BYLAWS OF THE
EAST GEORGIA STATE COLLEGE
FACULTY SENATE
(As amended May 3, 2013 by EGSC Faculty; as amended November 15, 2013 by EGSC Faculty Senate—II.1.1.1.1. and IV 1.1.1. to incorporate Augusta; II. 2.1, as amended on April 11, 2014; as amended on September 18, 2015; as updated and amended May 11 and June 8, 2018; as updated and amended February 6, 2020; revised March 2022)
Contents
V. Adoption, Review, and Amendments
I. Mission
1. Powers and Duties
1.1 Subject to the laws of the State of Georgia, the regulations of the Board of Regents, and the Statutes of East Georgia State College, the Faculty Senate shall function in an advisory capacity directly to the President of the College, as the official representative of the Faculty in regard to all matters of import to the Faculty or any other matters which the President brings before it.
1.2 The Senate shall have power to enact such rules and regulations as are necessary to conduct its business, which shall be specified as Bylaws of the Senate.
1.3 In keeping with the mission of East Georgia State College, the definitions above, the purpose of the Faculty Senate as included in the Faculty Handbook, and the principles of shared governance, and to encourage excellence in teaching, service, and professional development through the free exchange of ideas among the Faculty, students, and staff of East Georgia State College, the duties of the East Georgia State College Faculty Senate will include, but not be limited to, the following:
1.3.1 To study, discuss, and recommend institutional objectives, policies, and procedures;
1.3.2 To represent and advocate the concerns of the Faculty;
1.3.3 To maintain communication between the Faculty and the administration;
1.3.4 To make recommendations to the President as to the development, welfare, and morale of the Faculty;
1.3.5 To conduct research and review on matters of importance to the Faculty and the general welfare of the College, including forming and charging committees;
1.3.6 To maintain communication with Staff Council, Academic Affairs, and the President’s Cabinet;
1.3.7 To review and introduce changes in policy;
1.3.8 To review and recommend College action with regard to changes in the world of higher education;
1.3.9 To foster a cooperative spirit within College governance;
1.3.10 To support Faculty efforts to respect and preserve academic freedom at East Georgia State College.
II. Membership
1. Membership
1.1 The Faculty Senate shall be composed of seven members.
1.1.1 Two Senators will be elected from each of the following three Areas:
• Humanities (including English, Languages, and Fine Arts)
• Social Sciences (including History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology)
• Math and Science (including Mathematics and Natural Sciences)
1.1.1.1 A maximum of one Area representative will be from any one campus.
1.1.1.2 A minimum of one representative from each Area will be tenured members of the Faculty.
1.1.2 One at-large representative will be elected by the entire faculty. This member, charged with representing the entire faculty, including part-time and administrative faculty, must have served three years as a full-time teaching faculty member.
1.3 If any full-time Faculty members petition the Senate arguing that they are not represented by the elections, the Faculty Senate will consider the petition and may grant a proportionate number of #at large” seats to the Senate.
1.4 The East Georgia State College representative to the University System of Georgia Faculty Council shall be a non-voting position on the USG Senate appointed by the EGSC Faculty Senate President.
2. Eligibility for Election
2.1 Any full-time employee of East Georgia State College holding faculty rank, excepting those who supervise other faculty, shall be eligible for election to the Senate in a voting capacity.
3. Terms of Office
3.1 All seats on the Senate (with the exception of the at-large seat) will be numbered. Seats 1 and 2 will be occupied by faculty members from Social Sciences. Seats 3 and 4 will be occupied by Math and Science faculty. Seats 5 and 6 will belong to Humanities. Seats 1, 3, and 5 will be elected in odd-numbered years. Seats 2, 4, and 6 will be elected in even-numbered years. The at large representative will be elected in odd-numbered years.
3.1.1 The Faculty Senate President will maintain an up-to-date list of the Senate seats with current members and the dates of their terms.
3.1.1.1 Representatives shall be elected to a term of two years.
3.2 The Faculty shall elect the at-large Senator in the Spring Semester of the at-large Senator’s final year of service.
3.2.1 The at-large Senator shall also be elected to a term of two years.
3.2.2. The at-large Senator should be tenured.
3.3 Any senator who is no longer full-time teaching Faculty will vacate his or her seat on the Faculty Senate at the next scheduled meeting.
4. Elections
4.1.1 During the spring of the second year of a Senator’s term, an election shall be held to fill that Senator’s seat.
4.1.2 By March 15 the AVPAA shall in two separate emails (an original and a reminder) announce the opening of nominations for that Area's open Senate seat to all members of his or her Area. Nominations shall be open for two weeks.
4.1.3 After two full calendar weeks (fourteen days) the AVPAA shall declare nominations closed and by email to all Area faculty members publish the list of eligible nominees.
4.1.4 The AVPAA will oversee elections. Votes may be taken at a meeting or electronically, and they must be cast by full-time faculty from that Area. Voting must be open for two full calendar weeks. By April 15th, the AVPAA must release the results of the election.
4.1.4.1. Faculty who teach in more than one Area may only vote and serve as Senator in Area in which they teach the highest number of credits.
4.1.5 Elections for at-large Senator to represent all faculty members, especially part-time and adjunct members, shall proceed in the following manner:
4.1.5.1 By March 15 of each odd year, the President of the Faculty Senate shall in two separate emails (an original and a reminder) announce the opening of nominations for the at-large Senator to all members of the voting faculty of East Georgia State College. Nominations shall be open for two weeks.
4.1.5.2 After two full calendar weeks (fourteen days) the President shall declare nominations closed. The full Senate shall then determine the eligibility of all candidates and the President shall publish by email to all faculty members the list of eligible nominees for at-large Senator.
This list of eligible nominees shall be published by the end of the first seven days of April.
4.1.5.3 Elections for at-large Senator shall be held for two full weeks after the close of nominations. Votes may be taken at a faculty meeting or electronically. Results of the election will be released by the Faculty Senate President no later than April 15th.
4.1.5.4 The quorum for a valid election of at-large Senator shall be 50 percent of the full-time faculty. A majority vote of votes cast (50 percent) will be required for election of an at-large Senator. Any run-off elections that are required shall be organized and conducted by an election committee appointed by the Faculty Senate President, but shall be completed on or before May 1 so that the new at-large Senator may be announced by the time of the last Spring faculty meeting.
5. Duties of Senators
5.1 Senators will attend meetings of the Faculty Senate and of any Senate committee on which they serve. A Senator who cannot attend a meeting may send a written proxy with another Senator. Senators will check electronic mail with reasonable frequency and will attend to electronic discussions and votes as conducted via email and the Faculty/staff Portal.
5.2 Senators will maintain communication between the Faculty and Faculty Senate.
5.3 Senators will study, and become knowledgeable on, issues brought before the Faculty Senate.
5.4 Senators will consider and, if appropriate, initiate action on issues before the Faculty Senate.
5.5 Senators-elect must attend the final spring meeting of the Senate, where they will vote to elect officers for the following year.
6. Part-time and Administrative Faculty
6.1 The part-time and administrative Faculty will be represented by the at-large Senator.
7. Vacancies
7.1 Senate vacancies will be filled by special election of the constituency of the vacated seat. The new senator so elected shall serve only the remaining time accorded that seat.
III. Structure
1. Officers
1.1 The representatives shall elect from the membership of the Senate their own officers who shall consist of President, Parliamentarian, and Secretary. Faculty Senate officers should ordinarily be elected by the new Faculty Senate membership at the monthly meeting immediately after elections for senators are completed. This election must occur before the August meeting.
1.2 The Senate President shall be the presiding officer and shall have power to call meetings of the Senate, establish items for discussion, conduct the proceeding, and perform all other needful function as may be determined by the Senate. The President shall also conduct the business of the Senate between meetings as appropriate, with two-thirds (2/3) support of the Senate, and not in violation of these Bylaws; review on a periodic basis the standing subcommittees and ad hoc committees of the Senate, and recommend continuance, modification, or disbanding of these committees to the Senate; and conduct and present to the President of the College an annual evaluation of the Senate’s performance and the effectiveness of it for shared governance. The Senate President shall be a tenured Faculty member.
1.3 The Parliamentarian will advise the President on matters of parliamentary procedure in the proceedings of the Senate and function as Vice-President.
1.4 The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping minutes of the proceedings, notifying the members of the Senate of impending meetings, and performing other duties as the Senate, or its presiding officer, may direct. The secretary will be responsible for posting minutes of meetings on D2L no more than two weeks after approval of those minutes.
1.5 The term of office for all officers shall be one calendar year.
2. Faculty Senate Committees
2.1 The Faculty Senate, in addition to any action taken at faculty Senate meetings, shall carry on its business through a structure of Standing Committees. The committees shall make recommendations to the Faculty Senate. Upon adoption by the Faculty Senate, the action of the Faculty Senate is advisory to the College President.
2.1.1 Academic Policies and Curriculum Committee
Purposes and Functions: The purposes of the Academic Policies and Curriculum Committee are to establish the academic goals and maintain high academic standards of the College and to assure that the curriculum meets emerging needs of the college community, meets accreditation standards, and complies with USG policies and procedures. Its functions are to recommend policies and procedures as necessary and proper to accomplish its purposes; study and enumerate the academic goals of the college, make recommendations to the faculty on matters of academic policy; and recommend approval of courses and programs of study pursuant to its policies and procedures.
Membership:
• Chair: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Affairs
• Associate Vice President for Academic and Affairs
• Two faculty members from each Area (specified in 1.1.1)
• President of Student Government Association (the SGA President will be a non-voting
member)
2.1.1.1. Members of the Faculty Senate may not serve on the APCC.
2.1.2 Promotion and Tenure Policy Review Committee
Purpose and Functions: The purpose of the Promotion and Tenure Policy Review Committee is to receive, review, and revise policy and procedure regarding EGSC Tenure and Promotion process. When the need arises, this Faculty Senate Committee will review and revise EGSC tenure and promotion policies to reflect the most recent changes in Board of Regents and EGSC policy in this area.
2.1.3 Post-Tenure Review Board
A faculty member has the right to appeal the decision of the review committee to the Post-Tenure Review Board, which is composed of all tenured faculty members (who are not being reviewed) from each school. The appeal may encompass any action, review, or evaluation that is relevant to the post-tenure review. The appellant will submit a letter of appeal along with his or her post-tenure review dossier to the president of the Faculty Senate, who will make the appeal materials available to members of the Post-Tenure Review Board. The Faculty Senate will conduct or delegate a vote of the Post-Tenure Review Board no later than thirty days after the appeal is submitted to the Faculty Senate; a two-thirds vote of the Post-Tenure Review Board will be required for an appeal to succeed.
The Faculty Senate president will inform the college president of the result of the vote. The college president shall review the decision of the Post-Tenure Review Board and inform the appellant and the appellant’s supervisor of his or her final decision within fifteen days of receiving the Post-Tenure Review Board’s vote. In accordance with Board of Regents policy, any employee in the University System aggrieved by a final decision of the president of an institution may apply to the Board of Regents Office of Legal Affairs for a review of the decision (Board of Regents Policy Manual 8.6).
2.2 The Faculty Senate may create additional sub-, special, or ad-hoc committees as necessary and proper to carry out its purpose.
2.3 During Senate meetings, the Senate President shall direct committees to research items of concern. At subsequent Senate meetings, the Committee Chairs shall present findings and recommendations for Faculty Senate discussion. At the following regular meeting, any recommendations shall be subjected to a vote. Items requiring administrative action shall then be presented to the College Administration by the Faculty Senate President. Committees shall not be authorized to negotiate directly with administration, and the administration is advised that any drafts originating at the committee level may not carry a Faculty Senate approval.
IV. Procedures
1. Meetings
1.1 The Faculty Senate shall meet at least two (2) times per semester during the regular academic year.
1.1.1 The time and place of each meeting shall be determined by the Senate President and announced at least two weeks prior to the first regular Senate meeting of each semester.
1.2 As ex officio Chair of the Faculty Senate, the College President may preside at its meetings.
1.3 Written notices of the meetings shall be published and distributed by the Secretary to each member of the Senate at least five (5) days prior to each meeting. All notices shall include the agenda of the proposed meeting. A member who cannot attend may give his or her proxy to another member of the Senate.
1.4 A two-thirds majority of the total membership of the Senate shall constitute a quorum to do business. If a quorum does not exist, no business shall be transacted except for a motion to recess to a specified time or to adjourn to another specified date.
1.5 The vote of the majority of those present and voting at a meeting is required for all official actions of the Senate.
1.5.1 Senators may request that a vote on a seconded motion be suspended until the next meeting in order to seek feedback from his or her constituency.
1.6 Proceedings of the Faculty Senate will be available for review in accordance with the Georgia Open Records Act. The minutes of all meetings will be recorded. After approval by the Senate, the minutes will be distributed to all Faculty members. Copies of all past minutes will be kept in a file in the College Library available to the College community for review, and be made available online on the Faculty Senate webpage.
1.7 Special meetings of the Faculty Senate may be called under these conditions: (a) upon the call of the President of the College; (b) upon the call of the Senate; (c) upon the call of at least 25 percent of the full-time Faculty; and (d) upon the call of the Senate President.
1.8 All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the Georgia Open Meetings Act. Nonmembers who wish to address the Senate may request permission to do so from the presiding officer during the meeting. Also, any Senate member may move that a non-member be allowed to speak. Non-members shall not interfere with normal deliberations of the Senate.
2. Agenda
2.1 Individual Senators, Faculty members, part-time instructors, College employees, members of the Staff Council, the President of the Student Government Association, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President of the College may request the Senate President to place items on the agenda if these are presented in writing at least seven (7) working days prior to the meeting.
2.2 The Senate will conduct the first review of appropriate policy proposals directed to the Senate President by any student, Faculty or staff member, department, or Area. The Senate will also review appropriate policy proposals from such other originators as the College President, College officers, professionals with specific expertise in policy areas, or any operational groups of the College. In addition, the Senate will review proposals originating from groups outside of the College community. The Senate will make recommendations regarding these proposals to the College administration. The Senate will inform the originator in writing of the Senate's recommendation.
2.3 Meeting agendas should conform to the current edition of "Roberts' Rules of Order."
2.4 Faculty Senate shall review its bylaws yearly and designate time for such a review in its agenda.
3. Motions and Voting
3.1 All elected Senators at a meeting shall have voting privileges.
3.2 Votes by proxy must be presented to the Senate Chair prior to voting.
3.3 Motions may be passed by a simple majority of those present and voting, except for motions to accept a proposal on first reading.
3.3.1 All motions (with the exception of procedural motions, motions to approve proposals previously distributed to Senators, or amendments to motions on the floor) must be presented to Senate members prior to voting on the motion.
3.3.2 A motion can be made to vote on a proposal on the first reading. In this case, passage requires unanimous approval of the Senate. Otherwise, the proposal will not be voted on until the following meeting of the Senate.
3.3.3 Unless objections are raised immediately following a Senate vote, the terms "unanimous” or "without dissent” may be used in the minutes when all votes are affirmative and in spite of abstentions.
3.4 "Robert's Rules of Order" (current edition) shall govern the Faculty Senate in all instances in which they are applicable, except when they are inconsistent with these Bylaws or with the policies and procedures of the College, the Board of Regents, or the State of Georgia. Special rules of order may be adopted by the Senate.
4. Reporting
4.1 Recommendations made by the Faculty Senate regarding matters within its responsibilities shall be delivered directly to the College President or his or her designee for his or her consideration. The College President and the Faculty Senate President shall develop a mutually agreeable timetable for a response based upon reasonableness and good faith.
4.2 On matters submitted to the Faculty Senate by the College President, the College President and the Faculty Senate President shall develop a mutually agreeable timetable for a response, based upon reasonableness and good faith.
4.3 Recommendations made by the Faculty Senate regarding matters within its responsibilities shall be published in the Senate file at the College library, and be available to the College community on the Faculty Senate D2L page.
4.4 The right to submit a minority report to the College President is guaranteed to the dissenting party or faction in every instance.
V. Adoption, Review, and Amendments
1. Adoption and Amendments
1.1 The Senate Bylaws shall become effective when approved by a majority vote of the full-time teaching Faculty.
1.2 The Senate shall have the power to amend its Bylaws, providing that such amendments be approved by both A) a simple majority of the total voting Senate membership after being discussed at two consecutive regularly scheduled meetings; and B) a simple majority of the Faculty.
1.2.1 Notice of any proposed amendment must be submitted in writing or electronically transmitted at least two weeks in advance of the first meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be introduced.
1.2.2 Polling of the Faculty may be done via electronic mail provided the proposed changes are circulated at least two weeks before a vote is called.
1.3 Any Faculty member or group of Faculty members of East Georgia State College may propose amendments to this document to the Faculty Senate. The Senate shall, upon approval of a majority of the membership of the Senate, make a recommendation to the entire Faculty. Upon approval by the Faculty, such amendment or amendments shall be added to the Bylaws which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of these Bylaws.
1.4 Any action of the Senate may be reviewed at a general meeting of the Faculty upon a written request signed by 25 percent of the full-time Faculty and submitted to the Senate President.
