University Handbook, Appendix E:
Constitution of the K-State Faculty Senate
(Revised 2-7-84; 4-22-91; 12-5-02)
Section A: Powers of the General Faculty
- Traditionally, the faculties of colleges and universities have control
of all matters dealing with the courses and curriculums to be offered
by the institution, and the granting of degrees. These powers are
subject to final approval by the Board of Regents.
- The general faculty of Kansas State University also has the authority
to participate in the establishment of policies for the supervision
and control of student affairs, faculty affairs, and public relations.
- Faculty participation being essential to the establishment of policy
relating to many all-university problems, it is within the power of
the faculty to participate in the formulation of policies concerning
such matters.
Section B: The Faculty Senate of Kansas State University
Article I. General Purpose, Jurisdiction, and Duties of the Faculty Senate
To facilitate the exercise of the powers outlined in Section A, those
powers are hereby delegated by the general faculty of Kansas State
University to a representative body to be called the faculty senate of
Kansas State University. This delegation of authority by the general
faculty is subject to revision by that faculty.
Section A. General Purpose
The primary aim of including a faculty senate in the organization of
Kansas State University is to facilitate faculty participation in the
establishment of university policies and in the formulation of
procedures for their interpretation. Such policies shape the purposes
and character of the institution, and define its future growth.
Policies once established need to be under constant scrutiny if they are
to remain useful. To provide for this continuing effort, a structure of
committees must be created by the faculty senate, responsible to that
body, and through the senate to the faculty. The continuing policy
review afforded by the senate committees assures faculty participation
in the evolution of these policies.
Section B. Jurisdiction and Duties of the Faculty Senate
- Academic affairs
- The faculty senate shall establish policies governing such academic
matters as requirements for admission, assignment and schedules,
courses and curriculums, requirements for degrees, academic standards
for students and for the institution, and evaluation of the
educational program.
- The faculty senate shall approve all curriculum and course changes,
and all candidates for honorary and academic degrees.
- Faculty affairs
- It shall be the duty of the faculty senate to stimulate improvement in
professional standards by the formulation of policies concerning
employment, qualifications, improvement in teaching methods, tenure,
promotions, work loads, and retirement, and to concern itself with
matters affecting the welfare of the faculty.
- It shall be the duty of the faculty senate to take such measures as
seem desirable for the improvement of faculty-student relationships.
- University Planning
- It shall be the duty of faculty senate to participate, in an advisory
capacity, in the process of determining mission related academic
priorities at the institutional level.
- It shall be the duty of the faculty senate to participate, in an
advisory capacity, in the process by which distribution of university
appropriated resources in support of the academic, research, and
service missions of the university is determined. (FSM 4-12-94)
- Technology
- It shall be the duty of faculty senate to participate, in an advisory
capacity, in determining the acquisition, application, and distribution of
scientific, electronic, and information technology.
- It shall be the duty of faculty senate to assure the formulation
of policy related to the application of technology that does not infringe
on academic freedom while protecting the collective interests of the
university community.
- Student affairs
It shall be the duty of the faculty senate to participate in the
formulation of policy governing such student affairs as admissions and
enrollment, orientation and guidance, and financial aid and
scholarships.
- All-university affairs
It shall be the duty of the faculty senate, through its representatives
on various presidential councils and committees, to participate in the
formulation of policy governing such all-university affairs as resource
allocations, public relations, intercollegiate athletics, assemblies,
commencements and public gatherings, publications, campus development
and planning, standards for use of physical facilities, and traffic and
parking.
Article II. Membership of the Faculty Senate
Section A. Composition, Representation, Voting, and Membership
- Composition of the Faculty Senate.
-
There shall be four senators elected from each of the following representative
units: (1) cooperative extension, (2) the library, and (3) each of the
colleges. In addition to the four senators from each of the units described
above, an additional senator shall be elected from each unit for each
twenty-five full-time equivalent (FTE) unclassified
members above seventy-five FTE or fraction thereof. Determination of
the FTE for each unit is based on the total FTE of all unclassified
personnel not on term appointments who are funded through the budget
of
the unit, excluding County Extension Agents and Farm Management Fieldmen.
In addition, there shall be a General University unit representing all
other unclassified personnel not on term appointments
with the number of senators elected from that unit determined at a rate
of 15% (rounded up to the nearest whole number) of the total number
of senators in all other units (excluding the General University unit).
- The chair of the student senate, president of the Student Governing
Association, and one other student from the student senate are to be members
of the faculty senate with voting powers. To qualify for these positions,
the students must have a minimum of 45 semester hours in residence and
be currently enrolled for 12 or more semester hours.
- Representation in the Faculty Senate.
All unclassified personnel at Kansas State University who do not have
a term appointment, except County Extension Agents and Farm Management Fieldmen,
are represented in the Faculty Senate based on the location of their appointment
in the University. When appointment tenths of time are distributed unequally
among two or more units, the person is represented in the unit providing
the greatest tenths of time. When appointment tenths of time are distributed
equally among different units, the person is free to choose any one of those
units for membership. Regardless of the tenths of time allocated towards
administrative functions, deans, associate deans, and assistant deans are
members of the general university unit (although they are counted in the
determination of the number of senators in their home unit).
- Eligibility for voting in Faculty Senate elections
Those unclassified personnel identified in Section A.2 are eligible to
vote in faculty senate elections in the unit in which they are represented.
- Eligibility for membership in the Faculty Senate
Those unclassified personnel identified in Section A.2 with a total university
appointment of five-tenths or more are eligible to be elected to the Faculty
Senate with the following exception: No person who is working toward a degree
from Kansas State University is eligible for election as a senator unless
that person is working for a degree outside his/her own department, provided
that degree is not a requirement for promotion or tenure in his/her own department.
(Such persons are counted in the determination of FTE for unit representation
and are eligible to vote in the appropriate election of senators.) A person
who does not wish to be included on their unit's ballot that year must so
notify the appropriate member of the executive committee in advance.
- The proportional representation shall be reviewed and revised, if necessary,
by the executive committee of the Faculty Senate every three years beginning
in October 2002. October 1 shall be the date for counting the number of faculty
and unclassified non-faculty in each unit for the purpose of reapportionment
of the Faculty Senate.
Section B. Parliamentarian
The faculty senate shall include a parliamentarian without voting power.
Section C. Term of Office of Senators
- The term of office shall be three years. Senators are eligible
for re-election except that a senator cannot serve more than six years
without a year intervening.
- The term of office with full voting privileges shall begin with the
first meeting of the new senate.
- In the event senators are on leave, incapacitated, or otherwise unable
to function for a time greater than one semester, the office shall be
declared vacant and shall be filled by the procedure of Article II, Section
D.5. The person appointed to fill the vacancy will serve for the remainder
of the term, except that the person appointed to the seat vacated by the
president shall serve for that year only. Senators unable to function
for one semester or less may designate a proxy as outlined in the by-laws.
Section D. Nomination and Election of Candidates
- The election committee along with voting members of the executive committee
shall conduct an election each year with the aid of such offices as are
necessary and shall certify the election results. This election committee
shall be composed of the chair of the faculty affairs committee, the president,
and secretary of the senate. The representative from each unit on the
executive committee shall submit to the chair of the faculty affairs committee
approximately 11 weeks before the first meeting of the new senate a list
of all faculty in his/her unit eligible to vote and eligible to serve
in senate elections. The election committee shall adjudicate any questions
of voter eligibility, the unit in which a person should vote, and the
eligibility for election to the senate according to Article II, Section
1.
- All eligible voters shall have the opportunity to vote by secret ballot
for representatives from their respective unit.
- Nominees for membership in the senate shall be chosen approximately
nine weeks before the first meeting of the new senate by a preliminary
ballot of those entitled to vote. The executive committee member in charge
of unit elections or a member of the election committee shall ascertain
the willingness to serve of those nominated from each unit, in order of
number of votes each received, and shall certify twice the number to be
elected as the official nominees of the unit. In the event of ties, those
receiving the same number of votes shall be included on the ballot for
election; the voting faculty shall be directed to vote for, at most, the
necessary number of Senators.
- Senators shall be chosen by secret ballot in a final election supervised
by the election committee and the executive committee. In the event of
a tie in the final election, a coin will be tossed to determine the winner.
Elections shall be conducted seven weeks before the first meeting of the
new senate.
-
- A complete summary of the election shall be kept by the
secretary of the senate in official files for at least three years.
Election results shall be forwarded to the president of the senate.
- As a vacancy occurs in the senate, the executive committee
will appoint to the senate for the unexpired term the individual who
received the next highest number of votes in the regular election
within the unit.
- Each caucus shall go back no further than the final ballot
to find replacements for vacancies. When the names on the final ballot
are exhausted, a special election will be called at the time of the
vacancy to fill the vacancy.
- In the event of reorganization of the colleges, the extension, the
library, or the general administration, representation on the senate of
these groups will remain unaltered until after the next regularly scheduled
election.
Article III. Organization of the Faculty Senate
Section A. Officers
- The officers of the faculty senate shall be president, president-elect,
and secretary. At the annual organizational meeting, the president elect
shall assume the presidency, and a new president elect and a secretary
shall be elected by the senate from its membership or the membership of
the immediately preceding senate. If one person does not receive a majority
of the votes, there will be a runoff election between the two nominees
receiving the highest number of votes. With the assistance of the executive
committee, the president and immediate past president are charged with
identifying and encouraging individuals to become candidates for officer
positions of the faculty senate.
- The president shall be the presiding officer of the faculty senate,
the executive committee, and the leadership council. During the term of
office, the president shall serve as a senator-at-large and not as a representative
of his/her unit.
- The president-elect shall perform the duties of the president in the
president's absence and shall automatically succeed to the presidency
at the annual organization meeting or earlier, should that office be vacated.
The president-elect shall serve as a non-voting senator-at-large and not
as a representative of his/her unit.
- The secretary of the senate shall:
- Prepare the minutes of the meetings of the faculty senate
and distribute them to all members of the faculty no later than seven
days following a regularly scheduled meeting of the faculty senate.
- Provide the office of the president of the university with
copies of the minutes of the meetings of the faculty senate and of
the executive committee.
- Distribute to the senators, and to each department, no later
than five days in advance of any meeting of the faculty senate copies
of the agenda for that meeting and of the minutes of the meetings
of the executive committee.
- Inform the faculty of the agenda of each regular meeting
through the InView or other available means.
- The immediate past president of the faculty senate is an ex officio
at large member of FSCOUP, the executive committee, and the faculty senate
with voting rights.
Section B. Executive Committee
- The executive committee shall consist of the president of
the faculty senate as senator-at-large, and one senator from each representative
unit who has been elected by the senators of that unit. The president
elect, however, shall represent his/her unit on the committee. In addition,
the chair of the faculty affairs committee, the chair of the academic
affairs committee, and the chair of the student senate or his/her designated
representative and the immediate past-president of the faculty senate
shall be ex-officio members of the executive committee without voting
power. The president of the faculty senate shall preside at meetings of
the executive committee.
- The following duties shall be the specific responsibility of the executive
committee:
- It shall recommend faculty for appointment to faculty
senate subcommittees and other all-university committees.
- It shall serve as the advisory group of the faculty senate when
called upon by an officer of the administration. It shall refer to
the appropriate committee any question of policy on which advice is
sought and shall report in its minutes any recommendation on policy.
- It shall receive the reports and minutes of the committees of the
faculty senate, and shall transmit them to the senate for action.
- It shall cause matters approved by the senate to be brought to
the attention of the appropriate administrative officer for action,
and shall report to the faculty senate the action taken.
- It shall take such emergency action as it finds necessary, such
action to be presented at the next regular meeting of the senate.
- It shall refer to the appropriate committee such matters as are
approved by the faculty senate for study.
- It shall prepare the agenda for meetings of the senate as stated
in Article IV, Section B.
- It shall ensure that nominations and elections are carried out
as specified in Article II, Section D.
Section C. Committees and Councils
- Permanent committees shall be the Committee on Academic Affairs,
the Committee on Faculty Affairs, and the Faculty Senate Committee on
University Planning (FSCOUP), and the Faculty Senate Committee on Technology
(FSCOT).
- The Committee on Academic Affairs shall be composed of
one senator from each college, the extension, the library, and the
general university, and the student senate representative to the faculty
senate. Each faculty senate member shall be elected by senators from
each representative unit. The student representative shall serve ex
officio with voting rights. The chair of the committee shall be elected
by the committee membership.
- The Committee on Faculty Affairs shall be composed of one
senator from each college, the extension, the library, and the general
university, and the student senate chairperson. Each faculty senate
member shall be elected by senators from each representative unit.
The student representative shall serve ex officio with voting rights.
The chair of the committee shall be elected by the committee membership.
- The Faculty Senate Committee on University Planning (FSCOUP)
shall be composed of one representative from each college, the extension,
the library, and the general university, and a student representative
designated by the chair of the student senate. The student representative
shall serve ex officio with voting rights. The senators in each
faculty senate delegation shall elect one member of the committee
for their representative unit. Those elected members of the committee
need not be senators but must hold appointments not designated as
term with the exception of representatives from general university
who may have term appointments. Members serve for three years with
not more than four of the members elected each year. Members may be
re-elected for no more than two consecutive terms. The chair of the
committee shall be elected by the committee membership and will serve
a one year renewable term. The chair should have at least one year
(preferably two years) of experience on FSCOUP. The chair of FSCOUP
is an ex officio member of faculty senate with voting rights. (GFM
4/22/91, amended per FSM 4-12-94)
- The Faculty Senate Committee on Technology (FSCOT) shall be composed
of one representative from each college, extension, the library, and
the general university, and a student representative designated by
the chair of the student senate. The senators in each faculty senate
delegation shall elect one member of the committee for their representative
unit. Those elected members of the committee need not be senators
but must hold appointments not designated as term with the exception
of representatives from general university who may have term appointments.
Members serve for three years with not more than four of the members
elected each year. Members may be re-elected for no more than two
consecutive terms. The chair of the committee shall be elected by
the committee membership and will serve a one year renewable term.
The chair shall have at least one year (preferably two years) of experience
on the FSCOT. The chair of FSCOT is an ex officio member of faculty
senate with voting rights.
- The president, president-elect, immediate past-president, and secretary
of the faculty senate as well as the chairs of the four permanent
committees compose the faculty senate leadership council. The ceadership
council acts as a liaison between the faculty and the university's
administration. The faculty senate executive committee is to be informed
about the subject of discussions between leadership council and the
administration.
- The following are the specific responsibilities of each permanent committee:
- It shall form subcommittees to discharge assigned duties,
and shall report to the executive committee the personnel for each
of its subcommittees.
- It shall transmit the reports of its subcommittees, with recommendations,
to the faculty senate for action.
- Insofar as expedient, the chair of each subcommittee shall be a member
of the parent permanent committee. Not more than 50 percent of the membership
of a subcommittee shall be senators, the remainder of the subcommittee
being chosen from other faculty, staff, alumni, friends of the university,
and students, as seems desirable.
- Each voting member of a permanent committee shall serve on that committee
from the time of his/her appointment until the appointment of a successor.
A member of a committee who would otherwise become ineligible because
of the expiration of his/her term as senator will continue to serve on
the committee with full voting rights until the new members are elected
by senators from the representative unit. The retiring chair of each permanent
committee shall call and preside as temporary chair at the first meeting
of the new committee not later than two weeks following these elections.
Article IV. Meetings of the Faculty Senate
Section A. Time of Meetings
The first meeting of a new faculty senate shall be called by the retiring
executive committee. Regular meetings shall be called as specified in the
by-laws. Additional meetings may be called by the executive committee as
it sees fit.
Section B. Agenda for Meetings
The agenda for each meeting shall be prepared by the executive committee
and shall include:
- All matters which the executive committee deems necessary.
- Reports which have been submitted to the executive committee by the
permanent committees of the faculty senate.
- Minutes of all executive committee meetings since the preceding meeting
of the faculty senate.
- Any matter suggested by the members of the general faculty when the
suggestion is presented in the manner outlined in Article V.
- A period of discussion by the members of the faculty senate of any
additional items presented by a senator from the floor.
Article V. Placing Matters upon the Agenda for Meetings of the Faculty Senate
The executive committee of the faculty senate shall place on the agenda
for meetings of the faculty senate any matter suggested by members of the
general faculty if the request is made in writing and bears the signatures
of at least five unclassified personnel as defined in Article II, Section
A.
Article VI. Amendments
This constitution may be amended at any meeting of the general faculty
by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, provided that the
members of the general faculty have had in their hands a copy of the proposed
amendment at least two weeks in advance of the meeting at which the vote
is taken.
The procedures for getting a proposed amendment before the faculty are:
(1) The submission of a proposal to the executive committee of the senate,
which may delegate one of the committees to study the proposal, followed
by its appearance on the agenda of the senate, and if approved by the senate,
then submission to the general faculty, or (2) a petition to the president
of the university signed by 25 faculty members, which would make it mandatory
for the proposal to appear on the agenda of the next general faculty meeting.
Article VII. By-Laws
By-laws of the Kansas State University Faculty Senate may be adopted or
amended by a two-thirds vote of the senators present and voting at an official
meeting of the faculty senate as described in Article IV, Section A, provided
that the by-law or amendment to a by-law was proposed at a previous meeting
of the faculty senate and was included on the agenda of the meeting at which
a vote is proposed.
By-Laws
- 1.
- The senate shall meet during the second week of each month, but
the senate executive committee is empowered to change any meeting
date from the second week of the month in order to avoid conflicts
with the university calendar or dispense with a regular meeting of
the senate if there is no agenda to be presented. However, in no case
shall two consecutive meetings can cancelled.
- The first meeting of the new senate shall convene immediately following
the adjournment of the May meeting of the outgoing senate.
- A quorum shall consist of not fewer than two-thirds of the members
of the faculty senate, and no meeting shall be official unless a quorum
is present.
- A proxy is recognized only if a senator notifies the
Office of the Faculty Senate of the name of the proxy for meetings beginning
before
2:00 p.m., by noon of the previous day. For meetings that begin
after 2:00 p.m., the Office of the Faculty Senate must be notified no
later than noon of the day of the meeting.
-
- The position on the faculty senate (a) held by a faculty member
appointed to a position in a different college from the college which
elected that member to the faculty senate, or (b) held by a faculty
member appointed to any position which makes that member ineligible
for election to the faculty senate, shall be declared vacant, and
shall be filled by the procedure of Article II, Section D.3.
- In the event the office of president-elect or secretary is vacated,
a new election shall be held.
- All senate minutes shall be forwarded with a letter of transmittal
by the president of the faculty senate to the president of the university
and the administrative council for appropriate action. Disposition of
all senate recommendations by the president and/or administrative council
is to be the first item on the agenda of each senate meeting.
- At any senate meeting a request by a senator for a secret ballot shall
be granted.
Professional non-faculty--see Affirmative Action Plan.
Assistant directors in extension function as department heads and therefore
are to be included in the extension unit, not general administration.