University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Senate

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XSR.00.01
March 20, 2000

Fifth Senate Review Commission

Interim Report

James G. Ward, Chair
R. Warwick Armstrong
Robert Fossum
Edwin Herricks
Linda Smith
Lawrence Tabone
John Braden, Administrative Liaison
Robert Damrau, Senate Clerk

Executive Summary

The Senate is a vital representative body in the University's shared governance system. The purpose and function of the Senate is to represent the views of the faculty and students on all policy issues affecting the University. Policy is defined as all matters pertaining to or relating to the educational missions of the institution, including all matters involving teaching, research, and public service. The exception is that the Senate does not have direct jurisdiction over those matters that by statute are the exclusive domain of colleges, departments, or other academic units.

The Fifth Senate Review Commission (SRC) was created "to pay particular attention to
· Mechanisms to ensure for meaningful Senate participation in the areas which represent the core mission of the Campus [...]
· Revisions in the operation, function, and structure of the Senate [...] to increase the credibility of the Senate and to increase faculty and student involvement in the Senate."

In this report we outline a structure for shared faculty and student governance that we believe answers to the charge given to the commission. In particular we propose to organize the students and faculty into several levels.
· All tenured and probationary faculty are members of the Faculty which meets at least once a year,
· The current Faculty/Student Senate (to be called the "Senate" below) in its current mode augmented by all (academic) Deans, and led by a
· Senate Executive Committee that meets on a bi-weekly basis and that consists of chairs of about twelve standing committees, eight members of the Faculty, four student senators elected by the student senators, a dean, a vice-chair and a chair.

In order to increase the participation of the faculty in governance, it is proposed to involve its constituents directly in the election of the leadership of the Senate.

The Senate itself will be organized with fewer standing committees that will be larger so as to include participation of more students and faculty. It is proposed that standing committees be created to involve faculty and student participation in all aspects of the University's missions. The expectation is that participation in faculty/student governance will increase when it is clear that governing bodies have real input into decisions.

It is proposed that more released time be given faculty to participate in governance and that students who are active in the Senate be given academic credits for doing so.

Table of Contents

(Page numbers appear below only to maintain consistency with the print version; if you print off the web the pagination will not necessarily be correct.)

Part I Governance 4

  1. Purpose and Function. 4
  2. Faculty. 4
  3. Students 5
  4. The Senate 5
  5. The Senate Executive Committee (SEC). 7
  6. Committee on Committees. 8
  7. Standing Committees 9
    • 7.1 Academic Freedom and Tenure. 9
    • 7.2 Admissions Policy. 9
    • 7.3 Budget. 9
    • 7.4 Committee on Committees. 9
    • 7.5 Continuing Education and Public Service Policy. 9
    • 7.6 Education Policy. 9
    • 7.7 General University Policy. 9
    • 7.8 Governance. 9
    • 7.9 Information and Operation Technology. 9
    • 7.10 Research Policy. 9
    • 7.11 University Senates Conference (USC). 9
    • 7.12 University Student Life. 9
  8. Committee Structure. 10
  9. First Time Implementation. 10
  10. Other Recommendations. 11
Part II Appendix 12

Part I
Governance

1 Purpose and Function.

The purpose and function of the Faculty and the Senate shall be to represent and administer the views of the faculty and students on all matters of policy affecting the university. Policy is defined as all matters pertaining to or relating to the educational mission of the university, including all matters involving teaching, research, and public service.

Recommendation: The Senate should adopt the resolution: Educational Policy as interpreted by the Faculty and the Senate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is defined as all matters pertaining to or relating to the mission of the University, namely "Teaching, Research, and Public Service" and encompasses all university related activities of the faculty and students of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

2 Faculty.

The Faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a body consisting of those members as defined in The University of Illinois Statutes, Art. II, Sec 3.a.1. It will have real duties and obligations as a governing body. Some of the duties of members of the Faculty will be described in more detail below. Suffice it to write here that these include directly electing members of several Senate committees, such as the Committee on Committees. Also the Faculty will elect the vice-chair of the Senate Executive Committee who will become chair in the year following service as vice-chair.

The Faculty will meet at least once a year as an assembly to debate and affirm changes to its responsibilities as recommended by the Senate, for example size of the Senate, affirm amendments to the Senate's bylaws and constitution, and deliberate and act on other matters assigned to it. It will receive annual reports from the President, Chancellor, Provost, Vice Chancellors, Chair of Senate EC, Chair of the Committee on Committees, etc. Special meetings of the Faculty can be called by a petition signed by some low number (say 15) of members of the Faculty.

Recommendation: The Senate will elect a special (i.e. ad hoc) committee that will write bylaws and rules for the Faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The precise nature of these rules will be left to this special committee. However the SRC recommends that the Chancellor should be the chair of the faculty. The Provost and other members of the administration of the academic affairs of the University should also be members either by virtue of being a member of a department or by virtue of academic responsibility.

3 Students.

The Student Body of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a body consisting of those members as defined as Undergraduate, Graduate, and Professional Students. It will have real duties and obligations as a governing body. Some of the duties of members of the Student Body will be described in more detail below. Suffice it to write here that these include directly electing members to the Senate.

The Student Body will meet at least once a year in a town hall meeting. The Chancellor and the elected Student Senate Caucus President will preside over the meeting. The Student Senate Caucus will be responsible for organizing and promoting the town hall meeting in concert with the Chancellor's Office. It will act as a yearly communication session between the Administration and Student Body.

Recommendation: The Senate will elect a special (i.e. ad hoc) committee that will write bylaws and rules for the Student Body of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The precise nature of these rules will be left to this special committee. However the SRC recommends that the Chancellor should be the chair of the Student Body.

4 The Senate.

The Senate as a representative body of faculty and students should remain essentially the same. The SRC recommends changes in the committee structure that will lead to about twelve standing committees and an executive committee. These committees will handle the routine and timely duties of the Faculty and Senate. Most of these standing committees will each have about 15 members including some student members.

4.1 Membership.

The number of members of the Senate and the method by which they are elected should not change substantially. The current eligibility can be found in Section 11 (See Appendix). Members of SRC value highly the institutional memory that emeriti faculty bring to the Faculty and the Senate. Emeriti faculty can and should be asked to serve as consultants to committees and to advise the Faculty and Senate in the manifold ways open to them. However it is recommended that only active faculty and students should be members of the Senate and of the committees elected by the Faculty, for example the Committee on Committees.

Recommendation: Article II, Sec. 1. d. of the Senate Constitution should be removed.

4.2 Senate Executive Committee.

The affairs of the Senate should be handled by the Senate Executive Committee with a charge similar to the existing charge for the Senate Council.

Recommendation: The name of the Senate Council be changed to Senate Executive Committee.

4.3 Standing Committees.

The number of standing committees should be reduced such that
· Each chair of a standing committee is a member of the Senate Executive Committee.
· There is a standing committee corresponding to each of the missions of the University.
· There is a standing committee concerned with the general nature of each of the administrative sections of the Chancellor's Office.
· Committees legislated in the Statutes are included.

Recommendation: The SRC recommends that standing committees with concomitant charges be:

1. Academic Freedom and Tenure.
2. Admissions Policy.
3. Budget.
4. Committee on Committees.
5. Continuing Education and Public Service Policy.
6. Education Policy.
7. General University Policy.
8. Governance.
9. Information and Operation Technology.
10. Research Policy.
11. University Senates Conference (USC).
12. University Student Life.

Some administrative and legislative duties do not appear here. These are not forgotten. Later it is proposed that these obligations be folded into an appropriate standing committee where the work will be performed by subcommittees.

5 The Senate Executive Committee (SEC).

Recommendation: The Senate Executive Committee (SEC) should consist of a chair, a vice-chair, chairs of the standing committees listed in section 7 below, eight members elected at large from the Faculty, four students elected by and from among student senators, and a dean elected by the Academic Council of Deans.

5.1 Chair and Vice-Chair of Senate Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee should have a chair and a vice-chair. Each year the Faculty elects from its membership a vice-chair of the Senate Executive Committee. The vice-chair becomes the chair of the Executive Committee at the beginning of the next academic year. The chair of Senate Executive Committee cannot be elected as vice-chair in the year immediately following the year of service as chair.

In the event of vacancy in the chair position the vice-chair would become chair and the position of vice-chair would become vacant. The "new" chair would then serve the remainder of the term as chair and then serve as chair for the next term.

The Executive Committee would elect one of its at large members as an interim vice-chair who would serve until a new vice-chair has been elected.

The principal idea is that there should be an orderly succession process that cannot leave any doubt as to who will be chair and vice-chair in the event either position is vacated early.

5.2 At large members.

Each year the Faculty would elect at large members of the Executive Committee from its membership, three members each year whose number is not divisible by three and two members in a year divisible by three. Candidates for election will be nominated by the Faculty. There shall be at least two candidates for each open position. If there are not sufficient nominations, the Committee on Committees shall nominate additional faculty members to complete the ballot. These at large members would serve for a term of three years. Re-election is not possible in the year immediately following a year of service. Care should be taken so as to ensure a fair distribution of members of the Executive Committee among the colleges and among the units of colleges. That is, when the at large members of the SEC are to be elected, the ex-officio members should already be known and their names and affiliations should appear in the election information along with the ballot.

5.3 Dean member.

The Academic Council of Deans will annually elect from among themselves a dean who will be a member of the Senate Executive Committee. An incumbent member of the SEC can serve a maximum of three consecutive years.

5.4 Chairs of standing committees.

The list of standing committees of the Senate appears below. The chairs of these twelve standing committees shall be members of the SEC.

6 Committee on Committees.

Recommendation: The Faculty shall elect twelve faculty members to the Committee on Committees. The term for faculty members will be three years, each year four members will be elected. Re-election is not possible. The student senators shall elect three student senators each year from among the student senators to be members of the Committee on Committees. Re-election is possible.

6.1 Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Committees.

The members of the Committee on Committees will elect the vice-chair of the committee who should be one of the four incumbent members serving in the second of the three year term. The vice-chair becomes the chair in the following year. The Chair of the committee will be a member of the Senate Executive Committee.

6.2 Charge.

The Committee on Committees will make recommendations and nominations to the Senate for all candidates for election to committee positions and for candidates for other appointments, such as CBOC.

The Committee on Committees will communicate with all members of the university community in order to find the best candidates for committee membership. It will especially solicit names of candidates for committees and other leadership posts of the Faculty and Senate from deans and department executive officers.

The Committee on Committees will also assess the effectiveness of committee leadership and membership and report, as it sees fit, to deans, department heads/chairs, and/or the Senate Executive Committee.

Each five years the Committee on Committees will report to the Executive Committee on the effectiveness of the current committee structure and make recommendations for changes, if desired. This report will also be used by the Senate Review Commission in formulating its report.

7 Standing Committees.

Below is a list of proposed standing committees. The duties of some current committees may appear to be lost. However a subcommittee structure is proposed whereby some committees may have standing subcommittees that will assume the duties that are now done by a standing committee. (Suggested subcommittees are in parentheses.)

7.1 Academic Freedom and Tenure.

7.2 Admissions Policy.

7.3 Budget. (Faculty Benefits)

This committee might be coordinated with the Provost's CBOC.

7.4 Committee on Committees.

7.5 Continuing Education and Public Service Policy. (External Affairs)

7.6 Education Policy. (Academic Calendar)

7.7 General University Policy. (Equal Opportunity)

7.8 Governance. (Statutes, Conduct Governance, Honorary Degrees)

7.9 Information and Operation Technology. (Campus Operations, Library)

7.10 Research Policy.

7.11 University Senates Conference (USC).

Two members of the USC are to be the chair and vice-chair of the Senate Executive Committee. The main reason for this is so that the Executive Committee, the Senate, and the Faculty will be informed of actions taken by the USC and so that the sentiments, resolutions, and actions of the Senate can be communicated to USC by the senior officer of the Senate.

There are nine members. The other seven at large members of the USC are elected by the Senate for three year terms; in years divisible by three the Faculty should elect three at large members and in other years it should elect two at large members. The election should be conducted by the Committee on Governance with nominees coming from the Committee on Committees as well as from the Faculty in general.

The nine members of USC will elect from its third year members at large a chair who will be a member of the Senate Executive Committee. Thus the Executive Committee will have three active members of the USC (all of whom are elected by the Faculty in one way or another).

7.12 University Student Life. (Student Discipline)

8 Committee Structure.

8.1 Membership.

There shall be 11 faculty members and 4 student members on each committee, with the following exceptions: the Committee on Committees has 12 faculty members and 3 student members; the Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure and the Committee on University Senates Conference shall have no student members; the Committee on University Student Life will have 7 faculty members and 8 student members.

8.2 Subcommittees.

Subcommittees may be created by a committee with the approval of the Senate Executive Committee. Some subcommittees may be standing. The chair of a subcommittee shall be a member of the parent committee and normally other members of the subcommittee will be members of the parent committee. But members of the subcommittee need not be members of the parent committee. A subcommittee will report to the parent committee only, unless instructed otherwise. Thus, for example, the Committee on Governance shall have a subcommittee on honorary degrees. This committee usually reports directly to the Senate for confirmation of its deliberations. However in the proposed structure, this subcommittee would report to the Committee on Governance which would ordinarily then report the matter directly to the Senate. That is, the Committee on Governance would normally not deliberate further and possibly change the nature of the report from its subcommittee.

8.3 Special or ad hoc Committees.

From time to time the Faculty, the Senate, the Senate Executive Committee or one of its standing committees may wish to appoint a special committee. According to Robert's Rules of Order Revised, such a committee goes out of existence as soon as it has completed its assigned task, for example to report on some item. So normally such a committee would be expected to live only a short time.

9 First Time Implementation.

In order to implement any or all of the recommendations several intermediary steps have to be taken. Of course there may be changes required in Statutes and UIUC Senate governance documents. When the legislative permission for whatever recommendations are to be implemented, then a transition from the current status to the new operation must be established. The SRC believes that this transition should be accomplished within one calendar year. Rather than recommend transition procedures here, the SRC instead believes that the USSP or equivalent committee, with the advice of other committees can establish a suitable transition schedule. Some elements of this schedule will have to be built into the legislative language.

10 Other Recommendations.

10.1 Orientation.

Recommendation: The newly elected Senate should meet at a convenient time and place shortly before the end of the spring semester in order to begin its business. In addition the current and in coming chair of the SEC should arrange for orientation for the new (and continuing) members.

10.2 Encouragement to Serve.

In order to encourage participation in faculty/student governance, an award system should be created. For the student senators, this might be something like credit hours toward a degree. For faculty members, service as chair of a standing committee may be rewarded by released time from teaching.

The chair of SEC should be released completely from teaching and the vice-chair should be rewarded by a half teaching load.

Service on committees and on the Senate should be regarded as important for the university's well being and such service should be considered positively when remuneration recommendations and decisions are being made.

On the other hand, service and membership on the Senate and its committees should not be a sinecure with associated tenure. So an individual should not serve more than six years on the Senate in any eight year period. (Terms are currently two years and one cannot serve more than three consecutive terms.)

Members of standing committees appointed by the Senate should be members of the Senate.

10.3 New Locale.

In order to facilitate collegial discussion and to encourage attendance the SRC recommends that the Senate meet in a different locale, one that allows for more intimate discussions. While the Auditorium has traditions bound to it, a new locale might help to encourage senators to attend and to participate in discussions.

Part II
Appendix

11 Current Membership.

From the Senate Constitution.

Section 1. The faculty electorate is those members of the academic staff who are directly engaged in and responsible for the educational function of the University; ordinarily this will involve teaching and research. Specifically, the faculty electorate shall consist of all persons of the campus non-visiting academic staff, other than persons holding administrative appointments in excess of one-half time, who:

a. Hold the academic title of professor, associate professor, or assistant professor (including those who hold the title of "with the rank of" professor, associate professor, and assistant professor), and have at least a one-half time appointment, and are paid for their services by the University; or

b. Hold the academic title of instructor (including those who hold the title of "with the rank of" instructor), and have a full-time appointment, and are paid for their services by the University, and are not candidates for a degree from this University; or

c. Are appointed as and hold positions with titles other than those described in (a) and (b) above, who have a full-time appointment, are paid for their services by the University, are not candidates for a degree from this University, and who, in the determination of the Senate, are directly engaged in and responsible for the educational function of the University, ordinarily involving teaching and research; or

d. Are retired members of the campus academic staff with the title of emeritus, and would otherwise be eligible for inclusion in the faculty electorate. However, retired members shall not be counted for purposes of the provisions of Sections 3, 4, and 5 of this Article.

Provided, that executive officers of departments or comparable units, and assistant or associate executive officers of such units, who are otherwise eligible, shall not be excluded from the faculty electorate because they hold administrative appointments in excess of one-half time.

12 Senate Council.

Bylaws of the Senate, As Amended Through April 21, 1997

12.1 Part B - Council and Committees.

1. The Senate shall have an executive council, called the Senate Council, 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.

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 Council and for members and chairs of standing and ad hoc committees, except for members of the Committee on Committees itself. Nominees 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. 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 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 Council and committee members, except those of the Committee on Committees, shall begin on the first day of classes in the autumn semester following election. The term of the Committee on Committees shall begin immediately after completion of the last regularly scheduled Spring session of the old Senate. 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.

7.
a. A senator whose senatorial term expires before his committee term shall continue as a committee member. If, after election to a committee, a person who was a member of the faculty electorate or student electorate at the time of his election ceases to be a member of that electorate, he 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.

b. 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.

8.
a. 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.

b. 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 his service on that committee.

9.
a. 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.

b. 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.

10. 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.

13 Current Standing Committees.

1. Senate Council
2. Academic Calendar
3. Academic Freedom and Tenure
4. Admissions
5. Budget
6. Campus Operations
7. Committee on Committees
8. Conference on Conduct Governance
9. Continuing Education and Public Service
10. Educational Policy
11. Equal Opportunity
12. External Affairs
13. Faculty Benefits
14. General University Policy
15. Honorary Degrees
16. Library
17. Student Discipline
18. University Senates Conference
19. University Statutes and Senate Procedures
20. University Student Life