Faculty Senate > Senate Bylaws

Senate Bylaws

Faculty Senate Bylaws

I. Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Senate in all cases in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order the Senate shall adopt.

II. Meetings

  1. At the last regularly scheduled meeting of each academic year the Senate shall establish a regular time for its meetings to be held the following academic year.
  2. Special meetings of the Senate may be called by the Chair or upon request of twenty Senators.
  3. The regular meetings of the Senate shall be open to the University community, but the Senate may choose to meet in closed executive session in conformance with the laws of the state of Washington.
  4. At any meeting, half the number of elected senators plus 2 shall constitute a quorum.
  5. The Executive Secretary of the Senate shall take attendance of the members at each meeting and shall issue an annual report on this matter.

III. Election of Officers

  1. No later than two weeks prior to the last regularly scheduled meeting of the academic year, the Senate shall nominate candidates for the offices of Chair Elect, and, when appropriate, Executive Secretary.  The successful Chair-Elect candidate shall succeed to the Chair position on August 16 in the year following election.
  2. Elections for these offices shall take place no later than at the last regularly scheduled meeting of the academic year.
  3. If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair, the Chair-Elect shall assume that office. The Senate shall then select a member to serve as Chair-Elect for the remainder of the academic year.  If a vacancy occurs in the office of Executive Secretary, the Senate shall then select an executive secretary, subject to the provisions of Article III, Section II-D of the Senate Constitution, for the remainder of the academic year.
  4. All elections of officers shall take place by a majority of those present and voting.  If no candidate secures a majority, a run-off election shall be conducted between the two candidates with the highest number of votes.
  5. Upon taking office, the Chair shall appoint a parliamentarian.

IV. Assumption of Office

Following regular elections newly elected Senators and Senate officers shall assume their duties on August 16.

V. Special Elections of Senators

The Executive Secretary will initiate procedures for a special election to fill the vacancy of a faculty Senate seat within one week after notice of the vacancy is received.

VI. Actions of the Senate

  1. Unless otherwise stipulated in the Constitution or Bylaws, all actions of the Senate shall be adopted by a majority of those present and voting.
  2. Unless there is a decision to the contrary, actions of the Senate shall be made public.
  3. In the case of a tie vote, the presiding officer shall cast the deciding vote.

VII. Amendments of the Bylaws

  1. Members of the Senate, standing committees, or the Steering Committee may submit proposed amendments of the Bylaws in writing to the Executive Secretary for presentation at a regular meeting.
  2. Amendments presented at a previous meeting shall be adopted by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting.

Amended February 2, 2023

VIII. Standing Committees

  1. All standing committees are subject to modifications and to such rules and regulations as the Senate may prescribe.  All standing committees and their functions and composition are listed in the Committee Manual.
  2. 30 Day response from all standing committees: Requests for further information or clarification from an initiating unit concerning their proposal under review by Faculty Senate committees may clearly indicate an explicit deadline (usually 30 days).  If the deadline is not met, the proposals will be forwarded to the Faculty Senate with a recommendation based on the available information.
  3. Guideline passed by the Steering Committee October 29, 2015.  Since each committee makes its own rules, it is suggested that each chair bring this guideline to his/her committee.

Adopted November 19, 2015

IX. Election of Chairs of Senate-elected Committees and Subcommittees

  1. No ex officio members of Senate standing committees or Senate-elected subcommittees may serve as chairs of those committees.
  2. No individual may serve as chair of a Senate standing committee and its Senate-elected subcommittee at the same time.
  3. Chairs shall be elected by those committee or subcommittee members whose terms continue throughout the following year and by those whose terms begin on August 16.
  4. Any member eligible to vote for the chair is eligible to be elected chair except as otherwise specified in the Senate Constitution and Bylaws.
  5. Terms of retiring members or officers end on August 15. Newly elected members or officers assume office on August 16.

X. Short-Term Election to Senate Committees

  1. Vacancies on Senate committees and subcommittees of less than one academic year will be filled by action of the Senate Steering Committee on nominations submitted by the Committee on Committees.  Such action will be reported to the Senate.
  2. Vacancies of one academic year or longer will be filled by election by the Senate.

XI. Meetings of Senate-elected Committees and Subcommittees

  1. At any meeting a simple majority of voting faculty members shall constitute a quorum.

  2. Robert’s Rules of Order (11th ed., 2011, p. 97) indicate that meetings cannot be held via email unless specifically indicated in the bylaws of the organization. However, it is recognized that some senate committees conduct their business effectively and efficiently over email. Therefore, individual senate committees have the prerogative to set guidelines for doing business over email; these guidelines must be approved by a majority vote of the committee members and approved by the Steering Committee.

    Adopted 11.02.17

XII. Membership of Senate-elected Committees and Subcommittees

  1. Faculty Members elected to Senate committees and subcommittees normally will serve three-year terms.
  2. Any voting committee member absent from three consecutive committee meetings shall, upon a vote of that committee, cease to be a member. The Executive Secretary of the Faculty Senate shall be informed without delay when a vacancy occurs in this manner.
  3. When Committee on Committee extends a term for more than six (6) years (2 consecutive terms), the expectation is that the extension is for one (1) year. Committee on Committees has the option to recommend extended appointments of up to three (3) years in exceptional circumstances. The Committee on Committees shall identify a member whose appointment is longer than two (2) consecutive terms to the Faculty Senate.

Adopted February 28, 2019

XIII. Relations with External Agencies

  1. The Senate Steering Committee shall elect a faculty member to the position of Legislative Representative and member of the state-wide Council of Faculty.
  2. This election should be conducted every three years, prior to the beginning of the new legislative session (i.e., in fall) to allow for overlap between, and the mentoring/training of, the new and current Legislative Representatives (should the latter not be re-elected), and to allow for the planning and coordination of the extensive travel and time commitments in Olympia required of this position.
  3. The Senate shall elect other representatives as needed in furtherance of the powers listed in Article I, Section 2B of the Constitution.
  4. Representatives to external agencies may be re-elected.
  5. Elected representative vacancies of less than one academic year will require action of the Senate Steering Committee on nominations submitted by the Committee on Committees. Such action will be reported to the Senate.
  6. Senate elections are required for representative vacancies of one academic year or longer.

Amended November 5, 2020

Amended February 2, 2023

XIV. Faculty Regent

  1. The Steering Committee will nominate three (3) to five (5) faculty to be considered by the governor of the state of Washington for the position of faculty regent.
  2. The pool of nominees will include representation from at least two campus locations.
  3. The chair of the Faculty Senate will submit the appropriate portfolios of each candidate to the Office of the Governor.

Adopted February 2, 2023

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