Bylaws
BHSU FACULTY SENATE BYLAWS
ARTICLE I – BYLAWS
Section 1
Bylaws may be adopted, repealed or amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the Senate. Proposed changes or additions must be submitted to the Senate President for distribution to Senate members one meeting prior to the meeting during which the vote is taken and must be placed on the printed agenda for the meeting.
ARTICLE II -- Officers and Duties
Section 1 - Office of President
A. The term of office of the Faculty Senate President shall be one year.
B. The Faculty Senate President will be elected from the body of the Faculty Senate.
C. The Faculty Senate President shall not serve more than two consecutive terms.
D. The Faculty Senate President will vote only when his or her vote will change the results of the vote.
Section 2 - Duties of the President
A. The President shall preside at the Faculty Senate meetings.
B. The President shall serve as a liaison between the faculty and the administration with the responsibility of presenting the faculty’s “point of view” on those issues considered by the administration that are of direct concern to the faculty of
Black Hills State University.
C. The Senate President shall transmit to the President of the University reports of the Secretary of the Senate concerning all recommendations approved (arrived at) by the Faculty Senate. The President of the University shall have thirty days after the receipt of such reports to exercise the privilege to veto. The Faculty Senate by a two-thirds vote may then return the issue to the President of the University for reconsideration.
D. The President and/or the Vice President shall ensure that Senate committees are meeting, chairs, and other officers have been elected, minutes are kept, and annual reports to the Senate are filed yearly in April. Annual reports will be kept by the University Archives.
Section 3 – Office and Duties of the Vice-President of the Faculty Senate
A. The term of office of the Vice-President shall be one year with no term limit.
B. The Vice-President will be elected from the body of the Faculty Senate. C. The Vice-President shall be a voting member of the Faculty Senate.
D. The Vice-President shall assume the office of the President of the Faculty Senate in the absence of the President.
E. The Vice-President will complete the term of the President when the President is unable to do so.
F. The Vice-President will be the Chair of the Distinguished Faculty Awards Committee and the Appointments Committee.
G. Upon leaving office, the (now former) Vice-President will become a one-year additional member on the Appointments Committee. Faculty Senate Bylaws April 2012—Page 2 of 4
Section 4 – Office and Duties of the Secretary of the Faculty Senate
A. The term of office of the Secretary will be one year, with no term limit.
B. The Secretary will be elected from the body of the Faculty Senate.
C. The Secretary of the Faculty Senate shall be a voting member.
D. The Secretary of the Faculty Senate will record all deliberations and actions of the Faculty Senate.
E. The Secretary will distribute the record of the proceedings to the Senate for approval by its next meeting.
F. The Secretary will distribute the record of the proceedings to the general faculty and administration.
ARTICLE III -- Schedule of Senate Meetings
Section 1
The Faculty Senate shall schedule meetings for the afternoon of the first and third Wednesdays of each month from September to May, with the exception that there will be only one meeting scheduled in May.
Section 2
The second meeting of the month will be held if there are any agenda items.
Section 3
The Senate President, University Provost and/or University President may call special meetings for specific and clearly stated purposes.
ARTICLE IV -- Agenda Items
Section 1
Agenda items will be printed and submitted to the Senate members at least one day before the Senate meetings.
Section 2
Any faculty member may request in writing an item to be added to the official agenda of the
Faculty Senate by submitting the item to a Senate representative before a scheduled meeting
ARTICLE V -- Proxies
Section 1
In the event a Senate member is unable to attend any regular or special meeting, the Senate member may:
A. Designate another faculty member from the member’s elective unit (school or college) to attend in their place by notifying a Faculty Senate officer.
B. The proxy shall have the same right and privileges as the regular member, with the exception that the regular member shall have the right to instruct the proxy on their voting preference on any specific issue on the Senate agenda and the proxy must honor the preference. Faculty Senate Bylaws April 2012—Page 3 of 4
ARTICLE VI – Committees
Section 1
The Faculty Senate will establish the following committees if they are not already in existence.
Standing Committees
a. Appointments Committee (AC)
b. University Curriculum Committee (UCC)
c. Distinguished Faculty Awards Committee (DFAC)
d. General Education Committee (GEC)
e. Library/Education Media Committee (LEMC)
f. Ad hoc Committees and Sub-committees as Needed
The Faculty Senate will coordinate committee activities and assignments with COHE and the administration.
Section 2
Each standing committee will elect a chair and other officers as needed.
Section 3
All committees will meet in September. Other meetings may be scheduled during the year as needed.
Section 4
Each committee will keep minutes of its meetings and file an annual report with the Faculty Senate in April.
Section 5
The membership of the committees will be determined by the Faculty Senate through the
Appointments Committee or directly by the Faculty Senate. All members of the committees will be chosen by the last meeting in May.
Section 6 - Standing Committees Functions
A. Appointments Committee (AC)
The Appointments Committee will supervise the filling of vacancies all Senate committees, except where the Senate appoints members directly. They will keep appropriate records of the terms of office and they will be in charge of keeping a file of the official records of all committee minutes. At the end of every year the committee will file a copy of all official records with BHSU Library Archives. The Vice President of the Faculty Senate chairs this committee and is a non-voting member. The membership of the committee shall include one member from each college. Regular terms will be three (3) years, staggered at one-year intervals, with terms expiring in the spring. Upon leaving office, the (now former) Vice-President will become a one-year additional member on the Appointments Committee.
B. University Curriculum Committee (UCC)
The Curriculum Committee will be responsible for studying, approving, and making recommendations to the Senate concerning any changes made in the curriculum in any area of the University. This will include course and program request changes. The membership of the committee shall include three members from each college. Regular terms for members from each college will be three Faculty Senate Bylaws April 2012—Page 4 of 4
(3) years, staggered at one-year intervals so terms of one member from each college will expire each spring.
C. Distinguished Faculty Awards Committee (FAC)
The Distinguished Faculty Awards Committee will be responsible for recommending a nominee for the award to the Senate and the Provost, as established in the policy approved in 2011. They may establish other faculty awards as they deem appropriate.
The Vice President of the Faculty Senate chairs the committee and is non-voting member. The committee is composed of all those who have previously received this award, who serve until they retire or leave the university.
D. General Education Committee (GEC)
The General Education Committee will be responsible for studying, approving, and making recommendations to the Senate concerning the general education requirements for BHSU students; and for preparing and writing the General Education assessment report for the Assessment Committee. The committee is composed of at least nine (9) faculty members, chosen for their contributions to, knowledge of, and interest in general education. There must be at least one member from each college. Terms are for three (3) years and are staggered.
E. Library/Educational Media Committee (LEMC)
The Library/Educational Media Committee will make recommendations to the Director of the Library and the Coordinator of the Educational Media Center for the acquisition and distribution of materials and the implementation of procedures and policies relating to the Library and the Educational Media Center. The committee is composed of at least eight (8) members, chosen for their interest in and use of the library. There must be at least one member from each of the colleges. Terms are for three years and are staggered.
Bylaws adopted __________________, 1995
Approved by Senate: February 15, 1995
Amended September 10, 1998
Amended April 5, 2006
Amended April 16, 2008
IMPLEMENTATION CLAUSE: this Constitution and Bylaws will go into effect immediately after ratification by two-thirds (2/3) of the faculty in April 2008.
Bylaws Article III amended May 4, 2011.
Bylaws amended April 18, 2012.