CONSTITUTION
OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE
The following Constitution of the University Faculty Senate was voted on and
approved unanimously by the Senators at the Faculty Senate meeting on
Article
I.
The name of this body shall be the University Faculty Senate.
Article II.
Purpose (Function of the Faculty Senate): The University Faculty Senate is
a legislative body and concerns itself primarily with rules and general
regulations pertaining to all undergraduate and graduate programs of the
University. The Faculty Senate also concerns itself with recommendations about
and implementation of policy insofar as they pertain to the educational
programs of the University, to the benefits, rights and responsibilities of the
Faculty, and to student-faculty relations; and further concerns itself with the
active role of the Faculty in other University bodies relating to policy.
Article
III.
Faculty Senators must be members of the full-time faculty of the
University. Senators shall be elected at this time by these colleges of
the University: College of Arts and Sciences; Barney School of Business;
College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions; College of Engineering,
Technology, and Architecture; Hartford Art School; The Hartt School; and
Hillyer College, by the procedure outlined in items 1-5 below. Pending full
membership in the Faculty Senate, all other colleges shall be entitled to elect
a non-voting representative who shall be eligible to attend all Faculty Senate
meetings.
1. Each
college shall elect a number of senators according to the following table,
based on the number of faculty of record on March 31. Fractional numbers shall
be rounded as follows: (X.01 to X.49, round down to X; X.50 to X.99, round up
to X+1.) The election of Senators should be held after March 31:
|
FULL TIME FACULTY |
SENATORS |
|
Fewer
than 4 |
One
(1) |
|
4
to 10 |
Two
(2) |
|
11
to 30 |
Three
(3) |
|
31
to 50 |
Four
(4) |
|
51
to 70 |
Five
(5) |
|
71
to 90 |
Six
(6) |
|
91
to 110 |
Seven
(7) |
|
111
to 130 |
Eight
(8) |
|
131
or more |
Nine
(9) |
2. No
two colleges will be permitted to form a majority.
3. The
terms of senators will be staggered. Present incumbents shall complete the
terms to which they were elected.
4. A college
losing a Faculty Senate seat because of a decrease in the ranks of its Faculty
shall reflect this loss and the Faculty Senate seat shall become vacant at the
close of the academic year in which the loss occurs.
5. A
college gaining a Faculty Senate seat because of an increase in the ranks of
its Faculty shall reflect this gain, and the Faculty Senate seat so gained
shall be effective with the academic year following the actual increase in
faculty.
Article
IV.
Members from each college shall be elected by their full-time Faculties for a
term of one, two, or three years in 1970, and for three years in subsequent
years. New senators should take office at the first meeting of the new Faculty
Senate, which takes place immediately after the final meeting of the previous
Faculty Senate. The dean of each college shall hold a special election when
necessary to fill the place of a senator who is unable to continue his/her
duties.
The Faculty Senate shall elect from its members, at
the first meeting of each new Faculty Senate, a chair, to preside at meetings;
a vice-chair, to perform the duties of the Faculty Senate Chair when he or she
is absent; and a secretary.
In the event of vacancy of the Chair of the
Faculty Senate, the Vice Chair shall succeed to the position of Chair for the
remaining term of the office, and the vacated position of Vice Chair shall be
filled by an election of the Faculty Senate at its next regular meeting.
If the preceding paragraph cannot be
implemented, the Executive Committee shall call an emergency meeting of the
Faculty Senate. The first agenda item of this particular meeting shall be the
election of a chair for the duration of the meeting. The only other agenda
items will be those elections needed to fill all vacancies in the offices of
the Faculty Senate.
Faculty Senate meetings are open to all full-time
and part-time (adjunct) faculty. Administrators, staff and others having proper
business with the Faculty Senate may attend meetings upon invitation of (or
approval of petition to) the Chair or the Executive Committee. Only elected
Senators shall have voice and voting privileges.
Article
V.
Meetings of the Faculty Senate ordinarily will be held at least once a
month during the academic year.
Article
VI.
This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds
vote of the Senators only after the full-time University Faculty has been
notified at least two weeks in advance of a pending Faculty Senate vote by
memorandum from the Faculty Senate Chair of the proposed amendments and the
proposed amendments have been introduced at a prior regular meeting of the
Faculty Senate.1
1
Amendments
I and II are mentioned below for historical purposes only; they were revoked,
along with the Act of Charter done by the faculty, by a referendum of the
faculty on April 25, 1988.
AMENDMENT
I.
This amendment was added to the Senate Constitution in May 1975. By it, the
Senate divested itself of all matters having to do with Faculty Welfare as
defined in an Act of Charter of a Faculty Welfare Committee. All provisions of
the Constitution referring to matters of Faculty Welfare were thereby removed
from the province of the Faculty Senate.
A
liaison committee consisting of members of the Senate and the Faculty Welfare
Committee was also created by this amendment. AMENDMENT I was revoked by the
faculty, via a referendum, on April 25, 1988.
AMENDMENT
II
This amendment was added to the Senate Constitution in May 1975. It specified
that Amendments I and II could be amended by following procedures outlined in
the Act of Charter. It further stated that Article VI of the Constitution
governed all amendments except Amendments I and II.
AMENDMENT
II was revoked by the faculty, via a referendum, on April 25, 1988.
BYLAWS (revised and approved on
1. Senators
may succeed themselves in office for a second term but are not eligible for
reelection to a third term until a year from the conclusion of their second
term of office. An exception to this is when a Senator is elected initially
to a term less than three years to fill a vacant Senate seat. In such a case
two full three-year terms may follow the initial term.
2. Members
of the Faculty shall have at least one year in residence as a full-time Faculty
member in the college which they are to represent to be eligible for the
Faculty Senate. Ideally, no fewer than one half of the Senators from a college
shall either be tenured or have had a tenure-like review. The Senate urges the
Faculty of each college to elect as Senators only those full-time faculty who
have no major academic administrative appointments (e.g. Assistant Dean,
Associate Dean, or those with similar titles and roles). This recommendation
specifically does not exclude those faculty whose primary role is teaching
(e.g., department chair, program director, director of graduate programs in a
college).
3. Any
member of the University community may submit a proposal or request to the
Faculty Senate by communicating in writing to the Chair, Vice- Chair, or Secretary
of the Faculty Senate. A full-time faculty member doing so should provide an
information copy to his/her senator(s).
The Executive Committee of
the Faculty Senate shall consider all such proposals and requests. Matters
falling within the purview of any of the standing or ad hoc committees of the
Faculty Senate will immediately be referred to the appropriate committee for
study and reporting to the Faculty Senate of a resolution. On all other matters
the Executive Committee itself will prepare resolutions to be placed on the
agenda under "New Business."
The standing and ad hoc
committees of the Faculty Senate shall consider proposals and requests referred
to them by the Executive Committee and by the Faculty Senate itself, as well as
originating proposals of their own in their several fields, and shall report
their findings, together with specific resolutions, to the Faculty Senate for
its consideration. Persons who have submitted proposals or requests to the
Faculty Senate may be invited to speak before the committee considering the
matter.
4. The
agenda for each meeting of the Faculty Senate, all committee reports — including
resolutions to be presented at that meeting, all resolutions to be presented
under new business, and the minutes of the previous meeting — shall, whenever
possible, be distributed to the members of the Faculty Senate so that they are
available to them by the Friday before the Faculty Senate meeting.
The agenda will also be
distributed to such members of the University community as may be affected by
items thereon. Resolutions and main motions not distributed in accordance with
these requirements may be considered by a two-thirds vote of the members
present, provided the motions do not specifically affect any college with no senators
present, except as follows: No vote of the Faculty Senate, having to do with
changes of any kind to the Faculty Policy Manual, the Manual of Academic
Policies and Procedures, or the Constitution and Bylaws of the University
Faculty Senate, may take place at a Faculty Senate meeting unless such changes
have been brought to the floor at a prior regular meeting of the Faculty
Senate.
4.a. Faculty Senate meetings
are open to all full-time and part-time (adjunct) faculty. Administrators,
staff, and others having proper business with the Faculty Senate may attend
meetings as observers, upon invitation of (or approval of petition to) the
Chair or the Executive Committee. Observers may not, during the meeting, petition the Faculty Senate Chair for the right to
address the Faculty Senate, although the Faculty Senate Chair may invite
observers to address the Faculty Senate from the floor on specific points of
business. Only elected Senators have voice and voting privileges.
4.b. Prior to a Faculty
Senate meeting, individuals who wish to address specific points of Faculty
Senate business must petition the Chair. The Faculty Senate may also invite
guests to address specific points of business.
4.c. Any meeting or portion
thereof may be closed to all but the Faculty Senate membership by direction of
the Chair.
A list of significant
communications received by the Faculty Senate, including any committee
referrals made by the Executive Committee, but excluding items of general
distribution or circulation, and excluding committee reports, shall be provided
to each senator no later than the beginning of the meeting.
The minutes of the meetings
of the Faculty Senate shall include the essential business of the Faculty
Senate. The sense of the debate shall be recorded unless a senator indicates
that he/she wishes to have
his/her remarks omitted from
the record.
5. The
Faculties of any of the component colleges may request (in writing) the Faculty
Senate to reconsider action taken by it. Such requests shall be submitted to the
Chair, Vice-Chair, or Secretary of the Faculty Senate two weeks in advance of
the Faculty Senate meeting at which it is to be reconsidered. The officers
shall include the items in the agenda for the Faculty Senate meeting.
6. A
special meeting of the Faculty Senate may be called by the President, the
Faculty Senate Chair, or at the request of at least three members of the
Faculty Senate.
7. The
Chair of the Faculty Senate, at the direction of the Faculty Senate, may
request the dean of any college to call a general meeting of his/her Faculty to
discuss a matter pertinent to that body.
The Faculty Senate may
request the Chair to call a meeting of full-time University Faculty.
Full-time members of the Faculty
shall have the right to petition the Faculty Senate to summon a meeting of all
full-time faculty of the
The petition shall be signed
by at least twenty-five percent of the full-time Faculty members of the
Upon receipt of such
petition, the Faculty Senate shall meet forthwith, and shall within seven (7)
days of the receipt of such petition, summon a Faculty meeting.
Notice of such Faculty
meeting, including the text of the petition, notice of date, place, and time of
assembly, shall be duly circulated to all eligible Faculty members of the
University as soon as possible, and at least forty-eight hours in advance of
the time of assembly.
A quorum of the full-time
Faculty of the University will consist of fifty percent plus one. The agenda of
the meeting shall be defined by the terms of the petition requesting such
meeting, except that other resolutions may be presented for consideration,
provided such resolution has been duly circulated to all Faculty members at
least twenty-four hours prior to the time of the assembly.
Debate on any main motion and
its subsidiary amendments shall not exceed one hour.
All questions of substance
shall be carried by majority vote. All procedural questions shall be settled,
where applicable, by reference to Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (10th
Edition), except that any procedural rule may be suspended for the duration of
the meeting by a two-thirds vote of the Faculty present.
The Chair of the Faculty
Senate or, in her/his absence, the Vice-Chair or the Secretary of the Faculty
Senate, respectively, shall chair such Faculty meeting.
Any action taken under these
requirements shall be recognized as the voice of the entire Faculty and is
binding on the Faculty Senate.
8. If a
Senator cannot attend a meeting, he/she may give a proxy vote in writing (to be
filed with the Secretary) to another Senator from his/her college.
9. A
quorum of the Faculty Senate shall consist of the physical presence of a
majority of its membership.
10. The
Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Senators provided that the
proposed Bylaws have been introduced at a prior regular meeting of the Faculty
Senate.
11. The Standing Committees of the Faculty Senate will be as follows:
o
Administration Liaison
o
Bent, Larsen, and Trachtenberg Award
o
Diversity
o
Environmental & Sustainability
o
Executive
o
Faculty Affairs
o
Faculty Senate Curriculum
o
Faculty Senate/Deans Joint
o
Grants
o
Student Affairs
11.a. The Administration Liaison Committee serves as an
advisory body for the Faculty Senate that provides liaisons with the different areas
of University administration. This committee will keep the Faculty Senate
apprised of goings-on within the University, and bring faculty concerns to the
University administration, in various areas including
·
international studies
·
computer and information technology
·
development
·
faculty personnel policies and
benefits
·
admissions and enrollment management
and other matters
as deemed, from time to time, to fit with the current focus of the Faculty
Senate.
The committee may
form sub-committees to deal with specific issues as the need arises. The chair
of a sub-committee will be a member of the Administration Liaison Committee.
The chair of the
Administration Liaison Committee will be a Faculty Senator, and the committee
will consist of at least seven members, ideally with a representative from each
college. Additional members may be invited as necessary from part-time and
adjunct faculty, staff, and representatives of student bodies.
|
As of ·
Computer and
Technology ·
International
Studies ·
Development ·
Personnel Policies
(currently inactive) ·
Admissions and
Enrollment Management (currently inactive) |
11.b. The Bent, Larsen, and Trachtenberg Award Committee shall
issue a call for nominations for three awards: the James E. and Frances W. Bent
Award for Scholarly and/or Artistic Creativity, the Roy E. Larsen Award for
Excellence in Teaching, and the Oscar and Shoshana Trachtenberg Award for
Sustained Service to the
11.c. The Diversity Committee The Faculty Diversity Committee
shall advise the University on and make recommendations regarding issues of
diversity (along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, disabilities, sexual
orientation, and gender) in the academic life of the University. Typical
activities of the Committee may include, but shall not be limited to, the
following: 1) promote and advocate that the principles of diversity are
incorporated into all faculty hiring and promotion decisions; 2) collect and
monitor data to identify and promote best practices for faculty development,
mentoring, and creation of a nurturing work environment in order to facilitate
faculty success at all career levels; 3) promote dialogue within and across
colleges regarding the inclusion of diverse perspectives in the curriculum; and
4) encourage the development of programs and events that address issues of
diversity. The Committee shall be chaired by a Faculty Senator and there shall
be a representative from each college.
11.d The
Environmental & Sustainability Committee serves as a forum for faculty,
staff and students to learn and share about issues relating to the campus
physical
environment, including long-range planning, research, and policies designed to
meet campus sustainability. The chair
will be a Faculty Senator, and membership will consist of eight faculty members
representing a cross-section of the major divisions of the University. The
chair of this committee will serve as the interface with other University
committees focusing
upon environmental issues.
· The Student Government Association (SGA) will be asked to appoint a non-voting member.
·
A member of the
University Facilities Department will be asked to join as a non-voting member.
11.e. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair, the
Vice-Chair, the Secretary, and chairs of task forces and committees designated
by the officers of the Faculty Senate. The past Chair of Faculty Senate may be
invited to be a member. Each senator may request to meet with the Executive
Committee on specific issues. The purposes of this committee will be to plan
and formulate, as needed, the agenda of the regular Faculty Senate meetings, to
transact business of an emergency nature when it is not feasible to call a full
Faculty Senate meeting, and to interact with the administration of the
University on sensitive issues involving confidential information. The
Executive Committee shall report in writing to the Faculty Senate on all its
activities that do not become Faculty Senate agenda items. The Chair of the
Faculty Senate or his/her representative shall serve as one of the three
faculty members on the Faculty Senate/Deans Joint Committee.
11.f. The Faculty Affairs Committee will promote the general
professional development of both the full-time faculty and part-time and
adjunct faculty (those hired under F3, G3 and F4 contracts). The committee
will:
·
promote excellence in classroom teaching
and professional creativity.
·
address the concerns of part-time and
adjunct faculty.
·
consider changes in the Faculty
Policy Manual (FPM).
·
consider changes to the Constitution
and Bylaws of the Faculty Senate.
·
serve as a liaison to the American Association of University Professors
(AAUP).
The committee
will also serve as the Nominations Committee for Faculty Senate Officers. It
will be responsible for the presentation of at least one set of candidates for
all elective offices of the Faculty Senate. Committee members who intend to
nominate themselves or stand for nomination to elective office for the
following year will recuse themselves from this part of the committee's
activity. The committee will accept and collect all other nominations from
Faculty Senate members and present these to the Faculty Senate without denoting
the source of the nomination. It is the responsibility of the committee to
ensure that each candidate it presents is fully aware of the duties and
obligations of that office.
The chair will be
a Faculty Senator. The committee chair or a chair-designated committee member
will serve as one of the three faculty members on the Faculty Senate/Deans'
Joint Committee.
The committee
will have a minimum of nine members, including at least one full-time faculty
member from each college and at least two part-time or adjunct faculty.
|
As of May 13, 2008, this committee
replaces or incorporates the following pre-existing committees: ·
Constitution and
Bylaws ·
Professional
Standards ·
Part-Time and
Adjunct Faculty ·
AAUP Faculty Senate
Liaison (currently inactive) |
11.g. The Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee is responsible
to the Faculty Senate in matters of screening, evaluating, and originating
policies pertaining to undergraduate and graduate study within the University.
This committee will also monitor Special Topics offerings at all levels.
Membership shall include at least one faculty member from each college and will
be chaired by a member of the Faculty Senate.
The Committee
shall implement Article II of the Constitution with regard to curriculum and
alert the Faculty Senate to any proliferation or duplication of courses. The
Committee shall meet regularly to review current curricula and to discuss any
proposed changes. Requests for course changes, new courses, program revisions,
and new programs shall be reviewed by the Committee before coming to the
Faculty Senate. The Committee will report to the Faculty Senate, at the start
of each fall semester, a list of all special topics courses being offered that
fall and winter term, giving course number and title. The Committee will also
report to the Faculty Senate at the start of each spring semester a list of all
special topics courses being offered that spring and summer term, giving course
number and title.
11.h. The Faculty Senate/Deans’ Joint Committee shall serve
as the communication link between the Faculty Senate and the academic deans. The
committee will consist of the Chair of the Faculty Senate or his/her
representative, the Chair of the Students Affairs Committee or designated
committee member, and the Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee or designated
committee member.
11.i. The Grants Committee shall evaluate all projects and
proposals submitted by faculty members seeking grants, including Vincent B.
Coffin grants, and summer stipends. For grants it shall recommend award in part
or in whole the proceeds of the grant to that project (or projects) deemed the
most worthy according to the guidelines set forth in the call for applications.
For summer stipends the Committee will prioritize applications based on their
merit. Final awards shall be subject to administrative approval. Ideally this
committee shall have a representative from each college.
11.j.
The Student Affairs Committee is concerned with policies affecting
students, both academically and otherwise, at the
The committee
will administer the University Scholar Program. This includes:
·
announcing and circulating information
about the program
·
judging each individual application
for the program, considering the feasibility and promise of the proposed
project as well as the qualifications of the candidate
·
being present at the final
presentation judged by the "master professor" and two additional
examiners from the relevant department or departments.
The committee
chair or a designated committee member shall serve as one of the three faculty
members on the Faculty Senate/Deans Joint Committee. The committee will consist
of at least 7 faculty members, and ideally this committee shall have a representative
from each college. In addition, the Student Government Association (SGA) will
be asked to appoint a non-voting member.
|
As of ·
Students Affairs ·
University Scholar
Program ·
Academic Standards |
12.
In times of inactivity of a Committee, the Faculty Senate Chair
may appoint only a Committee Chair with the agreement of the Faculty Senate
Executive Committee. The Committee Chair, in consultation with the Faculty Senate
Chair, shall form the remainder of the Committee during the year as the need
arises.
Revised
Reviewed and Approved
Revised
Revised
2