Faculty Senate By-laws

Article I. Title

Article II. Purpose

Article III: Organization

Section 1. Eligible Faculty

Section 3. Membership Quota

Section 4. Term of Office

A. A term of office shall begin with the special session of the Faculty Senate in April.

B. A senator rotated off the Faculty Senate, as provided in Article III, Section 4, of the Constitution, will become eligible for a new term after twelve months.

Section 5. Election

Section 7. The Committee of Elections

A. Members of the Committee of Elections will serve throughout their term or terms of office as senators.

B. Elections to fill vacancies will be carried out in the respective college caucuses held during the May meeting, or during the next meeting after a vacancy is reported to the Senate President.

C. Members of the Committee will elect the Chair at the first meeting after the organizational meeting of the Faculty Senate.

D. The schedule of activities for the elections of senators and senate officers shall be as follows:

1. Distribution of a provisional list of eligible faculty for each department and division at the November Senate meeting; senators are to check their list and note any changes; return corrected lists to the Committee, and necessary changes are made in the Senate database.
2. Preparation of the list of faculty who may be included on the ballot. All eligible faculty from departments having elections are listed except current senators who have served two consecutive terms and current senators from departments with two senators who are not up for election in the current year.
3. Preparation of ballots.
   The Committee sends self-nomination letters by the third week in January.
   Each eligible faculty member may remove themself from the ballot by returning the Committee’s form.
   Exclusion forms must be received before January 31, after which ballots are prepared by department with the names of those eligible and willing to serve. 
4. Distribution and electronic voting.
   Faculty shall vote for as many candidates as they approve of using the electronic voting system designated by the Committee of Elections. Instructions and deadlines for voting shall be distributed via campus email, and votes shall be collected and tallied electronically.
   The Committee shall ensure voting security, ballot confidentiality, and documentation of voter eligibility. 
5. Counting ballots and reporting election results to the Senate President shall occur during the third week of February.
   The person with the most votes is the new senator; the person with the second most votes is the new proxy. Tie votes are decided by a coin flip, consistent with the approval voting method. 
6. The Senate President notifies new senators and proxies of their election by the first business day in March via email. New senators are invited to the March meeting as nonvoting observers and are introduced by the Senate President. 
7. Election of officers.
   The Senate President receives nominations for President-elect and Secretary and announces them at the March meeting.
   The Committee of Elections prepares ballots for the special supplementary April meeting.
   New senators attend the regular April meeting without a vote.
   After that meeting, outgoing senators are excused, while Committee members remain to conduct the officer election.
   The outgoing Senate President presides and the outgoing Secretary records the minutes.
   The Committee counts ballots during a recess and reports the results.
   The Senate President announces the President-elect and Secretary, effective immediately.
   The new Senate and officers begin their first regular meeting in May. 

1. Elections for the Merit Pay Appeals Committee shall be completed by October 1.
2. The Committee shall include three faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences, three from the College of Business, three from the College of Education, one from the School of Nursing, and one from Library Services. No two members shall be from the same department or division. Members are elected by the faculty in the unit they represent and serve staggered three-year terms. The Committee elects its Chair. Six committee members must agree to resolve an appeal. 
3. The Committee on Elections shall provide the Senate President with lists of newly elected members and alternates in order of votes received. The Senate President shall appoint a convener to convene the Committee by December 1 of each academic year, when the Committee shall elect its Chair.
4. The Chair shall consult immediately with the Faculty Senate when recusals are required. The Senate President, in consultation with the Committee on Elections, shall appoint the next eligible alternate by votes received in that unit, provided the alternate is not from the appealing faculty member’s department. 

Section 8. Duties and Entitlements of Faculty Senate Officers

1. To call the special organizational meeting that immediately follows the regular April meeting;
2. To preside over meetings of the Faculty Senate and Executive Committee; 
3. To represent the general faculty at meetings of the DSU President’s Cabinet, Academic Council, and other administrative councils or advisory bodies established by the President or Vice President; 
4. To notify faculty members of their election to the Faculty Senate; 
5. With the concurrence of the Executive Committee, to prepare and distribute meeting notices and agendas at least seven days before a notified meeting; 
6. To send a memorandum to the DSU President not more than one week after each meeting, calling attention to resolutions and other important matters; 
7. To serve as signatory officer and custodian of Faculty Senate funds, authorize necessary expenditures, maintain financial records, and report finances at the January meeting; 
8. To supervise and coordinate standing and ad hoc committees; 
9. To secure faculty marshals for commencement; 
10. To be provided an office outfitted with a personal computer; 
11. To receive a stipend equivalent to not less than three 3-hour courses over the Senate year; 
12. To be released from no less than three 3-hour courses during Summer, Fall, and Spring; 
13. To be provided with a Graduate Assistant;
14. To be provided with an email list of all faculty;
15. To perform all other functions of a president of an organization.

1. To preside in the absence of the Senate President; 
2. To substitute for the Senate President when necessary at the DSU President’s Cabinet, Academic Council, and other organizations or functions; 
3. To monitor attendance, encourage attendance after consecutive absences, and recommend resignations when scheduling conflicts prevent service; 
4. To represent the Faculty Senate at DSU Staff Council meetings; 
5. To be a nonvoting observer at Spring meetings of the DSU President’s Cabinet and Academic Council. 

1. To keep attendance records, which shall be included in the minutes; 
2. To prepare minutes for distribution. Minutes shall be provided to the Senate President within two weeks, and distributed at least one week before the subsequent meeting; 
3. To maintain archives in the Roberts-LaForge Library, including agendas, minutes, and the Senate President’s advisory memoranda; 
4. To reserve the meeting place for Faculty Senate meetings. 

1. If the office of Senate President becomes vacant, the President-Elect will assume the role of President of the Faculty Senate for the remainder of the unexpired term. The President-Elect shall then continue to serve their originally intended full term as President during the following Senate year. If the President-Elect cannot serve as President, a new President shall be elected at the next regular meeting of the Faculty Senate. 
2. If the office of President-Elect or Secretary becomes vacant, the vacancy or vacancies will be filled by election at the next meeting of the Faculty Senate. 

Section 9. Committees

• Executive Committee
  The committee shall organize annual forums including, but not limited to, the DSU President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Chief Financial Officer. 
• Committee of Elections, which conducts Faculty Senate elections as provided by the Constitution. 
• Committee on University Standing Committees. 
  • The committee shall be composed of three Faculty Senate members appointed by the Senate President. No two shall be from the same college or the Library. 
  • Members serve throughout their term or terms in the Faculty Senate. 
  • When necessary, new members are appointed at the May meeting or the next meeting after a vacancy is reported. 
  • Members elect their Chair each year at the May meeting. 
  • The Committee is charged with selecting candidates from the University faculty for membership on all university standing committees, as defined and maintained by the Office of Academic Affairs. 
  • The Committee shall receive by August 15 from the Vice President for Academic Affairs a list, including emails, of eligible faculty and a list of extant standing committees with descriptions, duties, and composition. 
  • The Committee shall call for sign-ups and make committee descriptions available to all faculty.
  • Faculty committee membership is voluntary and must be renewed each year.
  • The Committee shall ensure membership does not exceed established quotas and shall consult with faculty to reallot membership as needed. 
  • Recommendations shall be submitted for a vote at the September Faculty Senate meeting. 
  • The Chair shall meet with representatives of Staff Council and the Student Government Association to create the final list by September 30. 
  • The final roster shall be recommended to the DSU President for twelve-month appointments. 
• Tenure and Promotion Appeals Committee, whose composition is defined by the official tenure and promotions policy: 
  • Three tenured faculty members at the rank of Professor; 
  • No two members from the same college or school, and no member serving simultaneously on the University Tenure and Promotion Committee; 
  • Members appointed by the Faculty Senate at the beginning of the academic year for one-year terms; 
  • Members shall not hear appeals from their own department or division; the Faculty Senate shall appoint a temporary replacement when needed. 
• The Committee on University Standing Committees, in consultation with the Senate President, shall appoint a faculty member to other University committees where a faculty member is regularly appointed or included for representation purposes. Appointments shall be made no later than September 30 for one-year terms. 
• If an appointee cannot serve, the Committee on University Standing Committees shall recommend a replacement to the Executive Committee; after approval, the name shall be sent to the DSU President. Upon the Executive Committee approval of the replacement, the name of the new appointee will be sent to the DSU President;
• Committee on General Academic Affairs, including academic freedom and tenure, faculty evaluation, curriculum and university policies, faculty compensation, fringe benefits, and the budget. 
• Committee on Technology, including the university website, online courses, technology governance, and maintenance of the Faculty Senate website. 
• Committee on University Services, including athletics and recreation, bookstore, food services, housing, and traffic. 

1. Membership on certain standing committees is ex officio, by election, or by appointment of the Senate President, as provided by the Constitution and By-laws. 
2. The tenure of each appointed committee member continues for the duration of that member’s term or terms as Senator. 
3. At or before the May meeting, new members may submit written committee preferences; the Senate President shall consider those preferences while maintaining reasonable balance. 
4. A mid-year replacement Senator shall be assigned for the remainder of the term to the committee on which the departing Senator served. 
5. Each standing committee shall, unless otherwise provided, elect its Chair at the May meeting. When a committee lacks a Chair, the Senate President shall appoint a convener, who shall promptly call a meeting to elect a Chair. 

Section 10. Meetings of the Faculty Senate

1. Presented to a Faculty Senator for the next regular meeting; 
2. Distributed to the Senate membership at least ten days before the next regular meeting; 
3. Given to the Executive Committee at least ten days before the next regular meeting; 
4. Presented at a meeting with a written motion to suspend the rules for immediate consideration, which requires a three-fourths vote of members present and voting. 

B. Motions concerning agenda matters may be made orally from the floor but, if any Senator requests, must be submitted in writing to the Secretary before a vote.

Article IV. Amendments

These By-laws may be amended by placing a motion on the Faculty Senate agenda as provided in Article III, Section 13, if a majority of members present and voting approves the motion. 

Approval History 

• Approved by Faculty Senate – April 11, 1991
• Approved amendment to Section 9 E. – May 2, 1991
• Approved amendment to add E. 1. and 2. to Article III, Section 8 – October 13, 1994
• Approved amendments to Article III, sections 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 – April 12, 2007
• Approved Amendment X to Article III, Sections 7, 8, and 9 – Approved October 9, 2025