THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE FACULTY SENATE CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY (Approved by the Faculty on May 9, 1974) (Revised April 1997) CONSTITUTION OF THE FACULTY SENATE

1. Preamble

In order to take a more effective role in the governance of the University, we the faculty of Central Connecticut State University do establish the Faculty Senate with the following powers and responsibilities.
2. Powers and Responsibilities
2.1. Within the limits imposed by the Board of Trustees for the Connecticut State University, academic policies of the University are a responsibility of the faculty of the University. The powers of the faculty are delegated to the Faculty Senate, which represents the will of the faculty.

2.2. The Faculty Senate has decision-making authority in such areas as curriculum matters, degree requirements, scholastic standards, academic freedom, admission policies, and student behavior.

2.3. The Faculty Senate serves in an advisory capacity in the appointment of administrative officers, budget and planning matters, university organizational structure, promotion and tenure policy, and in other matters affecting the educational quality and mission of the university.

2.4. The Faculty Senate is the sole legislative body representing the faculty. Therefore, all of the University’s Standing Committees shall report directly to the Faculty Senate. Furthermore, each standing committee shall send one copy of its minutes to the President of the Faculty Senate, and each senator shall receive a copy of the minutes of the Curriculum Committee, the Committee on Academic Standards, the Graduate Studies Committee, and the Committee on Student Affairs. Any jurisdictional question arising out of the work of a standing committee shall be decided by the Faculty Senate.

3. Organization
3.1. The Faculty Senate shall be composed of one faculty member for every fifteen members, or fraction thereof, elected from each academic department. No department chairperson shall be eligible to vote for, or serve as, senator from their department.
3.1.1. There shall be three Senators and three alternates who are part-time faculty at CCSU and are not full-time employees at any other institution of higher education. These members will be elected (following procedures adopted by the Senate) in the spring semester of even-numbered years. No more than one Senator and one alternate may come from the same department. The election of part-time faculty Senators shall be conducted by the Senate Elections Committee.
3.2. The non-teaching unclassified, full-time faculty members, excluding those named in Sections 3.5. and 3.7., shall elect one senator for every fifteen faculty members, or fraction thereof, of their number. Respective of Collective Bargaining agreements, such senators shall not be franchised to vote in the election of members of the University-Wide Committee on Instructional Faculty Promotion and Tenure. The President of the University shall certify the number thereof and cause the election to take place.

3.3. The department chairpersons in each of the duly established schools of the University shall elect one senator for every fifteen members, or fraction thereof, of their number. This same provision shall extend to any school of the University created in the future.

3.4. Counselors shall elect one senator for every fifteen faculty members, or fraction thereof, of their number.

3.5. The non-teaching, unclassified, full-time library faculty members shall elect one senator for every fifteen faculty members, or a fraction thereof, of their number.

3.6. Each voting district of the University shall elect one permanent alternate for each of its senators. Elected alternates must meet the same requirements as elected senators. The permanent alternate is the only one who may substitute for a senator.

3.7. All of the following administrators shall be non-voting members of the Faculty Senate ex-officio: the President of the University, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and the academic and graduate Deans.

3.8. The President of the University shall be a non-voting member of the Senate.

3.9. Term in Office

3.9.1. The term of office for a senator shall be two years. Vacancies shall be filled by the elected alternate for the remainder of the unexpired term and a new alternate shall be elected.

3.9.2. A member of the Faculty Senate may be elected for a total of three consecutive terms irrespective of the constituency represented.

3.9.3. In the event of a senator's election to the Presidency or Vice-Presidency of the Faculty Senate, the senator will complete the two-year term provided for these offices without regard to the length of time remaining in the senator's elected term.

3.9.4. The constituency represented by the President of the Faculty Senate shall elect a replacement to complete their regular term of office.

3.9.5. As departments, schools, or administrative offices become eligible for additional representation, the original term shall be for one or two years so as to provide staggered terms.

3.10. The election of senators shall be held not later than the last school day of the academic year preceding the term during which the senator is to serve. Additional representatives shall be elected by any constituency as soon as it is entitled to them.

3.11. For the purpose of computing senatorial constituencies all full-time faculty members within a group shall be counted.

3.12. The Faculty Senate shall elect a President and Vice-President from among its members to serve for two years. The President of the Senate will receive three semester hours of released time per semester for their duties.

3.13. The Faculty Senate shall elect a Secretary from among its members annually.

4. Restrictions
4.1. Since the Faculty Senate derives its powers from the faculty, any decisions of that Senate may be reviewed and reversed by a vote of the faculty. If twenty-five or more faculty members so petition, the President of the University upon receipt of such petition shall, within three calendar weeks, call for a Special Session of the faculty to consider the items contained in the petition. The President upon receipt of a petition shall notify the President of the Faculty Senate what matters have been cited in the petition and indicate that all action on these matters shall be suspended pending disposition by the faculty. The Office of the University President shall ascertain the validity of the signatures on any petition so submitted. The final decision on petitioned items shall be made, subsequent to the Special Session, by a majority of those voting in a secret ballot of the entire faculty.

4.2. The agenda and minutes of all Faculty Senate meetings will be communicated to each faculty member, and the minutes of the Faculty Senate will be available in the University Library.

4.3. The vote of each senator on roll call votes shall be included in the minutes.

4.4. Each department shall adopt a procedure for the recall of its senators and submit a copy of these procedures to the Secretary of the Senate.

4.5. An amendment of the Constitution of the Faculty Senate of Central Connecticut State University may be initiated:

4.5.1. By the Faculty Senate on recommendation of the Committee on Constitution and By-Laws or of an individual senator at any regularly scheduled meeting of the Faculty Senate and subject to consideration at a Special Session of the faculty.

4.5.2. On recommendation of any Special Session of the faculty.

4.6. The adoption of the final form of a constitutional amendment requires a majority of those voting in a secret ballot of the entire faculty. This secret ballot shall be conducted by the Office of the President of the University within 14 calendar days of passage in the Senate. BY-LAWS OF THE FACULTY SENATE

1. Elections Procedures

1.1. In the spring of each academic year, the President of the University shall require from each voting district a certified list of its unclassified, full-time membership. This list shall include all members of the unit irrespective of the term of their employment or whether they are on leave or not. It shall not include part-time members nor members who have not yet assumed their duties at the University.

1.2. The President of the University shall return these countersigned lists to the units with number of Senators due the unit correctly noted in time for elections.

1.3. Within five days of the completion of the election, the voting unit's administrative officer shall notify the President of the University of its senatorial representation for the coming year.

1.4. The President of the University shall publish the membership of each year's Senate before the beginning of each academic year.

1.5. Each ex-officio senator may designate a permanent alternate each academic year who shall have no vote. Elected alternates must meet the same requirements as elected senators. The permanent alternate is the only one who may substitute for a senator. Elected alternates shall be certified according to By-Law 1.3. No individual may cast more than one vote.

1.6. Replacements and additions to the membership during the year shall be in accord with applicable procedures above.

2. Organization
2.1. The first order of business of each initial fall meeting of the Faculty Senate shall be the election of officers and the members of the Elections Committee. Nominations shall be made from the floor and seconded. Election shall be by a majority of the Senators present and voting. The Elections Committee shall make nominations for all vacant positions on other elected committees at the next regular Senate meeting. All faculty members shall be asked by the President of the Senate to indicate their committee preferences at the beginning of each fall semester.

2.2. Meetings

2.2.1. The Senate shall meet on the first and third Mondays of the months when the University is in regular session.

2.2.2. An emergency meeting may be called at any time by the President of the Senate after consulting with the Steering Committee of the Senate.

2.2.3. An emergency meeting of the Senate shall be called by the President of the Senate upon receipt of a written petition signed by at least ten Senators.

2.2.4. In the event of the absence of both the President and the Vice President at any regular or emergency Senate meeting, the Senate shall organize itself and elect a temporary presiding officer, who shall preside only as long as both the President and Vice President are absent.

2.3. The President of the Senate
2.3.1. The President shall report all approved Bills and Resolutions to the President of the University. A "Resolution" is defined as an expression of the sentiment of the Senate which requires no action by the President of the University. A "Bill" requires action by the President of the University. The President of the Senate shall, with the help of the Secretary, keep a running account of these Bills and Resolutions, by their numbers, which shall be published annually in the first minutes of the Senate's regular sessions. In this record of Bills and Resolutions, the status of each shall be noted.

2.3.2. The President may address the Senate at any time.

2.3.3. In emergencies, that is, in the case of a major disruption of the ordinary academic activities of the University, the President of the Senate shall be called upon as an adviser to the President of the University.

2.3.4. On ceremonial occasions, such as graduations and inaugurations, the President of the Senate shall be given a proper and honored place.

2.3.5. Before making any remarks in general faculty meetings, the President shall make it clear whether these remarks are made on behalf of the Senate or as an individual faculty member.

2.3.6. The President shall annually appoint a Parliamentarian.

2.3.7. The President shall call and preside over the meeting at which a successor is chosen. Tenure of office shall cease upon the election of a successor.

2.4. The Vice President of the Senate
2.4.1. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall preside with the full authority of the President. The Vice President shall be a member of the Steering Committee.
2.5. The Secretary
2.5.1. The Secretary shall prepare and distribute the minutes, call the roll on roll call votes, and call the time under limited debate. The Secretary shall be a member of the Steering Committee.
2.6. Standing Committees of the Senate and Their Duties
2.6.1. The Steering Committee shall consist of the Vice President, The Secretary, and from three to five senators appointed annually by the President of the Senate. The number of Senators appointed shall depend on the constituencies represented by the President of the Senate, the Vice President and the Secretary. The Steering Committee (including the President of the Senate) shall include Senators representing at least one of each of the following constituencies: Arts and Sciences; Business; Education and Professional Studies; Technology; and a combined constituency that includes librarians and counselors; and administrative faculty. The appointments must be confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate at the first regularly scheduled Senate meeting after the appointments are announced. In the event that an appointment is not confirmed, the President of the Senate must make another appointment. This committee meets with the President of the Senate before each regular meeting to determine the agenda. It shall assign each Bill or Resolution a number running continuously from "FS-1" on. Should a Bill or Resolution arise in debate, the Secretary shall immediately assign it an appropriate number. The agenda, as agreed upon by the Steering committee, shall be sent to all members of the Faculty prior to each meeting. 2.6.2 The Elections Committee shall consist of five Senators elected annually from different areas of the University. This committee makes nominations for and conducts all internal Senate elections and University-wide elections that are the responsibility of the Senate. The committee's nominations shall be distributed to Senators so as to allow sufficient time for Senators to consult their constituents.

Nominations by the Elections Committee shall not require a second. Before all elections within the competence of this committee, the floor of the Senate shall be opened for further nominations. Nominations from the floor shall require seconds.

In elections to University-wide committees a plurality of at least forty (40) percent of those voting is required for election. In the event that a sufficient number of candidates are not elected, the following run-off procedure shall be used for a first run-off:

Number to be elected	Number to be in Nomination
1	2 leading candidates
2 or more	2 or more than the number of vacancies

If subsequent run-offs are required, then only one (1) more than the number of candidates to be elected shall be on the ballot.

2.6.3. The Committee on Committees shall consist of three Senators elected by the Senate annually to review and keep up-to-date the committees of the Senate and the Functions and Responsibilities of Standing Committees. All Standing Committees should be reviewed by the Senate on a three-year cycle beginning in the 1995-96 school year. This review should include one-third of all committees each year. There should be no overlapping or duplication of standing committee responsibilities.

2.6.4. The Budget Committee (deleted)

2.6.5. The Committee on Appointments and Personnel shall consist of three Senators elected by the Senate annually. It shall consult with the Administration on University-wide appointments. It shall oversee the procedures for the implementation of the personnel policies provided in the existing collective bargaining contracts.

2.6.6. The Committee on Constitution and By-Laws shall consist of the Parliamentarian and two Senators elected annually.

2.6.7. Where committee representation is by school (e.g., the Academic Standards Committee) elections will be specific to that school unless otherwise stated in a committee description.

2.7. Delegates or Committees Elected University-Wide
2.7.1. The Elections Committee supervises the university-wide election to the following: Mediation Committee for Instructional Faculty and Termination Appeals Committee for Instructional Faculty. This election shall be held in the Spring for a term beginning in the Fall. An interim vacancy shall be filled as needed. The Elections Committee will propose panels of nominees to the faculty. This committee will survey the faculty to determine interest in particular committee service.
2.8. Senate Standing Committees with Members Elected by the Senate
2.8.1. The Elections Committee shall solicit nominations and indications of willingness to serve, and conduct elections for the following:

Advisory Committee for CSU Professorship
CCSU Foundation Grant Advisory Committee
Excellence in Teaching Award Committee
Grade Appeals Committee
Library Committee
Sabbatical Leave Committee (AAUP)
Safety and Environmental Health Committee
Student Affairs Committee
University Athletics Board
University Budget Committee
University Planning Committee
University-Wide Committee on Instructional Faculty
Promotion and Tenure

The members of these committees shall be elected annually in the spring for terms beginning in the fall. Interim vacancies shall be filled as needed.
2.9. Administrative Committees with Members Elected by the Senate
2.9.1. The Elections Committee shall solicit nominations and indications of willingness to serve, and conduct elections for the following:

Distinguished Service Award Committee Panel

The members of these committees shall be elected annually in the spring for terms beginning in the fall. Interim vacancies shall be filled as needed.
2.10. Members of standing committees who either have missed three (3) regularly scheduled or generally announced consecutive meetings or who have not notified the committee Chair of their intention to serve by November First may, by discretion of the Chair, have forfeited membership for that academic year. In such cases, the Chair will notify the electing or appointing body.
3. Floor Procedures
3.1. Robert's Rules of Order in its latest edition, shall regulate the meetings of the Senate except where they are in conflict with the Constitution or By-Laws of the Faculty Senate.

3.2. The Steering Committee shall place items on the agenda, or request that the President of the Senate conduct open hearings on the matter, or refer it to another committee for comment and study. The Steering Committee shall arrange for the distribution to each faculty member a copy of any proposal from any committee of the University at least seven days in advance of the meeting at which the proposal appears as an agenda item. To recommit to the same Standing Committee, however, requires a vote of the Senate.

3.3. The order of business shall normally be: Minutes, Announcements, Faculty Standing Committee reports, Senate Committee reports, Old Business, New Business. The President of the Senate may use his or her discretion as to the participation of non-Senators and the attendance of students, guests, and witnesses. Faculty Senate meetings are open to all CCSU faculty members.

3.4. A roll call vote shall be taken on any motion upon the request of a Senator unless there is objection. If objection is heard, the affirmative vote of five or more Senators shall be required to over-rule the objection. The roll call vote of each Senator shall be recorded in the minutes as "Yes", "No", "Abstain", or "Absent". Whenever a meeting is adjourned for lack of a quorum, the roll shall be taken and printed in the minutes.

3.5. All elections shall be by secret ballot.

3.6. Any parliamentary error made in one session but noted in the next shall become immediately the first "Announcement," and the Senate shall judge whether the error is to stand or be corrected.

3.7. Any motion to amend the Constitution of the Senate, that is, to bring before the full faculty a change in the Constitution, shall require a two-thirds vote.

3.8. All Bills and Resolutions, duly numbered and passed, shall be reported to the President of the University within five school days of the session in which they are passed. Bills shall be returned to the President of the Senate marked: "approved", "disapproved", or "deferred", within ten school days of their receipt. If a Bill is not approved or deferred, the President of the University shall append an explanatory comment. All Senators shall be notified in writing by the President of the Senate, of the President's action concerning a duly numbered Bill within twenty school days of such action. If a Bill is approved, the President of the University shall circulate the contents as University policy within ten days of approval and cause the same to be printed in the appropriate official University publication.

4. Miscellaneous Rules and Regulations
4.1. These By-Laws may be suspended according to the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order and may be amended by a majority vote. A copy of any proposed amendment to these By-Laws must be circulated to every Senator at least seven days in advance of the meeting at which the amendment will be considered, and notice of it must appear on the meeting agenda.

4.2. These By-Laws shall become effective immediately upon passage by the Faculty Senate and shall be published in the Faculty Handbook.

FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FACULTY STANDING COMMITTEES

General Statements

A. Within the limits established by the Board of Trustees for the Connecticut State University and provisions set forth in the approved Policies and Procedures for the State University Faculties, the academic faculty and administration share jointly the establishing of University Policy.

B. The faculty formulates and recommends policy throughthe Faculty Senate and the appropriate standing faculty committees.

C. The Faculty Senate is recognized as the instrument of the Faculty with the functions and responsibilities indicated in the Constitution of the Faculty Senate of Central Connecticut State University approved by vote of the Faculty on May 9, 1974.

D. The President of the University, having the ultimate responsibility for the operation of the University, shall have veto powers concerning all matters of policy. All Faculty Senate and Departmental appointments to committees are subject to the approval of the President.

E. It shall be the prerogative of the Vice President for Academic Affairs to sit as an ex-officio member of any committee to which he/she is not specifically assigned.

F. Each standing committee and the Faculty Senate shall forward one copy of the minutes of each of its meetings to the University Library for retention in the archives of the University. For information purposes only, each standing committee shall forward one copy of the minutes of each of its meeting s to the President of the Faculty Senate, each faculty senator and chairperson of departments.

G. All policy recommendations requiring faculty approval shall be submitted in writing to the members of the Faculty Senate at least ten days prior to the meeting at which the proposal is to appear as an agenda item.

H. Every Senate Committee shall have a statement of purpose including responsibilities and by-laws. How members are chosen, their number and length of service--both of a single term and number of consecutive terms--should be stated. The maximum length of continuous service on any standing committee for elected members is three consecutive two-year terms. Committees may include in their bylaws more restrictive service limits. But they may not extend these service limits. It is important, that, if possible, the committee’s meeting times be included in this statement: The larger the committee, the more important this becomes. Any committee with five (5) or more elected members must have representation from at least two schools. We recommend holding elected membership to seven (7) or fewer in most cases. No department shall have more than one member per committee where that committee’s business directly impacts that department.

I. All standing committees are to organize themselves by October 15th and are to report names of their elected chairs to the Senate in order that these be published with minutes of the first Senate meeting of November. The Senate President shall charge a committee member to schedule an organizational meeting. Those committees whose deliberations do not involve confidentiality (e.g., safety) should also report their meeting times.

J. All Senate standing committees are to report at least annually to the senate.

K. In the following committee descriptions two definitions are assumed:

1. Committee refers only to such a group with membership and responsibilities beyond a single department or school.

2. Instructional/Teaching Faculty are those represented by AAUP; Administrative Faculty are those represented by AFSCME/SUOAF. (FS-94-26-B)

Formations and Appointments A. Formation of New Committees - Formation of new standing faculty committees shall be by the action of the Faculty Senate. At the time of formation, the membership, means of selection, and the specific functions and responsibilities of the new committee must be clearly defined. Upon approval of the Faculty Senate this information will be made part of the "Functions and Responsibilities of the Standing Faculty Committees." It is the responsibility of the Faculty Senate to keep this document up-to-date.