1.5 / Department Administration

1.51 / Electorate

1.51  Handbook for Faculty -- Chair electorate:
1.51 / Electorate  (this will move to 1.521-- Chair Policy and Procedures)
The electorate for nominating a department chair shall, as a minimum, include all those serving as full-time (1.0 EFT) professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and tenured instructors, who provide at least 50 percent of their University duties within the department.  This group may, by majority vote, establish as a policy the extension of the electorate to (but no further than) all those in the department enfranchised to vote under the Faculty Senate Constitution (http://webs.wichita.edu/senate/handbook/FSConstitution-rev-1-05.html).

Administrators, as defined by the Faculty Senate Constitution, are excluded from the electorate for the purposes of voting for a chair.  A faculty member who has resigned or who is serving in the last year of a terminal appointment shall also be excluded from the electorate for the purposes of voting for a chair.

In departments with an electorate of five or fewer persons, departures from the stated procedures may be made.  In such instances, the dean shall utilize methods that conform to the spirit of democratic and consultative procedures implicit herein.

The dean shall ensure that the electorate is convened only after due notice.  On convening, the electorate shall choose a presiding officer to serve until the selection of a chair is completed.

The electorate, as defined above, may, by majority vote, assign to a committee of its choosing the function of nominating a candidate or slate of candidates for chair.  In the final selection of a nominee for chair, the total electorate shall be accorded the right to vote.  In all votes provided for pursuant to these procedures, measures shall be taken to ensure the anonymity of each voter.

The electorate of a department recommends a nominee to the dean of the college.  The dean, with the concurrence of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research, unless there is an impasse, may proceed to appoint the individual as chair of the department.

In the event that a new department is created and has no staff, the dean shall have the prerogative of appointing the initial chair for a term not to exceed three years.

Proposed Electorate definition -- from Executive Committee

All persons who have a faculty status or who work closely with faculty should read the following summary of the discussion held today by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.

Agreed upon:

The definition of the electorate for making, revising, and enforcing departmental policies is the same as the electorate designated to vote for department chairs: All full-time (1.0 EFT) assistant, associate, and full professors and tenured instructors.

In a phrase, this is the PERMANENT DEPARTMENTAL ELECTORATE.

This group may by democratic vote extend the electorate to include all visiting professorial faculty, phased retirees, and 1.0 EFTs with faculty status.  This is the PROVISIONAL ELECTORATE.

This extension of the electorate is not permanent or ongoing or assumed and must be undertaken whenever departmental policy is to be made, revised, or enforced.

The PERMANENT ELECTORATE is responsible within each department, school, or unit for determining which academic issues, matters, and/or policies will be considered by which electorate group. That is, this PERMANENT ELECTORATE may create or revise departmental policy to clarify and codify which matters of departmental business are to be discussed by which electorate. 

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