Chapter 1: Constitution of the Faculty Government of UTEP
Article I: Name and Purpose
1.1 This organization shall be "The Faculty of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso."
1.2 The purpose of this organization is the general charge of The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso, as provided for in the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents and subject to the authority that the UT System Board of Regents has vested in the President and the various administrative officers and subdivisions of The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas System.
Article II: Membership
2.0 Organization for Faculty Government.
There shall be organized three faculty groups: A General Faculty, A Faculty Senate, and Standing Committees.
2.1 Voting members of the General Faculty shall consist of all (1) all professors, associate professors, assistant professors and instructors; and (2) those full-time non-tenure track faculty who, having completed two years of service at the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é, are nominated by their department and approved by the dean of the college and the provost.
2.2 The Faculty Senate shall be composed of members elected by majority vote from each academic department. All (1) full-time, non-tenure track faculty approved for voting membership on the General faculty, (2) assistant professors having completed two years service at the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é, (3) associate professors and 4) professors, shall be eligible for election. Each department shall be represented by one elected member for each ten (10) members of the General Faculty or fraction thereof.
2.2.1 Terms of members in the Faculty Senate shall be for a period of two (2) years. Members may not succeed themselves, but may be elected after an intervening period of two (2) years.
2.2.2 While officers of the Faculty Senate are voting members of that body, 2.2.1 above does not apply to them in that officers may serve in the Senate either immediately preceding or immediately following their terms of office.
2.3 All voting members of the General Faculty shall be eligible for election to Standing Committees and appointment to Special Committees, subject to the qualifications stipulated in the Constitution or the Bylaws of Faculty Government.
2.4 The Faculty component of all Standing Committees shall be elected by the Faculty Senate.
2.5 The term of membership on a Standing Committee shall not be more than three (3) years. New appointments, except those to fill unexpired terms, shall become effective September 1. No member completing a full term may succeed immediately to the same committee, but he/she shall be eligible for re-appointment after an intervening period of two (2) years.
Article III: Jurisdiction, Authority, and Duties
3.0 Under the jurisdiction of the General Faculty fall such matters as (a) general educational policies and welfare; (b) regulations affecting student life and activities; (c) requirements for admission and graduation and for honors and scholastic performance generally; (d) approval of candidates for degrees; (e) rules of procedure; (f) approval of Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é curricula; (g) academic responsibilities, privileges, and ethics; (h) faculty consultation with the administration and UT System Board of Regents, insofar as this conforms to Regents' Rules and Regulations and this Handbook.
The authority delegated to the Faculty Senate by the General Faculty shall include all matters listed in Section III of this Handbook, subject to such exceptions and regulations as the General Faculty may make.
An action by the Faculty Senate shall be subject to General Faculty review upon a signed petition from ten percent (10%) of the General Faculty members.
All functions and duties of Standing Committees shall be as prescribed in the Bylaws.
Article IV: Officers
4.1 The President of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é shall be the presiding officer of the General Faculty, though the President may delegate this responsibility to the President of the Faculty Senate. The Secretary/Treasurer of the Faculty Senate shall serve as the Secretary of the General Faculty.
4.2 The officers of the Faculty Senate shall be a President, a Vice President, and a Secretary/Treasurer. They shall be tenured members of the Faculty.
4.2.1 The officers shall be elected by secret ballot from among those nominated. A Nominating Committee will present a slate of candidates (one or more) for each office, and nominations may be made from the floor.
4.2.2 At the May meeting of the Faculty Senate, the election of officers for the ensuing Academic year shall be the first item of business, once the presence of a quorum is determined.
4.2.3 The term of office for any officer shall be one Academic year, commencing September 1 following election to office and ending August 31 of the subsequent year. Each officer shall be eligible for election to a second consecutive term, but such reelection shall not be a bar to immediate election to another office.
4.2.4 Should any member of the Senate be elected to an office designated in 4.2 above, that member's Senate seat shall be deemed vacant, and the appropriate academic department shall, forthwith, conduct an election to fill the vacancy.
4.2.5 The executive power in Faculty Government shall repose in the President of the Faculty Senate, but this shall not preclude the President from casting a vote in the Faculty Senate under those conditions provided for by Robert's Rules of Order, nor shall it preclude the President or his/her representative from the Executive Council from casting a vote in committees, wherein the President holds ex-officio membership, in exactly the fashion of any other member of such committees. The President is, however, prohibited from serving as a member or presiding officer of any Hearing Committee or any Committee of Preliminary Inquiry or of conciliation or of appeals created in pursuance of quasi-judicial powers of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é.
4.2.5.1 Upon the death, resignation, inability or other disqualification of the President of the Faculty Senate, the Vice President shall become President for the unexpired term. Upon such succession, the Senate shall proceed immediately to the election of a Vice President. Likewise, upon the death, resignation, inability, or other disqualification of the Vice President or of the Secretary/Treasurer, the Senate shall proceed immediately to fill the vacancy. In no event may one person simultaneously hold two or more of the offices designated under 4.2.
4.2.6 The Executive Council of the Faculty Senate shall consist of the regular officers together with one member from each College of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é not represented by the officers and the Chairperson of the Graduate Assembly.
4.2.7 The President of the Faculty Senate shall appoint a Parliamentarian from the list of Procedural Advisors. The Parliamentarian shall be guided by Robert's Rules of Order.
4.3 Each Standing Committee shall elect a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary. Students may not serve as President or Vice President of the Faculty Senate Committees.
4.3.1 The Chairperson of Special Committees shall be designated by the President of the Faculty Senate. The Vice Chairperson and Secretary of each such committee shall be elected by that committee.
Article V: Meetings
5.1 Meetings of the General Faculty may be called by the President, Acting President of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é, by the President of the Faculty Senate, by the Executive Council of the Faculty Senate, or by written petition of ten percent (10%) of the voting members of the General Faculty.
5.2 The Faculty Senate shall hold meetings each month, excepting the months of January and August. Special or Emergency meetings may be called by the President of the Faculty Senate or by written petition of twenty percent (20%) of the membership of the Faculty Senate.
5.3 A majority of members or their respective alternates shall constitute a quorum in the Faculty Senate.
5.4 All Standing Committees shall meet at least once each semester.
Article VI: Amendments
6.1 This Constitution may be amended through a proposal in the Faculty Senate and, upon approval by a 2/3 vote of the members present, the proposal shall be distributed, within 30 days, to the voting members of the General Faculty. A majority of two-thirds (2/3) of the number voting by written ballot will be sufficient for ratification. Amendments so adopted must be submitted to the President for appropriate review and approval, and approval by the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and become effective immediately upon such approval.
Article VII: Bylaws
7.1 Bylaws to this Constitution may be made or amended by a simple majority vote in two consecutive meetings of the Faculty Senate. Bylaws so adopted must be submitted to the President for appropriate review and approval, and become effective immediately upon such approval.
Article VIII: Transitions
8.1 This Constitution and its attendant Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon their approval by the President.