FACULTY SENATE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS NORTHEAST STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE Adopted by the Faculty: September 18, 1980 Revised Fall Quarter, 1986 Revised Spring Semester, 1990 Revised Fall Semester, 1990 Revised Spring Semester, 1995 Revised Fall Semester, 1997 Revised Fall Semester, 1999 Revised Fall Semester, 2003 Revised Spring Semester, 2009
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE FACULTY SENATE OF NORTHEAST STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE PREAMBLE In order to fulfill its mission more effectively, Northeast State Technical Community College seeks to establish channels of communication to foster mutual trust and respect between the faculty and administrative officers of the college. Final authority for implementing the policies of the college resides with the administration. It is a basic premise of this document, however, that the faculty has the privilege and obligation, with the attendant responsibilities, to participate in the determination of those policies that pertain to academic matters and faculty welfare. The Faculty Senate provides for the active participation by the faculty in matters of college governance. ARTICLE I NAME The name of this organization will be the Faculty Senate of Northeast State Technical Community College. ARTICLE II PURPOSES AND FUNCTIONS The purposes and functions of the Faculty Senate of Northeast State Technical Community College will be: A. to serve as the primary vehicle of faculty participation in the affairs of the college; B. to serve as a forum for the expression of the representative opinion of the college faculty; C. to study matters of general faculty interest and make appropriate recommendations; D. to serve as a means by which the faculty share mutual concerns with all segments of the college.
ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP Northeast State Technical Community College, in accordance with Tennessee Board of Regents Policy 5:02:01:00, defines faculty as follows: The term faculty shall be limited to regular, full-time personnel at institutions and area vocational-technical schools whose regular assignments include instruction, research, and/or public service as a principal activity, and who hold academic rank as professor, associate professor, assistant professor or instructor at the institutions, and as senior vocational teacher, intermediate vocational teacher, vocational teacher, and instructor at the area schools. Institutions and schools may limit, but may not expand the scope of the definition of faculty for the purposes of this policy. Voting membership in the Faculty Senate will include thirteen members (one faculty representative from each of one of eight areas of the college, two at large members from the faculty, one president, one vice-president, and one secretary). The quorum requirements for a meeting will be seven members, including at least one Executive Committee member. There must be a minimum of seven yes votes for the passage of any measure. The Area Representatives will ensure that the area concerns are expressed to the faculty Senate. One representative will be elected by each of the following academic areas of the College faculty. These areas are: (1) the Division of Humanities, (2) the Division of Behavioral and Social Science, (3) the Division of Mathematics, (4) the Division of Science, (5) the Manufacturing Services Division, (6) the Departments of Computer and Information Sciences, and Business, and Office Administration Technology, (7) the Division of Health-Related Professions, and 8) the Division of Nursing. The full-time faculty of their respective areas shall elect these representatives. The Senate will also include two at-large representatives nominated from the full faculty and elected through popular vote by the full faculty. If no nominations for one or both of the at-large positions are received, the position(s) will remain vacant. Should circumstances warrant, special elections will be held as necessary during the academic year to fill vacant positions on the Faculty Senate. If necessary, a special meeting will be scheduled by the President of the Faculty Senate to ask for a vote on the vacant position(s). In the absence of the President, the Vice-President will call for the vote. Part-time faculty members, also called adjunct faculty, may elect a representative to attend faculty senate meetings. This will be a non-voting member.
ARTICLE IV OFFICERS The terms of office for the President and Vice-President will be one year each. In order to provide the continuity of representation at the TBR Faculty Subcouncil, the President and Vice- President may be re-elected for succeeding terms if elected by the majority vote of the faculty. The term of office of Secretary will be one year. The President, Vice-President, and Secretary may not serve as area representatives. Each office is defined as follows: A. President: The President of the Faculty Senate will preside at regular council meetings and chair the Faculty Executive Committee. The President will serve as the College s representative to the Tennessee Board of Regents Faculty Subcouncil. The President will serve as ex-officio member of all faculty council committees. B. Vice-President: In absence of the President of the Faculty Senate, the Vice-President will assume the duties of the President. If special circumstances prevent the President from completing the term of office, the Vice-President will become President, assuming the duties of the President, and a special election will be held to elect a new Vice-President. The Vice-President will attend the Tennessee Board of Regents Faculty Subcouncil meeting if the President is unable to attend. C. Secretary: The Secretary will keep the minutes of the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Executive Committee meetings and will distribute copies of the Council minutes to faculty members, upon request. The Secretary will also maintain the Faculty Senate web site. When the need arises, the Secretary will take charge of the Faculty Senate financial matters.
ARTICLE V COMMITTEES The Faculty Senate will establish committees to study and make reports on matters of concern to the College faculty. Committees appointed by the Faculty Senate become committees of the Faculty Senate, receive their authority from the Faculty Senate, report their findings to the Faculty Senate, and make their recommendations to the Faculty Senate. Faculty Senate committees will not act independently of the Faculty Senate, and all statements and actions of these committees will be presented to the Faculty Senate for consideration. Committee work will be done as a body and not by action of the committee chair. Actions taken will be those of the committee as a whole representing a majority vote. Minority reports and recommendations may be submitted to the Faculty Senate if desired by the dissenting committee members. A majority of the committee members constitutes a quorum for the transaction of all business of the committee. A. Faculty Senate Executive Committee: The Faculty Senate Executive Committee, composed of the elected officers, will meet monthly. By majority vote, the committee will call Faculty Senate meetings and prepare the agenda. Notice of meetings will be provided at least one week prior to the meeting date. Any member may call a meeting of the Executive Committee. All business of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will be conducted in accordance with Robert s Rules of Order. B. The Faculty Senate will serve as an Advisory Board to the President of the College. C. Election of Officers and Area Representatives for the succeeding academic year will be conducted by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. Nominations will occur in March with the election occurring no later than April 30. New Senate members will take office on May 15. D. Other Committees: Standing and ad hoc committees will be appointed by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee when the need arises. Each committee will have a minimum of three members. E. The Faculty Senate Executive Committee will be able to act as, and with the authority of, the full senate in between full senate meetings. All Faculty Senate Executive Committee activity must be ratified by the full senate at the next scheduled meeting. ARTICLE VI MEETINGS The Faculty Senate will meet at least once per semester each academic year. Other meetings may be called as needed by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VII ORDER OF BUSINESS The following will be the order of business at each Faculty Senate meeting: 1. Call to order 2. Roll call 3. Reading and approval of the minutes 4. Reports from officers and committees 5. Unfinished business 6. New business ARTICLE VIII RULES OF ORDER All business of the Faculty Senate will be conducted in accordance with Robert s Rules of Order. ARTICLE IX AMENDMENT PROCEDURE The Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by the following procedure: A. the proposed amendment will be submitted in writing to the Faculty Senate at a regular meeting. B. the proposed amendment will be submitted in writing to all faculty members at least five days prior to the next meeting of the Faculty Senate. C. To be ratified, the amendment must be approved by a majority of the Faculty Senate members voting by secret ballot at the next regular meeting.