Section 2.

1. The term for Trustees who are not ex officio members and who are not subject to Article IV, Section 1.e., is three years.

2. Upon recommendation of the Committee on Trustees, a trustee shall be eligible for re- election to additional three-year terms, without a limit to the number of said terms.

Section 3.
Any Trustee may be removed from office, for cause, by a vote of two-thirds of the Trustees present at a scheduled meeting, provided that a quorum is present and that prior written notice has been given of such removal action.

Section 4.
Any vacancy on the Board of Trustees may be filled by the remaining Trustees upon recommendation of the Committee on Trustees.

Section 5.  Trustees Emeriti
Upon recommendation of the Committee on Trustees, individuals may be elected as Trustees Emeriti, without voting privileges. Trustees Emeriti shall participate in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE V   -   BOARD OF TRUSTEES POWER AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Board of Trustees shall exercise ultimate institutional authority as set forth in these bylaws. These bylaws shall take precedence over all other institutional statements, documents and policies. The Board of Trustees shall have and exercise the corporate powers prescribed by law. Its primary functions shall be policy making and responsibility for sound resource management of the Corporation (referred to in this and the following articles as “College”). The Board of Trustees shall further determine the general, educational and financial policies, and shall have the power to carry out any other functions which are permitted by these bylaws or by the Charter, except as limited by law. These powers shall include but shall not be limited to the following:

1. Periodically review and, if necessary, revise the purposes and mission of the College.
2. Establish policies regarding the educational programs of the College, consistent with its mission, and review and approve substantive changes in educational programs.
3. Establish policies and procedures regarding appointment, promotion, tenure and dismissal of faculty members.
4. Review and approve faculty tenure.
5. Establish policies with regard to the terms and conditions of employment, salary policies and schedules for all staff, faculty, administrators and other employees of the College.
6. Appoint and evaluate the President who shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the College.
7. Approve and authorize all earned degrees upon recommendation of the faculty.
8. Approve and authorize all honorary degrees.
9. Contribute financially to the College’s fundraising goals, participate actively in strategies to secure sources of support, and authorize College Officers to accept gifts or bequests subject to Board policy guidelines.
10. Oversee and approve the budget of the College, and establish policy guidelines for all investments and major fund raising efforts of the College.
11. Authorize and approve the purchase, lease, management, sale and/or other acquisitions of all land, buildings or major equipment.
12. Authorize and approve the construction of new buildings and major renovations of existing buildings.
13. Authorize and approve the incurring of debt by the College and the securitization thereof.
14. Authorize and approve any changes in tuition and fees within the College.
15. Designate officers or agents of the College with authority to accept gifts or bequests on behalf of the Trustees.
16. Approve the Faculty Personnel Policy including any amendments.
17. Periodically undertake or authorize assessment of the Board’s performance.

ARTICLE VI   -   BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETINGS

Section 1.
The Board shall have at least three regularly scheduled meetings annually on such dates and at such places as it shall determine. The Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be held on a date as near the close of the fiscal year as is practical. The Annual Meeting will be held at the principal office of business, unless a different place is specified in the written notice.

Section 2.
Written notification of all meetings, including the place, date, time and purpose shall be made at least ten (10) days prior to such meeting.

Section 3.
Special meetings of the Board of Trustees may be held at the call of the Chair of the Board of Trustees, or any twenty per cent (20%) of Trustees. Written notification of such special meetings shall be sent by the Chair or Secretary of the Board of Trustees with a clear statement of purpose(s) at least ten (10) days in advance of the meeting. Business at such special meetings shall be confined to the stated purpose(s).

Section 4.
A quorum for the transaction of business at meetings of the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof shall consist of a majority of their respective regular voting members. Except as otherwise provided in these bylaws or the Articles of Incorporation, a majority vote of those members present with a proper quorum shall constitute proper action.  There is no provision for voting by proxy.

Section 5.
Any action by the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members entitled to vote on the matter consent to the action in writing filed with records of the meetings of the members of the Board of Trustees or applicable committees. Such consent shall be treated for all purposes as a vote at a meeting. The Members of the Board of Trustees, or any committee designated thereby may participate in a meeting of such board or committee by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time and participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting.

ARTICLE VII    -   BOARD OF TRUSTEES COMMITTEES

Section 1.
The Board shall establish such standing and ad hoc committees as it deems appropriate to the discharge of its responsibilities. These shall include an Executive Committee and a Trustees Committee. They may include, but should not be limited to, the following standing committees: Academic Affairs, Audit and Compliance, Buildings and Grounds, Business Affairs, Institutional Advancement, Investment, and Student Affairs.

Each committee shall have a written statement of purpose, scope, and rules of procedure, which shall be reviewed periodically by the committee and approved by the Executive Committee.

Section 2.
The Chair of the Board of Trustees, in conjunction with the President of the College, shall appoint the chairs and members of all Board committees except for the Committee on Trustees.

Section 3.
Each committee shall have a clearly designated officer of the College or member of the administrative staff, as determined by the President of the College, to assist with its work. Minutes shall be required of all committees.

Section 4.

1. A majority of each committee shall be members of the Board of Trustees. Each of the standing committees shall consist of not fewer than five (5) voting members, with a majority of those members constituting a quorum.

2. The Chairs of standing committees shall be members of the Board of Trustees. They shall be appointed annually, by the Chair of the Board of Trustees, but may not serve for more than three (3) consecutive years, except in circumstances in which the Executive Committee deems it advisable to retain the Chair.

ARTICLE VIII   -   THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1.
The Executive Committee shall be composed of: the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, in the event the Treasurer is a non-employee of the College, Secretary, in the event the Secretary is a non-employee of the College, President of the College, chairs of all standing committees of the Board, immediate past chair of the Board, and, at the discretion of the Chair in consultation with the President, up to two additional members of the Board of Trustees.

1. The Committee shall meet as often as necessary to conduct its business as the Chair shall determine, provided that notice has been given to its members in accordance with these bylaws. Minutes of all meetings shall be required and shall be distributed within thirty (30) business days to all Trustees for subsequent ratification at its next regularly scheduled meeting. A quorum for this Committee shall be a majority of its members. A majority vote of those members present with a proper quorum shall constitute proper action.
2. The Executive Committee serves at the pleasure of the Board as its agent in helping the President of the College to address business between regular Board meetings.  It takes action on matters which should not be deferred to the Board’s next scheduled meeting, as determined by the Chair of the Board and the President of the College; it assists the Chair and the President of the College in their joint responsibility to help the Board function effectively and efficiently by suggesting Board agenda items and periodically assessing the quality of Board and committee work; it reviews the bylaws for needed changes on an annual basis; and designates recipients of honorary degrees.
3. In addition, the Executive Committee shall oversee the work of the Board and its committees, the College’s planning process, and shall evaluate its progress on planning goals.  It shall also support the President of the College, assess his or her performance annually, and review annually the President’s compensation and conditions of employment.
4. The Committee shall have the authority to act for the Board on all matters except for the following, which shall be reserved for the Board as deemed by these Bylaws: presidential selection and termination; trustee and board officer selection; changes in institutional mission and purpose; changes to the charter, articles of incorporation or bylaws; incurring of corporate indebtedness; sale of college assets or tangible property; adoption of the annual budget; and the conferral of degrees. These bylaws or other board policy may reserve other powers for the Board of Trustees. The Chair or Vice Chair shall have the authority to request that any meeting of the Executive Committee not be attended by an employee of the College.

ARTICLE IX   -   THE COMMITTEE ON TRUSTEES

Section 1.

1. The Committee on Trustees shall have not more than seven (7) members. The committee’s chair and members shall be elected at the annual meeting for a term of two years on a rotating basis and no more than two consecutive terms shall be permitted.
2. The responsibilities of the Committee on Trustees shall include: to ensure that the Board’s membership and leadership consists of highly qualified, committed individuals representing the diversified population served by the College; to ensure that regular programs of new trustee and ongoing education are established and maintained; to review the performance of all incumbent trustees, keeping careful records of assignments and attendance; and initiate and oversee periodic reviews by the Board of its own performance. It serves as the Board’s agent in reviewing the performance of Trustees and Board Officers eligible for reelection. It shall also propose and periodically review a statement of Trustee responsibilities which shall be approved by the Board and conveyed in writing to all incoming Trustees.  It shall recognize exceptional Trustee service.
3. The Committee shall present to the Corporation at its Annual Meeting nominations for the election of: Officers of the Board; new Trustees, and the chair and members of the Committee on Trustees. It shall furnish this slate of nominations along with information relating to the background and qualifications of all such nominees at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting at which such elections shall take place.
4. The Committee shall seek the assistance of all Trustees in the course of meeting its responsibilities in accordance with these bylaws and its own rules of procedure.

ARTICLE X   -   OFFICERS OF THE COLLEGE

Section 1.
The Officers of the College shall be the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Corporation, the President of the College and one/or more Vice Presidents of the College. All officers shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees except for the Vice Presidents who shall serve at the pleasure of the President in consultation with the Board of Trustees.

Section 2.
The Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer shall be Trustees. The President of the College, and the Treasurer and the Secretary of the College in the event they are employees of the College, shall be members ex-officio of the Board of Trustees. The other College Officers shall not be members of the Board.

ARTICLE XI - TERM, AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE

Section 1.
The President of the College serves at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees for such term, compensation, and with such conditions of employment as it shall from time to time determine.

Section 2.
The President shall be the College’s chief executive officer and the chief advisor to and executive agent of the Board of Trustees. The President’s authority is vested through the Board of Trustees and includes responsibilities for all educational and managerial affairs. The President is responsible for leading the College, implementing all Board policies, keeping the Board fully informed on College activities and issues, consulting with the Board in a timely manner on matters appropriate to its policy-making and fiduciary functions, and serving as the College’s chief spokesperson. The President has the authority to execute all documents on behalf of the College and the Board of Trustees consistent with Board policies and the best interests of the College. The President serves ex-officio as a member of all Board committees other than the Audit Committee.

Section 3.
In the absence and/or inability of the President of the College to perform the functions and duties of that office, or, in any event, if the Board of Trustees shall determine that the President of the College will be and/or is expected to be absent from and/or unable to perform the functions and duties of that office for a period of time which shall exceed thirty (30) days, then the Board of Trustees, upon recommendation of the President, if possible, shall determine which Vice President or other individual shall perform the President’s functions and duties.

ARTICLE XII   -  INDEMNIFICATION

The Board of Trustees shall, to the extent legally permissible and only to the extent that the status of the College as an organization exempt under Section 501(C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code is not affected thereby, indemnify and save harmless each of its Trustees and officers (including persons who serve at its request as trustees or officers of another organization in which it has an interest) against all liabilities and expenses, including amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and counsel fees, reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit, or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, in which he or she may be involved or with which he or she may be threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a trustee or officer, except with respect to any matter as to which such a trustee or officer shall have been adjudicated in any proceeding not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that the action was in the best interests of the College; provided that as to any matter disposed of by a compromise payment by such trustee or officer, pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise, no indemnification either for said payment or for any other expenses shall be provided unless such compromise shall be approved as in the best interests of the College, after notice that it involves such indemnification: (a) by a disinterested majority of the trustees then in office; or (b) by a majority of the disinterested trustees then in office, provided that there has been obtained an opinion in writing of independent legal counsel to the effect that such trustee or officer appears to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that the action was in the best interest of the College. Expenses, including counsel fees, reasonably incurred by any trustee or officer in connection with the defense or disposition of any such action, suit, or other proceeding may be paid from time to time by the College in advance of the final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by such trustee or officer to repay the amounts so paid to the College if it is ultimately determined that indemnification is not authorized hereunder. The right of indemnification hereby provided shall not be exclusive of or affect any rights to which any trustee or officer may be entitled.

Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which college personnel other than trustees or officers may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.  As used in this paragraph, the terms “trustees” and “officers” shall include their respective heirs, executors, and administrators, and an “interested” trustee or officer is one against whom in such capacity the proceeding in question or another proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then pending.

The Trustees and officers of the College shall not be personally liable for any debt, liability or obligation of the corporation. All persons, corporations or other entities extending credit to, contracting with, or having any claim against the College may look only to the funds and property of the College for the payment of any such contract or claim, or for the payment of any debt, damages, judgment, or decree, or of any money that may otherwise become due or payable to them from the College.

ARTICLE XIII   -   CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

A Trustee shall be considered to have a conflict of interest if (a) such Trustee has existing or potential financial or other interests which impair or might reasonably appear to impair such member’s independent, unbiased judgment in the discharge of his responsibilities to the College, or (b) such Trustee is aware that a member of his/her  family (which for purposes of this paragraph shall be a spouse, parents, siblings, children, and any other relative if the latter reside in the same household as the Trustee, or any organization in which such Trustee  (or member of his/her family) is an officer, director, employee, member, partner, trustee, or controlling stockholder has such existing or potential financial or other interests. All Trustees shall disclose to the Board any possible conflict of interest at the earliest practicable time. No Trustee shall vote on any matter, under consideration at a Board, Corporation, or committee meeting, in which such Trustee has a conflict of interest. The minutes of such meeting shall reflect that a disclosure was made and that the Trustee having a conflict of interest abstained from voting. Any Trustee who is uncertain whether he or she has a conflict of interest in any matter may request the Board, Corporation, Executive Committee, or committee to advise him or her with respect to whether or not a conflict of interest exists, and the Board, Corporation, Executive Committee or committee shall resolve the question by a majority vote. Each Trustee and Officer shall at least annually complete and sign a disclosure form provided by the Secretary of the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE XIV   -   REVIEW AND AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

These bylaws may be modified or amended at any meeting of the Trustees by a two- third vote of those present, provided written notice of the substance of the proposed amendment is sent to all Trustees at least ten (10) days before the meeting.

The above Revised Code of Bylaws is a true and accurate record of the bylaws of Springfield College, with amendments through June 5, 2015.

 

______________________________________
Christopher M. Neronha
Secretary

______________________________________
Date

Springfield College Faculty By-Laws

^TOP

Adopted May 3, 2001
Revised May 20, 2006
Revised November 6, 2009

Preamble

The variety and complexity of the tasks performed by institutions of higher education produce an inescapable interdependence among governing board, administration, faculty, students, and others (AAUP, 1963). The purpose of the Faculty of Springfield College is to promote, stimulate, and encourage study, research, and teaching in academic areas central to the College, guided by the mission of the institution, and to monitor and counsel the supportive and ancillary services necessary to maintain academic excellence. The Faculty accomplishes its purpose with adherence to the Charter and By-Laws of Springfield College. Moreover, the Faculty adopts in principle the operating guidelines for shared governance as described in the Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities as was jointly formulated by the American Association of University Professors, American Council on Education, and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. Please reference Appendix C for this complete statement on shared governance.

The Springfield College Faculty are committed to a collaborative partnership with the Board of Trustees and the College Administration that features open communication, trust, and respect for one another when differences of opinion arise, and the utmost concern for students.

The Springfield College Faculty Senate, hereinafter referred to as the Senate, conducts the business of the Faculty. The Senate is a representative body of the Faculty, which helps the institution, grow and thrive, and which works toward a better environment in which to do work.

As the representative body of the Springfield College Faculty as a whole, the Senate makes recommendations for the College faculty on all college policies concerning faculty responsibilities, as described in the AAUP statement on faculty responsibilities, the Springfield College Faculty Personnel Policy, the Faculty by-laws, the Faculty Handbook, and any other areas agreed upon by the College President, Senate President and the Senate’s Executive Committee. Both the faculty and the President of the College underscore their collective commitment to the philosophy and principles presented in the AAUP statement on shared governance, and the faculty supports and recommends that as matters are discussed, the spirit of the discussions center on the following AAUP statement:

“On these matters, the power of review or final decisions lodged in the governing Board of Trustees or delegated by it to the President should be exercised adversely only in exceptional circumstances and for reasons communicated to the faculty through the Senate’s Executive Committee and the Senate President.” In the spirit of open communication and shared governance, it is anticipated that the College shall make no changes in these policies which affect faculty without formal recommendations from the Senate. The Faculty may propose changes in these areas listed above. If the Faculty endorses changes, the senators will report their recommendations to the faculty and then to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (P/VPAA) for approval. The P/VPAA will report his/her decision regarding all Senate recommendations in writing to the President of the Senate within 14 working days of the Senate recommendation. If the Senate disagrees with the P/VPAA’s decision, the P/VPAA will meet with the Senate to discuss the recommendation and seek a resolution of the matter. Should the Senate and P/VPAA continue to disagree, both parties will present their recommendations and rationale in writing to the College President at the next Executive Committee meeting. If appropriate, the P/VPAA and the Senate President may request a meeting with the President of the College in lieu of the monthly Executive Committee meeting. The faculty by petition of one third of the full-time faculty can also call for a Faculty meeting to allow for a full discussion of the matter by all interested faculty. The petition must be filed with the Faculty Senate President. The faculty meeting must be called within (14) fourteen calendar days of receipt of the petition by the Senate President. The Senate will reconvene on the Tuesday following the Faculty meeting to reconsider their vote and then vote final action on the matter.

The Senate manages faculty-meeting agendas. It may conduct studies upon its own initiative of All-College policies concerning curriculum, programs, grading, appointments, compensation, tenure, and promotions, or it may conduct studies of questions submitted to it by any individual or group of the Faculty, Staff, Administration, or Students. It may recommend to the appropriate persons or bodies such action, as its studies seem to call for. The Senate may make requests of the administration for pertinent data and research that will assist the faculty in understanding the limits and capabilities of the institution.

It shall seek to promote harmony and cooperation among members of the College Faculty.

It shall recommend to the Board of Trustees through the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and President all degrees granted by the College.

ARTICLE I.  Number of Senators, Eligibility, & Duties of the Officers.

Section 1: The Senate shall consist of 27 members of the Springfield College Faculty. The membership of the Senate consists of (1) 10 at-large members that include: the Senate President, Senate Vice-President, Chair and Chair-elect of the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee, Chair and Chair-elect of the College Curriculum Committee, Chair and Chair-elect of the Faculty Development Committee, and Chair and Chair-elect of the Student Affairs and Educational Technology Committee; and (2) 17 members that serve as school representatives.  The number of representatives from each school is to be apportioned according to the Webster Method of apportionment. See Appendix A for a description of the Webster Method of Apportionment. All schools must have at least one school-based seat. The size and proportional school representation of the Senate should be evaluated and adjusted on a three-year basis. The Senate membership shall be comprised of at least one senate member per every ten full-time faculty members and shall ensure representation of each school.  The current size and proportional school representation of the Senate are provided along with the Senate organizational chart in Appendix B.

Faculty who meet all of the following criteria are eligible for election to the Faculty Senate.

1. Are employed fulltime as a Faculty member at Springfield College.
2. Hold academic rank of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor.
3. Do not serve in the capacity of College President, Vice-President, Dean, Director positions, in the office of the P/VPAA or Deans serving in an administrative function, or the Registrar’s office.
4. Have terms of employment defined by the Faculty Personnel Policy.

Nominations for all faculty senate positions will be initially solicited via an all faculty email. Additionally, nominations for faculty senators at-large will take place at a college wide faculty meeting scheduled by the Senate.

Senators will be limited to two consecutive two-year terms. Only the Faculty Senate President, Vice President, the chair-elects, and the standing committee chairs will be elected to their specific job responsibilities by the faculty. The remaining Senators will be elected to their job responsibilities by the newly convened Senate members at their initial organizational meeting for a period of two years.

Section 2: The Faculty Senate President shall be the faculty’s spokesperson. The Faculty Senate President shall be elected for a two-year term by the faculty. The Faculty Senate President shall be the presiding officer of the Senate, and attend meetings of the Board of Trustees as the official representative of the faculty with the Trustee representatives of the Senate.  The Trustee representatives of the Senate shall include: The Chairs of the Standing Committees as identified on the organizational chart along with the Senate Secretary and Agenda Officer. In the event that a chair of a Senate standing committee cannot attend the Trustee meetings, the Senate President will delegate said responsibility to another Senator. The Senate President will also refer items to committees for consideration, and perform other duties appropriate to the office. He/she shall be the faculty spokesperson when the Faculty Executive Committee meets with the College President and the President’s staff and shall chair these joint meetings. The Senate President will be responsible for planning the annual Senate responsibilities retreat with assistance from the Vice-President. Only the President and Vice-President of the Senate can call emergency Faculty Senate and/or Faculty meetings.

Section 3: The Faculty Senate Vice-President shall in the absence of the Faculty Senate President preside over all Senate functions, as well as performing other duties appropriate to the office. The Vice-President will serve as moderator for all school-wide faculty meetings except Faculty Institutes, which will be the responsibility of the Senator chairing the Faculty Development Committee.  The Faculty Senate Vice-President shall be elected for a two-year term by the faculty and shall serve in the capacity of Chair of the Senate’s Faculty Personnel committee. The Vice-President will be responsible for assisting the Senate President with planning the annual Senate responsibilities retreat scheduled prior to the start of the new academic year.

Section 4: The Faculty Senate Secretary shall keep the official minutes of all Senate and faculty meetings and shall furnish copies of the minutes to all Senators before the next meeting. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of meetings of the Executive Committee and the President’s Cabinet, maintain the official faculty membership roster, including committee assignments; and keep Senate attendance records. The Secretary will also be responsible for posting approved minutes on the Senate web pages the day following Senate approval.

Section 5: The Faculty Senate Agenda Officer-Treasurer will prepare and publish notices, agendas, and perform other duties appropriate to the office. The Agenda Officer- Treasurer shall maintain the financial records of the senate and, in the absence of college policies to the contrary, shall be responsible for the financial accounting of Senate committees. A copy of the official Senate agenda shall be distributed to the Faculty at least one day prior to the Senate Meeting and the approved minutes shall be made available electronically by the Senate’s Agenda Officer.

Section 6: One of the Senators at-large will fill the role of Senate Parliamentarian to be appointed by the Senate President. This senator will be responsible for the efficient delivery of all ballot questions and elections. This person will be assisted by the Agenda Officer-Treasurer and one additional senator appointed by the Senate President.

Section 7: The Faculty Senate Executive Committee will consist of the Senate President, the chairs of the five senate standing committees, the Senate Secretary, the Parliamentarian, and the Agenda Officer-Treasurer.

Section 8: The Past-President and Past-Vice-President shall serve on the Senate Executive Committee in an ex officio, non-voting advisory capacity during the summer months and the fall semester following the expiration of their terms as President and Vice President. In addition, these two individuals shall be entitled to attend Senate meetings and join in discussion or debate during the aforementioned period but shall not vote.

ARTICLE II. Elections.

Section 1:
The election process will be completed according to the timeline listed below:

The Parliamentarian, the Agenda Officer-Treasurer, and one Senator appointed by the Senate President will distribute and count all ballots and be responsible for all aspects of the ballot process for all voting matters.

The required Senators are elected by electronic ballot distributed on or before March 15 of each year. Such ballots are returned to the Parliamentarian and the Agenda Officer who will serve as election monitors on a specified date, not less than 7 days or more than 10 days from the date of distribution. A simple majority vote determines the winners for all elections. Elected Senators shall assume their duties at an officially designated point during the last Senate meeting of the academic year (April) in which they are elected and shall hold office until the corresponding point in the last meeting of the academic year (April) in which their successors are elected.

1. Terms of office for Senators are two (2) years unless sooner terminated by ineligibility, recall, or resignation. No Senator can be elected to a third consecutive term. The Senate President and Vice President shall serve concurrent terms. Twelve (12) members of the Senate will end their terms one year and thirteen (13) will end their term the following year. This will guarantee new ideas while preserving stability and continuity.
2. Election of the Senate is distributed in the following manner:

1. The Senate President (1)              
        2-year concurrent term with VP
   The Senate Vice-President (1)      
        2-year concurrent term with Senate President
   
   Nominations for President  & Vice President will be accepted in team format that models the election process for the President and Vice-President of the  USA. It is critical that the two individuals in these pivotal positions work well together. For that reason President & Vice President Elect will run on the same ticket together for concurrent terms. Potential candidates will be required to identify their anticipated approach and agenda prior to the election at a faculty meeting.
    
2. Ten Members will be elected at-large from the entire faculty, (10), including the chair and chair elects for Academic Policies and Standards (APS), College Curriculum Committee (CCC), Faculty Development Committee (FDC), and Student Affairs and Educational Technology Committee (SAETC) standing committees and the Senate President and Vice-President
    
3. Chair-Elect: Each year chair-elects will be elected by the faculty at large for the APS, CCC, FDC, and SAETC standing committees. These individuals shall serve a one- year term as the chair elect and then fill a one-year term as the chair of the respective committee.
    
4. Representative members elected from each School: The current representative members elected from each school is provided in Appendix B - Senate Membership and Organizational Chart.
    

3. The Senate President, Vice President, and any at-large Senator may be recalled by a vote of a majority of the entire college-wide full- time faculty and a school Senator representative may be recalled by a majority of the full-time faculty from the representative’s school.
   
   A written request for recall must be directed to the Vice- President of the Senate. In the event that the recall is for the President or Vice- President the recall should be directed to the Parliamentarian.
    
4. Vacancies are filled so that position vacated will maintain the prescribed distribution and terms listed below.  The person who fills a vacancy shall serve the remainder of the term and shall be eligible for election to a successive regular term providing that person’s continuous service on the senate shall not exceed four years. For example if the school representative for SW resigned and had 1 year of his/her term remaining, that vacancy would be filled for a one year term by a faculty member from that school who finished as the first runner-up in the previous election. In the event that the runner up no longer wishes to serve or there are no runners up, the Senate can solicit volunteers from the school and vote to appoint for the remainder of the vacant term.
    
5. In the event that the Senate President resigns, the Vice President will fill his/her position. The new Senate President (previous Vice President) will select a Vice President from the existing Senators. The remaining vacancy would be filled for the remainder of the term by the faculty candidate from that school or at large who finished as the first runner-up in the previous election.  In the event that the runner up no longer wishes to serve or there are no runners up, the Senate can solicit volunteers from the school or faculty at large and vote to appoint for the remainder of the vacant term. All terms will conclude according to the initial election result timelines prior to the resignation. In the event that the Vice-President resigns, the Senate President will appoint an exiting Senator to replace that person for the remainder of the original Vice- President’s term. The vacancy created by the newly appointed Vice- President will be filled in the same manner as noted for President and Senators. This procedure will insure internal consistency as important matters are being discussed.
    
6. For good and sufficient reason as determined by the Executive Committee, a faculty Senator may be removed from Senate membership. For example, the seat may be declared vacant for excessive unexcused absences.
    
7. A Senator on leave of absence for not more than one academic semester need not resign, but will be temporarily replaced by the candidate having the next highest number of votes cast in the previous election. If the Senator will be absent longer than one academic semester, he/she will be replaced and will not be entitled to the seat upon returning.

Section 2:
Election for members of school-based committees shall occur annually. Both the School-Based Curriculum Committees and the School-Based Faculty Development and Status Committees will be elected to their positions by the faculty in those schools. The Vice-President of the Senate will be responsible for providing the infrastructure for conducting these elections. The Parliamentarian, the Agenda Officer-Treasurer, and one Senator appointed by the Senate President will be responsible for distribution and collection of the ballot as well as the tabulation of results.

1. No department/PCS campus shall have more than one member on these committees at one time. The proceeding clause can be modified only under the circumstances that the composition of a school includes one department/PCS campus.
    
2. Members of the committee will elect chairs of the school-based standing committees on an annual basis.
    
3. The terms of the individuals will be two years and individuals should serve no more than two consecutive terms. The exception to this clause shall be the School of Social Work Curriculum Committee that functions as a committee of all full-time faculty members and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies Curriculum Committee that is comprised of one faculty member from each campus.
    
4. No faculty member may serve on the School-Based Faculty Development and Status Committee at the time of submitting an application that will be reviewed by this committee. 
   
   A member of the School-Based Faculty Development and Status Committee will be considered to have a conflict of interest when the faculty member or a member of the faculty member’s family, including spouses, parents, siblings, children, and any other relative if said relative resides in the same household is submitting material for consideration for tenure and/or promotion.
   
   To avoid conflict of interest situations, the faculty member must resign from the School-Based Faculty Development and Status Committee prior to application or delay the submission of application until after his or her term of service is complete.
    
5. Replacement of School-based Committee members shall follow the same procedures as the replacement of senators.

ARTICLE III. Standing Committees For Senate

Section 1:

The standing committees, which are described below, are made up of members of the Senate. The Faculty Senate shall have five (5) standing committees whose charge, membership and functions are described in Article IV. Only the Senate will have the power to create ad-hoc committees by appointment for specific tasks as deemed appropriate and necessary after approval by a vote of the full senate. The five (5) standing committees include:

1. Academic Policies & Standards
   Chair (Representative to Trustees Academic Affairs), Chair-Elect, + 3 members
    
2. Faculty Personnel Committee
   Senate Vice President (Representative to Trustees Business Affairs)+ 5 members
    
3. Student Affairs and Educational Technology Committee
   Chair (Representative to Trustees Student Affairs), Chair-Elect, + 3 members
    
4. College Curriculum Committee
   Chair (Representative to Trustees Buildings & Grounds), Chair-Elect, + 3 members
    
5. Faculty Development
   Chair (Representative to Trustees Institutional Advancement), Chair- Elect, + 3 members

1. To support and collaborate across departments and schools on issues related to the admission, recruitment, and retention of graduate students.
2. To develop, support, and foster a positive campus climate for all graduate students, as well as specifically advocating for appropriate co-curricular programs for graduate students.
3. To communicate and collaborate across departments and schools on issues of graduate education.
4. To support and enhance graduate student and faculty research at Springfield College.

In addition, the council will work collaboratively with faculty governance on issues of graduate education. The Graduate Council will provide liaisons to faculty governance committees when issues regarding graduate education are being considered. Identified Graduate Council liaisons will be notified by the Faculty Senate or Faculty Senate subcommittee of issues to be considered regarding graduate education.

ARTICLE IV: Senate Standing Committee Responsibilities

Section 1: The following describes the charge for each of the senate’s five standing committees:

Academic Policies & Standards

Structure:

One chair, One Chair-Elect
Three members                           All Senators
Ex-officio members                     Deans and P/VPAA or designee (AP/VPAA)
                                                  Registrar, Director of Academic Advising

Function:
To formulate, review and recommend academic policies, procedures, and regulations that governs academic issues. Issues may include but are not limited to:

1. Admissions standards (admission, transfer, and retention)
2. Grading system
3. Graduation Requirements
4. Degrees/Certificates offered
5. Academic Advising
6. Academic Honors

 

College Curriculum Committee

Structure:
One chair, One Chair-Elect
Three members                 All Senators
Ex-officio members           Deans and P/VPAA or designees

The charge for the Senate Curriculum Committee will center on college wide considerations only.

Function:
To recommend to the Senate policies and procedures of all curricular matters.  Issues may include but are not limited to:

1. General course requirements for all students without regard to major or department.

2. Distribution requirements outside “major” courses which presume to further the educational objectives of the College.

3. Joint offerings of courses, which involve participation and cooperation across departmental/school lines.

4. Disputes or disagreements between schools concerning curricular affairs.

5. The Committee shall review major proposals for the creation or deletion of any department, and shall forward its recommendations to the full Senate for action. The Senate will then transmit its policy recommendation to the P/VPAA.

6. The Committee may seek information, conduct studies, develop proposals, or pursue other appropriate courses of action, which are found to be desirable or necessary for the efficient execution of its tasks in respect to the total curriculum of the College.

7. Program review and initiation.

8. General Education Structure and Policy.

9. Outcomes Assessment.

Faculty Personnel Committee Structure:
Vice-President, five members         All Senators
Ex-officio members                        None

Function:
To develop and recommend policies to the Senate. Such policies include but are not limited to:

1. Personnel Policy and faculty handbook.
2. Affirmative Action.
3. Protecting work environments of individual faculty.
4. Benefits and Human Resources
5. Hear and act upon grievances involving application of its policies.
6. Represent the faculty in compensation and related discussions.
7. Early retirement programs.

Student Affairs and Educational Technology Committee

Structure:
One Chair, One Chair-Elect
Three members                           All senators
Ex Officio Members                     VPSA/Dean of Students (or designee) Graduate & Undergraduate Student (appointed by VPSA)
                                                  Chief Technology Officer (or designee, e.g., Educational Technologist)
                                                  Director of the Academic Success Center
                                                  Registrar (or designee)

Function:

To advise and work collaboratively with the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, the Chief Technology Officer, and other appropriate administrators in addressing issues and concerns related to student affairs and educational technology.  These include, but are not limited to:

1. Student life
2. Programs, services, and activities afforded to students and members of the College Community through the Division of Student Affairs.
3. Academic Support; including but not limited to: ADA, Academic Support Services, Disability Awareness, and Student Academic Resources.
4. Educational technology as it relates to faculty functions and academic issues, such as classroom technology support strategies, faculty program needs relative to technology, and technology support for faculty and student scholarship and research.

This committee reports priority issues and concerns to the Faculty Senate.

 

Faculty Development Committee

Structure:
One chair, One Chair-Elect
Three members                           All Senators
Ex-officio members                      Deans and P/VPAA or designees

Faculty tenure and promotion decisions will be the responsibility of the School-Based Committees. The charge for the Senate Faculty Development Committee shall include but not be limited to:

Function:

1. Develop standards and recommend to the Senate any additions or changes to the Faculty By-Laws relating to sabbatical leave that it deems appropriate or necessary.
2. Review sabbatical applications and forward to the Deans and P/VPAA’s office.
3. Gather information about faculty development needs.
4. Disseminate and communicate information to faculty development programs.
5. Make recommendations for the distribution of Faculty Development Funds.
6. Identify, advocate for, and direct individuals to appropriate resources in such areas as enhancement of classroom teaching, computer training, grant writing, AV/Media resources, doctoral work, and research.
7. Support faculty development issues in the Strategic Plan.
8. Recognize and identify excellence in teaching, research, and professional contributions.
9. Facilitate the creation of new faculty education programs
10. Discuss and identify and implement the following on-going faculty development activities:
           a. New and adjunct faculty orientation
           b. Faculty Institute
           c. Faculty Forum
           d. Faculty Resource Room
           e. Reassigned Time Committee
11. Define in precise terms the criteria for sabbaticals.

No faculty member may serve on the Faculty Development Committee at the time of submitting an application for sabbatical that will be reviewed by this committee.

A member of the Senate Faculty Development Committee will be considered to have a conflict of interest when the faculty member or a member of the faculty member’s family, including spouses, parents, siblings, children, and any other relative if said relative resides in the same household, is submitting material for consideration for sabbatical.

To avoid conflict of interest situations, the faculty member must resign from the Faculty Development Committee prior to the year of application or delay the submission of the application until after a term of service is complete. A faculty member may serve as a Senator and on other committees at the time of application.

In the event of a conflict of interest regarding faculty development funding, a senator on this committee whose proposal is being reviewed by the committee will remove him or herself from discussion and voting on his or her proposal.

ARTICLE V. Senate Subcommittees

Section 1:
The senate has the authority to create subcommittees and ad hoc committees as necessary to complete the business of the senate.

Section 2:  Existing Senate Subcommittees:

Currently, the College Curriculum committee has three sub-committees: Committee on the Advancement of Service Learning (CASL), Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC), and Social Justice Committee. The CCC is responsible for appointing volunteer faculty to these sub-committees. These committees are utilized to provide the CCC with the input from faculty with expertise in these areas as they review proposals for courses classified in the areas representative of these committees.

ARTICLE VI. Meeting Schedule Considerations

Note: The Faculty Bylaws refer to Tuesday/Thursday meeting dates for the Senate and its committees. These dates were created based on the “all-college meeting  time.” Since the College has adopted a new schedule beginning this fall, the new “community hour” is on Mondays. So the Senate and its Committees will be meeting on Mondays, during the designated community hour.

Section 1:
The senate will meet according to the following schedule:

• School-Based Committee Meetings & Graduate Council Meeting, CASL, WAC, SJ
  Week One Tuesday, Thursday

• School-Based Committee Update Meetings
  Week Two Tuesday as needed

• Senate committees
  Week Two Tuesday
  Week Two Thursday as needed

• Entire Senate
  Week Three Tuesday and/ or Thursday

• Executive Committee Preparation For Cabinet & President
  Week Four Tuesday

• Executive Committee & President’s Cabinet
  Week Four Thursday

NB: School and Faculty Meetings will be scheduled as needed in collaboration with the School Deans and Senate.

The Deans of the Schools are strongly encouraged to give due consideration to the scheduling of their elected senate representatives and screening committees scheduling meetings.

Article VII. Senate Agenda.

Section 1:  Senate Agenda

The agenda for each Senate meeting shall be available on the Faculty Senate web site a minimum of two business days prior to Senate meeting. The Executive Committee shall also provide copies of the agenda to additional university officials and other persons when such action seems appropriate for a particular meeting.

Meetings of the Senate are open to faculty members of the Springfield College community and invited guests unless:
1. Closed in the course of a meeting by majority vote of Senators present.

Minutes will be taken at all closed meetings but will remain confidential to Senators only.

Section 2: The agenda for the Senate shall include:

1. Welcome Guests
2. Approval of minutes from previous meeting
3. Senate President & Executive Committee Report
4. Old Business
5. New Business
6. For the Good of the Order (this period of informal, unrecorded discussion is provided to encourage senators to voice opinions on timely issues and shall not normally exceed ten minutes.)
7. Adjournment

Section 3: Agendas for all Senate standing committee meetings will follow guidelines for Senate Agendas.

Article VIII. Senate Accountability.

Section 1: The Senate shall keep the faculty and administrative staff informed of its recommendations and actions through its system of regular monthly meetings, its published agendas and minutes, periodic memos by e-mail, postings to the Faculty Senate web site, faculty newsletter, and the President’s annual report to the Trustees.

Article IX. Amendments.

Section 1: These bylaws may not be altered, amended or rescinded except in accordance with this Article. In the event that any provision of this Policy comes into conflict with newly enacted federal or state laws, such provision is superseded by those laws.

Proposing Amendments. Amendments to the Policy may be proposed by fifteen or more full-time faculty or by a majority vote of the Faculty Senate. All such proposals shall be submitted to the Senate for review via the Senate President. Only the Senate may order a referendum on a proposed amendment.

Adopting Amendments.  A proposed amendment must be approved by a majority vote of the Faculty voting in referendum in accordance with the Faculty By-Laws for the express purpose of considering and voting on the proposed amendment. A simple majority vote of those faculty voting in the referendum will decide the outcome. All Faculty Members shall receive a copy of the proposed amendment seven (7) days in advance of the vote in accordance with the Faculty By-Laws. A proposed amendment that has been approved for recommendation by the Faculty must then be transmitted to the President of the College by the Senate through the P/VPAA. If the proposed amendment is adopted by the Board or delegated to the President for final decision, the Senate’s FPC shall ensure that copies of the new policy are provided to the Faculty.

Article X. Parliamentary Authority.

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Section 1: The parliamentary authority for the Faculty Senate of Springfield College shall be the latest edition of Roberts Rules of Order.

Webster Method of Apportionment
(approved at Senate Meeting of December 11, 2008)

1. A “standard divisor” is calculated by dividing the number of full-time faculty by the total number of school-based seats available.
2. A “standard quota” for each school is calculated by dividing the number of full- time faculty in the school by the “standard divisor”.
3. The “rounded standard quota” for each school is calculated by applying the traditional method of rounding in which fractional values of .5 or above are rounded up and fractional values less than .5 are rounded down. For example, standard quotas of 6.5000 and 6.6172 would yield rounded standard quotas of 7, whereas a standard quota of 6.4325 would yield a rounded standard quota of 6.
4. Rounded standard quotas are summed. If the sum does not equal the number of school-based seats available for apportionment, then
   1. A “modified divisor” is constructed by adjusting the standard divisor up or down.
   2. The “modified quota” for each school is calculated by dividing the number of full-time faculty in the school by the modified divisor.
   3. These modified quotas are rounded using the same traditional rounding procedure described above for rounded standard quotas.
   4. The sum of the rounded modified quotas is then calculated.
   5. If the sum does not equal the number of seats to be apportioned amongst the various schools, then the modified divisor is readjusted such that when the rounded modified quotas are summed, the sum is exactly equal to the number of seats to be apportioned amongst the various schools.

 

 

FACULTY EXECUTIVE AND SENATE COMMITTEES

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AAUP- Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities
American Association of University Professors

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Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities

Editorial Note: The statement which follows is directed to governing board members, administrators, faculty members, students, and other persons in the belief that the colleges and universities of the United States have reached a stage calling for appropriately shared responsibility and cooperative action among the components of the academic institution. The statement is intended to foster constructive joint thought and action, both within the institutional structure and in protection of its integrity against improper intrusions.

It is not intended that the statement serve as a blueprint for governance on a specific campus or as a manual for the regulation of controversy among the components of an academic institution, although it is to be hoped that the principles asserted will lead to the correction of existing weaknesses and assist in the establishment of sound structures and procedures. The statement does not attempt to cover relations with those outside agencies which increasingly are controlling the resources and influencing the patterns of education in our institutions of higher learning: for example, the United States government, state legislatures, state commissions, interstate associations or compacts, and other interinstitutional arrangements. However, it is hoped that the statement will be helpful to these agencies in their consideration of educational matters.

Students are referred to in this statement as an institutional component coordinate in importance with trustees, administrators, and faculty. There is, however, no main section on students. The omission has two causes: (1) the changes now occurring in the status of American students have plainly outdistanced the analysis by the educational community, and an attempt to define the situation without thorough study might prove unfair to student interests, and (2) students do not in fact at present have a significant voice in the government of colleges and universities; it would be unseemly to obscure, by superficial equality of length of statement, what may be a serious lag entitled to separate and full confrontation. The concern for student status felt by the organizations issuing this statement is embodied in a note, “On Student Status,” intended to stimulate the educational community to turn its attention to an important need.

This statement was jointly formulated by the American Association of University Professors, the American Council on Education (ACE), and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB). In October 1966, the board of directors of the ACE took action by which its council “recognizes the statement as a significant step forward in the clarification of the respective roles of governing boards, faculties, and administrations,” and “commends it to the institutions which are members of the Council.” The Council of the AAUP adopted the statement in October 1966, and the Fifty-third Annual Meeting endorsed it in April 1967. In November 1966, the executive committee of the AGB took action by which that organization also “recognizes the statement as a significant step forward in the clarification of the respective roles of governing boards, faculties, and administrations,” and “commends it to the governing boards which are members of the Association.” (In April 1990, the Council of the AAUP adopted several changes in language in order to remove gender-specific references from the original text.)

I. INTRODUCTION

This statement is a call to mutual understanding regarding the government of colleges and universities. Understanding, based on community of interest and producing joint effort, is essential for at least three reasons. First, the academic institution, public or private, often has become less autonomous; buildings, research, and student tuition are supported by funds over which the college or university exercises a diminishing control. Legislative and executive governmental authorities, at all levels, play a part in the making of important decisions in academic policy. If these voices and forces are to be successfully heard and integrated, the academic institution must be in a position to meet them with its own generally unified view. Second, regard for the welfare of the institution remains important despite the mobility and interchange of scholars.  Third, a college or university in which all the components are aware of their interdependence, of the usefulness of communication among themselves, and of the force of joint action will enjoy increased capacity to solve educational problems.

II. THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTION: JOINT EFFORT

A. Preliminary Considerations

The variety and complexity of the tasks performed by institutions of higher education produce an inescapable interdependence among governing board, administration, faculty, students, and others. The relationship calls for adequate communication among these components, and full opportunity for appropriate joint planning and effort.  Joint effort in an academic institution will take a variety of forms appropriate to the kinds of situations encountered. In some instances, an initial exploration or recommendation will be made by the president with consideration by the faculty at a later stage; in other instances, a first and essentially definitive recommendation will be made by the faculty, subject to the endorsement of the president and the governing board. In still others, a substantive contribution can be made when student leaders are responsibly involved in the process. Although the variety of such approaches may be wide, at least two general conclusions regarding joint effort seem clearly warranted: (1) important areas of action involve at one time or another the initiating capacity and decision-making participation of all the institutional components, and (2) differences in the weight of each voice, from one point to the next, should be determined by reference to the responsibility of each component for the particular matter at hand, as developed hereinafter.

B. Determination of General Educational Policy

The general educational policy, i.e., the objectives of an institution and the nature, range, and pace of its efforts, is shaped by the institutional charter or by law, by tradition and historical development, by the present needs of the community of the institution, and by the professional aspirations and standards of those directly involved in its work. Every board will wish to go beyond its formal trustee obligation to conserve the accomplishment of the past and to engage seriously with the future; every faculty will seek to conduct an operation worthy of scholarly standards of learning; every administrative officer will strive to meet his or her charge and to attain the goals of the institution. The interests of all are coordinate and related, and unilateral effort can lead to confusion or conflict. Essential to a solution is a reasonably explicit statement on general educational policy. Operating responsibility and authority, and procedures for continuing review, should be clearly defined in official regulations. When an educational goal has been established, it becomes the responsibility primarily of the faculty to determine the appropriate curriculum and procedures of student instruction.

Special considerations may require particular accommodations: (1) a publicly supported institution may be regulated by statutory provisions, and (2) a church-controlled institution may be limited by its charter or bylaws. When such external requirements influence course content and the manner of instruction or research, they impair the educational effectiveness of the institution.

Such matters as major changes in the size or composition of the student body and the relative emphasis to be given to the various elements of the educational and research program should involve participation of governing board, administration, and faculty prior to final decision.

C. Internal Operations of the Institution

The framing and execution of long-range plans, one of the most important aspects of institutional responsibility, should be a central and continuing concern in the academic community.

Effective planning demands that the broadest possible exchange of information and opinion should be the rule for communication among the components of a college or university. The channels of communication should be established and maintained by joint endeavor. Distinction should be observed between the institutional system of communication and the system of responsibility for the making of decisions.

A second area calling for joint effort in internal operation is that of decisions regarding existing or prospective physical resources. The board, president, and faculty should all seek agreement on basic decisions regarding buildings and other facilities to be used in the educational work of the institution.

A third area is budgeting. The allocation of resources among competing demands is central in the formal responsibility of the governing board, in the administrative authority of the president, and in the educational function of the faculty. Each component should therefore have a voice in the determination of short- and long-range priorities, and each should receive appropriate analyses of past budgetary experience, reports on current budgets and expenditures, and short- and long-range budgetary projections. The function of each component in budgetary matters should be understood by all; the allocation of authority will determine the flow of information and the scope of participation in decisions.

Joint effort of a most critical kind must be taken when an institution chooses a new president. The selection of a chief administrative officer should follow upon a cooperative search by the governing board and the faculty, taking into consideration the opinions of others who are appropriately interested. The president should be equally qualified to serve both as the executive officer of the governing board and as the chief academic officer of the institution and the faculty. The president’s dual role requires an ability to interpret to board and faculty the educational views and concepts of institutional government of the other. The president should have the confidence of the board and the faculty.

The selection of academic deans and other chief academic officers should be the responsibility of the president with the advice of, and in consultation with, the appropriate faculty.

Determinations of faculty status, normally based on the recommendations of the faculty groups involved, are discussed in Part V of this statement; but it should here be noted that the building of a strong faculty requires careful joint effort in such actions as staff selection and promotion and the granting of tenure. Joint action should also govern dismissals; the applicable principles and procedures in these matters are well established.

D. External Relations of the Institution

Anyone-a member of the governing board, the president or other member of the administration, a member of the faculty, or a member of the student body or the alumni-affects the institution when speaking of it in public. An individual who speaks unofficially should so indicate. An individual who speaks officially for the institution, the board, the administration, the faculty, or the student body should be guided by established policy.

It should be noted that only the board speaks legally for the whole institution, although it may delegate responsibility to an agent.

The right of a board member, an administrative officer, a faculty member, or a student to speak on general educational questions or about the administration and operations of the individual’s own institution is a part of that person’s right as a citizen and should not be abridged by the institution.2 There exist, of course, legal bounds relating to defamation of character, and there are questions of propriety.

III. THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTION: THE GOVERNING BOARD

The governing board has a special obligation to ensure that the history of the college or university shall serve as a prelude and inspiration to the future.  The board helps relate the institution to its chief community: for example, the community college to serve the educational needs of a defined population area or group, the church-controlled college to be cognizant of the announced position of its denomination, and the comprehensive university to discharge the many duties and to accept the appropriate new challenges which are its concern at the several levels of higher education.

The governing board of an institution of higher education in the United States operates, with few exceptions, as the final institutional authority. Private institutions are established by charters; public institutions are established by constitutional or statutory provisions. In private institutions the board is frequently self-perpetuating; in public colleges and universities the present membership of a board may be asked to suggest candidates for appointment. As a whole and individually, when the governing board confronts the problem of succession, serious attention should be given to obtaining properly qualified persons. Where public law calls for election of governing board members, means should be found to ensure the nomination of fully suited persons, and the electorate should be informed of the relevant criteria for board membership.

Since the membership of the board may embrace both individual and collective competence of recognized weight, its advice or help may be sought through established channels by other components of the academic community. The governing board of an institution of higher education, while maintaining a general overview, entrusts the conduct of administration to the administrative officers-the president and the deans-and the conduct of teaching and research to the faculty. The board should undertake appropriate self-limitation.

One of the governing board’s important tasks is to ensure the publication of codified statements that define the overall policies and procedures of the institution under its jurisdiction.

The board plays a central role in relating the likely needs of the future to predictable resources; it has the responsibility for husbanding the endowment; it is responsible for obtaining needed capital and operating funds; and in the broadest sense of the term it should pay attention to personnel policy. In order to fulfill these duties, the board should be aided by, and may insist upon, the development of long-range planning by the administration and faculty. When ignorance or ill will threatens the institution or any part of it, the governing board must be available for support. In grave crises it will be expected to serve as a champion. Although the action to be taken by it will usually be on behalf of the president, the faculty, or the student body, the board should make clear that the protection it offers to an individual or a group is, in fact, a fundamental defense of the vested interests of society in the educational institution.3

IV. THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTION: THE PRESIDENT

The president, as the chief executive officer of an institution of higher education, is measured largely by his or her capacity for institutional leadership. The president shares responsibility for the definition and attainment of goals, for administrative action, and for operating the communications system which links the components of the academic community. The president represents the institution to its many publics. The president’s leadership role is supported by delegated authority from the board and faculty.

As the chief planning officer of an institution, the president has a special obligation to innovate and initiate. The degree to which a president can envision new horizons for the institution, and can persuade others to see them and to work toward them, will often constitute the chief measure of the president’s administration.

The president must at times, with or without support, infuse new life into a department; relatedly, the president may at times be required, working within the concept of tenure, to solve problems of obsolescence. The president will necessarily utilize the judgments of the faculty but may also, in the interest of academic standards, seek outside evaluations by scholars of acknowledged competence.

It is the duty of the president to see to it that the standards and procedures in operational use within the college or university conform to the policy established by the governing board and to the standards of sound academic practice. It is also incumbent on the president to ensure that faculty views, including dissenting views, are presented to the board in those areas and on those issues where responsibilities are shared. Similarly, the faculty should be informed of the views of the board and the administration on like issues.

The president is largely responsible for the maintenance of existing institutional resources and the creation of new resources; has ultimate managerial responsibility for a large area of nonacademic activities; is responsible for public understanding; and by the nature of the office is the chief person who speaks for the institution. In these and other areas the president’s work is to plan, to organize, to direct, and to represent. The presidential function should receive the general support of board and faculty.

V. THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTION: THE FACULTY

The faculty has primary responsibility for such fundamental areas as curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, research, faculty status, and those aspects of student life which relate to the educational process. On these matters the power of review or final decision lodged in the governing board or delegated by it to the president should be exercised adversely only in exceptional circumstances, and for reasons communicated to the faculty. It is desirable that the faculty should, following such communication, have opportunity for further consideration and further transmittal of its views to the president or board. Budgets, personnel limitations, the time element, and the policies of other groups, bodies, and agencies having jurisdiction over the institution may set limits to realization of faculty advice.

The faculty sets the requirements for the degrees offered in course, determines when the requirements have been met, and authorizes the president and board to grant the degrees thus achieved.

Faculty status and related matters are primarily a faculty responsibility; this area includes appointments, reappointments, decisions not to reappoint, promotions, the granting of tenure, and dismissal. The primary responsibility of the faculty for such matters is based upon the fact that its judgment is central to general educational policy. Furthermore, scholars in a particular field or activity have the chief competence for judging the work of their colleagues; in such competence it is implicit that responsibility exists for both adverse and favorable judgments. Likewise, there is the more general competence of experienced faculty personnel committees having a broader charge. Determinations in these matters should first be by faculty action through established procedures, reviewed by the chief academic officers with the concurrence of the board. The governing board and president should, on questions of faculty status, as in other matters where the faculty has primary responsibility, concur with the faculty judgment except in rare instances and for compelling reasons which should be stated in detail.

The faculty should actively participate in the determination of policies and procedures governing salary increases.

The chair or head of a department, who serves as the chief representative of the department within an institution, should be selected either by departmental election or by appointment following consultation with members of the department and of related departments; appointments should normally be in conformity with department members’ judgment. The chair or department head should not have tenure in office; tenure as a faculty member is a matter of separate right. The chair or head should serve for a stated term but without prejudice to reelection or to reappointment by procedures which involve appropriate faculty consultation. Board, administration, and faculty should all bear in mind that the department chair or head has a special obligation to build a department strong in scholarship and teaching capacity.

Agencies for faculty participation in the government of the college or university should be established at each level where faculty responsibility is present. An agency should exist for the presentation of the views of the whole faculty. The structure and procedures for faculty participation should be designed, approved, and established by joint action of the components of the institution. Faculty representatives should be selected by the faculty according to procedures determined by the faculty.4

The agencies may consist of meetings of all faculty members of a department, school, college, division, or university system, or may take the form of faculty-elected executive committees in departments and schools and a faculty-elected senate or council for larger divisions or the institution as a whole.

The means of communication among the faculty, administration, and governing board now in use include: (1) circulation of memoranda and reports by board committees, the administration, and faculty committees, (2) joint ad hoc committees, (3) standing liaison committees, (4) membership of faculty members on administrative bodies, and (5) membership of faculty members on governing boards. Whatever the channels of communication, they should be clearly understood and observed.

ON STUDENT STATUS

When students in American colleges and universities desire to participate responsibly in the government of the institution they attend, their wish should be recognized as a claim to opportunity both for educational experience and for involvement in the affairs of their college or university. Ways should be found to permit significant student participation within the limits of attainable effectiveness. The obstacles to such participation are large and should not be minimized: inexperience, untested capacity, a transitory status which means that present action does not carry with it subsequent responsibility, and the inescapable fact that the other components of the institution are in a position of judgment over the students. It is important to recognize that student needs are strongly related to educational experience, both formal and informal.

Students expect, and have a right to expect, that the educational process will be structured, that they will be stimulated by it to become independent adults, and that they will have effectively transmitted to them the cultural heritage of the larger society. If institutional support is to have its fullest possible meaning, it should incorporate the strength, freshness of view, and idealism of the student body.

The respect of students for their college or university can be enhanced if they are given at least these opportunities: (1) to be listened to in the classroom without fear of institutional reprisal for the substance of their views, (2) freedom to discuss questions of institutional policy and operation, (3) the right to academic due process when charged with serious violations of institutional regulations, and (4) the same right to hear speakers of their own choice as is enjoyed by other components of the institution.

Endnotes:

1. See the “1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure,” AAUP, Policy Documents and Reports, 9th ed. (Washington, D.C., 2001), 3-10, and the “1958 Statement on Procedural Standards in Faculty Dismissal Proceedings,” ibid., 11-14. These statements were jointly adopted by the Association of American Colleges (now the Association of American Colleges and Universities) and the American Association of University Professors; the “1940 Statement” has been endorsed by numerous learned and scientific societies and educational associations.
2. With respect to faculty members, the “1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedo and Tenure” reads: “College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers of an educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes special obligations. As scholars and educational officers, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution” (Policy Documents and Reports, 4).
3. Traditionally, governing boards developed within the context of single-campus institutions. In more recent times, governing and coordinating boards have increasingly tended to develop at the multi-campus regional, systemwide, or statewide levels. As influential components of the academic community, these supra-campus bodies bear particular responsibility for protecting the autonomy of individual campuses or institutions under their jurisdiction and for implementing policies of shared responsibility. The American Association of University Professors regards the objectives and practices recommended in the “Statement on Government” as constituting equally appropriate guidelines for such supra-campus bodies, and looks toward continued development of practices that will facilitate application of such guidelines in this new context. [Preceding note adopted by AAUP’s Council in June 1978.]
4. The American Association of University Professors regards collective bargaining, properly used, as another means of achieving sound academic government. Where there is faculty collective bargaining, the parties should seek to ensure appropriate institutional governance structures which will protect the right of all faculty to participate in institutional governance in accordance with the “Statement on Government.” [Preceding note adopted by the Council in June 1978.]

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