UNIVERSITY SENATE BYLAWS

RELEVANT TO STANDING COMMITTEES

 

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS

IV.Section3.A.  Within ten (10) calendar days of the Spring organizational meeting of the incoming University Senate for the subsequent academic year, each of the incoming standing committees shall hold a meeting at which they elect a chair in accordance with V.Section2.B.1.  The Executive Committee shall designate a facilitator to both preside at this meeting and conduct the elections of the committee chair.  Should there be any unfilled positions on the incoming committee, specifically members not known by name such as SGA nominees, Presidential Appointees named by title, etc., the Executive Committee shall name voting proxies for the election of the committee chair from the pool of outgoing committee members.  Within fifteen (15) calendar days of the first day of classes of the Fall semester, the incoming committee shall conduct an organizational meeting at which they will elect a vice chair and a secretary in accordance with V.Section2.B.1.  The Executive Committee shall designate a facilitator to both preside at the organizational meeting and conduct the elections of committee officers.

IV.Section3.B.  The outgoing chair of each standing committee shall transfer current committee records to the incoming standing committee. Records older than twelve (12) months and not needed by the incoming committee shall be handled in accordance with the policies of the Board of Regents and State of Georgia requirements (see government link http://www.usg.edu/usgweb/busserv/index.phtml).

V.Section2.B.1. The members of a standing committee shall elect a chair, a vice chair, and a secretary by secret ballot in accordance with IV.Section3.A. Only those members elected to the University Senate are eligible to serve as the committee chair, but any member of the committee is eligible to serve as vice chair or secretary. The chair, vice chair, and secretary shall be elected for a period of one year. The chair, vice chair, or the secretary may be reelected.

 

 

CONDUCTING SENATE BUSINESS

IV.Section 1.   The regular operations of the University Senate shall follow a committee review procedure. The University Senate by a two-thirds majority vote may suspend committee review of a specific matter and act as a committee of the whole. In all other cases, the Senate shall submit all matters of substance for study, recommendations, and/or action by a committee prior to definitive action being taken by the University Senate. Standing committee business may be initiated by any member of the committee, by the Executive Committee of the University Senate, by the President, or by a written request to the Executive Committee signed by at least three Senators.

III.Section 1.   The University Senate shall discharge its responsibilities through a system of standing committees elected by and directly responsible to the University Senate. These standing committees shall establish their own operating policies and procedures consistent with these bylaws and the University Statutes. These must be filed with the Executive Committee and updated as needed.

VOTING PRIVILEGES OF NON-SENATOR MEMBERS OF COMMITTEES

IV.Section 4.   All members of the University Senate shall have at least one University Senate committee assignment. Faculty, staff, administrators and students who are not members of the University Senate may be nominated to University Senate committees if the Committee on Nominations deems that appropriate. Committee members who are not members of the University Senate shall be afforded all rights of committee membership, including voting, but shall have none of these rights in the University Senate.

COMMITTEE WORK

V.Section2.B. Duties of standing committees and subcommittees.

V.Section2.B.1. The members of a standing committee shall elect a chair, a vice chair, and a secretary by secret ballot in accordance with IV.Section3.A. Only those members elected to the University Senate are eligible to serve as the committee chair, but any member of the committee is eligible to serve as vice chair or secretary. The chair, vice chair, and secretary shall be elected for a period of one year. The chair, vice chair, or the secretary may be reelected.

V.Section2.B.2. Committees shall consult with the Executive Committee as to relevant issues, policies, and procedures that shall be the work of the committee and to seek out and identify concerns within its area of responsibility.

V.Section2.B.3. The secretary of the committee shall provide minutes of each meeting to the Secretary of the Executive Committee as well as post the minutes electronically within eight (8) calendar days of the meeting. This would include minutes of any subcommittee or ad hoc committee that reports to it.

V.Section2.B.4. Standing committees shall monitor the activities of their subcommittees and consult with subcommittees regarding the relevant issues, policies, and procedures that shall be the work of that subcommittee.

V.Section2.B.4.a. The subcommittee members shall elect their chair, vice chair, and secretary, set the agenda for their meetings, and determine when meetings will take place.

V.Section2.B.4.b. Subcommittee chairs shall attend standing committee meetings as requested to report on the activities of the subcommittee and to provide information regarding the status of recommendations emanating from the subcommittee.

V.Section2.B.5. Committee chairs shall attend meetings of the Executive Committee as requested.

V.Section2.B.6. Committees may recommend policies and procedures of the University and shall send them to the Executive Committee that shall forward them for consideration to the University Senate.

 

 

STANDING, SUB- AND AD HOC COMMITTEES

V.Section2.A.  Membership of the Standing Committees

V.Section2.A.1.   There shall be four standing committees: the Academic Governance Committee, the University Services Committee, the Budget and Planning Committee, and the Student Affairs Committee.

V.Section2.A.2.   There shall be fifteen (15) members on each standing committee, one of which is appointed as specified in V.Section2.C. The remaining fourteen (14) members shall be nominated by the Committee on Nominations and elected by the University Senate. Each School and the Library shall be represented on each standing committee and there shall be no fewer than eight (8) senators on each standing committee. Each standing committee shall include at least one (1) student nominated by the Student Government Association.

V.Section2.A.3. There may exist a subcommittee structure that supports the work of standing committees.

V.Section2.A.3.a. The University Senate may establish permanent subcommittees that report to a standing committee. The standing committee itself, the Executive Committee or the University Senate may recommend the creation of a subcommittee to assist with the work of the standing committee. Such a recommendation would take the form of a motion submitted to the Executive Committee for consideration by the University Senate.  The Committee on Nominations shall nominate subcommittee members. At least two (2) members shall be university senators. The University Senate shall elect the voting membership of any such subcommittee and specify to which standing committee they report.

V.Section2.A.3.b. The business of the University Senate may be addressed by ad hoc committees that report to a standing committee or the Executive Committee. A standing committee, the Executive Committee or the University Senate may create ad hoc committees. An ad hoc committee charter, detailing the specific charge of the committee including a timeline for its work, must be prepared in consultation with the Executive Committee before the first meeting of the ad hoc committee.  Members of the body that create the ad hoc committee shall choose the ad hoc committee membership. Any member of the University Community is eligible to serve on an ad hoc committee; however, at least two (2) members shall be university senators. The members of the ad hoc committee shall select a chair (must be a university senator), vice-chair, and secretary. The announcement of meetings and the posting of minutes shall follow University Senate protocol. Ad hoc committees shall cease to exist upon completion of an assigned task or at the end of the academic year, whichever comes first.

V.Section2.A.4.   The term of service on a standing committee or permanent subcommittee is specified in III.Section2. Approximately half the membership shall be replaced each year. Members may be reelected to committees.

 

III.Section 2.   Each spring, after the membership of the incoming University Senate has been determined, the outgoing Committee on Nominations shall propose a slate of nominees for standing committees and permanent sub-committees for the following academic year.  This work shall be completed no later than April 7. At its organizational meeting in the spring, the incoming University Senate shall elect the committee members.  After the nominations of the Committee on Nominations have been placed on the ballot, additional nominations may be made from the floor. The majority of members serving on standing committees must be senators. The incoming committee members shall begin their term of service with the call to order of the spring organizational meeting of the committee and shall end when their successor assumes office.

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE

II.Section3.B.5. Each University Senator is expected to attend every University Senate meeting.  Each member of a senate committee is expected to attend every meeting of that committee. A report that contains an aggregation of the attendance records of committees and the University Senate shall be accessible to all members of the University Community in an appropriate format. Substitutes are not allowed to vote on any issue. A person who is on authorized leave for an extended period of time shall notify the Chair of the Committee to which the person has been elected, or the Chair of the Executive Committee, of his/her anticipated absence.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

IV.Section 2. The committees listed in V.Section2.A.1 shall constitute the standing committees of the University Senate. Each standing committee and the Executive Committee, through their duly elected chair, shall, at all regular meetings of the University Senate, make a brief verbal report of business transacted.  In addition, II.Section3.B.6 applies to such reports. The text of any motions or resolutions that are to be proposed by committees at a University Senate meeting shall be provided to the Executive Committee fifteen (15) calendar days before the meeting, and shall be forwarded to University Senate members by the Executive Committee eight (8) calendar days prior to the meeting. In addition, each committee shall present a comprehensive, written, annual report in an appropriate format to the Executive Committee. This report shall include a summary of the major items considered by the committee during the academic year and the disposition of each.  The Executive Committee shall set a due date and these reports shall be posted with the minutes of the last University Senate meeting of the academic year.

II.Section3.B.6. All reports given at a University Senate meeting shall be submitted in an appropriate format to the Secretary of the University Senate for inclusion in the minutes of that meeting.