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Home > Committees

GUIDELINES FOR SENATE MINUTES AND SENATE COMMITTEE MINUTES

All committees of the University Senate, Faculty Senate, and Student Senate shall record minutes of meetings to serve as an official record and as a means of communicating governance business to the University community. The following shall serve as guidelines on committee minute format, procedure, and distribution:

I. Senate Minutes

All Senate minutes will be made publicly accessible through the University Libraries Digital Conservancy.

II. Senate Committee Minutes

Format

- Minutes shall be prepared so that general topics are easily identifiable, members (present and absent) and guests are indicated, and all pages contain the committee's name and meeting date.

- Committee minutes shall include on the first page the following disclaimer: These minutes reflect discussion and debate at a meeting of a committee of the University of Minnesota Senate; none of the comments, conclusions, or actions reported in these minutes represents the views of, nor are they binding on, the Senate, the Administration, or the Board of Regents.

Procedures

- Senate staff members will prepare minutes within a timely period. In the event Senate staff are unable to do so, it is the responsibility of the committee chair to ensure that minutes are prepared.

- When committees elect to go into closed or executive session, the minutes shall contain a list of all topics discussed in its closed meetings.

- Committees shall formally approve their minutes. They may delegate this responsibility to the chair. It shall be left to the discretion of the committee to decide whether formal approval shall occur before distribution.

- A copy of the minutes from each committee meeting shall be deposited in the University Libraries Digital Conservancy so they are accessible to the public.

Distribution

- Distribution: Minutes shall be distributed to committee members and other appropriate University individuals identified by the committee at the beginning of the academic year. Others may request that their names be added to the mailing list. Minutes will be distributed electronically.

Originally approved by the Senate Committee 9/23/99

Approved as amended by the Senate Consultative Committee for University Senate Committees 11/18/10

Approved as amended by the Faculty Consultative Committee for Faculty Senate Committees 9/30/10