SP.96.07
October 19, 1998

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE

University Statutes and Senate Procedures
(Final; Action)

SP.96.07 Proposed Amendment to the Bylaws, Part D.1.(b) - Senate Council Membership

BACKGROUND

The current membership of the Senate Council consists of its Chair, Vice-Chair, seven chairs of standing or ad hoc committees of the Senate, three students, one representative to the University Senates Conference, and the campus faculty member of the Faculty Advisory Committee to the Board of Higher Education.

This proposed change in the membership deals only with the seven chairs of the Senate committees.

RECOMMENDATION

The current method of selecting those chairs is: seven faculty senators elected by and from among the faculty chairs of the standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate. The method amounts to a crap shoot in the sense that the chairs of those committees involved have no better idea of whom among them would be better members of the Council than others. The "election" takes place in an informal "caucus" lasting just a few minutes. It can be a humiliating experience for the one or two chairs who are not elected.

It is the sense of the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures that the seven chairs of the standing committees who shall be members of the Senate Council should be the chairs of the Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure, the Commitee on the Budget, the Committee on Committees, the Committee on Educational Policy, the Committee on Faculty Benefits, the Committee on General University Policy, and the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures. The chairs of these committees appear to be best suited to carry out the prescribed duties of the Senate Council on a continuing basis. It should be noted that members of committees of the Senate and their chairs are elected by the Senate. So the Senate will be able to exercise complete control over the membership of its Council.

In the amendment below text to be deleted is indicated in [square brackets] and text to be added is underscored.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE BYLAWS, PART D.1.(b)

(b) Membership

The Senate Council shall be composed of (a) a Chair and a Vice-Chair, elected by ballot by and from among the membership of the Senate, who shall be the presiding officers of the Senate Council,

(b) [seven faculty senators elected by and from among the faculty chairs of the standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate] the faculty chairs of the Senate Committees on Academic Freedom and Tenure, Budget, Committees, Educational Policy, Faculty Benefits, General University Policy, and University Statutes and Senate Procedures,

(c) three students, including at least one undergraduate and at least one graduate or professional student, all of whom shall be elected by and from among the student senators, (d) one of the Senate's representatives to the University Senates Conference, elected by the Senate to serve on the Council, and (e) the campus faculty member of the Faculty Advisory Committee to the Board of Higher Education ex officio with vote. A vacancy on the Senate Council shall be filled by the same procedure utilized in selecting the vacating member.

UNIVERSITY STATUTES AND SENATE PROCEDURES
Robert Fossum, Chair
H. George Friedman, Jr.
Harry H. Hilton
John W. Kindt
Saba Malek
Heather Suchobrus
Robert C. Damrau, Ex officio
Thomas M. Eakman, Observer
C. K. Gunsalus, Ex officio (designee)
Vera V. Mainz, (PAC Liaison)