University Senate Bylaws Revisions Jan 2007 FAQ

University Senate Bylaws & Governing Concepts Committee

Proposed Revisions to Bylaws

January 2007

FAQs

Download this FAQ as a two-page word document

Committee Members

Q1: What changes are proposed for University Senate composition?

Q2: What changes are proposed for operation of University Senate meetings?

Q3: What changes are proposed for committees of shared governance?

Q4: Why is the committee structure being changed?

Q5: How is the role of the Senate changing?

Q6: How have terms of service and eligibility changed?

Q7: How are communication and coordination improved among the committees of the US?

Q8: Where can one find more information and additional detail on proposed changes?

A1: The US retains 49 total members from the current composition. There will be 48 voting members. The six Senate positions which are held by title change from four vice presidents, the SGA president and the Staff Council chair to four elected staff and two selected students.

[BACK TO TOP]

A2: The University President will be an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Senate rather than presiding officer. The presiding officer and secretary of the Senate will be elected from among those members serving as elected faculty members. The presiding officer of the Senate will also serve as chair of the Executive Committee.

[BACK TO TOP]

A3: Because academic and faculty issues have represented the preponderance of work in shared governance, these issues will be addressed by the scopes of three committees rather than just one. These new committees are Academic Policy Committee, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Committee and Faculty Affairs Policy Committee. Student issues will be addressed through the Student Affairs Policy Committee and an integrated approach to issues of planning and university resources will be addressed by the Resources, Planning and Institutional Policy Committee. The Executive Committee expands its membership to include the presiding officer and secretary of the Senate while representing all schools and the library. The Executive Committee will continue to provide steering and advisory roles. The Committee on Nominations is renamed as a Subcommittee on Nominations with the same charge.

[BACK TO TOP]

A4 : First, the workload of the Senate was not balanced well among committees. Second, an improved ‘fit’ was needed between committee charge and committee membership. Third, there was a need to reduce the ambiguity among the charges. Fourth, there was a need to reorganize the charges to lessen the likelihood that committees would experience overlap of their respective charges.

[BACK TO TOP]

A5: In addition to recommending new policy and recommending revisions to existing policy, the formal charge of the Senate will include serving in an advisory role. Descriptive lists of committee authority and responsibility will be provided to committees; however, these are not exhaustive lists and coordination will continue to be important for effectiveness.

[BACK TO TOP]

A6: The terms for elected faculty senators and the terms for elected staff senators increase to three years. Terms for selected student senators remain at one year. Student eligibility and staff eligibility for Senate service will be determined by SGA Bylaws and Staff Council Bylaws respectively.

[BACK TO TOP]

A7: Language was needed to help implement the Senate Governing Concepts approved this year through the structure of shared governance including the concepts of shared sense of purpose and shared information. Regular meetings of the Executive Committee and the five standing committee chairs are stipulated in the revisions. The Executive Committee will continue to route issues before it to the appropriate committee and committee chairs will continue to work with each other when different aspects of an issue are addressed by more than one committee.

[BACK TO TOP]

A8.1:  In order of increasing levels of detail, the following documents are available:

A8.2: An informational session inviting all members of the Georgia College community will be held in A & S 2-72 (facility requested) on Wednesday, January 31 at 1:00 pm.

A8.3:  Please contact any member of the University Senate Bylaws & Governing Concepts Committee

 (USBGCC).

```
Dr. J. W. Good (Chair)
```
```
Dr. Betty Block
```
```
Dr. Ken Farr
```
```
Dr. Lee Gillis, 
```
```
Dr. Tanya Goette
```
```
Dr. Anne Gormly
```
```
Dr. Jude Hirsch
```
```
Mr. Neil Jones
```
```
Dr. Karynne Kleine 
```
```
Ms. Gina Peavy
```
```
Dr. Cheryl Reynolds
```
```
Dr. Kendra Russell
```
```
Mr. Quintus Sibley, 
```
```
Dr. Craig Turner
```
```
Dr. Mike Whitfield.  
```

Drafting Subcommittee of USBGCC:

```
Dr. Craig Turner (Chair)
```
```
Dr. Ken Farr
```
```
Dr. J. W. Good
```
```
Mr. Quintus Sibley
```

[BACK TO TOP]