Faculty Governance Document

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Faculty Meeting Purpose

Responsibility of the faculty for participation in the governance of the College is mentioned in Sections 1.5 and 2.9 of the Faculty Handbook.  A specific responsibility for participation in "faculty meetings" is mentioned in Section 2.5.2. In order to provide for regular participation of the faculty in campus governance, the Faculty Meeting has been established.

Powers of the Faculty

The powers of the faculty in campus governance are those outlined in the AAUP Policy Documents and Reports (1995 edition, page 183) summarized in its statement on Government of Colleges and Universities, Part V:

“The faculty has primary responsibility for such fundamental areas as curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, research, faculty status, and those aspects of student life which relate to the educational process. On these matters the power of review or final decision lodged in the governing board or delegated by it to the President should be exercised adversely only in exceptional circumstances, and for reasons communicated to the faculty. It is desirable that the faculty should, following such communication, have opportunity for further consideration and further transmittal of its views to the President or board. Budgets, personnel limitations, the time element, and the policies of other groups, bodies, and agencies having jurisdiction over the institution may set limits to the realization of faculty advice.”

Membership Members

Members of the Faculty Meeting are all full-time teaching and part-time faculty who teach at least half time. Responsibilities of members include attending meetings, being part of decisions found through the consensus process, serving on committees, and serving as officers when elected.

Friends of the Faculty

Friends of the Faculty are other full-time College employees, the Director of Watson Library, Academic Deans, Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty, Vice President for External Programs, President, the Director of Computer Services, Coordinator of User Services, Director Public Relations, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students, Vice President of Business and Finance, Vice President for College Advancement, Registrar, Vice President for Athletic Administration, The Director and the Assistant Director of the Student Resource Center, the Director of Institutional Effectiveness, the Director of Human Resources, Campus Minister, Directors/Coordinators of the off-campus branches, and any two students designated annually by the President of the Student Government Association.

Friends of the faculty attend meetings in an informational and advisory capacity and participate fully in discussion.

At the discretion of the Faculty Conveners, when there are issues that are of primary importance to teaching faculty, meetings may be limited to members only. Attendance is not taken, and minutes are not recorded at these meetings. These are designated as restricted discussion meetings. See "Meetings and Agendas" in this Faculty Governance Document for meetings definitions.

Method of Governance

Decisions are found by means of the consensus process (see Appendix 1.6 of the Faculty Handbook). It is the responsibility of members of the Faculty Meeting to understand this process.

Officers, Terms and Nomination Process

Officers of the Faculty Meeting are three co-conveners, collectively referred to as Faculty Conveners, elected to specific offices during the spring semester.

The PRESIDING CLERK serves a two-year term, the first year as Assistant Presiding Clerk and the second as Presiding Clerk. This officer clerks meetings according to the principles of consensus governance, provides leadership and direction for the faculty, and, as directed by the faculty, serves as their spokesperson.

The ASSISTANT PRESIDING CLERK serves a two-year term staggered with that of the Presiding Clerk so that as the Presiding Clerk goes out of office the Assistant Presiding Clerk becomes the Presiding Clerk for his/her second year in office, and a new Assistant Presiding Clerk is elected. The Assistant Presiding Clerk aids the Presiding Clerk in the activities of faculty governance and assumes the duties of Presiding Clerk in the Presiding Clerk's absence.

The RECORDING CLERK serves a one-year term; a new Recording Clerk is elected annually. The Recording Clerk is responsible for writing and distributing to all Faculty Meeting members and all Friends of the Faculty minutes of faculty meetings including a record of members in attendance. The Recording Clerk also issues notice of business meetings (at least seven days advance) and discussion meetings (at least three days in advance) to all members and Friends of the Faculty.

TERM OF OFFICE: The duly elected officers shall begin duties on the Monday following commencement. During the summer, the Past Presiding Clerk may also be asked to meet with the newly elected officers. 

Nominations for officers, and for the tenured member(s) of the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee shall be accepted by the Nominating Committee (comprised of the Presiding Clerk, the Assistant Presiding Clerk and the Past Presiding Clerk), in the spring semester. The Nominating Committee will accept nominations for a limited period of time and determine the willingness of all nominees to serve (in writing), taking care to assure breadth of representation. On the nomination request form the nominating committee shall indicate the names of the continuing members of the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee and their Academic Areas, reminding faculty that no more than one person from an Academic Area can serve concurrently on the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee. The number of open positions for tenured numbers on the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee shall also be indicated:

The Nominating Committee may not delete any eligible nominee from the list who agrees to run (in writing) except for faculty in the following situations. A faculty member may not serve concurrently on the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee and the Grievance Committee. A faculty member may not serve concurrently both as a Faculty Convener and as a member of the Grievance Committee. A faculty member may not serve concurrently both as a Faculty Convener and as a member of the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee. If there are five or fewer academic units (e.g., areas) reporting to the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty, a faculty member may not serve as both an Area Coordinator and a Faculty Convener. No more than two members of the same area may serve concurrently on the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee.

A faculty member nominated for two or three positions (Assistant Presiding Clerk, Recording Clerk, and tenured Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee) may only run for one.

Ballots for candidates for the position of Assistant Presiding Clerk, Recording Clerk, and the tenured positions for the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee will be presented to the faculty by the Nominating Committee no later than March 1st.

Ballots will be sent to members of the Faculty Meeting either by campus mail or by U.S. Postal Service. Elections for the Assistant Presiding Clerk and the Recording Clerk will be decided by a clear majority of these votes. If in the election for Assistant Presiding Clerk and Recording Clerk no individual receives a majority of votes cast, a runoff election will be held between the two candidates with the highest votes. In the election of members of the Grievance Committee and the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee, those receiving highest vote counts will be elected to those position(s).

After elections for Assistant Presiding Clerk and the Recording Clerk and the tenured members of the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee are complete, the nominating committee will solicit nominations for the non-tenured positions on the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee and the Grievance Committee. On the nominating request form, the nominating committee shall indicate the names of the continuing members of the Committee or Faculty and the just-elected members of the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee (and their areas) reminding faculty that no more than two persons from an area can serve concurrently on the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee. On the nominating request form, the nominating committee shall also indicate the names of the continuing members of the Grievance Committee (so faculty will not nominate them) and indicate the number of open positions on the Grievance Committee (it will be at least three and could be higher). A faculty member nominated for both non-tenured Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee and Grievance Committee may not run for both.  

Faculty appointments to the Program Review Committee are to be made by election. NOTE: No more than one member from an area may be elected. Clerks of Academic Policies and Assessment serve as Ad Hoc members, elected faculty may not be members of either APC or Assessment Committee. The clerk would be selected by members of the Program Review Committee. No students would be appointed to this committee.

Meetings and Agendas

Meetings are of two types:

All policy decisions are made at BUSINESS MEETINGS which are held as needed. The Faculty Conveners will notify faculty members in writing of the dates and agendas of business meetings as soon as possible and no later than one week prior to the meetings. In determining the sense of the meeting on particular items of business, the Faculty Conveners will determine if it is appropriate to take final action at that meeting or to wait until a later meeting for final action.

DISCUSSION MEETINGS are scheduled by the Faculty Conveners to discuss policy issues and other faculty concerns. Policy issues will not receive action at discussion meetings but may later be placed on the agenda of business meetings.

Discussion meetings are of two types:

  1. Those of common interest to and attended by all Faculty Meeting members and Friends of the Faculty.
  2. Those on sensitive topics which are of primary concern to teaching faculty. Attendance at such discussions, at the specific request of the Faculty Conveners, will be restricted to members of the Faculty Meeting.
    Concerns expressed in restricted discussion meetings are handled as follows: the members of the Faculty Meeting either request that the Faculty Conveners place matters they have agreed upon on business meeting agendas, or they authorize the Faculty Conveners to relay faculty concerns to the administration at meetings of the Faculty Council, President's Council, or another option that is agreed upon. If concerns are taken to the Faculty Council, the Faculty Conveners report the administration's response back to the faculty.
    1. Agendas for both types of meetings are set by the Faculty Conveners; those for business meetings are normally set in consultation with the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty. Agenda items may be brought to the Faculty Conveners from both committees and individual members of the campus community, or they may be originated by the Faculty Conveners themselves.
    2. The Faculty Conveners will act on behalf of the full faculty between the end of the spring semester and the beginning of the fall semester. They will consult with individual faculty members as required in reaching decisions.  When a matter warrants consideration by the Faculty Meeting, such as Faculty Handbook changes as outlined in Section 1.7, and cannot be postponed until fall, a faculty meeting will be called. After bona fide attempts have been made to establish a quorum and to reach consensus of the Faculty Meeting on a newly pressing matter, the faculty conveners may make a decision on behalf of the faculty for such matters.

Procedure for Changing the Faculty Governance Structure

(See section 1.7)