CONSTITUTION

OF THE SENATE OF THE FACULTY

ARTICLE I: TITLE

This organization shall be entitled "The Senate of the Faculty of the University of Mississippi."

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

The Senate of the Faculty shall be empowered to make recommendations to the Chancellor and Academic Council on policies affecting the University and to advise on such matters as the Chancellor shall lay before it. It shall also keep the General Faculty fully informed of its recommendations. The Chairman of the Senate of the Faculty, or a representative, shall represent the Faculty as a voting member of the Academic Council. The Chairman and other members of the Senate as directed by the Senate shall be among the representatives of the Faculty at meetings of any administrative council or other such body established, or to be established, by the Chancellor to act as advisor in administering the affairs of the University. The Senate of the Faculty shall recommend the membership of Standing University Committees to the Chancellor.

ARTICLE III: ORGANIZATION

Section 1. The Senate of the Faculty membership shall be limited to faculty who qualify as Eligible Faculty. Eligible Faculty as used in this Constitution shall mean 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, except for assistant or associate deans, deans, the Library Director, vice chancellors, the Chancellor, or those holding other administrative positions outside of the academic departments or the libraries.

Section 2. The membership quota of the Senate of the Faculty shall consist of one senator each from the College of Liberal Arts, the School of Accountancy, the School of Business Administration, the School of Education, the School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Pharmacy, and the faculty of the University Libraries, plus one additional senator for every twelve members of the Eligible Faculty in each of the above listed voting units. Within the College of Liberal Arts, elections shall be carried out in three different units, with eligible candidates and eligible voters limited to their respective group: Liberal Arts Group 1 consists of faculty from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Philosophy and Religion, Physics and Astronomy, and the ROTC programs; Liberal Arts Group 2 consists of faculty from Art, Classics, English, Journalism, Modern Languages, Music, and Theater Arts; Liberal Arts Group 3 consists of faculty from Communicative Disorders, Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology and Anthropology. If the process of dividing twelve into the number of Eligible Faculty in a unit results in a remainder of seven or more, that unit shall be entitled to one additional senator in its quota. Only faculty members who meet the criteria for Eligible Faculty shall have the right to vote in Senate elections.

Section 3. Approximately half of each unit's senators shall be elected each year. The number of senators to be chosen during the annual election for each unit shall be the quota for that unit less the number of senators elected the previous year.

Section 4. The term of office for senators shall be two years. At any given election, a senator who has served in the two previous consecutive terms or portions thereof shall be ineligible. The immediate past chairman will serve as an ex-officio voting member of the Senate during the following legislative year, independent of the number of previous consecutive terms served. Any senator who has been absent for a total of four meetings during a calendar year (January through January) shall be considered to have resigned from the Senate.

Section 5. Nominating ballots with a list of Eligible Faculty shall be distributed not later than the first day of October. In each unit, each voting faculty member may nominate a number of qualified candidates equal to, or less than, the number of senators to be elected by that unit. The ballot shall contain the name of the unit and numbered blanks equal to the number that may be nominated. In all units the candidates on the election ballot shall be those persons who have received the largest number of nominations, with twice the number of candidates listed as there are positions to be filled.

Section 6. Election ballots containing the names of the candidates as specified in the bylaws shall be distributed in each unit not later than the 13th day of March first day of November. Each voter may vote for a number of individuals equal to or less than the number of senators to be elected in the same unit. Ballots shall be counted not later than the 15th day of November, and those candidates with the largest number of votes shall be elected.

Section 7. If a senator becomes ineligible to serve in the Senate, the term of that senator shall be filled by the candidate from the same unit who polled the next highest number of votes in the most recent election. The alternate will be assigned to the same Senate committees as the senator that is being replaced.

Section 8. A Committee on Elections shall be responsible for allocating Senate of the Faculty representation and for conducting nominations and elections. The committee shall consist of three Senate members from the College of Liberal Arts and one from each of the following: the School of Accountancy, the School of Applied Sciences and Professional Studies, the School of Business Administration, the School of Education, the School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Pharmacy, and the faculty of the University Libraries. Each member of the committee will be elected by the senators representing their respective school, college, or library. Each member of this committee shall be responsible for reviewing the list of the Eligible Faculty in each unit of their respective Schools, College, or Library provided by the Provost. This committee will elect its chairman.

Section 9. The organizational meeting of the new Senate shall be called by the Chair of the previous year during the month of January following completion of the election, at which meeting the Senate shall elect a Vice Chair, and a Secretary. The immediate past chair shall not be eligible for an elected office election as an officer during the year following incumbency.

Chair. The Chair's term shall be one year.
Past Chair. The outgoing Chair shall be the Post Chair. In the event of a vacancy in the Past Chair position, the most recent Past Chair willing to serve shall assume that office.
Vice Chair. The Vice Chair's term shall be one year. The Vice Chair shall serve one year as Vice Chair, followed by one years as Chair, and one year as Past Chair.

Transition Year. At the organizational meeting of the new Senate in January, 2003, the Senate shall elect a Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary.

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 Affairs, Finance and University Services, and Faculty Governance of Academic Policy shall serve as the executive Committee of the Senate. Election of the Vice Chair, and Secretary shall be by ballot of the entire Senate. Each Senate standing committee shall elect its own chair who will appoint Senate committee representatives to the University Standing Committees. Senate committee membership shall be determined by the aforementioned four Senate officers, but continuing Senate members shall retain their previous committee membership if they so desire.

Section 10. The Senate of the Faculty shall be considered a continuing body, and the Senate of the Faculty shall have the authority to create standing committees to make continuing studies of significant issues.

Section 11. The regular meetings of the Senate of the Faculty shall be held as provided in the bylaws. An extraordinary meeting of the Senate of the Faculty shall be called by the Chairman under either of the following conditions:

1. Upon majority vote of the officers of the Senate of the Faculty;

2. Upon written petition to the Chairman by five members of the Senate of the Faculty.

When an extraordinary meeting is indicated by either of the methods above, the Chairman must issue, within twenty-four hours, a notice of the meeting including the time and place; the meeting must be held between twenty-four and seventy-two hours (Sundays excepted) from the time at which the notice is issued; extraordinary meetings shall not be called during scheduled University vacation periods; the purpose of the meeting must be stated in the notice issued by the Chairman.

Section 12. The Senate of the Faculty shall abide by Robert's Rules of Order in conducting its business.

Section 13. A quorum shall be defined by the bylaws of the Senate.

Section 14. Agenda:

The Chairman of the Senate of the Faculty with the concurrence of the Executive Committee shall prepare and distribute seven-ten days in advance of a notified meeting, a notice of the specific items or subjects to be on the agenda of that meeting. Resolutions concerning items not included in the agenda may be presented and seconded, but shall be placed on the agenda of the next meeting and not voted upon until that time. This rule may be suspended by a three-fourths vote of all members present.

ARTICLE IV: AMENDMENTS

This Constitution may be amended by a majority of those voting at a meeting of the Faculty. Amendments may be submitted by vote of the Senate of the Faculty or by petition of any ten faculty members of professorial rank, and they must be circulated to the faculty at least seven-ten days in advance of the meeting at which they are to be considered.

MOTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL FACULTY, JANUARY 1971

Recommendations of the Senate of the Faculty which are intended to be brought before the general faculty shall be automatically presented to the general faculty at the first general faculty meeting after such recommendations are made.

Amended: May 1989, August 1990, August 1995, May 2000, April 2001, November 2002