In relation to the issue of the ELECTORATE for departmental administration, the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate recognizes the uniqueness and diversity of each Academic Unit while acknowledging the necessity to clarify the electorate for departmental administration.  After considerable, but unsuccessful, attempts to formulate a university-wide policy defining who is eligible to vote on departmental matters, the Executive Committee recommends that each department/school/University Libraries write their own by-laws which will govern the eligible electorate.

These by-laws are of crucial importance to the preservation of faculty governance in departmental administration; therefore they are mandatory.  In drafting these  by-laws, each department/school/University Libraries will include at least the professorial faculty, as defined in the Faculty Senate Constitution, and the chair/director.

These by-laws need to be completed before the end of the Spring 2007 semester.  A copy should be maintained in the department/school/ University Libraries, a copy should be filed with the College Dean’s office, and another copy forwarded to the Office of the Faculty Senate.  Future updates amending these existing by-laws should be forwarded to and maintained by the same.