BYLAWS OF THE UNIVERSITY SENATE
MEMBERSHIP
1. The University Senate shall consist of the following: Ex-Officio members, Council members elected by the Council, student members elected by the students and staff members elected by Staff Senate.
The total number of elected Council members on the Senate shall be three times the number of ex-
officio members. The Council members of each professional school or college and the libraries shall
elect two Senate members with the exception of the College of Arts and Sciences, which shall have
the right to elect eight senators, two each from the areas of Natural and Physical Sciences,
Humanities, Social Sciences and Fine Arts; the balance of the faculty membership of the Senate shall
be elected at large by the Council. One of the faculty-at-large positions will be held by the incoming
Chair of the Senate to assure that the Chair is a voting member of the Senate.
2. The procedure for electing Senate members at large shall be as follows:
a. During the first week of April each year, the Registrar shall distribute to members of the Council a nominating list of those eligible to serve on the Senate and shall state the number to be elected at large according to the provisions of the Constitution and this legislation.
b. Each member of the Council may indicate his/her choices for nomination by choosing from the list of nominees not to exceed in number the number of vacancies to be filled; any nomination list choosing more than the number to be elected at large shall be void.
c. Those equal in number to twice the number to be elected who shall have received the most nominating votes shall be declared nominees.
d. A list of these nominees shall be printed as the ballot and distributed to all members of the Council; each member shall vote for a number of nominees not to exceed the number to be elected; any ballot choosing more than the number to be elected at large shall be void.
The Registrar shall prescribe the time and method for returning marked ballots and nominating lists and shall count and tabulate the same, providing that all nominating and balloting shall be secret, and these election procedures shall be completed before the third week of April.
3. The procedure for electing faculty members by each school or college faculty and the term of office thereof shall be as follows:
a. During the third week of April of each year each school or college and the libraries shall provide for the nomination and election by the Council members of his/her school, college, or the libraries to the Senate two Council members who shall have been listed by the Registrar as eligible to serve on the Senate in accordance with Section 2a, in such a manner as the dean/director shall prescribe, providing that the voting for the nominated candidates shall be by secret ballot, with the exception of the College of Arts and Sciences, which shall have the right to elect eight senators, two each from the areas of Natural and Physical Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Fine Arts.
b. Only those of the respective faculties who are qualified to be members of the Council shall be entitled to vote.
c. Such Senate members shall hold office for one year and shall not serve consecutively for more than three terms. In the event of a vacancy in such Senate seat, the faculty concerned may at any time hold a special election, in the same manner as provided in Section 3a, to fill the vacancy.
d. In the event the faculty of a school, college, or the libraries should desire to waive its right to elect members to the Senate, it shall so notify the Council prior to the regular April elections held by the Council, and the Council shall then nominate and elect one or more of its members to serve for the one-year term of the seat involved along with the regular members at large elected by the Council.
4. Members at large shall hold office for two years, and shall not serve consecutively for more than two terms. Representatives of schools or colleges shall hold office for one year and shall not serve consecutively for more than three. No elected member, however, shall serve consecutively for more than four years.
5. September 1 of each year shall be the date upon which all terms due to expire in a particular year shall expire, and upon which new terms of those elected earlier in the calendar year at regular elections shall commence. In the event that a Senator, elected at-large, leaves the University prior to August 15, the person receiving the next highest number of votes shall serve. College representatives who leave the University prior to August 15 shall be replaced using procedures determined by the college. The pool of eligible candidates will be those individuals entering at least their second year on August 16 of the next academic year.
6. Procedure for selecting student members of the University Senate:
The Student Senate will provide for the selection of fourteen student members to the University Senate and will also provide the duration of their terms of office. Starting dates will be the same as for other University Senate members.
7. Procedure for electing staff members of the University Senate:
The Staff Senate will provide for the election of three staff members to the University Senate and will also provide for the duration of their terms of office. Starting date will be the same as for other University Senate members.
OFFICERS
At the first meeting of the seating of the new members of the Senate, the Chair Elect will assume the position of the Chair. A Vice Chair/Chair Elect shall be elected from the elected members. The Vice Chair/Chair Elect shall serve a term of one year, and then automatically assume the role of Chair of University Senate the next year. Unless otherwise elected as a Senator, the Senate term of the Senate Chairperson will be extended for the year of service as Chair. The one-year extension shall be allocated from the number of at-large Senate seats. Nominations shall be made by the Committee on Committees which must name at least two nominees for each position. The chair must always ask for nominations from the floor. In the event of any vacancy in the office of Chair, the Vice Chair/Chair Elect shall become the Chair. In the event of any vacancy in the office of Vice Chair/Chair Elect, the Committee on Committees shall at the next regular meeting of the Senate nominate at least two elected members, the Chair must ask for nominations from the floor, and the Senate shall elect a new Vice Chair/Chair Elect from all the nominees. In Fall 2004, there will be an election of a Chair for 2004-2005 and an election of a Vice Chair/Chair elect (as specified by the new policy).
MEETINGS
1. Items for the agenda shall be in the hands of the Secretary of the Senate not later than 14 days (exclusive of holidays) before a Senate Meeting. The agenda shall be distributed one full week before each Senate meeting to all faculty, student body and staff representatives. Items not included in the agenda may not be considered at a meeting except with the special consent of the Senate. Only members of the Senate may submit items for the agenda.
2. The Senate's official guide for parliamentary procedure shall be the "Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure" by Alice F. Sturgis.
3. The minutes of all Senate meetings shall be distributed to the members of the Senate and shall be available to all members of the faculty.
COMMITTEES
1. Executive Committee
There shall be an Executive Committee of the University Senate. It shall consist of these members of the Senate: the Chairperson; the Vice Chairperson/Chair Elect, the immediate past Chairperson, whether or not still a member of the Senate (if this individual is unable to serve, then the available past Chairperson who most recently served as chairperson shall serve); three faculty representatives, one to be elected each year for a two-year term, and one, the member of the Council of College Faculties serving the third year of a three-year term (if this individual is unable to serve, then a substitute will be chosen from the remaining UND Council of College Faculties by the UND Council of College Faculties delegation); the Vice President for Academic Affairs; one student, elected annually; and the Registrar. The Registrar shall serve as Secretary of the Executive Committee. The functions of the Executive Committee are to: (1) call special meetings of the Senate; (2) change the time of the regular meeting in emergencies; (3) prepare the agenda; (4) approve the minutes of the Senate meetings; (5) act on behalf of the Senate when a meeting of the Senate does not seem justified or when such a meeting is prevented by lack of a quorum. Subsequent to the action taken by the Executive Committee, the Committee will report to the next meeting of the Senate to seek approval for the action that was taken by the Committee; (6) monitor the implementation of Senate legislation; (7) coordinate action between the Senate and its committees; (8) edit, publish, and keep current the Faculty Handbook; (9) care for the Senate bylaws by keeping them current, providing a codified copy to the chairperson at every meeting of the Senate and publishing codified copies to the Senate as often as it deems advisable; (10) care for the University Constitution, attending specifically to publication, distribution, amendment, and interpretation; (11) care for the Standing Rules, exercising the sort of supervision directed for the bylaws; (12) codify Council and Senate legislation, publishing the codified legislation at the direction of the Senate; (13) maintain the University Senate Committee Manual.
2. Permanent and ad hoc committees
The Executive Committee created by these bylaws is a permanent committee of the Senate. The Senate may create such other permanent and such ad hoc committees as it deems necessary and convenient to the conduct of its business. Other permanent committees may be created only by the Senate, after reasonable notice, at a regular or special meeting, and shall continue until dissolved by the Senate at a regular or special meeting following reasonable notice. Ad hoc committees may be created by the Senate at any meeting or by the Executive Committee, and shall continue until the delegated responsibility is accomplished or until dissolved by the creating authority.
AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the Senate bylaws may be submitted in the agenda at any regular meeting but shall not be acted upon until the next regular meeting.
(Senate Minutes pages 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 56, 251, 254, 279, 596, 641, 773, 856, 935, 958, 961, 962, 1224, 1367, 1531, 1698, 1742, 2535, 2913, 3236, 3237, 4156, 5111, 5174)
05/09/94; amended 02/05/98; 11/2/00; 01/11/01; 2/5/04;2/5/09; 4/07/11