Proposed Senate Bylaws Revisions Feb 25, 2011

Terms of Senators and Team Members Consider three year terms for members of Faculty Senate and standing teams. Rationale: Faculty governance groups, especially the teams, have to essentially reconstitute themselves every Fall under the current system. This makes it very difficult to achieve any continuity, and results in business being delayed considerably

Move Faculty Count for Representation Consider changing the date for faculty census from April 1 to March 1; have verification made by Senate President Rationale: The April 1 date makes it very difficult to get a count verified in time for elections. The old Senate representation system no longer applies, so changes of one or two have little effect. The Leadership Team’s de facto role in this process has been slight over the last few years.

Remove Limits on Alternates Consider removing the current cap on the number of alternate Senators a College may have. Rationale: Some Colleges only have two or three alternates available, and have at times had trouble arranging for alternate senators under the current system.

Have Senators Chair Standing Teams Consider having chairs of standing teams be sitting Senators, named by the Senate (elected or appointed) Rationale: Communication between the standing teams and the Senate needs to be improved. The Leadership Team is helpful but stronger links are needed.

Faculty Rank for Eligibility for Office Reconsider our current requirements for officers of the Senate to be of a certain faculty rank. Rationale: The current restriction in rank for President or VP may be excluding capable individuals who are willing to serve.

Add New Standing Team Consider adding new standing team to handle appointments to university committees and faculty honors and awards Rationale: the current system for making faculty appointments to university committees needs improvement. There is currently no group designated to oversee such things as faculty excellence awards.