(NOTE: The following document is the Constitution of the Faculty Senate of The University of Alabama in effect at the time this Handbook was published. Information about any subsequent amendments to the Constitution or By-laws can be obtained from the Secretary of the Faculty Senate or on the Senate Web Page.)

The purpose of the Faculty Senate is to aid The University of Alabama in making judgments on questions of policy, development, and operations and thereby to assist the University in its continuing quest for excellence. It seeks to accomplish this goal by:

1. Facilitating and encouraging meaningful input on matters of general faculty concern.

 
2. Providing a readily accessible channel of communication through which continual dialogue and exchange of information and ideas may be carried on between the Faculty and University Officials.

The responsibilities of the faculty rest with the faculty as a whole, but faculty opinion will normally be articulated through a Faculty Senate as herein constituted.

The Faculty Senate has the responsibility and authority to deliberate issues of general faculty concern and to communicate the results of these deliberations and its recommendations to the President of the University.

The Senate receives information from the administrative officers of the University regarding pending policy decisions, or it determines through independent study that certain policy decisions appear to be appropriate; in either instance its function is to aid in the formulation or re-formulation of University policy.

The function may be served in some instances by discussion in which Senate members contribute their advice for consideration by those who are responsible for formulation and implementation of policy regarding the matter in question. In particular instances, on the other hand, the Senate may choose to make formal statements by majority vote.

The Faculty Senate is entitled to be advised of the disposition of any recommendations it makes.

Some general matters appropriate for faculty deliberation include:

1. General policies for admission of students to the University and the establishment of academic standards and requirements for graduation.

 
2. Establishment of the terms and conditions of faculty service and well being.

 
3. Selection of a University President or Vice-President. The views of the Faculty Senate should be solicited and considered before an appointment is made. In the case of selection of a divisional Dean only the faculty of that particular division should be consulted.

 
4. Budgetary Matters: Reviewing past and current allocations; Faculty Senate will designate one of its members to be available to the President to serve on all groups which make budgetary decisions on a campus-wide basis. Such groups include those concerned with establishing need, establishing priorities for allocations, and deciding on allocations.

 
5. Establishment of the University calendar.

 
6. Major changes in academic or research programs which are of an interdivisional nature or which have significant interdivisional impact.

Each division of the University, including colleges, schools, and the University Libraries, is represented in the Faculty Senate by one senator for each twenty persons, or fraction thereof, serving on the date of the election under a regular appointment as an instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor engaged in teaching or research at least half of a normal load during the regular year, or a librarian having corresponding rank and professional engagement.

Each division of the University shall elect alternate senators in a number equal to the number of its senators. Such alternate senators can substitute for any senator within the alternate's division of the University on request of the Senator. When serving for a senator, an alternate may perform any of the functions of a senator with the full power of the senator. No senator may be represented by other than a duly elected alternate from the same division of the University.

A person holding a joint appointment involving more than one division must choose the division through which to participate in senate representation.

The dean or corresponding administrative officer of each division will be responsible for certifying the number of persons who qualify under this section to be counted in determining the number of senators for the division.

The divisions of the University will hold elections for Senators and alternates by secret ballot during the last two weeks of February or the first two weeks of March, for a term of two years commencing April 1. In the divisional elections nominations may be made anonymously or from the floor. Only regular faculty members as defined in Article III are eligible for election to the Senate. However, the faculty of each division may determine who is eligible to vote in its particular election and in making this determination is not governed by the factors of eligibility to be counted for apportionment purposes under Article III.
 
The faculty of a division either may elect its senators at large or assign them for election by any arrangement of faculty subgroups as determined by faculty vote.

The dean or corresponding administrative officer of each division will conduct the election. Except for Special elections, election as a senator is for a two-year term of office and to replace those senators whose terms are expiring. The Senate Secretary will notify the deans of the divisions by February 14 of the number of Senate vacancies which will occur that year in each division.

The term of office for a senator elected in a Special election is for the remaining portion of the term of the senator being replaced.

At its last regular meeting in March, the first order of business for the Senate shall be to elect a President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary of the Senate for the ensuing year, from those Senators recently re-elected to the Senate or whose Senatorial term does not expire the ensuing April 1. No person elected to the Senate for the first time shall be eligible for such offices. The new officers shall take office on April 1.

The presiding officer of the Faculty Senate will call a meeting of the faculty of the University when so requested by a petition from one-fifth of the members of the faculty as determined by the total number of persons certified by the administrative officers of the divisions of the University at the time of the last General Senate election, by a vote of the majority of the Senators present at a meeting of the Senate, or by the President of the University.

The elected officers, the immediate past President of the Faculty Senate, and chairpersons of standing committees will constitute a steering committee. If the immediate past President of the Faculty Senate is no longer a senator, ex officio status in the steering committee will be automatic. The immediate past President who is no longer a senator will be privileged to attend all open and executive sessions of the Senate with right of debate but without vote. The steering committee will determine the agenda of all Senate meetings. Anyone may propose agenda topics for Senate meetings. A topic must be put on the agenda if as many as five senators, twenty faculty members, or the President of the University request it.

The Senate will meet each month during August through April, according to a schedule. The steering committee may call special meetings at any time while the University is in session during the regular academic year or a summer term (not including the interim term), and must do so when as many as ten senators, forty faculty members, or the President of the University request it.

A senator's absence from three meetings during a term of office without being represented by a duly elected alternate may vacate the office. The Senate shall be the judge of the reasonableness of the senator's absence without representation. Upon notification by the Senate, the dean of a division in which a senator's office is vacated shall hold an immediate Special election for a replacement.

The dean of a division also will hold Special elections to senate seats when these seats are vacant because of death of the senator, resignation of the senator from the Senate, resignation of the senator from the faculty of the University, or for vacancies caused by a change in the status of a senator of such nature that the senator no longer is eligible to hold the office under provisions of this constitution. Such Special elections will be held following notification by the Senate of a vacancy and as promptly as feasible after this notification.

Action to recall a Senate member from a division or faculty subgroup may be initiated by petition of not less than one-third of the voting members from that division or subgroup. Upon receiving this petition, the dean of the division shall notify the Senate member promptly and convene a special meeting of the voting members of the division to consider the petition. After opportunity for discussion of the substance of the petition, a secret vote shall be taken. If two-thirds of the voting members present vote to support the petition to recall the Senate member, the seat shall be declared vacant. The dean shall hold a Special election promptly to select a replacement and will notify the Senate President of the action. In such a meeting for recall and in all General and Special elections, a vote will be taken only after it is determined that a quorum is present as defined by the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

The most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order will govern he proceedings of the Senate except when they contravene a rule adopted by the Senate.

Approval of this Constitution by a simple majority vote of the eligible faculty and by the President of the University will have the effect of establishing a University of Alabama Faculty Senate as herein defined.

Amendments to this Constitution will originate in the Senate. An amendment will be proposed and debated at a meeting of the Senate, and following further debate will be voted on at the next subsequent meeting of the Senate. If the amendment receives a majority vote of the Senate, it will be presented to the faculty of the University for its action in a University-wide referendum. There will be a 30-day period between the announcement of the referendum and the date of the ballot. Amendments which receive a favorable vote of the majority of the faculty voting in the referendum will be presented to the President of the University for approval.

Approved:_______________________________

Thomas Novak, Secretary, Faculty Senate

Date:_______________________________

In all elections of Senate Officers-President, Vice President, and Secretary-elections will be by the vote of the majority of the senators voting, in a meeting at which a quorum of the Senate is present. Nominations and election of the Senate President will be completed before the floor is opened for nominations for Vice President, and the election of the Vice President will be made before nominations are received for the Office of Secretary. Any senator interested in serving in one or more of these offices may submit a written statement of intention, with any supporting argument, not to exceed one page in length, to the Secretary of the Senate by March 14 of the year in which he or she hopes to commence office. The Secretary will distribute each such statement and supporting argument with the agenda for the March meeting of the Senate. Persons may also be nominated for these offices from the floor at the March meeting. A motion to close nominations, or the equivalent, is out of order. Each candidate will have an opportunity to speak to the Senate about his or her candidacy, and the Senate will have an opportunity to ask questions of each candidate.

Section 1. Senate Orientation

There will be an orientation session for all new Senators and Alternates on the first Tuesday in April that the University is in session. This will be an occasion for discussion of the history and the place of the Senate in the governance of the University, of the role and function of the Senate's officers, and of the charge and function of the Senate's standing committees. Before the first regular meeting of the new Senate, there will also be a social function at which Senators and Alternates may become more fully acquainted with each other.

Section 2. Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is authorized to make representations in its own name in regard to any matter within the scope of the Senate's responsibilities and functions (as defined in Article II of the Constitution) when, in the Committee's judgment, circumstances require action before it is possible to convene a meeting of the Senate. In such instances, the Committee will be guided by its best judgment regarding the intention of the Senate if such intention is known.

Section 3. Standing Committees

1. There shall be standing committees on:

Academic Affairs (11)

Financial Affairs (9)

Planning and Operations (5)

Research and Service (5)

Student Affairs (5)

Senate Operations (3) 



1. Subject to reasonable exceptions to accommodate the needs of the Senate and the interests of senators, each senator ordinarily will have one standing committee assignment. The number of members shall be approximately that indicated in parentheses for the respective committees.

 
2. After the orientation session and social occasion described in Section 1, the Secretary will ask each Senator to list preferences for assignment to the Senate's standing committees. After consultation with those who served as chairs of standing committees the previous year, the Secretary will assign each Senator to his or her first choice, if possible, and using second or third preferences where first preferences are unavailable. Senators who have indicated no preference by the second Tuesday in April shall be assigned to committees by the Secretary. All such assignments are subject to the approval of the Senate. The Secretary will distribute the tentative assignment of Senators to committees with the agenda for the regular April meeting. The first order of business for the regular April meeting will be to debate the assignment of Senators to committees, to reassign if necessary, and to confirm the final assignment by vote of the Senate. The President of the Senate will thereupon name convenors for each of the standing committees, and following the close of the regular April meeting each convenor will hold a brief meeting of each standing committee for purposes of establishing a place for meeting, if necessary, before the next scheduled meeting of the Senate steering committee. By the end of April, each standing committee will elect a chair or co-chairs from among its membership; if a chair is selected it may elect a vice-chair. Each chair or co-chair of a standing committee serves as a full member of the steering committee. Each standing committee will normally meet on the first Tuesday of each month from September through November and January through March, and at other times as desirable.

 
3. Standing committees will inform themselves, on their own initiative or pursuant to specific instructions from the Senate, concerning matters of current concern within their respective jurisdictions. Standing committees, directly or through their chairs are expected to seek and maintain continual dialogues with the vice presidents in charge of the areas of University affairs in which the respective committees have jurisdiction. Monthly meetings are an example of a mechanism for such dialogues. The committees shall make such reports and recommendations to the Senate as they deem appropriate or as the Senate requires.

 
4. Senators are expected to attend meetings of their standing committees. The absence from a regularly scheduled committee meeting of a Senator may be referred by the chair or co-chair of the committee to the Senate Operations Committee. Senators who regularly fail to attend committee meetings and do not provide for the attendance of alternates may be replaced on the committee.

 
5. Committee on Academic Affairs. [Here describe the purview of the Academic Affairs Committee, and state its normal administrative reporting channel, the Provost.]

 
6. Committee on Financial Affairs. [Here describe the purview of the Financial Affairs Committee, and state its normal administrative reporting channel, the Vice President for Financial Affairs. Include her the language in current subsection 6.]

 
7. Committee on Student Affairs. [Here describe the purview of the Student Affairs Committee, and state its normal administrative reporting channel, the Vice President for Student Affairs.]

 
8. Committee on Research and Service. [Here describe the purview of the Research and Service Committee.]

 
9. Committee on Planning and Operations. [Here describe the purview of the Planning and Operations Committee, and state its normal administrative reporting channel, the Provost.]

Special committees may be created by the Senate as needed. Unless the Senate directs otherwise, special committee members and chairpersons shall be designated by the same methods as for standing committees. Persons eligible to vote in Senate elections who are not members of the Senate may be appointed by special committees as their consultants.

Section 5. Subcommittees

Standing and special committees may establish such standing or special subcommittees as they deem useful. Persons eligible to vote in Senate elections who are not members of the Senate may be appointed by subcommittees as their consultants.

Section 6. Parliamentarian

The Senate President will nominate a parliamentarian, subject to Senate confirmation, to serve as recommended in the most recent revision of Robert's Rules of Order except where these Rules are contravened by a rule adopted by the Senate. This person will be a member of the Faculty, as defined in the Constitution, who is not a senator; or a member of the retired faculty. It shall be the duty of the Parliamentarian to attend all meetings of the Senate and of the Steering Committee.

Section 7. Webmaster

The Senate President will nominate a webmaster, subject to Senate confirmation, to serve as the producer and coordinator of the Senate's web site. This person will be a member of the faculty, who may be but need not be a senator.

Section 8. Offices

The Senate shall maintain offices, in a room or rooms in the University assigned by the President of the University. The Senate offices shall be the location of the files of the Senate.

Section 1. Meeting (Senate and Steering Committee)

1. The Senate will meet the third Tuesday, August through November and January through April, and the second Tuesday of December, at 3:30 p.m. in locations to be determined by the Steering Committee. If the third Tuesday falls during a time when the University is not in session, the Senate will meet on the second or fourth Tuesday, as the Steering Committee determines, and the meetings of Senate committees may have to be adjusted appropriately. The Senate may meet also on the fourth Tuesday, August through November and January through April, and the third Tuesday in December, in order to finish the business of the month, and Senators should keep this date free on their calendars. The Senate will also meet at other times, including the summer months, and at locations, as decided by the Senate or the Steering Committee. The regular meeting times and locations shall be decided for the upcoming year by the Steering Committee at its August meeting, Senators will be appropriately notified, and the information will be published in Dialog and/or other publications deemed useful.

 
2. Regular Senate meetings normally last until 5:00 and may last longer. Senators should clear their calendars until 5:15 on regular Senate meeting days upon such an expectation. Senators are expected to maintain their attendance until 5:00, or until the meeting is adjourned prior thereto.

 
3. The Steering Committee will hold a regular meeting one week before each regularly scheduled meeting of the Senate. Special meetings of the Steering Committee may be called by the President of the Senate, by the written request of three members of the Steering Committee or of five members of the Senate, by vote of the Steering committee, or by vote of the Senate.

 
4. All resolutions and original motions to be presented to the Senate must be in writing and should be mailed by the Senate Secretary with the agenda for the meeting.

 
5. A majority of members shall constitute a quorum. A quorum must be present before any vote can be taken.

1. Except when the Steering Committee or the Senate orders otherwise, the customary order of business as described in Robert's Rules of Order will be followed.

 
2. Agenda will be distributed to members during the week in advance of the meetings by the Senate Secretary except when exigent circumstances make it necessary, in the judgment of the Steering Committee, to prepare or change an agenda so soon before the meeting that advance circulation is impractical.

 
3. The Steering Committee will employ whatever means are feasible and appropriate to give notice of pending agenda items to all members of the Senate.

 
4. The agenda will be on-line and will contain sufficient information, both in summary or "bullet" form and in detail, so that the issues to be debated in the Senate are clear. Each person or committee that propounds a motion or submits a report to be included in or with the agenda is responsible for providing a succinct summary of the issue(s) involved. The President's Report, reports from the standing committees, and reports from Senators about the activity of University committees should be included with the agenda if at all possible, so as to reduce the time used in Senate meetings for explanation and summary. The minutes of each meeting will be put on-line in "bullet" form, and in detail on the Senate's web page. Other documents of interest to faculty and/or pertinent to issues being debated in the Senate may also be put on the Senate's web page.

Section 3. Access to Senate Meetings

Section 4. Minutes of Senate Meetings

1. Minutes of all Senate meetings shall be furnished to all senators as early as possible.

 
2. Copies of minutes of open Senate meetings are to be freely available to anyone within or without the University of Alabama: first, within the University; second, outside the University on request and if available.

 
3. Divisional delegations are expected to adopt measures for effective and expeditious reporting of Senate actions to their constituencies.

 
4. The official minutes of all open Senate meetings shall be available for inspection by all persons eligible to vote in the election of senators. The official minutes of executive sessions of the Senate shall be made available for this purpose only to the extent as the Senate may approve.

 
5. Minutes of executive sessions of the Senate are confidential and are not to be released.

 
6. Minutes of the Steering Committee may be made available outside the University of Alabama only by a majority vote of the Steering Committee that is asked for such material.

 
7. Reports submitted to the Senate become part of the open-meeting minutes or executive-session minutes and are to be treated as those minutes. 

1. The Secretary has responsibility for conducting all University-wide referenda regarding proposed amendments to the Constitution.

 
2. The Secretary is charged with keeping the official, up-to-date copies of the Constitution and Bylaws, and with assuring that a signed and dated notification of official approval by the Secretary is affixed to all copies of the Constitution and Bylaws.

 
3. The Secretary will call the roll of senators at each meeting of the Senate. Any absences in excess of two by a senator will be reported by the Secretary to the Senate Operations Committee.

 
4. It shall be a duty of the Senate Secretary to notify the deans of the divisions of the University of the need for regular and special elections of senators. In so doing, the Secretary will note the name of the Senator who previously held the position or of the need to elect additional senators.

 
5. It shall be the duty of the Senate Secretary to publish a calendar of Senate meetings for the academic year at the beginning of each fall semester. It shall contain the times and locations of Senate meetings and the listing of the dates upon which the Senate must take actions such as the naming of members of official bodies of the University or the appointment of committees to nominate award recipients.

Section 7. Senate Appointments to University Committees

The following procedures apply to the appointments made under authority given to the Faculty Senate by the University's Faculty Handbook, or by the President of the University, or by other University authority:

1. Senators shall be asked in the spring by the Secretary for their preferences of service on University standing committees. The President, assisted by the Vice President and the Secretary, shall tentatively assign Senators to University standing committees, giving as much weight as possible to the preferences they have communicated. Such tentative assignments shall be discussed, and modified if necessary, by the Steering Committee, and shall be submitted to the whole Senate for discussion, modification if necessary, and approval, before the list is timely transmitted to the President of the University.

 
2. All other University committee or task force appointments in the gift of the Faculty Senate, including appointments to search committees or review committees, shall be made by the President of the Senate in consultation, if possible, with the Steering Committee, and shall be communicated to the Senate at its next meeting. If time does not allow for such consultation at a regular meeting of the Steering Committee, the President may call a meeting of that Committee or, in an emergency, poll the Committee by telephone, by e-mail, in person, or in other available ways; at least two-thirds of the Committee must be polled. In the latter instance, the whole Steering Committee may, at its next meeting, refuse to confirm the appointee, in which situation another appointment must be made, subject to consultation with the Steering Committee.

The Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the members of the Senate at a meeting subsequent to the meeting at which the amendment was proposed. 

I certify that this is a correct and accurate copy of the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate of The University of Alabama.

Marcus Brown, Secretary

April 9, 1997