Our Constitution

• ARTICLE I      Name

  The name of this organization will be THE FACULTY SENATE OF ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY.

• ARTICLE II    Objectives

  The purpose of the Faculty Senate of St. Mary's University is to serve as the primary instrument for faculty participation in University governance.
1. To implement this objective, the Faculty Senate strives to exert effective influence by representing and serving faculty needs, views and interests, and by cooperating in an advisory capacity with the Administration and the Board of Trustees in the formation and development of University policies.
2. The Faculty Senate serves to promote inter-school, interdepartmental and interscholastic discussion and decision on trends and developments in higher education, especially in the area of academic affairs.

• ARTICLE III    Organization and Structure

  1. The Faculty Senate shall be elected by all full-time appointees with faculty status as recognized by the Office of the Academic Vice President. The President of the Faculty Senate shall consult with members of the Senate at the first meeting of the newly-elected Senate in the Spring semester, and within one month of the first Senate meeting, shall appoint a part-time faculty member as a non-voting member of the Senate. This representative should have no less than two semesters teaching experience at St. Mary's University.
  2. All such full-time appointees except members of the Academic Council and the Executive Council are eligible to serve on the Faculty Senate.
  3. Composition and Election of the Faculty Senate
  1. The Faculty Senate will consist of eighteen members elected at large.
  2. The term of office for members of the Faculty Senate will be for staggered two year terms by School following the regular April meeting of the Senate. There will be no limitation on the eligibility of any member of the Faculty Senate to succeed her/himself.
  3. Election Process
  1. The election of the Faculty Senate will be held no later than April 7.
  2. Elections will be administered by the Officers of the Faculty Senate.
  3. Elections will be by secret ballot.
  4. Each voter will vote for a maximum of eighteen members.
  5. Ballots will be deposited in a place designated by the Officers of the Faculty Senate.
  6. The election will consist of one balloting at large.
  7. The top eighteen candidates will be declared elected Senators with the following provision: if any of the five schools (i.e., Humanities & Social Sciences; Business & Admmistration; Science, Engineering & Technology; Graduate; Law) or Library & Instructional Services is under-represented among the eighteen Senators elected at large, then the number will be reduced accordingly to accommodate representation from such school or unit in the following manner: School of Humanities & Social Sciences and Graduate School   4
     School of Science, Engineening & Technology   2
     School of Business Administration   2
     School of Law   2
     Library & Instructional Services   1
  The top vote-getters of the under-represented school or unit will automatically become its Senator(s).
  4. Alternates
     1. The next two persons receiving the most votes will be alternates and may be called upon to replace Senate members unable to fill their term of office.
     2. Alternates will be asked to attend all Faculty Senate meetings to provide continuity and will serve as voting members when completing a quorum.
     3. The replacement of alternates may be filled by a majority vote of the members of the Faculty Senate.
  5. Attendance
     1. Senate members who are absent more than three times (except for extenuating circumstances) during their Senate term will be replaced by an alternate with the highest number of votes.
     2. Senate members who are unable to complete their term due to sabbaticals or other semester-long commitments will be temporarily replaced by an alternate with the highest number of votes.

• ARTICLE IV     Officers of the Faculty Senate

  1. Selection
     The officers of the Faculty Senate will be President, Vice-President and the Secretary chosen by and from the membership of the Faculty Senate at the first regular meeting after the April election.
  2. Authority The officers, who constitute the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, will:
  1. call all meetings of the Faculty Senate;
  2. determine the Faculty Senate's agenda which will be published;
  3. appoint all committees within the Faculty Senate;
  4. gather information from the administration, the faculty, and the Board of Trustees, and communicate information to these sources;
  5. disseminate information on Faculty Senate matters.

• ARTICLE V    Meetings

  The Faculty Senate will meet in regular session at least once each month during the regular academic year, the date to be determined by the members. The first regular meeting of the newly elected Senate will be called by the retiring Executive Committee which will preside over the election and installation of officers.
  
  All meetings of the Faculty Senate will be open to all voting faculty members. Others may attend by invitation from the Executive Committee.

• ARTICLE VI   Functions

  1. A quorum for all Faculty Senate matters will consist of a majority of the members.
  2. The Faculty Senate will initiate proposals to, and receive, consider and resolve requests from the University Administration and the Board of Trustees for counsel, opinions, and appropriate action.
  3. The Faculty Senate will receive, consider and resolve requests, suggestions, complaints or any form of communication from voting faculty members. It will be the express duty of the President of the Faculty Senate or of her/his appointed representative to communicate the action taken by the Faculty Senate to the faculty member or members concerned.
  4. It will be the express duty of the President of the Faculty Senate or of his/her appointed representative to present formal decisions on academic matters to the Academic Vice President. Decisions on non-academic matters will be reported to the Academic Vice President for distribution to the appropriate personnel as stated in the communication.
  5. Minutes of the meetings of the Faculty Senate may be made public in a manner determined by the Faculty Senate.

• ARTICLE VII   Amendments to the Constitution

  1. Any voting faculty member at any Faculty Senate meeting may propose amendments to this Constitution which will be duly published at least two weeks before the next regular or special general faculty meetings.
  2. A majority of the voting members of the faculty members present at a general meeting or who vote in a general faculty election via electronic or paper ballots suffices to amend this Constitution.