9.010 Senate By-Laws

1. 1. Duties of Senate Officers
      1. The Senate President will preside over all meetings of the Senate and Senate Executive Board and ensure that official minutes are kept for each meeting. The Senate President will represent the Senate in all matters pertaining to the Senate and direct the Senate to the fullest extent possible for fulfillment of its purposes and objectives.
      2. The Senate Vice President will assist the Senate President. In the absence of the Senate President, the Senate Vice President will preside over meetings and fulfill other presidential responsibilities.
      3. In the absence of the Senate President and the Senate Vice President, the Senate Past President will preside over meetings.
   2. Agenda
      1. The order of Senate business will normally be:
         1. College President's Office Report (At either Senate Assembly or Senate Meeting)
         2. Approval of Minutes
         3. Reports
         4. Unfinished Business
         5. New Business
         6. Announcements
         7. Adjournment
      2. The order of business as indicated in the agenda may be changed upon general consent of the Senate.
      3. The agenda, accompanied by adequate explanatory materials, will be received by Senate Assembly members not later than eight days prior to each Senate meeting. It will be the responsibility of the Senate Executive Board to prepare the agenda for the Senate meetings.
      4. In order to appear on the agenda, items will be supplied for the Senate Executive Board meeting.
      5. Items received by the Senate Executive Board and not placed on the agenda may be placed on the agenda by a majority vote of Senators present and voting if information is supplied to Senate members three days before the Senate meeting.
      6. If an emergency item arises, the rules of the Senate can be suspended by a two-thirds vote.
   3. Conduct of Meetings
      1. A record of attendance will be taken by the Senate secretary and reported to each organizational unit prior to the election of new Senators.
      2. Senators and alternates acting as Senators will be seated in an identifiable manner. Senate Assembly members or guests will be seated separately.
      3. Senate Assembly members or guests must obtain permission from the Senate President or presiding officer to speak.
      4. No Senate member may speak more than twice on any issue unless he or she:
         1. Is the mover or seconder of the motion under discussion, or the mover or seconder of the amendment thereto.
         2. Is a member of the committee directly involved with the motion under discussion.
         3. Has permission of a majority of the members present. Senate members may defer to any person; however, this will be interpreted as one of the member's opportunities to speak to that particular motion.  Request for information will not be considered as one of the allotted speaking times.
      5. The Senate President may appoint a parliamentarian. The parliamentarian will not be a Senator.
   4. Voting
      1. The presiding Senate officer will only vote when it is necessary to break a tie.
      2. No motion will be passed by the Senate without the concurrence of a majority vote of members present and voting.
      3. No motion will alter a section of the Senate Handbook assigned to the Faculty, the Administrative/Professional Staff, or the Support Staff, or any policy therein, without the concurrence of a majority of the members of the group present and voting.
      4. One of the following methods will be used when voting on a motion during Senate meetings:
         1. Unanimous consent
         2. Acclamation or voice vote
         3. Secret ballot
   5. Minutes
      1. Minutes of the meeting of the Senate Executive Board and the Senate will be arranged and organized for easy reference. Discussion and action pertaining to any one topic will be grouped together.
      2. The records of attendance and the results of all votes will be included in the Senate minutes.
      3. Minutes of the Senate will be distributed to all members of the Senate Assembly within a two-week period after the Senate meeting.
      4. The Senate Executive Board minutes will be available to any Senate Assembly member upon request.
      5. Corrections to minutes of meetings of the Senate Executive Board and Senate will be made as follows: portions of minutes being corrected will be included in the minutes, then stricken, and the correction included in a readily identifiable manner.
      6. Deletion from the record at the same meeting may be accomplished by unanimous consent of the Senate Executive Board or the Senate.
   6. Senate Assembly Membership Roster
      1. Changes in the division of the Senate Assembly into organizational units will be approved by the Senate.
      2. Clarifications relative to Senate or Senate Assembly membership will be resolved by the Senate Executive Board upon recommendation from the Senate Membership Review Committee. The Senate President, Senate Vice-President, and Senate Past President will constitute the Senate Membership Review Committee.
   7. Conduct of Senate Assembly Meetings to Hear Challenges
      1. The purpose of the meeting is to determine whether a challenge to an action by the Senate or the Senate Executive Board, or proposed items, should be presented to the full Senate Assembly for a vote in accordance with Article XII of the Senate Constitution.
      2. Thirty percent of the members of the Senate Assembly will constitute a quorum.
      3. The rules of procedure for the meeting will be those presented in Robert's Rules of Order. (Revised by Senate vote March 19, 1997.)
   8. Senate Executive Board Functions:
      1. Respond to request(s) from any member of the College community to review the policies and information contained in the Senate Handbook.
      2. Circulate to appropriate units within the College for comment all proposed amendments, deletions, or additions to the Senate Handbook
      3. Determine the appropriateness of items for Senate action.
      4. Determine whether items are ready for Senate action and approve the agenda for Senate meetings.
      5. Confirm appointments of Senate Standing Committee members and chairs.
      6. Review the function of Senate Standing Committees.
      7. Assist Senate Standing Committees in meeting their charge(s).
      8. Review the performance of the Senate Standing Committees and their chairs, and make appropriate recommendations to the Committee.
      9. Approve the creation and charge of all Senate ad hoc Committees.
      10. Confirm appointments of Senate ad hoc Committee members and chairs.
      11. Review the Senate Handbook on a continuing basis to determine whether the policies and information contained therein require revision.
   9. Senate Executive Board Process
      1. Act on the requests for review of existing policies or for the development of new policies received from any member of the College community.
      2. Determine whether requests are within the scope of the Senate structure; and if further action is deemed necessary, refer the request to an appropriate unit (FEC, ECAPS, SSEC, Standing Committee of the Senate, an ad hoc Senate Committee, or an Administrative Office) within the College for study and recommendations.
      3. Review drafts of specific proposals to revise Senate policies and:
         1. Return to the drafting body for further study and revision, or
         2. Forward to concerned groups within the College (FEC, ECAPS, SSEC, Senate Standing Committees, Administrative Offices, Academic Council, Student and Educational Services Management Council, etc.) for comment.
      4. After full discussion of the proposal has occurred, the Senate Executive Board may:
         1. Return the proposal to the drafting body for further study and revision; or
         2. Amend the proposal to reflect concerns raised by College-wide discussion; or
         3. Place the proposal on the agenda for consideration by the Senate.

Board Action 4931 – May 8, 2012
Board Action 4846 – Revisions to Bylaws II.D; Bylaws V.E; Bylaws IV.D, 3 & 5 – October 5, 2010
Board Action 4769 – Inclusion of Support Staff – May 12, 2009