The Syllabus of Campus-wide Committees provides a description of campus wide standing committees which include representatives of the UNL faculty. Some committees are created by the Bylaws of the Board of Regents, some by the UNL Bylaws, some by the Chancellor, and some by the Faculty Senate.
SYLLABUS OF CAMPUS WIDE COMMITTEES UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN
PREFACE
The Bylaws of the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (Section 2.12) provide for a system of faculty governance at each major administrative unit. At UNL, the UNL Assembly and the Faculty Senate exercise the campus wide responsibilities of faculty governing agencies, including among others the responsibility (1) to act as the official voice of the faculty, (2) to act on academic matters that affect more than one college, and (3) to advise and consult with student, staff, and administrative groups on matters of general concern. See Section 2.12.1 of the Bylaws of the Board of Regents.
Implied within this structure and set of responsibilities is the concept of "shared governance" which is to be operative at UNL. Acceptance of this concept is acknowledgment of the right and duty of the faculty to participate in the governance of the institution, with the primary goal to establish, maintain, enhance, and protect the integrity and quality of UNL's academic program. The concept of shared governance also recognizes that the faculty have primacy of voice in particular areas of governance, including (a) curriculum; (b) subjects and methods of instruction, research, and service; (c) requirements and assessments leading to degrees and certification; (d) faculty status; and (3) those areas of student life which pertain primarily to the academic process. All other functions of the university are also in some way relevant to UNL's teaching, research, and service missions; thus, the faculty has a legitimate interest in, and should have a responsible share in, governance of those functions.
The UNL Assembly (as defined in Section 3.2 of the UNL Bylaws) comprises the faculty group which has these general campus wide responsibilities; it exercises most of its powers and responsibilities through the UNL Faculty Senate (defined and described in Section 3.3 of the UNL Bylaws) which is elected by vote of the members of the UNL Assembly. The Faculty Senate has in turn created a number of committees to assist in its governance responsibilities. The Senate expects that the committees will be regularly consulted in the areas of their jurisdiction, will be provided with timely and adequate information, and will be regularly involved in the evaluation of policies.
SYLLABUS: COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS
This Syllabus provides a description of campus wide standing committees which include representatives of the UNL faculty. Some committees are created by the Bylaws of the Board of Regents, some by the UNL Bylaws, some by the Chancellor, and some by the Faculty Senate. This Syllabus does not include college or departmental committees. The language in the descriptions reflects the origin of the committees: committees established by the bylaws are described in the language of those documents; descriptions as they appear in this Syllabus of Committees created by the Faculty Senate have been approved by the Senate. The Faculty Senate approved most of this version of the syllabus for Faculty Senate Committees on October 8, 1991. Subsequent revisions are noted below by date.
GENERAL RULES AND DEFINITIONS
Unless contradicted by the language of a specific committee description, the following general rules apply:
A. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP
Any faculty member of the UNL Assembly is eligible for committee membership.
As specified in the UNL Bylaws (Section 3.2.1) the UNL Assembly shall comprise: (1) Assistant professors and above, and those with equivalent rank, Continuous or Specific Term appointments of 0.5 FTE or greater; (2) Assistant professors, lecturers, senior lecturers, and above, and those with equivalent rank, holding 0.5 FTE or greater (holding) Special Appointments and having three successive academic years of paid faculty service at any professorial rank at UNL; (3) the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, and all administrators who hold continuous appointment or appointment for a specific term. Administrators in category (3) are eligible for committee membership only in cases specified in the descriptions for particular committees.
B. TERM OF OFFICE
Terms of office for all faculty members of committees, whether elected or appointed, shall begin with the academic year.
C. STAGGERED TERMS
Terms of office shall be staggered to provide as nearly as possible the same number of new members each year.
D. SELECTION OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
1. Faculty Members elected by the UNL Assembly
The Committee on Committees shall nominate at least two eligible persons for each position and present the slate of nominees to the Senate for consideration at its February meeting. Additional nominations may be made by any Senator from the floor of the Faculty Senate, observing announced deadlines. Individual faculty members may also be placed upon the ballot by petition; a successful petition must bear the valid signature of at least 25 eligible members of the UNL Assembly, again observing announced deadlines. Voting eligibility shall be the same as voting for members of the Faculty Senate. Committee elections shall be conducted by the Secretary of the Senate at the last meeting in April in accord with the provisions of Section 3.3.6 of the UNL Bylaws. Voting shall be by secret ballot. Determination of run-off elections and ties shall also be in accord with the provisions of Section 3.3.6 of the UNL Bylaws.
2. Faculty Members Elected by the Faculty Senate
Faculty members elected by the Faculty Senate to committee membership as specified in this Syllabus are to be elected at the last April meeting of the Senate (see especially UNL Bylaws Section 3.3.10, ref. Executive Committee).
3. Faculty Members Appointed by the President of the Senate
Appointment shall be made by the President of the Senate following consultation with the Committee on Committees.
4. Faculty Members Appointed by other University Officials
When members of the UNL faculty are to be selected as representatives of the faculty to any campus wide or university-wide body, standing or ad hoc, the appointment shall be made by the appointing official only after consultation with the President of the Faculty Senate. NOTE: UNL faculty members appointed as representatives to Intercampus Committees shall be the chairperson of the appropriate UNL committee and/or the designee(s) of the chairperson unless the President of the Senate or other appointing official has good and sufficient reason to do otherwise, being prepared to state those reasons in detail to the Faculty Senate. Where no UNL committee exists, appointments shall be made in accord with items 3 and/or 4 above.
5. Senate Faculty Members Appointed to Standing Committees Pursuant to Section 3.4 of the UNL Bylaws
The President of the Senate shall appoint a member of the Senate as a non-voting member to every standing, campus-wide committee that lacks a representative from the Senate. (See also item J below)
6. Ex Officio Members
Persons who are members of committees by virtue of their position, or their designees, have full membership privilege on committees, including full voting privileges, unless otherwise specified in individual committee descriptions.
7. Student Members
Student members of committees shall be selected as determined by ASUN, observing individual eligibility requirements as specified in committee descriptions. Student members shall have full membership privileges on committees, including full voting privileges.
E. FILLING VACANCIES IN UNEXPIRED TERMS
1. Appointed Faculty Members
Vacancies in appointed faculty positions which arise because of resignation from the committee, retirement, separation from the University, or change in job classification, rank, or assignment shall be filled by appointment of the President of the Senate following consultation with the Committee on Committees. If the unexpired portion of the term is for less than one year, preference shall be given to appointing a person who has previously served on the committee having the vacancy.
2. Elected Faculty Members
Vacancies in elected positions which arise because of resignation from the committee, retirement, separation from the University, or change in job classification, rank, or assignment shall be filled as follows:
(a) if the unexpired portion of the term is for less than one year, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the President of the Senate following consultation with the Committee on Committees. Preference shall be given to appointing a person who has previously served on the committee having the vacancy. (b) if the unexpired portion of the term is for more than one year, (1) the vacancy for the remainder of the academic year in which the vacancy occurs shall be filled by appointment of the President of the Senate following consultation with the Committee on Committees, with preference given to appointing a person who has previously served on the committee having the vacancy; and (2) the remaining unexpired term shall be filled by election according to the usual elective process.
3. Leave of Absence
Vacancies which arise because of leaves shall be filled by appointment of the President of the Senate following consultation with the Committee on Committees. Preference shall be given to appointing a faculty member who has previously served on the committee. The original committee member resumes duties upon return from leave if the term of office has not expired already.
F. SUCCESSION
Faculty members may not succeed themselves as members of committees except (1) as specifically authorized in individual committee descriptions below, or (2) in cases where a member has been appointed or elected to fill a vacancy with less than half the standard term remaining. Student members may succeed themselves as members of committees at the discretion of ASUN.
G. COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
At the last meeting of the academic year, each committee shall reorganize itself. Unless specified otherwise in the following individual committee description, each committee shall elect its own Chair and Secretary from among its eligible faculty members. The Chair shall be responsible for:
(a) reporting this reorganization promptly to the President of the Faculty Senate (and other officers as appropriate);
(b) notifying the President of the Faculty Senate of unexpected vacancies on the committee as they occur;
(c) arranging committee meetings, commencing with the new academic year after consultation with both continuing and new members on mutually agreeable meeting times and after distributing a timely agenda.
H. COMMITTEE OPERATING RULES AND PROCEDURES
Each committee shall file in the Faculty Senate Office a current written statement of operating procedures and guidelines adopted by the committee itself. It is very important that a current statement of committee procedures be available in the Senate Office at all times; it is the responsibility of the Chair of each committee to see that statements are filed and that changes are noted whenever they are approved by the committee.
If any committee included in this Syllabus does not have a written statement of its operating procedures and guidelines available at the time of adoption of this Syllabus by the Faculty Senate, it must prepare such a statement and file it with the Senate Office at the earliest reasonable date. At the first meeting of each academic year each committee normally should examine its statement of procedures and guidelines, and reaffirm the statement or make changes in it as the committee deems advisable.
Robert's Rules of Order shall be used in committee meetings except when preempted by written procedures on file in the Senate Office.
I. COMMITTEE REPORTS
Each committee shall make at least one report annually to the Faculty Senate, or report more frequently as required in individual committee descriptions which follow. The Committee shall make additional reports to the Faculty Senate as directed by the President of the Senate.
Except where otherwise noted, the Secretary of each committee shall keep written minutes of the committee meetings. The Secretary shall also be responsible for submitting current copies of minutes to the Senate Office.
J. COMMITTEE LIAISON WITH Faculty Senate
The President of the Senate shall appoint one committee member who is also a member of the Faculty Senate to serve as liaison between the committee and the Faculty Senate. If the committee does not already have a member who is also a member of the Senate, the President shall appoint a non-voting member (see Section D.5 above). These designated members shall (1) serve as general informational liaison between the committee and the Senate; (2) notify the Executive Committee when the committee is not functioning and needs revitalizing; and (3) assure that information concerning committee officers and organization, committee rules of procedure and guidelines, and appropriate reports as specified in G, H, and I above are properly maintained in the Senate Office. Those non-voting members appointed in accord with Section D.5 above may submit motions and otherwise participate in committee activities except for the voting privilege.
K. CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL
The Chair of any committee which in the course of its business generates or gathers material that should be kept confidential shall be responsible for obtaining all copies from all members retiring from that committee and having that material destroyed, the original material being maintained in the committee files. Chairs of Special Committees appointed by the Academic Rights and Responsibilities Committee must be especially sensitive to this requirement.
L. DEFINITION OF DISCIPLINES (Ref. APC, Graduate Council, Research Council) Disciplines: The academic disciplines shall be:
1. Arts and Humanities: Classics & Religious Studies; English; History; Libraries; Modern Languages & Literatures; Journalism; Philosophy; all departments in the College of Architecture; and all departments in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.
2. Biological Sciences: The School of Biological Sciences; the School of Natural Resources; the Department of Nutrition & Health Sciences; and all divisions and units in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources except Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communication.
3. Business, Education, and Social Sciences: Advertising; Agricultural Economics; Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communication; Anthropology; Broadcasting; Communication Studies; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology; the College of Law; all departments in the College of Business Administration; and all departments in the College of Education and Human Sciences except the Department of Nutrition & Health Sciences.
4. Physical Sciences: Chemistry; Computer Science & Engineering; Earth & Atmospheric Sciences; Mathematics; Statistics; Physics & Astronomy; and all departments in the College of Engineering.