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Constitution

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Constitution 2020-12-02T22:45:41+00:00

 

Constitution of the Highline College Faculty Senate

Approved by Faculty Senate, March 31, 1999  /  Approved by Board of Trustees, 1999

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Highline College Faculty Senate (HCFS). Hereinafter to be known as the “Senate.”

 ARTICLE II. PURPOSE/MISSION STATEMENT 

The purpose of the Senate shall be to provide a forum for faculty discussion, advocacy and leadership regarding academic affairs at Highline Community College. Toward that objective, the Senate shall:

  • Serve as the paramount recommending body to the President and Board of Trustees to establish and revise college-wide academic standards, grading policies, degree requirements, and educational outcomes after considering input from all interested parties. (See R.C.W.28B.50.140(11))
  • Serve as an advisory board to the Vice President and Deans of Instruction for college wide curricular issues.
  • Gather, synthesize, and disseminate information relevant to interdisciplinary curricula and instructional activities.
  • Hear and consider faculty concerns not covered by the Highline College Education Association (HCEA Agreement) and communicate such issues as are deemed appropriate to the Administration and the Board of Trustees.
  • Provide recognition for exemplary faculty who have made significant contributions to the college through teaching, scholarship, or other service.

ARTICLE III. SENATE MEMBERSHIP

  • Those eligible for Senate membership are tenured faculty members, probationary faculty members, and certain administrators. Faculty Senators are elected and administrative members are ex-officio.
  • Each Instructional Division shall elect two faculty members of the division, at least one of which shall be tenured.
  • The President of the College and the Vice President for Academic Affairs or his designee shall be ex-officio members of the Senate.
  • Senate officers have Senate membership and shall be tenured faculty members elected by the faculty at large as established in Article IV, Clause B.
  • Officers are:
    • Chair
    • Vice-Chair
    • Secretary
    • Two Senators at Large

ARTICLE IV. ELECTIONS, RECALLS

  • Election of Division Senators
    Each Instructional Division shall hold elections for Faculty Senate membership annually, during the fourth week of May. Members elected shall begin  their term the following fall quarter. Each division shall elect one Senator each year so as to stagger their terms. Terms of office shall be for two years. Each division shall determine its own voting rules.
  • Election of Senate Officers
      1. Election for Senate officers shall be held annually during the second week of May. The officers shall be elected by the entire faculty. Terms of office shall be two years.
      2. All elections shall be called by the Senate.
      3. Elections shall be held annually, except for special elections otherwise provided for in this Article. Nominations for Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Senator at Large, when applicable, shall be made by the Nominations Committee and announced during the first week of May. Elections for these offices shall be concluded by the end of the second week of May. In the event no candidate receives a majority vote, a run-off election shall be held between the two leading candidates for that office. Those elected will start office on July 1 following the election.
      4. All elections shall be held by a secret ballot. The Senate shall determine all other procedures for holding its elections.
      5. Vacancies for all offices, except that of the Chair, shall be filled by special election within two weeks of the occurrence of the vacancy unless it occurs after April 15 of the second year of the officer’s term. Vacancies occurring after this date will be filled by the candidate elected in May to complete that term or commence a new term, as the case may be. The existence of a vacancy shall be determined by
        • The Chair in the case of all Senate officers except the Chair
        • The Vice Chair with the Executive Committee approval, in the case of the Chair
        • Division Chairs with regard to divisional vacancies.
        • Recall of Officers or Senators
          1. Any officer or Senator may be recalled from office by a two-thirds vote of the Senate members voting on the issue or, if s/he represents a Division, by two-thirds vote of the Division members. One-third of the constituent members may petition to hold such a recall, with the provision that such petition and its signatures shall be void 50 days after it is first circulated if signatures of one-third of the members have not been obtained.
          2. Such recall must be held within one month after a petition has been filed with the Secretary, except that the recall election for Senators whose terms have not expired will be held over to the annual election if the petition is filed after April 1. No other officers or Senators may be recalled unless the petition is filed by April 1.

ARTICLE V. OFFICERS’ DUTIES

  • The Chair shall preside over meetings of the Senate and the Executive Committee of the Senate. At Senate meetings the Chair shall vote only to break a tie. The Chair or his/her designee shall serve as representative to recognized college organizations and Faculty Association of Community and Technical Colleges (FACTC).
  • The Vice Chair shall be a voting member of the Senate except when acting as Chair. The Vice Chair shall assume the duties and rights of the Chair in the Chair’s absence and shall become Chair if that office is vacated.
  • The Secretary shall keep records of the meetings, prepare minutes for distribution to all Senators and observers, and shall assist the Chair with correspondence and other record keeping. The Secretary shall have the authority to delegate administrative duties to assistants as s/he believes appropriate.
  • The Senators at Large shall represent the faculty at large and shall serve on the Nominations Committee.

ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS, AGENDA, QUORUM 

  • Regular meetings of the Senate shall be held at least monthly, October through June.
  • The agenda for regular meetings of the Senate shall be published and disseminated by the secretary at least two instructional days in advance of the meetings.
  • Special meetings of the Senate may be called at the discretion of the executive committee. Written notice, containing time, place and agenda, shall be given to all members at least two instructional days prior to the meeting.
  • A quorum for doing business in the Senate and any of its committees shall be a majority of the membership. If Senators representing divisions are unable to attend a Senate meeting, they, or the Division Chair, may send another division member to act as proxy, with full voting powers.
  • Meetings shall be open to all members of the College community except when personnel matters are under consideration, when the Senate may, by two-thirds vote, adjourn to executive session. No action may be taken in executive session.

ARTICLE VII.  COMMITTEES

The Senate shall establish standing committees as described in this article to assist in the conduct of its ongoing business. The members of these committees shall be also members of the Senate. The Senate may establish ad-hoc committees as required.

  • The five Senate officers shall constitute an Executive Committee which shall receive all requests for Senate study and action, and establish the agenda for Senate meetings. Items received as requests from the President of the College, a Senator, or the principal officer of recognized faculty, employee, or student government associations, shall be included on the agenda if received prior to the executive committee’s monthly meeting. This committee may also act as an advisory committee to the President and the Board of Trustees between Senate meetings and during the summer months. The executive committee shall organize and facilitate general faculty meetings and forums, as needed, to disseminate information and to gather faculty opinion on issues before the Senate.
  • Nominations Committee
    The two Senators at Large and a third Senator, appointed by the Chair, shall constitute the Nominations Committee. The committee shall recommend to the Senate, for their approval, appointments to all committee vacancies for which the Senate has responsibility. The Committee shall submit, during the first week in May, nominations for Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Senator at Large as applicable.
  • Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee (PR&R)
    The faculty members of the Senate, excluding Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary, shall be members of the PR&R Committee. (Senators shall serve as specified in the PR&R Committee procedures.) The function of the PR&R Committee is to assist in the resolution of faculty disputes that are not covered by the HCEA negotiated agreement, when requested by any party directly involved in the dispute.
  • Curriculum Committee
    Six Senators shall constitute the Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee shall conduct in-depth studies of curricular issues, including degree requirements, and make recommendations to the Senate.

ARTICLE VIII. MISCELLANEOUS

  • The Senate shall adopt procedures for its own operation.
  • This Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the faculty voting on the issue, with the concurrence of the Trustees of the College.
  • The Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Senators at Large shall receive compensation, in the form of release time or stipends, for discharging their responsibilities. This compensation shall be determined by the Chair and the President of the College.