Bylaws of the Senate of the Faculty of the University of Mississippi

ARTICLE I: TITLE
The name of the organization, "The Senate of the Faculty of the University of Mississippi", as stated in the Constitution and Bylaws, applies to the faculty's senate at the Oxford campus. Hereinafter, the organization is designated "the Senate".

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purpose of these Bylaws is to provide interpretations of the Constitution and to supply additional procedural rules to expedite the business of the organization.

ARTICLE III: ORGANIZATION
Section 1.Eligible Faculty
(a)Budget listed, full-time, tenured or tenure-track employees of The University of Mississippi (Oxford campus) who hold the rank of Professor, Associate Professor, or Assistant Professor.

(b)The definition of Eligible Faculty does not include the following:

1) Part-time faculty fully engaged in teaching University classes
2) Instructors
3) Support faculty including Acting Professors, Adjunct Professors, Visiting Professors, Research Professors (i.e. Research Associate and Assistant Professors and Research Associates), and Lecturers
4) Assistant or associate deans, deans, vice chancellors/Provost, the Chancellor, or those holding other administrative positions outside of the academic departments or the libraries.

Section 2.Membership Quota
(a) References to the colleges and schools in the Constitution have been interpreted regularly to include the colleges and schools in which faculty are budgeted and thus do not include the Graduate School.

(b) Senate representation will be based on a census of Eligible Faculty (listed by departmental affiliation) prepared by the Office of Institutional Research and submitted to the Executive Committee of the Senate by March 1 of each year. Using this data to derive the statistical mean for department size and the standard deviation from this mean, the Executive Committee will determine Senate representation by department (or other electing unit) for the following academic year, and by April 1 will notify each department (or other electing unit) of the number of Senate seats allotted to that department or unit for the following year.

Section 3. Term of Office
(a) The term of office shall begin with the organizational meeting in August.

(b) A senator rotated off the Senate, as provided in Article III, Section 3, of the Constitution, will become eligible for a new term after one calendar year.

(c) In recognition that a member occasionally may have to miss a Senate meeting due to professional responsibilities or personal emergency, such a miss will be an excused absence when prior notice has been given to the Chair or Secretary.

Section 4. Selection of Substitute Members of the Senate and Faculty-Elected Committees
When a senator or member of one of the committees specified in Section 7 resigns or becomes ineligible to continue in office (for example, when on sabbatical leave or not in residence on the Oxford campus), an alternate shall be elected by the Department. An alternate appointed in this way will be assigned to the committee(s) of the senator who has resigned (both internal senate and standing committees that the resigned senator was a member of by virtue of his or her position as a senator).

Section 5. Length of Term
All terms on Senate committees expire August 31 of each year, and new terms begin on September 1. However, the term of a member shall continue until the replacement has been duly selected.

Section 6. Duties of Senate Officers
(a) Responsibilities of the Chair of the Senate

1) An organizational meeting of the new Senate shall be called by the Chair of the previous year to meet not later than the first week of the Fall Semester, at which meeting the Senate shall elect a new Chair, a Vice Chair and a Secretary. The immediate past chair may be eligible for an elected office during the year following incumbency. The officers of the Senate shall be the Chair, the Vice Chair, the Secretary, and the immediate Past Chair. These officers along with the elected Chairs of the following five standing committees: General Academic Affairs, Academic Support Services, Finance, University Services, and Faculty Governance of Academic Policy shall serve as the Executive Committee of the Senate. Election of the Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary shall be by ballot of the entire Senate. Each Senate standing committee shall elect its own chair. Senate committee membership shall be determined by the aforementioned five Senate officers, but continuing Senate members shall retain their previous committee membership if they so desire.
2) To preside over meetings of the Senate and over meetings of the Executive Committee.
3) To represent the general faculty at the meetings of the Academic Council and at meetings of any administrative council or advisory body established by the Chancellor or any Vice Chancellor to assist in administering the affairs of the University.
4) To confirm faculty members of their election to membership in the Senate and to invite them to decline membership if other commitments would interfere with their attendance at the scheduled meetings of the Senate.
5) With the concurrence of the Executive Committee, to prepare and distribute notices of meetings of the Senate with agendas. Such notices shall be distributed at least seven days prior to all regular meetings.
6) To send a memorandum to the Chancellor, not more than a week after each meeting, calling attention to any resolutions passed by the Senate and other matters of importance that arose.
7) To serve as the signatory officer of the Senate's account budgeted by the University and as custodian of any other Senate funds. To make or authorize all expenditures necessary for the conduct of the business of the Senate. To maintain adequate financial records, and to report to the Senate at the August meeting the state of the Senate's finances.
8) To supervise and co-ordinate the work of the Senate's various standing and ad hoc committees.
9) To perform all other functions of a chair of an organization.

(b) The responsibilities of the Vice Chair of the Senate are:

1) To preside over meetings of the Senate in the absence of the Chair;
2) To substitute for the Chair, when necessary, at meetings of the Academic Council or other organizations or functions when the Chair would normally be present ex officio;
3) To monitor attendance at scheduled meetings of the Senate, to encourage future attendance of those members absent from consecutive meetings, and to recommend resignations from those who encounter scheduling conflicts and become unable to attend Senate meetings.

(c) The responsibilities of the Secretary of the Senate are:

1) To keep a record of attendance at Senate meetings, and also of members' absences, and whether advance notice was given of absences, all of which shall be included in the minutes;
2) To prepare the minutes of Senate meetings for duplication and distribution by the Chair to all members of the Faculty. The minutes are to be provided to the Chair within two weeks of the meeting. The Chair is to distribute the minutes at least a week before the subsequent meeting;
3) To serve as the co-signatory officer with the Chair of all Senate accounts;
4) To maintain an archive in the J.D. Williams Library of the records of the Senate, including all monthly meeting agendas, minutes and the Chairs advisory memoranda to the Chancellor.

(d) Executive Committee of the Senate.
The Chair of the five Standing Committees designated by the Constitution together with the four officers of the Senate comprise the Executive Committee of the Senate.

Section 7. Committees
Standing Committees of the Senate may be authorized by the Constitution or the Bylaws. Special (or ad hoc) Committees may be established by resolution of the Senate. These committees shall be automatically terminated at the regular August meeting of the Senate unless continued by resolution of the Senate.

(a) The following standing committees are authorized:

1) Executive Committee
2) Committee on General Academic Affairs whose responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, such matters as academic freedom and tenure, teacher evaluation, curriculum and university policies.
3) Committee on Academic Support Affairs whose responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, such matters as libraries and collections, computer services, continuing education, student affairs, and planning, priorities and development.
4) Committee on Finance whose responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, such matters as faculty compensation, fringe benefits and the budget, financial and organizational information of this and other universities, developing expertise in analyzing and building university budgets, and making reports to the Senate and faculty on these matters, and making recommendations to the Senate on these matters
5) Committee on University Services whose responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, such matters as athletics and recreation, bookstore, food services, housing, and traffic.
6) Committee on Faculty Governance of Academic Policy whose responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, matters of policies, procedures, and practices by which the faculty establishes and governs academic policy of the University and other matters within the purview of faculty governance in a university setting.

(b) Selection of Members to the Senate's Standing Committees:

1) Membership on certain standing committees is ex officio and members are selected as provided by the Constitution (Executive Committee), or by appointment;
o 2) The tenure of each appointed committee member continues for the duration of that member's term or terms as Senator;
o 3) At or prior to the organizational meeting of the Senate in August, new members will be given opportunity to submit written committee assignment preferences. The Chair and Executive Committee, as far as possible, and consistent with maintaining a reasonable balance in numbers on each committee, will take these preferences into consideration in making the appointments to standing committees;
4) A member coming into the Senate in mid-year to replace a Senator who has resigned from the Senate will always be assigned for the remainder of the term to the same committee on which the Senator whose place he or she has taken was serving;
5) Each standing committee shall, unless otherwise provided for, elect its own chair for the year at the first regular meeting in August. Whenever a committee is without a chair, the Chair of the Senate shall appoint a convener. Promptly after this appointment, the convener shall call a committee meeting for the election of a new chair.

(c) The number of members of the Executive Committee is determined by the Constitution. Each of the standing committees shall have not less than five members.

(d) All standing committees shall meet at the call of one or more members of the committee, and not less than twice each semester.

(e) Each standing committee chair shall provide a summary report of the committee activities at every regular meeting of the Senate.

(f) The Committee on Faculty Governance of Academic Policy is governed by the provisions set out herein instead of by the provisions applicable to the formation of other committees.

1) The Executive Committee of the Senate shall appoint, with the approval of the Senate, the committee members annually for one-year terms, except that an appointment shall remain effective until the Executive Committee obtains a successor. Committee members will elect a chair for its respective committee. The committee shall include two members from the College of Liberal Arts and one member from each of the schools and from the Library faculty. Appointments and membership shall be reported promptly to the Senate.

Section 8. Meetings of the Senate

(a) The regular monthly meeting of the Senate shall be held on the second Tuesday of each month, provided classes are in session on that day. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will end at or before 9:00 p.m. The Executive Committee shall establish a calendar of regular monthly meetings for the next twelve months, setting alternate meeting dates and times for those months in which classes are not in session on the second Tuesday. There shall be no regular meeting of the Senate in June or July, but the Executive Committee shall meet during those months.

(b) The duration of a regular monthly meeting may be extended beyond 9:00 p.m. only by a motion approved by at least two-thirds of the Senators present and voting.

(c) Regular meetings of the Senate will be held as prescribed by the Constitution.

(d) Regular meetings of the Senate are open to visitors, except that the Senate may, for any meeting, upon a motion approved by a three-fifths vote of all members present, go into executive session for discussion of a "personnel" matter, or any other matter allowable under the pertinent sections of the State's Open Meetings Law (Sec. 25-41-1 et seq., Mississippi Code Annotated, 1972).

(e) A visitor may only address the Senate if invited to do so by the Chair; and, unless the visitor is making a presentation to the Senate, a Senator may only address a visitor through the Chair.

(f) To facilitate the purpose and functions of the Senate, the Chancellor of the University shall be invited to address the Senate annually, and the Chair shall request that the Chancellor review the disposition of the Senate's recommendations of the past year during the address.

Section 9. Quorum
A Quorum shall consist of a majority of the membership of the Faculty Senate. The Senate may meet in the absence of a quorum, but no actions or votes may be taken without a quorum being present.

Section 10. Agenda Procedures
(a) A new motion or resolution for the consideration of the Senate must be submitted in writing. Motions or resolutions that are not amendments to the Constitution or Bylaws can be placed on the agenda of the Senate as follows:

1) By presenting the written motion or resolution to a meeting of the Senate for placement on the agenda of the next regular monthly meeting;
2) By distributing the written motion or resolution to the membership of the Senate at least one week prior to the next regular monthly meeting, in which case it will be placed on the agenda of that meeting;
3) By presenting the written motion or resolution at a meeting of the Senate together with a written motion for suspension of the rules and immediate consideration. The motion to suspend the rules must be approved by a three-fourths vote of all members present and voting;
4) By giving the written motion or resolution to the Executive Committee not less than one week prior to the next meeting.

(b) Motions concerning matters on the agenda may be made orally from the floor but must be reduced to writing and delivered to the Secretary before the vote will be taken on them, if either the Chair or one or more members so request.

(c) An amendment to the Constitution or Bylaws can be placed on the agenda to be considered at the next Senate meeting by majority vote of those present and voting.

ARTICLE IV: AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be amended by placing a motion on the Senate's agenda as provided for in Section 10c. When the motion to amend is considered, the Senate may adopt the motion originally presented, or an amended motion, or reject the motion.

Revised November 1, 1975; April 12, 1978; 1981; July 1990; August 1990; April 1991; February 1992; March 1992; April 1995; March 1997; December 9, 1998; February 11, 1999; April 29, 1999; April 13, 2000; April 12, 2001; October 2004, November 2007.