Faculty Senate Bylaws

Article I:  Name

The name of this organization shall be the Seminole State College Faculty Senate.

Article II:  Authorization

Section 1. The Faculty Senate is authorized by the Board of Trustees, the President, and the Faculty of Seminole State College.

Section 2. The Board of Trustees, President and/or faculty may review any action taken by the Faculty Senate.

Section 3. Any provision of these Bylaws enacted hereunder, which may be in conflict with the regulations and statutes controlling activities of the College Administration and Board of Trustees, may be null and void.

Article III:  Purposes

The purposes of the Faculty Senate may be the following: 

• To represent the faculty in matters concerning College academic policies and programs.
• To serve as a channel of communication for the faculty in its relations with the Board of Trustees, the Administration, and the student body. 
• To exercise initiative and leadership in fostering professional growth of the faculty and to encourage cooperative efforts toward that end. 
• To promote excellence of in the educational programs in the College.

Article IV: Membership

Section 1. The voting members of the Faculty Senate may consist of faculty members, duly elected under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of this Article, who meet any one of the following classifications:

• Full-time teaching faculty;
• Librarians classified as faculty;
• Counselors classified as faculty,
• Adjunct teaching faculty excluding supervisors/administrators employed at the College.

Section 2. One Faculty Senate representative may be elected by faculty members within each of the following areas and academic departments:

• Adult Education (ABE/GED)
• Allied Health Professions
• Arts and Communication 
• Biological Science
• Business, Legal, Hospitality, & Entrepreneurship
• Construction Building Trades
• Counseling
• Design and Construction
• Engineering & Computing Technology
• English Language Studies (ESOL/EAP)
• English
• Humanities, History, & Modern Languages
• Library 
• Mathematics
• Nursing
• Physical Sciences
• Public Safety
• Social Sciences, Early Childhood, Education & EPI

Any time areas/departments are reorganized, each of the new areas/departments will elect a representative to serve until the next regular election for area/department representatives. The faculty member who had been area/department representative before the department was reorganized may continue to serve until the elections take place. Prior to the next election of area/department representatives, the Senate will approve the revised list of area representatives to be elected. The Senate President will then forward the revisions to the VP for Academic Affairs for approval by executive team. Revision to Senate composition need not adhere to the bylaws amendment process (Article XII).

Section 3. Members-at-large may be elected in two categories. Seven members-at-large may be elected by the full-time faculty from the School of Arts and Sciences who are eligible for Senate membership by ballot in Term II. Eight members-at-large may be elected by the entire full-time faculty who are eligible for Senate membership by ballot in Term II. These eight members-at-large may be elected from the categories specified in Article IV, Section 1. The total number of members-at-large may not exceed fifteen.

Section 4. Adjunct teaching faculty representatives will be elected by the adjunct professors. Up to four representatives will be elected, two from each academic area. Adjunct senators will have full voting rights and will be elected for a 1-year term before the end of Term II of every year. Adjunct elections will be conducted in a manner agreed to by adjunct professors and facilitated by the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning. 

Section 5. The term of office for area/department representatives and members-at-large on the Faculty Senate may be for two years and until successors take office. Area/department representatives of the Senate membership may be elected in the odd years and members-at-large in the even years. The term of office may begin with the first contracted duty day of Term I. The term of office for adjunct representatives may be for one year and until successors take office. 

Section 6. Election of members-at-large and Senate officers may be conducted according to the Senate elections process (see Article VIII). Election of the members-at-large may be held before the end of Term II in even years. Area/department representatives of the Senate may be elected before the end of Term II in odd years. 

Article V:  Officers

Section 1. The officers of the Faculty Senate may be a President, First Vice-President, and a Second Vice-President. The President may receive release time as arranged by the VP of Academic Affairs. 

Section 2. The President, First Vice-President, and Second Vice-President may be elected by the faculty from among the total Senate membership for two-year terms. Membership consists of newly elected Senators and Senators with a year remaining in their term. Elections may be held in accordance with the time established by Article IV and using the procedures of the Faculty Senate (see Article VIII). Officers elected in Term II will take office at the first general faculty meeting of Term I. When the President begins their term, they vacate their at-large or area/department representative seat.

Section 3. In the event that the President of the Senate relinquishes  their duties, the First Vice-President may assume that office for the remainder of the term. The Senate may fill vacancies of other officers by election of a member from the Senate at its next regular meeting.

Section 4. The President of the Senate may:

• preside at and set the agenda for Faculty Senate meetings;
• appoint special committees to do the work of the Faculty Senate
• prepare a list of meeting dates to be approved by the Faculty Senate
• attend meetings of Executive Council when Associate Vice Presidents are invited, be a member of the Academic Leadership Team and other College committees as requested by the administration
• give a Faculty Senate report as needed at meetings of the District Board of Trustees
• represent the Senate on appropriate occasions and 
• perform other duties of President prescribed in the Senate's parliamentary authority as described in Article XI.

Historically, the President received six hours of release from base teaching load (tier 4 of the supplemental duties chart)in the fall and spring semesters. For the summer term (if applicable), the President may receive a release from 50% of base teaching load.

In the event that the President is temporarily unable to fulfill any of the above-mentioned duties, they may designate a faculty representative to fulfill them.

Section 5. The First Vice-President may:

• act in the President's absence
• assist the President in his or her duties
• serve as Senate Parliamentarian or designate a Parliamentarian; and
• perform other duties prescribed in the Senate's parliamentary authority.

Section 6. The Second Vice-President may:

• serve as the recording secretary at Senate meetings;
• provide the faculty (as defined in Article IV, Section 1) with access to the minutes and agenda of all regular and special meetings;
• publicize the Senate meeting dates and times; and
• perform other duties prescribed in the Senate's parliamentary authority. 

Article VI: Member Duties

Section 1. All members will attend meetings regularly, keep their constituent groups informed (in the case of area/department representatives), and solicit input from constituents when appropriate.

Section 2. Any member absent, except for conflicts with scheduled classes or other College-related duties, from three consecutive regular meetings may be notified via electronic communication by the President of the Senate that he or she is subject to suspension from the Senate. If the Senate member does not respond via electronic communication within thirty days that he or she wants to retain Senate membership, the member will be suspended. The suspension is subject to appeal to Senate officers within one month. If the suspension is upheld, a new member will be elected to fill the remainder of the term.

Section 3. If a voting member is unable to attend a Senate meeting, it is their responsibility to notify a proxy (from the same area in the case of area/department representatives) that their attendance is required and to notify the Second Vice-President as to the proxy.

Article VII:  Committees

Section 1. A faculty member may be appointed by the President in consultation with the Vice President of Academic Affairs to membership on the Seminole State College Foundation Board. The appointee may report on committee activities to the Senate.

Section 2. An Elections Committee may be composed of Senate members selected by the Senate according to the Elections Process adopted by the Senate. The Elections Committee Chair may supervise and conduct the elections of members-at-large and officers as prescribed in  Article VIII. The President of the Senate may not serve as a member of the committee.

Membership of the Elections Committee:

An Elections Committee consisting of no more than three Senate members may be elected by the Faculty Senate at its first Term I meeting each year. Nominations of Senate members to serve on the Committee may be from the floor. Once the committee is established, the Senate will vote on an Election Committee Chair. In accepting membership on the committee, each member of the committee agrees that they may not be eligible for election as one of the officers of the Faculty Senate for the following term. Members of the Elections Committee need not be members of the Senate the academic year following the elections; they do need to be members of the Senate during the nominating and electing process in Term II (Spring).

Duties of the Elections Committee 

1. In planning the timetable for the election of Faculty Senate officers, the Committee may stay within the requirements specified in the Senate bylaws of conducting officer elections in Term II (Spring).
2. The committee may work cooperatively with the Senate President in running the election of members-at-large. The Elections Committee Chair may oversee both the nominating and electing process for officers of the Senate. All of these processes may be conducted electronically, if appropriate.
3. The Committee may prepare or obtain the following:
   • a memo to faculty containing a list of persons elected as members of the Senate who are eligible for nomination and election as a Senate officer and instructions for completing the nomination process
   • instructions for electing officers, containing the name(s) of persons nominated for President, First Vice-President, and Second Vice-President, in alphabetical order, and a line for write-ins for each office
   • a list of persons eligible to vote for members-at-large and the officers, according to the Senate bylaws, acquired from the appropriate college office
4. After the election of area/department representatives or members-at-large (in March), the Committee may provide each faculty member eligible to vote with
   • a list of area representatives and members-at-large who are eligible to be officers,
   • a nominating process and
   • instructions for completing and submitting the nomination
5. After the deadline for submission of nominations, the Election Committee may contact all persons nominated for each office to seek their permission to have their name placed on the election ballot. Should an individual be nominated for more than one office, that person must choose the office for which they wish to be nominated.
6. The Committee may prepare the election ballot containing the names of all persons nominated for each office, listed in alphabetical order. For each office, there will be a line for write-ins.
7. The Elections Committee Chair may provide each employee eligible to vote in Senate elections with an announcement of the time frame and instructions for voting. The announcement may include a ballot, containing the names of the nominees for each office
8. At least one week should be allowed for persons to cast their ballots.
9. After the voting period, the Election Committee will obtain results of electronically counted ballots, and prepare an announcement of the results.

Section 3. Special committees, as they are deemed necessary or useful to carry out the work of the Senate, may be appointed by the President of the Senate or the Executive Committee.

Article VIII:  Elections Process

Section 1.
Election of Area/Department Representatives: odd years

The Senate Second Vice-President will remind departments and areas of the need for the election by a memorandum sent in mid-February. Election of area/department representatives from those specified in the Senate bylaws may be conducted during the month of February within each area/department. The incumbent representative from each area/department may report the results to the Election Committee Chair and Senate President as soon as the results are known, but no later than the end of the first week of March. 

Section 2.
Election of Members-At-Large: even years 

Nominations for persons to serve as members-at-large are made from all regular full-time faculty during March in even years. An election, if required, may be conducted after the nominations. The persons receiving the most votes become members of the Faculty Senate. 

Section 3. 
Election of Adjunct Faculty Representatives: every year 

Up to four adjunct teaching faculty members, two from each academic area, may be elected by the adjunct faculty from that area by the end of term II. Adjunct senators will have full voting rights and will be elected for a 1-year term. Adjunct elections will be conducted in a manner to be determined by the adjunct professors of each area and in coordination with the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning. 

Section 4.
Election of Officers: odd years 

A list of eligible Senators, may be sent to each current Senate Member and all Full-time Faculty. Nominations of oneself or someone else must be submitted to the Elections Committee Chair by the date specified by the committee. Each person nominated, regardless of the number of nominating votes received, may be contacted by the Elections Committee Chair for permission for that person's name to be placed on the election ballot. If a person has been nominated for more than one office, they must choose which nomination they would like to accept. Nominees who accept must provide a candidacy statement. Names of persons and their candidacy statement may be listed, in alphabetical order, for each position, with a line for write-ins. Elections may be held within the last three weeks of Term II by the means established by the Elections Committee. All current Senate Members and Full-time Faculty will be eligible to vote. A nominee must receive a plurality (the candidate that receives the most votes of the votes cast) to be elected to an office. In the event of a tie, a run-off election may be held between the two nominees receiving the highest number of votes. The Elections Committee Chair may establish the time frame and means for the run-off election.

Article IX:  Meetings

Section 1.  The regular meeting of the Senate may be held each month at a time and place fixed by the Senate. Additional meetings may be called at the request of any one member of the Senate. The faculty may be notified at least three days in advance of the time and place of Senate meetings.

Section 2. Anyone may attend regular meetings of the Senate, and anyone may speak at Senate meetings.

Section 3. Any one member may call for a ballot vote.

Section 4. A quorum may be a majority of the voting members of the Senate. Proxies are permissible (see Article VI, Section 3).

Section 5. In the event that a quorum is not available, members present may discuss issues and make non-binding recommendations to be presented to the next Senate meeting at which there is a quorum.

Section 6. The President may not vote on action items unless the vote is a tie. In the event of a tie vote, the President may cast the tie-breaking vote.

Article X: Censure and Investigative Functions of the Senate

Section 1. The Faculty Senate, when requested by a person eligible for membership in the Faculty Senate (as defined in Article IV, Section 1) may hear from that person a concern or question pertinent to the academic welfare of the College. After hearing the individual's question or concern, the Senate, by majority vote, may decide whether it will investigate and/or act upon the information presented.

Section 2. Areas of concern should focus on the academic function of the College, leaving terms, wages, and working conditions to be addressed via management of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the College and UFF-Seminole.

Section 3. Any findings, conclusions, or recommendations by the Faculty Senate may be purely advisory to the College Administration and Board of Trustees and no provisions herein may take precedence over presently existing regulations or regulations hereinafter promulgated which are or may be binding upon the College Administration or Board of Trustees.

Section 4. Should the Senate decide to investigate, the Senate President may appoint, and the Senate may approve a committee to investigate the individual's concern and report to the Senate its findings and any recommendations.

Article XI: Parliamentary Authority

The Bylaws of the Faculty Senate may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote. Eligible voters include regular full-time faculty, temporary full-time faculty, and adjunct faculty as defined in Article IV. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the Faculty Senate prior to their distribution to the faculty. Notice that amendments are to be considered, along with a copy of the proposed amendments and the Senate's recommendations must be distributed to the faculty prior to the vote. Amendments to the Bylaws may be approved by the President and Board of Trustees of the College.

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