Agenda Item No. V. B. 2. a.

Washburn University Board of Regents

SUBJECT: Creation of a Washburn University Faculty Senate

DESCRIPTION:

Attached is a copy of the proposed constitution for a Washburn University Faculty Senate. Attached also is a brief comparison of the Faculty Senate with the current University Council. This latter document was distributed to the Board in January at its Committee of the Whole meeting.

A committee of faculty and the VPAA worked for about 18 months to prepare a draft constitution. This constitution was reviewed and revised by faculty and administration at the University Council in December, 2004, and January, 2005, and then approved by the General Faculty later in January.

The Faculty Senate would be a large body of faculty proportionally representing faculty across the campus. (The actual number of members depends on the number of full-time faculty in each unit. At this time there would be 35 voting members.) It is similar in structure and nature to faculty senates in the six state universities in Kansas, and to many institutions nationwide.

The recommendation calls for the concurrent elimination of the University Council. The proposed changes to Article V of the University Bylaws to eliminate the University Council are in a separate agenda item, to be taken up by the Board if this Faculty Senate constitution is approved.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

RECOMMENDATION:

President Farley recommends adoption of the proposed Faculty Senate Constitution.

______________________ ________________________

(date) Jerry B. Farley, President

PROPOSED
                   FACULTY SENATE CONSTITUTION

                          Revised Draft
                           as Approved
                        on Second Reading
                         January 11, 2005


I.  PURPOSE AND DUTIES OF THE FACULTY SENATE

A.  The Faculty Senate, as the agent of the General Faculty
    of Washburn University, speaks on behalf of that body.

B.  The Faculty Senate shall consider policies on matters dealing
    with the total University, including academic issues and
    matters which affect more than one of the Major Academic
    Units.

C.  As the agent of the General Faculty, the duties of the
    Faculty Senate thus include, but are not limited to:

    1. providing a forum for the expression of faculty opinion.
    2. exercising primary responsibility in curricular matters,
       academic programs and standards, changes in graduation
       requirements, new degrees, new majors or academic
       programs, elimination of existing degrees or major
       programs, creation of new academic departments, and
       recommending changes to the faculty handbook, subject to
       the oversight of the President and the Board of Regents.
    3. advising the President on matters of university policy,
       including budgetary policies, faculty retention,
       matters which affect more than one of the Major Academic
       Units, and standards for student admission and retention.
    4. advising academic deans regarding standards and procedures
       for faculty evaluation.
    5. working to promote and maintain academic freedom.
    6. overseeing the membership and function of all committees
       of the Faculty Senate and receiving, reviewing, remanding,
       approving or disapproving recommendations from the
       standing committees of the Faculty Senate.

D.  To these ends, the Faculty Senate, as agent of the General
    Faculty, is empowered to act on behalf of the General Faculty
    of Washburn University. The actions of the Faculty Senate may
    be reviewed, revised, recalled, or endorsed by the General
    Faculty. Any action by the Faculty Senate concerning changes
    in graduation requirements, new degrees, academic majors, or
    programs; elimination of existing degrees or major programs;
    or creation of new academic departments will be brought
    before the General Faculty for a vote. In addition, the
    Faculty Senate can choose by majority vote to bring any
    action of the body before the General Faculty for a vote.
    Any action of the Faculty Senate may be challenged by the

    petition of not less than twenty members of the General
    Faculty or 10% of the students currently enrolled.  Such
    challenge must be presented as a signed written petition and
    presented to the Secretary of the General Faculty who will
    place it on the General Faculty agenda for action.

II.  ELIGIBILITY AND MEMBERSHIP

A.  Only faculty on an annual contract are eligible to vote for
    and to serve on the Faculty Senate, excluding those serving
    more than half time in administrative capacities; provided,
    however, faculty on authorized leave of absence or sabbatical
    shall not be eligible to serve on the Faculty Senate during
    such period of leave or sabbatical. Any eligible faculty
    member may put his or her name forward for election.

B.  The School of Law, School of Business, School of Applied
    Studies, School of Nursing, and each division within the
    College of Arts and Sciences shall elect representatives to
    the Faculty Senate in proportion to the number of eligible
    faculty in each unit, with one senator selected to represent
    each ten faculty members (that number to be rounded up or
    down to the nearest figure in each voting unit). Representa-
    tion will be based on the number of faculty in each unit at
    the start of the spring semester.

C.  In addition, five at-large members of the Faculty Senate will
    be elected by all eligible faculty.  No more than two of
    these may come from any one School or the College.

D.  The Librarians of Mabee Library/CRC shall elect one
    member of the Faculty Senate for every ten of their number.
    The Librarians of the Law Library shall also elect one member
    of the Faculty Senate for every ten of their number.

E.  The Vice President for Academic Affairs or his or her
    designee shall serve as a non-voting member of the Faculty
    Senate.


III.  ELECTIONS

A.  The Senate will establish a standing Electoral Committee to
    supervise elections, including any necessary modifications
    of designated voting units to reflect changing faculty
    numbers.

B.  Elections to the Faculty Senate will be held annually in
    April, with half of the membership selected in each election.
    Members shall serve for a term of two years,

C.  The Electoral Committee will oversee elections of at-large
    members to the Faculty Senate.  Nominations for the at-large
    members of the Faculty Senate will be submitted to the
    Electoral Committee at least three weeks in advance of the
    election and will be publicized two weeks before the
    election.

D.  Each electoral unit will decide on its own mechanism of
    voting for the Faculty Senate, subject to the oversight of
    the Electoral Committee.

E.  Members of the Faculty Senate are eligible to serve a
    maximum of two consecutive terms, but may be re-elected after
    an absence of at least one year from the Faculty Senate.

F.  Should any member of the Faculty Senate prove unable to
    serve out a full term for any reason, a special election will
    be held in that member's electoral unit to select a
    replacement for the remainder of the term.


IV.   ORGANIZATION

A.  The Faculty Senate will meet each year within two weeks of
    elections, and at that meeting will elect from among its
    members the officers of the Senate: President, Vice-
    President, Secretary, and Parliamentarian.

B.  The President of the Faculty Senate shall ordinarily receive
    one-quarter reassigned time and clerical support from the
    office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

C.  The President and Vice President of the Faculty Senate shall
    serve as the faculty representatives to the Board of Regents,
    and shall be prepared to report to the Board on issues before
    the Faculty Senate.

D.  The Vice President of the Faculty Senate will serve as
    President in the case of absence OR incapacity of the
    President of the Faculty Senate.

E.  An Executive Committee shall be established, consisting of
    the President, Vice President, and Secretary of the Faculty
    Senate, and enough additional members elected by that body
    from among its members to ensure that every Major Academic
    Unit is represented. That Executive Committee will be
    charged with arranging meeting times and establishing agendas
    for each meeting.  The Executive Committee shall also serve
    as a Committee on Committees for the Faculty Senate.

F.  Agenda items can originate with the Executive Committee or
    any other member of the Faculty Senate or can be proposed to
    the Executive Committee by any member of the faculty or
    University community.

V.   MEETINGS


A.  Meetings of the Faculty Senate will be held at least once
    a month throughout the course of the academic year.  Special
    meetings can be called by the Executive Committee should the
    need arise.  Agendas for each meeting will be distributed to
    all members of the Faculty Senate a week in advance of any
    scheduled meeting time and made available to the University
    community.

B.  During the course of the summer, the Executive Committee
    shall be empowered to act provisionally on an emergency basis
    on behalf of the full body, subject to the approval of the
    full Faculty Senate when it reconvenes.

C.  Meetings of the Faculty Senate are open meetings. Speaking
    privileges before the Faculty Senate shall be granted to
    anyone recognized by the President of the body, or whose
    right to speak is supported by a majority vote of the body.
    The University President and the President of the Washburn
    Student Government Association (W.S.G.A.) shall have the
    right to speak before the Faculty Senate.

D.  Actions of the Faculty Senate will be taken by majority vote
    of members present, with the exception of amendments to the
    Senate Constitution.  All actions of the Faculty Senate,
    however, require the presence of a quorum, defined as at
    least half the elected representatives.

E.  Each matter considered as new business shall be presented to
    the Faculty Senate as an agenda item in the form of two
    readings and may not occur on the same date. The first
    presentation of the matter shall be considered its first
    reading.  Items coming to the Faculty Senate from the
    Graduate, Faculty Affairs, Academic Affairs, Electoral, or
    All-University Committees will be taken up as second reading.

F.  Minutes of all meetings of the Faculty Senate will be
    distributed to all members, to the University President, to
    the Secretary of the Board of Regents, the Secretary of the
    General Faculty, and to the President of W.S.G.A. by the
    Faculty Senate Secretary. Minutes will also be posted on the
    University web site by the Faculty Senate Secretary.

G.  The President of the University shall have the right to
    non-concur with any action of the Faculty Senate, but in
    exercising this right, shall state the reasons for
    nonconcurrence in a letter to the Secretary of the Faculty
    Senate.  The Board of Regents shall then be notified of the
    action of the Faculty Senate and the nonconcurrence of the
    President, along with the stated reasons for nonconcurrence.
    A final determination of the matter shall be in the hands of
    the Board of Regents, and until such time the status quo
    shall prevail.


VI.  COMMITTEES

A.  In addition to the Executive Committee, the Faculty Senate
    will establish from its own membership the following
    committees: an Electoral Committee, to oversee elections of
    the Faculty Senate; an Academic Affairs Committee, to review
    and make recommendations on matters of curricula and
    programs; and a Faculty Affairs Committee, to review and
    make recommendations on faculty issues.

B.  The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, in its
    capacity as Committee on Committees, will be empowered to
    create, as deemed necessary, ad-hoc committees, and to over-
    see faculty representation on faculty committees.

C.  Faculty representatives on faculty committees, other than the
    Electoral, Faculty Affairs, and Academic Affairs Committees,
    need not be members of the Faculty Senate. At least one
    faculty representative on each faculty committee must be a
    member of the Faculty Senate, by special appointment of the
    Executive Committee, if necessary.

D.  The Faculty Affairs Committee is charged with promoting the
    general welfare of faculty members.  While the scope of the
    committee is general in nature, the more prominent interests
    are:

       1. Teaching loads and extracurricular duties
       2. Retirement, tenure, and sabbatical leaves
       3. Faculty grievances
       4. Dismissal criteria
       5. Salary and faculty benefits
       6. The academic sabbatical program

    Membership of the committee consists of one Faculty Senate
    member from each Division within the College of Arts and
    Sciences, one from the School of Business, one from the
    School of Law, one from the School of Nursing, one from the
    School of Applied Studies, and one member from the
    University libraries, each elected for a one-year term by
    the Faculty Senate from its ranks.  The committee selects
    its own chairperson.

E.  The Academic Affairs Committee is charged with evaluating
    carefully and making recommendations to the Faculty Senate
    regarding: (1) all new undergraduate programs (majors,
    degrees, certificates and the like) proposed by any Major
    Academic unit of the University; (2) major revisions in such
    programs; (3) and new undergraduate academic programs or
    revisions to such programs that originate from units other
    than Major Academic Units.  The primary concern of the
    committee shall be consistency of the proposed program with
    applicable University-wide guidelines and regulations,
    potential impact of the program on other established
    programs in the University, and financial implications of
    such new or revised programs.  The Executive Committee may
    also delegate other matters to this committee.

    The Academic Affairs Committee shall be chaired by the
    Vice President of the Senate.  Other members shall include
    one Senate member from each Major Academic Unit (CAS, SOB,
    SON, SAS), and the Senate representative of Mabee
    Library/CRC.  The Deans from the Major Academic Units, or
    their designates, and the VPAA or his/her designate, will
    serve as ex officio, non-voting members.


F.  Faculty, Presidential, and Advisory Committees will be
    organized as follows:

    1. Faculty committees - -including, but not limited to, the
       Research Committee, Interdisciplinary Studies Committee,
       Promotion and Tenure Standards Committee, Honors Advisory
       Board, Graduate Committee, and General Education Committee
       - -will be structured as standing committees of the
       Faculty Senate, with membership consisting of faculty
       elected by the academic units .  Students or staff might
       also be added to these committees at the discretion of the
       Faculty Senate. Faculty committees will report their
       actions to the Faculty Senate.  The Faculty Senate has the
       right to receive, review, remand, approve, or disapprove
       recommendations from these committees.  Changes to the
       charge or membership structure of these committees will be
       made by action of the Faculty Senate.

    2. Other University Committees are Presidential Committees
       and Advisory Committees

       a. Presidential Committees - -including, but not limited
          to, the Athletic Committee, Honorary Degree Committee,
          Institutional Review Board, and University
          Facilities Planning Committee- -will be selected by the
          President of the University, though the President may
          choose to consult with the Faculty Senate when
          selecting faculty members to serve on Presidential
          Committees. These committees report their actions to
          the President. Changes to the charge or membership
          structure of these committees are made at the
          discretion of the President.

       b. Advisory Committees - -including, but not limited to,
          with administrative offices advised by each committees
          parenthetically noted, the Electronic Technology
          Committee (VPAA/VPAT), Assessment Committee
          (VPAA/VPSL), Board of Student Publications (VPAA/VPSL),
          Student Financial Aid Committee (Dean of Enrollment
          Management), International Education Committee
          (Director of International Programs), Committee
          on Undergraduate Retention (VPAA/VPSL/Dean of
          Enrollment Management), Committee on Undergraduate
          Probation and Reinstatement (VPAA/VPSL/Dean of
          Enrollment Management), and the Library Committee (Dean
          of Mabee Library) will typically include at least one
          member of the Faculty Senate. Advisory Committees will
          report their actions BY minutes both to the Secretary
          of the Faculty Senate and to the appropriate
          administrative official.  Changes to the charge or
          membership structure of these committees would be made
          by the President of the University in consultation with
          the Faculty Senate.

G.  Each Faculty Committee shall elect a chair from among its own
    members


VII.  AMENDMENTS

A.   Amendments to the Constitution of the Faculty Senate can be
     proposed by any eligible faculty member as defined by
     Article II, A.

B.   Amendments to the Constitution of the Faculty Senate require
     a two-thirds vote of Faculty Senate members present and
     voting and ratification by a majority vote of the General
     Faculty present and voting for passage.

IMPLEMENTATION DOCUMENT

1. Upon formation and initial meeting of the Faculty Senate, the
   University Council will cease to exist.

2. The University Council shall establish a committee to oversee
   all necessary preparation for the creation of a Faculty
   Senate, including tabulating faculty members to establish
   levels of representation and overseeing the election of the
   first Faculty Senate.

3. In the first Faculty Senate, the full membership will be
   elected and half the membership will be designated by lot at
   the first meeting of the Senate for one-year terms.

4. The first Faculty Senate will establish roles and
   responsibilities of the standing committees designated in
   Section VI A and their relationships to existing committees.

5. Changes and make-up of committees will be as outlined in the
   faculty handbook, subject to revision by the Faculty Senate
   once it convenes.