Rules and Procedures of the University Faculty Senate

October 10, 2016 – Resolution concerning editing the Faculty Handbook

Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee (Prasad Dhurjati, Chair) and co-sponsors Senator Ackerman, Courtright, Eidelman, Fox, Galileo, Hastings, Keefe, Keeler, McLane for the request to approve a resolution concerning revisions to the Faculty Handbook (attachment)

Whereas, the Faculty Senate functions as the standing executive committee of the Faculty of the University of Delaware and, as such, exercises all the powers vested in the Faculty by the Board of Trustees, and

Whereas, the Faculty Handbook contains the major academic and educational policies and regulations of the University and shall be maintained jointly by the Faculty Senate and the Provost’s Office, be it therefore

Resolved, that any changes made to the Faculty Handbook first must be approved by the Faculty Senate as stipulated in Section 3.2.3.2 of the Board of Trustees Bylaws, and be it further

Resolved, that such changes made must be implemented and recorded as specified on the “Form for Approval of Changes to the UD Faculty Handbook,” which is attached and be it further

Resolved, that any changes made without the prior approval of the Faculty Senate shall be removed from the Faculty Handbook (subject to Section 3.2.3.2 of the Board’s Bylaws).

April 2013 – Review of the Academic Calendar
Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee (Sheldon Pollack,
Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Deni
Galileo, Chair) and the Rules Committee (Anu Sivaraman, Chair) for the approval
of a resolution concerning review of the Academic Calendar

WHEREAS,the Registrar and the senior administration of the University of
Delaware approve the academic calendars for the University several years in
advance; and
WHEREAS,the Faculty Senate reviews such academic calendars that are approved
by the Registrar and the senior administration; and
WHEREAS, there is no current procedure for such review by the Faculty
Senate, nor is there a committee with express jurisdiction to conduct such review;
and
WHEREAS, the Coordinating Committee on Education has broad
representation of faculty and considerable experience with academic issues, and
thus is the most appropriate standing committee to review the academic calendars
on behalf of the Faculty Senate; be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the rules and procedures of the Faculty Senate shall be
amended to provide that the academic calendars that are approved by the Registrar
and the senior administration shall be submitted to the Coordinating Committee on
Education for review, and thereafter, submitted to the Faculty Senate by the
Coordinating Committee on Education as a point of information.

New Rule and Procedure of the Faculty Senate:
The Coordinating Committee on Education shall be charged with the duty of
reviewing those academic calendars that are approved from time to time by the
Registrar and senior administration of the University. The Committee shall inform
the Faculty Senate as a point of information of such approved and reviewed
academic calendars at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Senate.

November 2012 Eligibility for Faculty Senate Officers and Committee Chairs

Recommendation from Senators Galileo, Buell, Hastings, Heinz, Jebb, Johnson, Morgan, and Morrison with the concurrence of the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Anu Sivaraman, Chairperson) and the Executive Committee (Sheldon Pollack, Chairperson) for the approval of a resolution defining eligibility for Faculty Senate Officers and Committee Chairs (attachment 1)

Whereas,   the Faculty Senate functions as the standing executive committee of the Faculty of the University of Delaware and, as such, exercises the powers vested in the Faculty by the Board of Trustees, and

Whereas,   Senate Officers (President, President Elect, Past President, Vice President, Secretary, Parliamentarian, and Chair of Committee on Committees and Nominations) comprise the Senate Executive Committee, which is charged with many important Senate duties including consideration of agenda items for Senate meetings, and

Whereas,  Senate committee Chairs also perform leadership roles in conducting Senate business, and

Whereas,  Senate Officers and committee Chairs now can be elected or appointed from all full-time voting Faculty of the University, and

Whereas,  the University exists, in part, to foster the free exchange of ideas and, thus, this should be manifest in Senate discussions and committee meetings, and

Whereas,   University administrators are represented adequately in the Senate as non-elected Senators and members of multiple Senate committees, and

Whereas,  a Senate Officer or committee Chair would have potential conflicts of interest if he or she also held an administrative appointment at the University, be it therefore

Resolved,  that the bylaws of the faculty be amended as in attachment 1 above to read as follows: that eligibility for nomination, appointment, or service as Senate Officers or committee Chairs shall be restricted to full-time voting Faculty who are not appointed to serve in an official capacity for the Offices of the President, the Provost, any Vice President, or the Dean of any College, including but not limited to administrative officers of the University (including deputy, associate, assistant and vice provosts), academic deans (including deputy, associate and assistant deans), and department chairs or academic program directors (as defined in the Policy Guide for Department Chairs and Academic Program Directors). Faculty who serve in a temporary capacity for an administrative office as a member of a search committee, standing committee, or ad hoc committee shall not be deemed ineligible because of this service.

December 2011 – Resolution Concerning the Academic Reorganization of the University of Delaware

Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Anu Sivaraman, Chairperson) with the concurrence of the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chairperson) for the approval of a resolution concerning the Academic Reorganization of the University of Delaware

WHEREAS,     it is important that the University exhibits complete transparency during the restructuring of colleges and other academic units,

WHEREAS,     change in academic structure is an issue that benefits from as much input as possible,

WHEREAS,     faculty and other personnel who have a vested interest in such proposed changes should have the opportunity to not only be aware of such proposal but to be afforded sufficient time to enter into debate, be it therefore

RESOLVED,   that any proposal to restructure a college or any other academic unit initiated either by an academic unit or by the Provost or any other person in a senior leadership position at the UD be communicated in writing to the Faculty Senate, and the Deans, the chairs and the faculty directly impacted by such proposal within 10 (business) days of the initial public (campus) declaration of the proposal in any format.

March 2011 – Resolutions to Change Policies in Faculty Handbook (Attachment 1)
Recommendation from Senators Galileo, Bruening, Hastings, Morgan and Izard
concerning resolutions to change an existing policy or introduce a new policy
within the University of Delaware Faculty Handbook with the concurrence of the
Executive Committee (John Madsen, Chair).

WHEREAS, the business brought before the University Faculty Senate is of vital
importance to the operation of the University of Delaware, and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the University of Delaware that Faculty
Senators make the most informed decisions possible at their meetings, and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the University of Delaware that Faculty
Senate business is conducted in an efficient manner, and
WHEREAS, insofar as possible, Faculty Senate business should be conducted in
an open, transparent and straightforward manner, and
WHEREAS, changes made to the University of Delaware Faculty Handbook
potentially affect all Faculty at the University, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the following conditions must be met when a Resolution which
changes an existing policy or introduces a new policy in the University of
Delaware Faculty Handbook is acted upon by the Faculty Senate. Any such
Resolution that does not meet these conditions shall not be acted upon by the
Faculty Senate.

1) A proposed Resolution that changes an existing policy will have one attachment
(referred to as “Attachment 1”) that states the original policy and contains a
strikethrough of everything to be deleted from and underlines everything to be
inserted into the original policy. Additional attachments may be provided as
appropriate.
2) A Resolution that introduces a new policy will have an “Attachment 1” that
states the proposed policy is new and not a modification of an existing policy. It
will also contain the proposed policy.
A request was made to amend “It” to “Attachment 1”
A question was raised regarding this and discussed. The question was called and
the call was approved. The modification was approved.
3) If the proposed Resolution is amended on the Senate floor, it shall not be voted
on at that meeting unless a two-thirds majority of the Senate members present
agree to vote on the final amended Resolution. If the two-thirds threshold is not
met, it shall be placed on the agenda of the next Faculty Senate meeting for
reconsideration and will include a modified “Attachment 1” that incorporates the
changes of the amendment.