. At-large members are elected via a single slate in which the professional staff with the most votes and the academic staff member with the most votes each win seats, in each case provided such a nominee exists, with the remaining seats awarded to the remaining nominees with the highest vote totals. At-large members shall serve terms spanning one academic year, beginning after the organizing meeting of the University Senate during which they are elected and ending after the organizing meeting of the subsequent academic year.
    2. Duties. The Steering Committee shall set the agenda for Senate meetings, create ad hoc committees as necessary, and coordinate the work of the Senate. It shall determine problems for study, assign problems to the appropriate standing or ad hoc committees, and review and coordinate the work of all standing committees. It shall also function as a rules committee to formulate rules of procedure for the Senate’s consideration and to interpret rules established by the Senate.
    3. The Steering Committee shall meet at an announced time and place prior to each regular Senate meeting for the purpose of establishing Senate business.
    4. Regular Steering Committee meetings shall be open to the University community.
    5. The Steering Committee may act for the University Senate in emergency situations when it is not possible for the Senate to meet or when the University is not in session. Such Steering Committee action shall be subject to confirmation by the University Senate.
  2. Ad Hoc Committees.
    1. Both the University Senate and the Steering Committee may create committees to carry out specific projects. Such committees need not but may be drawn from the Senate membership,
    2. Ad-hoc committees shall be responsible for reporting to the University Senate at their request.

§7. Meetings

  1. Annual Organizational Meeting. The Chair of the Senate shall call the first meeting of each academic year. At that meeting the Assistant Secretary and Steering Committee members shall be elected.
  2. Regular Meetings. The Senate shall meet regularly at a time and place established by its Steering Committee. Its meetings shall be publicly announced, open to the University community and governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
  3. The standing committees of the faculty shall bear the same relationship to the University Senate that they bear to the Faculty. The University Senate shall hear and take action upon their recommendations.
  4. Meetings of the University Senate shall be conducted in person, with the exceptions noted in this paragraph. The Chair of the University Senate may determine that circumstances, including but not limited to weather or public safety concerns, dictate that a meeting should be held electronically via an internet conferencing service. On such an occasion, the Chair of the University Senate is to provide notice and information for accessing the meeting to the Faculty no less than 24 hours in advance of the meeting time. These electronic meetings of the Senate shall be subject to all rules adopted by the Senate. Standing rules that expressly pertain to business conducted electronically may be adopted by the Senate, and such rules supersede any conflicting rules in the parliamentary authority, but may not otherwise conflict with or alter any rule or decision of the Senate. The Chair of the Senate is empowered to designate the specific conferencing tool used as well as any online voting tool necessary to appropriately support ballot votes for such meetings. Moreover, for in-person meetings, the Chair of the Senate may provide for electronic participation by members of the Senate and electronic attendance by guests by designating the appropriate software for conferencing and voting and providing sufficient notice of the opportunity and information for attending and/or participating electronically.

Article IX: Amendments

§1. Initiation, Distribution, Consideration

  1. Initiation. Any amendment to these Bylaws shall be initiated by:
    1. approval by the University Senate Steering Committee; or
    2. approval by the University Senate;
    3. approval by a Faculty Plenary, or;
    4. petition by twenty-five (25) voting members of the Faculty.
  2. Distribution. Upon initiation, any amendment to these bylaws shall be published and distributed to the faculty by the Faculty Secretary.
  3. Consideration. Upon distribution and the elapse of one (1) week, any amendment to these bylaws shall be placed on the agenda by the Secretary for the next Faculty or University Senate meeting for the Faculty’s consideration through discussion and possible amending.

§2. Voting

  1. Following consideration, voting on amendments to these bylaws shall be conducted by the Faculty Business Committee.
  2. Voting shall be by a digital format that ensures voter anonymity.
  3. Voting on amendments to these bylaws shall continue for a period of five (5) academic business days. Votes received after the end of the tenth day shall not be considered as having been cast and shall not be counted.

§3. Adoption. Amendments to these bylaws shall be adopted by either:

  1. The affirmative vote of a simple majority of those voting if eighty (80) percent or more of the total voting membership cast ballots, or
  2. The affirmative vote of three fifths (3/5) of those voting if less than eighty (80) percent of the total voting membership cast ballots.

§4. Bylaws Review Committee.

  1. Charge. In keeping with best practices, a Bylaws Review Committee shall be formed each academic year to review the Bylaws of the Faculty and consider, consult on, and propose as appropriate, any potential revisions to the Bylaws.
  2. Members. The committee shall be composed of the at-large members of the University Senate Steering Committee, the parliamentarian, and at least one former or current faculty officer selected by the Presiding Officer in consultation with the Senate Steering Committee.
  3. The committee shall meet at minimum twice during the fall semester, once to initiate the review process, and once to discuss whether to propose revisions and formulate any such proposed revisions.
  4. The committee shall develop and maintain a schedule for reviewing bylaws articles in such a way that the entirety of the bylaws document is reviewed within each four-year period.
  5. The committee shall report to the University Senate by the second meeting of the spring semester. Any proposed revisions shall be presented to the Senators, and a minimum of one-week period of feedback shall be provided before the process defined in §1 “Initiation, Distribution, Consideration” begins.

Senate Special Rules
Date RESOLUTION
September 9, 2014 Standing Rules
October 17, 2016 Resolution to Add a Special Rule on Secret Ballots

Academic Catalog

SUNY Board of Trustees

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