University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Senate

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Senate Bylaws

As amended through February 5, 2024
Downloadable version of the Bylaws


  1. Meetings
  2. Senate Committees
  3. Elections
  4. Standing Committees
    1. Senate Executive Committee
    2. Academic Freedom and Tenure
    3. Admissions
    4. Budget
    5. Campus Operations
    6. Committee on Committees
    7. Council on Student Conduct Expectations and Accountability (fka Conference on Conduct Governance)
    8. Educational Policy
    9. Elections and Credentials
    10. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    11. Faculty and Academic Staff Benefits
    12. General University Policy
    13. Honorary Degrees
    14. Information Technology
    15. Library
    16. Public Engagement and Outreach
    17. Student Discipline
    18. University Senates Conference
    19. University Statutes and Senate Procedures
    20. University Student Life
  5. Governance, Advisory, and Other Bodies
    1. Athletic Board
    2. Faculty Advisory Committee
    3. General Education Board
    4. Joint Advisory Committee on Investment, Licensing, and Naming Rights
    5. State Universities Retirement System Members Advisory Committee
    6. Faculty Advisory Council to the Illinois Board of Higher Education
    7. Military Education Council
    8. Research Policy Committee
  6. General Provisions

This section as amended through November 14, 2022

Part A - Meetings

  1. The Presiding Officer of the Senate or the Presiding Officer’s designee shall preside at Senate meetings. The Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee shall be invited to give remarks and respond to questions from senators, unless the Senate Executive Committee has provided otherwise.

  2. Regular meetings of the Senate shall be held at least six times during the academic year. Dates and times of such meetings for the next year shall be proposed by the Senate Executive Committee and approved by the Senate at the last regular meeting of the academic year.

  3. The Senate Executive Committee shall prepare an agenda for each regular Senate meeting, extensive enough to describe the subject of each agenda item. The Clerk of the Senate shall send the agenda and meeting materials to all senators and news media at least four days prior to that meeting. A senator or Senate committee may propose an agenda item to be included on the agenda of a specific regular Senate meeting. Proposed items may be postponed one regular Senate meeting for further study, but may not be postponed beyond the last regular meeting of the academic year (See Standing Rules). According to the Open Meetings Act, items not included on the agenda may be discussed but may not be acted upon at the meeting at which they are introduced.

  4. The minutes of Senate meetings shall be recorded by the Clerk of the Senate and, as approved or amended by the Senate, shall be the official and permanent record of Senate action and debate. Copies of the minutes shall be distributed to all members of the Senate within a reasonable time after each Senate meeting.

  5. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Senate in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with Constitution, Bylaws, and Standing Rules of the Senate, as provided in the Statutes, Article XIII, Section 5.

    1. One organizational meeting shall be held after the general election of senators and before the last day of classes. Newly elected senators, those senators whose terms extend through the next year, and ex officio senators shall be eligible to participate.

    2. Prior to this organizational meeting, nominations shall be made for the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Senate Executive Committee, the Presiding Officer of the Senate, and members of the Committee on Committees.

    3. The nomination and election of the Committee on Committees shall be as stated in Part D.6.c of these Bylaws.

      1. Nominations for Executive Committee officers and the Presiding Officer of the Senate shall be made by the incumbent Committee on Committees. Nominations may also be made by others and must be accompanied by consent to serve from the person nominated. Nominations must be received in the Office of the Senate prior to the date set by the Senate Executive Committee. The nominations will clearly distinguish between Chair and Vice-Chair of the Senate Executive Committee, and Presiding Officer of the Senate. The nominator shall provide a brief biographical sketch of each nominee.

      2. Final elections shall be by separate ballots. Each senator may cast one vote for each position. Biographical sketches shall be included with the ballots.

      3. The nominee receiving the highest number of votes for each position shall be declared elected.
    4. As soon as the names of the nominees for a new Senate are known, the incumbent Committee on Committees will commence its work of nominating, as needed for the coming year, chairs and members of the other standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate and the Senate representatives to various other bodies. The Committee's nominations shall be reported at the organizational meeting of the new Senate. After nominations from the floor, the Senate shall hold the elections. At the election meeting, the Senate shall elect three faculty members of the Senate Executive Committee from among those who chair the standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate. Student members of the Senate shall elect the student members of the Senate Executive Committee before the organizational meeting.

    5. Certification of election results will be completed by the Clerk of the Senate entering those results in the minutes of the meeting.

    6. The incumbent Presiding Officer of the Senate or the Presiding Officer’s designee shall preside. The Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee shall be invited to give remarks, unless the Senate Executive Committee has provided otherwise.
  6. The Senate shall call an annual meeting of the faculty of the campus to hear reports from and to question the Senate Executive Committee and the administration. This meeting shall be presided over by the Presiding Officer of the Senate.

  7. The Senate Executive Committee shall be empowered to call special meetings of the Senate. At least five days prior to the proposed special meeting, notice of the date, time, place, and purpose of such a meeting shall be sent to all senators.

  8. If an emergency exists on the campus requiring the convening of the Senate within a period of time less than the five days necessary for the notice provided above, the Chancellor or the Chair of the Senate Executive Committee may declare that such an emergency exists and convene the Senate as soon as may be practicable. The Presiding Officer shall employ all practical means to notify all senators of the date, time, place, and purpose of such emergency meeting.

    1. Meetings of the Senate shall ordinarily be open to the public. Accredited representatives of the news media may observe Senate meetings, and facilities shall be provided for the public at large to listen to and, if physically feasible, to observe Senate proceedings.

    2. The Senate reserves the right to close its sessions in those cases in which public disclosure would substantially and adversely affect the matters being considered. A specific exemption of the Open Meetings Act [5 ILCS 120/2(c)] permitting the closure of the meeting must be cited before closing a session.

    3. This policy that Senate meetings are open to the public, and any implementing procedures, shall apply to the Senate when meeting as a body, and also to Senate committees and other constituent bodies.

    4. The text of the Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120/), including Section 2(c) setting out the permissible reasons for closing a meeting, maybe found at the following URL: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=84&ChapterID=2
  9. An administrative officer not a member of the Senate, expecting Senate debate on a matter of direct concern in the officer's official capacity, may request of the Senate the privilege of the floor at the time of that debate.

  10. A student who is an officer of a registered student organization and who is not a member of the Senate, expecting Senate debate on a matter of direct concern in the officer's official capacity, may request of the Senate the privilege of the floor at the time of that debate.

    1. Attendance is expected of all senators at all regularly scheduled Senate meetings, and of all committee members at regularly scheduled meetings of the Senate's committees.

    2. A Senator who is required to miss a regularly scheduled Senate meeting should notify the Clerk of the Senate prior to the meeting. A committee member who is required to miss a regularly scheduled meeting of a Senate committee should notify the committee chair prior to the meeting.

    3. If a Senator misses two consecutive regularly scheduled Senate meetings during an academic year and has failed to notify the Clerk of the Senate prior to such absences as described in subsection (b), the Clerk of the Senate shall notify the senator in writing that because of irregular attendance, the senator is presumed to have resigned from the Senate, effective as of the date of the letter.

    4. If a student is removed from the senate of the Illinois student government, the senate of the Illinois student government will notify the Clerk of the UIUC Senate. The Clerk of the Senate shall notify the senator in writing that, because of action of the senate of the Illinois student government, the senator is presumed to have resigned from the UIUC Senate, effective as of the date of the letter.

    5. Upon receipt of a letter described in subsection (c) or (d), the Senator may, within fourteen calendar days after the date of the letter, notify the Clerk of the Senate in writing of his or her desire to continue serving as a senator. Upon receipt of such a letter, the Clerk of the Senate shall reinstate the senator. If the senator fails to respond to a letter described in subsection (c) or (d) within fourteen calendar days after the date of the letter, the resignation becomes final.

    6. No senator may be reinstated more than once in any one Senate term under the procedures outlined in subsections (c), (d), and (e) above.

    7. If a senator's resignation becomes final under subsection (e) or (f), the Clerk of the Senate shall notify the senator's unit of that fact so that a replacement can be selected to serve the remainder of the resigned senator's term.

    8. If a committee member misses two consecutive regularly scheduled meetings of a committee of the Senate and has failed to notify the committee chair prior to such absences as described in subsection (b), the committee chair may notify the Clerk of the Senate of that fact. The Clerk of the Senate shall then notify the committee member in writing that because of irregular attendance, the committee member is presumed to have resigned from that committee, effective as of the date of the letter. Upon receipt of this letter, a committee member may be reinstated using the same procedures and subject to the same limitations described in subsections (e) and (f) above. If a committee member's resignation becomes final under these procedures, the Clerk of the Senate shall notify the chair of the Committee on Committees so that a replacement can be selected to serve the remainder of the resigned committee member's term.

    9. At the end of each semester, the Clerk of the Senate shall cause the attendance records for that semester of all senators at regularly scheduled Senate meetings to be published in any medium or publication chosen by the Clerk of the Senate .
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This section as amended through October 10, 2022

Part B - Senate Committees

  1. The Senate shall have a Senate Executive Committee, and such standing and ad hoc committees, with such duties and membership, as the Senate shall determine.

  2. The committees of the Senate shall identify those issues embodying substantive policy questions and present them in writing, with committee recommendations, to the Senate for consideration, in accordance with the procedure of Bylaw A.3.

  3. Committee members and chairs of committees other than the Committee on Committees shall be elected by the Senate. Committee chairs must be elected members of their committees.

  4. Ex officio committee members shall not have voting privileges except where otherwise expressly provided herein.

  5. The Committee on Committees shall make nominations for Chair and Vice-Chair of the Senate Executive Committee, the Presiding Officer of the Senate, and for members and chairs of standing and ad hoc committees, except for members of the Committee on Committees itself. Nominees for faculty and student positions need not necessarily be senators except where otherwise expressly provided herein, but must be members of the faculty or student electorate of the Urbana-Champaign campus or of the College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign. Nominees for academic professional positions must be members of the Professional Advisory Committee electorate of the Urbana-Champaign campus or of the College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign. A list of those nominated by the Committee on Committees shall be communicated to all senators in accordance with the due notice provision of the Constitution prior to each election for committee membership or chair. Additional nominations may be made from the floor. Whether from the Committee on Committees or from the floor, each nomination shall have the consent of the nominee. After nominations have closed, the Senate shall elect from the nominees those who are to serve. Ties will be broken by drawing lots.

  6. Unless otherwise provided herein or by the Senate at the time of election, faculty and academic professional members of standing committees shall be elected for terms of two years, about half being elected each year, and student and other members shall be elected for terms of one year. Terms of Executive Committee and other committee members shall begin on the first day of the academic year following election. The term of service for a member of an ad hoc committee shall begin upon election and continue until the individual is replaced or recalled or until the committee is discharged. Both senators and non-senators may be reelected to membership.

    1. A senator whose senatorial term expires before the committee term shall continue as a committee member. If, after election to a committee, a member of the faculty electorate or student electorate at the time of election ceases to be a member of that electorate, then that person shall cease to be a member of the committee. When a vacancy occurs, nomination and election of a replacement shall be in order and shall accord with relevant provisions of these Bylaws.

    2. A member of the Senate who resigns from an elected term will be presumed to have resigned also from all standing committees to which the member had been elected, unless the letter of resignation states the member's intention to continue as a member of one or more such committees.
    1. A committee may be dissolved or discharged from further duties by majority vote of the senators present and voting at a Senate meeting, provided that due notice of such proposed action has been given to the Senate.

    2. The Senate may recall any individual committee member by a majority vote of the senators present and voting at a Senate meeting, provided that due notice of such proposed action has been given to the Senate and to all members of the committee. Recall of an individual committee member shall immediately terminate service on that committee.
    1. Senate committees are authorized to act for and in the name of the Senate on minor matters. Such actions shall be reported promptly to the Senate and will stand unless the Senate, upon receiving such a report, takes jurisdiction of the matter for further consideration.

    2. Senate committees may serve as advisory bodies to the University Board of Trustees and to administrative officials. In such cases, the views of the committees shall be considered as the views of administrative advisory committees and not as the views of the Senate, and any reports made by the committees shall not be considered to be or identified as reports of the Senate unless they have been approved by the Senate.
  7. Each standing and ad hoc committee shall submit a written report of its activities and unfinished business to the Senate at the last regular meeting of the year, and a supplementary written report shall be submitted at the first regular meeting of the next year if, in the judgment of the committee chair, activity during the summer warrants such a supplementary report.

  8. In addition to the Senate’s standing and ad hoc committees, the Senate interacts with governance, advisory, and other bodies internal and external to the University, specified in the Bylaws, Part E. These bodies are not committees of the Senate and may be governed by additional policies beyond those contained in these Bylaws.
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This section as amended through December 7, 2020

Part C - Elections

  1. Timing of Elections and Election Rules
    1. Elections of senators shall take place during the spring semester. Election of faculty senators shall take place not later than the eighth week of the spring semester.

    2. The Senate may delegate to the organization that conducts elections on behalf of the governing organizations of the student body and/or the academic professional staff the authority to conduct Senate elections concurrently with other elections that it administers, pursuant to rules established by the Senate Committee on Elections and Credentials and subject to approval by the Senate.

    3. The Committee on Elections and Credentials shall establish Election Rules and Procedures, subject to approval by the Senate, by which all these elections shall be held.
  2. Elections and Credentials Committee
    1. Faculty: Each college or other similar educational division shall assist the Senate Committee on Elections and Credentials in the conduct of nominations and elections of faculty senators in that college or division.

    2. Academic Professionals: The Council of Academic Professionals shall be the elections and credentials committee for the academic professional electorate described in the Constitution, Article III, Section 1.

    3. Students: If the Senate has authorized the Campus Student Elections Commission to conduct student Senate elections, the Campus Student Elections Commission shall be the elections and credentials committee for the student electorate described in the Constitution, Article IV, Section 1.  If the Senate does not authorize the Campus Student Elections Commission to conduct student Senate elections, each college or other similar educational division shall conduct the student elections.
  3. Joint Affiliation

    A member of the electorate who is affiliated with two or more voting units may vote in and be elected from only one such unit, and shall designate the unit of choice by written notification to the Clerk of the Senate. Such designation shall remain in effect until such time as a change is approved by the Committee.

  4. Nomination and Election of Senators from the Student Electorate

    The procedure for nomination and election of senators elected by the student electorate shall be as follows:

    1. Any member of the student electorate who desires to run for election from the student's electorate unit shall submit a statement to that effect to the appropriate college or division elections and credentials committee.

    2. If found to be eligible, the student shall be deemed nominated, and the college or division committee shall have the student's name placed on the appropriate election ballot.

    3. Seats available in each election unit will be filled by ranking the number of votes received. The candidate or candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be elected first, then the candidate or candidates receiving the second highest number, and so on, until all available seats are filled.
  5. Nomination and Election of Senators from the Academic Professional Electorate

    The procedure for nomination and election of senators elected by the academic professional electorate shall be as follows:

    1. Any member of the academic professional electorate who desires to run for election shall submit a statement to that effect and a short biography to the elections and credentials committee.

    2. If found to be eligible, the member of the academic professional electorate shall be deemed nominated, and the elections and credentials committee shall have the person's name placed on the appropriate election ballot.

    3. The seat available in each election unit will be filled by the candidate receiving the highest number of votes. Ties will be decided by drawing lots or flipping a coin.
  6. Vacancies

    When a seat becomes vacant, it shall be filled in accordance with procedures established by the Senate Committee on Elections and Credentials.

  7. Recall Elections

    Petition: A recall election shall be held by a college or division or academic professional elections and credentials committee promptly upon receipt of an appropriate petition.

    1. Faculty: For recall of a faculty senator, the petition shall bear valid signatures of at least one-third of the members of the election unit.

    2. Student: For recall of a student senator, the petition shall bear valid signatures of at least one-third of the members of the election unit or of at least one-half as many members of the election unit as voted in the election in which the student senator was last elected, whichever is smaller.

    3. Academic Professional Staff: For recall of an academic professional senator, the petition shall bear valid signatures of at least one-third of the members of the election unit or of at least one-half as many members of the election unit as voted in the election in which the academic professional senator was last elected, whichever is smaller.

    Result: The result of the recall election shall be promptly reported to the Senate Committee on Elections and Credentials and by it to the Senate at its next regular meeting. When the report is accepted by the Senate, the seat of a recalled senator shall be declared vacant and the senator's name shall be forthwith removed from the list of members of the Senate.

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Part D—Standing Committees

This section as amended through January 26, 2023

1. Senate Executive Committee

a. Duties
The Senate Executive Committee shall:

  1. Initiate and guide the work of the Senate;

  2. Coordinate the activities of Senate committees, evaluate the functions of those committees, and conduct an annual review of the current status of ad hoc committees of the Senate, recommending appropriate action to the Senate;

  3. Prepare the agenda for Senate meetings in accordance with the Standing Rules;

  4. Request the Chancellor and Vice Chancellors inform the Senate Executive Committee of the formation, composition, and dissolution of any University-level committees that are of interest to the Senate and its committees;

  5. Inform the Senate periodically of such changes to University-level committees;

  6. Propose to the Senate a date and agenda for the annual meeting of the faculty and report to the faculty at that meeting (Bylaws, Part A.7);

  7. Schedule and supervise the organizing of the Senate in accordance with Part A of these Bylaws;

  8. Nominate members of the Committee on Committees in accordance with Bylaws, Part D.6.c;

  9. Provide advice to the Chancellor on the initial appointment and annual reappointment of the Vice Chancellors as required by the Statutes, Article III, paragraph 1g;

  10. Provide advice to the President on the initial appointment and annual reappointment of the Chancellor as required by the Statutes, Article I, section 5;

  11. Review nominees to the Campus Budget Oversight Committee (CBOC), Research Board, and Research Policy Committee;

  12. Provide a written plan of action as a report for information to the Senate in response to each of the findings and recommendations made by the commission to review the size, organization, structure, and operation of the Senate, as required by the Constitution, Article VI, Section 9; and

  13. Perform other duties as the Statutes or Senate shall specify.

b. Duties of the Chair and Vice-Chair
The Senate Executive Committee Chair shall:

  1. Establish and maintain liaison with the Chancellor, the Provost, relevant administrative offices, and, where appropriate, the President of the University and the Board of Trustees on matters of concern to the Senate;

  2. Establish and maintain liaison with the Office of Public Affairs and, where appropriate, with the press and the public;

  3. Establish and maintain relationships with the chair of each Senate committee, and regularly advise and support Senate committee chairs;

  4. Initiate reviews of standing Senate committees on a five-year rotation; and

  5. Perform other duties as the Senate or Senate Executive Committee shall specify.


The Senate Executive Committee Vice-Chair shall:

  1. Ensure that Senate committees submit and share annual reports with the Senate; and

  2. Perform other duties as the Senate Executive Committee or Senate Executive Committee Chair shall specify.

c. Membership

    1. The Senate Executive Committee shall consist of:

      1. a Chair and a Vice-Chair, elected by and from the membership of the Senate, and who shall be the presiding officers of the Senate Executive Committee;

      2. the Chair of the Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure;

      3. the Chair of the Committee on Committees;

      4. the Chair of the Committee on Educational Policy;

      5. the Chair of the Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion;

      6. the Chair of the Committee on General University Policy;

      7. the Chair of the Committee on Information Technology;

      8. the Chair of the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures;

      9. three faculty members elected by the Senate from among all remaining committee chairs willing to serve, elected as described in paragraph 2a;

      10. the Student Body Vice President and the Speaker of the Senate of the Illinois Student Government;

      11. two student members, including one undergraduate and one graduate or professional student, each of whom shall be elected by and from the student senators;

      12. one of the Senate's representatives to the University Senates Conference, who shall serve as a liaison between the two bodies and regularly update the Senate Executive Committee on the Conference’s activities, elected as described in paragraph 2b;

      13. the campus faculty member of the Faculty Advisory Council to the Board of Higher Education ex officio with vote,

      14. the Chair of the committee which performs the statutory function of the Professional Advisory Committee or the Chair's designee ex officio with vote,

      15. the Presiding Officer of the Senate or the Presiding Officer’s designee (ex officio), and

      16. the Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee (ex officio).

    2. Election of Members of the Senate Executive Committee

    1. The three faculty members from among all committee chairs who are not already members of the Senate Executive Committee specified in paragraph 1 and who consent to serve shall be elected by the Senate, with a runoff if necessary among the candidates receiving the five greatest number of votes, including all those tied.

    2. The representative of the University Senates Conference from among those members of the Committee on University Senates Conference who consent to serve shall be elected by the Senate.  A majority of votes shall be required to elect on the first ballot.  If a majority vote is not reached on the first ballot, a runoff election shall be held among the nominees who received the two greatest number of votes, including all of those tied.  A plurality of the votes cast shall be required to elect on the second ballot.

    3. In the event of a vacancy in the Chair position, the Vice-Chair shall immediately succeed to the position of Chair. In the event of a vacancy in the Vice-Chair position, an election by the Senate of a Vice-Chair shall be conducted at the next meeting of the Senate in accordance with the provisions of Part A, Section 5 (d). From the time the Vice-Chair position becomes vacant and until a Vice-Chair has been elected and certified, the sitting member of the Senate Executive Committee with longest university service shall serve as interim Vice-Chair. Any other vacancy on the Senate Executive Committee shall be filled by the same procedure to be used to select a member for the position.

    4. No person shall hold more than one seat on the Senate Executive Committee concurrently. In the event that a person qualifies for more than one seat concurrently, the list below shall be followed sequentially to select a replacement for each seat but the one retained.

    1. If the Senate Executive Committee Chair or Vice-Chair qualifies for more than one seat, that person must retain their seat as the Senate Executive Committee Chair or Vice-Chair. The concurrent seat shall be filled by an elected member of that body, nominated by the Committee on Committees, and elected by the Senate.

    2. If the campus faculty member of the Faculty Advisory Council to the Board of Higher Education qualifies for more than one seat, that person must retain their seat as the campus faculty member of the Faculty Advisory Council to the Board of Higher Education. The concurrent seat shall be filled by an elected member of that body, nominated by the Committee on Committees, and elected by the Senate.

    3. If a committee chair or the Senate's representative to the University Senates Conference qualifies for more than one seat, that person shall select which seat to retain. The concurrent seat shall be filled by an elected member or representative of that committee or body, nominated by the Committee on Committees, and elected by the Senate.
    All replacements shall be full members of the Senate Executive Committee in their own right. Replacement representatives to the Senate Executive Committee under this provision shall remain seated until the end of the academic year.

d. The officers and members of the Senate Executive Committee shall be elected for terms of one year. The Chair shall be released from other academic duties for one-half time, with this appointment funded from campus resources.

e. During the summer months, the Senate Executive Committee is authorized to act for and on behalf of the Senate on urgent matters that require immediate attention, with the stipulation that, before taking any such action, the Senate Executive Committee shall seek the advice of those senators present on campus. Any such emergency action taken by the Senate Executive Committee shall be reported to the Senate at the first regular meeting of the Senate following such emergency action.

This section as amended through September 18, 2023

2. Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure

  1. Duties
    The Committee:

    1. Shall serve as an authorized group to ensure

      1. the academic freedom of the tenure system and non-tenure system faculty, as well as other members of the academic staff,

      2. the tenure status of the tenure system faculty, and

      3. that unit governance is in accordance with the Statutes and unit bylaws;
    2. Shall conduct hearings in cases involving dismissal of faculty, as provided in the Statutes, Article X;

    3. Shall serve, as provided in Article IX, Section 6 of the Statutes, as the committee specified by the Senate to consult with the Chancellor on procedures for cases involving severe sanctions other than dismissal for cause for members of the faculty;

      1. Procedures shall include, at a minimum, consultation with the Committee on the determination that cause exists to initiate proceedings that might result in the imposition of serious sanctions, and

      2. Conduct hearings in such cases;
    4. May investigate instances of possible infringement of academic freedom, hear cases involving allegations of such infringement, and make such recommendations to the Chancellor and reports to the Senate as are appropriate; and

    5. May investigate and make recommendations regarding allegations of violations of the role of tenure and non-tenure system faculty in governance as specified in the Statutes and unit bylaws, while respecting the autonomy of the individual units, and report to the Chancellor and the Senate if appropriate changes are not made.
  2. Membership
    The Committee shall consist of:

    1. Seven tenure system faculty members whose administrative duties are below the level of deans and directors, with no two members from any one college, school, institute, or similar unit,

    2. One non-tenure system faculty member;

    3. One academic professional member; and

    4. Three students, of whom at least one shall be an undergraduate and at least one shall be a graduate or professional student.
  3. Acting as a hearing committee on a case for:

    1. Tenure system faculty member
      When the Committee is called to serve as a hearing committee under Article X, Section 1(e) or Section 2 of the Statutes on a case involving a tenure system faculty member, the non-tenure system faculty member, the academic professional member, and student members shall not participate in its activities or deliberations and shall not be counted as Committee members for determining the quorum.

    2. Non-tenure system faculty member
      When the Committee is called to serve as a hearing committee under Article IX, Section 12 or Article X, Section 2(d) of the Statutes on a case involving a non-tenure system faculty member, the academic professional member and the student members shall not participate in its activities or deliberations and shall not be counted as Committee members for determining the quorum.

    3. Other academic staff member
      When the Committee is called to serve as a hearing committee under Article IX, Section 12 or Article X, Section 2(d) of the Statutes on a case involving another member of the academic staff, as described in the Statutes under Article IX, Section 4, the student members shall not participate in its activities or deliberations and shall not be counted as Committee members for determining the quorum.
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This section as amended through July 13, 2020

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall:

      1. Consider matters of policy concerning campus standards and procedures for admission of students, and make reports and recommendations to the Associate Provost for Enrollment management and the Senate;

      2. Review outcomes of student-athlete admissions decisions, third-party communications, and decisions regarding student petitions to ensure ethical standards are maintained in procedures for admission.
    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Two faculty members from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and one faculty member from each other college, except the Graduate College;

      2. One academic professional member;

      3. Four student members, not more than one of whom may be a graduate or professional student;

      4. The Associate Provost for Enrollment Management or the Associate Provost's designee (ex officio); and

      5. A member of the Council of Undergraduate Deans (ex officio), selected by that committee;

      6. The Director of the Office of Minority Student Affairs or the Director’s designee (ex officio); and

      7. The Dean of the Graduate College or the Dean’s designee (ex officio).
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This section as amended through November 16, 2020

4. Committee on the Budget

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall:

      1. On behalf of the Senate, consult and advise the campus administration and members of the campus community on formulation of policies affecting the budget and on allocation of funds requested by and appropriated to the University of Illinois System and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign;

      2. Periodically collect information and data on matters related to the budget, which may include surveys;

      3. Monitor trends in government budgets that may affect the University of Illinois System and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign;

      4. Monitor the allocation of campus resources among different units of the campus, the processes and criteria followed in determining budgetary needs and in allocating existing and requested new resources, and the implications of budget decisions for educational policy and quality of academic and related programs in the University; and

      5. Regularly report on these matters and the committee’s relations with the University and campus administrators, making recommendations to the Senate as appropriate.

    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Five faculty members,

      2. One academic professional member,

      3. Two student members, and

      4. The Provost or the Provost's designee (ex officio).
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This section as amended through April 4, 2022

5. Committee on Campus Operations

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall:

      1. Identify and consider problems, needs, and concerns pertaining to campus administrative operations affecting academic activities and the academic environment, and recommend desirable changes in campus policy;

      2. Examine trends in campus operations here and in higher education generally and recommend appropriate changes in campus policy;

      3. Serve in a broad advisory capacity to the Chancellor;

      4. Report to the Senate newly adopted or proposed changes in policy or procedure when Senate advice or knowledge of the matter is appropriate;

      5. Monitor the availability of academic space using as guidelines resolutions adopted by the Senate for the assignment of academic space; and

      6. Consider the environmental sustainability of campus operations and recommend changes in campus policy to enhance the environmental stewardship of our campus.
    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Eight faculty members;

      2. One academic professional member;

      3. Two student members;

      4. One designee of the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (ex officio);

      5. The Executive Director of Facilities and Services or the Executive Director's designee (ex officio);

      6. The Director of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) or the Director's designee (ex officio);

      7. The Chair of the Student Sustainability Committee or the Chair's designee (ex officio); and

      8. The Vice Chancellor for Administration and Operations or the Vice Chancellor’s designee (ex officio).
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This section as amended through December 9, 2019

6. Committee on Committees

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall:

      Nominate the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Senate Executive Committee and appropriate numbers of persons to serve on standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate, and on other University bodies of which members are designated by the Senate.

    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Five senators who are members of the faculty electorate at the time of election, with no two from the same college, school, institute, or similar unit;

      2. Three senators who are members of the student electorate, with no two from the same college, school, institute, or similar unit, and at least one of whom shall be an undergraduate and at least one of whom shall be a graduate or professional student;

      3. One academic professional member elected by the Senate from nominations made by the Council of Academic Professionals; and

      4. The Clerk of the Senate or the Clerk's designee (ex officio).
    3. Nomination and Election of Faculty and Student Members

      1. Nominations for the Committee on Committees shall be made by the incumbent Senate Executive Committee. Nominations may also be made for faculty committee positions by faculty senators, and for student committee positions by student senators. Each nomination shall be accompanied by the consent of the nominee. Nominees must be senators at the time the committee term begins.

      2. If necessary, a preliminary ballot shall be held to reduce the number of faculty or student nominees, as the case may be, to twice the number of positions to be filled. In any such preliminary ballot, each student senator may vote for as many student nominees as there are student committee positions to be filled, and each faculty senator may vote for as many faculty nominees as there are faculty committee positions to be filled. Cumulative voting shall not be allowed.

        1. The final election shall be by ballot.

        2. The final ballot shall contain the names of at least twice as many faculty senators as there are faculty positions and at least twice as many student senators as there are student positions to be filled. Among the students named, there shall be at least two undergraduates if an undergraduate is to be elected and at least two graduate or professional students if a graduate or professional student is to be elected.

        3. If there was a preliminary ballot, the names on the final ballot shall be those of the nominees receiving the highest numbers of votes on that preliminary ballot.

        4. With respect to either the faculty nominees or the student nominees, the names on the final ballot from any college, school, institute, or similar unit shall not exceed one if fewer than three committee positions are to be filled, or two if more than two committee positions are to be filled.

        5. In determining which nominees received the highest numbers of votes on the nominating ballots, the names of persons who would be barred from the final ballot by subparagraph (d) shall be disregarded.
      3. On the final ballot each senator may vote both for as many faculty nominees as there are faculty positions to be filled, and for as many student nominees as there are student positions to be filled. Cumulative voting shall not be allowed. The faculty nominees and the student nominees receiving the highest numbers of votes shall be elected, except in cases where subsection (b) above Membership above would thereby be violated.
    4. Chair
      The Committee shall elect its own chair.
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This section as amended through February 6, 2023

7. Council on Student Conduct Expectations and Accountability

    1. Duties
      The Council is a committee of the Senate. Regarding policies governing student conduct expectations and accountability, the Council shall:

      1. Periodically review, report, and make recommendations for changes to the conduct governance system, including policies, procedures, and practices that align with best practices;

      2. Develop and recommend to the Chancellor policies on student affairs (Statutes, Article XI, Section 1.a);

      3. Review proposed revisions to the policies and transmit to the Chancellor its approval, disapproval, or further proposed revisions;

      4. Refer any policies on academic matters, including requirements for degrees and standards of academic performance, to the Senate Committee on Educational Policy, except that the Council shall have jurisdiction over academic misconduct such as cheating, falsification, fabrication, plagiarism, or destruction of educational materials or resources;

      5. Meet annually with the Senate Committee on Student Discipline to review the implementation of the policies; and

      6. File notice of all proposed revisions to the policies with the Office of the Dean of Students and with the Clerk of the Senate.
    2. Coordination of Duties with the Office of the Dean of Students

      The Council shall request the assistance of the Office of the Dean of Students to coordinate the following duties:

      1. Provide administrative support to the Council;

      2. Notify the Council of any federal, state, or local mandates regarding student conduct expectations and accountability;

      3. Serve as a repository for revisions to the policies governing student conduct expectations and accountability that may include reference to student policies outside the jurisdiction of the Council; and

      4. Publish and disseminate the policies governing student conduct expectations and accountability (historically referenced as the Student Code) to the University community by August 1 of each year in a convenient form as determined by the Council.
    3. Membership
      The Council shall consist of:

      1. Six faculty members, of whom one shall be designated chair by the Senate;

      2. Seven student members, four undergraduates, three graduate or professional students;

      3. Four campus administrative officers chosen with due regard for appropriate areas of concern and in consultation with the Chancellor or the Chancellor's designee;

      4. One member of the Senate Committee on Educational Policy, selected by that Committee (ex officio);

      5. One member of the Council of Undergraduate Deans (ex officio), selected by that Council;

      6. One designee of the Dean of the Graduate College (ex officio); and

      7. The Dean of Students or the Dean’s designee (ex officio).
      8.  

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This section as amended through March 7, 2022

8. Committee on Educational Policy

    1. Legislative Jurisdiction

      Fulfilling the Senate’s legislative jurisdiction (Statutes, Article II, Sections 1.b, c, and e), the Committee on Educational Policy shall work to address all matters that come before it for review, recognizing that some educational policy matters require approval beyond the campus, and that implementation of said matters may not occur until final approval has been granted. The Committee shall make recommendations to the Senate pursuant to its statutory duties, respecting the jurisdiction given to the colleges (provided in Statutes, Article III, Section 2c).

    2. Duties
      1. Review and make timely recommendations to the Senate on educational policy matters including:

        1. grading regulations and requirements for degrees, majors, minors, concentrations, transcriptable credentials, and other programs of study;

        2. relations among colleges, schools, and other teaching divisions regarding programs of study;

        3. academic calendars, specifying the beginning and ending dates of the academic year, the division of the academic year into semesters and sessions, and official University holidays, as well as recommending for Senate approval the policies governing the calendar; and other matters of general educational policy.
      2. Prior to any attempt to implement, review and make timely recommendations to the Senate regarding all proposals:

        1. to initiate, discontinue, or revise programs of study, especially those which affect units outside of the sponsoring unit;

        2. to change the status of an academic unit, including the formation, termination, separation, transfer, merger, change in status, or renaming of such unit(s) (Statutes, Article VIII, Sections 3 and 4); and

        3. that require approval from entities beyond campus, including, but not limited to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, University Senates Conference, Illinois Board of Higher Education, Higher Learning Commission, Council on Teacher Education, and any other credentialing agency.
      3. Collect, review, and share with the Senate, making timely recommendations to the Senate, informational reports received from academic units that:

        1. change the mode of instruction of an approved program of study;

        2. temporarily suspend enrollment to an approved program of study; or

        3. change the status of an approved program of study to a Non-Admission Designated Program that would no longer directly admit students but would award degrees.
      4. Act as point of contact for any interested parties, including those issuing proposals. Interested parties may consult with the Committee or its Chair regarding potential proposals, their impacts, steps in their review, or Committee processes.
    3. Process

      For each matter discussed above, the Committee shall work with units to make them aware of the need for any additional approvals and ensure that proposals and reports required by the Senate or other bodies contain all necessary information, and shall:

      1. assess whether such proposals and reports are consistent with general policies over which the Senate has legislative jurisdiction (Statutes, Article II, Sections 1.b, c, and e);

      2. collect, as necessary, relevant information including the projected impact of the proposed changes on enrollment, staffing, and resources, to ensure that the educational goals of the relevant program can be met;

      3. evaluate the projected impact of such proposals on other units and stakeholders and assess whether they have been substantively consulted, determining additional actions that might be needed, which may include periodic re-evaluation of a proposal’s progress or further Senate actions;

      4. hold a public hearing to provide active discussion in advance of any proposal to change the status of an academic unit, including the termination, separation, transfer, merger, change in status, or renaming of such unit(s) (Statutes, Article VIII, Section 4), conducted with the originator of the proposal (e.g., dean of college, Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs), transmitting minutes of the hearing, as well as collecting and forwarding additional written comments, to the Senate;

      5. verify that all requirements in the Statutes for notification and consultation have been satisfied, including in the case of changes in organization that all affected units and stakeholders have been consulted and that the advice of each unit involved has been taken and recorded by a vote of the faculty in accordance with the bylaws of that unit (Statutes, Article VIII, Section 4); and

      6. coordinate with the Office of the Provost to ensure that the Academic Catalog is kept up to date and that updated information regarding all programs of study, and records pertaining to such programs, are maintained by the relevant university offices and are available to all affected stakeholders.
    4. Membership

      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Thirteen faculty members;

      2. One academic professional;

      3. Five student members, of whom at least one shall be a graduate student, at least two shall be undergraduate students, and at most one shall be a professional student;

      4. The Provost or the Provost's designee (ex officio);

      5. The Associate Provost for Enrollment Management or the Associate Provost's designee (ex officio);

      6. The Executive Director of the Council on Teacher Education or the Executive Director's designee (ex officio);

      7. A member of the Council of Undergraduate Deans (ex officio), selected by that council;

      8. The Dean of the Graduate College or the Dean's designee (ex officio);

      9. The Director of the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning or the Director's designee (ex officio); and

      10. The Assistant Provost for Educational Innovation or the Assistant Provost's designee (ex officio).
    5. Committee Chair
    6. The Chair shall be released from other academic duties for one-half time, with this appointment funded from campus resources.

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This section as amended through February 5, 2024

9. Committee on Elections and Credentials

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall be responsible for the overall supervision and conduct of all nominations and elections of senators, including:

      1. Devising and maintaining election rules for each electorate;

      2. Determining faculty and student voting units;

      3. Allocating senatorial seats among faculty and student voting units;

      4. Consulting with the Council of Academic Professionals when the Council engages in districting and redistricting of academic professionals;

      5. Ruling on questions of eligibility and interpretation of election rules;

      6. Ensuring nominations and elections are conducted in accordance with rules and procedures; and

      7. Certifying election results.
    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Five faculty members;

      2. One academic professional member;

      3. Two student members;

      4. The Clerk of the Senate or the Clerk's designee (ex officio);

      5. The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or the Vice Chancellor's designee (ex officio);

      6. The Provost or the Provost's designee (ex officio);

      7. The Chair of the Council of Academic Professionals or the Chair’s designee (ex officio);

      8. The Chair of the Campus Student Election Commission, or the Chair's designee (ex officio), if the Senate exercises its option of delegating the student Senate election process; and

      9. The Advisor to the Campus Student Elections Commission, assigned by the Office of Student Affairs, or the Advisor’s designee (ex officio), if the Senate exercises its option of delegating the student Senate election process.
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This section as amended through March 6, 2023

10. Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall:

      1. Recommend and advocate for programs and guidelines promoting diverse, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming campus environment for members of underrepresented, historically disadvantaged, or marginalized groups across all communities and activities, within and outside the University;

      2. Ensure accountability and transparency by:

        1. monitoring progress on initiatives that were subjects of previous recommendations and advocacy, within and outside the Senate, and

        2. consulting with representatives of groups who are the intended beneficiaries of these programs and policies;
      3. Promote and encourage dialogue regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus and within the University System with regard to enunciated principles and actions taken;

      4. Communicate and cooperate with campus and University offices and committees established to work toward the objectives of this committee;

      5. Communicate and cooperate with local (non-University) community groups concerned with diversity, equity, and inclusion and with the access that historically disadvantaged community groups have to University cultural and recreational facilities and programs; and

      6. Make reports and recommendations, where appropriate, that pertain to diversity, equity, and inclusion to the Senate and to other units and officials of the University. These reports and recommendations may contain information and data from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion that include but are not limited to local, state, or federal mandates, such as Title VI, Title VII, and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Seven faculty members,

      2. One academic professional member,

      3. Three student members,

      4. The Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or the Vice Chancellor’s designee (ex officio),

      5. The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or the Vice Chancellor's designee (ex officio), and

      6. Up to three non-voting members, recommended by the voting members and approved by the Senate, from underrepresented, historically disadvantaged, or marginalized groups.
This section as amended through July 13, 2020

11. Committee on Faculty and Academic Staff Benefits

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall investigate and regularly report to the Senate on the adequacy and other attributes of the University's provisions for salaries, retirement benefits, sabbatical leaves, other leaves, hospitalization and medical insurance, life insurance, other insurance, investment and savings plans, travel reimbursement, housing benefits, educational benefits, recreational benefits, and other perquisites, benefits and conditions of faculty and academic staff employment.

    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Five non-emeriti faculty members,

      2. One emeritus faculty member,

      3. One academic professional member,

      4. The academic representatives to the State Universities Retirement System Members Advisory Committee (ex officio),

      5. The Director of University Payroll and Benefits or the Director's designee (ex officio),

      6. The Executive Director of the State Universities Retirement System or the Director's designee (ex officio),

      7. The Provost or the Provost's designee (ex officio),

      8. The Director of the Faculty Staff Assistance Services or the Director's designee (ex officio),

      9. The Associate Vice President for Human Resources or the Associate Vice President's designee (ex officio),

      10. The President of the UIUC Chapter of the State Universities Annuitants Association or the President's designee (ex officio), and

      11. The Chair of the Council of Academic Professionals or the Chair’s designee (ex officio).
This section as amended through April 5, 2021

12. Committee on General University Policy

    1. Duties

      The Committee shall:

      1. After such consultation with other committees as it deems appropriate, study, report, and make recommendations to the Senate concerning general university policy governing such matters as:

        1. size and composition of the student body;

        2. policies relevant to faculty concerns in consultation with the Office of the Provost;

        3. budget trends as related to the quality of the university and its capability to satisfy public demands;

        4. educational policy related to creation, combination, changes in affiliation or abolition of departments, centers, divisions, institutes, colleges, campuses and similar educational, research and public-service units;

        5. allocation of resources among such units and methods employed by administrative officials in making such allocations; and

        6. formulation of policy in anticipation of major societal changes.
      2. Provide input on substantive revisions to the Provost’s Communications, while consulting with other Senate committees and recommending wider Senate input where appropriate; and

      3. Monitor the following specific topics:

        1. data on background check to identify any consequences of the background check process; and

        2. number of non-tenure system faculty and proportion of non-tenure-system faculty multi-year contracts as described in the Statutes, Article X, Section 1.
    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Six faculty members;

      2. One academic professional member;

      3. Two student members;

      4. The Senior Associate Chancellor for Human Resources or the Senior Associate Chancellor’s designee (ex officio); and

      5. The Provost or the Provost's designee (ex officio).
This section as amended February 10, 2020

13. Committee on Honorary Degrees

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall initiate and review nominations for honorary degrees and make recommendations to the Senate.

    2. Candidate selection criteria
      The prime, controlling consideration for an honorary degree should be distinction. The nominee should have made a distinguished contribution in the relevant field of endeavor, and should have shown sustained activity of uncommon merit. The contributions may be made in a wide range of activities, including, but not limited to:

      • Scholarship, in any discipline: major breakthroughs in knowledge in fields of scholarly work.

      • Creative Arts, in the broad sense of the term: literature, music, architecture, engineering, science, etc.; the development of new frontiers of creativity.

      • Professions: distinguished contributions, innovative work of distinction.

      • Public Service: outstanding achievement in statesmanship, administration, legislative activity, the judiciary, non-governmental civic activity.

      • Business, Industry, Labor: outstanding, innovative activity.
    3. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Five faculty members,

      2. Two student members, and

      3. One designee of the Chancellor (ex officio).
This section as amended through September 21, 2020

14. Committee on Information Technology

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall:

      1. Identify and consider problems, needs, and concerns pertaining to teaching, research, engagement, and administrative support on campus IT issues and recommend desirable changes in campus policy;

      2. Examine trends in IT here and in higher education generally and recommend appropriate changes in campus policy; and

      3. Serve in a broad advisory capacity to the University Chief Information Officer and the University System Associate Vice President for Administrative Information Technology Services.
    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Eight faculty members, with no more than two coming from any single college,

      2. One academic professional member,

      3. Two student members,

      4. The University Chief Information Officer (CIO) or the CIO's designee (ex officio), and

      5. The University System Associate Vice President for Administrative Information Technology Services (AITS) or the Associate Vice President’s designee (ex officio),

      6. The Director of the Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning (CITL) or the Director’s designee (ex officio),

      7. The Director of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) or the Director’s designee (ex officio), and

      8. The Dean of Libraries and University Librarian or the Dean’s designee (ex officio).
This section as amended through November 16, 2020

15. Committee on the Library

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall:

      1. Advise the university librarian on the apportionment of the Library budget and on the formulation and execution of policies governing the operation of the Library, including its branches;

      2. Provide advice annually, as requested, to the Chancellor through the Office of the Provost on the appointment or reappointment of the university librarian (Statutes, Article VI);

      3. Evaluate the performance of the university librarian at least once every five years, as initiated by the Office of the Provost and in a manner to be determined jointly by the committee and faculty of the library;  as part of the evaluation, views shall be solicited from the committee, other concerned faculty, members of the university community, and the entire faculty of the library (Statutes, Article VI); and

      4. Advise the Senate about issues affecting the ability of the Library to fulfill its mission.
    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Nine faculty members, with no more than two members from any one college, school, institute, or similar unit.

      2. Four student members, two undergraduates and two graduate.

      3. The university librarian or the university librarian’s designee (ex officio).
This section as amended through April 22, 2019

16. Committee on Public Engagement and Outreach

    1. Duties
      Public engagement is the enhancement of the public good by interconnecting the knowledge and expertise of faculty, academic professionals, or staff, students, and partnering communities on issues of societal importance. Typically, this work is done in collaboration with others inside and outside the university, and may enrich research and teaching as well as lead to new directions within the university. Outreach activities offer faculty, academic professionals, students, staff, and partnering communities the opportunity to generate mutually beneficial interactions through collective leadership in learning, discovery, and engagement.

      The Committee shall:
      1. Identify and consider programs, needs, concerns, and interests of faculty, academic professionals, staff, and students pertaining to public engagement and outreach, and recommend desirable changes in campus policy;

      2. Review practices of evaluation and support for faculty, academic professionals, staff, and student involvement in public engagement and outreach;

      3. Research shared governance strategies among peer institutions regarding public engagement and outreach opportunities;

      4. Advise the administration concerning the development of short- and long-term public engagement and outreach planning;

      5. Facilitate opportunities to increase the University’s public engagement and outreach activities and to promote existing and new public engagement and outreach efforts;

      6. Advise the Senate on matters of public engagement and outreach as appropriate including relevant matters brought forward by the Senate membership, faculty, academic professionals, staff, and students, and the administration;

      7. Serve in a broad advisory capacity to the Chancellor in matters related to public engagement and outreach; and

      8. Appoint subcommittees as needed to address specific needs.
    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Five faculty members,

      2. Two academic professional members

      3. Two student members,

      4. One designee of the Chancellor (ex officio),

      5. A representative from the University of Illinois Extension, designated by the Director of Extension (ex officio), and

      6. Such other ex officio members from among the administrative officers of the campus as the voting members shall recommend and the Senate shall approve.
This section as amended through November 16, 2020

17. Committee on Student Discipline

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall be responsible for the conduct of the judicial functions of the student conduct governance system in accord with the Statutes and with rules and policies established by the Board of Trustees and the Senate. Specifically, the Committee shall:

      1. Appoint the members of the subcommittees on student conduct;

      2. Establish, maintain, and revise (as necessary) the Student Disciplinary Procedures, which specify the process by which university disciplinary officers and the subcommittees on student conduct address alleged violations of the Student Code;

      3. Hear appeals of subcommittee on student conduct decisions; and

      4. Hear recommendations for suspension or dismissal arising from an academic integrity infraction.
    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Nine faculty members,

      2. Six student members, and

      3. The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or the Vice Chancellor's designee (ex officio).
    3. Membership Requirements
      In addition to complying with the attendance requirements applicable to all Senate committee members, all members of the Committee shall:

      1. Complete the appeal committee training, held during the Committee’s first business meeting, and all other necessary trainings, including the sexual misconduct committee training; and

      2. Comply with the code of ethical standards established by the Director of the Office for Student Conflict Resolution, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee. At a minimum, the code of ethical standards must include expectations of confidentiality and of adherence to the Student Code and the Student Disciplinary Procedures.

This section as amended through September 24, 2018

18. Committee on University Senates Conference
The University Senates Conference is a University-wide body established by the Statutes and composed of a total of twenty representatives from the several campus senates. The number of representatives from each senate is specified in the Statutes. The representatives are elected by their respective senates for three-year terms beginning on the first day of the academic year following their election, and must be faculty senators at the time their committee term begins. As close to one-third as possible of the representatives from each senate are elected each year. Representatives from the Urbana-Champaign Senate may serve no more than two full terms consecutively.


    1. Duties
      1. The Senate Committee on the University Senates Conference shall keep the Senate informed concerning matters before the Conference and represent the interests of the Senate in the Conference.

      2. One member of the Committee on University Senates Conference shall be elected to the Senate Executive Committee, as prescribed in Bylaw D.1.c.
    2. Membership

      The Senate Committee shall consist of the Conference members from this campus.

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This section as amended through February 10, 2020

19. Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall:

      1. Review proposed amendments to the Statutes, to the General Rules Concerning University Organization and Procedure, and to the Senate Constitution, Bylaws, and Standing Rules, and ensure that substantive review of such proposals is made by the other appropriate Senate committees;

      2. Regularly review Senate procedures and make appropriate recommendations to the Senate;

      3. Review interpretations of the Statutes made by the Chancellor, Provost, or President of the University system, and advise the Senate accordingly;

      4. Provide legislative history and commentary on specific sections of the Statutes in response to requests from the Senate Executive Committee or from the Senate’s constituency;

      5. Appoint at least two parliamentarians from the Senate electorate to advise the presiding officer at Senate meetings on matters of parliamentary procedure.

    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Six faculty members,

      2. One academic professional member,

      3. Two student members,

      4. One designee of the Chancellor (ex officio),

      5. One designee of the Provost (ex officio), and

      6. The Clerk of the Senate or the Clerk’s designee (ex officio).
This section as amended through April 25, 2022

20. Committee on University Student Life

    1. Duties
      The Committee shall:

      1. Identify and consider the problems, needs, and concerns of students, and recommend desirable changes in campus policy;

      2. Examine short- and long-term trends in student life here and in higher education generally, and recommend changes in campus policy to adjust appropriately to those trends;

      3. Serve in a broad advisory capacity to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.
    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:

      1. Four faculty members, of whom one shall be elected as Chair by the Senate;

      2. One academic professional member;

      3. Five student members, who shall elect one of their number to serve as Vice Chair; one student member shall be an international student, who shall be nominated by the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations to the Committee on Committees;

      4. Depending on the structure of the student government, the elected head of the student body or designee, or the elected head of the undergraduate student body and the elected head of the graduate student body or designees (ex officio);

      5. The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or the Vice Chancellor's designee (ex officio);

      6. The Dean of Students or the Dean's designee (ex officio);

      7. A member of the Council of Undergraduate Deans (ex officio), selected by the council;

      8. The Provost or the Provost’s designee (ex officio);

      9. The Dean of the Graduate College or the Dean’s designee (ex officio);

      10. The Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion or the Vice Chancellor’s designee (ex officio);

      11. The Director of International Student and Scholar Services or the Director’s designee (ex officio); and

      12. Such other ex officio members from among the administrative officers of the campus as the voting members of the committee shall recommend and the Senate shall approve.
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This section as amended through October 10, 2022

Part E - Governance, Advisory, and Other Bodies

This section as amended through April 26, 2010
  1. Athletic Board
    The Athletic Board is the committee concerned with intercollegiate athletics (varsity sports) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This Board is responsible to the Senate for the intercollegiate athletic program as it relates to the University's academic and educational objectives as defined by the Senate. The Athletic Board serves also as an advisory committee to the Chancellor and the Athletic Director on the financial management, personnel, and other operational aspects of the intercollegiate athletics program in the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics.
This section as amended through March 26, 2007
  1. Faculty Advisory Committee
    1. Duties
      The Faculty Advisory Committee shall provide for the orderly voicing of suggestions for the good of the University, afford added recourse for the consideration of grievances, and furnish a channel for direct and concerted communication between the academic staff and the administrative officers of the University, its colleges, schools, institutes, divisions, and other administrative units on matters of interest or concern to the academic staff or any member of it. The Faculty Advisory Committee operates under its own Articles of Procedure.

    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of nine tenured faculty members.

    3. Nominations
      The deadline for filing nominations shall be determined by the Clerk of the Senate in consultation with the Faculty Advisory Committee.
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This section as amended through March 26, 2007
  1. General Education Board
    The General Education Board is a campus-wide body established by the Senate and subject to the will of the Senate. The Board's charge is to oversee the campus general education program in accordance with requirements adopted by the Senate, and to ensure, as much as possible, that general education courses will be valuable intellectual experiences.

    1. Duties
      The duties enumerated in this subsection shall be carried out by the General Education Board prior to implementation of the general education program, and thereafter shall be carried out on a continuing basis.

      1. The Board shall refine the definitions of the several categories of general education requirements so that courses may be clearly identified as to the category or categories into which they fall. The categories shall be defined so that, in principle: (a) any academic department on campus will be able to offer coursework in at least one category; (b) an academic department can offer coursework in multiple categories; and (c) no single academic department is the exclusive provider of coursework in any category. These refined definitions are subject to approval of the Senate and the Provost.

      2. The Board shall develop minimal aims and criteria for approval of courses in each category. These aims and criteria are subject to approval of the Senate and the Provost.

      3. The Board shall solicit from all academic departments proposals for courses to be approved as satisfying general education requirements in particular categories. The Board shall review such proposals and approve those that meet the established criteria. The Board shall solicit revisions and new course developments where the need exists.

      4. The Board shall work with the deans, the Provost, and the Chancellor to estimate the costs of the campus program of general education and the availability of resources required to implement the program. Only when the Chancellor and the Provost, in consultation with the deans and the Senate Committee on the Budget, are satisfied that adequate resources can be made available will the Board develop and announce an implementation schedule for the general education program. During the period prior to full implementation of the program, the Board will report regularly to the Senate on the progress toward implementation.

      5. The Board shall identify and address the needs of groups of students who are at risk of being adversely affected by the general education program requirements, so as to help such students meet the requirements effectively. The Board shall regularly consult representatives of such student populations for guidance.

      6. The Board shall periodically review courses approved as meeting general education requirements. Upon review, courses which no longer seem to the Board to meet the intent of the general education program shall be revised in accord with the criteria in their categories or shall be removed from the list of courses approved as meeting general education requirements.

      7. The Board will report its recommendations to the Senate through the Committee on Educational Policy or the Committee on the Budget, as appropriate.

    2. Membership
      The General Education Board shall be made up of nineteen or twenty faculty members (see 1.d. below) and three undergraduate student members.

      1. The faculty members shall be designated by the deans of their colleges, as follows:

        1. One member shall be selected to represent each of the following colleges: Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences; Applied Health Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering; Fine and Applied Arts; Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Media.

        2. Eleven members shall be apportioned among the colleges which provide a significant percentage of general education courses. The allocation of this group will depend on the number of departments in the colleges which offer substantial amounts of instruction to students not majoring in those departments. These eleven representatives will be apportioned as follows: two for Business, two for Engineering, and seven for Liberal Arts and Sciences. This allocation is subject to revision by the Senate as enrollment trends change and as additional colleges assume responsibility for general education courses.

        3. The dean of each college will decide, with the advice and consent of the college Executive Committee, on the manner of selection of representatives of that college to the Board so as to assure proper representation of disciplines which contribute heavily to general education. Each college may choose either for its faculty to elect its representatives, or for them to be appointed by the dean. Should a college choose for its representatives to be appointed by the dean rather than elected, the dean's selection shall be reviewed by the college Executive Committee.

        4. The Provost may appoint an additional faculty member to the Board.

      2. The undergraduate student members shall be selected by the Provost from nominations provided by the Committee on Committees. The three students must be from three different colleges.
    3. Terms of Appointment

      1. Faculty members shall serve three year terms.

      2. Student members shall serve two year terms.
    4. Chair
      The Provost shall choose which of the faculty members of the Board shall serve as its chair.
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This section as amended through March 6, 2017
  1. Joint Advisory Committee on Investment, Licensing, and Naming Rights
    1. Duties
      The Committee shall provide advice to the Chancellor’s Office on issues of social responsibility related to campus investment, licensing, and naming rights consistent with the values of the university.  Issues within its responsibility include, but are not limited to, licensing of the campus’s names, symbols, and insignia; supporting workers’ rights and fair labor practices; sponsorship of products; and corporate social responsibility more generally. The Committee will also review proposals to name campus buildings, classrooms, or other physical facilities for donors or other honorees.

    2. Membership
      The Committee shall consist of:
      1. Five members of the faculty;

      2. One academic professional;

      3. Three students, including at least one undergraduate student and at least one graduate or professional student;

      4. A representative from the University of Illinois Extension, designated by the Director of Extension (ex officio with vote);

      5. The representative of the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics with responsibility for licensing and corporate sponsorships, designated by the Director of DIA (ex officio with vote);

      6. The campus’s representative to the University Caucus of the Worker Rights Consortium (ex officio with vote);

      7. A member of the Office of the Chancellor designated by the Chancellor (ex officio).
    3. Appointment and Terms of Office
      1. Three of the faculty positions and the student positions shall be filled as follows.  The Committee on Committees shall prepare, and the Senate shall approve, a list of candidates, with at least two nominees for each position to be filled.  The Chancellor, in consultation with the Chair of the Senate Executive Committee, shall appoint members from the list.  The Chancellor shall appoint up to two additional faculty members of the Chancellor’s choosing, in consultation with the Chair of the Senate Executive Committee, to bring the total to five.

      2. The academic professional position shall be filled as follows: The Council of Academic Professionals shall prepare a list of at least two nominees. The Chancellor, in consultation with the Chair of the Council of Academic Professionals, shall appoint the member from the list.

      3. The five faculty members shall serve staggered, renewable terms of three years.  The one academic professional member shall serve renewable terms of three years.  The three student members shall serve renewable terms of one year.
    4. Chair
      The Chair of the Committee shall be elected annually by the Committee.

  1. State Universities Retirement System Members Advisory Committee
  2. The campus has two academic representatives on the Committee, elected by the Senate for six-year terms, starting January 1. They need not be senators.

  3. Faculty Advisory Council to the Illinois Board of Higher Education
    The campus has one faculty member of the Council who (a) is elected by the Senate for a four-year term starting July 1, (b) shall report to the Senate at least once each academic year, and (c) shall be a member of the Senate Executive Committee ex officio with vote. The Chair of the Senate Executive Committee shall designate an alternate to the Council when necessary.

  4. Military Education Council
    The Military Education Council is a campus body charged with reviewing staff appointments in military departments; reviewing and supervising the military education curricula; administering related budget, space, interdepartmental liaison and contract negotiations; and ensuring academic freedom within military departments. The Council is composed of a chair and one non-voting member appointed by the Chancellor; six civilian faculty members elected by the Senate; one undergraduate and one graduate or professional student, both elected by the Senate; the three military department heads ex officio with vote; and one student appointed by the Armed Forces Council. Terms of elected faculty and student members start August 16. The six civilian faculty members are elected for two-year terms, three of them being elected each year. At least one of them must be a senator. The student members chosen by the Senate are elected for one-year terms and need not be senators.

  5. Research Policy Committee
  6. This committee advises the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (VCRI), and the Senate on matters of research policy. The Committee should have no fewer than ten members and no more than fifteen members, and the VCRI appoints all members of the committee, typically for two-year terms. The Committee has a faculty chair selected in consultation with the Senate Executive Committee. At least eight members of the Committee shall be faculty chosen from nominations provided by the Senate Committee on Committees, submitted to the full Senate for approval and subsequent transmittal of the nominees to the VCRI. The other members shall be appointed by the VCRI and may include students and academic professionals. The Chair of the Research Policy Committee will provide a written report to the Senate on the activities of this committee at least annually and will provide additional reports to the Senate and the Senate Executive Committee as requested.
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This section as amended through December 4, 2023

Part F - General Provisions

  1. A petition by members of the faculty electorate requiring the Senate to present a question to and obtain an expression of opinion from the faculty electorate under Article V, Section 1 of the Constitution, shall contain the signatures of at least 200 members of the faculty electorate. A petition with fewer signatures may be presented to the Senate, but it shall be within the Senate's discretion whether to present the question to the faculty electorate. In either case the Senate may call a general meeting of the faculty electorate to discuss the question prior to conducting the mail poll. The petition, including the petitioners signatures, will become a public document upon its presentation to the Senate.

  2. All senators, and such other persons as the Senate Executive Committee may designate, shall receive copies of the agenda, minutes, and reports of the Senate.

  3. Each faculty voting unit shall receive a reasonable number of copies of the agenda, minutes, and reports of the Senate.

  4. Any interested person may have access to the agenda, minutes, and reports of the Senate at the Office of the Clerk of the Senate. A reasonable number of copies shall be available for distribution.

  5. Individual faculty or students, a group of faculty and/or students, or an academic department intending to appeal an administrative interpretation of the Statutes to the Chancellor or to the President and believing the issue to be a concern for a wide segment of the faculty and/or students, may ask the Senate Executive Committee to review the issue and determine whether it represents a broadly shared concern. This request shall be filed with the Chair of the Senate Executive Committee prior to the appeal to the Chancellor or to the President. If the Senate Executive Committee determines the issue is of broad concern, it will so inform the individual or group submitting the request, and offer to submit a statement certifying that decision along with any supporting statements from the Senate Executive Committee. The individual or group originating the appeal of the interpretation of the Statutes may elect to accept the Senate Executive Committee's certification and jointly file the appeal with the Senate Executive Committee or may elect to proceed alone on appeal. In no case is this procedure intended to limit the right of an individual or group to appeal directly to the Chancellor, the President, or the Board of Trustees, nor is it intended to be used in any argument for or against the merits of the appeal beyond the assessment of its potential for broad concern of the constituents of the Senate.

  6. Appointment and Formal Review of the Chancellor
    The Senate shall determine the composition of a committee to advise the President on the appointment of a new chancellor, or on a formal review of an incumbent chancellor as initiated by the President via the Statutes Article I, Section 5. Such a committee shall include faculty, academic professional, and student members, elected in accordance with Article VI, Section 11 of the Senate Constitution, and other University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign constituencies as the Senate shall determine. Representatives of such University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign constituencies shall be nominated in consultation with representative bodies of those constituencies and shall be elected by the full Senate.

  7. Remote Participation in Senate and Senate Committee Meetings

    The Senate has developed procedures in compliance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120/7) by which members of the Senate or a Senate committee may request to participate remotely in a Senate or Senate committee meeting by audio and video conference.

    1. If a quorum of members is physically present at the location of a Senate or Senate committee meeting, then a majority of those members present may at their discretion allow a member to participate in that Senate or Senate committee meeting by audio and video conference.

    2. If the member is prevented from physically participating, criteria for allowing remote participation are:
      (i) personal illness or disability,
      (ii) employment purposes or the business of the University,
      (iii) a family or other emergency,
      (iv) unexpected childcare obligations, or
      (v) another provision authorized via amendment to the Open Meetings Act.

    3. The request by a member to participate in a Senate meeting by audio and video conference must be submitted to the Clerk of the Senate in writing at least 24 hours before the scheduled start of that meeting. The request by a member to participate in a Senate committee meeting by audio and video conference must be submitted to the chair of that Senate committee in writing at least 24 hours before the scheduled start of that meeting.

    4. The votes of a member participating in a meeting by audio and video conference shall be accepted and counted, but must be cast by the member, not by a proxy.

    5. Notices of Senate and Senate committee meetings shall include a description of how and under what circumstances a member may participate in a meeting by audio and video conference. Further details, such as how to be recognized to speak and how to vote, shall be provided to the member. Provisions must be made for secure participation and secure voting for a member participating by audio and video conference.

  8. Emergency and Disaster Provisions

    The provisions of this section shall apply in the event of an emergency or disaster declaration related to public health concerns by the Governor of the State of Illinois or the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, when it is impossible for members to safely meet in person to carry out the business of the Senate.

    1. If the provisions of the Illinois Open Meetings Act requiring the physical presence of a quorum have been suspended (5 ILCS 120/7(e)), the Senate and its committees may meet electronically by video and/or audio connections, provided that a quorum is present electronically. The provisions of these Bylaws, Part F, Sections 7d and 7e must be followed. Votes shall be taken in such manner that each member’s vote is identified and recorded.

    2. The Senate Executive Committee is authorized to act for and on behalf of the Senate on urgent matters that require immediate attention, with the stipulation that, before taking such action, the Senate Executive Committee shall seek the advice of those senators who can be contacted. Any such action taken by the Senate Executive Committee shall be reported to the Senate at the next regular meeting of the Senate following such action.
  9. Open Meetings Act Designees
  10. The Illinois Open Meetings Act requires that all public bodies designate employees, officers, or members to receive training on compliance with this law. Open Meetings Act Designees must successfully complete the electronic training on an annual basis. The Open Meetings Act Designees shall be the full-time employees who support the Senate and its standing and ad hoc committees.
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