Faculty Senate

Rules of Order for Meetings of the
University Faculty, University Senate, and other Faculty

These rules have been adopted according to section II.A.5. of the Faculty Organization Plan.

1. Definitions

a. “Full floor and voting privileges” shall include the rights to attend faculty meetings, make motions, enter into debate, ask questions, address the assembly, and any other privilege of the floor normally accorded to members eligible to vote. These privileges shall include the right to vote on all matters whether procedural or substantive.

b. “Full floor privileges” shall include all of the floor privileges of members with full floor and voting privileges, but shall include no voting privileges.

c. “Limited floor privileges” shall be limited to the right to attend faculty meetings, ask questions, and address the assembly.

d. “Attendance privileges” shall be limited to the right to attend faculty meetings.

2. Floor and Voting Privileges

a. All members eligible to vote under II.C.2. shall have full floor and voting privileges.

b. Upon leaving the chair for the purpose of speaking in debate, the presiding officer shall be granted full floor privileges.

c. The presiding officer is eligible to vote only in the event of a tie ballot.

d. The President of the University may grant limited floor privileges to members of the academic administration not already having such privileges, provided that:

(1) The person is a full-time administrative employee of the University.

(2) The person holds a position at the level of department head, assistant dean, or above.

e. The faculty may grant any person attendance privileges or limited floor privileges by simple majority vote of those present and voting. Privileges so granted shall be for a specified limited time period.

f. The faculty may grant any person full floor privileges by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting or a majority of the entire membership, whichever is less. Privileges so granted shall be for a specified limited time period.

g. Floor privileges granted through rules d, e, and f above shall not extend beyond the end of any semester without regranting the privileges through proper notice or proper passage of a motion.

3. Voting Procedures

Upon request by any member of the body, voting on substantive matters shall be by written ballot.

4. Committees of the Whole

a. In the absence of a quorum, the faculty shall convene into a committee of the whole or a quasi committee of the whole at the discretion of the presiding officer.

b. The quorum for a committee of the whole or a quasi committee of the whole shall be fifty percent of those eligible to vote.

c. A committee of the whole shall elect its presiding officer among those eligible to vote.

d. Actions taken by the committee of the whole or a quasi committee of the whole become old business at the next faculty meeting.

5. Prohibited Motions

The motion to “reconsider and enter on the minutes” shall be considered out of order at all meetings.

6. Agenda

a. All items for the agenda of a meeting must be submitted in writing to the faculty secretary at least three class days in advance of the scheduled meeting.

b. The minutes of the previous faculty meeting shall be sent in writing to all voting members of the faculty at least two class days in advance of the scheduled meeting. The minutes shall not be read at any faculty meeting.

c. The agenda for each University Faculty meeting shall be organized and followed in the order listed below:

(1) Call to order

(2) Approval of minutes

(3) Informational reports

(4) Special orders

(5) Unfinished business

(6) Faculty committees proposing action

(7) Other scheduled new business

(8) New business

d. The agenda for the University Senate shall be established by the executive committee.

e. The agenda for the Graduate and Undergraduate Faculty shall be established by its chair following the general order listed below:

(1) Call to order

(2) Approval of minutes

(3) Special orders

(4) Unfinished business

(5) Undergraduate and Graduate Program and Policy Committee recommendations, as appropriate

(6) Faculty committees proposing action

(7) Other scheduled new business

(8) New business

Amendment

These rules may be amended at any meeting by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting or a majority of the entire membership, whichever is less, provided that the proposed amendment be submitted in writing to the faculty secretary at a faculty meeting at least five class days prior to the meeting at which action is to be taken. Amendments shall be incorporated into the body of the Rules of Order.

8. Parliamentary Authority

Upon all matters not governed by these rules, the provisions of the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, shall apply.

9. Consent Procedure

Recommendations presented to the Faculty for approval by consent must conform to the following procedure:

(a) A proposal issuing from the college/school/or program curriculum committee will be reviewed and received by the EPPC. As part of that review, response will be sought from other curriculum committees significantly affected by the proposal.

(b) Giving due consideration to any concerns which may have been expressed about the proposal, the EPPC will vote to approve, amend, or not to approve the recommendation.

(c) The recommendations of the EPPC, including any modifications agreed to by the proposing department, shall be distributed to the University Faculty at large, together with documentation and a statement of supporting rationale. This published notice shall specify a date at least ten but not more than twenty class days in the future, by which any Faculty concerns regarding the proposal must be expressed in writing to the EPPC. These time limits refer to class days during the academic year exclusive of summer sessions or January term.

(d) Members of the University Faculty may register objections concerning a recommendation of the EPPC to the University Faculty secretary. If twenty or more members of the University Faculty register written objections to a specific recommendation, the item in question will be placed on the agenda for the next meeting of the University Faculty, as an EPPC recommendation.

(e) If no objections by twenty or more members of the University Faculty are registered within ten class days following the date of publication of EPPC action to approve a recommendation, the EPPC action constitutes formal adoption of the recommendation by the consent of the University Faculty.

(f) EPPC action taken under this procedure may be repealed by:

(i) Vote of the University Faculty, OR

(ii) A subsequent action initiated by the EPPC.

Comments, questions, or feedback on each committee can be directed to the committee chair.   Please see directory above.

Comments, questions, or feedback on the web site can be directed to committees@stthomas.edu

© 2006 University of St. Thomas
All rights reserved.

Faculty Senate

Dennis Dease
(651) 962-6500
djdease@stthomas.edu