When the new Senate structure was approved last year, it included a request to add some at large positions to the Senate.  The Governance Committee decided to wait on that request until after they saw the results of the first departmental elections. For example, if a sufficient number of departments didn't send a Senators, we might want a larger number of at large positions.  There is also the question of whether any term faculty would be elected.

This raised some questions.  Some Senators thought that recommending at large positions was embedded in the motion, others thought it was only a request to consider at large positions.

More recently, former Senator Hesse pointed out that 24% of the faculty are adjuncts.  Moreover, while term faculty (10% of the faculty), who usually meet with their departments, may at times be elected to the Senate, it was extremely unlikely that adjunct faculty would be elected.  The result is that adjunct faculty would not have their concerns routinely represented in the Senate.

While the Governance Committee will be looking at other changes to the bylaws, to keep things simple, the Governance Committee asks for only the following changes to the bylaws at this meeting:

That two at large adjunct faculty, and one term faculty, be elected from their respective groups.

(They will then wait to until the results of the departmental elections to make a recommendation about other possible at large positions.)

Additional Comments:

The choice of two adjunct faculty was based on the fact that, since they do not have service required as part of their contracts, and since the Provost's Office has been providing two adjunct Senators with a $500/semester stipend for their time, having two such positions keeps the status quo and is budget neutral.  

The term position was added so that there would be a three year rotation (determined by the nominating committee) with one elected each year.  Otherwise, they would have waited until they saw if, and how many, term faculty were elected to suggest that position.

Assuming other at large positions are recommended and approved by the Senate, there could be a special election either at the end of this year or the start of next year to fill those slots.

Therefore, it be resolved that the Senate approve this change to the Senate Bylaws.  

(Only the page with the actual change is attached.)