BYLAWS OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY Approved April 20, 2015

Transcription

1 BYLAWS OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY Approved April 20, 2015 GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY Washington, D.C Amendments to the Bylaws since 1995 Revisions approved by the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees in February, Subsequent revisions: April 24, 1995 the addition of Article VII, Section B.4. October 30, 1995 dissolution of the School of Preparatory Studies led to corresponding changes on the composition of the UF Senate and its standing committees. October 27, 1997 various amendments April 27, 1997 definition of Membership and the duties of Committees C and G. April 26, 1999 exceptions to Membership. April 7, 2003 various amendments February 2, 2004 various amendments May 10, 2004 various amendments May 5, 2007 creation of a Tenure and Promotion committee and an Executive Committee of the UF Senate, and other editorial changes added. October 22, 2007 various amendments March 31, 2008 dissolution of Committee B and distribution of functions among the UF Senate and the two Councils. April 28, 2008 addition of a nonvoting administrative representative to the UF Senate. April 19, 2010 elimination of the University Council designation, modifying terms of office, and institution of electronic voting April 11, 2012 clarification of the duties and procedures of the Tenure & Promotion committee April 23, 2012 clarification of the UF Senate voting process for Council proposals April 22, 2013 revision of UF Senate procedures regarding the Legislative councils and revision of Council procedures April 21, 2014 revision of language for several standing committees and Legislative councils April 20, 2015 revision of language for Faculty Welfare, Salary & Benefits, Grievance, Tenure & Promotion Page i of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

2 BYLAWS OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY PREFACE Gallaudet University operates in accordance with the principles of shared governance. Shared governance is a frame of mind. It is an attitude. It is a willingness to make concerted efforts to involve the right player- -trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, and students--to unleash the collective synergy of an ongoing state of honorable collaborative efforts. Shared governance is based on trust. And trust is built on a foundation of respect. Both trust and respect grow out of authenticity in our interpersonal relations with each other. Truly, shared governance--the sine qua non of academe--must be the defining characteristic of what makes Gallaudet a collegial university. The faculty has primary responsibility for teaching and research at Gallaudet University, and should have priority in decision making on issues directly related to these areas. These issues include: (1) choice of research methodology; (2) choice of instructional strategy; (3) choice of matter to be taught or researched; (4) policies for admitting students; (5) standards of student competence within a discipline of study; (6) the maintenance of a suitable environment for learning; and (7) standards of faculty competence. The faculty should also be meaningfully involved across the range of institutional decision making, because such decisions can significantly affect teaching and research. Examples of this involvement include: decisions about the institution's long-range objectives; decisions about the institution's physical and fiscal resources; decisions about the manner in which the institution's funds are distributed among its various divisions; and decisions about the search and selection of its president and chief academic officer. Such meaningful and substantive involvement across the entire range of institutional decision making derives from such principles as: (1) the allocation of authority to the faculty in the areas of teaching and research is a necessary condition for the exercise of academic freedom and the continued protection of this freedom in expressing ideas and opinions; (2) the recognition of teaching and research functions of the faculty are central to the objectives and functions of the university; and (3) the allocation of this participation in decision making by the faculty promotes the university's most effective and efficient attainment of its vision, missions, and goals. The Board of Trustees has the fundamental responsibility and the ultimate authority for the institution's legal, fiscal, academic and operational well being. The Faculty, Administration and the Board of Trustees each have primary responsibilities which overlap and intertwine. When one of the constituencies initiates action that has implications for the institution as a whole, it is incumbent on that group to ensure that other constituencies' concerns are addressed and incorporated into recommendations for change. The governance documents for the University Faculty are the UF Handbook and the UF Bylaws. The University Faculty Handbook is a statement of policies and procedures which includes conditions of employment. Responsibility for developing and proposing amendments rests with the faculty. In the spirit of shared governance, the University Faculty shall work with the Administration to develop proposals for amendments to the University Faculty Handbook that they can recommend to the Board of Trustees for approval. The University Faculty Bylaws is primarily a statement of how the University Faculty shall operate and as such is a faculty document. The faculty has responsibility for initiating and acting on changes to the document. The University Faculty will keep the Administration and the Board of Trustees informed of all changes it makes to the Bylaws. Page ii of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

3 BYLAWS OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY Table of Contents ARTICLE I: The University Faculty... 1 ARTICLE II: PURPOSES... 1 ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP... 1 ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS... 1 ARTICLE V: MEETINGS OF THE UF... 4 ARTICLE VI: THE UF SENATE... 5 A. PURPOSE B. MEMBERSHIP AND ELECTIONS C. PROCEDURES Agenda Distribution Agenda Item Submission UF Member's Rights to the Floor GU (Non-UF) Member s Rights to the Floor Agenda Items, Legislative Council Actions and Referring Back Provisions by the UF Senate Communicating Senate Decision to Administration Senate Meetings, Executive Sessions, Quorum, and Voting Challenge Provisions for use by the UF pertaining to UF Senate Actions Review of Administrative Structures Academic Calendar Operating Procedures... 9 ARTICLE VII: STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE UF... 9 A. PURPOSE B. MEMBERSHIP C. REPLACEMENT D. FACULTY WELFARE E. FACULTY-STUDENT AFFAIRS F. GRIEVANCE G. SALARY AND BENEFITS H. FACULTY DEVELOPMENT I. TENURE AND PROMOTION COMMITTEE J. AD HOC COMMITTEES ARTICLE VIII: LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS OF THE UF A. PURPOSE B. MEMBERSHIP C. REPLACEMENT D. COUNCIL ON UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION E. COUNCIL ON GRADUATE EDUCATION F. CHALLENGE PROVISIONS ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS Page iii of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

4 BYLAWS OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY ARTICLE I: THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY The name of this organization shall be the University Faculty of Gallaudet University (hereinafter referred to as UF ). ARTICLE II: PURPOSES A. Gallaudet University is dedicated to the transmission and advancement of knowledge and understanding. Academic freedom is essential to the achievement of these purposes. The university, therefore, supports and encourages freedom of enquiry for faculty members and students, so that they may responsibly pursue these goals through teaching, learning, research, discussion and publication-- free from internal or external restraints that would unreasonably restrict their academic endeavors. B. The UF shares with the institution the highest level of responsibility for developing and maintaining an intellectual climate and relevant professional and disciplinary standards. Thus, the UF, through its governance structure, shall establish courses of study, requirements for admission or transfer, and requirements for graduation for the associate, baccalaureate and graduate degrees; shall determine academic discipline; shall recommend to the president and Board of Trustees candidates for degrees; and shall regulate faculty status and conduct. C. The UF recognizes the ultimate responsibility and authority of the Board of Trustees. ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP A. 1. The UF shall consist of those with a full-time regular appointment in departments of instruction. Chairs of instructional departments are included under this provision. Administrators who hold rank in an academic department and professors who have administrative responsibilities outside of their departments and engage less than half-time in traditional faculty responsibilities (curriculum development, research, scholarship, teaching, service) in any one semester during any one academic year are not included in this provision and cannot vote or hold office in the University Faculty during that semester. 2. Appeals of decisions by the UF Chair and other UF Officers regarding faculty voting status will be referred directly to the UF Senate. B. The President, Provost, Associate Provosts, and Deans, when in attendance at meetings of the UF and UF Senate, shall have the privilege of the floor. C. The elected Chair of the UF, in consultation with the appropriate administrators, shall prepare and distribute a list of the voting members of the UF within thirty days of the first day of class each fall semester. ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS A. The officers of the UF and the UF Senate shall be the Chair, the Vice-Chair and the Secretary. The Chair and the Vice-chair shall not be from the same department. Page 1 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

5 1. These officers shall be elected by and from the UF at its general meeting in April for a three (3) year term beginning on August 16 of the election year and may not serve for more than two (2) consecutive terms. 2. The Executive Committee of the UF Senate shall consist of the three elected officers, two senators, the faculty representative to the Academic Affairs Administrative Team, the faculty representative to the Board of Trustees Academic Affairs committee, and the immediately preceding UF Chair. a. The senators to serve on the Executive Committee shall be appointed by the UF Chair, with the concurrence of the UF Senate. Such senators, when appointed, are preferred to have remaining terms of office of at least two years. b. The Executive Committee shall meet when called by the UF Chair. 3. Department chairpersons, not being designated administrators of the university, may be elected as officers. 4. The directly elected officers may be recalled by a majority vote of the UF. The senatorially appointed members of the Executive Committee may be recalled by a majority vote of the UF Senate. 5. The UF Chair will negotiate with the Provost at the beginning of each academic year or whenever appropriate for secretarial support, office space, release time, a 10- or 11-month contract, and/or compensation to allow for the effective and efficient disposition of official faculty governance business. B. THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE UF and UF SENATE shall: 1. Preside over all meetings of the UF and UF Senate; 2. Provide visible and assertive leadership in representing the legitimate academic interests of the UF; 3. Serve as spokesperson on the interests of the UF; 4. Coordinate the functions of all the legislative councils and standing committees of the UF; 5. Prepare an agenda for all meetings of the UF and UF Senate; and distribute that agenda a full seven (7) calendar days before meetings; 6. Develop the master calendar of all regularly scheduled meetings of both the UF and the UF Senate; a. including within this master calendar all dates designating 1. the deadlines for sending agenda items to the chair; 2. the deadlines for distributing agendas; 3. the deadlines for distributing minutes; and 4. the beginning/expiration dates of the challenge period following each UF Senate meeting, and Page 2 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

6 b. to be distributed before Labor Day along with the current roster of all elected members of the UF governance system as submitted by The Elections Committee immediately after the spring elections. 7. Appoint a Faculty Parliamentarian for the year. 8. Ensure that the Bylaws of the UF are being followed assiduously, and 9. Present all candidates for degrees to the President during the annual commencement exercises and sit on the stage. C. THE VICE-CHAIRPERSON OF THE UF and UF SENATE shall: 1. Preside in the absence of the chairperson; 2. Serve as the UF s liaison to the Board of Trustees and attend meetings of the Board, and report on such activities to the UF and UF Senate; 3. Perform triennial evaluation of the administrators by preparing the draft instrument for Senate approval in the Fall of 2004 and every third year thereafter for administering the evaluation in March 2005 and every third year thereafter. The Vice Chair shares the results of the evaluation at the last meeting of the UF Senate in May, in closed executive session, and 4. Ensure that the Bylaws of the UF are being followed assiduously. D. THE SECRETARY OF THE UF and the UF SENATE shall: 1. Record the minutes of each meeting of the UF and UF Senate; 2. Prepare and distribute the minutes to all members of the UF no later than ten (10) school days after the meetings; a "school day" is any weekday from 15 August until the due date for fall semester's final grades exclusive of Thanksgiving break, and from 15 January until the due date for spring semester's final grades, exclusive of Spring break. 3. Work closely with the UF Chair in summarizing the actions of the UF Senate for immediate posting on campus within two school days, so that the ten school day grace period for challenges by the UF on UF Senate decisions can begin with this electronic posting; 4. Assure that the communication between and among the legislative councils, the UF Senate and the UF is open and frequent; and 5. Ensure that the Bylaws of the UF are being followed assiduously. Page 3 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

7 ARTICLE V: MEETINGS OF THE UF A. The UF shall meet at least two times during an academic year--october and April. Nonetheless, the chairperson of the UF may convene meetings of the UF as needed. Meetings shall occur on a Monday designated by the chairperson of the UF. A quorum for regular UF meetings shall consist of all UF members present while a quorum for special meetings to reconsider actions of UF Senate (Article VII.C.8.b.ii and Article VIII.F) shall be twenty percent (20%) of eligible UF members. In the event that it appears that there is no pressing business for the Fall UF meeting, the Chair may, with the approval of a majority of the UF Senate, cancel the Fall UF meeting. In case of cancellation, the Chair shall give the faculty at least one week s notice of the cancellation. 1. ELECTIONS. The election of officers, senators, legislative council members, and standing committee members will be conducted during the spring semester of each year. The UF Senate will be responsible for nomination and election procedures, which may include written, electronic, or other means as deemed appropriate by the UF Senate. For these elections, if no majority is reached on the first ballot, only the two candidates with the highest number of votes for each position shall remain on the ballot. a. In the case of mail ballots, each eligible voter shall receive a ballot and a plain envelope in which to enclose the marked ballot. The marked ballot shall be returned to the UF Senate with the faculty member s signature on the envelope and will be returned to the UF Senate, with the faculty member's signature on the envelope, within seven school days. b. In the case of electronic voting, the UF Senate will utilize a secure system that verifies each submission is from an eligible voter and disallows multiple submissions per voter on any one ballot. c. The UF Senate shall report the results to the UF. 2. Except where otherwise provided for by the Bylaws of the UF, the most recent edition of Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be followed. B. To facilitate shared governance and dialogue between the Administration and the UF governance system, the Executive Committee of the UF Senate, along with the chair of the Faculty Welfare committee, shall meet regularly throughout the academic year with the President. 1. The President and the UF Chair will preside as co-chairs of these meetings. The co-chairs will develop an agenda for each meeting and distribute it in advance to attendees. 2. The President and the UF Chair may invite significant others to the meeting, as the agenda warrants. 3. No formal minutes are taken of these meetings. Nonetheless, in order that there be a record of each meeting, a. The UF Chair summarizes the meeting s results at the next regular or special meeting of the UF Senate, and b. The UF Secretary records that summary in the minutes of the UF Senate meeting. Page 4 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

8 4. These meetings are intended neither for decision-making nor for policy-making purposes. ARTICLE VI: THE UF SENATE A. PURPOSE. The UF Senate, under the leadership of the elected officers of the UF, shall be the principal decision-making body of the UF on all matters described in Article II of these bylaws. 1. The UF Senate shall delegate to both of the elected legislative councils authority to set, implement and monitor those policies and procedures explicitly relevant to the interests of the constituencies served by the councils. 2. These councils shall be named (a) the Council on Undergraduate Education and (b) the Council on Graduate Education. B. MEMBERSHIP AND ELECTIONS. The UF Senate shall be composed of 17 faculty Senators and four non-voting representatives. 1. Their election or selection is as follows: a. Three (3) officers of the UF; b. Two (2) chairs of the legislative councils; c. Twelve (12) senators elected from the UF as follows: 1. Six (6) senators elected at-large from the UF; 2. Four (4) senators with primary responsibility at the undergraduate level; and 3. Two (2) senators with primary responsibility at the graduate level. d. Four (4) non-voting representatives as follows: 1. The elected President of the Student Body Government (SBG) 2. The elected President of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) 3. A representative of the Staff of the University as selected by the Gallaudet Staff Council. 4. A representative of the Academic Affairs deans as selected by the Provost 2. Particular membership restrictions are as follows: a. There shall be no more than two (2) elected officers or senators (excluding chairs of legislative councils) from the same department and no more than one (1) from the same academic program. This does not apply to previously elected senators who become members of the same department due to subsequent reorganization. b. Designated administrators of the university may not be elected as senators. c. The Chair of the UF Senate will determine, in consultations with the members of the UF Senate, how best to resolve special situations (such as administrative reorganizations) on an individual basis. 3. The term of office for each of the twelve (12) senators elected from the UF shall be three (3) years, beginning August 16 of the year in which they are elected. No senator may serve for more than two (2) consecutive terms representing the UF At-large, the undergraduate level, the graduate level, or any combination thereof. Page 5 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

9 The officers of the UF and the chairs of the legislative councils shall remain senators for their respective terms of office. No elected member may serve on any standing committee or council. A senator may be recalled by a majority vote of the constituency being represented, or by the UF. All senators shall be expected to attend all meetings and, if unable to do so, shall notify the chairperson or the secretary of the UF in advance. If a senator has two (2) consecutive unexcused absences, (s)he shall be liable to recall. 4. In the event that an elected member of the UF Senate is unable to fulfill his/her term on the UF Senate due to Sabbatical leave, illness, or leave of absence, a replacement will be selected by the chairperson of the UF Senate in consultation with the members of the UF Senate. The duration of the replacement shall be determined on an individual basis, and is not to exceed the term of office. C. PROCEDURES. UF Senate meetings shall follow the rules contained in the current edition of Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised in all cases to which the rules are applicable and are consistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the UF Senate may adopt. 1. The agenda for every meeting of the UF Senate shall be published and distributed to all members of the UF at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting. 2. Any member of the UF may submit items for the agenda of the UF Senate's meetings. Those items must be received by the chairperson of the UF in writing at least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting. 3. Any member of the UF may observe any meeting of the UF Senate and have rights of the floor. 4. Individuals within the university who are not voting members of the UF may observe any meeting of the UF Senate. They may speak to a particular agenda item if the chairperson of the UF is notified of such intention at least one (1) school day prior to the scheduled meeting. 5. All standing committee and legislative council agenda items. E.g. reports and/or proposals with supporting documentation, must be received by the chairperson of the UF fourteen (14) calendar days before each regularly scheduled meeting. Proposals or reports of an urgent nature may be submitted as late as three (3) school days prior to a scheduled meeting with approval of a majority of the three (3) officers of the UF. a. The chairs of the standing committees and legislative councils shall report to the UF Senate at its regularly scheduled meetings. The UF Senate shall review the reports and proposals of the standing committees of the UF. The UF Senate shall vote to approve or disapprove all items requiring action. b. The UF Senate shall review actions taken by the legislative councils. c. Legislative councils shall present reports on their decisions regarding course and program changes. Examples of items to be included in the reports are changes to a single course and minor program changes. Reports from the legislative councils do not require any action from the UF Senate. d. Legislative councils shall present proposals on general policies and procedures, new courses, new programs and significant program changes, including program closures, to the UF Senate for action. A proposal will pass if it receives a majority vote of all Senators Page 6 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

10 present and voting. A proposal that fails to receive majority vote will be sent back to the council with an explanation for its rejection. (i) Senators voting in opposition to a proposal shall collaborate with council members to resolve the issue(s) to which they objected. (ii) The legislative council may then resubmit the item in question to the UF Senate for reconsideration at which time a second vote will be called. (iii) If the council s proposal does not pass during this second vote, the proposal shall then be forwarded to a special meeting of the UF that will be called within 10 days. The UF, by majority vote will accept, reject, or modify the council s item under discussion. 6. The actions of the UF Senate shall be forwarded by the chairperson of the UF to the president and the chief academic officer of the university and any appropriate administrative offices. 7. The UF Senate shall meet regularly, at least once a month, during the regular academic year. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson of the UF at any time during the school year. Special meetings called after the close of the spring semester shall be reserved exclusively for business that is both urgent and important. Special meetings may also be called anytime by a request of at least 6 of the 17 faculty Senators. a. A quorum for a meeting of the UF Senate shall be two-thirds (12 members) of the full 17 member UF Senate. b. Votes of the UF Senate shall be by show of hands, except when a roll-call vote is requested by one or more senators. Upon a majority vote of its members, the UF Senate may elect to go into closed executive session for the purpose of considering and acting on matters its members judge to be of confidential nature. c. Under exceptional circumstances, the UF Senate, by majority vote, may decide that it would be useful or necessary to conduct business and vote on motions electronically. In such a situation, voting will be conducted through secure means. The electronic voting will be preceded and accompanied by an electronic discussion. Electronic discussions will be held as a Committee of the Whole. Electronic voting and discussion will remain open for specified periods with a minimum of 48 hours for discussion and 48 hours for voting. Electronic voting and discussion will be conducted in accordance with all other provisions of the UF Bylaws. d. The minutes of the meeting shall be prepared and distributed no later than ten (10) school days after a meeting. The minutes shall include the names of the senators who were present and absent. The minutes shall also indicate how each senator voted on issues where a rollcall vote was called. (See also VI, C, 8, a.) e. While the published agenda of the meeting shall be the order of business conducted by the UF Senate, the agenda shall not preclude new proposals of an emergency nature from being made from the floor during the meeting of the UF Senate, nor does the agenda preclude action being taken on these matters. Items brought from the floor, as thus described, must pass by a two-thirds majority of those senators present and voting. Page 7 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

11 f. All actions taken by the UF Senate shall be considered as actions taken for the UF and in no case as actions of an autonomous body. The UF retains its right to initiate action. g. The UF shall have the right to modify or revoke actions of the UF Senate. Upon receiving a petition signed by at least ten percent (10%) of the voting members of the UF, the Chair of the Faculty shall convene a meeting of the UF to consider modification or revocation of actions taken by the UF Senate. The date of this meeting shall be determined by the Chair of the Faculty, but in no case shall it be more than thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of the petition. For modification or revocation of UF Senate action, the quorum requirements will be 20 percent of the General Faculty membership. Under such conditions, a simple majority of those present and voting will suffice to modify or revoke any actions of the UF Senate (See Article V, Section A). 8. Decisions of the UF Senate including actions of the UF Senate to accept without comment actions of the legislative councils may be challenged by the UF. The following procedure for recall shall apply: a. Actions of the UF Senate shall be posted via by the secretary within two (2) school days after a meeting. These actions will not be implemented for a grace period of ten (10) school days during the regular academic year following the posting. b. Challenges of any action of the UF Senate within the ten (10) school day grace period shall suspend implementation and bring that action before a meeting of the UF for its consideration. (i) Petitioners shall inform the UF Chairperson of their intent to challenge. The Chair shall inform the petitioners as to the number of signatures of voting members of the UF they will need to file the challenge petition and of the closing date of the ten (10) school day grace period. A petition must have the signatures of at least ten percent (10%) of the voting members of the UF. (ii) After a properly submitted challenge petition has been received by the UF Chair, the UF Chair shall then convene a meeting of the UF to consider the decision being challenged, with an agenda published and distributed to all members of the UF at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the meeting. c. If fewer than ten percent (10%) of the UF support the challenge within the ten (10) school days grace period, then the actions of the UF Senate shall be assumed to have the support of the UF and shall be implemented. d. Actions of the UF Senate do not become official until the grace period, as described above, has passed without a challenge being registered, or until a registered challenge has been resolved. 9. The UF Senate shall review and advise the administration on the relative merits of creating new administrative structures, revising existing structures, and re-defining the purposes and functions of existing programs. 10. The UF Senate shall make recommendations to the administration regarding the academic calendar. Page 8 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

12 11. The UF Senate shall establish such guidelines (house rules) and operating procedures as are necessary to govern and expedite its business. These guidelines and procedures shall be in writing and shall be distributed to the UF. ARTICLE VII: STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE UF A. PURPOSE. To conduct its business effectively and efficiently, the UF shall constitute as many standing committees as is necessary. 1. These standing committees shall be coordinated by the officers of the UF Senate. 2. A quorum for meetings of these committees shall be a majority of the members of each committee. 3. Each standing committee shall elect its own chair. 4. All standing committees shall report to the UF Senate at regular meetings of the UF Senate. The UF Senate will act on all recommendations and final reports made by the standing committees. B. MEMBERSHIP. Terms of office for standing committees of the UF shall be for a period of three (3) years, beginning August 16 of the year in which the member is elected. No elected standing committee member may serve for more than two (2) consecutive terms on the same standing committee. With the exception of members of the Tenure and Promotion Committee and the Grievances Committee, no elected standing committee member may serve concurrently on the UF Senate, or any other standing committee or legislative council. No faculty member may serve concurrently on the Tenure and Promotion Committee and the Grievance Committee. The absence of a standing committee member from three (3) consecutive meetings without proper notification or just cause shall constitute grounds for recall. 1. All standing committees of the UF shall consist of members of the UF. The committees shall consist of: a. one (1) member with primary responsibility at the undergraduate level; b. one (1) member with primary responsibility at the graduate level; and c. other members elected at-large from the UF. 2. No standing committee shall have more than two (2) members from the same academic department and no more than one (1) from the same academic program, with the exception of The Tenure and Promotion Committee in which no more than one (1) member from any department may serve. 3. Designated administrators of the university may not be elected to standing committees of the UF, but may under the notion of shared governance attend committee meetings. However, a standing committee has the right to call an executive session at any time and to request that all non-members leave the meeting. 4. Only tenured faculty members shall serve as chairs of the standing committees. 5. The UF Chair and a standing committee chair may request and negotiate per diem pay or other compensation for all committee members and any faculty representative whenever the presence of such faculty is requested or needed during summer months. 6. The Chairs of the Faculty Welfare Committee and the Grievances Committee may request release time if circumstances warrant. Page 9 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

13 C. REPLACEMENT. In the event that an elected member on a standing committee due to sabbatical leave, protracted illness, leave of absence, or for any other reason, is unable to fulfill his or her duties, a replacement will be selected by the standing committee chair in consultation with the standing committee membership and the approval of the UF Senate. The duration of the replacement shall be determined on an individual basis. D. FACULTY WELFARE. This standing committee of seven (7) shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 1. Develop, revise, and recommend to the UF Senate policies regarding the rights and responsibilities of individual faculty members, and those of academic departments/programs; 2. Develop, revise and recommend to the UF Senate policies for inclusion in the University Faculty Handbook for a. Personnel actions such as criteria for merit increases, reappointment, nonreappointment, retirement, dismissal, layoffs, leaves of absence, sick leave, academic leave and sabbatical, and b. Teaching qualifications, and faculty teaching and workload which recognize the various responsibilities and activities of faculty at the undergraduate and graduate levels of the UF After approval by the UF Senate and the Board of Trustees, the committee shall publish and distribute the revised UF Handbook to the UF; 3. Develop and revise as necessary the A-series and D-series forms for personnel actions. 4. Monitor the implementation of the University Faculty Handbook and report any potential violations to the UF Senate for enforcement. The committee may exercise, at its discretion, the option of appointing an ad hoc committee consisting of one (1) current member and two (2) former members of the Faculty Welfare Committee. c. The departments of instruction shall send to the Faculty Welfare Committee all recommendations for appointment, merit increases, dismissal, promotion, tenure, academic leave and sabbatical leave; d. The Faculty Welfare Committee or the ad hoc committee must approve the recommendations of the instructional departments unless there is a clear conflict between the recommendations and the UF Handbook. The Faculty Welfare Committee shall then advise the department and respective dean of its action; e. If the dean rejects without satisfactory explanation the Faculty Welfare Committee's notification that a conflict exists, then the Faculty Welfare Committee shall place the matter upon the agenda of the next meeting of the UF Senate; and f. Matters of appointment, promotion, dismissal, academic leave, and sabbatical leave are subject to final action by the University Administration. The Board of Trustees will make final decisions on the granting of tenure. 5. Review the criteria, guidelines and assessment procedures of the departments of instruction for merit increase, reappointment, nonreappointment, promotion and tenure, to confirm that they Page 10 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

14 conform with the faculty evaluation guidelines in the Faculty Handbook. Each department will be reviewed at least once every three years, with the review staggered so that the committee reviews one-third of the departments of instruction in any one year. E. FACULTY-STUDENT AFFAIRS. This standing committee of five (5) shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 1. Develop and recommend to the UF Senate policies regarding the orientation and special programs for undergraduate and graduate students; 2. Develop and recommend to the UF Senate policies regarding academic advisement for all students; 3. Develop and recommend to the UF Senate policies regarding the presentation of honors and prizes to members of the UF; 4. Confer with the appropriate legislative council when developing policies and procedures within the purview of the respective council; and 5. Review and decide on requests for reinstatement from any undergraduate student who has been academically suspended and who wishes to be readmitted to school before the time specified by the Academic Suspension Policy, as stated in the Gallaudet University Undergraduate Catalog. 6. Work closely with the Student Body Government to identify ways to enhance faculty/student interaction as well as identify issues of mutual concern. 7. At the beginning of each academic year, the chair of this committee shall contact the President of the SBG and request that one (1) undergraduate student be appointed to serve on the committee for a period of one (1) year. Student participation is on a non-voting, advisory basis. Due to the nature of specific agenda items, the student representative may be excused from participation at the committee s discretion. F. GRIEVANCE. This standing committee shall consist of four (4) tenured members of the UF and one (1) non-tenured member of the UF, and shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 1. Serve as a hearing committee for individual faculty members or academic departments/programs who are unable to resolve grievances, after having consulted with those having administrative responsibility over them up to and including the chief academic officer of the university as outlined in Section 13 of the UF Handbook. a. Sections 13.1 and 13.2 of the Faculty Handbook state the types of grievances that may be appealed to the Grievance Committee, how the Committee makes a decision whether to hear a grievance, and the procedures and timelines that are to be followed. b. The Faculty Handbook (Section ) provides guidelines for handling conflicts of interest check by Grievance Committee members prior to each grievance hearing, as well as for handling objections about Grievance Committee members from any other persons and a process for replacing member who have conflicts of interest. c. The Grievance Committee shall have the power to call witnesses and investigate evidence relevant to the case. The investigation shall be closed, with only the committee members Page 11 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

15 and the testifying witnesses attending. When the grievant appears, they shall have the right to be assisted by another faculty member or an advocate. d. The committee s investigation must be completed within twenty-five (25) school days unless there are exceptional circumstances. Permission to exceed the 25-class-day period must be approved by the UF Chair and explained to the grievant. e. At the end of its investigation, the Grievance Committee shall submit a report on the case to the President with copies to the Provost, the grievant, and the UF Chair. 2. Procedures governing faculty dismissal are outlined in SECTION 13 of the UF Handbook. G. SALARY AND BENEFITS. This standing committee of six (6) plus a non-voting member assigned by the Provost with approval by the UF Chair shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 1. Serve as an advisory body to the chief academic officer and/or president and his/her administration on matters of salary and benefits for regular and contingent faculty. Its investigative and advisory functions will include but not be limited to the following: a. Review the Gallaudet University salary and benefits schedule relative to appropriate local and national comparators; b. Review the faculty salary and benefits package on an annual basis to ensure its continued suitability for the Gallaudet University faculty; c. Serve as a channel for faculty concerns about salary and benefits by canvassing the faculty at large and/or interacting with appropriate faculty governance bodies; and d. Serve as a liaison to the administration and the UF Senate on fiscal problems, priorities and crises that concern faculty emerging from sources either internal or external to Gallaudet University; 2. Review and discuss with the chief academic officer and/or president of Gallaudet University the budget plans relative to compensation for regular and contingent faculty for future years at least annually; and 3. Report the results of its deliberations to the UF Senate, the faculty, the chief academic officer/president, plus other academic or university units/committees as requested. H. FACULTY DEVELOPMENT. This standing committee of five (5) shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 1. Review and recommend to the UF Senate policies regarding the orientation of new faculty members of the UF; 2. Develop and recommend to the UF Senate guidelines for proposals for faculty development funding; 3. Receive, review and recommend to the chief academic officer proposals submitted by members of the UF for funding; Page 12 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

16 4. Provide an annual report to the UF on its activities including decisions on submitted individual proposals; and 5. Provide a written quarterly report to the chief academic officer in the disbursement of Faculty Development funds. I. TENURE AND PROMOTION COMMITTEE. 1. Composition a. The committee shall consist of 9 members, 7 elected by the Faculty and 2 appointed by the Chair of the Faculty. Membership will be divided between CAS and SEBHS faculty in the same ratio as the number of faculty in each school. b. All members shall be tenured and hold the rank of Professor or Associate Professor. At least two thirds of the members of the committee must hold the rank of Professor and at least one member of the Committee must hold the rank of Associate Professor. Members of the committee who hold the rank of Associate Professor may not participate in deliberations or decisions of those applications of candidates seeking promotion to the rank of Professor. c. The committee shall be composed of undergraduate and graduate faculty. There shall be at least two Regular Graduate faculty holding the rank of Professor on the committee. d. There cannot be more than one (1) elected member from any one department serving at the same time. e. The UF Chair will make appointments in order to ensure that the committee is diverse and has the proper balance between CAS and SEBHS faculty. f. If a candidate for tenure or promotion considers the participation of some member of the Tenure and Promotion Committee to be inappropriate, or if any member of the Tenure and Promotion Committee has a bias or conflict of interest, including but not limited to membership in the candidate's department, the UF Chair will replace that person. 2. Duties and Procedures a. The departments of instruction will send to the Tenure and Promotion Committee the appropriate A- series form for promotion (A-2) or tenure (A-5) by the deadline for requests. The Tenure and Promotion Committee shall ensure the request complies with the relevant eligibility criteria in the UF Handbook, indicating this by signature on the form. b. The Tenure and Promotion Committee will review all official paperwork and the candidate s professional portfolio as well as an abridged file prepared by the candidate. The committee s review shall focus solely on whether or not the candidate has met the criteria for promotion or tenure established by the candidate s department and the requirements for promotion or tenure found in the University Faculty Handbook. If it is the committee s decision that the candidate has not met the criteria for promotion or Page 13 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

17 tenure established by the candidate s department, they may, if they feel the situation so warrants, recommend to the dean that the requested personnel action be supported. Such an action may be taken only under unusual or extraordinary circumstances, which are to be shared with the dean, the faculty candidate, and the department chair. c. At the end of its review, the Tenure and Promotion Committee shall submit its recommendation to the Dean, the candidate, and the candidate s department chair. If applicable, the Committee s report to the Dean shall specify each instance that the candidate has failed to meet the criteria established by either the candidate s department or the University Faculty Handbook. The report to the candidate and to the candidate s department chair shall consist of a statement of the committee s specific decision. d. Faculty who appeal a tenure or promotion decision to the Grievances Committee may use the Tenure and Promotion Committee s recommendation to the Dean as part of their appeal. In the event the Dean has not followed a recommendation by the Tenure and Promotion Committee, Faculty may ask for the Committee to comment in writing on the Dean's rationale. e. Promotion is subject to final decision by the University Administration. The Board of Trustees will make final decisions on the granting of tenure. f. The committee members shall be expected to maintain the highest standards of confidentiality in all matters relevant to service on this committee. g. The Tenure and Promotion Committee will advise the Faculty Welfare Committee annually of any department s criteria for faculty evaluation that is unclear, does not comply fully with the UF Handbook, is egregiously inconsistent with the level of standard used by the majority of departments, or in any other way has departmental promotion or tenure criteria that is problematic during evaluation. Feedback may include suggestions for how to improve UF Handbook criteria related to promotion and tenure. J. AD HOC COMMITTEES. The UF and UF Senate, legislative councils and standing committees may at any time establish ad hoc committees--appointed or elected--following Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RRONR). 1. When an ad hoc committee is established, the specific goal or task to be completed by the committee and the prescribed time frame in which it is to be completed must be specified. 2. Ad hoc committees report to the group that established them. 3. Faculty appointed to ad hoc committees may concurrently serve on standing committees, Legislative Councils, or the UF Senate in accordance with Section VII.B. 4. AD HOC MSCHE COMMITTEE: When appropriate, the UF Chair shall, with the approval of the UF Senate, appoint five (5) faculty members to collaborate with the administration in the writing of the decennial self-study, and other periodic review reports and lead the UF Senate and the UF in the review and acceptance of that report. The chair of this committee must be tenured. Page 14 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015

18 ARTICLE VIII: LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS OF THE UF A. PURPOSE. Within the UF there are two (2) major constituencies--the faculty whose primary responsibility is with the undergraduate programs and the faculty whose primary responsibility is with the graduate programs. 1. Each of the constituencies has interests and concerns which are unique to its group. Consequently, the legislative councils representing the interests of these constituencies shall be empowered to develop, approve, implement and monitor policies and procedures which are intended for use solely within the domain of the respective constituencies. 2. On matters that are clearly of concern to the entire UF, as determined by the UF Senate--salary, fringe benefits, rank and promotion, to name a few--these legislative councils shall defer to the UF Senate which shall, in turn, refer these matters of common concern to the appropriate standing committee of the UF. B. MEMBERSHIP. Membership on the Legislative Council on Undergraduate Education shall be for a period of three (3) years, beginning on August 1 of the year in which the member is elected. Membership on the Legislative Council on Graduate Education shall be for a period of three (3) years, beginning on August 1 of the year in which the member is elected by their department/program. 1. No elected legislative council member, except the council chairperson who serves also as a member of the UF Senate, may serve concurrently on the UF Senate or on any other legislative council or standing committee. 2. The absences of a legislative council member from three consecutive meetings without proper notification or just cause shall constitute grounds for recall. 3. Chairs of the Legislative Councils on Undergraduate Education and Graduate Education along with UF Faculty will negotiate release time or overload pay during times of major curriculum/policy review or change. Council members and any faculty representatives may request per diem pay--or other compensation whenever the presence of such faculty is requested or needed during nonschool days. C. REPLACEMENT. In the event that an elected member of a legislative council is unable to fulfill his/her term on the council due to sabbatical leave, protracted illness, leave of absence, or retirement, a replacement will be selected by the legislative council chair in consultation with the department chair/program director, the legislative council membership, and the UF Senate chair. The duration of the replacement shall be determined on an individual basis. D. COUNCIL ON UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION. This legislative council shall consist of nine (9) members elected by and from the UF. The nominees for membership must have primary responsibility at the undergraduate level. The council also includes non-voting members from the Registrar s Office, Dean s Office, Academic Advising, and the Student Body Government. Due to the nature of specific agenda items, non-voting members may be excused from participation at the committee s discretion. 1. No two members of the Council shall be from the same program, and no more than two members of the Council shall be from the same department. At least one-third of the membership shall be Page 15 of the University Faculty Bylaws, Amended April 20, 2015