Faculty Senate Charter and Bylaws
Charter of the Faculty Senate of Gulf University for Science & Technology
1. Objectives and Functions
- The Faculty Senate, also known as the Senate, at Gulf University for Science & Technology, will be the voice of all faculty at GUST.
- The Faculty Senate shall consider, articulate, and present recommendations from the faculty to administration.
- The Faculty Senate shall make recommendations that emphasize improving teaching and learning conditions at GUST, especially as they affect faculty and other matters of university-wise importance. The Faculty Senate can also make recommendations on issues that affect the general welfare of the faculty.
2. Organization
- The Faculty Senate shall have a President and Secretary and other such officers as determined by need. They will collect the notes at the commencement of the Fall semester each year.
3. Operations
- The Faculty Senate shall adopt its own bylaws.
- The Bylaws of the Faculty Senate shall provide for regular stated meetings of the Faculty Senate.
- Special meetings of the Faculty Senate may be called by the Faculty Senate President in accordance to procedure to be stabled in the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate.
- Records of the minutes of the Faculty Senate shall be kept and transmitted electronically to the faculty.
- The Faculty Senate shall be provided by Gulf University for Science & Technology with necessary secretarial assistance and other related services and resources.
4. Ratification and Amendment of the Charter
- The Charter shall be amended by a quorum consisting of 25% (1/4) of the members of the Faculty Senate. Note: The quorum will consist of 25% because of the small size of the Senate. Further consideration can be given to the Bylaws as the University grows.
Bylaws of the Faculty Senate of Gulf University for Science & Technology
Membership
- The voting members of the Senate shall consist of the President; elected voting representatives of the full-time regular faculty.
- For the purposes of Senate membership, the term “eligible faculty” includes all those with full-time regular appointments.
- Members of the eligible faculty so defined will have the right to vote on Senate membership, to be nominated for Faculty Senate membership, and to serve in the Senate and on Senate committees.
- The President of the Faculty Senate and Secretary shall serve a one year term (one year as a Senator and one year as President/Secretary, unless re-elected by seated Senators for a second term). Elected faculty members of the Faculty Senate shall serve a two-year term. The term of office for all Senators shall begin in September.
- he Senate rosters shall be posted on the web.
Officers
- The elected officers of the Senate shall be the Senate President, who must be a voting faculty Senator, and the Secretary of the Senate, who must be a voting faculty Senator.
- The elected President shall serve for one year though s/he serves two years (one year as a Senator and one year as President, unless re-elected by seated Senators for a second term), and the officers of the Senate shall serve for two years, beginning in September.
- The elected officers may be re-elected.
- The Senate President, or in the President’s absence, a voting member of the Senate designated by the President, shall be the presiding officer at each meeting of the Senate.
- The Senate Secretary shall also maintain the official roster of the Senate, and shall collect annual reports on committee activities, which shall be submitted in written form by the committee chairperson.
Meetings and Agendas
- The Senate shall meet regularly each month during the academic year or in special meetings as called by the Senate President. The Senate President shall call a special meeting of the Senate on request of the President or of any five members of the Senate.
- Proceedings in Senate meetings shall be in accordance with the rules set forth in the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the elected faculty Senators. All Senate members are strongly encouraged to attend scheduled meetings.
- The Secretary of the Senate shall submit the agenda to all members of the Senate at least three working days in advance of each meeting, shall keep minutes of each meeting of the Senate, and shall distribute a copy of the minutes of each meeting to all faculty.
- Agendas and minutes of the Senate meetings shall be posted on the web no later than a week after their meeting. Minutes of the Senate meetings should include motions as presented, with a summary of the main points of the discussion.
- The Vice President for Academic Affairs, or his designated representative, shall present at each meeting of the Senate. The presentation shall include information on what is happening with the University, students, answer questions, as well as to inform the Senate on actions taken as a result of Faculty Senate proposals and resolutions.
- Committee reports should:
- be filed with Senate Secretary in advance of or at the meeting where actions are presented;
- includes the names of committee members;
- present motions as a part of the report.
ELECTIONS: Faculty Senate
- Each department of the College of Arts and Sciences & College of Business Administration will elect representatives by mail ballot distributed and tallied by the Faculty Senate. The Foundation Preparation Unit shall elect three representatives by mail ballot distributed and tallied by the Faculty Senate.
- Each College’s eligible faculty will vote for its College representatives.
- Elections will occur every year in each academic department in the month of March but at no specific date, leaving flexibility for each department’s demands.
- A subcommittee of the Senate shall be established to supervise the election of faculty members to the Senate and distribute and tally the ballots. The subcommittee shall consist of the Senate President, the Senate Secretary, who shall maintain a complete record of the votes received by all candidates and one Senator.
- If a departmental representative should resign from the University or from the Senate, the department will elect a replacement by mail ballot. If a Senator should take a leave of absence for half or full academic year, an alternate shall be selected in the same manner to serve only during the duration of the leave of absence.
- When the Senate President’s completion of term comes to an end, the Senate President will serve as ex-officio (non-voting) Senator for one year.
- Only voting members of the Senate may vote at their respective meetings. Proxy voting is prohibited.
- Nominations for Senate shall be submitted to the Senate Secretary no later than one week prior to the March meeting of the Faculty Senate to allow dissemination of names of nominees to the voting members of the Senate.
Amendments
- The Bylaws may be amended by the vote of 25% of the quorum of those voting members present at any meeting of the Senate, provided the substance of the proposed amendment has been circulated in print by electronic means in time to be received by all members at least one week prior to the meeting at which action is proposed.
- All senators unanimously voted against adjunct faculty being given voting power within GUST faculty assembly (April 25, 2012).
Faculty senate at GUST as the voice of all faculty at GUST, regardless of gender and nationality. The Faculty Senate shall consider, articulate, and present recommendations from the faculty to administration. The Faculty Senate shall make recommendations that emphasize improving teaching and learning conditions at GUST, especially as they affect faculty and other matters of university-wide importance. The Faculty Senate can also make recommendations on issues that affect the general welfare of the faculty.
