ARTICLE I — Name
The name of the organization shall be Metropolitan State University of Denver Faculty Senate.
ARTICLE II — Purpose
The purpose of the Faculty Senate shall be to officially represent the faculty in all matters of interest and concern to the faculty. These interests and concerns shall include but not be limited to receiving and making recommendations on current and proposed changes in academic, administrative, fiscal and personnel policies.
ARTICLE III — The Faculty
The faculty shall consist of tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenured faculty who teach at least 12 credit hours over their 2-year term on Senate. Department chairs are eligible to serve on Senate so long as they are meeting required teaching hours. Affiliate faculty can serve on Senate only if they are elected representatives of the affiliate faculty. Eligibility Requirements are determined at the department level.
ARTICLE IV — Members
Section 1 Member Definitions
1.1 Voting members consist of all elected department faculty, at large faculty, the Faculty Trustee, CFAC representative, and affiliate Senators. Voting by proxy at Senate meetings and within committees is allowed only when a Senator is called for jury duty, military duty, the Senator or an immediate family member’s medical emergency, death of an immediate family member, observance of religious holidays, and/or mandator court dates.
1.2 Advisory members serving on committees shall not vote on matters before the Senate or within the committee, nor shall they attend executive sessions of Senate or committees.
Section 2 Representation
2.1 Departmental Faculty. From each department of instruction there shall be one Senator for each six (6) faculty members holding an academic-year contract. The number of Senators from each department shall be the number of faculty in the department shown in the staffing pattern of the Spring Semester divided by six (6), with all fractions being rounded to the next higher whole number.
2.2 At-large Faculty. Three (3) at-large senators will be elected from tenured, tenured-track and non-tenured track faculty and will serve the same (2 year) terms as all other senators. No more than 2 of the at-large senators can come from the same principal academic subdivision.
2.3 The Faculty Trustee of the State Colleges elected from Metropolitan State University of Denver shall be a voting member of the Faculty Senate and Executive Committee. The Faculty Trustee responsibilities are outlined in the Bylaws.
2.4 The elected representative from Metropolitan State University of Denver to the Colorado Faculty Advisory Council (CFAC) shall be a voting member of the Faculty Senate and Executive Committee. CFAC responsibilities are outlined in the Bylaws.
2.5 Three (3) Affiliate Faculty Members shall be elected by the Affiliate Faculty at large.
2.5.1 Everything having to do with the election of Affiliate Senators, apart from the requirement that they shall be elected by the Affiliate Faculty at large listed in Section 2.5 above, shall be defined in the Senate Bylaws.(4/24/2015)
2.6 Department Chairs shall be counted as department faculty and therefore eligible to serve as department Senators in the Faculty Senate, if they meet other eligibility requirements. (3/28/2012)
2.7 Non-tenured track Faculty shall be counted as department faculty and therefore eligible to serve as department Senators in the Faculty Senate, if they meet other eligibility requirements. (04/4/2012)
Section 3 Term of Office
3.1 Each Senator shall be elected to serve a two-year term. The term of office shall begin with the last regularly scheduled meeting in the Spring.
3.2 Vacancy Provision. In the event that the term of any elected Senator is ended before its normal expiration date, the department of instruction shall elect another member of its faculty, who shall serve only until the normal end of the term of the Senator whose departure required the replacement.
3.3 Recall. An elected Senator may be recalled by a two-thirds vote of the Senator’s department. In the event of a recall, the department chairperson for the department shall notify the President of the Senate of the recall, who shall cause the roster to be amended accordingly.
3.4 If any Senator is absent for three consecutive meetings, the Senate President shall notify the Senator’s department. The Senator may then be replaced by the Senator’s department.
Section 4 Election of Senators
4.1 Eligibility. Any person defined as a member of the faculty in Article III shall be eligible for election to the Senate, provided that every Senator elected shall represent a department. No faculty member shall be elected to represent more than one department. To be eligible to represent a department, at least fifty per cent of a member’s assigned duties must be within the department.
4.2 Balloting. Any person defined as a member of the faculty in Article III shall be eligible to vote for Senators, provided that the franchise shall be exercised only in electing Senators to represent a department. No member of the faculty shall be denied a vote.
4.3 Election procedures. The election of Senators shall be conducted by the departments of instruction prior to February 15, based upon the staffing patterns of the Spring Semester. The elections shall be by ballot and the results of these elections shall be reported to the President of the Senate. Each department shall develop its own procedures consistent with this provision. These procedures shall be written and available to the members of the department.
Section 5 Officers of the Senate
5.1 Election of Officers. The elected officers shall be a President, a Vice President, and a Secretary. These officers shall be elected by the Senate from its elected members for a one-year term. The election shall be by ballot.
5.2 Eligibility. Any Senator shall be eligible to hold office.
5.3 Nominations. Nominations shall be made from the floor at the last meeting of the Senate in the Spring of each academic year.
5.4 Terms of Office. Officers shall assume the duties of their offices upon election at the last regular Senate meeting in the Spring.
5.5 Vacancy. In the event the President shall vacate the office, the Vice President shall become President, and all other vacancies shall be filled by election from the Senate.
Section 6 Procedures of the Senate
6.1 Referendum. Any act of the Senate shall be referred to the faculty for final determination upon a majority vote of the Senate or upon presentation of a petition signed by ten per cent of the faculty.
6.2 Initiative. The President shall include in the next agenda of the Senate any new business matter when such is requested in writing by five or more members of the faculty.
6.3 Voting. Votes on motions of the Senate shall be by voice or electronic voting device. Any member of the Senate may call for a division of the house. Upon demand of two members of the Senate, voting shall be by ballot. (11/3/2010)
Section 7 Committees of the Senate
7.1 Formation. The Senate shall have the power to form ad hoc committees. The Standing Committees shall be specified in the Bylaws.
7.2 Powers and Duties. The Senate may assign powers and duties to these committees.
7.3 Senate Rules of Operation. The Senate shall have the power to adopt its own rules of operation to carry out these assigned responsibilities.
ARTICLE V — Parliamentary Authority
In meetings of the Senate, all questions of interpretation of the Constitution and Bylaws shall be referred immediately to the Rules committee, which shall convene, consider the matter, and issue a ruling before the matter be put to a vote. All questions of parliamentary procedure not specifically mentioned by the Constitution or Bylaws shall be decided according to the newly revised Robert’s Rules of Order.
ARTICLE VI — Amendments
Amendments shall be initiated by a two-thirds vote of the Senate at any meeting where a quorum is present or by a petition signed by at least twenty percent of the faculty. Proposed Amendments to the Constitution shall be presented in writing to the members of the faculty at least 30 days prior to a vote of the faculty.
An amendment shall require an affirmative vote of a majority of faculty members voting. Voting shall be by ballot.