UNIVERSITY SENATE RULES

ARTICLE I. RULES OF THE UNIVERSITY SENATE (Changes to this article are subject to vote only by the University Senate)

1. Organization

The University Senate may determine its own organization, create committees whose membership need not be limited to members of the University Senate, and adopt procedural Rules for the conduct of its business.

2. Agenda and Minutes

The Senate Consultative Committee shall plan the agenda for any meeting of the University Senate, for which it serves as the executive and steering committee. This responsibility may be delegated to a Committee on Business and Rules, which the Senate Consultative Committee and Faculty Consultative Committee may jointly agree will be responsible for the agendas of the University and Faculty Senates. The agenda shall be prepared and distributed by the Clerk of the Senate. The agenda consists of items submitted for University Senate consideration by the Faculty Senate, the Student Senate, a campus assembly, the Faculty Consultative Committee, the Student Consultative Committee, the Council of Academic Professionals and Administrators, the Civil Service Committee, by any committee of the University Senate or campus assemblies, or by any member of the Senate. At the discretion of the Senate Consultative Committee, the Clerk of the Senate may be instructed to include additional items on the agenda for any regular meeting of the University Senate. Items for the docket must be delivered to the Clerk no later than two weeks prior to the date of each meeting.

The minutes of the meetings of the University Senate shall be available to all faculty, academic staff, civil service staff, and students. The actions of Senate meetings shall be available in like manner.

3. Amendments to the Rules

Amendments to the University Senate Rules shall be made by a majority vote of the members of the University Senate present and voting at any meeting of the University Senate. However, the Rules cannot be amended to contravene either the Constitution or the Bylaws. If such a situation presents itself, a Constitutional or Bylaws amendment motion must be undertaken. Rules of Order (Robert's Rules Newly Revised) may be suspended by a two-thirds majority vote.

4. Seating

The meeting room shall provide a clear and definite area reserved for senators, and no non-senator (except authorized alternates, the Clerk and parliamentarian, and Senate staff) shall have access to this area without explicit permission from the chair. Senators and authorized alternates shall be identified in order to permit their seating to ensure accurate voting.

5. Recognition and Participation

a. In deliberations, priority of recognition shall be given to senators over non-senators; speakers who have not spoken over those who have; alternation of pro and con on a specific issue.

b. Any senator, upon recognition from the chair, may yield time in debate to a non-senator.

c. In the event that a senator has yielded time to a non-senator, both shall be considered to have spoken.

d. Speakers shall be limited to three minutes each time they are recognized.

e. The member of a committee presenting an item on the docket who is not a member of the University Senate shall be extended all privileges associated with participation. These include making motions in areas related to the committee report. Such a person shall not be extended the privilege of voting.

f. Members of committees of the University Senate who are not members of the University Senate shall have the privilege of speaking on reports of their committees before the University Senate.

g. The usual Rules of germaneness and decorum shall apply to both senators and non-senators.

6. Meeting Procedures

a. The time limits specified on the agenda are the maximum time for debate or discussion. A motion to extend the limits of debate may be proposed on any agenda item.

b. The University Senate may not consider any amendment to a motion appearing in the printed docket unless the person making the motion has submitted the proposed amendment in writing to the Clerk of the Senate at least 48 hours before the meeting. There are two exceptions to this rule. First, the person making the motion on the docket may accept, on the floor of the University Senate, amendments they consider to be friendly. Second, the University Senate may consider such an amendment if the majority of senators present vote to do so. Before any vote is taken to consider an amendment on the floor, the person offering it must present it in writing (or, if connected to the meeting electronically, must provide specific wording) to the Clerk.

c. An item of new business presented at a meeting of the University Senate by an individual member shall be referred to the Senate Consultative Committee for consideration and presentation at the next regular meeting of the University Senate; but such an item of business may be considered and voted on at the meeting at which it is introduced by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the University Senate present and voting on a motion for immediate consideration (not debatable). An item on the agenda for information may be sent back to the committee reporting it, for presentation as an item for action at a later meeting, by a simple majority vote of the members of the University Senate present and voting; it may be considered for action at the meeting at which it is reported for information by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the University Senate present and voting on a proposal for immediate consideration as an item for action.

d. The motion to table shall be debatable.

e. At each meeting of the University Senate when the President is present, Questions to the President shall be an item on the agenda.

f. In the case of a tie vote, the President shall be entitled to vote.

ARTICLE II. RULES FOR COMMITTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY SENATE (Changes to this article are subject to vote only by the University Senate)

1. Ex Officio Members of University Senate Committees

Ex officio representation is accorded because of, or by virtue of, a specified office. An ex officio member has rights of full participation except voting privileges unless otherwise indicated. Ex officio administrative members shall be appointed from each of the offices as specified in the following provisions and shall have the authority to designate someone to attend meetings in their place. Committee chairs who serve ex officio on other committees may designate a representative from their committees to attend in their place. The University Senate vice chair may not designate an alternative representative to the Senate Consultative Committee.

- Advisory Committee on Athletics--Director of intercollegiate athletics; Director of Academic Counseling; Director of Athletic Compliance

- All-University Honors--Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost; Office of the Vice President for University Relations (three representatives, including one from Alumni Relations and one from the University Development Office); Office of the Chancellor – Duluth; Office of the Chancellor - Crookston

- Disabilities Issues--Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (the University ADA coordinator); Office of the Vice President for Equity and Diversity (Disability Services)

- Equity, Access, and Diversity-- Office of the Vice President for Equity and Diversity (four representatives, including one from the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, one from the Office for University Women, and one from the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Ally Programs Office)

- Finance and Planning--reports to both the University Senate and the Faculty Senate; ex officio members are listed under Faculty Senate committees

- Information Technologies--Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost; Chief Information Officer; University Librarian, Twin Cities Campus; Chair of the Library Committee

- Library--Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost; University Librarian, Twin Cities campus; Director of Library Services, Crookston campus; Director of Libraries, Duluth campus; Library Director, Morris campus; Director of the Law Library, Twin Cities Campus; Librarian, Rochester Campus; Chair of the Information Technologies Committee

- Senate Consultative--Vice chair of the University Senate (voting); past chair of the Faculty Consultative Committee (voting if not otherwise a voting member); Chair of the Finance and Planning Committee; Chair of the Educational Policy Committee; elected representative from the Duluth faculty eligible to vote in Senate elections

- Social Concerns--Office of the Vice President for Budget and Finance (Office of Investments and Banking); Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (Office of Student Affairs); Office of the Vice President for Equity and Diversity (Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action)

- Student Academic Integrity--Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (two representatives, including the Director of the Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity)

- Student Behavior--Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (Director of the Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity)

2. Terms of Membership, Chairing of Committees, and Removal of Members for Absences

a. Non-student appointments to committees of the University Senate shall be made for terms of three years, with appointments so adjusted that the terms of approximately one third of the members expire each year. Faculty and academic staff who hold a University position carrying as any part of its title President, vice president, chancellor, provost, executive director, counsel, non-faculty attorney, or chief of staff at a collegiate or central administrative level may not serve as a voting member of a University Senate committee, nor may the University Librarian or anyone who is a dean, except ex officio. Individuals with less than one-third-time appointments as assistant or associate deans may serve as voting members or chairs of University Senate committees.

b. Student appointments to committees of the University Senate shall be made for terms of two years. Student members of committees must be registered for at least six credits for each semester in the academic year. Graduate students who have completed course work and are not required to maintain continuous registration during interim periods of study in preparation for written and oral examinations must be certified by the individual department director of graduate studies.

c. Terms of committee service begin July 1 and terminate June 30. No non-student member is eligible to serve more than two consecutive full three-year terms on any one committee, and shall be eligible for reappointment only after a one-year interval of nonmembership on that committee. No student member is eligible to serve more than two consecutive two-year terms on any one committee. No committee member is eligible to serve on more than two committees of the University Senate, the Faculty Senate, or the Student Senate at a time. These rotation procedures and limitations do not apply to ex officio representatives.

d. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions, faculty, academic professionals, and civil service staff appointed to the four-year terms of membership on the Finance and Planning Committee shall be eligible to serve two consecutive four-year terms, for a total of eight years.

e. Notwithstanding Rule 2(c), the Senate Committee on Committees shall have authority to waive the term limit for faculty, academic professionals, civil service staff, and students from the coordinate campuses.

f. Except where specified, the chair of each committee of the University Senate is appointed from the committee membership by whoever appoints the members of the committee. Chair appointments are for one-year terms, but chairs may be reappointed. An individual may chair only one committee of the University Senate, the Faculty Senate, or the Student Senate at a time. Terms of chairs begin July 1 and terminate June 30.

g. A member of a committee (whether appointed or elected) of the University Senate shall be said to have been absent if the member does not attend a meeting for which notification was given, subject to the provisions of (1) - (6) of this section (f). A non-student member of a committee of the University Senate shall forfeit membership if absent for three consecutive meetings of the committee unless excused by the chair of the committee. A student member of a committee of the University Senate shall forfeit membership if absent for two meetings of the committee unless excused by the chair of the committee. Summer meetings of a committee do not count in tallying consecutive absences from meetings. A member whose membership has been forfeited may appeal to the appropriate appointing authority for reinstatement.

(1) Committee members who have official class teaching responsibilities, class conflicts (students), medical issues, or other serious and uncontrollable factors that prevent their attendance at committee meetings for a semester should be given "excused absences" and not have the rule applied to them. If circumstances will prevent someone from attending meetings for more than a semester, the person should be asked to consider resigning and be appointed at a future time when commitments would not preclude participation.

(2) Before the first meeting of the year (and of spring semester), the chair (or committee staff on behalf of the chair) should inquire if there are people who will be unable to attend meetings because of involuntary commitments/circumstances (e.g., teaching), and if there are a number of individuals who will be unable to attend, the chair should consider the possibility of changing the meeting time or rotating committee meeting times so that some members would be able to attend at least some of the meetings.

(3) Letters of forfeiture from the chair of Committee on Committees will be sent only after the chair of the committee in question has been notified that one of the committee members has forfeited his or her seat. It is the responsibility of the committee chair, if he or she wishes, to discuss with committee members problems with scheduling before any forfeiture letter is sent.

(4) If the number of excused absences is significant but moving the meeting time is not appropriate, the committee chair can request of the Committee on Committees an expansion of the committee size so that there will always be a sufficient number of people able to attend meetings to conduct the committee's business.

(5) Individuals who are going on leave may wish to take a leave of absence from their committee but resume committee participation upon their return. In that case, the individuals need not be permanently replaced on a committee. Those individuals will be asked if they can identify someone to serve in their place, preferably from their own department, while they are on leave. Such a nomination would have to be approved by the Committee on Committees. In the event the individual was unable to find an interim replacement, the Committee on Committees will do so.

(6) This section (f) applies to committee members who miss any three consecutive meetings (non-student members) or two consecutive meetings (students), whether within one academic year or spanning more than one academic year.

g. In those instances when a committee member makes arrangements to attend a meeting by teleconference or other technological means, and the necessary technology fails to work, that committee member will not be considered to be absent from the meeting.

3. Leave Policy

If a committee member plans to be on leave from the University or is, for any reason, absent from the University for more than one year, a new committee member shall be appointed to complete the term remaining. Members on leave for one year or less during the first two years of a three-year term shall be replaced by temporary appointment. Members absent in the final year of a term shall be replaced for the term remaining. Replacement procedures shall follow appointment procedures.

4. Committee Support and Service

Staff support shall be funded by the Senate through funds administered by the Senate Budget Subcommittee. Staff support and services are interpreted as financial and employee assistance in research, data collection, record-keeping, and all aspects of secretarial services.  A staff support person shall not be considered an ex officio member.

5. Support of University Governance

Department chairs, deans, and faculties should recognize participation in University governance by faculty, academic staff, and civil service staff as an important and integral part of the individual's work load and supply necessary assistance and support for these activities.

Similarly, faculty and administration should recognize student participation in University governance as an important and integral part of the participant's total University experience.

Students who serve as chairs of certain University Senate committees should receive compensation; these committees will be identified by the Senate Consultative Committee.

6. Procedures for Committees of the University Senate

a. Parliamentary authority for committees of the University Senate shall be Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, provided these Rules are not in conflict with the Senate Constitution or Bylaws. These Rules may be suspended by a two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting. Rules for Committees of the University Senate may be suspended by simple majority vote of those present and voting.

b. A quorum shall be a majority of the members (not including vacant seats).

c. Committee members may participate and vote in committee meetings through an electronic connection.

d. The chair or a committee member who voted on the prevailing side, was absent, abstained, or did not vote may move, by electronic communication, that an action taken by the committee be reconsidered. The motion to reconsider, including a proposed disposition, must be made to or by the chair within two business days after the meeting was adjourned. Committee members must vote, by electronic communication, within two business days from the time the motion to reconsider was distributed. The number of votes cast on the motion must meet or exceed the requirement for a quorum; if that number is achieved, a two-thirds majority of those voting is needed for approval of the motion to reconsider.

e. A committee chair may exercise discretion to close all or part of a meeting to administrative ex officio members of the committee in order to permit candid discussion of matters that include, but are not limited to, personnel or administrative organization matters. The reason for the closed session should be included on the agenda for the meeting.

ARTICLE III. RULES OF THE FACULTY SENATE (Changes to this article are subject to vote only by the Faculty Senate)

1. Organization

The Faculty Senate may determine its own organization, create committees whose membership need not be limited to members of the Faculty Senate, and adopt procedural Rules for the conduct of its business.

2. Agenda and Minutes

The Faculty Consultative Committee shall plan the agenda for any meeting of the Faculty Senate, for which it serves as the executive and steering committee. This responsibility may be delegated to a Committee on Business and Rules, which the Senate Consultative Committee and Faculty Consultative Committee may jointly agree will be responsible for the agendas of the University and Faculty Senates. The agendas shall be prepared and distributed by the Clerk of the Senate. The agendas consist of items submitted for Faculty Senate consideration by the University Senate, the Student Senate, a campus assembly, the Senate Consultative Committee, the Student Consultative Committee, by any committee of the Faculty Senate or campus assemblies, or by any member of the Faculty Senate. At the discretion of the Faculty Consultative Committee, the Clerk of the Senate may be instructed to include additional items on the agenda for any regular meeting of the Faculty Senate. Items for the docket must be delivered to the Clerk no later than two weeks prior to the date of each meeting.

The minutes of each Faculty Senate meeting shall be available to all faculty, academic staff, civil service staff, and students. The actions of Faculty Senate meetings shall be available in like manner.

3. Amendments to the Rules

Amendments to the Faculty Senate Rules shall be made by a majority vote of the members of the Faculty Senate present and voting at any meeting of the Faculty Senate. However, the Rules cannot be amended to contravene either the Constitution or the Bylaws. If such a situation presents itself, a Constitutional or Bylaws amendment motion must be undertaken.

4. Seating

The meeting room shall provide a clear and definite area reserved for senators, and no non-senator (except authorized alternates, the Clerk and parliamentarian, and Senate staff) shall have access to this area without explicit permission from the chair. Senators and authorized alternates shall be identified in order to permit their seating to ensure accurate voting.

5. Recognition and Participation

a. In deliberations, priority of recognition shall be given to senators over non-senators; speakers who have not spoken over those who have; alternation of pro and con on a specific issue.

b. Any senator, upon recognition from the chair, may yield time in debate to a non-senator.

c. In the event that a senator has yielded time to a non-senator, both shall be considered to have spoken.

d. Speakers shall be limited to three minutes each time they are recognized.

e. The member of a committee presenting an item on the docket who is not a member of the Faculty Senate shall be extended all privileges associated with participation. These include making motions in areas related to the committee report. Such a person shall not be extended the privilege of voting.

f. Members of committees of the Faculty Senate who are not members of the Faculty Senate shall have the privilege of speaking on reports of their committees before the Senate.

g. The usual Rules of germaneness and decorum shall apply to both senators and non-senators.

6. Meeting Procedures

a. The time limits specified on the agenda are the maximum time for debate or discussion. A motion to extend the limits of debate may be proposed on any agenda item.

b. The Faculty Senate may not consider any amendment to a motion appearing in the printed docket unless the person making the motion has submitted the proposed amendment in writing to the Clerk of the Senate at least 48 hours before the meeting. There are two exceptions to this rule. First, the person making the motion on the docket may accept, on the floor of the Faculty Senate, amendments they consider to be friendly. Second, the Faculty Senate may consider such an amendment if the majority of senators present vote to do so. Before any vote is taken to consider an amendment on the floor, the person offering it must present it in writing (or, if connected to the meeting electronically, must provide specific wording) to the Clerk.

c. An item of new business presented at a meeting of the Faculty Senate by an individual member shall be referred to the Faculty Consultative Committee for consideration and presentation at the next regular meeting of the Faculty Senate; but such an item of business may be considered and voted on at the meeting at which it is introduced by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Faculty Senate present and voting on a motion for immediate consideration (not debatable). An item on the agenda for information may be sent back to the committee reporting it, for presentation as an item for action at a later meeting, by a simple majority vote of the members of the Faculty Senate present and voting; it may be considered for action at the meeting at which it is reported for information by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Faculty Senate present and voting on a proposal for immediate consideration as an item for action.

d. The motion to table shall be debatable.

e. At each Faculty Senate meeting when the President is present, Questions to the President shall be an item on the agenda.

f. In the case of a tie vote, the President shall be entitled to vote.

g. Standing Rules of the Faculty Senate may be suspended by simple majority vote. Rules of Order (Robert's Rules Newly Revised) may be suspended by a two-thirds majority vote.

ARTICLE IV. RULES FOR COMMITTEES OF THE FACULTY SENATE (Changes to this article are subject to vote only by the Faculty Senate)

1. Ex Officio Members of Faculty Senate Committees

Ex officio representation is accorded because of, or by virtue of, a specified office. An ex officio member has rights of full participation except voting privileges unless otherwise indicated. Ex officio administrative members shall be appointed from each of the offices as specified in the following provisions and shall have the authority to designate someone to attend meetings in their place. Committee chairs who serve ex officio on other committees may designate a representative from their committees to attend in their place. The Faculty Senate vice chair may not designate an alternative representative to the Faculty Consultative Committee.

- Academic Freedom and Tenure--Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee; Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost; Chair of the Judicial Committee

- Educational Policy--Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education); Dean of the Graduate School; Office of the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences

- Faculty Academic Oversight Committee for Intercollegiate Athletics--Director of Academic Counseling; Director of Athletic Compliance; Director, Academic Support Resources

- Faculty Affairs--Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost; University of Minnesota Retirees Association; Office of the Vice President for Human Resources (two representatives, including one from Employee Benefits); Chair of the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee

- Faculty Consultative--Vice chair of the Faculty Senate (voting), past chair, Faculty Consultative Committee (voting, if not otherwise a voting member); Chairs of the Academic Health Center Faculty Consultative, Educational Policy, Faculty Affairs, Finance and Planning, and Research Committees; elected representative from the Duluth faculty eligible to vote in Senate elections; Faculty Legislative Liaison(s)

- Finance and Planning--Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (two representatives); Office of the Vice President for Budget and Finance (two representatives, including one from the Controller's Office); Office of the Vice President for University Services; Chair of the Academic Health Center Finance and Planning Subcommittee

- Research--Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (two representatives, including the Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station); Office of the Vice President for Budget and Finance; Office of the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences; Vice President for Research (two representatives); University Librarian; Director of Institutional Compliance

2. Terms of Membership, Chairing of Committees, and Removal of Members for Absences

a. Non-student appointments to committees of the Faculty Senate shall be made for terms of three years, with appointments so adjusted that the terms of approximately one third of the members expire each year. Faculty and academic staff who hold a University position carrying as any part of its title President, vice president, chancellor, provost, executive director, counsel, non-faculty attorney, or chief of staff at a collegiate or central administrative level may not serve as a voting member of a Faculty Senate committee, nor may the University Librarian nor anyone who is a dean, except ex officio. Individuals with less than one-third-time appointments as assistant or associate deans may serve as voting members and chairs of Faculty Senate committees.

b. Student appointments to committees of the Faculty Senate shall be made for terms of two years. Student members of committees must be registered for at least six credits for each semester in the academic year. Graduate students who have completed course work and are not required to maintain continuous registration during interim periods of study in preparation for written and oral examinations must be certified by the individual department director of graduate studies.

c. Terms of committee service begin July 1 and terminate June 30. No non-student member is eligible to serve more than two consecutive full three-year terms on any one committee, and shall be eligible for reappointment only after a one-year interval of nonmembership on that committee. No student member is eligible to serve more than two consecutive two-year terms on any one committee. No committee member is eligible to serve on more than two committees of the University Senate, the Faculty Senate, and the Student Senate at a time. These rotation procedures and limitations do not apply to ex officio representatives.

d. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions, faculty, academic staff, and civil service staff appointed to the four-year terms of membership on the Finance and Planning Committee shall be eligible to serve two consecutive four-year terms, for a total of eight years.

e. Notwithstanding Rule 2(c), the Faculty Committee on Committees shall have authority to waive the term limit for faculty, academic professionals, civil service staff, and students from the coordinate campuses.

f. Except where specified, the chair of each committee of the Faculty Senate is appointed from the committee membership by whomever appoints the members of the committee. Chair appointments are for one-year terms, but chairs may be reappointed. An individual may chair only one committee of the University Senate, the Faculty Senate, or the Student Senate at a time. Terms of chairs begin July 1 and terminate June 30.

g. A member of a committee (whether appointed or elected) of the Faculty Senate shall be said to have been absent if the member does not attend a meeting for which notification was given, subject to the provisions of (1) - (6) of this section (f). A non-student member of a committee of the Faculty Senate shall forfeit membership if absent for three consecutive meetings of the committee unless excused by the chair of the committee. A student member of a committee of the Faculty Senate shall forfeit membership if absent for two meetings of the committee unless excused by the chair of the committee. Summer meetings of a committee do not count in tallying consecutive absences from meetings. A member whose membership has been forfeited may appeal to the appropriate appointing authority for reinstatement.

(1) Committee members who have official class teaching responsibilities, class conflicts (students), medical issues, or other serious and uncontrollable factors that prevent their attendance at committee meetings for a semester should be given "excused absences" and not have the rule applied to them. If circumstances will prevent someone from attending meetings for more than a semester, the person should be asked to consider resigning and be appointed at a future time when commitments would not preclude participation.

(2) Before the first meeting of the year (and of spring semester), the chair (or committee staff on behalf of the chair) should inquire if there are people who will be unable to attend meetings because of involuntary commitments/circumstances (e.g., teaching), and if there are a number of individuals who will be unable to attend, the chair should consider the possibility of changing the meeting time or rotating committee meeting times so that some members would be able to attend at least some of the meetings.

(3) Letters of forfeiture from the chair of Committee on Committees will be sent only after the chair of the committee in question has been notified that one of the committee members has forfeited his or her seat. It is the responsibility of the committee chair, if he or she wishes, to discuss with committee members problems with scheduling before any forfeiture letter is sent.

(4) If the number of excused absences is significant but moving the meeting time is not appropriate, the committee chair can request of the Committee on Committees an expansion of the committee size so that there will always be a sufficient number of people able to attend meetings to conduct the committee's business.

(5) Individuals who are going on leave may wish to take a leave of absence from their committee but resume committee participation upon their return. In that case, the individuals need not be permanently replaced on a committee. Those individuals will be asked if they can identify someone to serve in their place, preferably from their own department, while they are on leave. Such a nomination would have to be approved by the Committee on Committees. In the event the individual was unable to find an interim replacement, the Committee on Committees will do so.

(6) This section (f) applies to committee members who miss any three consecutive meetings (non-student members) or two consecutive meetings (students), whether within one academic year or spanning more than one academic year.

g. In those instances when a committee member makes arrangements to attend a meeting by teleconference or other technological means, and the necessary technology fails to work, that committee member will not be considered to be absent from the meeting.

3. Leave Policy

If a committee member plans to be on leave from the University or is, for any reason, absent from the University for more than one year, a new committee member shall be appointed to complete the term remaining. Members on leave for one year or less during the first two years of a three-year term shall be replaced by temporary appointment. Members absent in the final year of a term shall be replaced for the term remaining. Replacement procedures shall follow appointment procedures.

4. Committee Support and Service

Staff support shall be funded by the Senate through funds administered by the Senate Budget Subcommittee. Staff support and services are interpreted as financial and employee assistance in research, data collection, record-keeping, and all aspects of secretarial services.  A staff support person shall not be considered an ex officio member.

5. Support of University Governance

Department chairs, deans, and faculties should recognize participation in University governance by faculty, academic staff, and civil service staff as an important and integral part of the individual's work load and supply necessary assistance and support for these activities. Similarly, faculty and administration should recognize student participation in University governance as an important and integral part of the participant's total University experience.

Central administration should fund stipends for the faculty chairs of the Consultative, Judicial, Educational Policy, Finance and Planning, Faculty Affairs, and Research committees.

6. Procedures for Committees of the Faculty Senate

a. Parliamentary authority for committees of the Faculty Senate shall be Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, provided these Rules are not in conflict with the Senate Constitution or Bylaws. These Rules may be suspended by a two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting. Rules for Committees of the Faculty Senate may be suspended by simple majority vote of those present and voting.

b. A quorum shall be a majority of the members (not including vacant seats).

c. Committee members may participate and vote in committee meetings through an electronic connection.

d. The chair or a committee member who voted on the prevailing side, was absent, abstained, or did not vote may move, by electronic communication, that an action taken by the committee be reconsidered. The motion to reconsider, including a proposed disposition, must be made to or by the chair within two business days after the meeting was adjourned. Committee members must vote, by electronic communication, within two business days from the time the motion to reconsider was distributed. The number of votes cast on the motion must meet or exceed the requirement for a quorum; if that number is achieved, a two-thirds majority of those voting is needed for approval of the motion to reconsider.

e. A committee chair may exercise discretion to close all or part of a meeting to administrative ex officio members of the committee in order to permit candid discussion of matters that include, but are not limited to, personnel or administrative organization matters. The reason for the closed session should be included on the agenda for the meeting.


ARTICLE V. RULES OF THE STUDENT SENATE (Changes to this article are subject to vote only by the Student Senate)

1. Organization

The Student Senate may determine its own organization, create committees whose membership need not be limited to members of the Student Senate, and adopt procedural Rules for the conduct of its business.

2. Agenda and Minutes

The Student Consultative Committee shall plan the agenda for any meeting of the Student Senate. This responsibility may be delegated to a committee. The agenda shall be distributed by the Clerk of the Senate. The agenda consists of items submitted for Student Senate consideration by the University Senate, the Faculty Senate, a campus assembly, the Senate Consultative Committee, the Faculty Consultative Committee, the Student Consultative Committee, the Council of Academic Professionals and Administrators, the Civil Service Committee, by any committee of the Student Senate or campus assemblies, or any member of the Student Senate. The Student Consultative Committee may include additional items on the agenda for any regular meeting of the Student Senate. Items for the docket must be delivered to the Clerk no later than two weeks prior to the date of each meeting.

The minutes of the meetings of the Student Senate shall be available to all faculty, academic staff, civil service, staff, and students. The actions of Student Senate meetings shall be available in like manner.

3. Amendments to the Rules

Amendments to the Student Senate Rules shall be made by a majority vote of the members of the Student Senate present and voting at any meeting of the Student Senate. However, the Rules cannot be amended to contravene either the Constitution or the Bylaws. If such a situation presents itself, a Constitutional or Bylaws amendment motion must be undertaken.

4. Seating

The meeting room shall provide a clear and definite area reserved for senators, and no non-senator (except authorized alternates and Senate staff) shall have access to this area without explicit permission from the chair. Senators and authorized alternates shall be identified in order to permit their seating to ensure accurate voting.

5. Recognition and Participation

a. In deliberations, priority of recognition shall be given to senators over non-senators; speakers who have not spoken over those who have; alternation of pro and con on a specific issue.

b. Any senator, upon recognition from the chair, may yield time in debate to a non-senator.

c. In the event that a senator has yielded time to a non-senator, both shall be considered to have spoken.

d. Speakers shall be limited to three minutes each time they are recognized.

e. The member of a committee presenting an item on the docket who is not a member of the Student Senate shall be extended all privileges associated with participation. These include making motions in areas related to the committee report. Such a person shall not be extended the privilege of voting.

f. Members of committees of the Student Senate who are not members of the Student Senate shall have the privilege of speaking on reports of their committees before the Student Senate.

g. The usual Rules of germaneness and decorum shall apply to both senators and non-senators.

6. Meeting Procedures

a. The time limits specified on the agenda are the maximum time for debate or discussion. A motion to extend the limits of debate may be proposed on any agenda item.

b. The Student Senate may not consider any amendment to a motion appearing in the printed docket unless the person making the motion has submitted the proposed amendment in writing to the Clerk of the Senate at least 48 hours before the meeting. There are two exceptions to this rule. First, the person making the motion on the docket may accept, on the floor of the Student Senate, amendments they consider to be friendly. Second, the Student Senate may consider such an amendment if the majority of senators present vote to do so. Before any vote is taken to consider an amendment on the floor, the person offering it must present it in writing (or, if connected to the meeting electronically, must provide specific wording).
c. An item of new business presented at a meeting of the Student Senate by an individual member shall be referred to the Student Consultative Committee for consideration and presentation at the next regular meeting of the Student Senate; but such an item of business may be considered and voted on at the meeting at which it is introduced by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Student Senate present and voting on a motion for immediate consideration (not debatable). An item on the agenda for information may be sent back to the committee reporting it, for presentation as an item for action at a later meeting, by a simple majority vote of the members of the Student Senate present and voting; it may be considered for action at the meeting at which it is reported for information by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Student Senate present and voting on a proposal for immediate consideration as an item for action.

d. The motion to table shall be debatable.

e. Standing Rules of the Student Senate may be suspended by simple majority vote. Rules of Order (Robert's Rules Newly Revised) may be suspended by a two-thirds majority vote.

ARTICLE VI. RULES FOR COMMITTEES OF THE STUDENT SENATE (Changes to this article are subject to vote only by the Student Senate)

1. Ex Officio Members of Student Senate Committees

Ex officio representation is accorded because of, or by virtue of, a specified office. An ex officio member has rights of full participation except voting privileges unless otherwise indicated. Ex officio administrative members shall be appointed from each of the offices as specified in the following provisions and shall have the authority to designate someone to attend meetings in their place. Committee chairs or members who serve ex officio on other committees may designate another representative from their committees to attend in their place.

- Student Affairs--Office of Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (two representatives including one from the Office of Student Affairs and the Coordinator for Student and Community Relations)

- Student Consultative--Student Member of the Educational Policy Committee, Student Member of the Finance and Planning Committee, and Student Member of the Student Affairs Committee. (All are chosen at the discretion of the Student Senate Consultative Committee.)

2. Terms of Membership, Chairing of Committees, and Removal of Members for Absences

a. Non-student appointments to committees of the Student Senate shall be made for terms of three years, with appointments so adjusted that the terms of approximately one third of the members expire each year. Faculty and academic staff who hold a University position carrying as any part of its title President, vice president, chancellor, provost, executive director, counsel, non-faculty attorney, or chief of staff at a collegiate or central administrative level may not serve as a voting member of a Student Senate committee, nor may the University Librarian nor anyone who is a dean, except ex officio. Individuals with less than one-third-time appointments as assistant or associate deans may serve as voting members of Student Senate committees.

b. Student appointments to committees of the Student Senate shall be made for terms of two years. Student members of committees must be registered for at least six credits for each semester in the academic year. Graduate students who have completed course work and are not required to maintain continuous registration during interim periods of study in preparation for written and oral examinations must be certified by the individual department director of graduate studies.

c. Terms of committee service begin July 1 and terminate June 30. No non-student member is eligible to serve more than two consecutive full three-year terms on any one committee, and shall be eligible for reappointment only after a one-year interval of nonmembership on that committee. No student member is eligible to serve more than two consecutive two-year terms on any one committee. No committee member is eligible to serve on more than two committees of the University Senate, the Faculty Senate, or the Student Senate at a time. These rotation procedures and limitations do not apply to ex officio representatives.

d. Notwithstanding Rule 2(c), the Student Committee on Committees shall have authority to waive the term limit for faculty, academic professionals, civil service staff, and students from the coordinate campuses.

e. Except where specified, the chair of each committee of the Student Senate is appointed from the committee membership by whoever appoints the members of the committee. Chair appointments are for one-year terms, but chairs may be reappointed. An individual may chair only one committee of the University Senate, the Faculty Senate, or the Student Senate at a time. Terms of chairs serve begin July 1 and terminate June 30.

f. A member of a committee (whether appointed or elected) of the Student Senate shall be said to have been absent if the member does not attend a meeting for which notification was given. A non-student member of a committee of the Student Senate shall forfeit membership if absent for three consecutive meetings of the committee unless excused by majority vote of the committee. A student member of a committee of the Student Senate shall forfeit membership if absent for two meetings of the committee unless excused by majority vote of the committee. Summer meetings of a committee do not count in tallying consecutive absences from meetings. A member whose membership has been forfeited may appeal to the appropriate appointing authority for reinstatement.

g. In those instances when a committee member makes arrangements to attend a meeting by teleconference or other technological means, and the necessary technology fails to work, that committee member will not be considered to be absent from the meeting.

3. Committee Support and Service

Staff support shall be funded by the Senate through funds administered by the Senate Budget Subcommittee. Staff support and services are interpreted as financial and employee assistance in research, data collection, record-keeping, and all aspects of secretarial services.  A staff support person shall not be considered an ex officio member.

4. Support of University Governance

Faculty and administration should recognize student participation in University governance as an important and integral part of the participant's total University experience.

Students who serve as chairs of certain Student Senate committees should receive compensation; these committees will be identified by the Senate Consultative Committee.

5. Procedures for Committees of the Student Senate

a. Parliamentary authority for committees of the Student Senate shall be Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, provided these Rules are not in conflict with the Senate Constitution or Bylaws. These Rules may be suspended by a two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting. Rules for Committees of the Student Senate may be suspended by simple majority vote of those present and voting.

b. A quorum shall be a majority of the members (not including vacant seats).

c. Committee members may participate and vote in committee meetings through an electronic connection.

d. The chair or a committee member who voted on the prevailing side, was absent, abstained, or did not vote may move, by electronic communication, that an action taken by the committee be reconsidered. The motion to reconsider, including a proposed disposition, must be made to or by the chair within two business days after the meeting was adjourned. Committee members must vote, by electronic communication, within two business days from the time the motion to reconsider was distributed. The number of votes cast on the motion must meet or exceed the requirement for a quorum; if that number is achieved, a two-thirds majority of those voting is needed for approval of the motion to reconsider.