Amendment to UNI Faculty Constitution - approved Aug. 29, 2011

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Motion to Amend Article V. Section 3.1 “Senate Membership” of the Constitution of the Faculty for legislative year 2012-2013.

 

Sponsors:  The ad hoc University Faculty Senate Reorganization Committee
(Betty DeBerg, Jeffrey Funderburk, Chris Neuhaus, Michael Roth, Susan Wurtz)

 

The recent formation of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences has now placed 252 voting faculty within one college.* Currently, the Constitution of the Faculty sets faculty representation to the Senate by the following formula: “one senator from each unit of 30 members or fewer, two senators from each unit with fewer than 75 members, three senators from each unit with 75 to 150 members, or four senators from each unit with more than 150 members.” 

 

To allow for more equitable representation from all undergraduate colleges the ad hoc University Faculty Senate Reorganization Committee proposes that this formula be amended.

 

* Faculty Roster utilized by the 2010-2011 University Governance Work Group - http://www.uni.edu/merger/sites/default/files/WG_Governance_AppendixA.pdf

 

 

Therefore be it resolved, that the University of Northern Iowa voting faculty consider amending the Constitution of the Faculty, Article V. Delegation of Functions, Section 3.1 Senate Membership to read:

 

“The University Faculty Senate shall be composed of members elected by and from the voting faculty from each undergraduate college (including academic units which function as a college although otherwise designated), elected by and from the Library Faculty, and elected by and from the non-voting faculty. The number of senators to be elected by the members of each undergraduate college and the Library will be determined by the following formula: one senator per thirty voting faculty members rounded to the nearest multiple of thirty, with a minimum of at least one senator from each college.  Two non-voting senators, elected from the non-voting faculty shall have full rights of debate and motion but no Senate vote.  The chairperson of the faculty shall be an ex officio member of the University Faculty Senate with full rights of debate and motion but will not vote.”

This amendment would become effective beginning legislative year 2012-2013.

 

 

Utilizing voting faculty numbers gleaned from the most recent Faculty Roster - http://www.uni.edu/merger/sites/default/files/WG_Governance_AppendixA.pdf - faculty representation to the University Faculty Senate by college would, under the proposed amendment, be:

 

College of Business - elects two senators 
(60 voting faculty – rounds to 60)

 

College of Education – elects five senators

(148 voting faculty – rounds to 150)

 

College of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences – elects eight senators

(252 voting faculty – rounds to 240)

 

College of Social & Behavioral Sciences - elects four senators 
(111 voting faculty – rounds to 120) 

Library – elects one senator 
(14 voting faculty – 1 member minimum)

Two Non-Voting senators will be elected by non-voting faculty. 

 

 

 

Appendix.

 

Currently Article V: 3.1 of the Constitution of the Faculty reads: 

“The University Faculty Senate shall be composed of members elected by and from the voting faculty from each undergraduate college (including academic units which function as a college although otherwise designated), elected by and from the Library Faculty, and elected by and from the non-voting faculty. The number of senators to be elected by the members of each of these units will be determined by the following formula: one senator from each unit of 30 members or fewer, two senators from each unit with fewer than 75 members, three senators from each unit with 75 to 150 members, or four senators from each unit with more than 150 members. Senators elected from the non-voting faculty shall have full rights of debate and motion but no Senate vote.  The chairperson of the faculty shall be an ex officio member of the University Faculty Senate with full rights of debate and motion but will not vote.”