A.POLICY
Faculty Constitution Article I: The Faculty
The faculty shall consist of all persons appointed to academic rank of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor. The voting faculty consists of persons holding academic rank. It shall conduct the educational affairs customarily cared for by a college faculty. It shall meet throughout the academic year or more often at the call of the President ofthe College, Chairperson of the Senate, or by petition of two of the Senate members. Faculty meetings are open for the purpose of enhancing college-wide communications and are conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order. The faculty shall be responsible for the formulation of recommendations for policy relating to curriculum, academic policy and procedures such as the admission and retention of students, awarding of college credit, granting of degrees, articulation agreements, and academic scholarships and awards. Meetings of the faculty will be chaired by the Faculty Senate Chairperson.
B.POLICY GUIDELINES
Article II: The Faculty Senate
The Faculty Senate shall be the legislative and representative body of the Zane State College faculty, whose purpose is to promote the interest and welfare of the College in general and specifically the faculty in academic, economic, and professional domains.
The Faculty Senate as the representative body of the faculty will take the leadership in academic activities of the faculty. The Senate has the prerogative to provide to the President of the College recommendations governing the following matters: academic freedom, compensation, curriculum, faculty growth and contributions, faculty position description, programmatic and service area evaluation, and workload.
In the event a faculty bargaining unit is recognized at Zane State College, all items pertaining to Section 4117.08 of the Ohio Revised Code shall be deleted from the provisions of the Faculty Senate Constitution. Faculty Senate shall not act as a bargaining agent. The Faculty Senate shall have the prerogative to receive and review suggestions from faculty for submission to the President of the College, Chief Academic Officer, Deans’ Council, President’s Cabinet, and the Board of Trustees. It also has the prerogative to receive and review suggestions from the President of the College, Chief Academic Officer, President’s Cabinet, Deans’ Council and the Board of Trustees, which may result in the formulation of policy or recommended actions.
There shall be no fewer than six senators evenly distributed across the divisions, plus the chairperson who shall be elected on an at-large basis. If there is no way to evenly distribute six senators (eg. Four or five divisions), there shall be two senators from each division. Representation shall be maintained between general education and technical program faculty.
Representatives to the Faculty Senate shall be elected at the first division meeting of the academic year, except the chairperson who shall be elected in May or at the last faculty meeting of the preceding academic year. All elections of the representatives shall be for a term of two academic years (September through June) with the exception of a senator elected to replace a current senator serving as chairperson. Fifty percent of the total number of senators will be elected each year. All elections should be made
by secret ballot. In the event a senator leaves during a term of office, the division represented shall immediately elect another faculty member to fill the unexpired term.
In the event the chairperson vacates the position during a term of office, the vice chairperson of the Faculty Senate shall assume the chairperson’s duties, until a new chairperson can be elected. The respective division will then elect a new senator if necessary.
The officers of the Faculty Senate shall include a chairperson and a vice- chairperson. Thevice- chairperson will be elected by the members of the Senate for a one-year term (September through September). The chairperson will be elected by the full faculty.
The chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Faculty Senate. The chairperson will serve in the chairperson position during the fiscal year of July 1 through June 30. The chairperson will participate in the President’s Cabinet meetings, Deans’ Council meetings, and other meetings called by the President during the calendar year. The vice chairperson shall function as the chairperson in the absence of the chairperson and shall perform such duties as the chairperson may designate. Other senators shall record the minutes of all meetings, or a digest thereof, and such other duties as the chairperson may designate.
In the event that the elected chairperson should leave a teaching position at Zane State College, the vice chairperson shall assume the duties of the chairperson until a new chairperson can be elected. In the event that the vice chairperson should leave a teaching position, the chairperson may appoint a replacement until an election can be held. The election of any necessary replacement officers shall follow the same procedures as the regular elections.
By Senate invitation, the President of the College and members of the President’s Cabinet may attend Faculty Senate meetings with voice but without vote. At each meeting the President or a designee may present a report to the Faculty Senate.
Seventy-five percent of the voting members of the Faculty Senate shall constitute a quorum. Regular meetings of the Faculty Senate shall be held throughout the academic year on a day chosen by the chairperson of the Faculty Senate.
Special meetings of the Faculty Senate shall be held at the call of the chairperson of the Senate, the President of the College, or at the written request to the chairperson of the Faculty Senate by two members of the Faculty Senate. All senators shall attend all meetings unless excused by the chairperson. Any other member of the College community who wishes to attend a meeting as an observer may do so.
The actions of Faculty Senate shall be carried out through meetings of the entire Senate at which a quorum is present.
The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order (including right of executive session of voting members) shall govern all meetings, save where they are inconsistent with this constitution.
Article III: Committee
The Faculty Senate shall function through a system of standing and ad hoc committees consisting of faculty and student members as designated in each committee charge.
There shall be standing and ad hoc committees as established by the Faculty Senate. They may consist of faculty and student members
as designated in each committee charge. A majority of the faculty members of a committee shall constitute a quorum.
The Faculty Senate reserves the right to review appropriateness and equity of faculty representation on college wide standing and ad hoc committees.
The Faculty Senate shall form the agenda and plan the orderly conduct of business for the meetings of the faculty, coordinate the operation of Faculty Senate, appoint faculty to subcommittees of academic affairs and other committees as appropriate, supervise the implementation of the Faculty Senate directives, alert the faculty to matters requiring its attention, and advise in a timely manner the President of the College and members of Deans’ Council and the President’s Cabinet on matters of interest to the faculty of the College. The Faculty Senate chairperson shall meet regularly on a timely basis with the President of the College to discuss any matters of interest. The time, location, and agenda of each regularly scheduled faculty and Faculty Senate meeting shall be posted in a timely manner prior to the meeting. With regard to goals, priorities, policy guidelines, budget, and the overall direction of the College, the President and the Chief Academic Officer shall work closely with the appropriate Faculty Senate committees.
Article IV: Reports of Senate Activities
A copy of the minutes of each Faculty Senate meeting recording all action shall be presented to the Faculty, the President of the College, and the President’s Cabinet in a timely manner. A full report of the Faculty Senate, including committee activities, shall be made to the entire faculty at regularly scheduled full faculty meetings.
To ensure faculty right to review, no Faculty Senate action shall be effective until ten full class days have elapsed after the action has been published and distributed to the faculty and the President of the College or until a full faculty meeting has been held.
Any Faculty Senate action is subject to faculty right to review; and the general faculty may at a formal meeting of the faculty, by a two-thirds majority vote of the entire voting faculty (with provisions for absentee or proxy balloting), amend or rescind the action in question.
All recommendations by the Faculty Senate shall, after the waiting period, be transmitted in writing by the chairperson of the Faculty Senate to the President and members of the President’s Cabinet.
Article V: Amendments
This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the entire voting faculty (with provisions for absentee or proxy balloting) at any stated or special meeting of the faculty, provided that notice has been given at a previous meeting, and provided that the text of the proposed amendment has been sent in writing to every member of the faculty at least a week before the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be considered.
POLICY HISTORY
Policy revised and adopted, March 2011
Policy reformatted June 2017
Policy revisions approved by the President’s Cabinet May 2018
D.INITIATING DIVISION
Office of the President; Faculty Senate
E.POLICY REVIEWERS
Office of the President; Faculty Senate
F.POLICY REFERENCES
- No forms referenced
- No codified rules
- No connecting policies
