CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

OF THE

FACULTY SENATE

TRI-COUNTY TECHNICAL COLLEGE

ARTICLE I

Name

The name of this organization shall be the Tri-County Technical College Faculty Senate.

ARTICLE II

Section 1 – Goals

The key to quality education is a quality faculty. This organization is established for the following:

A. To coordinate the efforts of the entire faculty.

B. To maintain faculty morale.

C. To further the understanding between the faculty and the administration.

Section 2 – Function

The function of the organization shall be the following:

A. To bring to the administration for action any such matters that affect the welfare of the faculty members and the academic policies of the institution.

B. To report to the faculty concerning any actions by the administration that affect the welfare of the faculty and the academic policies of the institution.

C. To act on any other matters brought before it by the faculty.

Section 3 – Procedure for Conducting Business

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, the most current edition available, shall govern the Faculty Senate in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not

inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Faculty Senate.

Section 4 - Quorum

A quorum for transacting business shall consist of 60% of the duly elected full-time faculty members OR one more than half of all of the duly elected members of the Faculty Senate.

Section 5 – Meetings

Regular meetings of the Faculty Senate shall be open to all faculty members.

Section 6 - Announcements of meetings

Dates and times of regular Faculty Senate meetings shall be published in the college calendar and through whatever electronic means available. The agenda shall be published two business days prior to meetings.

Section 7 – Posting of minutes

Official Senate Minutes will be published through whatever electronic means available after approval by the full senate.

Section 8 – Addressing the Senate

Any faculty member may address the Faculty Senate at any regularly scheduled meeting provided the Senate President is notified one week prior to the meeting. The nature and order of the presentation shall be included in the published agenda.

ARTICLE III

Membership

Section 1 – Faculty

The faculty shall consist of all personnel on the Tri-County Technical College payroll whose primary duty is instruction. This includes personnel on 9-, 10-, and 12-month contracts, as well as adjunct instructors, lecturers, and librarians.

Section 2 – Faculty Senate Eligibility

The Faculty Senate shall consist of a representative number elected from the faculty membership.

Full-time Faculty: Each division shall be entitled to two representatives.

Lecturer: Each division shall be entitled to one Lecturer representative.

Adjunct: Each division shall be entitled to one Adjunct representative.

Librarians: Entitled to one representative.

At-large representatives: In addition to the full-time and adjunct representatives, there shall be up to two at-large members. One member shall be elected at large from the faculty. The second at-large member may be appointed to the faculty senate if such member has been elected or appointed to a national faculty council or committee as a TCTC faculty representative. The term of appointment to faculty senate shall correspond to the term of said election or appointment.

Past President: Included for one year to insure consistent flow of historical knowledge from the previous year. The Past President’s inclusion does not impact the specific division that the Senator is from.

Section 3 – Election of Senate

The nomination and election of Faculty Senate President, Full Time Division Representatives and one Member-At-Large will be done by the April/May meeting, enabling the Senate to make an announcement of the new Senators before the Faculty President Senator begins his/her term on June 1. Election of Lecturer/Adjunct Faculty Representative will occur before September 10. In all cases, run-off elections will be held in the case of a tie.

Election of Faculty Senate President: Before the last Senate meeting of the academic year, the Faculty Senate representatives will make nominations for the following year’s Faculty President. Nominees for Faculty Senate President must have served as a representative on Faculty Senate during the current academic year and must be full- time, permanent status. After nominations have been submitted, the current Senate President will call for a vote. The President of the Senate will be elected by the candidate with the most votes

Election of Member-At-Large: One member-at-large will be elected on a separate ballot. The member-at-large will be elected by the candidate with the most votes.

Election of Full-time Division Representatives: During the spring semester, the Faculty Senate President will solicit nominations from the faculty in each division. The full-time faculty will be elected by the candidates with the most votes.

Election of Lecturer/Adjunct Faculty: At the beginning of the fall semester, the Faculty Senate President will solicit nominations from both lecturer and adjunct faculty in each division. After the nominations have been received, the Faculty Senate President will distribute to both the lecturer and the adjunct faculty in each division, a ballot listing the nominees for that division. The lecturer and the adjunct faculty will be elected by the candidates with the most votes. This election shall take place no later than September 10. Adjunct faculty members are not eligible to be faculty senate representatives unless they have worked at or facilitated courses for at least two academic semesters.

NOTE: All elections can be held electronically at the discretion of the entity.

Section 4 – Length of Service

Contingent on performance and no past disciplinary actions pursuant to Section VIII of this document, Division representatives of the Senate can serve as long as his or her constituents elect them to office.

Section 5 – Officers

The officers of the Faculty Senate shall consist of the President, Vice President, and Secretary. The President shall be elected by the faculty. The President’s term of office extends from June 1 to May 31. The Vice President and Secretary shall be elected by the Senate by majority vote at its first meeting.

A.  Duties of the President

1.  Schedule and facilitate Faculty Senate meetings.

2.  Solicit nominations from full-time faculty in each division.

3.  Solicit nominations from adjunct faculty in each division.

4.  Solicit nominations for the member-at-large representative.

5.  Solicit nominations for Faculty Senate President from current Faculty Senate members.

6.  Coordinate any elections required for selecting Faculty Senate President, full-time and adjunct division representatives, and the member-at-large.

7.  Represent Faculty Senate on the Provost’s Council.

8.  Represent Faculty Senate on other committees as necessary.

9.  Communicate Faculty Senate issues/concerns to responsible Vice President and/or the President of the College.

10.  Communicate to the Faculty Senate issues/concerns that the College administration seeks faculty input on.

11.  Communicate to College community date, time, location, and agenda of upcoming Faculty Senate meetings.

B.  Duties of the Vice President

1.  Assist the Faculty Senate President in soliciting nominations from full-time faculty in each division and in soliciting nominations for the member-at-large representative.

2.  Schedule and facilitate Faculty Senate meetings in the absence of the Faculty Senate President.

3.  Represent Faculty Senate on the Provost’s Council and other committees in the absence of the Faculty Senate President.

4.  Communicate Faculty Senate concerns to responsible Vice President and/or the President of the College in the absence of the Faculty Senate President.

5.  Assume other duties of the Faculty Senate President as needed in his/her absence.

C.  Duties of the Secretary

1.  Record minutes of Faculty Senate meetings.

2.  Send minutes to Senate members within 7 business days following a Faculty Senate meeting.

3.  Send approved minutes to appropriate contact for public posting.

D.  Duties of Faculty Senate Representatives

1.  Attend Senate Meetings

2.  Solicit agenda items from constituents

3.  Disseminate meeting minutes to constituents

4.  Encourage open dialogue and transparency among constituents

5.  Represent the faculty body and the Senate’s interests by serving on at least one other outside committee

ARTICLE IV

Committees

Section 1 – Ad Hoc Committees

The Senate shall create such standing and ad hoc committees as it deems proper.

Section 2 – Membership on Ad Hoc Committees

The President of the Faculty Senate shall have the authority to create ad hoc committees. The members of the ad hoc committees shall be appointed by the President of the Faculty Senate with the approval of a majority of Senators.

ARTICLE V

Order of Business

Section 1 – Recalls

On the request of a Senator, any item may be recalled from committee to the floor with the approval of a majority of the Senate.

Section 2 – Responsibility

The Faculty Senate President, or his/her designee, shall be bound to represent the wishes of the full Senate as decided by vote during the course of official meetings of the Faculty Senate and recorded in the approved minutes.

ARTICLE VI

Roll Call Vote

A roll call vote shall be recorded in the official minutes on any vote of the Faculty Senate. Any senator may make a motion for a no roll call vote.

ARTICLE VII

Amendments to Bylaws and Constitution

A two-thirds vote of all Senate members shall be required for amendments to the Bylaws and Constitution of the Faculty Senate.

ARTICLE VIII

Senator Participation in Meetings and Activities

Attendance at Senate Meetings is expected, and a pattern of unexcused absences from Senate meetings opens that Senator to sanctions by the Senate. Therefore,

1)  It is the responsibility of Senate officers to find meeting times which are not in conflict with the schedules of the Senators. If such a conflict is unavoidable then absence from that meeting will be considered an excused absence. Such unavoidable conflicts may take the form of medical needs, professional duties, and personal emergencies. Otherwise, it is the responsibility of individual members of the Senate to attend meetings.

2)  Should a Senator fail to meet his or her responsibilities as a Faculty Senate Representative, the Senate may by a majority vote sanction that Senator. The sanctions open to the Senate are

a) Censure

b) Removal that Senator’s representative seat by the Senate, which will call for a

2/3 removal vote from the Senate body

3)  Should a Senator be removed of his or her role as Faculty Senate Representative (as noted in the sanction under section 2), the removed Senator’s respective Dean will be trusted with replacing this position, and this replacement decision will be subject to Senate Confirmation.

4)  Should a Senator be unable, due to continuing medical problems, to attend Senate meetings, the Senate may through a majority vote ask that a replacement be selected from that division.

ARTICLE IX

Safeguarding Instruction

Issues and decisions that have an adverse effect on instruction should be addressed through established administrative channels. If this course of action does not result in resolution of the concern, then the Faculty Senate’s course of action will include, but not be limited to, the following:

1)  Senators will serve as a point of contact for all Faculty regarding issue(s) or decision(s) that has adversely affected instruction.

2)  Hear from the faculty member in question on the issue and how a decision or action has affected instruction adversely.

3)  Call upon the person(s) and/or the governing body responsible for an explanation of the issue as it has affected instruction.

4)  Resolve the issue with the person(s) and/or the governing body responsible or recommend action by the full Senate. Action of the full Senate will be decided upon by the full Senate. Actions include but are not limited to: :

  1. Informal discussion between the Faculty Senate President and the person(s) and/or the governing body responsible.
  2. Informal discussion between the Faculty Senate President and the President of the College.
  3. Formal discussion between the person(s) and/or the governing body responsible and the full Faculty Senate.
  4. Formal discussion between the President of the College and the full Faculty Senate.
  5. A resolution of the Faculty Senate to the person(s) and/or the governing body outlining the issue, its effect(s) on institution and recommended course of action

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Revised: August 2016. Final approval 8-25-2016