Article III

The Faculty Senate shall make recommendations to the Chancellor concerning any administrative, curricular, instructional, or fiscal policy. Specifically, it shall:

Section 1 Review Work of Academic Planning Councils

At least once each year review the work of the Academic Planning Council and act favorably or unfavorably upon recommendations concerning university policy and priorities.

Section 2 Review the Work of the College Faculties and the Graduate School Faculty

All minutes of college faculty or graduate school faculty meetings will be circulated among the Faculty Senate members.

Section 3 Appointments

Make such appointments, and authorize the Appointments and Elections Committee to conduct such elections, as are required by the General Faculty Bylaws to maintain the prescribed faculty membership on the Faculty Senate and the various councils, commissions, committees, and boards of the faculty, university, academic staff, and students.

Section 4 Cooperate with Other Senates

Work in cooperation with the Student Senate and Academic Staff Senate in matters of mutual concerns on the initiative of any senate.

Section 5 Create Committees

Create standing or ad hoc committees as it sees fit, determining their membership and duties.

Section 6 Act on Administrative Vacancies

Determine the procedures by which an appropriate search and screen committee shall be created to fill administrative vacancies. For academic vacancies, the senate shall ensure that while at least one student and one academic staff member shall be selected to serve on such a committee, at least two-thirds of the committee membership shall be elected by and from among the faculty of the appropriate college or academic area or, in the case of the Vice Chancellorship, from among the faculty at-large.

Section 7 Strive for Balanced Representation

Ensure that whenever the senate must make appointments, or must create search and screen committees and give them instruction, or whenever it considers recommendation for appointments, it keeps in mind the need for balanced representation and Affirmative Action goals.

Section 8 Refer to General Faculty

Bring any matter before the general faculty at a regular or special meeting when:

  1. required by the provisions of the Faculty Constitution or the General Faculty Bylaws, or
  2. requested by the Chancellor, or
  3. voted by the Faculty Senate itself, or
  4. requested by a petition of at least 10% of the faculty.
Section 9 Submit to the General Faculty

Submit to the higher authority of the general faculty when a Senate decision is reversed by the general faculty, which may be accomplished by a two-thirds vote of faculty members present and voting with a Ayes or Ano response at a regular or special meeting.

Section 10 Have Access to Information

Consistent with board policy, have access to all information necessary to identify the need for, and the formation of, university policy.

Section 11 Publish Major Policies

After the final Faculty Senate meeting of each spring semester, publish all policy decisions in a separate Annual Report of Faculty Senate Actions, distributed with the Senate minutes.