CHAPTER 2 / UNIVERSITY STRUCTURE

B / UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE - PART I

Faculty participation in University-wide governance involves the University faculty, the Faculty Senate, and the graduate faculty, as well as numerous committees. The roles and participative characteristics of these elements of University governance are outlined on the following pages.  The traditional governance role of the Wichita State University faculty is conducted through General Faculty Meetings, the Faculty Senate, standing and ad hoc faculty committees, and the graduate faculty.  The Senate may deliberate and take action on all matters related to the faculty.   has been maintained despite growth in the size of the faculty and the volume of faculty business.  The University faculty continues to conduct important business in meetings of the entire faculty, but these meetings are not the sole forum of the faculty. In 1964 the organizational structure of the faculty was enlarged to provide for a representative body, the University Senate. The University Senate was changed to the Faculty Senate beginning with the 1987-88 academic year. The Senate and its committees are delegated a major governance role with a charge to "deliberate and recommend on matters committed to the faculty and on any matter of an internal faculty nature." Recommendations of the Faculty Senate on substantive matters requiring University faculty action are reported to the entire faculty for action will be acted upon at General Faculty Meetings. (LINK: Faculty Senate Con., Article III.)  Graduate academic affairs of the University are the general responsibility of the Dean of the Graduate School, the Graduate Council, and the graduate faculty.

2.07 / General Faculty Meetings. 

The rules that govern meetings of the University Faculty are those adopted by the Faculty on May 1, 1991, which were derived substantially from rules adopted by the Faculty on October 31, 1956, and amended on August 25, 1970, and thereafter. The Bylaws of the General Faculty of Wichita State University appear below as amended March, 1991.

I.  Membership.  Faculty eligible to vote at General Faculty Meetings (hereinafter designated as Faculty Meetings) referred to in these by-laws are those who comprise the Faculty Senate electorate.  This includes temporary, probationary, and tenured faculty members holding half-time or more appointments at the rank of instructor or higher whose primary duties are 50 percent or more teaching, librarianship, research, scholarship, and/or creative activities.   library services.

II.  Officers.  The presiding officer at all General Faculty Meetings shall be the vice president of the Faculty Senate. In the absence of the vice president, the Agenda Committee Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate shall designate a  temporary presiding officer.  The Agenda Committee for the Faculty Meeting is the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.  The presiding officer shall appoint a secretary to take minutes of the proceedings and may appoint a parliamentarian.  for the Faculty Meeting.  The presiding officer shall not participate in substantive debates of the General Faculty Meeting.  at the first Faculty Meeting of the academic year.  The Agenda Committee for the Faculty Meeting is the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.

III. Scheduling.  REGULAR FACULTY MEETINGS. A. NUMBER. There shall be two (2) Faculty Meetings during an academic year. This does not preclude the calling of additional meetings, if the necessity arises, nor the cancellation of a meeting if no topics are available for the agenda. The Agenda Committee  The Faculty Senate Executive Committee shall call all General Faculty Meetings by its own authority and shall control the agenda, except as noted below.  The President of the Faculty Senate will consult with the President of the University regarding the scheduling of General Faculty Meetings. 

IV.  Agenda.  B. NOTICE.   At least ten calendar days before a General Faculty Meeting, each eligible faculty member shall be furnished with the agenda of topics to be considered at the meeting, including  In the case of the categories listed below, there shall be included with the agenda a detailed statement of any proposals to be submitted for action.

1. Fundamental Principles of Academic Policy, such as additions, changes or

deletions of degrees; changes in university wide requirements for graduation;

changes in regulations relative to grading, probation, examination, attendance,

etc.

2. Items associated with Faculty Welfare, such as retirement, hospitalization,

tenure, promotion, matters involving contributions to funds.

3. Changes in University Mission.

4. Changes in the Organization of the Faculty.

C. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA

1.  In the case of an item on the agenda not included in the categories listed above, any faculty member shall, upon written request made to the Agenda Committee, be furnished with the details of that agenda item.

2.  An individual faculty member may request the Agenda Faculty Senate Executive Committee to place a topic on the agenda for the next General Faculty Meeting.  Upon the written request of twelve or more faculty members, representing at least three departments and two colleges, an item shall appear on the agenda for the next  Faculty meeting.  Such requests shall be filed with the Agenda Executive Committee at least twenty-one days in advance of the next Faculty scheduled meeting. 

IV.  Quorum.  A quorum is the number of faculty present at the General Faculty Meeting.  For discussion or voting on items presented at a meeting as non-agenda items, a quorum of one-third of the all eligible faculty members is required.

VI.  Length of Meetings.  No Regular or Special General Faculty Meeting shall last longer than ninety minutes, unless such Meeting shall be it is extended by a two-thirds vote of those present.

VII.  Rules.  The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order shall apply in all applicable cases, when they are not inconsistent with this document.   if, however, a conflict exists between this document and Robert's Rules of Order, this document shall supersede.  

VIII.  Minutes.  Each faculty member shall be furnished a copy of the   The official minutes of General Faculty Meetings will be sent to all eligible faculty members and posted on the Faculty Senate Web site. 

Faculty Defined: Faculty members eligible to vote at General Faculty Meetings are those holding half-time or more appointments at the rank of instructor or higher in which the primary duties are fifty percent or more teaching, research, or library service. Eligible faculty are the same as those qualified to vote in Faculty Senate elections.