UWPF Chapter 1: The University Faculty and the Faculty Senate

1.01 Definition of Faculty and Voting Rights

(1) a. The University Faculty consists of the Chancellor, professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and instructors in the academic department.

b. The foregoing does not deny University Faculty status to any person holding same previous to July 1, 1989. A full-time member of the teaching academic staff who has a probationary or indefinite appointment and who has voting rights in the department (3.02) and in the college or school (2.02(2)) may, subject to an affirmative recommendation by the department and approval by the University Committee and the Chancellor, be designated as having faculty status. Faculty status means the right to participate in the faculty governance of the University. Faculty status does not confer rank or tenure, or convert an academic staff appointment into a faculty appointment.

(2) a. Only persons having faculty appointments or faculty status as designated in 1.01(1) and whose periodic reviews are performed by their home academic department may vote at meetings of the University Faculty, and in All-Faculty Elections, and may hold elected faculty positions. A faculty member who accepts an administrative appointment, including an interim appointment, as chancellor, provost/vice chancellor, associate vice chancellor, assistant chancellor, dean, associate dean, assistant dean may not vote at meetings of the University Faculty, or in All-Faculty Elections, or hold elected faculty positions. A faculty member holding a position created by UWPF or recognized as representing the Faculty by the Faculty Senate, is not an assistant to an administrative officer for the purposes of this article. A faculty member will regain their voting privileges upon expiration or termination of the administrative appointment.

b. By a majority vote of those present and voting, any matter properly brought before a faculty meeting may be referred to all faculty eligible to attend and vote, for a mail ballot. Such ballot shall be prepared and distributed by the Secretary of the Faculty who shall be responsible for the counting of votes. Unless specified otherwise in the referring motion, such mail ballots must be received by the Secretary of the Faculty within seven (7) working days of initial distribution to be counted as valid.

[Section revision history: revised 2017 11 28, 2024 04 30.]

1.01.5 Graduate Faculty

Any person holding a faculty appointment under 1.01 shall be a member of the graduate faculty. Graduate faculty rights and privileges shall include but not be limited to the right to serve as chair of a graduate advisory and/or research/thesis committee, voting privileges in elections for members of any faculty committee created to deal with graduate programs, and service on any faculty committee created to deal with graduate programs.

1.02 Powers and Jurisdiction of the University Faculty

(1) The University Faculty has charge of all educational matters which concern more than one school or which are otherwise of general interest.

(2) The University Faculty may adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of its proceedings.

(3) The University Faculty may create committees and adopt rules and regulations for their operation.

(4) The University Faculty may delegate functional authority and responsibility to committees, other groups, or administrative offices; however, such bodies or offices are accountable to the University Faculty which retains primary responsibilities for academic and educational activities and faculty personnel matters.

(5) Among the matters within the jurisdiction of the University Faculty are the following:

(a) Questions concerning the educational interest or educational policies of UW- Parkside. The University Faculty has general charge of those questions of scholarship which pertain to more than one school, and may make needful rules relating to scholarship and the enforcement of student discipline.

(b) Requirements for admission to and graduation from any part of UW-Parkside and the title of the degree to be conferred upon the completion of any course of study. When a school faculty has taken action with respect to these academic matters, these actions must be approved by the University Faculty before they become effective.

(c) Establishment of procedural rules and recommendation of candidates for honorary degrees for submission to the Board of Regents.

(d) Commencement exercises and honors convocations.

(e) Regulation of student academic and educational affairs.

(6) If there is a conflict of jurisdiction between the University Faculty and the faculty of any school, the decision rests with the University Faculty. Questions of jurisdictional conflict not resolved by the Faculty meeting as a body are reviewed by the University Committee, which makes recommendations to the University Faculty concerning resolution of such questions.

1.03 Meetings of the University Faculty

(1) A regular meeting of the University Faculty shall be held on the Monday of the seventh week of classes during the spring and fall semesters at 12:00 P.M. In exceptional circumstances, the date and time of the meeting may be changed by the Chancellor in consultation with the University Committee.

(2) Special meetings of the University Faculty shall be held at the call of the Chancellor, or on the written petition to the Secretary of the Faculty of any ten members of the University Faculty.

(3) The University Faculty may meet in executive session where in conformity with state law.

(4) A quorum for regular or special meetings of the University Faculty shall be thirty percent of the Faculty.

1.04 Conduct of University Faculty Business

(1) The Chancellor is the presiding officer of the University Faculty. If the Chancellor is absent, the Provost/Vice Chancellor serves as the presiding officer. In the absence of both the Chancellor and Provost/Vice Chancellor, a dean selected by the Chancellor shall serve as the presiding officer.

(2) The latest edition of "Robert's Rules of Order," governs procedure in meetings of the University Faculty, except as it may conflict with special rules which the Faculty may adopt. The Secretary of the Faculty shall serve as the Faculty Parliamentarian.

(3) At any meeting of the University Faculty, time may be set aside for the University Faculty to meet as a Committee of the Whole for the discussion of matters of general interest. The University Committee has the responsibility for preparing the agenda for such meetings of the Committee of the Whole, over which the Chair of the University Committee presides.

(4) (a) The agenda for each meeting of the University Faculty shall be prepared by the University Committee in consultation with the Chancellor.

(b) Any member of the University Faculty may propose a matter for consideration at any regular meeting of the Faculty by submitting it to the University Committee no later than two weeks before the scheduled meeting. The agenda for a special meeting of the University Faculty shall be prepared as far as possible in advance of such meeting. A proposal submitted in writing by ten or more faculty members shall be placed on the agenda. If the University Committee (or the Chancellor) believes that there is substantial doubt as to whether the item falls within the purview of the University Faculty, the following statement shall be printed in the agenda immediately preceding the item itself: "Although the University Committee (Chancellor) doubts whether the following item falls within the purview of the University Faculty, it has been placed on the agenda so that the University Faculty may consider and decide that question." In such a case, the agenda item shall not be taken up unless a majority vote of the members of the University Faculty present and voting determines that it is appropriate for University Faculty consideration. A matter not on the agenda of a meeting may be added to the agenda by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting.

(c) The agenda for any regular meeting shall be sent by the Secretary of the Faculty to each member of the Faculty at least one week prior to regular meetings and as far in advance as possible for special meetings.

(5) (a) The Chancellor may put at the head of business for any University Faculty meeting any administrative actions or informational reports of any Faculty committee or of any school, or division of UW-Parkside that may appear to be suitable for passage by "automatic consent."

(b) Any member of the University Faculty may call up and debate any matter recommended for automatic passage.

(6) The Secretary of the Faculty shall prepare the minutes of each Faculty meeting and send a copy to every member of the University Faculty. The minutes, as distributed to the Faculty, shall stand as approved under the rule for automatic consent, unless the faculty otherwise determines at its next regular meeting.

(7) Documents which are attached to the agenda of any meeting shall be given identifying numbers.

(8) Business of a confidential nature shall be so indicated on the agenda and in the distributed minutes by title or other brief form, and shall be explained on the floor.

1.05 Faculty Senate

There shall be a Faculty Senate representative of the University Faculty. The Faculty Senate holds jurisdiction and powers of the Faculty between meetings of the Faculty.

1.06 Membership and Structure of the Faculty Senate

(1) The Faculty Senate consists of the University Committee and additional members elected by the departments as provided in 1.06(2), except as additional membership may be provided for under 1.06(4) and 1.06(5). The University Committee serves as the executive committee of the Faculty Senate.

(2) Members of the Faculty Senate are elected by the departments and interdisciplinary centers created under UWPF 3.09(2), with each department or center entitled to elect one senator. For the purpose of Faculty Senate membership, and interdisciplinary center (hereafter referred to as a center) is defined as a center that exercises the curricular authority of a department, is governed by a faculty majority steering committee, and offers a major, a minor, a graduate degree, or an associates degree. Senators representing departments must be faculty members in those departments. Senators representing interdisciplinary centers must be faculty members serving on the steering committees of those centers. For the purposes of the election of Senators and Alternate Senators, the voting membership of a center shall consist of faculty members serving on the steering committee who are voting faculty as defined by UWPF 1.01(2)(a). No single faculty member may simultaneously represent a department and a center.

Members shall be elected for two-year terms, and no member shall serve more than two (2) full terms consecutively. After two consecutive full terms, a senator shall be ineligible for reelection to the Senate for a period of one year. The term of office shall begin with the start of the Committee Year (UWPF 4.03) In order to provide staggered terms, one-half of the Faculty Senate members shall be elected during the Spring semester for two-year terms. A Senate seat shall become vacant after three successive absences and shall be filled by the appropriate alternate Senator.

(3) Alternate Senators

(a) Each department or program shall have an Alternate Senator who shall be the runner-up in a regular election of Senators in that department or program. Alternate Senators shall serve two-year terms, concurrent with the term of the department or program's Senator.

(b) A department or center’s Alternate Senator shall assume, with full rights and privileges, the seat of the elected Senator from that department or center who is absent from a meeting and shall complete the term of an elected Senator from the department or center who vacates his/her seat. If an Alternate Senator assumes a seat vacated by an elected Senator, an additional Alternate Senator shall be seated under the provisions of 4.04(8).

(4) Ex Officio Members

The members of the University Committee, the Chair of the Academic Staff Committee and the Chair of the Classified Staff Committee, shall be ex officio members of the Senate with voting privileges. The Chancellor, the Provost/Vice Chancellor, and the Secretary of the Faculty shall be ex- officio members of the Senate without voting privileges. The Academic Staff Committee and the Classified Staff Committee shall also elect alternate senate members.

(5) Student Member

The President of Parkside Student Government Association shall serve ex officio as a voting member of the Faculty Senate. The Parkside Student Government shall select an alternate Faculty Senate member to participate in the Faculty Senate meetings when the PSG President is unable to attend.

[Section revision history: revised 2023 05 02, 2023 10 24.]

1.07 Meetings of the Faculty Senate

(1) Presiding Officer

(a) The presiding officer of the Senate shall be the Chair. He/she shall be elected at the September meeting by the voting members of the Senate from among its elected and ex officio members, with the exception of the Secretary of the Faculty who shall not be eligible for election as Chair. The Secretary of the Faculty shall preside as Chair pro tem during the election of a permanent Chair.

(b) A voting member of the Senate serving as Chair of the Senate shall not have voting privileges except that he/she may vote in the case of a tie. If the elected Chair is a departmental Senator, his/her seat shall be taken by the alternate Senator from that department and an additional Alternate Senator shall be seated under the provisions of 4.04(8) until he/she reassumes his/her seat.

(c) The University Committee shall designate a Chair pro tem to serve in the absence of the permanent Chair.

(2) Regular Meetings

The Senate shall convene for regular meetings on the Tuesday of the 4th, 8th, and 13th week of classes each semester from 3:30 to 5:00 P.M. Any permanent change in the day or hour of the regular meetings shall be approved by the Senate during the academic year preceding the effective date of the change.

(3) Special Meetings

The Chair of the Senate shall call a special meeting upon written request of the Chancellor, the University Committee, six Senators, or ten Faculty members.

(4) Meeting Privileges

Nonmembers of the Senate shall, upon majority vote of the Senators present, be allowed to speak at regular and special Senate meetings.

(5) Distribution of Agenda and Minutes

The agenda for each regular and special meeting shall be distributed by the Secretary of the Faculty to members of the instructional and administrative staffs and others on request, at least one week before the meeting. The Secretary of the Faculty shall provide the same distribution for the minutes of regular and special meetings.

(6) Estimate of Costs

Senate motions which would involve costs to the university should be accompanied by an estimate of those costs.

(7) Executive Committee and Agenda

(a) The University Committee, as the executive committee of the Senate, shall prepare the agenda for meetings of the Senate. Items may be placed on the agenda by the University Committee or by the Chancellor, or at the written request of six Senators or ten Faculty members. The deadline for submitting such items shall be ten working days before the Senate meeting. If the University Committee believes that there is substantial doubt as to whether the item falls within the purview of the Faculty Senate, the following statement shall be printed in the agenda immediately preceding the item itself; "Although the University Committee doubts whether the following item falls within the purview of the Faculty Senate, it has been placed on the agenda so that the Senate may consider and decide that question." In such a case, the agenda item shall not be taken up unless the Senate by a majority vote determines that it is appropriate for Senate consideration. A matter not on the agenda of a meeting may be added to the agenda by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting.

(b) The agenda of regular meetings of the Senate shall include:

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes
• Informational reports of Faculty committees
• Old Business
• New Business
• Chancellor's Report
• Provost's Report
• University Committee Report*
• Question Period**
• Announcements
• Adjournment

* The University Committee report may include statements by groups or individuals that the University Committee desires to bring to the attention of the Senate.

** "Question Period" shall include questions addressed to members of the administration and faculty. Written questions submitted in advance shall be taken up first, and then oral questions. The chair may recognize non-Senators without requesting the approval of the Senate that is required by section 1.07(4). Written questions shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Faculty according to the agenda schedule and shall not require the approval of the University Committee or of the Chancellor to be placed on the agenda.

(7) Procedures

The latest edition of "Robert's Rules of Order," governs procedure in meetings of the Faculty Senate, except as it may conflict with special rules which the Faculty may adopt. The Secretary of the Faculty shall serve as the Faculty Parliamentarian.

(8) Quorum

A quorum for both regular and special meetings of the Senate shall consist of a majority of the total voting membership.

[Section revision history: revised 2019 10 22.]

1.08 Relationship of the Faculty Senate to the Faculty

(1) The Senate shall publish each fall, through the Secretary of the Faculty, a summary of Senate actions during the previous year.

(2) (a) Upon written petition to the Secretary of the Faculty of any twenty-five members or five percent of the Faculty, whichever is larger, any action of the Faculty Senate may be appealed to a regular or special meeting of the Faculty; or upon written petition to the Secretary of the Faculty of two-thirds of the members of the faculty of an academic department, any action of the Faculty Senate directly affecting an academic department may be appealed to a regular or special meeting of the Faculty. Any matter subject to such an appeal shall have priority in the preparation of the agenda of the regular or special meeting.

(b) Any motion to amend or overturn an action of the Faculty Senate resulting from such a meeting shall require for approval both a majority vote at the meeting and a majority vote of those returning ballots in a subsequent mail referendum, provided that the latter majority shall be equal to at least forty percent of the total membership of the Faculty.

(c) The mail referendum shall be conducted by the Secretary of the Faculty. The minutes of the regular or special meeting at which the appeal was considered and approved shall be distributed with the ballot.

1.09 University Committee

(1) Composition

The University Committee shall be composed of six faculty members elected for three-year terms under the provisions of UWPF 4. In order to provide staggered terms, one-third of the membership of the committee shall be elected each year during the spring semester. No more than two members may be from any one of the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Business, Economics, and Computing, the College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies, or the College of Natural and Health Sciences. No faculty member shall serve more than seven consecutive years on the Committee, nor be nominated to a term which cannot be completed because of this provision.

(2)Powers

The committee shall:

(a) serve as the executive committee of the faculty;

(b) serve as the executive committee of the faculty senate;

(c) serve as the principal voice for the faculty;

(d) study all matters of faculty interest;

(e) make recommendations on matters related to the maintenance and further development of a climate of excellence in teaching, research and public and institutional service;

(f) act as a liaison between the faculty and the administration;

(g) advise on search and screen procedures for appointments to major academic administrative positions;

(h) consult with the chancellor on budget matters and report to the faculty;

(i) insure the integrity and effectiveness of the system of faculty governance;

(j) serve as the elections committee for all faculty and school/college elections;

(k) grant faculty status as provided for by 1.01 (1)(b);

(l) serve as the faculty consultative committee when a declaration of financial emergency is being considered, as specified in UWS 5.04;

(m) prepare recommendations to the faculty in cases of jurisdictional conflicts, as provided by 1.02(6);

(n) appoint members to faculty committees when the designated appoint authority fails to do so, as provided by 4.04(1); and

(o) act on student appeals regarding procedures followed for granting awards or scholarships.

(p) act on matters arising from the committee of the whole discussions at the fall and spring Faculty meetings.

(q) update all faculty members four times during the regular fall and spring semesters, and at other times as needed, via a brief electronic bulletin from the chair or designated alternate summarizing relevant events, issues and recent communications with university administrators.

(3)Officers

The committee shall elect a chair and vice chair annually. No member shall serve more than three full consecutive terms as chair. At the discretion of the chair, the vice chair may assume the chair's seat on any unit committee of which the chair is member in his role as university committee chair. The chair or designee shall be the UW-Parkside faculty representative to any UW-System mulit-unit governance committee or council; if more than one such governance representative is provided for, the additional representatives shall be elected at-large by the faculty.

(4)Procedures

The committee shall meet at its own discretion and establish its own rules and procedures. It shall report to the spring general faculty meeting and to the faculty senate when necessary.

[Section revision history: 2019 04 02, 2023 10 24.]

1.10 Implementation of Faculty Actions

(1) Subject to the limitations of Wisconsin Statutes and the policies of the Board, formal actions taken by the Faculty or the Faculty Senate shall become University policy to be implemented by appropriate authorities within thirty days after they have been transmitted to the Chancellor by the Secretary of the Faculty.

(2) The Chancellor may delay implementation of any Faculty or Faculty Senate action or part thereof beyond the thirty day period by notifying the University Committee, within that period, of his/her intentions and the reasons therefore. When a Faculty or Faculty Senate action is delayed by the Chancellor, the Secretary of the Faculty or University Committee will inform the Faculty or Faculty Senate, the committee sponsoring the original resolution, and other groups or individuals as appropriate or necessary. The University Committee Chair will consult with the Chancellor to determine conditions and a timeline for implementation.

1.11 Secretary of the Faculty

(1) The Secretary of the Faculty shall be appointed by the University Committee in consultation with the Chancellor. No person shall be considered for appointment to the position of Secretary of the Faculty who does not hold a full-time tenured appointment in an academic department at UW-Parkside. Appointment as Secretary of the Faculty shall not diminish the rights and duties of a faculty member with respect to faculty governance and other faculty, academic, and institutional affairs.

(2) The Secretary of the Faculty shall serve at the pleasure of the University Committee. The normal term of office shall be two years; however, there shall be no limit on the number of terms to which a person may be appointed. When, after consultation with the Chancellor, the University Committee and the incumbent are agreeable to reappointment, the position shall not be treated as open and shall not be subject to a search.

(3) The Secretary of the Faculty shall assist and be responsible to the Chancellor and the University Committee in the administration of faculty governance and other faculty and academic affairs. Whenever possible, the Secretary of the Faculty shall facilitate appropriate application of the policies and procedures. The Secretary of the Faculty shall also assist faculty members in understanding policies and procedures of the University and how they apply in specific situations. When called upon, the Secretary of the Faculty shall render assistance by identifying and evaluating options that address particular concerns.

(4) The Secretary of the Faculty shall have the responsibility for editorially reviewing and correcting the Faculty Policies and Procedures and policies approved by the Senate or the Faculty. He/she shall report any editorial corrections to the University Committee for its approval.

[Chapter revision history: Section 1.01 revised 2017 11 28, 2024 04 30; Section 1.06 revised 2023 05 02, 2023 10 24; Section 1.07 revised 2019 10 22; Section 1.09 revised 2019 04 02, 2023 10 24.]