Faculty Senate Bylaws

Effective 1/1/2020 Adopted 9/20/2019

I. Definitions

Selected terms appearing in these By-laws are employed with the intent as to their definitions:

President: The President of the College.

Executive Committee: The Executive Committee of the College Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate President / Chair: Principal Facilitator and Representative of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee; voted by the members of the college wide faculty. The Senate President shall be a continuing contract faculty having served as a member of the Executive Committee within the past 5 years.

Faculty Senate President Elect: Will become a member of the Executive Committee immediately following the confirmation vote in February.

Faculty Senate Vice President: Voted by the members of the college wide faculty. The Vice President shall be a continuing contract faculty having served as a member of the Executive Committee within the past 5 years.

Executive Committee Member: Faculty Senate President, Faculty Senate Vice President, Faculty Senate President Elect, Faculty Representative from the Schools of Art, Humanities and Social Sciences; the School of Business; the School of Education; the School of Health Sciences; the School of Pure and Applied Sciences as well as representatives from Charlotte, Collier, Hendry-Glades, Lee (Edison) campuses. College Success and Learning Resources will have one representative.

Parliamentarian: Voted from the ranks of the Executive Committee or may be nominated and approved by the Committee. This person shall be responsible for assuring all activities of committee members, meetings, and reports follow established by-laws and Robert's Rules.

Secretary: Voted from the ranks of the Committee, this person shall be responsible for creating and reporting to all appropriate stakeholders minutes, reports, and other documents deemed essential for appropriate communication and transparency.

Terms of office: The Executive Committee Members will serve a term of three years with the exception of The Faculty Senate President Elect. Current members may be nominated for additional consecutive terms.

Voting Members of the Faculty: All persons holding regular, full-time academic appointments in the constituent faculties of Florida SouthWestern State College. These persons shall include library faculty as they are considered holding full-time academic appointments.

II. Purpose and Functions

  1. Making recommendations to the Provost for consideration and transmittal to the Board of Trustees with respect to policies governing:

    1. Standards of curricula and content of degree programs.
    2. Standards and facilities for research and scholarship.
    3. College administration will consult with the Faculty Senate prior to the establishment or discontinuance of departments, the merging, or the transfer of departments between constituent faculties.
    4. The College Academic Calendar and modifications of the academic calendar.

  2. Making recommendations to the President for consideration and transmittal to the Board of Trustees with respect to policies governing:

    1. Admission standards and academic requirements for students.
    2. Awarding degrees in course
    3. Awarding honorary degrees
    4. New degrees and the modification of existing degrees.
  3. Advising and consulting with the Provost on the appointment of major academic officers other than those of constituent faculties, on the formulation of the budget, and the allocation of resources and facilities, on long range-planning, and on matters of similar concerns to the faculty.
  4. Reviewing current programs, policies and organizational structures with regard to their effectiveness and exercising initiative in proposing development and introduction of new program, policies, and organizational structures.
  5. Recommending amendments of these By-laws.

III. Meetings

  1. Regular meetings During each academic year, the Faculty Senate shall hold at least three (3) regular meeting within the period from September to December, inclusive, and at least three (3) within the period from January to May, inclusive. The period between any two successive regular meetings shall not normally be less than approximately one month. The dates of regular meetings shall be determined by the Executive Committee in consultation with the Provost's office.
  2. Special Meetings/ Emergency Meetings Special meetings of the Faculty Senate may be called by the Faculty Senate President, the majority vote of the Executive Committee, or upon written petition which states the purpose of the proposed meeting and signed by not less than twenty percent (20%) of the membership of the Faculty Senate. Such petition shall be delivered to the Faculty Senate President who shall, in turn, schedule a special meeting. Special meetings of the Faculty Senate may, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, allow for electronic attendance and voting.

  3. Notifications and agenda

    1. The Faculty Senate President shall notify each member of the Faculty Senate at least five days prior to the regularly scheduled meeting.
  4. Presiding Officer and Rules of Officers The President of the Faculty Senate, or in the absence of the President, the Vice President shall conduct all meetings of the Faculty Senate. All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, excepting as otherwise specified in these By-laws.

  5. Order of Business- Regular Meetings The order of business at all regular meetings of the Faculty Senate may be as follows:

    1. Adoption of agenda
    2. Approval or correction, if necessary, of the minutes of the previous regular meeting and any special meetings.
    3. Reports of Standing Committees
    4. Reports of ad hoc Committees
    5. Information Items and Discussion
    6. Consideration of Motion Items
    7. Faculty Announcements
    8. New Business
    9. Adjournment
  6. Order of Business- Special Meetings and Emergency Meetings The order of business at any special meeting or any emergency meeting shall be only the Consideration of the matter or matters for which the meeting shall have been called.
  7. Reports, Motions, and Amendments shall be conducted in accordance of Robert's Rules. All committee reports at all meetings shall be submitted to the Faculty Senate in writing. All motions introduced at all meetings, in addition to amendments thereto, shall be added to new business to allow the opportunity for proper notification of all faculty of the proposed motion.
  8. Procedure of Voting Voting at all meetings of the Faculty Senate shall be only by voice, by a show of hands, or by secret balloting including confidential, verifiable electronic balloting.
  9. Minutes The Secretary shall prepare and keep minutes of each meeting.

  10. Quorum.

    1. At any regular Faculty Senate meeting, a minimum of 30 college wide voting membership shall constitute a quorum.
    2. If a quorum cannot be established at a regular Faculty Senate meeting, for practical reasons the meeting may be adjourned after non-voting items have been completed.

IV. Membership and Privilege of Attendance

  1. The Secretary shall keep a cumulative record of attendance at meetings of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, and, in February of each year, shall submit to the Executive Committee the names of those elected faculty members of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee Members who have been absent from more than one half (½) of all regular and special meetings within the current academic year. Upon receipt of such report, the Chair shall designate a member of the Executive Committee to inquire the circumstances for such absences.
  2. Without evidence of extraordinary circumstances, the member shall be informed in writing that they will not be eligible to serve in any capacity on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee for the remainder of their current term.
  3. Special Elections will be held within 30 days of the removal of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee Member.
  • Privilege of Attendance Members of the Board of Trustees, the President or his designee, the Provost, vice-President(s), deans, and other academic officers may attend meetings at the invitation of The Faculty Senate President, the request of Faculty, or the recommendation of the Executive Committee.

  • Officers

    1. In March of each year, the Executive Committee of Faculty Senate will request volunteers for Standing and ad hoc committees
    2. In January, nominations will be open for the offices of senate president, vice president, Executive Committee Members. The nominations will be accepted for two weeks. The nominations will be collected by an election supervisor who is appointed by the president and who is not seeking a nomination for any office.
    3. After the nomination period expires, electronic ballots will be sent out to all fulltime faculty for a vote. The voting period will be open for two weeks. Additional offices may be created by the consent of the Executive Committee as need arises. Conversely, offices may be dissolved by majority vote of the Executive Committee as need for such responsibilities are no longer present.
    4. Offices for the newly elected officers will begin at the start of the fall semester following the elections.

V. Committees

  1. Executive Committee

    1. The Executive Committee shall consist of five to ten persons. There shall be one individual from each geographic location and one person from each of the Schools and one person from the libraries. A faculty member may fill more than one representation requirement simultaneously.
    2. Executive Committee members will be expected to be available during summer sessions if necessary. If summer availability is needed Executive Committee members will be given appropriate supplemental contracts in accordance with current CNA requirements.
    3. Faculty Senate and FSW Faculty Union are essential and dedicated to the betterment of the college and to improve conditions for all faculties by not holding the office of president or vice president in both units.
    4. The Executive Committee shall consult with the College President and Provost on such matters that they may bring before it. It shall be empowered to act for the Faculty Senate between meetings on matters requiring emergency action. and the Senate President shall advise the College President and Provost in the selection of officers of academic administration.
    5. The Senate President shall set the agenda for meetings of the Faculty Senate.

  2. Standing Committees

    1. All Standing Committees report to the Faculty Senate.
    2. All standing Committees operate in accordance with College Operating Procedures and CNA.

  3. Ad Hoc Committees

    1. Ad Hoc Committees of the Faculty Senate may be established by the Executive Committee or by majority vote of the Faculty Senate. The Ad Hoc Committee Chair shall provide the Senate President the Committee's proposed charge for approval by the Executive Committee. The maximum term of any ad hoc committee shall be twelve months, subject to extension at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
    2. At the discretion of the Executive Committee, such ad hoc committees may include members of the College community who are not members of the Faculty Senate.

VI. Amendments

  1. An amendment of these By-laws may be proposed by a majority vote of the Faculty Senate. The vote on any proposed amendment shall require a simple majority (50% +1). The proposed amendment must be discussed in a meeting and ballots will be sent out electronically for a vote.
  2. At least once every five (5) years, the Faculty Senate shall review all provisions of these By-laws and recommend to Faculty Senate as to desirable amendments.
  3. After its approval by the voting members of the Faculty Senate, an amendment shall take effect immediately.
  4. Copies of the amended By-laws shall be posted on the College's Senate Page Website.

Download a Copy of the Faculty Senate Bylaws (Effective: 1/1/2020)