Part C - Elections
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- Timing of Elections; Election Rules
a) Elections of senators shall take place during the spring semester, but not later than the eighth week of classes.
b) The Senate may delegate to the organization that conducts elections on behalf of the governing organizations of the student body and/or the Other Academic Staff the authority to conduct Senate elections concurrently with other elections that it administers, pursuant to rules established by the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures and subject to approval by the Senate.
c) The Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures shall establish Election Rules and Procedures, subject to approval by the Senate, by which all these elections shall be held.
- Elections and Credentials Committee
a) Faculty and Students: Each college or other analogous educational division shall establish an elections and credentials committee to assist the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures in the conduct of nominations and elections of senators in that college or division.
b) Other Academic Staff: The Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures shall act as the elections and credentials committee for the Other Academic Staff described in the Constitution, Article III, Section 1a, b, and c. The Council of Academic Professionals shall be the elections and credentials committee for the Other Academic Staff described in the Constitution, Article III, Section 1d.
c) The Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures may delegate to the elections and credentials committees in 2a and 2b such functions as it deems appropriate. Actions of these committees shall be subject to review by the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures.
- 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 in a signed statement submitted to the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures. Such designation shall remain in effect until such time as a change is approved by the Committee.
- 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:
a) 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.
b) 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.
c) 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.
d) If for any one voting unit there are fewer than four candidates for a seat, no run-off election need be held; a plurality shall be sufficient for election.
- Nomination and Election of Senators from the Other Academic Staff Electorate
The procedure for nomination and election of senators elected by the student electorate shall be as follows:
a) Any member of the Other Academic Staff electorate who desires to run for election shall submit a statement to that effect and a short biography to the elections and credentials committee.
b) If found to be eligible, the member of the Other Academic Staff shall be deemed nominated, and the elections and credentials committee shall have the person's name placed on the appropriate election ballot.
c) 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
- Vacancies
When a seat becomes vacant, it shall be filled in accordance with procedures established by the Senate Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures.
- Recall Elections
Petition: A recall election shall be held by a college or division or Other Academic Staff elections and credentials committee promptly upon receipt of an appropriate petition.
a) 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.
b) 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.
c) Other Academic Staff: For recall of an Other Academic Staff 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 Other Academic Staff senator was last elected, whichever is smaller.
Result: The result of the recall election shall be promptly reported to the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures 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.