back to Senate homepage

back to Abstract

Appendix B

Constitution of the Faculty of

Western Washington University

Constitution:

     Article I:      Name and Purposes

     Article II:     Membership

     Article III:    Faculty Senate

     Article IV:    Officers of the Faculty Senate

     Article V:     Executive Council

     Article VI:    Amendments

     Article VII:   Ratification

Bylaws:

     BL1    Quorum

     BL2    Rules of Order

     BL3    Vacancies

     BL4    Representation Before the Board of Trustees

     BL5    Voting Procedures in Faculty Senate Meetings

     BL6    Removal from Office for Absenteeism

     BL7    Committees, Councils, and Commissions

     BL8    Publication of Agenda and Minutes

     BL9    Released Time for President of Faculty Senate

     BL10  Meetings

     BL11  Agenda

     BL12  Senate Elections

     BL13  General Faculty Assembly

     BL14  Faculty Referendum

     BL15  Summer Session

     BL16  Faculty Senate Members on Leave

Constitution

     Article I:  Name and Purposes

     I.1     The name of this organization is the Faculty of Western Washington University.

   I.2     The purpose of this organization is to provide the Faculty of Western Washington University with a governance system empowered to speak and act for the Faculty in University affairs not covered by the contract between Western Washington University and the United Faculty of Western Washington.

     Article II:  Membership

     II.      Voting members of the Faculty are those holding appointment at .5 FTEF (annual average) or greater at Western Washington University.

     Article III:  Faculty Senate

  III.1   The Faculty Senate is empowered to speak and act for the Faculty in University affairs that are not covered by the contract between Western Washington University and the United Faculty of Western Washington with particular responsibility in the areas of curriculum, academic programs, Faculty salary, Faculty status, scholarly activities, and all matters relating to the welfare of Faculty, the education of students, and the academic mission of the University.

     III.2   The Faculty Senate is limited to 30 voting members elected by the Faculty,; and the President of the University, the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University, and a college dean appointed by the Provost serving as Provost’s Council representative and the President of the United Faculty of Western Washington as ex-officio non-voting members.

   III.3   Terms of Office.  Elections are held yearly in Spring Quarter.  Voting members of the Senate serve for two years or until the installation of a new Senate.  Elected Senators may not serve be elected for more than two three consecutive terms.

     III.4   Meetings.  The Senate shall meet within ten days after the yearly election and during the first or second full week of classes of Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters and at other times.

   III.5   Committees.  The Faculty Senate may create any and all subordinate bodies, define their duties, designate their composition, and appoint their Faculty members.

   III.6   Appeals.  When the President of the University refuses to accept or implement any act of the Faculty Senate authorized by this constitution, the University President shall do so in a written statement transmitted to the Faculty Senate setting out the refusal and the reasons.  The Faculty Senate may vote to appeal this matter to the Board of Trustees directly or submit the matter to the Faculty of the University for referendum vote, or it may vote to do both.  A majority vote of the total voting membership of the Faculty Senate, or in the case of a referendum vote, a majority of those voting, is sufficient to bring an appeal to the Board of Trustees at its next meeting.  A motion to appeal to the Board of Trustees will take precedence over all other business and all other motions at a Faculty Senate meeting.  When the Faculty Senate, by two-thirds vote, rejects any action, decision, or policy of the President of the University, this rejection will be presented for resolution to the Board of Trustees at its next meeting.  The President of the Faculty Senate shall represent the Faculty in this proceeding.

     Article IV:   Officers of the Faculty Senate

     IV.1 Officers. The officers are President, President-elect, Secretary, and Appointments and Elections  Officer.

     IV.2   Duties.  Faculty Senate officers perform the duties normally associated with these offices in addition   to those assigned by this Constitution and Bylaws, and by the Faculty Senate.

   IV.3   Election.  Officers are members of the Faculty Senate.  They are nominated from the floor and    elected by secret ballot, majority vote, of the Faculty Senate voting members at the first regular meeting held after the May Faculty Senate election. 

     IV.4   Term of office.  The term of office for the Secretary, and Appointments and Elections Officer will run for one year from the date of election to the office.  The President-elect will be elected at the May Faculty Senate election but will not officially assume his/her duties until the first day of summer quarter.  The President-elect will serve for one year. On the first day of summer quarter of the year following his/her election the President-elect will assume the position of President. The status of the President after the Senate election will change to President pro tem. The President pro tem will fulfill all of the duties of the Presidency until the beginning of summer quarter. If the term of the President-elect coincides with the second year of his/her term, his/her position on the Senate will be extended without election to cover his/her term as President of the Senate. The number of Senate seats will not be affected by this policy.

   IV.5   Voting privileges of the officers.  All officers are voting members of the Senate except in the instance where the President pro tem is no longer a member of the Senate. In this special instance, the President pro tem will serve as a non-voting member of the Senate.

   IV.6   President of the Faculty Senate.  The President of the Senate presides over the Faculty Senate, schedules the meetings of and chairs the Executive Council, and attends all meetings of and represents the Faculty Senate before the Board of Trustees.

   IV.7   President-elect of the Faculty Senate.  The President-elect presides over General Faculty Assemblies and presides over the Faculty Senate and the Executive Council in the absence of the President of the Faculty Senate.

     IV.8   Secretary of the Faculty Senate.  The Secretary of the Faculty Senate presides over the Faculty Senate and the Executive Council in the absence of the President and Vice President of the Faculty Senate.

    IV.9    Appointments and Elections Officer. The Appointments and Elections Officer presides over the Faculty Senate and Executive Council in the absence of the President, President-elect, and Secretary of the Senate and during the election of Senate officers.

Article V:  Executive Council

   V.1    Membership.  The Executive Council consists of the officers of the Faculty Senate, one Faculty Senate member, and the Faculty Legislative Representative, as voting members; and the Chair of the Academic Coordinating Commission, the Chair of the University Planning Council, and the past President of the Faculty Senate as non-voting members.  (revised 12/2004)

   V.2    Election.  The Faculty Senate member is nominated from the floor and elected by secret ballot, majority vote at the first regular meeting held after the May Faculty Senate election.  He/she serves for one year or until the installation of the new Executive Council.

     V.3    Duties.  The Executive Council reports to the Faculty Senate, schedules its meetings, prepares its agenda, meets on a regularly scheduled basis with the President and/or Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University and the President of the United Faculty of Western Washington, and performs such other duties as may be delegated to it by the Faculty Senate.  The Executive Council is to establish and maintain communications between the Faculty Senate and the University administration, and between the Faculty Senate and the Board of Trustees.

              If the Faculty Senate President brings a written complaint from a faculty member in accordance with Appendix E.IV.C., the Executive Council shall decide whether there is sufficient evidence that a grievable action has occurred.      [June 2005]

   V.4    In situations or instances in which decisions by the Faculty Senate are not possible, the Executive Council may act for the Faculty Senate subject to review by the Senate at its next regularly scheduled meeting or at a special meeting called for this purpose.  All Executive Council actions taken in behalf of the Faculty Senate will be stated in writing and submitted to the Faculty Senate for a vote at its next meeting.

     V.5    All Executive Council actions will be entered in the minutes of the next Faculty Senate meeting under the heading "Executive Council Actions".

   V.6    The Executive Council transmits all actions taken under this Constitution through the President of the Faculty Senate to the President of the University, the Board of Trustees, and other interested and affected persons as the Executive Council may decide.

   V.7    The Executive Council nominates and submits to the Faculty Senate for its approval chairpersons and faculty members of the committees, commissions, and councils operating under the authority of this Constitution and the Faculty Senate in accordance with the Bylaws.

     V.8    Decisions of the Executive Council are by majority vote.

     V.9    A meeting of the Executive Council may be called by the President of the Faculty Senate or by two of its members.

Article VI:  Amendments

     VI.1   Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by majority vote of the Faculty Senate voting members or by petition of 30 members of the Faculty.

   VI.2   This Constitution may be amended by majority of the Faculty voting in an election held for this purpose.

     VI.3   Amendments will take effect upon acceptance by the Board of Trustees.

     VI.4   Bylaws to this Constitution may be adopted, amended, or repealed by majority vote of the total voting membership of the Faculty Senate provided that they are proposed in writing at one meeting of the Faculty Senate, are posted on the Faculty Senate website and delivered to the faculty through an email; flyer; or by publication in FAST as proposed, and are voted on at a subsequent the next regular meeting of the Faculty Senate. (2005)

Article VII:  Ratification

     VII.1  This Constitution is ratified by the Faculty when accepted by a majority vote of the Faculty voting in an election held for that purpose.

     VII.2  This Constitution is ratified by the Board of Trustees when accepted by that body.