University Senate Bylaws

The first order of business of each organizational meeting of the University Senate shall be the election of the President, Vice-President from the Instructional Faculty, Vice-President from the Administrative Faculty, Secretary, and members of the Standing Committees. Once elected, the President shall appoint a Parliamentarian.

Meetings of the University Senate shall be called by the President of the Senate at regular intervals during each semester. Such regular intervals shall be established at the organizational meeting.

2.1 In the event of the absence of the President of the University Senate, the Vice-President from the Instructional Faculty shall preside as President in odd-numbered calendar years, the Vice-President from the Administrative Faculty in even-numbered calendar years.

2.2 In the event of the absence of the President of the University Senate, the Vice President who then presides has full authority of the President.

2.3 Other sessions may be called at any time by the President or acting President of the University Senate after consulting with the Executive Committee, or within five (5) working days of receipt of a written petition signed by at least ten (10) senators.

2.4 The President of the University Senate shall chair all Faculty Meetings called by the Senate.

Designation of officers is as described in the Constitution of the University Senate.

3.1 Term of office: Senate officers shall assume their duties immediately upon election.

3.2 Duties: Duties of officers are as described in the Constitution of the University Senate.

Except in cases exempted by the University Senate, the Organization Committee serves as the nominating and elections committee. Each Department, the Library Faculty, the Counseling Faculty, the Athletics Faculty, and the Administrative Faculty shall submit to the Organization Committee the names of its Senators and Alternates for the next academic year no later than the last Friday in March.

4.1 Senators and Alternates must be chosen from among full time members of the Faculty who have served one full academic year. The names of the new Senators and Alternates will be published by the end of March.

4.2 The Organization Committee shall distribute to all Faculty eligible to vote a list of vacancies among At Large Committees and At Large Senators, Standing Committees and University wide Committees, together with descriptions of these committees and any restrictions on membership, by the end of March.

4.3 Nominations will be accepted until the end of the second week in April. The Chair of the Organization Committee shall scrutinize each nomination for eligibility, and shall confirm each nominee’s willingness to serve if elected. A list of all Standing Committee nominees will be sent to the University community no later than the fourth week of April in preparation for voting at the first Senate meeting of the new year (usually the first week in May).

4.4 The Organization Committee shall conduct At-Large and University-wide elections electronically during the last full week of April. Results shall be announced at the first meeting of the new Senate, and shall be published via email shortly thereafter along with the results of the Senate elections.

4.5 The Organization Committee will retain a list of runners up to provide replacements for unexpired terms or full-semester leaves of At Large Senators, At-Large Committees, Standing Committees, or other vacancies. If such replacements are insufficient in number, other elections will be conducted as needed.

4.6 Whenever a vacancy leaves an unexpired term, the vacancy will be filled for the unexpired portion of the term only. In the case where a committee has one or more alternate members who are qualified to fill the unexpired term of a regular member, the Chair of the Organization Committee will contact the alternates in order of seniority on the committee to see if any wishes to fill the unexpired term before attempting to fill the unexpired term in some other way. An alternate who agrees to fill the unexpired term of a regular member will remain on the committee until the end of that term, whether doing so lengthens or shortens the time that the former alternate remains on the committee. The person who subsequently fills the alternate position will remain in that position for the unexpired portion of the former alternate’s term. The purpose of paragraph 4.6 is to ensure that committee terms remain staggered.

4.7 The Secretary of the University Senate will update the web version of the Senate Bylaws at the end of the spring and fall semesters. As specified in the Constitution of the University Senate (4.4.3.1), the Secretary will promptly deposit paper copies of the current Bylaws and other Senate documents in the University Archives at the Library following the close of each annual session in the spring. It is the responsibility of the Chair of the Organization Committee to ensure that the listing of committee memberships is current on the University Senate website. The Chair of the Organization Committee will work with the Secretary to update the website as required.

5.1 Standing Committees of Senate

General Description/Duties

• Standing Committees of the Senate shall do the work outlined below, fulfill obligations assigned in the contract, and assume other duties at the behest or with concurrence of the Senate.
• The first order of business for each Standing Committee will be the election of a Chairperson and Secretary.
• It is the duty of the Chairperson to report to the Senate.
• If the Chairperson is not available to give a report, then a member of the Committee may be appointed by the Committee to report to the Senate.

Term

• Varies with individual committees.
• Members will be elected on a rotating basis so that terms are staggered. Where corrections need to be made, those corrections will be done through a Senate resolution.
• No elected member may serve more than three consecutive terms on any one Standing Committee of the Senate (excluding the Executive Committee).

Membership

• Varies with individual committees.

Special Requirements

• Unless otherwise noted in the description of an individual committee, each member of a Standing Committee shall have one vote.
• Unless otherwise noted in the description of an individual committee, a quorum shall consist of a majority of elected voting members.

5.1.1 The Executive Committee

General Description/Duties

• The Executive Committee shall coordinate and expedite the work of the Senate and prepare the agenda for Senate meetings.
• It represents the University Senate throughout the calendar year.
• When a vacancy occurs in a management, non-union position such as Director, Dean, or Vice-President, the University President or his/her designee contacts the President of the University Senate to discuss the establishment of the search committee.
• The Search Committee shall consist of:\
• Two Instructional and two Administrative Faculty members chosen by the University Senate and
• One Administrative and one Instructional Faculty member appointed by the University President.
• In addition, the University President may appoint a senior administrative officer who is not a member of the Administrative Faculty.
• If both the University President and the President of the University Senate deem it appropriate to have student representation, the Student Senate may elect a student member and the University President may appoint another.
• The President of the University Senate calls for nominations for search committee members who are to be chosen by the University Senate.
• The President or his/her designee shall convene the first meeting of the search committee.

Term

• The office varies with individual committees.

Membership

• As per the Constitution the Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers of the University Senate and the chairpersons of all Standing Committees of the Senate.

Special Requirements

• Any decision the Executive Committee makes in the name of the University Senate must be submitted to the Senate for action.

5.1.2 The Academic Affairs Committee

General Description/Duties

• The Academic Affairs Committee shall consider academic matters including but not limited to the following: academic policy, calendar, catalogue, standards of admissions and retention, advisement, standards for major/minor requirements, transfer credit from other institutions, and credit earned by life experience and learning.

Term

• The term of office shall be for two years.

Membership

• Shall consist of ten members; the eight voting members are:
  • Three members from the different departments in the School of Arts and Sciences.
  • Two members from different departments in the School of Education and Professional Studies.
  • One member of the Administrative Faculty.
  • One member from Librarians, Counselors, and Coaches.
  • One student elected by the Student Senate.
• The two nonvoting members are:
  • The Vice-President for Academic Affairs, or their designee, who serves as an ex-officio member.
  • The University Registrar also serves as an ex-officio member unless elected by Senate to be the voting representative of the Administrative Faculty.

Special Requirements

• In no case shall there be more than one member from any academic department.

5.1.3 The Academic Program Review Committee

General Description/Duties

• The Academic Program Review Committee shall oversee the assessment process for all academic programs.
• Shall notify programs that are due for self-assessment, external review, and goal statement.
• Shall check and comment on the completion of self-assessment reports.
• Shall review and recommend the nominated external reviewers who will also review and comment on the program and its self-assessment report.

Term

• The term of office shall be for three years.

Membership

• Shall consist of six voting members elected by the University Senate.
• Five members shall be from the full-time Instructional Faculty.
• One member shall be from the full-time Administrative Faculty.

Special Requirements

• In no case shall there be more than one member from any academic department

5.1.4 The Budget and Resources Allocation Committee

General Description/Duties

• The Budget and Resources Allocation Committee shall inform and advise the University Senate on matters of budget and allocation of human and material resources that are vital to the welfare and development of the University as a whole.
• The committee has the following responsibilities: overall assessment of the present and proposed budgets of the University; recommendation of ways to strengthen the University’s effort to secure resources and to distribute them equitably; and advisement to the University Senate on ways of handling financial matters.

Term

• The term of office shall be for two years.

Membership

• Shall consist of seven members; the six voting members are:
  • Five faculty elected by the University Senate.
  • One student elected by the Student Senate.
  • The nonvoting member is:
    The Vice-President for Finance & Administration or designee shall be an ex-officio member.

Special Requirements

• At least one faculty member shall be from the Administrative Faculty.
• At least one faculty member shall be from the Instructional Faculty.

5.1.5 The Curriculum Committee

General Description/Duties

• The Curriculum Committee shall concern itself with the development of any curriculum offered for credit in the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs of the University.
• Major concerns will be the introduction, growth, reduction, or discontinuance of departments or programs, proposed majors and minors, shifts in program emphasis, and new courses.

Term

• The term of office shall be for two years.

Membership

• Shall consist of nine members; the eight voting members shall represent the broadest possible constituency in accordance with the following formula:
  • Two seats total from Education, Communication, Business/Management, Kinesiology, Economics, and Physical Education elected by the University Senate. The two representatives must be from different departments.
  • One seat total from Humanities (Art and Art History, Performing Arts, English, World Languages and Cultures, and Philosophy) elected by the University Senate.
  • One seat total from Natural Sciences and Mathematics (Biology, Environmental Earth Science, Health Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Computer Science) elected by the University Senate.
  • One seat total from Social Sciences (History, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work) elected by the University Senate.
  • One seat total from Support Services (Library, Counseling, Athletics, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Business Affairs, Special Programs) elected by the University Senate.
  • One seat elected by Instructional Faculty At-Large.
  • One student elected by the Student Senate.
• The nonvoting member is:
  • The Registrar or Registrar’s designee, who shall be an ex-officio member.

Special Requirements

• The Deans of Arts and Sciences, Continuing Education, and Professional Studies shall be consulted when appropriate, but shall not be members of the Committee.
• Election of the At-Large member of the Committee shall be conducted with other University-wide elections.
• In no case shall there be more than one member from any academic department, with the exception of the At-Large seat.

5.1.6 The First Year Program Committee

General Description/Duties

• The First-Year Program Committee shall be concerned with the program, procedures, and policies relating to the curriculum and structure of the First-Year Program at Eastern.
• These concerns include approval and oversight of Curriculum Committee-approved courses to serve as components of the First-Year Program and the categorization of courses within the program. The First-Year Program Committee shall advise the Director of the First Year Program in the administration of the First-Year Program.

Term

• The term of office shall be three years.

Membership

• Shall consist of eleven members; the eight voting members are:
  • Four members from the full-time Instructional Faculty elected by the University Senate.
  • Two members from the full-time Administrative Faculty elected by the University Senate.
  • One member from the Liberal Arts Program Committee.
  • One student elected by the Student Senate.
• The three nonvoting members are:
  • The Director of the First Year Program, who shall be an ex-officio member.
  • The Director of the Academic Advisement Center or her/his designee, who shall be an ex-officio member.
  • The Vice President for Student Affairs or her/his designee, who shall be an ex-officio member.

Special Requirements

• In no case will there be more than one member from any academic department, with the exception of the Liberal Arts Program Committee representative.

5.1.7 The Liberal Arts Program Committee

General Description/Duties

• The Liberal Arts Program Committee shall be concerned with the program, procedures, and policies relating to the program of liberal arts education of students at Eastern.
  These concerns include leadership for the program, approval and oversight of courses to serve the liberal arts core curriculum, and the categorization of courses within the program.
• The committee shall work closely with the appropriate Senate committees, academic officers, department chairs, academic program directors, and administrators.

Term

• The term of office shall be for three years.

Membership

• Shall consist of fifteen members; the eleven voting members are:
  • Two total from Humanities (Art and Art History, Performing Arts, English, World Languages and Cultures, and Philosophy) elected by the University Senate
  • Two total from Social Sciences (History, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work) elected by the University Senate.
  • Two total from Natural Sciences and Mathematics (Biology, Environmental Earth Science, Health Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Computer Science) elected by the University Senate.
  • Two from Education, Communication, Accounting and Business Information Systems, Business Administration, or Economics and Finance elected by the University Senate.
  • One total from the Administrative Faculty elected by the University Senate.
  • One from the Library Faculty elected by the University Senate.
  • One student member elected by the Student Senate.
• The four nonvoting members are:
  • Two LAC Coordinators, who shall be an ex-officio member.
  • The LAC Assessment Coordinator, who shall be an ex-officio member.
  • The Registrar, or designee, who shall be an ex-officio member.

Special Requirements

• In no case shall there be more than one voting member from any academic department, with the exception of the Curriculum Committee representative.
• If the chair of the Curriculum Committee is from the same department as an elected committee member, the chair shall give way to a designee from a department not represented on the committee.
• If the LAC Coordinator and the LAC Assessment Coordinator are the same person, there shall be only three nonvoting members of the committee.

5.1.8 The Liberal Arts Work Committee

General Description/Duties

• The Liberal Arts Work Committee will be responsible for approving the proposals of individual departments to fulfill the LAW graduation requirement. The Committee will assist in developing a procedure to assess whether programmatic learning goals are met by those approved experiences and create and administer a process for granting exemptions and substitutions to the LAW requirement. The Committee will also be responsible for developing and administering the non-credit bearing transcript notation system.

Term

• The term of office shall be for three years.

Membership

• Shall consist of thirteen members; the eight voting members are:
  • Two Instructional Faculty from the School of Arts and Sciences.
  • Two Instructional Faculty from the School of Education and Professional Studies.
  • One Instructional Faculty member from either School.
  • One Administrative Faculty member.
  • The Director of Career Services, ex-officio.
  • One student elected by the Student Senate.
• The five non-voting members are:
  • The Coordinator of LAW
  • The Dean of the School of Continuing Education or designee, ex officio.
  • The Vice President for Academic Affairs, ex-officio.
  • One representative from Alumni Affairs.
  • The University Registrar or designee, ex-officio.

Special Requirements

• In no case shall there be more than one member from the same department.
  The committee will send a representative to all Senate meetings.

5.1.9 The Organization Committee

General Description/Duties

• The Organization Committee shall be the nominations and elections committee that represents the Faculty, except in cases exempted by the University Senate.
• It will maintain a roster of all existing University Committees.
• It will maintain an elections list, in accordance with Sec. 4.5.
• It will oversee the Senate committee structure and make recommendations to the Senate for establishing or abolishing committees, changing the composition or structure of committees, and resolving jurisdictional disputes. While this oversight will occur on an ongoing basis, every five years in academic years ending in zero and five, the Organization Committee will begin the process of conducting a systematic review of the Senate bylaws, including the existing Standing and At-Large committee structure, to ensure that the existing structure continues to fit the governance needs of the University. Review of the Standing Committees will be completed in the first year (ending in zero or five). Review of the At-Large Committees will be completed by the following year. Based upon its reviews of each type of committee, the Organization Committee will make recommendations to the University Senate to improve the system of governance. The Organization Committee will create written procedures to conduct this review.
  At the request of the Senate, the Organization Committee shall propose revision of the Constitution and/or Bylaws of the Senate.

Term

• The term of office shall be for three years.

Membership

• Shall consist of eight voting members:
  • Five Faculty elected by the University Senate.
  • University Senate Vice-President for Instructional Faculty, ex officio.
  • University Senate Vice-President for Administrative Faculty, ex officio.
  • One student elected by the Student Senate.

Special Requirements

• At least one elected faculty member shall be from the Administrative Faculty.
• At least one elected faculty member shall be from the Instructional Faculty.

• The Personnel Policies Committee shall be the primary body in which University policies and procedures are developed, reviewed and revised for submission to the Senate which pertain to 1) the evaluation of faculty for renewal, promotion, and tenure; 2) professional assessment; 3) sabbatic leave; 4) faculty development; and 5) research reassigned time.
• The committee shall review department procedures for evaluation and assessment of all employees covered by the CSU-AAUP Collective Bargaining Agreement to make them as consistent and fair as possible.
• The committee shall aid in developing guidelines for departments to use in their deliberations on renewal, promotion and tenure, including definitions of equivalencies.

Term

• The term of office shall be for two years.

Membership

• Shall consist of eight members; the six voting members are:
  • At least 2 Full-time Instructional Faculty from the School of Arts and Sciences
  • At least 2 Full-time Instructional Faculty from the School of Education and Professional Studies
  • 1 full-time Instructional faculty member from Librarians, Counselors, Coaches, or Athletic Trainers
  • 1 full-time member of A&S, Ed&PS, or Librarians, Counselors, Coaches, or Athletic Trainers
• The nonvoting member is:
  • The chief human resources officer or designee, who serves as an ex-officio member.

Special Requirements

• Not more than one faculty member shall be from the Administrative Faculty.
• In no case shall there be more than one member from any academic department.

5.1.11 The Student Academic Advising Committee

General Description/Duties

• The Student Academic Advising Committee shall consider all matters related to academic advising, including the faculty advising system and advising support services.
• The Committee shall provide ongoing assessment of the academic advisement system.
• The Committee shall develop goals, initiatives, and recommendations to strengthen the academic advisement system and increase student retention.
• The Committee shall make recommendations to the University Senate and the Director of the Academic Advisement Center regarding academic advising.
• The Committee will work closely with the University Senate, appropriate Senate committees, academic officers, department chairs, academic program directors, and administrators on matters related to academic advisement.

Term

• The term of office shall be for two years.

Membership

• Shall consist of eight members; the seven voting members are:
  • Two full-time Instructional Faculty elected by the University Senate from different academic departments in the School of Arts and Sciences.
  • Two full-time Instructional Faculty elected by the University Senate from different academic departments in the School of Education and Professional Studies.
  • Two full-time members of the Administrative Faculty elected by the University Senate.
  • One student member appointed by the Student Senate.
• The one nonvoting members is:
  • The Director of the Academic Support Services (or designee) who will serve as an ex-officio member.

Special Requirements

• In no case shall there be more than one member from any academic department.

5.1.12 The Support Services Committee

General Description/Duties

• The Support Services Committee shall facilitate understanding between the University Senate and all support services including Administrative and Fiscal Affairs, University Relations, Institutional Research, Student Affairs, Admission & Enrollment Management, and Records. The Support Services Committee shall serve as a forum for Support Services personnel to present problems, ideas, and recommendations. The Support Services Committee is consulted in matters related to traffic and parking regulations on campus.

Term

• The term of office shall be for two years.

Membership

• Shall consist of six voting members:
  • Five Faculty elected by the University Senate.
  • One student elected by the Student Senate.

Special Requirements

• At least one faculty member shall be from the Administrative Faculty.
• At least one faculty member shall be from the Instructional Faculty.
• The Committee shall consult with the appropriate Vice President as needed.

5.1.13 University Assessment Committee

General Description/Duties

• The purpose of the University Assessment Committee is to ensure that Eastern implements and maintains a systematic assessment of student learning in the major, the liberal arts core curriculum program and outside-the-classroom experiences, with a focus on educational improvement. In addition, this committee shall be the consulting body for which University-wide assessments are approved and/or conducted.
• Their responsibilities shall include
  1. Advise the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Student Affairs on assessment matters
  2. Promote assessment activities at the University, and disseminate assessment information to the campus community
  3. Review and monitor the University’s Assessment Plan and assessment reports
  4. Recommend policy to ensure that the University complies with accreditation requirements and other external mandates
  5. Report to the University Senate on assessment activities

Term

• The term of office shall be for three years.

Membership

• Shall consist of fourteen members; the ten voting members are:
  • Three members from different departments in the School of Arts and Sciences.
  • Three members from different departments in the School of Education and Professional Studies.
  • Two members of the Administrative Faculty with at least one member from the Division of Student Affairs.
  • One member from Librarians, Counselors, and Coaches.
  • One student selected by the Student Senate.
• The four nonvoting members are:
  • The Vice-President for Academic Affairs or designee, ex-officio.
  • University Assessment Coordinator, ex-officio.
  • Director of Institutional Research, ex-officio.
  • Coordinator of the Liberal Arts Program Committee, ex-officio.