Faculty Senate Bylaws

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THE FACULTY SENATE

The Faculty Senate meets regularly at 3:00 p.m. on alternate Tuesdays during the academic year. The agenda and place for each meeting are published in advance on the Faculty Senate web site.

All meetings of the Faculty Senate shall be open to the public except as provided in the Faculty Senate Bylaws, Article III, Section 4, a-b-c.

Members of the General Faculty and directly elected general officers of Student Government are specifically invited to attend Faculty Senate Meetings. Minutes of each Faculty Senate meeting are available on the Faculty Senate web site. A printed copy of the minutes is available in the Faculty Senate Office.

Initial communications from members of the General Faculty requesting information or action by the Faculty Senate should be addressed to the Chair of the Faculty, Faculty Senate, 2319 D. H. Hill Library, Box 7111 (faculty_senate@ncsu.edu or 515-2279).

Within the provisions of Article VI of the General Faculty Bylaws, the organization and procedures of the Faculty Senate are established in the Faculty Senate Bylaws.

Revised: December 1, 2022 (Article VI. Section 1. f.)

Revised: April 2, 2019 (All Articles)
Revised: February 23, 2016 (Article II, Section 1: Article IV, Section 2, 3, 4: Article VI, Section 1, 2: Article VII, Section 2: Article VIII, Section 1, 2)
Revised: October 22, 2013 (Article VI, Section 4)
Revised: August 27, 2013 (Article I, Section 4: Article III, Section 3)
Revised: November 29, 2011 (Article VI, Section 7 added (Office of Parliamentarian)
Revised: April 8, 2008
Revised: April 30, 1996

ARTICLE I

Mission

The North Carolina State University Faculty Senate is the sole, all-campus, faculty-elected, representative, and deliberative policy-proposing body of the University. As such, the Faculty Senate assumes an active role in the University governance system through its responses to Issues of Concern and Faculty Senate committee reports; through its engagement in University policy formation and review; and through its policy resolutions, which are presented to the University administration for review and response.

Section 1.

The Faculty Senate shall participate in University governance in five ways:

i. Representative – The Faculty Senate may address an issue of concern presented to it by a member of the faculty.

ii. Consultative–The Faculty Senate may discuss with or provide information to any administrator with authority and responsibility for a decision.

iii. Advisory–The Faculty Senate may recommend policies to any administrator who is authorized to make a decision.

iv. Shared Responsibility–The Faculty Senate may make policy recommendations to the Chancellor, Provost and Vice Chancellors (see Section 2 below). If the Faculty Senate and the administrator disagree then they or their representatives must confer in an attempt to resolve the differences. Any failure to resolve must be addressed by the Chancellor and communicated in writing.

v. Delegated Authority–The Chancellor or an authorized designee may delegate authority to the Faculty Senate on specified matters.

Section 2.

a) The Faculty Senate shall have shared responsibility or delegated authority in matters that affect the University’s academic operations of teaching, research, extension, and outreach.

b) All reports and recommendations from University standing and ad hoc committees concerning the University’s academic operations of teaching, research, extension and outreach shall be submitted to the Chair of the Faculty for review at the same time that they are submitted to the Administration. The Chair of the Faculty will inform the appropriate administrator in a timely fashion of the status of Faculty Senate actions regarding these reports and recommendations.

Section 3.

The Faculty Senate may have a consultative or an advisory role in all other matters concerning the mission, welfare, and performance of the University.

Section 4.

All actions taken by the Faculty Senate shall be considered as actions taken for the General Faculty and in no case as actions of an autonomous body. The Chair of the Faculty, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, and the Faculty Senate have the power to call special meetings of the General Faculty.

Section 5.

The Faculty Senate may, in addition, report the views and the collective wisdom of the General Faculty on issues related to the University or its academic operations of teaching, research, extension, and outreach, to whatever audience it deems appropriate.

Section 6.

The Faculty Senate is established by the General Faculty and operates with the authority set forth in the provisions of the General Faculty Bylaws.

ARTICLE II

Agenda

Section 1.

The agenda for each meeting of the Faculty Senate shall be prepared by the Executive Committee, consisting of the Chair of the Faculty, the Chair-Elect or Past Chair of the Faculty (whoever is in office), the Associate Chair (formerly called Secretary) of the Faculty Senate, and eight members of the Faculty Senate.

Section 2.

Any member of the Faculty Senate may suggest a topic to be put on the agenda by submitting a written request to the Chair of the Faculty.

Section 3.

a) The agenda for all Faculty Senate meetings shall be published on the Faculty Senate web site in advance of the meetings, and shall be followed unless set aside by a two-thirds majority of those present.

b) Any materials for Faculty Senate action shall be submitted to each Senator at least three days prior to the meeting date on which the materials will be discussed.

Section 4.

The published agenda for all Faculty Senate meetings shall include an invitation to members of the general faculty to attend Faculty Senate meetings.

ARTICLE III

Meetings

Section 1.

The Faculty Senate shall meet regularly during each academic year at 3:00 p.m. The first meeting of each semester will be the Tuesday following the first day of classes. Thereafter, the Faculty Senate will meet at 3:00 p.m. on alternate Tuesdays during each semester.

Section 2.

Any regularly scheduled meeting of the Faculty Senate may be canceled by unanimous approval of the Executive Committee provided that no matters have been submitted to the Executive Committee for that particular meeting and provided that notice of the cancellation is made to the university community.

Section 3.

Special meetings of the Faculty Senate may be called by the Chair of the Faculty, by the Faculty Senate’s Executive Committee, or by one-fourth of the Faculty Senate members in written petition to the Chair.

Section 4.

a) All meetings of the Faculty Senate shall be open to the public except when matters of a confidential nature are being discussed.

b) The number of observers at each meeting may be regulated by majority vote of a quorum of the Faculty Senate consistent with the requirements for space and order.

c) The presiding officer of the Faculty Senate shall exercise the prerogative for maintaining order by arranging for the ejection of observers who, as the result of a majority vote of a quorum of the Faculty Senate, are found to be disruptive to the proceedings.

Section 5.

Announcement of the annual schedule of meetings of the Faculty Senate shall be posted on the Faculty Senate web site.

Section 6.

A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum to conduct business.

Section 7.

Any new matter except resolutions of respect, commendation, or regret shall not be acted upon at the same session in which it is introduced, except by consent of two-thirds of those present.

Section 8.

a) Voting in the Faculty Senate shall be by voice vote, except when the presiding officer or any member requests a vote by show of hands, secret ballot, or roll call.

b) A request for a secret ballot or roll call vote must be approved by a simple majority of those present. When a vote by show of hands, roll call, or secret ballot is taken, the record of the vote shall be entered in the minutes.

Section 9.

The presiding officer of the Faculty Senate shall have a vote only to break a tie vote.

ARTICLE IV

Minutes

Section 1.

The minutes of Faculty Senate meetings shall be complete to the extent that they contain the essence of all viewpoints expressed and a report of actions rejected as well as actions approved, with a record of the vote when a count is made.

Section 2.

The Associate Chair (formerly called Secretary) of the Faculty Senate shall cause the minutes to be made immediately and openly available to all members of the University community.

Section 3.

a) The Associate Chair of the Faculty Senate shall maintain an official file of the minutes of Faculty Senate meetings in the Faculty Senate office.

b) Minutes may be posted to the Faculty Senate website.

c) At the end of each Faculty Senate Session, an archival Book of Minutes shall be created to include an index, all meeting minutes, reports, presentations, and resolutions.

Section 4.

The Associate Chair shall place a copy of the official minutes of Faculty Senate meetings in the University Archives in D. H. Hill Library.

ARTICLE V

Communications

Section 1.

All actions of the Faculty Senate shall be made known as soon as possible to the faculty. These communications will be made, for the most part, through the Faculty Senate minutes, or special notices.

Section 2.

a) The Faculty Senate shall consult with the Chancellor on all formal resolutions adopted by the Faculty Senate before giving them general publicity.

b) It reserves the right, however, to act without clearance through the Chancellor should the occasion arise.

c) When general publicity is to be given to Faculty Senate action, this shall be the responsibility of the Chair unless otherwise directed by the Faculty Senate.

d) Formal resolutions and communications addressed to the President of The University System or the Board of Trustees may be sent directly to the persons concerned with or without consulting the Chancellor.

Section 3.

At the first session of each term of the Faculty Senate, the Chair of the Faculty shall report the status of resolutions that were passed in the previous year.

ARTICLE VI

Officers of the Faculty Senate

Section 1.

a) The officers of the Faculty Senate shall be Chair of the Faculty, Chair-Elect or Past Chair (whoever is in office) of the Faculty, and the Associate Chair (formerly called Secretary) of the Faculty Senate.

b) The Chair of the Faculty will serve a two-year term.

c) A Chair-Elect will be elected prior to the second year of the Chair’s term. The one-year term of the Chair-Elect will serve as a training period for the responsibilities to be assumed.

d) The Chair-Elect or Past Chair (whoever is in office) and the Chair of the Faculty during their terms in office automatically shall become voting members of the Faculty Senate without college, school, or constituency representation. If the Chair-Elect is serving as an elected Faculty Senator, an election shall be conducted to select a replacement.

e) The Chair-Elect of the Faculty, during the preceding year, automatically succeeds to the office of Chair of the Faculty and shall assume office on July 1. An individual may serve as Chair of the Faculty only one regular term in any period of four consecutive years of membership in the Faculty Senate.

f) In the event of the resignation or incapacity of the Chair of the Faculty during the term of office, the Chair-Elect of the Faculty becomes Chair of the Faculty. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Chair of the Faculty, the Chair-Elect of the Faculty will succeed and fill the unexpired term as well as his/her own two-year term. If there is no Chair-Elect of the Faculty, the Associate Chair of the Faculty Senate will succeed. An election will take place immediately for a new Chair-Elect of the Faculty who will take over as Chair of the Faculty for a two-year term on the ensuing July 1. If both the newly ascended Chair (the previous Associate Chair) and the newly elected Chair-Elect of the Faculty agree, the Chair-Elect may assume the office of the Chair prior to July 1, complete the current term and commence their standard two-year term on July 1. When the Chair-Elect assumes the role of Chair of the Faculty, the previous Associate Chair will return to their role as Associate Chair to complete their term.

g) An individual may serve as Associate Chair only one regular term in any period of four consecutive years of membership in the Senate. The Associate Chair of the Faculty Senate will serve a two-year term concurrent with the Chair of the Faculty. The Chair of the Faculty and the Associate Chair will share in the responsibility of conducting the business of the Faculty Senate. The Associate Chair shall be elected by the Faculty Senate from its own membership.

h) Serving a fractional term as an officer of the Senate will not disqualify a person for re-election.

i) Any officer (Chair, Chair-elect, Past Chair, Associate Chair or executive committee member) may be removed from office for failure to perform the specified duties of the office or for behavior incompatible with the status or duties of the office. The removal process is initiated when 10 faculty senators sign a petition calling for the removal of the officer and forwards the petition to the Chair of the Faculty or Associate Chair of the Faculty Senate. This proposed action will then be placed on the next Faculty Senate agenda. At the meeting in which the item is considered, the faculty senators who presented the petition will state their charges and the officer will be allowed to rebut the charges. A 2/3 vote of the Faculty Senate is necessary to remove the officer.

j) Should an officer leave the University or be rendered incapable of serving because of illness or disability, the officer may be removed or be temporarily relieved of his/her duties. In such a case, the Executive Committee may recommend to the Faculty Senate that the officer be removed or be temporarily relieved of duties until he or she can satisfactorily resume these duties. The recommendation regarding the officer will be placed on the Faculty Senate agenda. At the meeting in which the item is considered, the Executive Committee will state their reasons for their recommendation and the officer will be allowed to respond. A 2/3 vote of the Faculty Senate is necessary to approve the recommended action.

Section 2.

a) The election of Associate Chair of the Faculty Senate shall take place at the last regular meeting in the month of March in the second year of the term of the Chair of the Faculty.

b) Each Senator may nominate one candidate for Associate Chair from the membership of the Faculty Senate.

c) The top four nominees shall be included in a run-off election to narrow down the field of candidates to the top two whose names shall be placed on final ballots for Associate Chair.

Section 3.

The Chair-Elect of the Faculty shall be nominated and elected by ballot in the following manner:

a) Each Senator may nominate one candidate for Chair-Elect from the General Faculty.

b) The top four nominated under paragraph (a) shall be included in a run-off election conducted by the Faculty Senate to narrow down the field of candidates to the top two whose names shall be placed on final ballots for Chair-Elect. In the event of ties, a run-off election will be held to determine the names to be placed on each ballot.

c) Candidates for Chair-Elect of the Faculty may not hold an administrative position of Associate Department Head or above.

d) The Chair-Elect will be elected by the General Faculty from a slate of two members of the General Faculty nominated by the Faculty Senate. This election will occur in April of the first year of the term of the Chair of the Faculty. The candidate receiving a simple majority of the votes cast shall be elected Chair-Elect.

Section 4.

Any Senator who resigns or is on leave for more than one semester shall be replaced in the following manner: the Chair of the Faculty, in consultation with the remaining Senators from the College, shall appoint a replacement from within that College for the remainder of the Senator’s term, or until the return of the Senator on leave.

Section 5.

The responsibility of newly elected officers shall begin on July 1.

Section 6.

When the Faculty Senate is requested by an individual or a group to elect faculty to serve on committees outside the Faculty Senate, and it is determined that Faculty Senate action is appropriate, then the Faculty Senate shall follow these procedures:

a) The Chair of the Faculty shall announce such at least two weeks before the date of the election and shall invite nominations from the general faculty.

b) Senators will be permitted to make nominations from the floor.

c) Run-off elections will be held to narrow down the field of candidates to double the number of positions to be filled. In the event of ties, a run-off election will be held to determine which of the nominees tied shall be placed on the final ballot. All elected must receive majority votes.

Section 7:

There shall be a Parliamentarian, who serves at the pleasure of the Chair and is not a member of the Senate. The Parliamentarian will be chosen by the Chair, with the approval of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VII

Committees

Section 1.

a) There shall be an Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate. The Executive Committee will be comprised of eight members of the Senate plus the Chair of the Faculty, Chair-Elect or Past-Chair (whoever is in office) and the Associate Chair (formerly called Secretary) of the Faculty Senate. The Provost serves as a non-voting member of the Executive Committee. The Chair of the Faculty and Associate Chair of the Faculty Senate shall be the Chair and Associate Chair of the Executive Committee.

b) The Executive Committee shall act for and represent the Faculty Senate, as authorized by the Faculty Senate, while the Faculty Senate is not in session. The Chair shall keep the Faculty Senate informed of any on-going activities of the Executive Committee that are not before the Senate.

Section 2.

a) All Senators who will be in their second-fourth year of service are eligible to stand for election as members of the next year’s Executive Committee.

b) At the last meeting of a Senate session, each out-going senator will select six (6) names, unranked, from the list of eligible senators. The leading twelve (12) persons from that list who are willing to serve shall constitute the nominees for the Executive Committee.

c) The incoming senators shall select six members from the slate of eligible candidates. The Senators receiving the highest number of votes will serve on the Executive Committee. The Chair of the Faculty will select the last two members from the six remaining nominees.

Section 3.

a) The Faculty Senate may establish, and dissolve as needed, standing committees. The Chair of the Faculty will name Chairs of the standing committees from the members of the Executive Committee, and name members to each committee.

b) The chair of each committee shall submit minutes following each committee meeting and a final report summarizing its activities at the end of every academic year.

c) When a committee report is placed on the Faculty Senate agenda and presented, the Faculty Senate automatically receives the report and no further action is necessary (i.e., for information only). If the Faculty Senate wishes to adopt a committee report, a motion to do so must be made and, if passed, indicates that the Faculty Senate adopts the entire report. The Faculty Senate may adopt, amend, or fail to adopt any recommendation made by a committee in its report.

Section 4.

a) Each Faculty Senator shall be assigned by the Chair of the Faculty to a University standing committee, serving as the liaison between the committee and the Faculty Senate and reporting on its activity as warranted.

b) At minimum, each semester the Chair will ask for an oral report regarding committee activities during a Senate meeting.

Section 5.

The Faculty Senate may establish ad hoc committees, appointed by the Chair of the Faculty, as needed. Such committees shall serve until their duties are officially terminated.

Section 6.

a) A Conference Committee will be constituted to meet with the administration to attempt to resolve differences on Faculty Senate recommendations that are not approved or disapproved in their entirety.

b) A Conference Committee shall include the elected officers of the Faculty Senate, the Chair of the committee reporting to the Faculty Senate, or that Chair’s designated representative, and possibly other faculty members who, in the opinion of the Faculty Senate officers, would be particularly knowledgeable about a specific recommendation. Faculty Senate action on all Conference Committee recommendations is required.

ARTICLE VIII

Attendance

Section 1.

a) Any member of the faculty may submit an issue of concern regarding faculty-related matters in writing, addressed to the Chair of the Faculty, Faculty Senate, 2319 D. H. Hill Library, Box 7111 (faculty_senate@ncsu.edu) or directly to the current Chair’s NC State email address. Senators may submit an Issue of Concern on behalf of their constituents.

b) The Executive Committee will determine how best to address the issue. This could include referral to a Senate committee for further consideration or contacting the appropriate University representative for a response.

Section 2.

The Chair of the Faculty will communicate the results of the issue’s consideration to the individual who submitted it.

ARTICLE IX

Amendments

Section 1.

The Associate Chair (formerly called Secretary) shall keep a record of attendance at all meetings and enter it in the minutes.

Section 2.

At the end of each semester the Associate Chair shall give the Chair of the Faculty a summary of attendance of each Senator during the semester.

Section 3.

The Chair of the Faculty may take any action he or she considers appropriate for excessive absenteeism.

ARTICLE X

Section 1.

Proposed amendments to these Bylaws shall be placed on the agenda as provided in Article II of these Bylaws.

Section 2.

Approval of an amendment to these Bylaws shall require an affirmative vote of two-thirds of those members present.

Office of the Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bylaws

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THE FACULTY SENATE