Rev. 5/05CONSTITUTION
of the
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS
FACULTY SENATE
Preamble
Under Board of Regents' Policy, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Faculty Senate is
formed so that the faculty may carry out its professional responsibility as the
legislative body of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in matters of instruction,
research/creative activity, and service.
ARTICLE I - Name
Sect. 1 The name of the organization shall be the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Faculty Senate, hereinafter referred to as "Senate".
ARTICLE II - Rights, Responsibilities and Authority
Sect. 1 Faculty rights include the following:
A. To exercise academic freedom.
B. To form a representative body to develop legislation concerning the
professional activities of the faculty.
C. To have elected representatives to appropriate governance bodies.
D. To have primary authority through the Senate to initiate, develop, review
and approve academic criteria, regulation and policy with regard to the
responsibilities outlined in Section 2.
E. Other rights as may be defined under this constitution and bylaws.
Sect. 2 Faculty responsibilities include the formulation of policies and regulations
guiding:
A. Faculty appointment, re-appointment, termination, development, evaluation
and workload.
B. Tenure
C. Promotion
D. Teaching
E. Research/creative activities
F. Advising
G. Service
H. Sabbatical leave
I. Honorary degree candidates
J. Scholastic standards
1. Degree requirements
2. Curriculum review
3. Admission standards
4. Grading policy
5. Academic probation
6. Academic suspension
7. Academic dismissal
8. Class length and structure of the academic year
K. Other responsibilities as may be defined by the faculty under this
constitution and bylaws.
Sect. 3 Further Responsibilities
A. To advise the administration of the University of Alaska Fairbanks on
academic and faculty matters.
B. To provide faculty representatives to the appropriate governance bodies.
C. To support student and staff constituencies on matters of mutual concern.
Sect. 4 Authority
The Senate shall carry out its responsibilities and functions subject to the
authority of the Board of Regents Policy. Senate actions will be binding, subject
to review, veto, and override in accordance with ARTICLE XI (Veto Powers) of
this constitution.
ARTICLE III - Membership
Sect. 1 The Senate shall be constituted according to the provisions specified in
the bylaws.
Sect. 2 Voting members of the Senate must either hold academic rank with full-time
continuing appointment at the University of Alaska Fairbanks or hold special
academic rank with title preceded by "research" or "term".
Sect. 3 Senate members shall be elected from and by the faculty of their respective
units, as set forth in the bylaws, to two-year terms which shall be staggered
to ensure continuity.
Sect. 4 The terms of the newly elected and appointed members shall commence at the
beginning of "New Business" of the last regularly scheduled Senate meeting
of the academic year.
Sect. 5 Any voting member of the Senate may be recalled according to the provisions
of the bylaws.
Sect. 6 Non-voting members of the Senate shall have voting privileges on any Senate
committee on which they serve.
ARTICLE IV - Officers
Sect. 1 The two officers of the Senate shall be the President and the President-Elect.
Sect. 2 The President and President-Elect shall be elected by the elected representatives
of the Senate for one-year terms. Eligible nominees for the offices of President
and President-Elect shall be elected representatives and/or chairs of standing
and permanent committees of the Senate.
Sect. 3 The President-Elect, after serving for one year in this position, subject to
Sections 4 and 5, will automatically become President for one year.
Sect. 4 The term of the President may be extended for one additional year by a
two-thirds majority vote of the entire voting membership of the Senate.
The vote will be by secret ballot and, if passed, the term of the President
and the current President-Elect will be extended for no more than one
additional year.
Sect. 5 If for any reason the President should relinquish or be recalled from office,
the President-Elect will automatically and immediately assume the Presidency.
The Senate shall elect a Vice President to fill out the remainder of the year
at which time a new election for President-Elect will be held. The previously
elevated President-Elect will complete the next academic year as President.
Sect. 6 If for any reason the President-Elect should relinquish or be recalled from
office, the Senate shall elect a President-Elect to fill out the remainder of
the year at which time a new election for President-Elect will be held.
Sect. 7 The terms of the newly elected President and President-Elect shall commence
at the beginning of "New Business" of the last regularly scheduled Senate
meeting of the academic year.
ARTICLE V - Committees
Sect. 1 The requirements for membership on standing, permanent, and ad hoc committees
of the Faculty Senate will be specified in the bylaws.
ARTICLE VI - Relation to the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Governance Coordinating Committee and the University
of Alaska System Governance.
Sect. 1 The UAF Faculty Senate President and President-Elect shall represent the
faculty on the University of Alaska Fairbanks Governance Coordinating Committee.
Sect. 2 The UAF Faculty Senate President, President-Elect, and one other designee
appointed by the Senate President shall represent the Senate on the University
of Alaska Faculty Alliance and one will serve on the System Governance Council.
ARTICLE VII - Meetings
Sect. 1 There shall be a minimum of seven regular meetings each academic year. Other
meetings may be held on special call of the Administrative Committee of the Senate.
ARTICLE VIII - Quorum
Sect. 1 The presence of a majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum.
Presence may be established by participation in an audioconference.
ARTICLE IX - Parliamentary Authority
Sect. 1 The parliamentary authority shall be the most recent version of Robert's
Rules of Order.
ARTICLE X - Amendments
Sect. 1 Amendments to the constitution may be proposed only by members of the Senate
and copies shall be sent to all members of the Senate. Amendments must be
formally read and incorporated in the minutes of a Senate meeting.
Sect. 2 Approval of amendments to the constitution requires a two-thirds vote and
cannot occur sooner than 28 days from the date of the meeting at which the
amendments were first read and discussed.
Sect. 3 Approval of amendments to the bylaws requires a majority vote.
ARTICLE XI - Veto Powers
Sect. 1 The Chancellor's Office shall have the right to veto actions taken by the
Senate relating to academic, research, service and faculty affairs. A Senate
action shall be considered approved unless written reasons for a veto are
received in the Senate Office within 30 days of that action being received by
the Chancellor's Office. The Administrative Committee upon request by the
Chancellor may extend the 30 day requirement.
Sect. 2 Any action approved by the Senate and vetoed by the Chancellor's Office may
be submitted to a reconciliation committee upon a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
Up to three members appointed by the Senate and up to three members appointed
by the Chancellor's Office shall constitute a reconciliation committee whose
task it shall be to formulate recommendations to the Senate and the
Chancellor's Office.
If the Senate and the Chancellor's Office are not able to resolve the impasse,
then the Senate, upon a two-thirds vote, may elect to forward its previous
action through the University of Alaska governance structure as provided for
under Regents' policy.
ARTICLE XII - Faculty Referendum
Sect. 1 A faculty referendum on any Senate action will be called when a petition
containing the signatures of ten percent of the full-time, permanent faculty
is filed with the Senate Office. The Administrative Committee of the Senate
will call for a Senate convocation at which time any business of the Senate
may be reconsidered if the majority of the faculty eligible to elect members
to the Senate, as described in the bylaws, is present at the convocation.
Sect. 2 The convocation must take place within 21 working days after the petition is
filed with the Senate Office.
Sect. 3 The Senate actions may be modified by a simple majority vote of the members
at the convocation.
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