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Faculty Senate Bylaws Committee February 16, 1991 Second Reading, Committee Recommendations for Changes in the Senate Bylaws

The Bylaws Committee submits the following issues and problems for your consideration. We have included rationales for changes in the Bylaws and our proposals for such revisions.


ISSUE ONE, SENATE MEETING TIMES

Present Reading:

Article II. Section 3. Meetings.

The Faculty Senate shall meet on the third, seventh and eleventh Mondays of classes in the Fall and Spring Semesters, and on the fifth Monday of classes during the Summer Term, or at the call of the President of the Senate or in his absence, the President-Elect of the Senate on their own initiative, or pursuant to a petition signed by one-quarter of the members of the Senate.... During the Fall and Spring Semesters the fifteenth Monday shall be reserved for a called meeting, to be used if deemed necessary by the President or Executive Committee.

Proposed Change:

The Faculty Senate shall meet on the third Monday in September, October, and November during the Fall Term and on the first Monday in February, March, April and May during the Spring Term, or at the call of the President of the Senate or, in the President's absence, the President-Elect of the Senate, or pursuant to a petition signed by one-quarter of the members of the Senate.... During the Fall Semester, the second Monday in December shall be reserved for a called meeting, to be used if deemed necessary by the President or Executive committee.

Rationale:

For the past two years attendance has been so poor at summer meetings that--with the exception of curricular matters--every substantive item on the agenda has been tabled or otherwise deferred to a later meeting. It would seem appropriate simply to cancel the summer meeting without further change, but the present curricular cycle necessitates a Senate meeting at some time after the final meeting of the Graduate Council each year. Since our present third Monday calendar would not be workable for May (exams) and we cannot simply move the whole Spring Term meeting schedule forward a month since the third Monday in January (Martin Luther King, Jr., Day) is an equal problem, the Committee proposed a different configuration. If we stay with the third Monday for Fall, we avoid Labor Day but still manage the requisite three meetings and retain our present option for a called meeting in December should it prove necessary. However, by shifting to first Mondays in the Spring, we can avoid meeting in January (as has been our tradition), but still work in the necessary fourth meeting before the end of the spring term. One large disadvantage of this plan is the long summer break without a scheduled meeting of the Senate, but a called meeting, under the provisions noted, is always an option.


ISSUE TWO, THE ATHLETICS COMMITTEE

Present Reading:

A. Athletics Committee. Membership shall consist of twelve elected faculty. Ex-officio members shall include the Provost (or designate), the Director of Athletics, the Director of Women's Athletics, the faculty chairperson of the UT Athletics Board, and two students elected by the Student Senate.

This committee shall concern itself with academic aspects of intercollegiate athletics as well as the intramural athletics program.

Proposed Change:

A. Athletics Committee. Membership shall consist of twelve elected faculty. Ex-officio members shall include the Chief campus Administrative officer charged with Academic Affairs (or designate), the Director of Athletics, the Director of Women's Athletics, the faculty chairperson of the UT Athletics Board, and two students elected by the Student Senate.

The Chairperson of the Athletic Committee shall be appointed by the Senate President to a two year term and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. The Chairperson of the Athletic Committee shall also serve concurrently as a member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.

This committee shall concern itself with academic aspects of intercollegiate athletics as well as the intramural athletics program. It may also concern itself with any other athletics matters which the committee deems appropriate and which lie within the purview of the Faculty Senate.

Rationale:

The nine faculty members who are appointed by the Chancellor to serve on the Athletics Board all serve terms of three or more years. The other faculty representative, the Chair of the Faculty Senate Athletic Committee, serves at the pleasure of the President of the Senate and, like most other Chairs of Senate standing committee, would normally anticipate a one year term. The Bylaws Committee (and the Executive Committee) feel that such a limited term for our representative is not only a serious deterrent to the continuity of our representation but also puts him/her at a disadvantage in comparison with the other faculty members on the Board. Equally as important, perhaps, is the notion that as UTK athletic programs become every larger and more complex, the Senate Executive Committee needs an assured liaison with the Athletic Board Executive Committee. Requiring that the Chair of the Athletic Committee always serve concurrently as a member of the Senate Executive Committee should mitigate the latter problem somewhat.


ISSUE THREE, RE-DEFINING THE SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Present Reading:

F. Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate. Membership shall consist of twelve elected member of the Senate, elected to two-year terms (six each year), and shall include as ex-officio members the Provost, the President, the President-elect, Secretary, and immediate Past President of the Faculty Senate.

Proposed Change:

F. Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate. Membership shall consist of twelve elected members of the Senate, each elected to two-year terms (six each year), and shall include as ex-officio members the Chancellor and the chief campus administrative officer charged with academic affairs; the President, President-Elect, Secretary, and immediate Past President of the Faculty Senate; and the Chair of the Senate Athletic Committee.


ISSUE FOUR, DELETION OF ADMINISTRATORS FROM FACULTY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Present Reading:

G. Faculty Affairs Committee. Membership shall consist of fifteen elected faculty members and shall include as ex-officio members the Provost, the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, and the deans of two of the colleges selected by them on a rotating basis every two years.

Proposed Change:

G. Faculty Affairs Committee. Membership shall consist of fifteen elected faculty members.

Rationale:

Because this Committee from time to time may serve as an advocate for faculty members who have grievances against administrators or may arbitrate differences between faculty and administrators, the Bylaws Committee feels that including administrators as sitting members of the Committee is inappropriate. If the Committee in its fact-finding function needs to consult with administrators, those persons can be invited to meetings at the discretion of the Committee Chair.


ISSUE FIVE, PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION

Present Reading:

Article IV. Officers: Duties and Qualifications.

Section 2. The President-Elect.... In the event of the death or resignation of the President-Elect or early assumption of the President's office, the Executive Committee shall select a Vice President from the Senate to fill the unexpired term of the President-Elect. The Vice President does not automatically become President for the next year; instead, an election for a new President-Elect from a slate presented by the Nominating Committee will be held at the second Senate after the assumption of the President's office by the President-Elect.

Proposed Change:

In the event of the death or resignation of the President-Elect or early assumption of the President's office, the Nominating Committee shall present to the next meeting of the Senate a new slate of at least two¹ nominees for another election for President-Elect. senators may write in additional nominees. Election shall be by a majority vote of all members of the Faculty Senate taken by a mail ballot before the next meeting of the Senate. The current President shall remain in office until a successor is elected.


GENERAL OBSERVATION

Titles are capitalized (though inconsistently) throughout the Bylaws document when they really should not be. The Committee suggests that the next approved revision of the Bylaws carry with it whatever permission may be needed to make necessary stylistic changes to bring the document into compliance with currently accepted usage.

¹The italicized words were added by the Senate on February 4, 1991.