A. Authority and Responsibility of the Executive Council
The primary functions of the Executive Council are communication and coordination. The Executive Council will have regular meetings with the provost to be informed of issues, events, or opportunities affecting the University and to inform the provost about concerns of the Faculty. In the event the full Senate cannot be convened for a necessary special meeting of the Senate, the Executive Council may act on behalf of the full Senate. It is the responsibility of the Senate president to notify the Faculty Senate at the earliest possible time the nature and purpose of the meeting. The full Senate must ratify any action taken by the Executive Council at the earliest possible time.
In the normal conduct of faculty business, the Executive Council is responsible for nominating, subject to Senate approval, faculty standing committees and such other special or ad hoc committees as the Senate may establish. At the beginning of the academic year, standing committee chairs will establish an agenda in coordination with the Executive Council. At the end of each semester, committees will provide a brief written account of the semester’s activities. For historical purposes, the vice president of the Faculty Senate will collect and file these semester reports in a suitable central file.
When so requested by the administration, the Executive Council will provide recommendations for membership on University committees or University established special or ad hoc committees.
B. Composition and Elections of the Executive Council of the Faculty
The Executive Council will be composed of five Senators, including one from each college and a president elected as follows below.
Elections shall be conducted at the last regularly scheduled Senate meeting of the spring. The voting body in the elections shall consist of seated Senators who are rotating over to the next year and the newly elected Senators. The votes shall be tabulated by the seated Executive Council. Terms for the newly elected Executive Council will begin upon adjournment of the last regularly scheduled Senate meeting of the spring. Vacancies are filled by election as above whenever they occur.
- The Senate as a body will elect a Senate president from its ranks, and he/she will head the Executive Council of the Senate for a term of one year. The Senate president will also serve as the president of the Faculty during this term.
- The Senate delegation of each college will elect an Executive Council member from their group, and the term will be one year.
- The Executive Council members will elect a Senate vice president from the members of the Executive Council, and the term will be one year.
C. Primary Responsibilities of the Executive Council of the Faculty
- Call all meetings of the Faculty Senate.
- Set and publish meeting agendas for the Faculty Senate and the full Faculty.
- Receive all proposals for action or consideration that fall within the Senate’s responsibilities, and refer on to the appropriate committee, or place the item directly on the Senate or meeting agenda.
- Recommend membership on committees for approval by the Senate.
- Communicate with and gather information from the administration, the Faculty, and the Board of Trustees.
- Disseminate information on Faculty Senate matters.
- Create sub‐committees of the Senate as necessary.
D. Responsibilities of the President of the Faculty Senate
The president of the Faculty Senate has primary responsibility for ensuring that the Faculty meets its duties, exercises its authority, and participates fully in the governance of the University. The president of the Faculty Senate presides over all meetings of the Faculty, Faculty Senate, and Executive Council. He or she has the authority to call special meetings of the general Faculty, if necessary. The duties of the president shall include but are not limited to:
- Preparation of the Senate and full Faculty meeting agendas with the assistance of the Executive Council.
- Overseeing the distribution of agendas, proposals, minutes, and other correspondence to the Faculty and other appropriate University entities.
- Overseeing the prompt communication of Senate actions to the Faculty and other appropriate University entities.
- Attendance at the Board of Trustees regular meetings and taking part as requested by the board.
- Availability to the administration, Board of Trustees, the Faculty, and committees for consultation as needed.
E. Responsibilities of the Vice President of the Faculty Senate
The vice president serves in the capacity of the president in his or her absence. The duties of the vice president shall include but are not limited to:
- Collection and filing of semester reports of all committees.
- Collection and filing of Executive Council minutes.
- Compilation of a year‐end report of the work‐in‐progress to serve the next council.
- Obtaining a complete, accurate list of the faculty of each college for voting purposes.
- Overseeing and safeguarding the election of the faculty Senators as well as the election of the Executive Council.
- Producing an executive summary of each faculty senate meeting and posting it on the Senate’s Blackboard site after the meeting.
F. Responsibilities of the Executive Council Members
Although all members of the Senate are responsible for communicating regularly to the Faculty, library and other University entities, the Executive Council member from each college is specifically tasked with ensuring timely communications to and from his or her college. The duties of the Executive Council members shall include but are not limited to:
- Assisting the Senate president in preparation of the agendas for all meetings
- Ensuring that each college conducts timely nominations and ballot distribution for election of Senators and the Faculty Grants and Sabbatical Committees.
- Overseeing the collection of Senate nominations from the colleges and distribution of a ballot.
- Assisting the Senate vice president in safeguarding and tabulating all ballots.