CHAPTER XI
THE UNIVERSITY SENATE
Lincoln University shall establish and maintain a University Senate to serve as a major advisory body to the president. The Senate shall be composed of representative members from every category of the university taxonomy (see Section 3.00).
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.10 Composition of the Senate
The Lincoln University Senate shall be composed of the academic faculty and representatives from administration, professional staff, clerical and support staff, and students. All representatives shall have full voting rights. No person shall be counted in more than one category.
All full time members of the academic faculty (Section 3.40) and academic administrative staff (Section 3.30) shall serve in the Senate. All administrative officers (Section 3.10) except the president shall serve in the Senate. Other administrative staff who shall serve are the director for Enrollment Services, the registrar, the university librarian, the directors of Facilities Planning/Physical Plant; Public Safety; and Computing Services and Telecommunications.
One representative for every ten full-time, non-instructional, professional staff members (Section 3.50) shall be elected to serve in the Senate. Administrative staff (Section 3.20) other than those listed above, staff assistants (Section 3.11) and the internal auditor (Section 2.55) shall be included in this category.
One representative for every twenty full-time clerical staff members (Section 3.60) and one representative for every twenty full-time support staff members (Section 3.70, 3.80, and 3.90) shall be elected to serve in the Senate.
At least one representative of each undergraduate class shall serve in the Senate. A class with more than 500 members shall be entitled to one additional representative for each additional 500 members. At least one representative per 100 graduate students shall serve in the Senate. The president of the Student Government Association shall serve in the Senate. Student representatives shall be elected each year.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977; modified January 15, 1993.
11.20 Election of Student Representatives to the Senate
The initial election of student members to the Senate shall be at a time and place designated by the president. Thereafter, elections shall be held every two years in the spring semester at a time and place designated by the president. Sophomore, Junior, and Senior representatives shall be elected every spring semester. Freshman class representatives shall be elected in the fall semester, as designated by the president.
Each constituency eligible to elect members shall determine its own method of electing representatives to the Senate. No representative shall be entitled to a seat in the Senate, with the exception of the faculty, unless that representative was elected by a majority vote from at least 25% of the constituents. If fewer than 25% of the members of a group vote, additional elections shall be held until the required 25% minimum is achieved. Written notice of elections must be provided to each member of the constituency.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.30 Term of Office
Each elected representative to the Senate, except students as noted above, shall serve a term of two years. Representatives are eligible for re-election. The regular term of office shall begin on August 1 following the spring election.
When a vacancy in the Senate occurs, as determined by the Senate, the Executive Committee as herein established may appoint an interim representative from the constituency affected if the unexpired term is for less than four months. Otherwise, a vacancy shall be filled by a special election of the constituency affected. This election is to be held within thirty days at a time and place designated by the president. A Senate member serving to fill a vacancy shall serve only to complete the regular term of the vacated member. Composition of the Executive Committee is defined in Section 11.81.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.40 Organization of the Senate
The University Senate shall be presided over by an elected chairman who may vote only in the case of a tie. The chairman shall be elected for a term of office of one year and may be reelected each year provided the chairman shall not serve for more than three consecutive terms.
A vice chairman who shall preside over meetings when the chairman is absent shall also be elected by the Senate for a term of office of one year and may be reelected each year provided the vice chairman shall not serve for more than three consecutive terms.
The chairman and vice chairman shall have the following qualifications:
A. A member of the University Senate; and
B. Demonstrated professional interests and leadership qualities associated with the respective Senate offices.
A secretary and a parliamentarian shall also be elected by the Senate from among the members for a term of one year and may be reelected for one or more terms.
A slate of no less than two nor more than four candidates for each of the four Senate offices shall be presented to the Senate by a nominating committee during each spring semester. Members of the Senate, in session, may nominate additional persons to be included in the slate. Nominations to the Senate offices by Senate members shall be submitted to the Executive Committee for screening before their submission of a slate of candidates to the Senate. The slate of candidates for the first election shall be presented to the Senate by a nominating committee appointed by the Executive Committee of the University Senate.
Elections shall take place in the Senate, in session, by secret ballot.
Date of Issue: June 22, 1985.
11.50 Senate Meetings
It shall be the duty of the secretary to issue notices of meetings, to keep the minutes of proceedings, and to send a copy of the minutes to each member of the Senate.
The secretary of the Senate shall arrange the agenda of the meeting. Agenda proposals shall be delivered to the secretary of the Senate not less than ten working days preceding the meeting at which they are to be introduced. The secretary shall make the agenda available to members of the Senate at least five working days in advance of each meeting.
The business of the Senate shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order. The usual order of business shall be:
I. Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting;
1. Reports;
2. Unfinished business; and
3. New business.
The Senate shall have the power to modify the agenda by a 2/3 majority vote of a quorum of members present. A quorum shall consist of 40% of the total membership of the Senate.
The Senate shall meet at least twice each semester. Special or emergency meetings may be convened by the president or vice president of Academic Affairs, or as otherwise herein provided. The Senate may also be called into session by signature petition of one-third of its members or by two-thirds consenting vote of the Executive Committee. (See Section 11.80.)
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.60 Purpose and Jurisdiction of the Senate
The University Senate shall have the following powers:
1. To initiate and participate in formulating the general educational policies of the university;
2. To recommend rules governing the general conduct of students;
3. To recommend regulations prescribing the minimum requirements for admission of students to any division of the university;
4. To exercise advisory responsibility in the areas of curriculum development and improvement of instruction;
5. To prescribe, subject to the approval of the president and the Board of Curators, academic standards, standards of eligibility for participation in student activities, the nature of degrees to be conferred, conditions of graduation, and candidates for degrees;
6. To establish standards concerning professional competence, ethics, and academic freedom;
7. To safeguard the academic freedom of all employees of the university;
8. To express itself formally as an advisory body in areas which fall within its jurisdiction, and to transmit its recommendations to the president of the university.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.70 Standing Committees of the Senate
To facilitate the work of the Senate, standing committees and sometimes special committees (ad hoc) are necessary and shall be established to study, prepare, and recommend policies on educational practice and on the general welfare of the university. Standing committees shall assist administrative officers in the implementation of such policies after they have been adopted.
All standing committees of the Senate shall serve in an advisory capacity. Policies and procedures recommended by those committees shall be referred to the University Senate for approval and then transmitted through the vice president for Academic Affairs to the president.
Committee members shall serve as selected by the University Senate and appointed by the president of the university. The president shall appoint committee chairpersons and one-third of the membership. The Executive Committee of the Senate shall select two-thirds of the membership of the committees. All full-time employees shall be eligible to serve on university committees although they are not members of the Senate.
Except for the initial appointment of the standing committees, members shall serve terms of three years. Beginning August of 1977, one-third of the membership of any committee shall serve for one year, the second third for a period of two years, and the remaining third for a period of three years.
Thereafter the appointments shall take place annually for three year periods. No members shall serve longer than three successive years. Committee appointments shall be made during the month of April and announced at the May meeting of the University Senate. Not all members eligible to serve on university committees shall necessarily serve on university committees at one time. As a general rule, simultaneous assignment to more than two standing committees shall be avoided, although this guideline shall not prejudice the selection of any member of the university for special committees.
The standing committees of the Senate are indicated below:
A. Academic Routine
B. Curriculum
C. Educational Policies
D. Retirement
E. Student Affairs
The president may appoint special (ad hoc) committees for special purposes. The president, at his/her discretion, may permit the Executive Committee to select members to serve on the special committee activities.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977; modified January 15, 1993.
11.71 Standing Committees of the Senate (Student Representation)
Two students shall be appointed to serve on each standing committee. By April 1st each academic year, the Office for Student Affairs shall deliver to the Senate a list of two students and one alternate as members of each standing committee for the following year.
Student members shall be in addition to the membership for the committee which is appointed one-third by the president and two-thirds by the Executive Committee of the Senate.
Date of Issue: 1981-82.
11.80 Executive Committee of the University Senate
There is hereby established an Executive Committee of the Lincoln University Senate, the members of which shall be elected as hereinafter provided. The committee shall act as liaison between the Senate and the administration of Lincoln University in all matters of policy relative to Senate affairs. It shall advise the president and the Senate on university policy and may initiate recommendations concerning changes in said policy for consideration and appropriate action by the Educational Policies Committee and the Senate. The committee shall perform such duties and obligations as deemed appropriate by the Senate. The committee shall, by two-thirds consenting vote of its members, call the Senate into full session. The committee shall function under a set of by-laws formulated by the committee, but subject to the approval of the Senate. The committee shall be empowered to create those subcommittees necessary to conduct the business of the Executive Committee.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977, and September 9, 1978.
11.81 Membership of the Executive Committee
Each academic department and the College of Business shall be entitled to one representative on the Executive Committee of the University Senate. New departments shall be entitled to representation. In addition, three members, one from non-instructional professional staff, one from the clerical staff, and one from the student body, shall be elected. Ex officio members of the Executive Committee shall be the presiding officer and the secretary of the Senate.
The maximum number of representatives shall be sixteen (16) unless otherwise amended by two-thirds vote of the Senate.
Date of Issue: January 15, 1993.
11.82 Election of Representatives
Each unit shall elect its representatives by secret ballot during the second semester, but not later than April 15, of the academic year preceding that which newly elected representatives will take office.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.83 Term of Office
Except for the initial appointment of the Executive Committee, members shall serve terms of three years. Beginning August 1977, one-third of the membership of the Executive Committee shall serve for one year, the second third for a period of two years, and the remaining third for a period of three years. Thereafter, the appointments shall take place annually for three-year periods. No member shall serve more than two terms in succession, but a member may serve any number of discontinuous terms. Terms of less than three years shall count the same as a three-year term.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.84 Filling Vacancies
The members of each unit in which a vacancy may occur during the term of a duly elected representative shall elect a member of their unit by the same procedure as other representatives are elected to fill a vacancy on the Executive Committee.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.85 Meeting of the Executive Committee
The first meeting of the Executive Committee of the Senate shall take place within the first thirty days after the beginning of each academic year. Thereafter, they shall be scheduled as frequently as necessary to conduct the business of the committee. The chairperson of the committee shall be obligated to call the committee into session for special meetings at his/her discretion or at the discretion of two-thirds of the committee members. Each member of the committee shall be given written notice of all meetings of the committee at least seven days prior to such meetings. Any member who is absent two consecutive meetings without cause shall be replaced.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.86 Election of Officers
Officers of the Executive Committee shall be the chairperson and the secretary. They shall be elected annually by the members of the committee and this election shall take place during the first scheduled meeting of the academic year.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.87 Quorum and Voting Procedures
A quorum of the Executive Committee of the Senate shall consist of eight members of the committee. No committee business shall be conducted unless said quorum shall be present.
Each member of the Executive Committee, including the chairperson, shall have one vote on all matters coming to a vote before the committee. Should a member of the committee be unable to attend the meeting, whether called or regularly scheduled, that member shall designate an alternate from his/her unit and provide the chosen representative with his/her written proxy.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.88 Amendments to the Governance Plan of Lincoln University
These rules may be amended at any regular meeting of the University Senate by a three-fourths vote of all members present. The proposed amendment must be submitted at a prior Senate meeting and must have the approval of the president of the university.
The Board of Curators shall have the authority to change any provision of this governance plan if in the judgment of the board the larger interests of the university so require. The changes made should relate to matters of university policy or to the duties and powers of the Board of Curators.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
11.90 How a Policy Originates and Becomes Established at Lincoln University
Whenever a person, committee, department, or division in the university conceives a course or principle of procedure for facilitating or promoting the aims and objectives of the university, the initial step in the establishment of a policy is in process.
The person or group shall submit the proposal of the matter, with its justifications, to that committee concerned with the matter for study and consideration. The committee on such matters shall receive the proposal and study it.
After the committee has given careful study to the matter, and considers it essential to the promotion of the university's purpose, it shall be formulated and properly edited by the committee.
The committee on such matters shall then submit the matter to the Senate with recommendations for its approval and acceptance.
Upon approval of the Senate the matter is presented to the president of the university. After the president of the university has carefully considered the measure, he or she may recommend it for adoption by the Board of Curators as an established policy for the university.
There are some essential provisions which are pertinent in these statements:
1. The committee on the matter before it may reject any proposal for any reasons which may justify such action. It is the responsibility of the committee to report its action to the person or group proposing the matter.
2. The president of the university may reject any proposal of the faculty for reasons in the light of his/her observations. He or she shall return the proposal to the faculty with a statement of his/her objections and justification.
If the measure is reconsidered by the Senate and passed by two-thirds vote of the Senate, it shall be returned to the president, and he/she shall present it to the Board of Curators. If the measure is approved by the board, after hearing the president's objections, the measure shall become an established practice of the university.
If the measure is not approved by the Board of Curators, the measure shall not be established. There is no higher body of appeal.
Date of Issue: July 1, 1977.
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