Faculty Senate Webpage

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY
FACULTY SENATE CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS
(Revised, September 1995 edition)

Preamble

The faculty of Southeastern Louisiana University, endeavoring always to promote academic excellence; having a genuine, substantial, and conscientious interest in the University; and desiring a more active voice in the affairs thereof, within applicable laws and policies, do hereby effect through this Constitution the Faculty Senate of Southeastern Louisiana University, mindful of its responsibilities to the faculty, the students, and the Chief Administrative Officer of the University.

Article I. Name.

Section 1. This organization shall be known as the Faculty Senate of Southeastern Louisiana University, hereinafter referred to as the Senate.

Article II. Purpose.

Section 1.To serve as a representative voice of the faculty.

Section 2.To provide a means of communication between faculty and the Chief Administrative Officer of the University.

A.To provide a means whereby the administration, through the Chief Administrative Officer of the University, may refer matters of common faculty interest to a body representing the faculty.

B.To provide a means whereby the faculty can offer, through the Senate, suggestions or recommendations to the Chief Administrative Officer of the University pertaining to matters of common faculty interest.

Section 3.To accept and share responsibility with administration and students in all efforts to improve the stature and the usefulness of the University.

Article III. Jurisdiction.

Section 1. The Senate may hear, consider, and advise the Chief Administrative Officer of the University on any matter of faculty concern.

Section 2. The Senate, upon its request, may be furnished by the Chief Administrative Officer of the University information appropriate to its consideration in such a matter.

Article IV. Membership and Term of Office.

Section 1. Members of the Senate shall be elected by secret ballot from the General Faculty of the University.

Section 2. The General Faculty is composed of all full-time faculty with academic rank of instructor or above excluding those administrators, deans, department heads, and any others whose functions are primarily administrative. [Amended Jan. 1995]

Section 3. Membership in the Senate shall be determined by proportional representation, in accordance with the formula provided in the Bylaws.

Section 4. Senators shall be uninstructed representatives. It is their responsibility, however, to seek the views and opinions of their colleagues. Senators must present the views of constituents upon written request signed by two or more members of the General Faculty.

Section 5. A Senator may be recalled by two-thirds vote of the General Faculty of the department represented or by a petition signed by two-thirds of the General Faculty of the department represented.

Section 6. The term of office of a Senator shall be two calendar years, commencing at the first Senate meeting in August following his/her election.

Section 7. Senators may be eligible for re-election.

Section 8. Approximately one-half of the members of the Senate shall be elected each year. The terms of office shall be staggered in accordance with the procedures stipulated in the Transitional Article of the Bylaws.

Section 9. The Senate shall be the sole judge of the qualifications of its members and shall have the power to review any contested election.

Article V. Meetings.

Section 1. The Senate shall meet in regular session once a month, August through May.

Section 2. Special meetings of the Senate may be called as stipulated in the Bylaws.

Section 3. Rules governing the conduct of regular and special meetings shall be as stipulated in the Bylaws.

Article VI. Officers.

Section 1. All officers of the Senate shall be elected members of the Senate.

Section 2. Officers of the Senate shall be the President, the Vice President, the Recording Secretary, the Membership Secretary, and the Parliamentarian.

Section 3. The officers of the Senate shall be elected in accordance with the Bylaws.

Section 4. The officers of the Senate shall discharge their duties as stipulated in the Bylaws.

Article VII. Executive Council.

Section 1. The Executive Council of the Senate shall consist of the President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Membership Secretary, Parliamentarian, and two members-at-large. [Amended February 1982]

Section 2. The members-at-large shall be elected from the Senate.

Section 3. The duties and responsibilities of the Executive Council shall be as stipulated in the Bylaws.

Article VIII. Elections.

Section 1. Members of the Senate shall be elected by secret ballot during the first half of March of each year. The Nomination and Elections Committee of the Senate shall be responsible for conducting the election as provided in the Bylaws. [Amended March 1994]

Section 2. Officers of the Senate shall be elected by secret ballot at the April meeting of the Faculty Senate as the first order of business. The Chairman of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall preside until the President is elected. [Amended February 1985]

Article IX. Committees.

Section 1.The standing committees of the Senate shall be:

A. Academic Committee

B. Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee

C. Faculty Welfare Committee

D. Nominations and Elections Committee

E. Constitution and Bylaws Committee

F. Senate Budget Committee [Amended 1980]

G. Facilities, Safety, and Security Committee

H. Faculty Grievance Committee [Amended March 1982, February 1990, and May 2001]

I. Faculty Senate Liaison to the Student Government Association (SGA) Committee [Amended, Spring 1993]

Section 2. Standing committees shall:

A. Formulate and recommend actions and policies for approval by the Senate.

B. Be available to consult and advise the Chief Administrative Officer of the University.

C. Study matters assigned to them by the Chief Administrative Officer of the University, the Senate or the Executive Council, and consider requests of faculty when submitted in writing.

D. Seek factual information and the opinions of interested parties prior to any final action on a matter, and

E. Report to the Senate at each regular meeting.

Section 3. The functions of the standing committees of the Senate shall be as stipulated in the Bylaws.

Section 4. Ad Hoc committees of the Senate may be appointed by the President of the Senate.

Article X. Amendments.

Section 1. Any proposal to amend, alter, or repeal the provisions of this Constitution shall be initially supported by either:

A. A simple majority vote of the Senate.

B. A petition signed by at least twenty-five percent of the General Faculty and authenticated by the Membership Secretary.

Section 2. Any such proposal shall be made at least one regular meeting preceding that at which the vote on ratification is taken.

Section 3. Proposed amendments shall require ratification by either:

A. A two-thirds vote of the total Senate, or

B. An absolute majority vote of the General Faculty.

Section 4. Pursuant to Article X. Section 3. Subparagraph A, provisions for vote by absentee ballot shall be made by the Nominations and Elections Committee of the Senate.

Section 5. The procedure for amendments shall be as stipulated in the Bylaws.

Section 6. Any and all proposed changes in the Constitution, once ratified, must be forwarded to the Chief Administrative Officer of the University for final approval. [Amended March 1982]

Article XI. Interpretation.

Provisions of this Constitution and Bylaws, whenever unclear, ambiguous, or indefinite, shall be subject to interpretation by a simple majority vote of the total Faculty Senate. Interpretations by the Senate shall stand unless overruled by a simple majority vote of General Faculty members who shall vote on matters of interpretation whenever a minimum of twenty-five percent of the Senators shall demand interpretation by the General Faculty. [Amended March 1982]

Article XII. Effective Date.

When the provisions of this document have been recommended for approval by the General Faculty, it shall become effective on the date it is finally approved by the Chief Administrative Officer of the University.

BYLAWS

Article I. Membership.

Section 1. Eligibility. Members of the Senate shall be elected from the General Faculty as defined in Article IV of the Constitution.

Section 2. Formula for Representation. The Senate shall consist of a total number of members as determined by the following formula; there shall be:

A. One Senator from departments with ten or fewer General Faculty members.

B. Two Senators from departments with eleven to twenty General Faculty members, and an additional Senator for each portion or full increment of ten General Faculty members thereafter, i.e., twenty-one to thirty, thirty-one to forty, etc. [Amended 1988-89]

C. To achieve as nearly as possible a uniform system of two-year staggered terms in the Senate, each department, which shall be entitled to additional Senate seat(s) due to an increase in its General Faculty members, shall determine whether the current Senator(s)' term(s) expire in the current year or the following year. If the existing term expires in the current year, then the new additional senator shall be elected to an initial one-year term and thereafter to a regular two-year term. If the existing term expires in the following year, then the new additional senator shall be elected to a regular two-year term. [New February 5, 1992]

Section 3. Vacancies. In case of decease, resignation, incapacity, change of status, or irregular attendance of any Senator, a special election shall be held to fill the vacancy, arranged by the Nominations and Elections Committee of the Senate, provided that at least one full semester remain in the academic term. Irregular attendance shall be defined as failure to attend at least one-half of the regular Senate meetings during any one semester.

Section 4. Proxy Voting. Any member of the Faculty Senate may designate a member of the full-time faculty from his/her department to serve as his/her alternate at any specific meeting of the Faculty Senate; provided, however, no person may be designated an alternate for more than one, absent elected senator and no elected senator may serve as his/her alternate. [New August 1985]

To designate an alternate a member of the Senate shall execute a proxy form specifying the name of the alternate, the meeting for which the alternate shall represent the absent senator, and certifying that the named alternate is a full-time member of the faculty of his/her department.

The executed alternate form may be presented to the Membership Secretary prior to roll call or mailed to the Membership Secretary at his/her faculty box at least one week prior to a scheduled meeting.

Article II. Officers.

Section 1. Duties of Officers.
1. The President shall

A. Preside at meetings of the Executive Council,

B. Select the place of meeting of the Senate and notify Senators of any change in regularly designated times and places,

C. Preside at meetings of the Senate,

D. Appoint the members to the standing committees of the Senate subject to the approval of the Executive Council,

E. Assign each new proposal and/or matter to the appropriate committee of the Senate,

F. Be a voting member of the Senate,

G. Inform any constituency when it is necessary for it to fill a vacancy in its representation in the Senate,

H. State clearly each issue being voted on before the vote is taken and announce to the Senate the results of the vote,

I. Appoint a member of the Senate to keep records of any meeting from which the Recording Secretary is absent,

J. Appoint ad hoc committees of the Senate subject to the approval of the Executive Council,

K. Transmit to the Chief Administrative Officer of the University all recommendations approved by the Senate,

L. Appoint a member of the Executive Council to maintain a current log of recommendations and/or resolutions submitted to the Chief Administrative Officer of the University and the response by said officer. [Amended April 1982]

M. Serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Council for one year following the expiration of his/her term of office. [Amended 1988-89]

N. Serve directly or through a designee as one of two voting delegates representing the Senate to the Association of Louisiana Faculty Senates.[Amended March 1994]
O. Recommend faculty appointments to the standing committees of the University to the Chief Administrative officer of the University. [Amended April 2006]
P. Represent the Senate on the University Planning Council and Academic Affairs Committee. [Amended April 2006]
Q. Represent the faculty at various University functions. [Amended April 2006]

2. The Vice President shall

A. Serve as a member of the Executive Council,

B. Assume, in the absence of the President, the duties of the President, and

C. Become the President should the position become vacant.

D. Serve directly or through a designee as one of two voting delegates representing the Senate to the Association of Louisiana Faculty Senates.[Amended March 1994]

3. The Recording Secretary shall

A. Serve as a member of the Executive Council,

B. Keep clear and accurate records of the transactions of the Senate,

C. Be responsible for reproducing and distributing minutes of each meeting of the Senate to the General Faculty within one week after each meeting,

D. Deposit a duplicate of these records and other papers of the Senate in the University Library within one month after each meeting,

E. Keep an up-to-date compilation of all Senate Resolutions and the University President's responses to these resolutions [Amended February 1983],

F. Preside, in the absence of the President and Vice President, at meetings of the Senate long enough to allow for the election of a temporary chairperson for that meeting,

G. Carry on any necessary correspondence of the Senate,

H. Tabulate and record the results of all votes of the Senate.

4. The Membership Secretary shall

A. Serve as a member of the Executive Council,

B. Keep a current list of all members of the General Faculty eligible for membership in the Senate in accordance with Article IV. Section 2 of the Constitution.

C. Keep a current list of the members of the Senate,

D. Record the names of the members present at each meeting of the Senate and inform the President when excessive absences occur,

E. Provide an agenda for the Senate meetings one week ahead of the meeting [Amended February 1983],

F. Keep clear and concise minutes of the meetings of the Executive Council. [Amended February 1983]

G. Serve as an ex officio member of the Nominations and Elections Committee [Amended September 2005]

5. The Parliamentarian shall

A. Advise the presiding officer on parliamentary procedure at the meetings of the Executive Council and the Senate,

B. Keep available for reference at all meetings a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Senate and a copy of Roberts' Rules of Order (revised), and

C. Insure that the Constitution and Bylaws of the Senate are stored electronically on the Faculty Senate homepage of the Southeastern website. [Amended April 2006]

Section 2. Term of Office. The term of office for each officer shall be for one twelve (12) month period, running from June 1, (beginning of summer term following the April election) through May 31. [Amended September 1985]

Article III. Executive Council.

Section 1. Meetings. The Executive Council shall meet a week prior to each regular meeting of the Senate and prepare an agenda for that meeting.

Section 2. Duties. The Executive Council shall

A. Make certain that any proposal submitted by a Senator shall be considered by the Senate,

B. Distribute an agenda to all Senators at least five days prior to all regular meetings of the Senate, and

C. Prepare a yearly calendar of meetings of the Senate, stipulating the deadlines for submitting proposals to be included in the agendas.

Article IV. Elections.

Section 1. Nominations for Senators. A candidate for the Senate must submit or have submitted to the Nominations and Elections Committee of the Senate a nomination petition which shall include a declaration of his/her willingness to serve. All nominations must be received by the Nominations and Elections Committee of the Senate at least two weeks prior to an election.

Section 2.Election of Senators. All members of the General Faculty, as defined in Article IV. Section 2 of the Constitution, are legal voters. In cases in which voters have affiliation with more than one academic department, voting shall take place in only one department.

The Nominations and Elections Committee of the Senate shall supervise elections of Senators in each academic department and shall certify the election of each Senator.

When the election for a Senator has more than one candidate, the Nominations and Elections Committee shall designate one of its members, or any other Senator whose term is not up for renewal, to facilitate voting by faculty of an academic department. Voting will occur via one of the following methods, to be determined by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, in consultation with the Nominations and Elections Committee:
A. Web-Based Voting
     1. Web-Based voting will occur, at a clearly designated time, through secure and anonymous web-based software approved by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, in consultation with the Nominations and Elections Committee.
B. Ballot Box
     1. At a clearly designated time and place, a Ballot Box will be provided in each department. The Ballot Box will be closed, except for a slot used to place ballots inside. The box will be clearly marked �Ballot Box.�
     2. Numbered anonymous ballots will be provided to all eligible voters in a department. The anonymous ballots will include only the names of the candidates, the office for which all are running, and a box or line marked �FOR� preceding each candidate�s name.
     3. Near the Ballot Box, a sign-in sheet will list the names of all eligible voters in the department. In the presence of the person facilitating the election in each department, eligible voters must sign their name to the sign-in sheet, and then deposit their completed ballot into the Ballot Box.
     4. Proxy votes are allowed, but only if a Faculty Senate proxy form is deposited into the ballot box. The proxy voter must also sign-in with their own signature, clearly indicating for whom they are casting the ballot.
     5. The person facilitating the voting will then count the ballots and report the results to the Nominations and Elections Committee.
C. Campaigning
     When the election for a Senator has more than one nominee, each nominee shall have the option of presenting his/her goals and plans to the faculty of the academic department. The method of presentation may be by email, hardcopy in faculty departmental mail boxes, and by meetings individually or as a group. [Amended May 2004]

Section 3. Election of Officers. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall at the April meeting of the Senate, submit at least one name for each office of the Senate and, after other nominations have been called for from the floor, the vote shall be taken in accordance with Article VIII Section 2 of the Constitution. [Amended September 1985]

Article V. Committees.

Section 1.Formation. In accordance with Article II Section 1 Subparagraphs 1.D and J of the Bylaws, the President of the Senate shall appoint members to all standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate.

A. Senator shall not be a member of more than one standing committee of the Senate. Each standing and ad hoc committee of the Senate shall have the authority to appoint non-Senate members of the General Faculty to serve on its committee and each standing committee and ad hoc committee of the Senate shall elect its own chairperson from among the Senate members of the committee.

Section 2. Standing Committees of the Senate.

The Academic Committee of the Senate shall consider, make recommendations on, and report to the Senate on matters pertaining to academic policies, practices, and standards in any area appropriate to its purview.

The Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee of the Senate shall consider, make recommendations on, and report to the Senate on matters pertaining to academic freedom, academic fairness, and professional ethics in any area appropriated to its purview.

The Faculty Welfare Committee of the Senate shall consider, make recommendations on, and report to the Senate on matters pertaining to faculty welfare, benefits, and programs in any area appropriate to its purview.

The Nominations and Elections Committee of the Senate shall be composed of members of the Senate and shall

A. Establish and provide a calendar of elections,

B. Distribute the calendar to each member of the General Faculty,

C. Notify the General Faculty of the number of senatorial positions to be filled by mid-February of each year,

D. Receive and review all nomination papers,

E. Prepare the official ballot,

F. Establish and supervise the polling places,

G. Supervise the counting of votes,

H. Provide certification of winning candidates, and

I. Arrange all special elections to fill vacancies.

The Constitution, Bylaws, and Resolutions Committee of the Senate shall consider and recommend to the Senate resolutions concerning matters of general interest. It shall further consider, make recommendations on, and report to the Senate on matters pertaining to the amendment of the Constitution and Bylaws.

The Budget Committee shall

A. Make itself thoroughly familiar with the budget process at SLU. This includes, but is not limited to, gaining an in depth understanding of:

1. how the budgets are constructed,
2. the real and/or implied obligations that result from the budge,
3. how budget changes are authorized and made,
4. how budget variances (the differences between budgeted and actual expenditures) are analyzed and what effect they have.

B. Report to the Faculty Senate on each new budget (before that budget is adopted, if possible), emphasizing aspects the committee thinks are particularly pertinent to the faculty.

C. Monitor the budgetary process during the year paying particular attention to changes made during the year. The committee should report to the full Senate on any changes made during the year.

D. Analyze budget variances and make a report to the full Senate.

E. Answer any questions the Faculty Senate may have about the budgets or the budget process.

The Facilities, Safety, and Security Committee shall consider, make recommendations on, and report to the Senate on matters pertaining to the physical plant and safety and security of the University Community in any area appropriate to its purview. [Amended April 1982]

The Faculty Senate Liaison to the Student Government Association (SGA) Committee shall assign its members to attend on a rotational basis meetings of the SGA. The committee shall consider, make recommendations on, and report to the Senate on matters pertaining to the SGA. [New, Spring 1993]

The Faculty Grievance Committee [amended April 2006]
The committee shall consist of nine tenured, full-time faculty with at least ten years of service on the Southeastern faculty. Administrators, (i.e., Department Heads and above), the Faculty Ombudsperson, complaint mediators, and the President of the Faculty Senate are excluded from service on this committee. The committee shall elect its own chair who will be a voting member. Members shall serve for three-year terms, with terms staggered among members to provide continuity. The Chair shall serve a three-year term and may only serve two consecutive terms.
Because the members of the committee determine the faculty position on grievances, they shall be elected by the faculty according to a pro rata system, providing proportional representation to the six colleges of the University and the Library, and in accordance with the scheduled dates in the Procedures for Resolving Faculty Complaints. .

Faculty Grievance Committee Membership and Selection
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - three members
College of Business - one member
College of Education - one member
College of General Studies and Library - one member shared
College of Nursing and Health Sciences - one member
College of Science and Technology - two members

A. The Faculty Senate's Membership Secretary will, by March 1, inform heads of departments not having a continuing voting member that their faculty need to hold an election. By March 15 the full-time faculty in each department not having a continuing voting member will elect a qualified individual as their nominee.

B. By April 1 the Faculty Senate Nominations and Elections Committee will follow established senate policies in order to disseminate ballots listing these nominees to the full-time faculty members in the appropriate constituencies needing to elect new member(s). For each seat, faculty will vote for two individuals. The person receiving the greatest total votes as well as over fifty percent of the votes will be the member; the person with the second highest vote total will be the alternate. In the event that two seats must be filled for the same constituency, then the two candidates with the most votes over fifty percent will fill those seats, with the one receiving the most filling the seat with the longer term. The two candidates receiving the next highest vote totals will be the alternates, again with the one receiving the higher vote total serving the longer term. Ballots must be collected by the Nominations and Elections Committee by April 15.

C. Absentee ballots will be permitted but must be in the hands of the Nominations and Elections Committee by the April 15 deadline.

D. If only one candidate receives more than fifty percent of the vote on the first ballot, he/she will be declared the winner of the longer term. The other three top candidates will be listed on a run-off ballot, with instructions for faculty to vote for one individual. The person receiving the highest vote total will fill the other term, and the other two will be alternates. The April 22 and May 5 deadlines apply here as well.

E. The procedures for conducting hearings shall be in accordance with the Southeastern Louisiana University Faculty Handbook as amended.

Article VI. Meetings.

Section 1. Regular Meetings. The first regular meeting of the Senate shall be held in August. Other regular meetings shall be held pursuant to Article III. Section 2, Subparagraph B.[Amended April 1982]

Section 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Senate may be called by the Membership Secretary at the request of the President of the Senate or upon the written request of twenty-five percent of the Senators.

Section 3. Quorum. A simple majority shall be required to conduct business at any meeting of the Senate.

Section 4. Minutes. A complete and permanent set of minutes of each meeting shall be kept by the Recording Secretary.

Section 5. Guests. Meetings of the Senate shall be open. The Senate may choose to go into executive session by a majority vote of the members present for a specific purpose allowed by law. A member of the General Faculty may be allowed to address the Senate for a specific purpose for no more than ten minutes at the request of a Senator. The Chief Administrative Officer of the University, or his designated representative, or any person not a member of the General Faculty may address the Senate subject to the approval of a majority of those present. [Amended April 1982]

Section 6. Conduct of Meetings. The conduct of Senate business shall be in accordance with Roberts' Rules of Order (Revised).

Section 7. Agenda of Meeting. The agenda at Senate meetings may include, without reference to order, the following items:

A. Call to Order

B. Roll Call

C. Approval of Minutes

D. Reports of Committees of the Senate

E. Unfinished Business

F. New Business

G. Announcements

H. Adjournment [Amended 1994]

Section 8. Procedures on Proposals other than Amendments. The following procedures shall be used for all proposals to the Senate:

A. Proposals for consideration by the Senate must be submitted in writing to the Executive Council at least two weeks before the next scheduled meeting of the Senate. This provision may be waived only if the Executive Council interprets a proposal to be an emergency.

B. Each new proposal shall be read to the Senate during the portion of the meeting devoted to new business.

C. After each proposal is read, the Senate shall consider the question of sending the proposal to a standing committee of the Senate. Debate on the question shall be limited to five minutes for proponents and five minutes for opponents.

D. If a majority of the Senate present approve, the President shall assign the proposal to the appropriate committee of the Senate. If less than a majority of the Senators present approve, the proposal shall be dropped.

E. At the next meeting of the Senate, the appropriate committee of the Senate shall make a full report of its studies on the proposal and state any alterations or objections that it feels advisable to make.

F. After the appropriate committee of the Senate has completed its report, the Senate shall debate the question of adopting the proposed recommendation. Amendments may be submitted from the floor.

G. The failure of a committee of the Senate to make a report at its appointed time shall not preclude the right of the Senate at that time to move, debate, adopt, or reject the proposed recommendation or a variation of it.

H. A proposed recommendation shall not be adopted as a recommendation of the Senate unless it receives the vote of a majority of the Senators present.

I. A minority report may be filed by a Senator(s) who does not vote with the majority.

J. If the Executive Council interprets a proposal to be an emergency, the proposal need not be referred to committee, and a recommendation may be introduced, drafted, and adopted during the same meeting at which it was proposed.

K. The Chief Administrative Officer, at his discretion, may submit items to the Senate for discussion.

Section 9. Voting Procedures. Voting shall be by show of hands. A roll call vote is required when requested by at least three Senators. A secret ballot requires a majority vote of the Senate.

Article VII. Amendments.

Section 1. Amendments to this Constitution or its Bylaws shall be made at regular meetings of the Senate.

Section 2. The following procedure shall be used for any proposed amendment to the Constitution:

A. To propose an amendment, a Senator must notify the Recording Secretary of his/her intentions in writing at least three weeks prior to the next regular meeting. A copy of the proposal shall be included in the call for the next regular meeting and a copy shall be sent to each member of the General Faculty at least ten days prior to the next meeting.

B. At the next regular meeting, the President of the Senate shall read the proposal and call for preliminary debate which shall be limited to five minutes for proponents and five minutes for opponents.

C. For the proposal to be admitted for further consideration after preliminary debate it must be supported by a simple majority of the Senators present or by a petition in favor of the proposal furnished by the proposer pursuant to Article X. Section 1. Subparagraph B of the Constitution. Without either type of support, the proposal shall die for lack of support.

D. Upon a proposal's being admitted for further consideration, the President of the Senate shall refer the proposal to the Constitution, Bylaws, and Resolutions Committee of the Senate for study.

E. At the next meeting of the Senate, the Committee shall make a full report of its studies on the proposal and state any alterations or objections that it feels advisable to make.

F. After the Committee has completed its report, the Senate shall debate the question of adopting the proposal. Amendments to the proposal may be submitted from the floor.

G. The failure of the Committee to make its report at the appointed time shall not preclude the right of the Senate at that time to move, debate, adopt, or reject the proposal or a variation of it.

H. After debate, the proposal shall require a two-thirds vote of the total membership.

I. If the Senate fails to ratify the proposed amendment, a Senator may elect to put the question to the General Faculty, whereupon the President of the Senate shall instruct the Nominations & Elections Committee of the Senate to prepare, conduct, and certify a vote of ratification by the General Faculty.

J. Ratification by the General Faculty shall require an absolute majority vote and shall take precedence over the Senate's previous vote on ratification.

K. Upon ratification, the amendment shall be submitted to the Chief Administrative Officer for final approval.

Section 3. A proposed amendment to the Bylaws must receive an absolute majority vote of the Senate.

Article VIII. Office, Duties, Term, and Elections for the Member and Alternate Member to the Faculty Advisory Council of the Board of Trustees for State Colleges and Universities. [New May 1982]

Section 1. Office. There shall be a member and alternate member elected by the Faculty Senate from among the members of the General Faculty, as defined in Article IV. Section 2 of the Constitution.

Section 2. Duties of Member and Alternate.

A.The member shall

1. Serve on the Faculty Advisory Council

2. Represent the faculty of Southeastern Louisiana University

3. Serve as liaison for Faculty Senate and faculty to the Board of Trustees Faculty Advisory Council to the Faculty Senate

4. Make regular reports on the Board of Trustees and Faculty Advisory Council.

5. Advise the alternate member in a timely manner when said member is unable to attend Faculty Advisory Council meetings so the alternate can take the member's place.

B. The alternate member shall

1. Attend meetings of the Faculty Advisory Council when the member is unable to attend

2. Report to the Faculty Senate on meetings of the Board of Trustees and Faculty Advisory Council covered by the alternate for the member

3. Possess all rights, duties, and voting privileges of the member when taking the member's place

4. Become the member to the Faculty Advisory Council at the end of the member's term, or upon resignation, or demise

5. Attend sufficient meetings of the Faculty Advisory Council with the member so as to be familiar with Faculty Advisory Council procedures.

Section 3. Term of Office.

A. The term of office for the member elected in August 1985 shall be for two years, commencing immediately upon election. Thereafter the alternate shall automatically become the member.

B. The term of office for the alternate member shall be for two years with the right of succession as member for an additional two years.

Section 4. Elections.

A. Candidates for member and alternate shall submit or have submitted to the Nominations and Elections Committee chairman a nomination petition which shall include a declaration of the nominee's willingness to serve. All nominations must be received by said committee at least two weeks prior to the election date.

B. All members of the Faculty Senate shall be electors.

Section 5. Recall. The Faculty Senate shall have the right of recall upon the member or alternate for just cause.

Article IX. Election for Faculty Members to the University Planning Council [amended April 2006]

Section 1. Purpose. The University Planning Council comprised of faculty, department heads, academic deans and professional staff shall evaluate and make recommendations to the President concerning University priorities addressing questions of institutional purpose and goals, strategic planning and budget development.

Section 2. Office. There shall be eight tenured full-time faculty apportioned as follows:
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - two members
College of Business - one member
College of Education - one member
College of General Studies and Library - one member shared
College of Nursing and Health Sciences - one member
College of Science and Technology - two members

Section 3. Terms of Office. Term of office for all members shall be two years staggered as follows:

A. Elected in even numbered years:
Two from Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
One from Science and Technology
One from Business
One from General Studies and Library

B. Elected in odd numbered years:
One from Education and Human Development
One from Nursing and Health Sciences
One from Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
One from Science and Technology

Section 4. Procedures.Refer to the election to the Faculty Grievance Committee members in Article V. Section 2. Subparagraph 8. A - E of the Bylaws excluding those references to alternates.

Article X. Election of Faculty Members to the Tenure and Promotion Review Committee [amended April 2006]

Section 1. Purpose. The Tenure and Promotion Review Committee, at the exclusive option and discretion of the candidate for tenure and promotion, shall review the candidate's application to ensure that the criteria for tenure and/or promotion in the candidate's department have been applied fairly and consistently by lower recommending units. When there are conflicting recommendations from the lower units, the committee shall study all the particulars of the process. The committee shall forward a written evaluation and recommendation to the Provost with a copy to the candidate.

Section 2. Membership.The committee shall consist of fifteen tenured full professors from the general faculty, from each of the seven university academic units. If any of these units has no full professors, the committee member may be a tenured associate professor. If there is no tenured associate professor in that unit, the member may be a tenured assistant professor. The most senior member (highest academic rank and time of service in that rank) shall serve as chair. The membership shall be apportioned as follows:

A. College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - four members;

B. College of Business - two members;

C. College of Education - two members;

D. College of General Studies - one member;

E. College of Nursing and Health Sciences - two members; and

F. College of Science and Technology - three members;

G. Library - one member.

Section 3. Terms of Office. The Faculty Senate shall conduct the elections at the end of the spring semester. The term of office for all members shall be three years, staggered during the three years so that only five seats each year will be up for election, and so that each college (other than General Studies and the Library) will have at least one member whose term is not ending.

APPENDIX A

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY

FACULTY SENATE

PROXY FORM

APPOINTMENT OF PROXY SENATOR

I hereby designate and appoint______________________________ to serve as my alternate and proxy at a meeting of the Faculty Senate of Southeastern Louisiana University to be held on

________________, 20____, or any adjournment thereof.

I certify that the named alternate is a full-time member of the faculty of the Department I represent.

_____________________ _________________________________________
Date
(Signature of Senator granting proxy)

_____________________ ________________________________________
Department (Print name of Senator granting proxy)

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SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS (Revised, September 1995 edition)

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY
FACULTY SENATE CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS
(Revised, September 1995 edition)