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By-Laws

BY-LAWS OF THE FACULTY SENATE

Article I

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.

The faculty Senate shall be composed of eleven (11) faculty representatives and one (1) elected President.

Section 2.

The eleven (11) faculty representatives will be elected from representative constituencies of the faculty as defined in Article I Section 4 of the By-Laws.

Section 3.

Upon the election of officers of the Faculty Senate, the constituency represented by the President will elect another representative for the tenure of one (1) academic year.

Section 4.

 the faculty electorate is divided into the constituencies in accordance with Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution. The constituencies will be designated by the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate and presented to the entire Senate for approval.

Section 5.

The election of a Senator from a particular constituency will require a simple majority vote. The Secretary of the Senate will prepare and distribute ballots listing all eligible candidates who have expressed a willingness to be elected.  The outgoing Senator will provide the Secretary with the names of the eligible candidates.  Only members of the electing constituency.  Voting will be by secret ballot which will be returned to the Secretary of the Senate, who will count the ballots with the assistance of two tellers from the electing constituency.  One of the appointed tellers will be the outgoing Senator from the electing constituency.

Section 6.

Election of Senators will be held by the affected constituency in a timely fashion so that the newly elected Senator will be in attendance at the May meeting of the Faculty Senate.
                                  

Article II

DUTIES AND TERM OF OFFICERS

Section 1.

The President will have the following duties:

  1. To call Senate meetings at his discretion and prepare and distribute the agenda;
  2. To preside at all Senate meetings;
  3. To appoint all Senate ad hoc committees and the respective chairpersons; and
  4. To call executive Senate meetings at their discretion.

Section 2.

The Vice President will have the following duties:

  1. To preside in the absence of the President; and
  2. To coordinate the activities of the Senate committees.

Section 3.

The Secretary will have the following duties:

  1. To keep appropriate records;
  2. To publish the minutes of meetings of the Senate;
  3. To furnish sufficient copies of the minutes of all Senate meetings to all members of the electorate, the administration, and the Board of Trustees;
  4. To prepare and process all routine correspondence pertaining to the Senate; and
  5. To process all matters of business pertaining to the Senate.

Section 4.

The officers shall be elected at the April meeting of the Senate for a term of one (1) year.

Section 5.

New officers will assume duties at the conclusion of the May meeting, but prior to the September meeting will act only after a called meeting has been scheduled by the President.


Article III

AGENDA

Section 1.

The agenda for all regular and special meetings will be prepared and distributed to the members of the Senate at least three (3) class days prior to the particular meeting.

Section 2.

Any member of the electorate may present items for the agenda in writing to his Senator. The Senators will deliver such items to the President, who will place them on the agenda for the next regular meeting of the Senate.

Section 3.

All agenda items, including committee deliberations and reports that are under the unfinished business agenda shall be suspended during the interim between the May and September meetings.  Those unfinished business items shall appear as new business on the September agenda.

Section 4.

Special meetings of the Senate may be called by the President for consideration of business during the interval between May and September.

Article IV

VOTING

Section 1.

All elected Senators share an equal vote on all matters of the Faculty Senate. Duly elected Senators must be present to vote.

Section 2.

To preclude double representation, the President will not break a tie vote.  A motion which results in a tie vote will automatically fail for lack of a simple majority.
  
 

Article V

COMMITTEES

Section 1.

The Executive Committee will consist of the three (3) officers of the Faculty Senate and two (2) Senators appointed by the Senate.

Section 2.

The function of the Executive Committee will be to serve as the Senate's designated spokesperson to the President and Vice President for Instruction of Odessa College.  The Executive Committee will meet with the President and Vice President for Instruction on a regular basis as needed.

Section 3.

Senate committees, with the exception of the Executive Committee, will be ad hoc.

Section 4.

Chairpersons of the Senate committees will have authority to appoint subcommittees and to call special meetings of their committees at their discretion.

Section 5.

Each committee will maintain accurate, permanent records of its proceedings and findings.  Following presentation of committee reports to the Senate, a copy of these reports will be submitted to the Secretary of the Senate.
  

Article VI

ORDER OF BUSINESS

Section 1.

The order of business at Faculty Senate meetings will be as follows:

     Call to Order

     Roll Call

     Reading of Minutes

     Announcements

     Reports of Senate Committees

     Unfinished Business

     New Business

     Adjournment

 

Article VII

SUSPENSION

Suspension of any part of the By-Laws will require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Senators present

Article VII

AMENDMENT

These By-Laws may be amended at any meeting of the Senate by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Senators present.  Written notice of the proposed amendments will be given to all Senators three (3) class days prior to the meeting.

 

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