Ohio Administrative Code
Title 3359 - University of Akron
Chapter 3359-10 - Governance Structure and Bylaws; Rules of the University Council; Bylaws of Faculty Senate
Section 3359-10-02 - The university of Akron bylaws of the faculty senate

(1) Formulate suitable rules, requirements, and procedures for the admission, government, management, and control of the students, courses of study, granting of degrees and certificates, and other internal affairs of the institution necessary to meet the objectives of the university, subject to the approval of the board of trustees, in accordance with the established policies of the board.

(2) Review and offer recommendations concerning proposals for the creation, abolition, or rearrangement of colleges, departments, schools, or divisions of instruction, proposals from university-wide committees, and such other matters as may be referred to the senate by the president of the university. Such proposals shall be forwarded to the executive committee for inclusion on the agenda of senate meetings.

(3) University-wide committees created by the senate shall report to the senate unless otherwise indicated by the senate.

(4) All legislation introduced in the faculty senate shall be designated as such; and if passed, shall be forwarded to the president, with the exception of changes to curriculum. Within forty-five days of receipt of the legislation, the president shall:

(5) Curriculum change proposals that are approved by the faculty senate shall be forwarded to the office of academic affairs. The executive vice president and provost or their designee shall, within two weeks, approve or disapprove any curriculum change proposals forwarded to it by the faculty senate and shall inform the originator of the proposal and the faculty senate of their decision. If a proposal is disapproved, a statement of the reason(s) for the disapproval shall be included. If the executive vice president and provost, or their designee, is unable to approve or disapprove a proposal within two weeks, they shall notify the chair of the faculty senate of such inability, the reason(s) therefor, and the date by which they expect to act on the proposal.

(6) The senate shall elect a representative to the Ohio faculty council, who serves in that capacity along with the chair of the senate.

(1) Officers. The faculty senate shall elect a chair, vice chair, and secretary biennially from among the membership of the faculty senate. The election shall be by majority vote using a secret ballot. Except for the ex-chair serving pursuant to paragraph (C)(2) of this rule, members of the executive committee shall serve for two years.

(2) Duties of the chair. The chair of the senate presides over regular meetings of the senate, calls special meetings of the faculty senate, acts as or designates the official spokesperson for the faculty senate in all of its external communications, serves on the Ohio faculty council, administers the budget of the senate, serves as chairperson of the executive committee of the senate, forwards to the president all legislation and recommendations passed by the senate, supervises (jointly with the secretary) the clerical staff of the senate, and undertakes such tasks as are directed by the senate. Upon the expiration of the chair's term of office, the ex-chair shall for one year be a voting member ex officio of the senate if he or she otherwise would not be a member. During that period, the ex-chair shall also be a voting member ex officio of the executive committee.

(3) Duties of the vice chair. Assists the chair in such ways as the latter may request; and in the absence of the chair, the vice chair presides over the meetings of the senate.

(4) Duties of the secretary. The secretary of the senate prepares and posts the minutes of the senate meetings; assists the chair in such ways as the latter may request; has custody (jointly with the chair) of the books, records, physical facilities, and tangible property of the senate; supervises (jointly with the chair) the clerical staff of the senate; and arranges for the orderly conduct of the business of the senate. In the absence of the chair and the vice chair, the secretary presides over meetings of the senate.

(5) Executive committee. The chair, vice chair, secretary, and four elected members of the senate will serve as the executive committee of the senate. The executive committee of the senate will have the following responsibilities:

(1) The faculty senate shall create such committees as it deems appropriate to the conduct of its business.

(2) The executive committee, at its discretion, may invite non-members of the senate to serve on senate committees.

(3) In special cases, the senate may choose to make part or all of the membership on a committee elective rather than appointed by the executive committee.

(4) The senate committees shall yearly elect their own chairs, who, if not otherwise members of the faculty senate, shall become ex officio, non-voting members.

(5) For organizational purposes, the committees of the senate will have either of two forms:

(1) The faculty rights and responsibilities committee ("FRRC").

(2) Graduate council. The faculty senate delegates to the graduate council operational responsibility over all matters concerning graduate education, but reserves to itself the right to take up any matters it deems necessary. Action taken by the graduate council that requires faculty senate approval shall be reported to the senate for final approval. Graduate council shall be composed of two members of the faculty senate who have category two or three graduate faculty status and the elected members of the graduate council.

(1) Permanent committees of the senate shall be academic investment; academic policies; curriculum review; athletics; university libraries; faculty research; computing and communication technologies; accessibility; part-time faculty; and program review.

(2) Members of the executive committee shall, in May, and after considering preferences of senate members and then non-senate members, appoint all permanent and ad hoc committees of the senate. To provide some continuity of membership for each committee, the executive committee shall appoint committee members so that, if possible, only one-third of the membership of any committee is terminated each year and members serve a three-year term. At the first meeting of each committee, the committee shall elect its chair.

(3) If not already a member of the senate, the chair of each permanent committee shall become an ex-officio, non-voting member for reporting purposes only. Ex-officio members of permanent committees shall be non-voting unless they are members of the senate.

(4) Academic investment committee.

(5) Academic policies committee.

(6) Athletics committee.

(7) University libraries committee.

(8) Faculty research committee (faculty projects).

(9) Computer and communications technologies committee.

(10) Curriculum review committee.

(11) Accessibility committee.

(12) Part-time faculty committee.

(13) Program review committee.

(14) Subcommittees. Each committee may establish subcommittees as it sees fit and having established a subcommittee, may abolish it. No person who is not a member of a standing (permanent) committee may serve as a member of its subcommittees except by appointment of the executive committee. It is each committee chair's responsibility to maintain minutes and pass them on to the incoming chair.

(1) The number of meetings of the faculty senate shall be determined by the faculty senate as appropriate for the conduct of its business, but at least two general meetings will be held each semester. All reasonable efforts will be made to schedule regular meetings at a standard time and day to permit coordination of senators' teaching schedules with meeting times.

(2) All meetings of the faculty senate shall be open to members of the university community. Non-members of the senate may make a request to address the senate. Such requests to speak will be granted subject to a vote of the senate.

(3) All meetings of the senate will be announced at least two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting unless the senate declares itself to be meeting in emergency session.

(4) Requests to have items placed on the agenda of the senate must be submitted in writing to the secretary of the senate at least two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting of the senate.

(5) Items referred to the senate by the president of the university, or the president's designee, for the good of the university, will be automatically placed on the agenda of the senate.

(6) A petition of ten members of the senate may force an item on the agenda of the senate.

(7) A detailed agenda will be distributed one week before the meeting.

(8) A majority of the members of the senate shall constitute a quorum.

(9) A roll call vote will be conducted if requested by any senator.

(10) One permanent item on the agenda shall be presidential remarks.

(11) Special meetings may be called at any time by the chair, or by the executive committee, or upon petition by any seven senate members who present their request in writing to the chair. Announcements of special meetings will contain an agenda for the meeting.

(12) Senate members are expected to regard attendance at all meetings as a primary obligation to their colleagues and to the university. When conflicting professional duties, imperative personal affairs, or illness make attendance at a given meeting impossible, senate members are expected to notify the secretary in advance of the meetings. Such absence will be separately listed in the minutes as absences with notice. Senators are expected to attend meetings in person. When a virtual meeting option is available, those with a compelling reason to attend remotely should request permission by contacting the chair prior to the meeting.

(1) Eligibility. Members of the faculty senate shall be elected from the members of the full-time faculty of the university of Akron, excluding deans, department chairs, and other primarily administrative officers with faculty rank; from the part-time faculty; from students; from full-time academic advisors; and from retired faculty.

(2) Apportionment.

(3) Diversity. To insure the representation of diverse views, all reasonable efforts should be made by the various electing units to elect members of underrepresented groups to the senate. The senate may appoint up to three additional members from full-time faculty to increase diversity.

(4) Electorate.

(5) Terms of office.

(6) Elections.

(1) Proposal. Proposed amendments to this rule may be placed on the agenda of a regular or special meeting of the faculty senate by a member of the senate or by petition of twenty per cent of the voting members of the faculty.

(2) Procedure. A vote by the senate on a proposed amendment may be taken only after at least twenty-seven days have elapsed from the date on which the proposal was formally presented to the senate.

(3) Majority. Prior to submission to the board of trustees, a proposed amendment requires the concurrence of sixty per cent of the votes cast by members of the faculty senate.

(1) Material support. The faculty senate shall have suitable office space, a budget for appropriate expenditures, and at least one full-time secretary for support of its activities.

(2) Assigned time. The officers of the senate will receive at least one three-credit course equivalent per semester assigned time for support of their service.

(3) Schedules. Collegiate deans, department and division chairs, and directors of schools are to use all reasonable efforts to provide members of the senate with course schedules permitting attendance at regular meetings of the senate.

(4) Records. All inactive documentary material and related records of the senate will be deposited in and catalogued by the university archives.