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Faculty Assembly

BYLAWS

If the President-elect assumes the office of President prior to the scheduled term, the office of  President-elect shall remain vacant until the next scheduled election.

If the office of President-elect becomes vacant for any other reason, the Elections Committee shall nominate new candidates and hold an election of the Faculty Assembly as soon as possible.

  •  If the office of Secretary becomes vacant, the Executive Committee shall appoint a new candidate, subject to approval of the Representative Assembly, to fill the remainder of the term.
  • If the office of Past-President becomes vacant, it shall remain so until the term of the current President expires.
  • Responsibilities and Duties of Officers

Section I Faculty Assembly

  1. In addition to the regular members as described in the Constitution, the Representative Assembly may designate additional regular members by amending these Bylaws.


  3. Following nomination by any member of the Representative Assembly, an individual may be elected by the Representative Assembly to special membership in the Faculty Assembly for a specified term.
     
  4. Vacancies in Offices
     
    1. If the office of President becomes vacant, the President-elect shall become President for the remainder of the term. The new President will continue in office the following year, as scheduled

          Officers and committee chairs shall assume their duties on the first of June.

1.      President

  1. Preside over all meetings of the Assembly, the Representative Assembly, and the Executive Committee.

  2. Appoint all standing committee members, in consultation with other officers.

  3. Nominate faculty for service on other University committees.

  4. Nominate faculty to serve the interests of the Faculty Assembly in administrative or other relationships.

  5. Meet regularly with Chancellor, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, and other administrators as needed.

  6. Represent Faculty Assembly as a member of Deans’ Council and the University Budget Advisory Committee.

  7. Represent the campus Faculty Assembly on the system-wide Faculty Council and serve on the Faculty Council Executive team.

  8. Attend campus functions to represent Faculty Assembly when possible.

  9. Distribute agendas, proposed motions, and resolutions of the Faculty Assembly and Representative Assembly.

2.      President-elect

  1. Perform the duties of the President when he/she is unable to do so.

  2. Serve as alternate representative to the system-wide Faculty Council.

  3. Chair the Elections Committee.

  4. Serve as parliamentarian for meetings of the Faculty Assembly and the Representative Assembly.

3.      Secretary

  1. Ensure that accurate minutes of all meetings of the Faculty Assembly and the Representative Assembly are recorded and posted on the Faculty Assembly web page.
  2. Notify faculty concerning the actions of the Representative Assembly.
  3. Keep an up-to-date record of the status of all resolutions and actions taken by the Representative Assembly or the Executive Committee.
  4. Maintain the official files of the Faculty Assembly, the Representative Assembly, and the Executive Committee, and assume responsibility for transferring these complete files to the incoming Secretary.
  5. Transfer closed actions to the Archives every 3 years.
  6. Delegate tasks to the administrative assistant as needed.

Section II Representative Assembly

The membership of the Representative Assembly shall be constituted as follows:

   A.  Officers of the Assembly.

   B.  Chairs of executive and regular standing committees.

   C.   Three at-large System-wide members
          1.  Each shall serve a three year term as campus representatives to the system-wide Faculty Council.
          2.  Vacancies shall be filled by vote of the Faculty Assembly in the annual spring election.

   D.   Twelve members providing proportional representation from the colleges, schools, and library.
          1.  The number of representatives from each academic unit shall be:
               a.  College of Business-two
               b.  College of Education – one
               c.  College of Engineering and Applied Science – two
               d.  College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences – four
               e.  Library – one
               f.   Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences – one
               g.  Graduate School of Public Affairs – one

          2.  Representatives shall be elected during the annual spring election to serve a one-year term.          

          3.  The representation specified in II.D. 1. shall be reviewed and revised periodically in order to maintain equitable proportional representation.
                                                                                 
    E.  One faculty representative from each Regular Standing Advisory Committee shall be an ex-officio non-voting member of the Representative Assembly.

    F.  The size of the Representative Assembly (approximately 10% the size of the Faculty Assembly) should be reviewed and revised periodically, as needed.

Section III Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is responsible for the day-to-day operation and the long-term continuity of faculty governance. All members of the Executive Committee should have a strong commitment to the principles of faculty governance and the willingness to assure its success (see section VI., A., 1).

Section IV Meetings

    A.   The Faculty Assembly

           1.  The regular annual meeting of the Faculty Assembly shall normally be held near the beginning of the Fall semester.
           2.  Special meetings, as specified in the Constitution, require one week’s prior notice.
           3.  A petition from the Assembly membership for a special meeting requires the signatures of at least 25 members of the Assembly.

   B.   The Representative Assembly shall meet the second Friday of every month, September through May, except for January.

   C.   The Executive Committee shall meet the first Friday of every month, during the academic year and as needed.

Section V Conduct of Business

   A.   Conduct of Business of the Faculty Assembly

          1.  All meetings of the UCCS Faculty Assembly shall be conducted according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order (see Section V., B., 1).
          2.  The annual regular meeting of the Faculty Assemble shall have as its primary purpose the discussion of issues and agenda items for the year, as developed by the Executive Committee and the Representative Assembly.
          3.  Special meetings of the Faculty Assembly shall have as their primary purpose discussion of issues raised by the callers of the meeting.
          4.  Background information for any issue to be introduced for discussion at a Faculty Assembly meeting shall be distributed five working days in advance with the agenda for that meeting.
          5.  The Secretary shall post the minutes of each Faculty Assembly meeting within two weeks after each meeting.
          6.  All votes of the Faculty Assembly, conducted by mail or electronically according to appropriate procedure, shall be considered official and binding, regardless of the number of votes cast.

   B.  Conduct of Business of the Representative Assembly

          1.  All meeting of the Representative Assembly shall be conducted according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, which stipulates the following order of business:
               a.  Approval of minutes
               b.  Reports of visitors
               c.  Report of President
               d.  Reports of Standing Committees
               e.  Reports of special purpose committees
               f.   Unfinished business
               g.  New business
               h.  Announcements and questions
         2.  All committee reports must be written, and distributed to the Representative Assembly prior to the meeting. (Verbal Committee reports shall be for purposes of clarification and discussion.
         3.  All motions or resolutions to be voted upon at a Representative Assembly meeting shall be distributed at least five working days in advance with the agenda for that meeting.
         4.  For all items requiring action by the Representative Assembly, a quorum shall be defined as those present and voting.
         5.  Any Bylaw may be temporarily suspended by a two-thirds majority of the Representative Assembly present and voting.
         6.  The Secretary shall post the minutes of each Representative Assembly meeting within two weeks after each meeting on the Faculty Assembly website and shall notify the Faculty Assembly that the minutes are available.

   C.  Conduct of Business of the Executive Committee

         All meetings of the UCCS Executive Committee shall be conducted according to the Rules for Small Committees as specified in the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.

Section VI Committees

   A. Standing Committees

        1.  Executive Standing Committees consist of the officers and the committee chairs of:
             a. Committee on Educational Policy and University Standards (EPUS)
             b. Committee on Personnel and Benefits (P&B)
             c. Faculty Advisory Committee on the Budget
        2.  Regular Standing Committees (all committee members are faculty):
             a. Minority Affairs Committee
             b. Committee on Women’s Issues
             c. Non-Tenure Track Faculty Committee (added  Oct 1999)
        3.  Regular Standing Advisory Committees (represent broad campus issues with a mixture of faculty, staff, administrators, and others):
             a. Advisory Committee on Academic Computing Policy
             b. Library Committee (added on Oct 1999)
             c. Advisory Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics (added April 2005)
             d. Advisory Committee on Sustainability (added April 2005)

   B.  Standing Committees – Membership

            Executive and Regular Standing Committees
            1. Standing Committees shall consist of six to eight members.
            2. Standing Committee membership shall be broadly based, attempting to have at least one member from each college or school.
            3. The term of membership for all Standing Committees shall be three years, with staggered, annual expiring terms.
            4. All vacancies shall be filled by appointment of the President, with consultation and approval of the Executive Committee.
            5. Members have a responsibility to attend regularly and participate. After 3 unexcused absences, the chair may request replacement of the committee member.
            6. At least one member of each Standing Committee shall serve as the campus representative to any existing corresponding system-wide committee.

   C.  Executive and Regular Standing Committees – Chairs

            1. The membership of each Standing Committee shall elect a chair who shall assume office on the first of June.
            2. The chair of each Standing Committee has the following responsibilities:
                 a. Ensure that the committee meets regularly.
                 b. Notify committee members of agenda and meeting times.
                 c. Submit written committee reports to the Executive Committee prior to the regular meeting of the Executive Committee on the first Friday as needed.
                 d. Inform the President of any vacancies that should be filled.
            3.  Membership on Representative Assembly and Executive Committee.
                 a.  All Executive and Regular Standing Committee chairs are voting members of the Representative Assembly.
                 b.  All Executive Standing Committee chairs are also members of the Executive Committee.

   D.  Executive and Regular Standing Committees – Meetings

            1.  Committees shall meet regularly during the academic year.
            2.  All committee meetings shall be conducted according to the Rules for Small Committees as specified in the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
            3.  The following priority shall be observed in the conduct of business:
                 a.  Issues referred to the committee by the Executive Committee.
                 b.  Issues from the committee membership.

   E.  Executive and Regular Standing Committees - Bylaws

        Each Standing Committee shall establish a set of Bylaws, which must:
            1.  Be consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Faculty Assembly.
            2.  Be approved by the Representative Assembly.
            3.  Address at least the following issues:
                a. Membership
                b. Meetings
                c. Scope of responsibility

   F.  Regular Standing Advisory Committees

           1.  These committees are campus-wide committees that may influence academic issues and may require Representative Assembly input
                and oversight. These types of committees facilitate communication.
           2.  The senior faculty member on the advisory committee will ensure that the Representative Assembly is current on the committee’s activities.
           3.  The Representative Assembly may refer academic issues to any of the advisory committees.
           4.  Faculty on advisory committees will be nominated or appointed by the Faculty Assembly President in consultation with the Executive Committee.

   G.  Special Purpose Committees

           1.  The Faculty Assembly President, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee, may identify special purpose committees and appoint their members.
           2.  Such committees may or may not have a limited term of existence.
           3.  When necessary and appropriate, a special purpose committee may become a regular standing committee by amendment of these Bylaws.

Section VII Responsibilities of Faculty Assembly Representatives

   A.  Participate in Faculty Assembly Representative meetings or have someone from the constituency of the college substitute in the representative’s absence.

   B.   Report to unit regarding Representative Assembly meeting on key issues/updates.

   C.   Read agenda, motions, policies, and other information sent out by Faculty Assembly President or Executive Committee.

   D.   Solicit issues, opinions, and problems from colleges, school or unit.

   E.   Identify people in the college to serve on committees at UCCS or University-wide.

Section VIII Bylaws

   A.  The phrase "majority vote of the Faculty Assembly" means that a majority of votes cast is required for initial approval of the Bylaws.

   B.  The phrase "majority vote of the Representative Assembly" means that a majority of those present and voting is required for amendment of the Bylaws.

Section IX Amendments to the Constitution

   A.  The phrase "majority vote of the Representative Assembly" means that a majority of those present and voting is required to propose an amendment to the Constitution.

   B.  The phrase "two-thirds vote of the Faculty Assembly" means that two-thirds of votes cast is required to amend the Constitution.

   C.  Amendments to the Constitution shall be voted on by the Faculty Assembly.

Section X Faculty Assembly Elections

   A.  Elections Committee

        1.    The President-elect shall serve as chair of the Elections Committee.
        2.    There shall be one member from each of the colleges, schools, and the library.
        3.    Terms will be for two-years. Each year, half of the membership will continue.
        4.    New terms begin on June 1.
        5.    Committee members shall be appointed by the President of the Faculty Assembly.
        6.    Responsibilities:
               a.  Give notice of elections and call for nominations.
               b.  Accept and verify nominations.
               c.  Ensure a sufficient number of nominees.
               d.  Prepare ballots.
               e.  Count ballots and certify results.   

   B. Election Procedures

       1.    Elections shall be conducted from the Faculty Assembly Office.
       2.    Faculty Assembly members may vote electronically, by mailing a signed ballot to the Faculty Assembly Office or bringing the ballot personally.
       3.    Each faculty member’s ballot will be certified for voting eligibility.
       4.    Only members of the relevant academic unit may vote for representatives from a college, school, or library.
       5.    The administrative assistant shall maintain a public record of all members who have voted. These records will be kept for a 6-month period and then will be purged.
       6.    Ballots shall be counted and results verified by the Elections Committee.

   C.  Annual Spring Election

        1.   Notification of the annual election for officers, at-large members of the Representative Assembly, and representatives of the colleges,
              schools, and the library shall be distributed to all members of the Faculty Assembly on February 1 or the first business day thereafter.
        2.   This notification shall announce the upcoming election dates and call for nominations.
        3.   A second notice and call for nominations shall be distributed on February 15 or the first business day thereafter.
        4.   Nominations shall be sent directly to any member of the Elections Committee.
        5.   Self-nominations are permitted.
        6.   Nominations shall be officially closed two weeks prior to the start of the election.
        7.   No name may appear on the ballot without the candidate’s permission.
        8.   The election period shall begin on the Monday prior to Spring break at 8:00 a.m. and extend until 5:00 p.m. Friday of that week.
        9.   Members of the election committee shall meet to count ballots and verify results.
      10.   The election results shall be reported to the Secretary of the Faculty Assembly no later than 5 p.m. on March 30th.  The Secretary of the Faculty Assembly will notify the Faculty Assembly of the election outcome.

   D.  Special Elections

       1.   Special elections may be held for the following reasons:
             a.  To fill a vacancy in the office of President-elect.
                   i.   The call for nominations shall be distributed to all members of Faculty Assembly.
                  ii.   The nominating period shall be no less than five and no more than ten working days.
             b.  When called for by a majority vote of the Representative Assembly.
             c.  When called for by petition of the Assembly membership.
                    i.  A special election of the Faculty Assembly on any issue may be called by petition of the membership.
                   ii.  A valid petition from the Assembly membership for a special election requires the signatures of at least 25 members of the Assembly.
                  iii.  The circulators of the petition and the Executive Committee shall cooperatively determine the ballot language.

        2.  Special elections shall be conducted as follows:
             a.  Notice of the election dates and ballot language shall be distributed at least one week prior to the election period.
             b.  The election period shall consist of five working days, from Monday, 8:00 a.m. until Friday, 5:00 p.m. of that week.
             c.  All provisions of Bylaws IX.B. shall apply.

    Endorsed by:___________________________________________                                ______________
                         Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak                                                              Date

 

Revised March 2005; Accepted by Faculty Representative Assembly May 2005

 

BYLAWS OF THE FACULTY ASSEMBLY
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT COLORADO SPRINGS

  Approved May 13, 2005

Sections I - VIII of these Bylaws refer to the corresponding Articles of the Constitution. Succeeding sections contain miscellaneous Bylaws necessary for the smooth functioning of academic governance.