|
DAFVM
Faculty Senate
Charter
and Bylaws
1.
CHARTER
Members
of the General Faculty of the Division of Agriculture,
Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine (DAFVM) shall elect representatives
to DAFVM Faculty Senate (henceforth referred to as Senate
in this document) which functions as a channel of communication
between the faculty and administrators of DAFVM. In keeping
with the principles of shared university governance, the
Senate may consider, advise, and make recommendations to
the Vice President for DAFVM which concern the missions
and programs of DAFVM and the general welfare of its faculty,
staff, students, and others that it serves. The objectives
of the Senate shall include, but are not limited to:
a) Recommending
improvements in policies, programs, and facilities.
b) Responding
to matters referred to it by administrators and faculty.
c) Promoting
communication between on-campus and off-campus units.
1.1
Composition
Membership of the Senate shall be elected from the members
of the faculty who have at least 12 months of service. Administrative
officers who are members of the Division Council of DAFVM
of Mississippi State University shall not be eligible for
elected membership, these officers being members of the Senate
ex officio.
Each unit
(department, research and extension center, or equivalent)
shall have one (1) representative, except where the unit
has fewer than 4 faculty positions, in which case that
unit will be combined with a complementary unit by the
appropriate administrator for representation purposes.
Units with 21 to 40 faculty positions shall have two (2)
representatives and units with 41 or more faculty positions
shall have three (3) representatives. During the initial
three-year period, one-third of the representatives shall
be elected for 1, 2, or 3 years, respectively, thereafter
for 3 year terms, except to fill unexpired terms. The number
of 1, 2, or 3 year terms shall be divided as equally as
possible among the groups listed below (Sections 1.1.1
through 1.1.4) with 1-, 2-, and 3-year terms being determined
by a draw.
Each member
of the Senate shall serve a period of three years, with
elections between February 1 and April 1 for membership
to be assumed in May. A member may serve two consecutive
terms, after which he/she is ineligible for membership
for a year. A member elected to serve out more than half
of an unexpired full term shall be considered, for this
purpose, to have served a full term.
The members
of the Senate shall be elected by secret ballot from and
by full time faculty members of the units in DAFVM. Faculty
members are eligible to vote only within and for members
of their particular units.
Upon permanent
acceptance of this Charter as set forth in the section
on ratification, representation shall be figured at three
year intervals as necessitated by change in number of units
and/or faculty assigned to particular units. Changes in
representation shall be approved by a majority vote of
members of the Senate as recommended by the Charter and
Bylaws Committee based upon information to be provided
by DAFVM Vice President.
Initially,
units to be represented are listed in Sections 1.1.1 through
1.1.4.
1.1.1
College of Veterinary Medicine
Academic Program, Animal Health Center, Diagnostic Laboratory/Field
Services, and Research Program.
1.1.2
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Mississippi
State University Extension Service, and Mississippi Agricultural
and Forestry Experiment Station
Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Agricultural
Economics, Agricultural Information Science and Education,
Animal and Dairy Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
Entomology and Plant Pathology, Food Science and Technology,
Human Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Plant and Soil Sciences,
Poultry Science, Agricultural Communications, Computer Applications & Services,
Center for Government Technology, Community Resource Development,
Environmental Education Unit, Family & Consumer Education,
Food & Fiber Center, 4-H Youth Development, and Organizational
Development.
1.1.3
College of Forest Resources, Forestry and Wildlife Research
Center
Forestry Department, Forest Products Laboratory, and Wildlife & Fisheries
Department.
1.1.4
Off-Campus
Central Mississippi, Coastal, Delta, North Mississippi
Research and Extension Centers.
1.2
Voting Eligibility
Only elected members of the Senate may vote on matters
brought before the Senate.
1.3
Officers
Officers of the Senate shall consist of a Chair and Vice Chair, who shall be
elected each May by secret ballot. Election to the position of Chair or Vice
Chair requires a simple majority vote of the Senate membership. These officers
shall serve for a period of one year (July 1 through June 30) and shall not
be eligible for election to more than two consecutive terms in a three year
period.
1.4
Organization
Upon ratification of the Charter and Bylaws of the Senate
as herein provided, the Senate shall be organized utilizing
the directions with respect to representation and election
of members found in Section 1.1, "Composition" above. Once
elected, the members of the Senate shall proceed with the
election of officers and the appointment of the standing
committees as provided in the Bylaws of the Senate.
1.5
Meetings
The Senate shall meet once a month in regular session.
The Chair has the authority to cancel a meeting if there
are no reports from committees (old business), and no new
business has been proposed (by letter) at least five business
days prior to the meeting. A regular monthly meeting may
also be cancelled if the Chair has advance notice of the
lack of a quorum for that meeting. Special meetings of the
Senate may be called by the Chair of the Senate or by petition
of twenty-five percent (25%) of its voting members. A quorum
shall consist of an absolute majority of the Senate membership.
1.6
Functions
The Senate shall make recommendations to the Vice President for DAFVM as needed
to accomplish the objectives listed above.
The Senate
shall keep the General Faculty of DAFVM fully informed
of its business and recommendations.
1.7
Representation of the Senate on Division Organizations
The Senate shall be represented by its Chair or Vice Chair on the Division
Council, the Division Policy Advisory Council, and other major Division bodies.
1.8
Support
The administration of DAFVM shall consider in its budget: (1) an appropriation
of funds or the designation of facilities, supplies, and secretarial support
sufficient to allow the Senate to perform its functions; and (2) additional
travel funds to support attendance and participation in Senate activities by
those members located off-campus.
1.9
Amendments
The Charter of the Senate can be amended by a resolution adopted by the Senate
and subsequently approved by a simple majority vote of the General Faculty
of DAFVM. The proposed amendment and a ballot will be distributed to all eligible
faculty by campus, U. S., or electronic mail, as appropriate. Ballots must
be returned to the Chair of the Senate within thirty calendar days.
1.10
Definitions and Initial Adoption
The proposed Charter and Bylaws of the Senate shall be
submitted to the General Faculty of DAFVM for approval. Ballots
on the question of adoption of the proposed Charter and Bylaws
shall be submitted to all eligible faculty members by campus,
electronic, or U. S. mail, as appropriate. A simple majority
vote of DAFVM General Faculty shall be required for approval
of the proposed Charter and Bylaws. Upon approval by the
General Faculty of DAFVM, the Charter and Bylaws of the Senate
shall become operative and the Senate shall be organized
as provided in Section 1.4, "Organization" above.
For purposes
of interpretation of the Charter and Bylaws of the Senate,
the following definitions apply:
absolute
majority - one over half of the entire membership. simple
majority - one over half of those members present and participating
in the vote.
quorum
- one over half of the entire membership; an absolute
majority.
two-thirds
simple majority - 2/3 of those present and participating
in the vote.
This Charter
and Bylaws of the Faculty Senate of DAFVM at Mississippi
State University was adopted by a vote of the General Faculty
of said DAFVM on the 16th day of May, 1997. Amended by
vote of General Faculty April 20, 1998 with language changes
in Sections 1 and 1.6 to clarify that Senate makes recommendations
to the DAFVM Vice President and Section 1.1.3, added Forestry
and Wildlife Research Center to section title.
2.
BYLAWS
2.1
Officers
2.1.1
Duties of Officers
2.1.1.1
Chair
The Chair of the Senate is the chief administrative officer
of the Senate and its presiding officer. He/she has the powers
and responsibilities commensurate with such functions. Specifically,
he/she is charged with the responsibility to:
a)
Cause to be sent to Senate members, at least eight days
before a regular meeting, a packet of material for the
upcoming meeting which includes an agenda, information
pertaining to the items on the agenda, and other material.
b)
Cause a summary of the actions of each meeting to be
prepared and distributed to members of Faculty within
two weeks following each meeting.
c)
Appoint members and the Chair of each committee.
d)
Appoint a Senate member to keep minutes of a meeting
at which a secretary is absent.
e)
Transmit to appropriate individuals recommendations
of the Senate.
f)
Keep the Senate informed of the disposition of each
recommendation made by the Senate.
g)
Preside at each meeting of the Senate and announce
the results of all votes immediately after they are
taken.
h)
Notify newly-elected Senate members of their rights
and obligations as Senate members.
I)
Notify the unit head of any unit with a vacancy in
representation in the Senate that such vacancy exists
and that an election should be held to fill the vacancy.
j)
Appoint members of other committees as requested.
k)
Represent the Senate on Division Council and Division
Policy Advisory Council.
l)
Designate an individual to serve as the Senate's representative
in situations where the Chair and the Vice Chair are
unavailable.
2.1.1.2
Vice Chair
a)
The Vice Chair of the Senate shall preside at Senate meetings
in the absence of the Chair. When the Senate is to be represented
by the Chair and he/she is unavailable, the Vice Chair
shall represent the Senate.
a)
If for any reason the position of Senate Chair should
become vacant, the Vice Chair shall become Chair, and
a new Vice Chair shall be elected according to the
procedure set forth in this document.
b)
The Vice Chair of the Senate shall assist the secretary
assigned to the Senate in the timely compilation and
distribution of Senate minutes to members of the Senate,
Division administrators, and the university library.
c)
The Vice Chair shall be responsible for compiling and
distributing the agenda before each meeting of the
Senate.
d)
The Vice Chair of the Senate shall keep current a membership
list of the Senate which shall include the date of
expiration of each elected member's term.
e)
The Vice Chair of the Senate shall keep current a membership
list of each committee of the Senate.
2.1.1.3
Parliamentarian
The general authority for parliamentary procedure in
all matters before the Senate, not inconsistent with these
Bylaws, shall be Robert's Rules of Order, current edition.
The Senate
Chair shall appoint a member of the Senate to be the parliamentarian
of the Senate. The parliamentarian will be responsible
for guiding the Senate on parliamentary procedure and the
provisions of the Senate's Bylaws.
2.2
Election of Officers
a)
Nominations for the position of Chair of the Senate shall
be submitted in writing to the Chair by any person who
shall be an elected member in the forthcoming year. Nominations
shall be submitted between the regular April meeting of
the Senate and ten days before its May meeting, herein
called the election meeting. The Chair's notice of the
agenda for the election meeting shall contain an alphabetical
list of names that have been placed in nomination. If no
more than one name has been received in nomination, then
additional names can be placed in nomination from the floor.
No person shall be considered a nominee unless he/she shall
have served as a member of the Senate for at least one
year, except the first year. b) At the election meeting,
a secret ballot for the Office of Chair, from among those
nominated, shall be conducted as the last item under new
business.
c)
If no person receives a simple majority vote for election
to the Chair, a second ballot shall be voted and shall
contain the names of the two individuals receiving
the most votes in the first round of balloting. In
the event that two individuals have received the same
number of votes for the second spot on the ballot,
the second ballot will contain the names of three individuals
- the person receiving the most votes and the two individuals
tied for second place. If no person receives a simple
majority vote for election to the Chair on the second
ballot, balloting shall continue among the same individuals
until someone receives a simple majority vote. If after
five such ballots no one has received the required
simple majority vote for election to the Chair, nominations
from the floor will be allowed for a sixth ballot and
any subsequent ballots.
d)
The Senate shall then proceed to nominate and elect
a Vice Chair who has served as a member of the Senate
for at least one year except the initial term. The
procedure for election and the required vote shall
be the same as that given for the election of the Senate
Chair in Items b and c of this section.
e)
The term of office of the newly-elected Chair and Vice
Chair will begin on July 1.
2.2.1
Committees
2.2.1.1
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall be a committee chaired by the Senate Chair and shall consist of the Chair, the Vice Chair, the Parliamentarian, and all the Chairs of Standing Committees of the Senate. All major groups (Extension, MAFES, Off-Campus, and the Colleges) should be represented on the Executive committee. If any of these groups are not represented on the Executive Committee, the Chair will appoint additional members to the Executive Committee to insure representation of all such groups in DAFVM. The Executive Committee shall act as an advisory committee to the Senate Chair on all matters brought before the Senate by any of its members or any items affecting the faculty brought to the attention of the Senate Chair by members of the administration. If no member of the Executive Committee is a member of the Robert Holland Faculty Senate, the Chair will appoint a member who serves on both the Robert Holland Faculty Senate and DAFVM Senate to this committee. If no member of the DAFVM Senate is a member of the Robert Holland Faculty Senate, the Chair will appoint an ex officio representative.
2.2.1.2
Standing Committees
a)
The Senate shall have standing committees through which
it can systematically and continually keep itself informed.
These committees and their jurisdiction, until the Senate
otherwise directs by a simple majority vote of its membership,
shall be: Academic Affairs - Considers those matters that
are directly concerned with students and classroom teaching.
Ancillary
Affairs - Considers those matters that do not fall
within the jurisdiction of other standing committees.
Charter
and Bylaws - Provides for regular review and recommendations
concerning the operating procedure, structure, size,
representation, and other internal matters of the Senate.
Faculty
Affairs - Considers those matters which exclusively
or primarily affect members of the General Faculty.
Resources-
Studies the allocation of resources within DAFVM; studies
the allocation of resources within the University and
to acquaint the Senate with such allocations; makes
yearly recommendations to be considered by the Senate
for transmittal to the appropriate University administrators
concerning faculty salaries, benefits, increments for
promotion, and related matters.
b)
All members of the Senate, with the exception of the
Chair and Vice Chair, will be appointed to one or two
standing committees by the Chair. Each member shall
serve on that committee to which he/she is appointed
throughout his/her term on the Senate, unless reassigned
by the Chair. The Chair of each standing committee
shall be appointed annually by the newly-elected Senate
Chair. The Chair of the Senate should balance committee
and committee chair representation among the major
groups (Extension, MAFES, Off-Campus, and the Colleges).
c)
Each standing committee shall receive, study, and report
to the Senate through one of its members on any proposed
recommendation or other matter which shall have been
referred to it by a vote of the Senate. In the discharge
of its responsibility, it shall seek collectively,
and its members shall seek individually, such factual
information and opinion of such interested parties
as will provide the Senate with a firm and complete
basis for sound and responsible decisions.
2.2.1.3
Special Committees
By a vote of the Senate, or on the initiative of the Senate Chair, special
committees can be created, on a temporary basis, to handle such matters as
do not readily fall within the jurisdiction of one of the standing committees
or to handle such matters as might require intensive work or special consideration.
Members
of the Senate and non-Senate members of the General Faculty
of DAFVM may serve on special committees.
2.3
Terms
a)
The term of office of the Senate's officers shall begin
July 1 and end on June 30 of the following year, except
that the term of any of the Senate's officers will be extended
until his/her successor is chosen. b) The term of elected
members of the Senate shall begin on the first day of May
following their election and shall end on April 30 of the
last year of their term,.
c)
The term of persons elected to fill unexpired terms
of members of the Senate who resign or otherwise relinquish
their membership are limited to the length of the unexpired
terms of the members being replaced. Election and active
membership of these replacements shall take place immediately
following the occurrence of vacancy.
d)
Each member of the Faculty Senate shall serve a term
of three years. A member may serve two consecutive
terms, after which he/she is ineligible for membership
for one (1) year. A member elected to serve more than
half of an unexpired full term shall be considered,
for the purpose of reelection, to have served a full
term.
2.4
Meetings
a)
Regular monthly meetings of the Senate shall be held in
the second week of each month, except when there are major
schedule conflicts, when the Chair determines that there
is insufficient business to warrant a meeting, or when
the Chair has advance notice of the lack of a quorum. In
the event of such schedule conflicts or lack of business,
the meetings shall be held as needed. b) All meetings shall
be open unless the Senate shall direct otherwise for any
meeting or part thereof by a two-thirds simple majority
vote.
c)
While the Senate has the authority to make rules and
regulations to facilitate the orderly transaction of
business, no part of these Bylaws or any such rules
and regulations shall ever prevent, obstruct, or inhibit
the right of a member of the Senate or a representative
of the General Faculty of DAFVM from bringing a matter
to the attention of the Senate during that portion
of the meeting devoted to new business.
d)
Urgent meetings of the Senate may be called to consider
a matter which is felt to warrant immediate attention
without the usual notice of the meeting being given,
and the urgent matter shall be the agenda of the special
meeting. Reasonable effort shall be made to notify
all Senate members of the meeting.
e)
In the event of the absence of the Chair and the Vice
Chair at a meeting, the Senate will elect a Temporary
Chair for that meeting from among its membership.
f)
A member should notify the Vice Chair (or the standing
committee Chair), in advance, of any meeting which
the member cannot attend. When a Senate member misses
three regular meetings of the Senate or one of its
standing committees in a twelve month period without
sufficient justification, the member is recalled and
his/her unit head shall be notified by the Chair of
the Senate and requested to hold an election to replace
the recalled member.
g)
Order of Business-the regular order of business of
the Senate shall be:
i.
Adoption of the minutes.
ii.Introduction
of new members and guests.
iii.
Report of the Chair.
iv.
Report of the Vice Chair.
v.
Report of the Robert Holland Faculty Senate representative.
vi.
Consideration of new recommendations and studies
to be sent to committee.
vii.
Standing committee reports.
viii.Special
committee reports.
ix.
Unfinished business.
x.
Other new business.
2.5
Procedures:
2.5.1
Studies and Recommendations
a)
Each proposal for study or recommendation by the Senate
must be presented to the Senate Chair. Each proposed study
or recommendation shall be read or distributed by the Chair
to the Senate prior to a vote to accept or adopt the study
or recommendation. b) After such reading or distribution
of new material, the question shall be on sending the proposed
recommendation or study to committee for further consideration.
c)
Upon the approval by the Senate through a simple majority
vote, each proposed recommendation shall be assigned
to the appropriate standing or special committee by
the Chair. The Chair, when charging a special committee
with a study, shall state the length of time in which
the committee is to make the study.
d)
Upon the Senate's approval by voice vote, non-Senate
members may be added to the committee. The Chair or
Senate members shall recommend the number and unit
representation of the non - Senate members needed to
assist the committee. Specific individuals will be
appointed by the Chair, with the simple majority approval
of the Senate Executive Committee.
e)
At the next meeting of the Senate or at the direction
of the Chair, the committee shall make its report on
the matter referred to it for study. A recommendation
or recommendations based on such a report may be adopted
in the meeting of the Senate at which the report is
given only if a copy of the committee report has been
included in the regular meeting packet.
f)
Questions of fact may be asked the committee following
its report.
g)
Following the questions of fact, debate shall take
place on the question of adopting the proposed recommendation,
as presented by the committee, as a recommendation
of the Senate. Amendments may be offered from the floor.
h)
A proposed recommendation shall be adopted as a recommendation
by the Senate when it receives the vote of a simple
majority of the Senate's membership present and voting "aye" or "nay." Each
recommendation shall carry with it a notation of the
number of ayes, nays, and abstentions.
i)
The failure of a committee to make a report or recommendation,
or a recommendation of no action by a committee, shall
not preclude the right of the Senate to take further
action.
2.5.2
External Resolutions
The proposing and adopting of resolutions pertaining
to persons or matters outside the Senate shall follow the
procedure for proposed recommendation for adoption. If the
resolution has not been distributed to Senate members in
the meeting packet, suspension of the Bylaws by an affirmative
vote of two-thirds of the members present shall be required
to allow a vote for adoption of the resolution at the meeting
at which it is presented.
2.5.3
Internal Affairs
Motions and resolutions pertaining to internal matters of the Senate, which
are not otherwise provided for in these Bylaws or by the Senate's Charter,
can be initiated and passed upon in a single meeting. A simple majority vote
of Senate members present and voting "aye" or "nay" is required for adoption
of such motions and resolutions.
2.6
Voting
Voting on the adoption of recommendations, external resolutions, amendments
to the Bylaws, and the appeal of rulings of the Chair shall be by a show of
hands. Election of officers shall be by secret ballot. In any other matter,
another method of voting may be used except, if one-third of the elected members
present request it, the vote must be by show of hands.
b) The
affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present shall
be sufficient to suspend provisions of the Senate's Bylaws
in order to expedite the handling of a particular matter,
but the provisions of the Bylaws pertaining to voting shall
not be suspended. c) Only elected members present may vote,
and the vote of a simple majority voting "aye" or "nay" shall
be sufficient in all instances not otherwise provided for
by the Senate Charter or its Bylaws.
d) A roll-call
vote must be held when one-fifth or more of those present
vote in favor of such roll-call vote.
2.7
Amending the Bylaws
Each proposal for an amendment to these Bylaws shall
follow the procedure established for a proposed recommendation,
except for any amendment to be adopted it must receive a
two-thirds simple majority vote.
Bylaws
amended by Senate on May 14, 1998 making changes in Sections
2.3 a) and b) to correct a conflict with Section 1.1 of
the Charter. Change specifies that representatives term
of office will begin in May and end April 30.
Approved
as a Division Organization April 21, 1998.
Charter
1. Adopted May 16, 1997
2. Amended March, 1998 - See
committee report
3. Amended May 11, 2000 - See
committee report
Bylaws
1. Adopter May 16, 1997
2. Amended May 14, 1998 - See
committee report
3. Amended May 11, 2000 - See
committee report |
