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FACULTY COUNCIL OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION 

APPROVED 2024

STANDING RULES

Article I – Rules of Procedure

Section 1

Certain non-voting members of the Council may participate in meetings on a regular basis. They may have the floor for reporting and as deemed appropriate by the Chair. 

  1. The Dean of the College (and Representatives of the Dean) will provide reports to the Council, and consult with the Council, regarding the state of the College.

  2. The Executive Secretary will have the floor, as deemed appropriate by the Chair, when needed to assist with the facilitation of Council business. 

  3. The following representatives will provide reports to the Council, and consult with the Council, regarding the work of the bodies they are representing: 

  • University Faculty Senate Representative,

  • University Graduate Council Representative,

  • Equity Coalition Representative,

  • Undergraduate Student Council Representative, and 

  • Graduate Student Council Representative. 

 

Section 2

Robert’s Rules of Order (current edition) are used to guide Faculty Council meetings. 

All motions, except as may be otherwise specified in these documents, are determined by a majority of the votes cast. Roll call votes may be initiated only by the decision of the Chair or by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of members present and voting. The role of Parliamentarian is advisory only.

 

Section 3

The order of business at each regular meeting of the Faculty Council will be as follows:

  1. Minutes of the preceding meeting
  2. Announcements by the Chair
  3. Communications to the Council
  4. Comments by the Dean of the College
  5. Reports of Standing Committees
  6. Reports of Special Committees
  7. Reports of Other Committees, as needed or requested
  8. News from the University Graduate Council
  9. News from Faculty Senate
  10. Unfinished legislative business
  11. New legislative business
  12. Forensic business
  13. Comments and recommendations for the good of the College

The order of business may be changed by the Executive Committee prior to any meeting or by agreement of the majority of the members present at any regular meeting of the Council. 

 

Section 4

The order of business for any special meeting of the Faculty Council will be determined by the Chair of the Council.

 

Section 5

After consultation with the Executive Committee, a draft of the agenda (created by the Chair) along with the previous meeting minutes will be distributed to all Council members. A final draft of the agenda, based on feedback from Council members, is distributed to the College faculty at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting.  

 

Section 6

The following meeting rules may be suspended only by unanimous consent of the members present:

  1. Forensic business is the discussion of any matter that a Council member brings forth to the Council. To introduce forensic business, a Council member must present to the Chair a written title and brief summary of the matter to be discussed at least two business days before the meeting at which consideration of the matter is proposed. The member's name will then be placed on the agenda with the title and summary.

  2. A Council member may introduce new legislation of exceptional urgency by a direct motion from the floor. When such a motion has been made and seconded, it will be postponed until the next regular meeting of the Council, unless the Chair calls a special meeting to consider the motion before the next regular meeting.

  3. Any member of the College faculty or administration who is not a member of the Council may request the privilege of the floor on any item of legislative or forensic business already before the Council. Such a request must be made to the Chair at least two (2) calendar days before the meeting at which the faculty member or administrator wishes to speak.

  4. At the discretion of the Chair of the Council, any member of the College or University community, including members of the Board of Trustees, University faculty, administration, student body, or staff not a member of the Council, may be granted the privilege of the floor to make comments and recommendations for the good of the College. A written request will be made to the Chair at least two (2) calendar days prior to the meeting for which the privilege is requested.

  5. The Chair will have the authority to limit the time granted to any non-member of the Council.

  6. Any matter of forensic business will become legislative business if it is made the subject of a motion on which a vote of the Council is required. When such a motion has been made and seconded, the matter will be laid on the table until the next regular meeting of the Council, unless the Chair calls a special meeting of the Council to consider this motion before the next regular meeting.

  7. Matters of forensic business will not be the subject of any motion until the Chair declares the forensic discussion period to be at an end. 

  8. Only members of the Council may introduce new legislative or forensic business.

 

Section 7

The Faculty Council will publish a record of its proceedings to be included on the College Faculty Council website upon approval of the minutes by a vote of Faculty Council. This record will contain:

  • the agenda of the meeting,

  • the minutes of the previous meeting,

  • summaries of remarks made before the Council,

  • an enumeration of documents distributed prior to or during the meeting, and

  • such other items as the Chair will direct. 

 

Electronic copies of Faculty Council minutes will be maintained by the Office of the Dean.

 

Section 8

The elective year of the Faculty Council will begin with the close of the April meeting. The terms of Council officers and Executive Committee members will be from the April meeting in one year until the April meeting of the next. Names of newly elected Council members will be reported at the April meeting of the Council and their terms will begin at the April meeting.

 

Section 9

Procedures for Formation of Committees

  1. Article III of the Bylaws provides information on standing committees and special committees and how their memberships are formed.

  2. Committee appointments will be for one year with the possibility of reappointment.

  3. When a member of a Standing Committee of the Council resigns before the appointment expires, the replacement procedure will be the same as that for an initial appointment.

     

Section 10

Special Committees are terminated no later than the end of the Council year unless reappointed by the new Chair of the Council.

Article II – Amendments to the Standing Rules

Amendments to the STANDING RULES may be adopted at any meeting of the Faculty Council where a quorum is met by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of those present, provided that the amendments were presented in writing at the preceding regular meeting. Successful amendments will be communicated to the Executive Director of the University Faculty Senate. An amendment will take effect upon approval by the University Faculty Senate.     

Article III—How to Bring A Concern to the COE Faculty Council

Council members bringing forth issues of concern can do so through the following procedures (1) Any Council member  the concern during the last segment of the faculty council meetings during the Forensic Business section of the agenda. (2) When matters of exceptional concern require immediate attention, and the usual procedures of the COE Faculty Council will impede or unduly delay consideration, a Council Member can call for a special meeting of the Council to address the issue. The Chair shall convene the Council in response to a written petition of at least 50% of council members. 

 

Faculty bringing forth issues of can do so through COE Council Members representing their unit or with members of the Faculty Advisory Committee. In the event that action taken by the Council appears contrary to the interests of the faculty, the faculty may petition the Council to conduct a referendum for the issue under consideration. Upon receipt of a petition from 20 percent of the faculty, the Council is obligated to conduct a referendum of the faculty for the issue under consideration.

 

At the beginning of each academic year, the Faculty Council shall conduct a nonbinding informational referendum to determine which significant issues are of general interest to the overall College Faculty.