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Amended 25 February 1999 Amended April 2004 A university’s foundation is its faculty. Therein lie the knowledge, the commitment to learning, and the source of constructive progress upon which universities rest. The interests of students, scholarship, and society are best served when the faculty brings its special talents to bear through cooperative participation in the governance of the University. On this premise, this constitution for the Faculty Senate for Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, a part of the Texas A&M University System, is established. Its purpose, within this constitutional framework, is to foster a community of mutual respect and cooperation within the University; to facilitate effective faculty participation in academic governance; to broaden communication in matters of concern to the University; and to engage the faculty’s skills in the guidance of the University’s programs.
The Faculty Senate as an advising and recommending body shall report to the President of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi or the President’s designee. No Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi officer or body shall exercise control over the Senate’s recommendations. Upon adoption of this constitution, the Faculty Senate it creates becomes the faculty’s only representative body for University-wide participation in the governance of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. A. Policy The establishment of new policies, changes in existing policies, and
the interpretation of existing policies dealing with the following matters
must be 1. Educational policy and planning of academic programs, curriculum, and instruction. 2. Academic standards, including policies on admissions, awarding of grades, retention of students, and graduation requirements. 3. University scholarships, honors, awards, and other forms of student distinction. 4. Faculty policies and their implementation, including but not limited to appointments, reappointments, academic freedom, evaluation, promotion, tenure, faculty workloads, and faculty development. 5. Faculty compensation policies and their implementation, including but not limited to salaries, fringe benefits, and the awarding of merit increases. 6. The role of research and policies for allocating undesignated research funds in the University. 8. The appointment and evaluation of academic administrators. 9. The establishment, reorganization, downgrading, and/or discontinuation of organizational units and areas of instruction and research. 10. The review of administrative decisions concerning any of the above matters.
The Senate may give advice on the following: 1. The academic calendar. 3. Establishment of budgeting priorities. 4. Appointment and evaluation of non-academic administrators. 5. Student affairs. 6. Athletic programs as they affect academic programs and 7. Other matters pertaining to the general welfare of the C. Forum The Faculty Senate shall be a forum for discussion and debate of any issue vital to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. It will invite faculty opinions, discuss relevant issues with appropriate persons, and transmit information and recommendations to the President. D. Reporting 1. The Faculty Senate shall publish the minutes of its meetings and shall
2. The Speaker will report recommendations to the President and will
report
A. Structure 1. Electoral units shall be the academic colleges and the Library of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. 2. The Senate shall be composed of four Senators from each college and
two 3. Members of the Senate shall be elected for two-year terms with no Senator serving more than two successive terms. One-half of the Senate shall be elected each year. The Senate shall establish rules for the election of Senators and resolve all disputes. 4. Elections will be conducted within electoral units and by secret ballot. Vacant seats will be filled by special election. B. Membership 1. The following persons shall be eligible to vote in elections for the
Senate: 2. Individuals eligible for election to the Faculty Senate shall be anyone employed full-time by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi who is tenured or is on a tenure track and holds the title of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, or Instructor, or who is a Professional Librarian. Individuals eligible for election to the Faculty Senate must have no more than a fifty percent administrative appointment. 3. The Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Assistant to the Provost shall be ex officio, non-voting members of the Senate. 4. The Senate, by a two-thirds vote, may petition an electoral unit to hold an election to remove and replace a Senator who is unduly absent. 5. Senators elected each Spring Semester shall take their seats by the
end of C. Officers and Committees 1. Officers a. The Speaker of the Faculty Senate, the Deputy Speaker and the Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected annually by the Senate. The Speaker shall serve as the presiding officer and as the Chair of the Executive Committee. b. The speaker shall exercise other powers delegated by the Faculty Senate. c. Other officers and committees may be established by the Faculty Senate to carry out its functions. 2. Committees a. An executive Committee shall have no less than five members with at least one member from each of the electoral units. The committee shall include the elected officers and a representative of each standing committee, usually the committee chair. The Executive Committee shall exercise only those responsibilities delegated by the Faculty Senate. 3. Other committees, both standing and ad hoc, may be established by the Faculty Senate to carry out its functions. 4. The duties of standing committees shall be described in the Senate bylaws. 5. The Senate will receive reports at least annually from all University-wide committees on matters relating to the functions of the Faculty Senate.\ D. Operation 1. A majority of the membership of the Faculty Senate shall constitute a quorum. 2. The Faculty Senate shall establish its bylaws and rules of procedure and will control its own agenda and set its own time and place for meetings.
A. Initiation Amendments to this constitution shall be initiated by: 1. Written petition presented to the Faculty Senate signed by twenty percent (20 %) of the faculty, or 2. A two-thirds vote of the membership of the Faculty Senate, following a written presentation and discussion of the proposed amendment in a previous regularly scheduled meeting. B. Ratification After a proposed constitutional amendment is initiated, the Speaker of the Senate shall publish notification of the proposed amendment. Two weeks after public notification the Faculty Senate shall hold an open meeting to discuss the proposed amendment. Within one month after the open meeting the faculty shall vote for or against ratification. Ratification shall require approval of two-thirds of the faculty voting on the proposed amendment.
The University Ad Hoc Study Committee on Academic Governance appointed by the President of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in June, 1989, shall oversee the ratification of this constitution and the initial election of members of the Faculty Senate of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The Committee shall decide all questions of the validity of the ratification and the initial election of Senators. A. Ratification The Constitution of the Faculty Senate of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi shall become effective after: 1. A majority of the faculty voting approve ratification, 2. Ratification by the President of Texas A&M University-Corpus Chrtisti, 3. Ratification by the Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, and 4. Ratification by the Board of Regents of the Texas A&M University System. B. Initial Composition 1. Special elections of Senators, following procedures outlined in Part II of this constitution, shall be held promptly after ratification. 2. Once elected, members of the Senate shall determine the length of
their terms by lot in accordance with Part II of this constitution.
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