University Senate Bylaws and Governing Concepts Committee Report

04-26-06 University Senate meeting

submitted by Dr. Craig Turner 

Committee Report for Bylaws Revisions

Proposed by The University Senate Bylaws and Governing Concepts Committee

April 5, 2006

WHO worked on these proposed revisions? COMMITTEE COMPOSITION

University Senate Bylaws and Governing Concepts Committee (USBGCC)

(An administrative committee reporting to President Leland)

Chair:  Dr. J.W. Good

Members:  Dr. Betty Block, Dr. Ken Farr, Dr. Lee Gillis,  Dr. Anne Gormly, Dr. Jude Hirsch, Mr. Neil Jones, Dr. Cheryl Reynolds, Dr. Craig Turner, Dr. Mike Whitfield

Bylaws Drafting Subcommittee of USBGCC

            Members:  Dr. Betty Block, Dr. Ken Farr, Mr. Quintus Sibley, Dr. Craig Turner

HOW were the revisions determined?   PROCESS  

1.      The Executive Committee of the University Senate (ECUS) has been tracking suggested revisions to the University Senate Bylaws in a list it calls a bylaws parking lot since April 2004. 

2.      The USBGCC approved a matrix that labeled potential bylaws revisions as Level I (housekeeping, calendar, efficiency of business), Level III (complex issues requiring broad review) and Level II (those in between Levels I and III) with the understanding that the individual items might be reclassified as discussions continue.

3.      Given that there were only four weeks to the deadline for consideration at the April 2006 University Senate Meetings, the USBGCC agreed to handle Level I’s and some Level II’s, and recommends that Level III (Committee Composition) be considered during the 2006-2007 academic year.

4.      The USBGCC served as the consulting body and had two functions (1) to propose intent of revisions to the drafting committee in consultation from the ECUS bylaws parking and (2) to review the bylaws revisions proposed by the Drafting Subcommittee.

WHEN was the revision work done?  CALENDAR

Wed., March 8, 2006 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm Begin Discussion of Level I
Wed., March 15, 2006 No meeting due to Spring Break
Wed., March 22, 2006 Governance Forum (Parking Plan; Governing Concepts)
Wed., March 29, 2006 Continue Discussion of Level I (Review progress of Drafting Committee)
Wed., April 5, 2006 Final Review of Draft
Thurs., April 6, 2006 Present to Executive Committee for endorsement
Sun., April 9, 2006 Deadline for submission of motions for the University Senate meeting

Supporting Documents:

• Matrix Detailing Level I, Level II, And Level III revisions
• Clustered ECUS Parking Lots
• USBGCC Procedure for Bylaws Revision
• Committee Report for Proposed Bylaws Revisions
• Executive Summary of the Proposed Bylaws Revisions
• Election Calendar Matrix Indicating Proposed Revisions
• Bylaws showing all changes including formatting (font, spacing)
• Bylaws showing only content changes
• University Senate Bylaws Revisions proposed by the USBGCC (April 5, 2006) DRAFT

Executive Summary of the Bylaws Revisions

Proposed by The University Senate Bylaws and Governing Concepts Committee

April 5, 2006

ANNUAL REPORTS OF COMMITTEES (AGC, BPC, ECUS, SAC, USC)

      Streamlined/clarified language removing redundancy – no change to intent or requirements

ATTENDANCE for COMMITTEES (AGC, BPC, ECUS, SAC, USC) and  SENATE (US)

Removed the three strike attendance rule in favor of posting an aggregate attendance report

AD HOC COMMITTEES

      CHAIR:  No change to chair of ad hoc committee (proposal to allow non-Senators to chair)

      CHARTER: Require detailed charge and timeline in the ad hoc committee charter

                           Prepared in consultation with the Executive Committee

COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS (CON)

      DUTIES:  Collected into one section rather than scattered throughout the bylaws

      OFFICERS:  Chair appointed by ECUS; Secretary of CON is Secretary of ECUS

      REPORT:  No longer require reporting ratios

            Require demonstration that committee composition complies with bylaws

ELECTION CALENDAR

      Library granted autonomy for their elections that Schools presently have

      No longer require a report of the school elections procedures at last Senate meeting

Continue to require that election results and procedures of Schools/Library are archived

      Decouple procedure and results for School/Library elections

            Election Procedures due Dec 1 and Election Results due Jan 1 rather than both due Mar 1

Shifted back 2-4 weeks providing more time for CON to prepare nominees for committees

See the detailed matrix

FORMATTING

      Provide a full reference to each article, section, and subsection for convenience

GOVERNANCE CALENDAR

      Set by outgoing ECUS by April 1 rather than incoming ECUS by May 1

REPORTS AT SENATE MEETINGS (Formalize the practice over the last two years as a bylaw)

      All reports given at US meetings are submitted to the US Secretary for inclusion in minutes

STANDING COMMITTEE BUSINESS INITIATED

      Reduced senator signatures from five to three

TERMS OF SERVICE

      Clarified start (call to order of organizational meeting) and end (successor assumes office)

USE OF HUMAN SUBJECTS IN RESEARCH

      Shifted from University Services Committee to Academic Governance Committee