Policy 6-002: The Academic Senate - Regulations Library - The University of Utah

Policy 6-002: The Academic Senate - Regulations Library - The University of Utah
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Policy 6-002: The Academic Senate and Senate Committees: Authority, Structure, Functions,
and Procedures.
Revision 40. Effective date: January 13, 2026
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Purpose and Scope
Definitions
Policy
Establishment and Authority of the Academic Senate
Senate Membership
Senate Officers
Senate Committees
Elections Within the Senate
Meetings of the Senate
Order of Business
Minutes and Agenda
Faculty Initiative and Review
Policies/ Rules, Procedures, Guidelines, Forms and other Related Resources
References
Contacts
History
Purpose and Scope
Purpose.
This policy (i) describes the Academic Senate of the university and provides for its
authority, membership structure, election of members, election of officers, schedule
of meetings and order of Senate business, and authority to promulgate rules of Senate
procedures; (ii) establishes the Academic Senate Executive Committee (ASEC) and Senate
Personnel and Elections Committee (SPEC) and provides for their membership structure,
election of members, and functions generally; and (iii) establishes the other Senate
standing committees and provides for their membership structure, procedures for elections,
and committee functions generally.
Scope
This policy applies to the university Academic Senate, including Senate membership
and committees.
Definitions
The following definitions apply for the limited purposes of this policy and any associated
regulations.
“Academic College” is described in
Policy 6-001
“Academic Unit” is defined in
Policy 6-001
“Area of Representation” means each Academic College, the university libraries, and
the qualified interdisciplinary teaching programs, each as an area.
Faculty categories, including “Tenure-line” and “Career-line” faculty, are defined
in
Policy 6-300
“International Extended Campus” means a campus that has been established outside the
United States and offers programs of study for undergraduate and/or graduate degrees.
“University Faculty” is defined in
Policy 6-300
Policy
Establishment and Authority of the Academic Senate.
Establishment. The Academic Senate, hereinafter referred to as the Senate, is established
in
Policy 2-004
Authority.
As defined in Utah state law and subject to the authority of the Utah Board of Higher
Education, university president, and Board of Trustees, the Senate shall act on behalf
of the University Faculty, and the particular constituency groups of faculty, deans,
and students eligible to elect the voting members of the Senate pursuant to this policy,
in the areas specified by applicable provisions of university regulations.
As more fully described in applicable university regulations, the Senate:
acts on behalf of the faculty and students in all matters of academic requirements
for admission, degrees, and certificates; and course curriculum and instruction; and
curricular matters involving relations between colleges or departments;
debates and approves proposals for new, significantly modified, or discontinued instructional
programs;
receives reports and makes recommendations;
receives and may make recommendations on proposals for creation, significant modification,
or discontinuance of Academic Units;
participates in the adoption and revision of university regulations through the process
described in
Policy 1-001
receives information of appointments and resignations of some faculty members, as
detailed in policies
6-302
and
6-307
participates in various academic matters through standing committees (described below);
considers matters of professional interest and faculty welfare and makes recommendations
to the university president and other administrative officers concerned; and
responds to requests for advice on matters referred by the university president.
The Senate shall have authority to make rules governing its own organization and procedure.
Senate Membership
The Senate shall be constituted as follows:
Ex Officio Members
Administrative Officers
The following administrative officers shall be ex officio members of the Senate:
The university president, the executive vice president for academic affairs, and the
executive vice president for health sciences, or their designees. These ex officio
members shall have full rights of discussion and making motions but not the right
to vote.
Each dean, or an associate or assistant dean designated as a dean's representative.
Each dean or a dean's designee shall have full rights of discussion and making motions
on matters directly associated with the dean's college or administrative responsibility,
but, except for the two voting deans as described below, not the right to vote.
Academic Advisors
One representative of an organization of the university’s professional academic advisors,
selected annually by the organization, shall be an ex officio member of the Senate,
with full rights of discussion and making motions on matters directly associated with
the responsibilities of academic advisors, but not the right to vote.
University Staff
One representative from the University of Utah Staff Council (UUSC), selected annually
by the organization, shall be an ex officio member of the Senate, with full rights
of discussion and making motions on matters directly associated with the responsibilities
of staff employees, but not the right to vote.
Senate Parliamentarian
If the parliamentarian is not an elected voting member of the Senate during the appointment
term, the parliamentarian shall be an ex officio member of the Senate and shall have
full rights of discussion and making motions, but not the right to vote.
Senate Policy Liaison
If the senate policy liaison is not an elected voting member of the Senate during
the appointment term, the senate policy liaison shall be an ex officio member of the
Senate and shall have full rights of discussion and making motions, but not the right
to vote.
Secretary of the Faculty
The secretary of the faculty shall be ex officio secretary of the senate. See
Policy 6-001
Elected Members with Voting Rights
The elected voting membership of the Senate shall include: (1) Tenure-line and Career-line
faculty representatives, (2) two dean representatives, and (3) student representatives
from ASUU and International Extended Campuses.
Tenure-line and Career-line Faculty Representatives.
Apportionment
Faculty membership in the Senate shall be apportioned among the Areas of Representation
on a prorated basis of 50 percent according to the number of Tenure-line faculty members
in each Academic College and the university libraries and 50 percent according to
student credit hours taught in each Area of Representation during the preceding academic
year (regardless of by whom taught).
Representation from the faculty of the university libraries will be determined by
taking the average number of student credit hours taught within the Academic Colleges
during the preceding academic year (regardless of by whom taught), per Tenure-line
faculty member of all other colleges, and multiplying that value by the number of
Tenure-line library faculty.
The base allocation of not more than 79 faculty members shall be adjusted to ensure
that each Academic College and the university libraries will have a minimum of two
faculty representatives each.
In addition to the above allocation, each Academic College and the university libraries
will be allocated one Career-line faculty representative, raising the minimum Academic
College and university library faculty representatives to three.
Areas of Representation that, under the foregoing formula, would contribute more than
20 percent of the voting faculty membership of the Senate may, with Senate approval,
be subdivided by the Senate Personnel and Elections Committee along department or
administrative lines, into two or more separate Areas of Representation, none of which
shall contribute more than 20 percent of the voting faculty membership of the Senate.
The membership of such subdivided Areas of Representation shall be apportioned by
the Committee among the areas as nearly as possible in accordance with the above apportioning
formula.
The Senate Personnel and Elections Committee shall reapportion the Senate according
to the foregoing formula every two years.
Tenure-line faculty members
The Tenure-line faculty voting members of the Senate shall be elected from the following
Areas of Representation: (1) the individual Academic Colleges and (2) the university
libraries as an Area of Representation.
All Tenure-line faculty members, without regard for rank or time in rank, shall be
eligible for election to membership in the Senate, except ex officio members of the
Senate and members of the faculty serving in administrative positions higher than
department chair.
All Tenure-line faculty members, without regard for rank or time in rank, shall be
eligible to vote for candidates for Senate membership in the Area(s) of Representation
where they hold Tenure-line appointments.
Career-line faculty members.
The voting membership of the Senate shall include Career-line faculty members who
shall be elected from the following Areas of Representation: (1) the individual Academic
Colleges, (2) the university libraries as an Area of Representation, and (3) the Qualified
Interdisciplinary Teaching Programs as an Area of Representation.
All members of the Career-line faculty who, continuously for one year preceding the
date their term of Senate membership would begin, have had Career-line faculty appointments
of at least 75 percent Full-Time-Equivalent (.75 FTE) within a single Area of Representation,
without regard for rank or Career-line category (Clinical, Lecturer, or Research),
shall be eligible for election to membership in the Senate from the Area of Representation
where they hold such .75 or above FTE appointment, except ex officio members of the
Senate and members of the faculty serving in administrative positions higher than
department chair.
All members of the faculty who at the time of the election hold Career-line faculty
appointments of at least 50 percent Full-Time-Equivalent (.5 FTE) within a single
Area of Representation, without regard for rank or time in rank, and without regard
for Career-line category (Clinical, Lecturer, or Research), shall be eligible to vote
for Career-line candidates for Senate membership in the Area(s) of Representation
where they hold such .50 or above FTE appointments.
International Extended Campus Faculty Representation.
All full-time faculty members (.75 FTE or higher) (Tenure-line or Career-line) without
regard of rank or career-line category (Clinical, Lecturer, or Research) shall be
eligible for election. All members of the faculty who, at the time of the election,
are teaching .50 FTE or higher at the International Extended Campus, shall be eligible
to vote for their Senate representative.
Election of Faculty Members to the Senate and the Role of Senate Personnel and Elections
Committee.
General Election Provisions.
The Senate Personnel and Elections Committee (SPEC) shall supervise elections to the
Senate, which shall be conducted during the month of March. International Extended
Campus elections will be held by August 15 to align with the Salt Lake Campus fall
semester.
No person shall be nominated or elected to represent more than one Area of Representation.
No person shall be elected to the Senate without receiving simple majority of all
votes cast by the eligible voters in the area that person is to represent in the Senate.
All faculty representatives, except those from International Extended Campuses, shall
be elected to serve three-year terms. Senate faculty members shall be ineligible for
nomination for another term until at least one year has elapsed following the expiration
of their terms of office or date of resignation therefrom. New terms shall begin on
May 15.
International Extended Campus representatives shall be elected to serve a one-year
term and are eligible to serve for up to three consecutive terms. After three consecutive
terms, a year must elapse before a faculty member is eligible for election again.
Disputes respecting eligibility for election or eligibility to vote shall be decided
by the SPEC, subject to appeal to the Senate.
An annual orientation shall be provided for newly elected Senators. The senate president
shall have a manual on Senate organization, operations, and basic procedures prepared
and distributed to all incoming Senate members.
Beyond service in the Senate, faculty members of the Senate should expect that they
may be called upon to serve on standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate.
Election Procedures
Each year, SPEC shall send each Area of Representation an allotted number of faculty
representatives as calculated above and each Area of Representation shall conduct
elections according to the established election plan, filling the faculty representative
seats with the following requirements:
Each Academic College and the university libraries shall fill at least 50% of the
allotted faculty seats (rounded up) with Tenure-line faculty representatives. Academic
Colleges or the university libraries with fewer than 10 Tenure-line faculty and at
least 70% Career-line faculty are not subject to this requirement.
Each Area of Representation shall elect at least one Career-line faculty representative.
Each Academic College and the university libraries with allocated faculty seats remaining
after meeting the Tenure-line and Career-line requirements may fill these remaining
seats with Tenure-line and/or Career-line faculty as elected by the area faculty.
Not later than March 1 of each year, SPEC will send an announcement to each Area of
Representation from which at least one faculty representative's term is set to expire,
giving notice that elections are to be held for new representatives to the Senate.
The announcement sent to each Area of Representation shall describe the applicable
eligibility requirements (as specified in this policy) for both the candidates and
the voters for each position for which an election is to be conducted.
Subject to approval by the SPEC, each Area of Representation shall develop its own
plan for obtaining nominations and for conducting the election of its allotted representatives.
Ordinarily, each area’s election plan shall be described in the approved charter of
the area’s Academic College council (see
Policy 6-003
).
Not later than April 1 of each year in which it is authorized to elect one or more
representatives to the Senate, each Area of Representation shall forward to the SPEC
a report of the person or persons elected to represent that area. Each Area of Representation
shall also forward to the SPEC all ballots cast in the process of nominating candidates
and electing its representative(s) to the Senate.
After verifying the election results, the SPEC shall announce the roster of newly
elected Senators at the May meeting of the Senate.
Vacancies.
In the event of faculty seat vacancy, the SPEC shall appoint the runner-up from the
member's Area of Representation to serve the remainder of the member's term or until
the next general election held within that area, when the vacancy shall be filled
by election for the unexpired term. A special election may be necessary if a runner-up
is not available.
Dean Representatives.
The deans shall elect two deans as voting representatives in the Senate. The voting
deans shall be elected to serve staggered two-year terms, beginning on May 15. If
an elected dean representative cannot complete their term, a replacement shall be
elected through the same procedure described in the preceding section for filling
vacancies of elected faculty members.
Student Representatives.
Representatives of the Associated Students of the University of Utah (ASUU).
Each Academic College as an Area of Representation shall elect one representative
to the Senate from its ASUU Student Senate members. (And for the limited purposes
of student representation in the Academic Senate, the Navigate Hub for Exploring Students
(as described in
Policy 6-101
) and Honors College together shall be considered as an Area of Representation of
students equivalent to an Academic College.) These elected student members shall be
entitled to attend Academic Senate meetings with full rights of discussion and vote.
If a student member resigns their position on the ASUU Student Senate, the vacancy
will be filled by the next runner-up in the affected college or area or otherwise
according to Procedures described in the ASUU Student Handbook.
The ASUU president, or the ASUU vice president if designated by the ASUU president,
and an additional student appointed by the ASUU president shall also be members of
the Senate, with full rights of discussion and vote.
Student members of the Senate shall serve one-year terms. New terms shall begin on
May 15.
International Extended Campus Student Representative
Each International Extended Campus shall elect one representative from the student
body to serve. If a student member resigns, the vacancy will be filled by the next
runner-up.
International Extended Campus student members of the Senate shall serve one-year terms
dating from their installation each fall.
Alternates.
Each elected member of the Senate is expected to attend its meetings regularly. When
absence of a member is unavoidable, the member shall designate in writing to the secretary
of the senate an alternate to serve with full authority during the elected member's
absence. The alternate so designated shall be one of the available unsuccessful candidates
for that Senate seat in the previous election. In the absence of available unsuccessful
candidates, any other person eligible for election to that Senate seat may be designated
as an alternate.
Senate Officers.
Presiding Officer (Senate Presidency).
Eligibility, terms, roles of senate presidential officers.
The Senate president will be elected annually by the Senate from the eligible members
of the University Faculty, as described below. The faculty member elected for this
responsibility will serve as a senate presidential officer for three years: the first
year as president-elect, the second year as senate president, and the third year as
immediate past-president.
The SPEC, after consultation with the Senate Executive Committee, will provide a slate
of candidates, each of whom is eligible for election. Eligibility shall be determined
at the time of nomination, based on the following requirements and factors:
Must have held a Tenure-line or Career-line appointment at the University for at least
five years with at least .50 FTE (Full Time Equivalent) status.
Must have a current appointment as a member of the University Faculty, either (1)
as a Tenured member, or (2) as a Career-line member with a current faculty appointment
and employment contract with at least .75 FTE that will continue throughout the three-year
term of office.
At the time service as president-elect will begin, must not be serving as an appointed
administrative officer of the University at or higher than the position of department
chair or equivalent position, as described in
Policy 2-004
Must have demonstrated prior participation in university-level governance or service.
Must have demonstrated prior involvement in university instructional or educational
activities.
The three senate presidential officers shall be ineligible to serve as elected faculty
members of the Senate at any time during their three one-year terms of office. If
any would otherwise hold a position as a voting faculty member of the Senate during
the term of office, the SPEC shall appoint the runner-up from the member's Area of
Representation to serve the remainder of the term or until the next general election
held within that area, when the vacancy shall be filled by election for the unexpired
term. A special election may be necessary if a runner-up is not available.
The three senate presidential officers shall be ex officio members of both the Senate
and the Senate Executive Committee, with rights of discussion. The past-president
and president-elect shall have the rights of making motions, but not to vote. The
senate president shall not have the right of making motions, and shall have only the
limited right to vote to break a tie (as described below).
Substitution of president pro-tempore, voting by the senate president
Upon their own initiative, the senate president may, or upon the vote of at least
two-thirds of the assembled voting members of the Senate, the senate president shall,
with respect to a specific agenda item, relinquish the gavel to the immediate past-president
if available (and if not available, then to the president-elect) to serve as president
pro-tempore with respect to a specific agenda item. In the absence of the senate president
for any Senate meeting or other presidential responsibility, the immediate past-president,
or president-elect, shall serve as a president pro tempore, and in the absence of
all three presidential officers, the Senate shall elect a faculty member eligible
for election to the Senate presidency to serve as a president pro tempore.
The senate president (or president pro tempore) shall be entitled to vote on matters
before the Senate only where, after vote of the Senate, the senate president's vote
will prevent an equal division of the Senate.
In interacting with the university administration, the University Board of Trustees,
the Utah Board of Higher Education, and the larger community within and outside the
university, the senate president shall act as the spokesperson of the Senate and represent
the interests of the Senate and its constituencies in general, and the interests of
faculty, in particular.
In carrying out the responsibilities of the office, the senate president, past-president,
president-elect, and other Senate Officers shall place the best interests of the university
and the Senate and its constituencies ahead of their own personal interests or the
interests of the academic units with which they are affiliated.
Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees
The senate president will serve as a faculty representative to the Board of Trustees.
See University
Policy 2-002
and
Utah Board of Higher Education Policy R223
Secretary of the Senate
The secretary of the faculty shall be ex officio secretary of the senate. The senate
president or other presiding officer may appoint an assistant secretary at any time.
See
Policy 6-001
Senate Parliamentarian
Subject to the approval of the Senate, the senate president shall appoint a senate
parliamentarian to ensure proper observance of established parliamentary Procedures.
Senate Policy Liaison
Subject to the approval of the Senate, the senate president shall appoint a faculty
member as senate policy liaison who partners with the university administration and
committees to collaborate on the development of university regulations per
Policy 1-001
and serves as a member of the Institutional Policy Committee.
The three presidential officers, with the senate parliamentarian, the senate policy
liaison, and the senate secretary, comprise the officers of the Senate. The other
officers shall assist the senate president in conducting the affairs of the Senate
within the university, and in representing the Senate constituencies in interactions
with the Utah System of Higher Education, with faculty-representing organizations
of other institutions of higher education, with the Utah Board of Higher Education,
and with the faculty-representing organizations of other institutions with which the
university is joined as a member.
Senate Committees.
Senate Standing Committees.
Establishment of standing committees of the Senate.
The standing committees of the Senate described in this policy are hereby established,
and the membership and functions of each shall be implemented as described here (or
as described in the other governing university regulations for each such committee
as referenced here).
There are three categories of such standing committees.
Standing committees for which the primary responsibilities include managing the internal
affairs of the Senate. These are (1) the Senate Executive Committee (ASEC) and (2)
the Senate Personnel and Elections Committee (SPEC).
In keeping with the principle that internal affairs of the Senate are to be managed
by the Senate members, eligibility for election to serve on these committees is based
on status as an elected member of the Senate, as more fully described below.
Standing committees for which the primary responsibilities include investigating,
reviewing, or conducting hearings regarding individual case disputes among university
personnel. The Senate delegates to these committees certain responsibilities for conducting
investigations, informal dispute resolutions, and hearings, as more fully described
in the pertinent governing Policies. These are (3) the Senate Committee on Academic
Freedom and Faculty Rights (SCAFFR), and (4) the Senate Consolidated Hearing Committee
(SCHC).
Membership in the Senate is not a requirement for members or officers of these committees.
Standing committees for which the primary responsibilities include generally advising
the Senate and the university administration on matters of significant academic importance.
These are (5) the Senate Advisory Committee on Academic Policy (SACAP), (6) the Senate
Advisory Committee on University Strategic Planning (SACUSP), (7) the Senate Advisory
Committee on Student, Faculty, and Staff Success (SACSFSS), (8) the Senate Advisory
Committee on Student Course Feedback (SACSCF), (9) the Senate Advisory Committee on
Information Technology (SACIT), and (10) the Senate Faculty Review Standards Committee
(SFRSC). Membership in the Senate is not a requirement for members or officers of
these committees.
Academic Senate Executive Committee (ASEC)
The provisions described in this policy as generally applicable for standing committees
of the Senate apply for the ASEC, except as otherwise specifically described in this
policy. Terms for the ASEC begin on May 15 of each year.
Membership and Officers.
The membership of the ASEC with full voting rights consists of the following voting
members of the Senate:
twelve representatives elected annually to serve a one-year term on the ASEC, must
be a faculty or dean member of the Senate during the term of service on the ASEC,
with no restriction on re-election for consecutive terms. No more than two faculty
members may be from the same Area of Representation.
three student members consisting of the ASUU president or a designated ASUU member,
one graduate and one undergraduate representative from the student Academic Senators,
one of whom shall be the ASUU Student Senate Chair and the other shall be appointed
by the Student Senate Chair. The student members shall serve one-year terms dating
from their installation as ASUU officers.
The senate president shall serve as chair of the ASEC (or if not available, second
the immediate past-president, third the president-elect, or fourth the ASEC shall
elect a president pro tempore as acting chair). The chair shall have the privileges
of discussion, but not of making motions, and shall have the limited right to vote
to prevent an equal division of the ASEC.
The ASEC also consists of the following ex officio, non-voting members with full rights
of discussion and making motions: the university president, the executive vice president
for academic affairs and the executive vice president for health sciences or their
designees, the president-elect and the immediate past-president of the Senate, and
the senate parliamentarian, senate policy liaison, and secretary of the senate.
The ASEC shall ordinarily meet within two weeks after commencing its term and elect
a secretary from its elected or ex officio membership.
The ASEC shall ordinarily meet approximately two weeks prior to the monthly meetings
of the Senate, but the chair may call meetings at any time and must call a meeting
of the ASEC upon written petition of any three members of the ASEC within ten days
of the date of the petition, or at such earlier time as is otherwise specified in
the petition.
A quorum to conduct business shall consist of a majority of the fifteen voting members
representing the faculty, deans, and students.
Functions. It shall be the duty of the ASEC to:
Prepare the Senate agenda, assigning non-controversial items to the consent calendar,
and assigning other items to the information calendar, intent calendar, or debate
calendar, as appropriate in accord with this policy and the specific provisions of
other relevant regulations (including the requirements of
Policy 1-001
); set time limits for debate; and make such procedural stipulations of other sorts
(nonbinding) as may be necessary.
Report to the Senate at each regular meeting, noting matters which it has and has
not placed on the agenda and the reasons and voting on each question of calendaring.
Study the actions of Senate and university committees, college councils, and the Graduate
and Undergraduate Councils per
Policy 6-001
(preferably with a representative of the committee or council involved present in
a given instance), and in appropriate cases return any report by such a body to that
body for re-examination, where the ASEC judges that the report is unclear, is inadequately
developed, or suffers from other significant problems. Such return by the ASEC shall
be nonbinding on the committee or council involved.
At its discretion, identify questions in connection with a committee or council report,
or item from the administration that it thinks the Senate should consider and that
it accordingly conveys to the Senate members in advance of the meeting involved.
Refer to an appropriate committee for its consideration items that may be urgent,
or in extremely urgent cases, make a recommendation itself directly to the Senate.
Recommend to the Senate the creation of an ad hoc committee to study a specific important
issue, where the topic involved does not fall under the jurisdiction of an existing
ad hoc or standing committee, with or without recommendations on the design and specific
wording of the charge to such a committee.
Act on behalf of the Senate on urgent matters that cannot wait for action by the Senate
in regular sessions, and act on behalf of the Senate during vacation periods and the
summer semester, providing that a full report of such action is made to the Senate
at the next regular meeting. Any substantive decisions or recommendations shall be
subject to reconsideration when they are presented to the Senate at this time.
Initiate studies and proposals for Senate consideration on matters not assigned to
other university committees, nor assignable to them.
Receive confidential committee reports indicating a serious concern about the systemic
operation of a program, department, college, or other academic unit, and to request
further supporting information from any committee so empowered to report. If the ASEC
concludes that there is a serious concern about the systemic operation of an Academic
Unit, it shall bring this to the attention of the cognizant executive vice president
and provide supporting information. The cognizant executive vice president will respond
in a timely fashion and inform the ASEC of what steps are being taken, as appropriate.
See Policies
6-010
and
6-011
Carry out such functions as are described in various university regulations, including
but not limited to the following matters (listed here for convenience; the senate
president, after notifying the ASEC, is hereby authorized to update this list as an
editorial correction, consistent with approved regulations changes):
Nomination of candidates for election to membership on the SACUSP, the SACSCF, and
the SACIT. See applicable sections below.
Approval of staff members as members of the SACSFSS.
Regarding membership of the SCHC, (i) consult with the administration and the senate
president regarding the selection of a slate of faculty candidates for election to
the SCHC pool, drawn from a list of nominees developed by the SPEC, and (ii) consult
with the administration and senate president to develop a list to submit for Senate
confirmation, of at least five elected SCHC pool members prepared to serve as SCHC
panel chairs.
Approval of nominations of Career-line members for, and organization of subcommittees
of, the SFRSC.
Election of faculty members of the Background Review Committee for background checks
of academic personnel (see
Policy 5-130
and
Rule R5-130A
).
Review of all actions taken by any college or library council, including final approval
of contents of the charter of each Academic College or library council (see
Policy 6-003
).
Receipt of and forwarding to the Senate of reports from Senate committees, and reports
from university administrators, or university committees or councils that are not
committees of the Senate but are directed to report to the Senate, such as: annual
report of the administration regarding faculty make-up (
Policy 6-300
); and annual report and proposed admissions standards of the University Credits and
Admission Committee (
Policy 6-404
).
Take such other action or assume such other duties as may be assigned or referred
to the ASEC, upon resolution of the Senate or upon request of the university administration
with the consent of the ASEC and the Senate.
Senate Personnel and Elections Committee.
The provisions described in this policy as generally applicable for standing committees
of the Senate apply for this Committee, except as otherwise specifically described
here.
Membership and Leadership.
The membership of the SPEC with full voting rights consists of persons elected from
the voting members of the Senate. Faculty members elected by the Senate shall include
one Tenure-line or Career-line faculty representative from each of the Areas of Representation.
The number of Career-line faculty members shall not exceed the number of Tenure-line
faculty members. Faculty members shall be elected for three-year terms and each must
be a senator at the time of election, but can remain on the SPEC for three years even
if their Senate term expires during that three-year period. There shall be two student
members, and each shall serve a one-year term, be a voting member of the Senate during
that term, and be elected to the SPEC in accordance with procedures established by
the ASUU. As with Senate standing committees generally, the senate president or designee,
shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member, and elections of faculty members, and appointment
and confirmation of the SPEC officers, shall proceed as described in this policy,
provided however that the senate president may serve as SPEC chair or co-chair, if
so appointed by the immediate-past president and confirmed by the SPEC and the ASEC.
Functions.
The SPEC shall make nominations for elections of members of standing committees of
the Senate and for all other Senate committees (except as otherwise provided for a
specified committee), and if the Senate is authorized by any university regulation,
or requested by a university administrator, to make nominations or recommendations
of members for a committee to be appointed by the university administration, the SPEC
shall prepare the list of nominees (see
Policy 6-001
).
The SPEC shall review Senate standing committees and university standing committees
on a 5-year rotating schedule. This review will use self- study procedures and include
an assessment of perceived appropriateness of committee membership, charter, functions,
and meetings.
The SPEC shall review any new university-wide standing committee charters or changes
to such charters.
In alternate years, the SPEC will apportion Senate membership according to this policy.
The SPEC will review the necessity of retaining existing Senate and university committees,
recommending to the Senate or appropriate administrative officers any possible excisions.
The SPEC shall pursue a broad representation to Senate and university committees,
including non-tenured faculty members, and seek a distribution of committee nominations
among colleges and departments and across areas of expertise and experience in order
to obtain a range of backgrounds among the members of each committee.
Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Faculty Rights.
The provisions described in this policy as generally applicable for standing committees
of the Senate apply for this committee, except as otherwise specifically described
here.
Membership and Officers.
The membership of the Committee with full voting rights consists of twelve members
elected by the Senate from the university Tenure-line and Career-line faculty members,
other than ex officio members of the Senate. As with Senate standing committees generally,
the terms of voting faculty members are three years and staggered so that an approximately
equal number are elected each year, the senate president or designee is an ex officio
nonvoting member, and elections of faculty members and appointment and confirmation
of SCAFFR officers proceed as described in this policy. See a special provision in
Policy 6-010
that student representatives may be asked to serve with the SCAFFR to consider a
particular matter addressing substantial issues that involve students.
Functions.
The functions and procedures of SCAFFR are as described in
Policy 6-010
Senate Consolidated Hearing Committee.
The provisions described in this policy as generally applicable for standing committees
of the Senate apply for this Committee, except as otherwise specifically described
here.
Membership and officers (pools and panels).
The SCHC shall consist of a pool, from which members may be drawn to serve on panels
in specific cases as the need arises. The pool shall consist of at least 35 faculty
members, Tenure-line and Career-line. At least 5 members of the pool shall be faculty
members with extensive experience as researchers and as recipients of sponsored research
grants. These members shall be available to serve as panel members in hearings involving
allegations of sponsored research misconduct. The pool shall include a sufficient
number of Tenured members to serve on SCHC panels in cases for which tenure is a requirement,
as described in
Policy 6-011
. First, the faculty members will be nominated by the SPEC. Second, the ASEC will
review the nominees and in consultation with the university administration will provide
from that list a slate to the Senate which shall consist of more nominees than available
positions. Third, the Senate will select by vote sufficient members to fill the pool.
SCHC pool members will be elected for 6-year staggered terms. There may be expedited
elections if necessary to fill vacancies in the pool or to provide sufficient members
for a particular panel.
The senate president in consultation with the ASEC and the university administration
shall identify at least 5 persons from the elected SCHC pool to be available to serve
as chairs of panels. The chairs shall be individuals who will agree to undergo significant
training in preparation for chairing the SCHC panels. Their appointment to the position
(but not to a specific panel) shall require confirmation by the Senate.
Functions.
See
Policy 6-011
for the governing description of the functions and procedures of the SCHC.
Senate Advisory Committee on Academic Policy.
The provisions described in this policy as generally applicable for standing committees
of the Senate apply for this Committee, except as otherwise specifically described
here.
Membership and officers.
The membership of the SACAP consists of nine Tenure-line or Career-line faculty members
and three students, all with full voting rights. As with Senate standing committees
generally, the terms of voting faculty members are three years and staggered so that
an approximately equal number are elected each year, the senate president or designee
is an ex officio nonvoting member, and elections of faculty members and appointment
and confirmation of Committee officers proceed as described in this policy. Student
members shall be selected for one-year terms in accordance with procedures established
by the ASUU.
Functions.
The SACAP may consider any matter related to academic policy, broadly defined, including
matters related to academic activities of teaching and research, the university libraries,
and salaries and benefits of faculty and other academic personnel. It may consider
any relevant matter that may be suggested by members of the SACAP, members of the
faculty, administrative officers, or students. The ASEC, or the Senate, may refer
to SACAP any question or consideration of any proposal regarding academic policy that
is not otherwise assigned to another Senate committee, or that may benefit from study
by SACAP as well as another committee. Upon its selection of a subject for study,
the SACAP shall notify all interested agencies within the university, including standing
committees, and invite their collaboration. For matters related to the university
libraries, consultation shall include the libraries’ administrators, and for matters
related to academic personnel salaries and benefits consultation shall include human
resources administrators. At least once each academic year, the SACAP shall submit
a written report of its studies and recommendations, if any, to the Senate.
Senate Advisory Committee on University Strategic Planning.
The provisions described in this policy as generally applicable for standing committees
of the Senate apply for this committee, except as otherwise specifically described
here.
Membership and officers.
The membership of SACUSP with full voting rights consists of 12 Tenure-line or Career-line
faculty members, with a majority of Tenured faculty, who shall represent the University
Faculty as a whole and not any particular Academic College or area. The membership
slate will be voted on by the Senate, upon recommendation of the ASEC, which should
assure in the recommendation process that the large colleges or areas have adequate
representation, and that ordinarily there is no more than one member from the same
college or area. The terms of voting members are four years, and as with Senate standing
committees generally, the terms are staggered so that an approximately equal number
are elected each year, and members may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms and
then shall be ineligible for nomination for another term until at least one year has
elapsed following the expiration of their terms of office. The immediate past senate
president (or other senate presidential officer as designee in case of absence) will
be the Chair of SACUSP (who shall vote only to break a tie), and a vice-Chair will
be elected by the voting members of the SACUSP. The president-elect and the senate
president will be non-voting ex-officio members of the SACUSP.
The university president and the two executive vice presidents or their designees
will be non-voting ex-officio members of SACUSP and serve as liaisons between the
administration’s strategic planning activities and the SACUSP, assuring that relevant
strategic initiatives proposed by the administration receive adequate input from the
SACUSP.  The administration should inform the SACUSP of relevant strategic planning
issues each year on a schedule that allows for such adequate SACUSP input.
Functions.
The goal of the SACUSP is to assure that academic interests such as academic freedom,
academic excellence, and principles of shared governance are considered when developing
the long-term strategic directions of the university. The SACUSP should strive to
persuade the administration to make critical long-term budgetary and academic policy
decisions in as open and public a way as possible.
The SACUSP may establish its own internal rules which shall provide that individual
faculty members are entitled to submit information to the SACUSP and that SACUSP members
will hold in strict confidence all budget and planning information that the SACUSP
receives on a confidential basis from the university president or other administrative
officers of the university. The SACUSP should respond to directions from the Senate,
while retaining the freedom to set its own agenda.
The SACUSP's principal roles are to (1) consult with the university administration
and present and argue for the views and interests of the University Faculty in the
administration's long-range academic and budgetary planning and (2) identify and bring
to the attention of the Senate various long-range, strategic issues, decisions, and
challenges that should be addressed in furthering the university’s missions and positioning
the university to be responsive to the demands of a changing and competitive environment.
Duties:
Provide a forum for individual faculty members to submit information on long-term
strategic budget and planning.
Represent views and interests of University Faculty in matters related to long-term
strategic planning for the Institution.
Consult with the university administration on developing a transparent process for
long-term strategic planning.
Provide the university administration with input to all strategic planning initiatives
that the administration refers to the SACUSP for review.
Identify and bring to the attention of the Senate various long-range, strategic issues,
decisions, and challenges that should be addressed in furthering the university’s
missions and positioning the university to be responsive to the demands of a changing
and competitive environment.
The SACUSP shall also perform the functions assigned to it by applicable provisions
of
Policy 6-313
Senate Advisory Committee on Student, Faculty, and Staff Success. The provisions described
in this policy as generally applicable for standing committees of the Senate apply
for this committee, except as otherwise specifically described here.
Membership and officers
The membership of the SACSFSS with full voting rights consists of eighteen persons.
Twelve shall be faculty members (six Tenure-line and six Career-line). Three shall
be staff members serving three-year terms (approved by the ASEC after nomination by
the UUSC. See
Policy 5-003
). Three shall be students serving one-year terms (selected by ASUU). As with Senate
standing committees generally, the terms of voting faculty members are three years
and staggered so that an approximately equal number are elected each year, the senate
president or designee is an ex officio nonvoting member, and elections of faculty
members and appointment and confirmation of SACSFSS officers proceed as described
in this policy, except that terms of all members shall begin August 1. Holders of
the following positions (or equivalents) shall also be ex officio non-voting members:
Senate past-president, assistant vice president for faculty support, assistant vice
president for health sciences faculty, UUSC president, ASUU president, director of
equal opportunity and title IX, director of the center for student access and resources,
director of the center for community and cultural engagement, and the deputy chief
human resources officer. To ensure regular cross- communication between the Committee
and the University's Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, the Commission
shall be invited to annually designate one of its members to serve as a non-voting
ex officio member of the Committee representing the Commission (unless the Commission
determines that adequate representation is already provided by a current voting or
ex officio member of the Committee).
Functions.
The SACSFSS shall provide leadership, recommendations, and expertise to the university
community in promoting student, faculty, and staff success in their various roles
and activities, and serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas within the university.
The SACSFSS should respond to directions from the Senate, while retaining the freedom
to set its own agenda. The SACSFSS' principal role is to identify issues, projects,
and proposals that would further a positive climate of belonging and wellbeing on
the university campus.
Budget.
An annual budget for the SACSFSS will be offered by the university president.
Senate Advisory Committee on Student Course Feedback (SACSCF).
The provisions described in this policy as generally applicable for standing committees
of the Senate apply for this committee, except as otherwise specifically described
here.
Membership and officers.
The membership of the SACSCF with full voting rights consists of seven faculty members,
and four students.
Faculty members. Seven faculty members are either elected or appointed. There shall
be four elected faculty members with terms of three years and limited to two consecutive
terms. In accordance with
Policy 6-300
, elected faculty members should be broadly representative of the university, with
at least one representative from Health Sciences, at least one representative from
the Career-line (lecturer) faculty, at least one representative from the Tenure-line
faculty, and one faculty member with experience as an academic unit administrator
with responsibilities for reviews of faculty members. As with Senate standing committees
generally, the terms are staggered so that an approximately equal number are elected
each year, the senate president or designee is an ex officio nonvoting member, and
elections of faculty members and appointment and confirmation of SACSCF officers proceed
as described in this policy, with the exception that nominations for members to stand
for election to SACSCF (except nominations made from the floor during a meeting of
the Senate) shall originate from the ASEC and the SPEC.
Three faculty members are appointed to the SACSCF as full voting members, including
the associate dean for general education or designee, a faculty representative of
the Undergraduate Council (appointed annually by the Undergraduate Council chair),
and a faculty representative of the Graduate Council (appointed annually by the Graduate
Council chair).
Student members. The four student representatives will include the ASUU academic affairs
director (or designee), the ASUU Senate chair (or designee), and two Student Advisory
Committee (SAC) representatives appointed by the ASUU Academic Affairs Director, including
one graduate student and one undergraduate student. Students will have annual terms
of service, but may be reappointed.
Non-voting ex officio members. Holders of the following positions (or equivalents)
shall also be ex officio non-voting members: Director of the university unit responsible
for the administration and analysis of student course feedback, and Student Course
Feedback Program Manager.
Committee Officers Appointment and Confirmation. The SACSCF officers, selected from
the elected faculty members of the SACSCF, shall be appointed and confirmed as follows.
There shall be a SACSCF chair and a vice-chair, the vice-chair preferably succeeding
the chair in the year following service as vice-chair. The senate president, in consultation
with the director of the university unit responsible for the administration and analysis
of student course feedback, annually appoints the SACSCF officers with ratification
by the ASEC, and then subject to confirmation of the Senate-elected SACSCF's voting
membership. The chair may at any time appoint a member or other person to act as secretary
for the SACSCF.
Functions.
The SACSCF’s primary functions shall be as more fully described in
Policy 6-100
including evaluation and provision of input and oversight on the development and
revision of course feedback instrument(s), report form(s), and procedure(s), which
shall be presented to the Senate for approval. Full evaluation of student course feedback
forms, report forms, and administration procedures will be reported to the Senate
every four years. The SACSCF shall confer with the SFRSC and cognizant associate vice
presidents for faculty regarding the use of course feedback results in conjunction
with reviews of teaching performance of faculty members and non-faculty instructional
personnel (Policies
6-303
6-310
, and
6-321
). The SACSCF shall report to the Senate at least annually regarding its activities.
Senate Advisory Committee on Information Technology.
The provisions described in this policy as generally applicable for standing committees
of the Senate apply for this committee, except as otherwise specifically described
here.
Membership and officers. The membership of the SACIT with full voting rights consists
of twelve Tenure-line or Career-line faculty members, who meet the qualifications
for election to the Senate (but need not be members of the Senate), and two students.
For the faculty members: ordinarily at least three shall be Tenure-line and at least
three Career-line, they shall represent the University Faculty and not any particular
college or equivalent and ordinarily not more than three may be from the same college
or equivalent, and the terms are three years and there is no limit on serving multiple
consecutive terms. As with Senate standing committees generally, the terms are staggered
so that an approximately equal number are elected each year, the senate president
or designee is an ex officio nonvoting member, and elections of faculty members and
appointment and confirmation of SACIT officers proceed as described in this policy,
with the exception that nominations for members to stand for election to this committee
shall originate from the ASEC and the SPEC, which will consider recommendations from
relevant administrators and past participants in the work of this committee. Selection
of faculty members should be guided by the following principles, consistent with the
functions of the SACIT:
Awareness of the roles of information technology in an academic setting,
Some familiarity with trends in information technology relevant to academic activities,
Representation of the various academic areas of the university,
Interest in assuring that information technology resources are deployed so as to best
support the university’s multiple academic missions, and interest in maintaining effective
relationships among the university’s academic users of information technology and
the pertinent administrators and staff, and
Willingness to be considered for nomination for consecutive terms, given the importance
of continuity of membership.
The two student members shall be selected by ASUU, shall serve one-year terms, and
preferably will include one undergraduate and one graduate student. The university's
chief information officer (or equivalent), or designee, will serve as a non-voting
ex- officio member of the SACIT. The SACIT may consult with anyone involved in university
information technology as necessary for the performance of its responsibilities, but
none of these individuals will be members of the Committee. As with other standing
Senate committees, this SACIT’s officer(s) shall be selected annually from the elected
faculty members of this committee, appointed by the senate president, ratified by
the ASEC, and confirmed by this committee’s voting membership, and there are no restrictions
on reappointment to multiple consecutive annual terms.
Functions
The primary role of the SACIT is to ensure ongoing robust communication among representatives
of the university’s academic users of information technology (especially faculty and
students), and administrators responsible for planning for, acquiring, and deploying
information technology resources. Such administrators shall regularly inform and consult
with the SACIT regarding information technology resources. The SACIT should regularly
consult with information technology user constituencies and convey input to relevant
administrators.
If for any particular matter being considered by the Committee any individual member
has a potential conflict of interest which might reasonably be considered to significantly
affect that member’s judgment (e.g., affecting that member’s home unit far more greatly
than other University units generally), the member should disclose that concern and
if judged appropriate by the majority of other voting members should refrain from
any voting on that matter.
In light of rapid changes in information technology, and possible occasional changes
in the university’s overall administrative governance structure relevant to information
technology, the administrative positions and other university committees that this
committee will interact with might change frequently.
Proposals for university regulations significantly affecting academic uses of information
technology should be considered by the SACIT prior to being presented to the Senate.
The SACIT shall report on its activities and present its recommendations, as needed
and at least annually, to the Senate.
Senate Faculty Review Standards Committee.
The provisions described in this policy as generally applicable for standing committees
of the Senate apply for this committee, except as otherwise specifically described
here.
Membership and officers.
The membership of the SFRSC with full voting rights consists of one Tenured faculty
member from each of the Academic Colleges, and the university libraries, and six Career-line
faculty members selected as described below. The terms of all voting members are four
years, and any individual who has served two consecutive terms will not be eligible
for nomination for another term until an interval of one year has passed following
the completion of the second term. As with Senate standing committees generally, the
terms are staggered so that an approximately equal number are elected each year, the
senate president or designee is an ex officio nonvoting member, and elections of faculty
members and appointment and confirmation of SFRSC officers proceed as described in
this policy, except that the ASEC shall approve nominations of the Career-line faculty
members (as described below), and the single chair (or at least one of two co-chairs
if leadership is so structured in a given year) shall be a Tenured member.
For the Career-line members: the allocation of members for a given period should be
made as will best achieve appropriate representation of university areas with significant
numbers of such faculty and provide perspectives from the three Career-line sub-categories
(Clinical, Lecturer, Research), and consistent with the anticipated work of the committee,
generally including among the total of six at least two from the Academic Colleges
within health sciences, and at least two from the other Areas of Representation (other
Academic Colleges, the libraries, and the qualified interdisciplinary teaching programs).
The nominations (other than nominations made from the floor at a Senate meeting),
after having been prepared by the SPEC, shall be approved by the ASEC prior to the
election within the Senate.
As recommended by the SFRSC and with the approval of the ASEC, for any given year
the members may be organized into subcommittees, e.g., for purposes of those projects
related to Tenure-line faculty and those related to Career- line faculty and non-faculty
academic personnel.
The associate vice presidents for faculty, or designees, shall also be a non-voting
ex officio member of the SFRSC and any subcommittees.
Functions and procedures.
The SFRSC generally advises the Senate and university administration regarding regulations
and practices for regular periodic reviews of members of the University Faculty (and
also non-faculty instructional personnel teaching credit-bearing courses, see
Policy 6-310
). And, acting on behalf of the Senate with authority hereby delegated to it, the
SFRSC has the following specific functions:
The SFRSC shall develop and implement procedures with which it will review and jointly
with the cognizant executive vice president approve: (1) Retention, Promotion and
Tenure (RPT) statements as required by
Policy 6-303
; (2) Tenured Faculty Review (TFR) statements as required by
Policy 6-321
; and (3) Review of Career-line, Adjunct, Visiting (CAV) and non-faculty instructional
personal statement as required by Policy 6-310.
Statement reviews should be conducted with due concern to the unique characteristics
or requirements of the discipline and with the objective of improving the stature
of the university by ensuring that such criteria, standards, and evidence are consistent
with the university's commitment to academic excellence and will be conducted in conjunction
with the faculty and administrators of the Academic Unit being reviewed.
The statement of any Academic Unit may be reviewed at the initiative of the SFRSC
or on a regular schedule that the SFRSC may establish in consultation with the cognizant
executive vice president or designee.
Requests for reviews other than on such regular schedule may be made to the SFRSC
by the cognizant executive vice president, the University Promotion and Tenure Advisory
Committee (UPTAC) (see
Policy 6-304
), or the Graduate Council (pursuant to regular evaluations of Academic Units per
Policy 6-001
), as well as by deans, department chairs, or individual Tenure-line faculty members.
The SFRSC shall use its judgment and discretion in formulating responses to such requests.
The SFRSC shall annually report on its reviews to the Senate and to the UPTAC.
The SFRSC is also an appropriate forum for reviewing and providing feedback on any
proposed changes to university regulations related to the above specific functions
of the SFRSC.
Other Committees Established by the Senate.
Other Standing Committees.
The Senate may by ordinary vote create a new standing committee of the Senate, provided
that within one year of such establishment by vote, the committee shall be fully established
by an approved revision of this policy incorporating a description of the membership
structure and functions of the additional standing committee.
Special Committees.
The Senate shall have the authority to provide for the appointment or election of
such special committees as in its discretion may be needed to further the academic
mission of the university. As described above, the ASEC has the authority to recommend
to the Senate the establishment of such a special committee. The membership structure
and terms, functions, and period of existence for each such special committee shall
be as described in the proposal for establishment of the committee as approved by
the Senate, and in the special charge issued to the committee.
Ad Hoc Committee to Review Structure of Senate.
The Senate may by secret ballot elect an ad hoc committee to review the structure
and functions of the Senate.
General Provisions for Committees of the Senate.
Membership Elections, Terms, and Quorum.
Except as otherwise specified above or in another governing regulation for a particular
committee, the terms of membership for faculty members elected to standing committees
of the Senate, and for members of all special committees of the Senate, shall begin
on June 16, the regular term of membership of a faculty member of such a Senate committee
shall be three years, terms shall be staggered such that an approximately equal number
of members are elected each year, and there is no general restriction on serving multiple
consecutive terms.
The secretary of the Senate shall notify the individuals who are appointed or elected
by the Senate to membership on any standing or special committee. These members shall
be notified immediately following such election or appointment to their new positions.
A quorum for any committee shall consist of a majority of the voting members unless
otherwise provided.
Committee Officers Appointment and Confirmation.
For each standing committee of the Senate, unless otherwise specified in another governing
regulation (and except for the ASEC, and SCHC, as described above), the committee
officers, selected from the elected faculty members of the committee, shall be appointed
and confirmed as follows. There shall be a committee chair. Also, if appropriate based
on current circumstances, as annually determined by the senate president and ratified
by the ASEC, there shall be either a co-chair or a vice-chair. The senate president
annually appoints the committee officers with ratification by the ASEC, and then subject
to confirmation of the Senate-elected committee's voting membership. There is no general
restriction on any officer being reappointed to multiple consecutive annual terms.
For each special committee of the Senate, the above-described process shall also apply,
unless otherwise provided for in the charge approved upon establishment of the special
committee.
The chair of any standing or special committee may at any time appoint a member or
other person to act as secretary for the committee.
Senate president as Ex Officio Member.
The senate president or designee, shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of all
Senate standing committees (and also of each special committee of the Senate unless
otherwise provided for in the charge approved upon establishment of the special committee).
Privileges of the Senate Floor.
For any standing or special committee of the Senate established under this policy
and also for any other university committee that has been scheduled to present a report
to the Senate, committee members, whether voting or nonvoting ex officio, not having
membership on the Senate shall have the privilege of discussion on matters being reported
to the Senate by the committee of which they are members.
Committee General Charters, Special Charges, and Reports.
For each standing committee of the Senate, a permanent general charter, updated consistent
with the provisions of this policy and any other governing regulation, shall be approved
by the ASEC, kept in the Senate Office, and made available to all committee members.
In addition, any special task assigned to a standing committee during a particular
time period shall be described in a special charge delivered to the committee's officer(s).
Each standing committee of the Senate shall report to the Senate, and unless otherwise
provided shall at least annually submit for the information of the Senate a report
of recent activities (except that reports of a confidential nature, including activities
of the SCHC as described in
Policy 6-011
, shall be directed only to the ASEC).
For each special committee of the Senate, a committee description and special charge
approved by the ASEC shall be kept in the Senate Office, delivered to the committee's
officer(s) and made available to all committee members. The special committee shall
submit a report of such type and at such time as provided for in the charge.
Committee reports ordinarily shall be presented on the Senate Information Calendar.
If any report from any standing or special committee of the Senate includes a specific
proposal for action to be taken by the Senate, the Executive Committee, upon determining
that the proposal is ready for the consideration of the Senate, shall place that proposal
on the Senate Debate Calendar.
Elections Within the Senate.
Scope.
Elections within the Senate include election of the senate president/president-elect,
election of faculty members for all standing committees of the Senate, and such other
elections as may be required for any special Senate committee or other university
committee. All elections shall be supervised and conducted by the SPEC, and shall
be conducted during a regular or special meeting of the Senate and shall be conducted
by secret ballot electronic or otherwise. Any particular election (other than of the
senate president/president-elect) may be conducted outside of a meeting through electronic
means (electronic mail or a secure internet site or similar means) if so recommended
by the SPEC and approved by the ASEC.
Nominations.
The SPEC shall prepare nomination slates for all elections conducted within the Senate.
For each elected standing committee of the Senate or other Senate-elected committee,
the SPEC shall prepare a slate containing a number of nominees equal to or greater
than one and one-half times the number of positions to be filled. After presenting
the slate to the Senate, the SPEC Chair shall open the slate to additional nominations
from the floor.
If the Senate is requested to make nominations or recommendations for a committee
to be appointed by the university administration, the SPEC shall prepare the list
of nominees.
Balloting Procedures.
Elections within the Senate, including those for standing or special committees of
the Senate, shall be conducted by the preferential balloting procedure, wherein the
nominees are preferentially ranked on each ballot. Except as specified below, one
balloting round per election shall be conducted, and only ballots containing rankings
for a number of preferred nominees equal to or less than the number of positions to
be filled shall be valid.
The nominees shall receive a number of points equal to the converse of their rank
on a ballot. That is, the nominee who is given first preference on a ballot shall
receive a number of points equal to the number of positions to be filled; the nominee
who is given last preference on a ballot shall receive one point. Those nominees receiving
the highest numbers of total points shall be elected.
In the event that two or more nominees receive the same number of points and this
number of points would ordinarily constitute election, but an insufficient number
of positions remains to be filled, a runoff balloting round shall be held. Only the
names of those nominees receiving the same number of points for the contested position(s)
in the first balloting round shall be included on any runoff ballot. Preferential
balloting procedures shall be followed in the runoff balloting round.
Vacancies.
Vacancies, caused by the resignation, continued absence, or incapacitating illness
of Senate-elected committee members shall be filled by the runner-ups from the original
election or, if that is not possible, by special election by the Senate. Nominations
for such special elections shall be made by the SPEC, which shall follow procedures
specified herein. If an election is held to fill vacancies, it shall normally be conducted
immediately following the presentation of a slate of nominees to the Senate by the
SPEC Chair, who shall open the slate to additional nominations from the floor. Elections
shall be conducted by the preferential balloting procedure.
Individuals filling vacancies shall assume office immediately after their designation,
and shall serve during the incumbent's absence or for the remainder of the incumbent's
term.
Immediately following their designation, the secretary of the senate shall notify
the individuals designated to fill the vacancies.
Meetings of the Senate
Regular Meetings.
Unless otherwise provided by the Senate, its regular meetings shall be held on the
first Monday of each month at 3:00 p.m. Discussion of proposals on the Debate Calendar
will ordinarily begin no later than 3:45.
Robert's Rules of Order shall govern as the parliamentary rules of procedure in all
Senate meetings (and meetings of committees of the Senate), except as otherwise provided
within this policy or another governing university regulation or a rule adopted by
the Senate (see
Policy 1-002
). A majority of the elected members of the Senate shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business. All actions or recommendations of the Senate shall be by
majority vote of the elected members (and alternates) present unless otherwise required
herein. Voting shall be by secret ballot if requested by three elected members of
the Senate.
When there are no Debate items scheduled for the agenda of a regular meeting of the
Senate, the ASEC is authorized to cancel that meeting and to carry forward all other
items on the agenda, except resignations and appointments, to the next regular meeting
of the Senate.
Senate time should be scheduled on a regular basis for discussions with the university
president, executive vice presidents, and/or other officers of the university on subjects
such as budget, new programs, and administrative problems. During these discussions
it should be the prerogative of any member of the Senate to ask of the administration
any question relevant to the university.
Special Meetings.
Special meetings of the Senate shall be held at the call of the university president,
the senate president, or any five members of the Senate who submit a written request
for a special meeting to the senate president.
Rules governing the conduct of regular Senate meetings shall be in force at such special
meetings.
Upon motion of a member of the Senate and a majority vote of the elected members and
alternates present or by written petition of ten elected members of the Senate submitted
to the senate president, a special meeting of the Senate may be called at which ex
officio members shall be present only by invitation. Deliberations of this body shall
be governed by pertinent regulations of the Senate. Decisions of such a special Senate
meeting shall be referred back to a regular Senate meeting for final disposition.
Order of Business.
Order of Business.
Except as otherwise provided by the Senate in a standing rule of the Senate or for
a particular meeting, its order of business shall be:
Call to Order
Approval of Minutes
Executive Committee Report
Consent Calendar
Reports from university administration, ASUU, and UUSC
Intent Calendar
Debate Calendar
Information Calendar
New Business
Open Discussion
Adjournment
New Business.
Any member of the campus community may propose new business for the Senate by submitting
the proposed new business to the senate president in writing. The senate president,
in consultation with the other senate officers, shall determine how and when to address
the new business. New business must be submitted at least 72 hours prior to the next
regular Senate meeting to consider the new business at that meeting.
Minutes and Agenda.
Minutes.
Minutes and agenda of the Senate shall ordinarily be kept by the Senate secretary.
Agenda and Minutes.
Each member of the Senate shall receive a copy of the full agenda and a copy of the
full minutes of Senate business.
The agenda shall be made available to all faculty members and department chairs or
equivalent in advance of each meeting.
Summaries of actions taken by the Senate shall be made available to each member of
the university faculty, staff, students, and trainees within a reasonable time after
each session of the Senate.
Faculty Initiative and Review.
Initiative. Any ten Tenure-line or Career-line University Faculty members (who need
not be current elected members of the Senate) may petition and secure consideration
by the Senate of any appropriate matter.
Review. All actions of the Senate shall be subject to review by the University Faculty
upon written requests for an appeal made to the senate president by any ten Tenure-line
or Career-line members of the faculty. Appeals shall be made within ten days of action
of the Senate. The action shall be reviewed at the next regular meeting of the University
Faculty or at a special meeting called for that purpose after all faculty members
have been given two weeks' notice of the meeting. (See
Rule R6-001D
Sections IV- VII are for user information and are not subject to the approval of the
Academic Senate or the Board of Trustees. The Institutional Policy Committee, the
Policy Owner, or the Policy Officer may update these sections at any time.
Policies/ Rules, Procedures, Guidelines, Forms, and other Related Resources
Policies/ Rules. [
reserved
Procedures, Guidelines, and Forms. [
reserved
Other Related Resources. [
reserved
References
Policy 1-001: Policy on University Regulations
Policy 1-002: Parliamentary Rules
Policy 2-002: Board of Trustees
Policy 5-003: University of Utah Staff Council
Policy 5-130: Criminal and Other Background Checks on University Employees
Rule R5-130A: Criminal and Other Background Checks for Faculty and Other Academic
Personnel
Policy 6-001: Academic Units and Academic Governance--Roles of Faculties, Committees,
and Councils
Policy 6-003: College Councils
Policy 6-010: Academic Freedom, Academic Grievances, Functions and Procedures of the
Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Faculty Rights
Policy 6-011: Functions and Procedures of the Senate Consolidated Hearing Committee
Policy 6-101: Undergraduate Study and Degrees
Policy 6-300: The University Faculty -- Categories and Ranks
Policy 6-303: Reviews of Tenure-Line Faculty Members (RPT Criteria, Standards and
Procedures)
Policy 6-304: University Promotion and Tenure Advisory Committee
Policy 6-310: Reviews of Career-line, Adjunct, and Visiting Faculty Members, and Other
Instructional Personnel (Standards and Procedures).
Policy 6-313: (Terminations and Program Discontinuance--Declaration of Financial Exigency)
Policy 6-321: Tenured Faculty Reviews
Policy 6-401: Students of the University
Policy 6-500: Curriculum Management and Administration
Contacts
The designated contact officials for this regulation are:
Policy Owner(s) (primary contact person for questions and advice):
Associate Vice President for Faculty (Academic Affairs)
and the
Associate Vice President for Faculty (Health Sciences)
Policy Officer(s): Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Executive Vice
President for Health Sciences.
See
Rule 1-001
for information about the roles and authority of policy owners and policy officers.
History
Revision History.
Current version. Revision 40.
Approved by – Academic Senate January 5, 2026, and Board of Trustees January 13, 2026,
with effective date of January 13, 2026.
Legislative History
Editorial Revisions
Previous versions.
Revision 39
. Effective Date July 1, 2024
Revision 38
. Effective Date February 13, 2024
Legislative History for Revision 38
Revision 37
. Effective Date June 15, 2023
Legislative History for Revision 37.
Revision 36
. Effective Date March 1, 2021
Legislative History for Revision 36
Revision 35
. Effective Date July 1, 2020
Legislative History for Revision 35.
Revision 34
. Effective Date July 1, 2019
Revision 33
. Effective Date February 12, 2019
Legislative History for Revision 33.
Revision 32
. Effective Date June 30, 2018
Legislative History for Revision 32.
Revision 31
. Effective Date July 1, 2016
Legislative History for Revision 31.
Revision 30
. Effective Date May 15, 2015
Legislative History for Revision 30.
Revision 29
. Effective Date July 1, 2013
Legislative History for Revision 29 Volume 1.
Legislative History for Revision 29 Volume 2.
Revision 28
. Effective Date July 1, 2011
Legislative History for Revision 28.
Revision 27
. Effective Date July 9, 2009
Revision 26
. Effective Date July 1, 2009
Legislative History for Revision 26.
Revision 25
. Effective Date July 1, 2009
(Note: the effective date for Revision 26 was set as July 1, 2009, the same date previously
set as the effective date for Revision 25, which had been adopted earlier in the same
academic year as Revision 26 was adopted.)
Legislative History for Revision 25
Revision 24
. Effective Date April 8, 2007
Legislative History for Revision 24.
Revision 23
. Effective Date May 6, 2006
Legislative History for Revision 23.
Revision 22
. Effective Date June 23, 2004
Revision 21
. Effective Date April 19, 2004
Revision 20
. Effective Date December 8, 2003
Revision 19
. Effective Date August 13, 2001
Revision 18
. Effective Date June 12, 2000
Revision 17.
Effective Date May 17, 1999
Revision 16
. Effective Date November 2, 1998
Earlier versions of Policy 6-305. (Note, the description of duties of the Senate Faculty
Review Standards Committee now moved to 6-002 as of Revision 30 in 2014 was previously
housed in Policy 6-305 (which before 2008 renumbering was Policy 9-5.3 and earlier
Faculty Regulations Chapter V Section 4), and this lists the history of that Policy
6-305 up through 2014.
Policy 6-305 Revision 18
. Retired notice.
Policy 6-305 Revision 17
. Effective Date July 1, 2009
Legislative History for Revision 17.
Policy 6-305 Revision 16
. Effective Dates 2005-2009.
Policy 6-305 Revision 15
. Effective Dates 2001-2005.
Policy 6-305 Revision 14
. Effective Dates 1999-2001.
Policy 6-305 Revision 13
. Effective Dates 1999.
Policy 6-305 Revision 12
. Effective Dates 1998-1999.
Renumbering
Renumbered from PPM 9-3 and formerly as Faculty Regulations Chapter III.