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Faculty Senate Administrative Office
Lindley 346
Athens, OH 45701
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Constitution of the Faculty Senate of Ohio University

[Section VII A of Handbook]

Preamble

We, the members of the faculty of Ohio University, Concerned that improvement of academic standards keep pace with the physical growth of the University, Convinced that those directly involved in the instructional and research activities of the University can play an active advisory role to the administration and Board of Trustees, who alone have the responsibility to the people of Ohio for the proper conduct of University affairs in arriving at decisions involving University policy, Aware that a regularly authorized and representative agency of the faculty must serve this function if academic excellence is to be maintained and improved, Do hereby establish a Faculty Senate of the University to constitute the official channel of faculty opinion in all matters which have a bearing upon the furtherance of academic excellence.

Article 1 Composition and Election
  1. The Faculty Senate shall be composed of faculty members with faculty status, with or without tenure.
    1. Forty-nine Senators shall be elected by the Tenure Track faculty of the degree-granting colleges with deans or academic units with a dean’s equivalent (e.g. the Voinovich School) of the Athens campus and Tenure Track faculty of each of the regional campuses. Representation shall be in proportion to the numbers of such faculties eligible to serve on the Faculty Senate, with the following provisions: each degree-granting college or unit headed by a dean or dean’s equivalent and having Tenure Track faculty shall be entitled to have at least one representative on the Senate. The election shall be conducted in accordance with the Rules of Election stated in the Senate Bylaws.
    2. Ten Senators shall be elected by the non-tenure track faculty members (Instructional and Clinical faculty) of the degree-granting colleges with deans or academic units with a dean’s equivalent of the Athens campus and Instructional faculty of each of the regional campuses. Representation shall be in proportion to the numbers of such faculties eligible to serve on the Faculty Senate, with the following provisions: Each Athens campus college with a minimum of 20 eligible instructional faculty members will elect one or more senators to represent that college; all colleges on the Athens campus with fewer than 20 Instructional faculty shall be combined to elect at-large senator(s) from those colleges to serve on Faculty Senate; all Instructional faculty on regional campuses shall combine to elect at-large senators from the Instructional faculty of regional campuses to represent those faculties. Clinical faculty from HCOM and CHSP shall elect at least one at-large senator from among their ranks to represent those faculty.
    3. The election shall be conducted in accordance with the Rules of Election stated in the Senate Bylaws.
    4. The allocations and election of Instructional and Clinical Faculty senators will reflect the proportion of Instructional and Clinical faculty at the annual faculty census prior to elections.
  2. Each year members shall be elected for a three-year term, to replace those whose terms of office have expired. No member shall serve more than two terms in succession without at least one elapsed year.
  3. Elections shall be held in April of each year and shall be conducted by secret ballot by an Elections Committee of the Senate. Terms of office shall expire on July 31; new members shall assume office on May 1.
  4. A presiding officer to be known as the chair of the Faculty Senate shall be elected by the Senate at the April meeting. Members of the Senate who have served at least one year shall be eligible for election to the office of chair. The chair shall preside at meetings of the Senate throughout the year of his/her/their term which shall begin on May 1 and end on April 30 of the following year.
  5. A vice chair shall be elected from among those members eligible for election to the office of chair. He/she/they preside at meetings of the Senate, and otherwise fulfills the duties and obligations of the chair, at the request of the chair or in the event of their absence. The vice chair shall also serve as the chair of the University Curriculum Council.
  6. A secretary of the Faculty Senate shall be elected annually from those members eligible for election to the office of chair. He/she/they shall be responsible for the preparation of minutes and for such other duties as may be assigned by the chair. 
  7. When vacancies occur in the membership of the Senate because of death, resignation, or extended absence from the campus, an interim member shall be appointed by the chair as provided for in the Rules of Election. The interim member shall serve until the original term is completed (or until the absent member is able to resume his/her/their duties) and shall be eligible for reelection. The secretary shall notify the Senate that a vacancy exists when he/she/they are informed of the death, resignation, or extended absence of a member.

Article 2 Meetings of the Faculty Senate
  1. The Faculty Senate shall hold at least one regular meeting each month during the calendar year except for the months of June, July and August. Except in circumstances specified in the bylaws, any member of the faculty or any administrative officer of the University may attend the meeting of the Senate and may express his/her/their views upon recognition by the presiding officer.
  2. The chair, or, in their absence, the vice chair, shall preside over all meetings of the Faculty Senate.
  3. Special meetings of the Senate may be called by the chair upon his/her/their initiative, or at the request of the President of the University, or upon petition in writing to the chair signed by five elected members of the Senate. The chair shall be responsible for advance notification to all members of the time and place of all special meetings.
  4. A quorum of any regular or special meeting of the Faculty Senate shall be a majority of the membership of the Faculty Senate.

Article 3 Functions of the Faculty Senate
  1. The Faculty Senate shall:
    1. Initiate policies related to University-wide academic matters, recommending their approval by the President through the Provost.
    2. Act upon all faculty grievance matters according to policies and procedures of the Faculty Handbook.
    3. Initiate policies relating to the rights and responsibilities of faculty members incident to their employment by the University, recommending their approval by the President through the Provost.
    4. Receive, act upon, and transmit to the President through the Provost the views of the Senate with respect to proposals initiated by the President, the Provost, or other individuals or groups regarding policies relating to University-wide academic matters, changes and additions to the Faculty Handbook, and policies relating to the rights and responsibilities of faculty members incident to their employment by the University.
    5. Initiate changes and additions to the Faculty Handbook recommending their approval by the President through the Provost.
    6. Act as official channel of faculty opinion on all matters that have a bearing on academic excellence.
  2. The Faculty Senate shall transmit recommendations to the President of the University via the chair. In appropriate cases, the Faculty Senate shall transmit recommendations to the Board of Trustees via the chair and the President of the University.
  3. Upon the majority vote of the elected membership of the Faculty Senate, the chair of the Senate shall request the President to convene a meeting of the University faculty for the consideration of matters of general interest to the faculty.
  4. Upon written petition of one-fifth of the faculty members of Ohio University eligible to serve on the Faculty Senate, the chair of the Faculty Senate shall request the President to call a meeting of the University faculty.
  5. The officers of the Faculty Senate shall be responsible for officially informing the President or the Provost of the transactions of the Senate and for informally discussing these and related matters with them. They shall communicate to the Senate any information or request that the President or Provost wishes to be communicated, except that the President or the Provost, or a designated representative, is privileged to present his/her/their views from the floor in any regular or special meeting.
  6. In performing the duties stated herein, the chair shall be governed by the following stipulations:
    1. The chair is charged with the responsibility for representing the Faculty Senate and with presenting the Faculty Senate's recommendations and views.
    2. The chair shall transmit all formal actions from the Faculty Senate to the appropriate persons in written form approved by the Senate, and shall request that all formal communications to the Senate be in written form.
  7. The Faculty Senate shall consider in any action taken the two major responsibilities of all persons who serve as members of the faculty of Ohio University: the welfare of the citizens of Ohio and the pursuit of truth.
  8. The Faculty Senate shall prepare by-laws of organization and procedure for the conduct of its affairs.
  9. An amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of the membership of the Senate and submitted to faculty for approval. A simple majority of those voting shall constitute an affirmative vote. The amendment shall become effective upon approval by the Board of Trustees of Ohio University.