Constitution:
Article II
The Faculty Senate
- Composition
- The Faculty Senate is composed of the Deans of the several Schools
and Colleges, elected members, and ex officio members. Elected
members are representatives of the Faculties of the Schools and
Colleges in accordance with the following distribution [2005]
[2010]:
| College of Arts and Science |
|
17 |
| Blair School of Music |
|
2 |
| Divinity School |
|
2 |
| School of Engineering |
|
5 |
| School of Law |
|
2 |
| Owen Graduate School of Management |
|
2 |
| School of Medicine |
|
20 |
| School of Nursing |
|
4 |
| Peabody College |
|
6 |
- Non-voting ex officio members of the Senate include the following:
the Chancellor, the Provost, the Vice Chancellors, other administrative
officers that the Senate may invite, and persons listed as such
in the Senate Rules. In addition, the past Chair and Vice Chair
of the Faculty Senate shall hold non-voting ex officio status
for one year following the end of their term. At the beginning
of the academic year, the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate
will consult with the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs
to invite no more than four individuals from each administrative
staff as non-voting ex officio members for that year. Such administrators
should be those whose responsibilities relate most directly to
the faculty matters. Non-voting ex officio members may participate
fully in open deliberations. In instances where one person holds
both non-voting and voting positions, the voting role takes precedence.
[2010]
- The Chair of the Senate shall consult with the Executive Committee
prior to discharging the Chair's responsibilities under the Promotion
and Tenure Grievance Procedure. [2000]
- The Senate shall at least once every five years review the numbers
of elected representatives from the several Faculties, taking
into account the relative sizes of the Faculties and of the student
bodies of the several schools. Each school shall have at least
two Faculty Senators. The number of elected representatives of
any one school or college shall be no more than one-third of the
total number of elected senators. [2000] Changes may also be proposed
to the Senate by any Faculty. Proposed changes in the composition
of the Senate shall be made known to the members of the Faculty
Assembly at least one month before Senate action, and shall become
effective when adopted by the majority of the Senate voting membership.
[1984]
- Each Faculty shall elect its own representatives, and each representative
so elected shall serve for a term of three years, unless specifically
chosen to complete the remainder of an unexpired term. Terms shall
commence on July first and terminate on June thirtieth. [2004]
Elections shall be held before May 1 each year, by a process of
secret balloting, with each Faculty electing the number necessary
to maintain its full delegation for the following academic year.
Only full-time Faculty members with the academic rank of Instructor
or above shall be eligible for election to the Senate. No single
full-time Faculty member may represent more than one School. All
full-time Faculty members with the academic rank of Instructor
or above, part-time faculty members having full status, and such
other part-time Faculty members as the full-time Faculty of a
School or College may designate, shall be eligible to vote for
such representatives. Distribution of representation within a
School or College shall be arranged in accordance with the will
of the Faculty concerned. Terms of Senators shall be staggered
so that insofar as possible each year one-third of them will complete
their terms. Upon the expiration of his or her full term, a Senator
shall be eligible for reelection for one additional consecutive
term, but shall not be eligible for reelection to another term
until three years have passed (but upon the expiration of a partial
term, the period of ineligibility shall correspond only to the
length of the term served). This amendment permits members of
the Senate to serve up to two terms in a row. [1999] A Senator
on leave of absence from the University does not forfeit membership,
but during any extended absence a duly elected alternate shall
serve. [1977]
- Organization
- The Senate shall meet at least four times each year, normally
during September, December, March, and May. Additional special
meetings may be called at the discretion of the Chancellor, or
the Chair of the Senate, or upon written request of any eight
members of the Senate. A majority of the voting members of the
Senate shall constitute a quorum. All meetings of the Senate shall
be open to members of the Faculty Assembly, to the chief administrative
officers, and to other persons invited by Senate action, except
as provided in section 2d below. [1982]
- At the last regularly scheduled meeting of the Senate each year,
the Senate shall elect a Chair-elect and a Vice Chair-elect (not
from the same School or College) from among those elected members
who at that time are in their first year of service in the Senate.
[2006] The persons elected shall at that time become members of
the Executive Committee, shall succeed to the offices of Chair-elect
and Vice Chair-elect the following July first, and shall succeed
to the offices of Chair and Vice Chair on July first of the year
following their election. [2004] [2006]The Senate shall have the
power to fill vacancies and to resolve questions of eligibility
for these offices. In the event of a permanent vacancy in any
of the offices, an election shall be held at the next Senate meeting
to fill the vacancy. [1989]
- The Vice Chair shall distribute or publish minutes of each open
meeting of the Senate to the members of the Faculty Assembly.
The Vice Chair shall distribute or publish copies of the agenda
in advance of all open meetings of the Senate, when feasible.
[1977] [2006]
- The Senate may hold special sessions when matters of a confidential
nature are being considered. Such sessions may be closed sessions,
with only members present, executive sessions, with only voting
members present, or special executive sessions, with only elected
members present. No action taken at a special executive session
shall be binding upon the Senate unless approved by a majority
vote at a meeting where all voting members may be present. One
special executive session shall be held in each academic year.
In addition to the mandatory yearly special executive session,
the Senate, acting by majority vote, or the Chair of the Faculty
Senate, acting in consultation with the Executive Committee, shall
have the authority to call a special session at any time. [2003]
- Unless otherwise herein provided, the Senate may adopt its own
regulations and rules of order. In the event it does not do so,
the transaction of business shall proceed according to Robert's
Rules of Order. [1967]
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- Jurisdiction, Duties, and Powers
- The Senate is the representative, deliberative, legislative
body of the Faculties. [1967]
- The Senate may discuss and express its views about any matter
affecting the University. [1967]
- The Senate shall have the power to review and evaluate the educational
policies and practices of the University and may make recommendations
concerning them to any individual, Faculty, or other group within
the University. It may provide for appropriate Faculty discussion
of any educational policy or practice. It may advise and consult
with the chief administrative officers and inform them of Faculty
opinions about such matters. It shall facilitate and encourage
communication within the University, among the several Schools,
and reciprocally among Faculty, students, and administration.
It is each Faculty's responsibility to devise internal procedures
for facilitating communication between that Faculty and its representatives
in the Senate. [1971]
- The Senate shall act in a consultative capacity when the establishment
of new schools or colleges is considered or when new degrees are
proposed. Its approval is necessary for the granting of honorary
degrees. [1967]
- The Senate is responsible for defining policies and procedures
to be applied in cases involving conscience or academic freedom.
[1967]
- Senate actions which require affirmative implementation by the
Chancellor shall be either accepted or rejected. In case of rejection,
the Chancellor shall then follow the procedures specified in Section
2a of Chapter IV of the Code of By-Laws of The Vanderbilt University.
The Chancellor shall report at least annually to the Senate on
the status of pending Senate recommendations. Should there be
a disagreement between the Senate and a School or College as to
the jurisdiction of the Senate, the Chancellor shall make a ruling
to resolve the issue. [1981]
- The Senate may request the Chancellor to call meetings of the
Faculty Assembly and take such other steps as it deems wise in
carrying out its duties of providing for discussion and furthering
communication as described in section 3c above. [1982]
- The Senate may establish such committees and subcommittees as
it chooses to aid in the performance of its duties, and may invite
persons not members of the Senate to serve on these committees
and subcommittees. [1967]
- The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of the Senate consists of the Chair, the Vice
Chair, the Chair-elect and the Vice Chair-elect, and, from the time
of their election until July first following, the persons elected
to become the next Chair-elect and Vice Chair-elect. [2004] The immediate
past chair and vice chair will serve as ex officio members of the
committee for one year following their term. [2003][2006]
- The Consultative Committee
Elected members of the Senate in their final year of office, the Chair-elect,
the Vice Chair-elect, and the immediate Past-Chair and the immediate
Past-Vice Chair of the Senate, constitute the Consultative Committee,
which is charged with consulting and advising with the Chancellor
and assisting officers on matters of general University concern. [2006]
Should there be no Senator from a School serving in his or her final
year of office, the Dean of the School shall designate a Senator from
that School to serve on the Consultative Committee. The Consultative
Committee shall meet with the Chancellor upon his request, or upon
request of a majority of the Committee, or by direction of the Senate.
No formal votes shall be taken at such consultations, nor shall the
Consultative Committee take any action that might commit the Senate
against its will. [1982]
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Also see: [ Article I The Faculty Assembly
| Article III Amendments | Article
IV Ratification | Rules of Order ]
