The Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas
Faculty Association Constitution
Article I
Purpose and Functions
Section 1 Purpose
This organization assists Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, hereafter the College, in planning, implementing and evaluating:
1) all aspects of the College’s program related to students’ learning;
2) faculty welfare and development;
3) communication between the faculty and the College community;
4) the faculty’s role in the governance of the College.
Section 2 Functions
- Make recommendations to the College chancellor regarding the mission and objectives of the College.
- Assist in formulating the admission, progression and graduation policies of the College.
- Assist in planning, implementing and evaluating all curricular offerings of the College.
- Make recommendations regarding facilities, equipment and other resources essential for learning activities.
- Participate in developing and implementing the long-range plans for the College.
- Participate in formulating and approving policy proposals and procedures related to faculty welfare and development.
- Facilitate communication between the faculty and the College community.
- Make recommendations regarding services and activities available for students.
- Assist in planning and implementing a faculty development program.
- Provide representatives from the Faculty Association to serve on the search committees for the appointment of all faculty and administrators of the College.
- Recommendations of the Faculty Senate shall be made to the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of Instruction of the College.
- When specific recommendations are made, the chancellor shall report the actions taken to the president of the Faculty Senate.
Section 3 Status of the Organization
The Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas Faculty Association is a self-governing entity that acts in an advisory capacity. No action of the Association, or any provision of this constitution, imposes any obligation on the college administration or the Board of Visitors.
Article II
Organization of the Faculty Association
Section 1 Membership
All faculty members who generate eighteen points (3/5) from teaching during any given semester shall automatically be members of the Faculty Association for the following semester providing that they continue to generate a minimum of eighteen points (3/5) from teaching.
When a senate seat becomes vacant before the completion of its term, a special election will be held, in accordance with the usual rules of election, to fill the seat for the remainder of its term.
Section 2 Responsibilities of Members
All members shall attend and participate in the meetings of the Faculty Association and conduct themselves in a professional manner. The Faculty Association will meet at least twice during the academic year, once in the fall and once in the spring. Each member shall assume his/her professional responsibility to serve in elected or appointed offices.
Section 3 Responsibilities of the Faculty Senate
The Faculty Senate shall serve as the governing body of the Faculty Association. The Faculty Senate shall be elected by the various academic divisions of the College. Each division will elect one at-large member and one additional member for every five Faculty Association members who teach in the division. The American Association of University Professors, AAUP, will appoint one member to serve as a liaison to the Faculty Senate. The AAUP representative will be a voting member entitled to all rights granted to other members of the Faculty Senate. Membership shall also include the chairpersons of all standing committees (Academic Standards Committee, Curriculum Committee, and Faculty Development Committee and the representatives for the College Committees (Instruction and Curriculum and College Council).
In the event a division loses faculty members which affect its number of representatives on the Faculty Senate, the correction shall be made at the next scheduled spring election, thereby maintaining the extra seat until the next election. This will allow time for replacement of the person leaving and give time for the one semester service requirement to become eligible for membership in the Faculty Association.
The Faculty Senate will meet monthly during the academic year to conduct the business of the Faculty Association. The Faculty Senate is the recognized voice of the Faculty Association and shall be responsible for approving all recommendations made by the Faculty Association.
The officers of the Faculty Senate shall be a president, a vice president, a secretary, and an elections officer. The officers shall be elected by the Faculty Senate.
A. The president of the Faculty Senate shall serve a one-year term. The duties of the president are to:
- Prepare and distribute an agenda forty-eight hours before each meeting;
- Preside at all regular or called meetings;
- Call meetings of the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Association;
- Invite resource and advisory personnel to attend meetings of the Faculty Association and the Faculty Senate;
- Establish and dissolve special committees;
- Serve as the Faculty Senate representative on College Council and Instruction and Curriculum Committees.
- Communicate with Vice Chancellor of Instruction for updates on issues relating to faculty.
Once the vice president becomes president, his senator position is relinquished. The president then begins a two-year term, first as president and then as past president and is then entitled to all rights granted to senators.
Should a vacancy occur in the position of president, the vice president shall complete the term of the president, in addition to his or her upcoming term.
B. The vice president of the Faculty Senate shall serve a one-year term and, after completing his or her term, shall serve as president of the Faculty Senate. The duties of the vice president are to:
- Preside at all Faculty Senate meetings where the president is absent; and
- Assist the president in administering the Faculty Association and the Faculty Senate.
Should a vacancy occur in the position of vice president, the president shall be responsible for conducting all Faculty Association and Faculty Senate elections. Within one month of the vacancy, the president will call a special election to fill the vacancy.
C. The secretary of the Faculty Senate shall serve a one-year term. The duties of the secretary are to:
- Attend and record minutes at all regular or called meetings;
- Submit meeting minutes to the president before the next scheduled meeting; and
- Assist in selecting a stand-in secretary should the secretary have to be absent.
D. The elections officer of the Faculty Senate shall serve a one-year term. For the duties of the elections officer, see Article III: Procedures and Policies: Section I: Elections.
Section 4 Standing Committees and College Committee Representatives
The standing committees of the Faculty Association shall be the Academic Standards Committee, the Curriculum Committee, and the Faculty Development Committee. Each of the five divisions will nominate and elect a representative to serve on each of the three standing committees. Faculty Association and Faculty Senate will nominate and elect four at-large positions on each of the three standing committees. Thus, each committee will have nine total members. Any member of the Faculty Association is eligible to serve on these committees but may serve on only one committee. The standing committee meetings are open to all members of the Faculty Association, unless the meeting is a hearing on a faculty or student grievance. Five committee members present at any standing committee meeting shall constitute a quorum. Chairpersons of each standing committee will be responsible for contacting the committee members at the beginning of each academic year and for scheduling meetings as needed to conduct the business of the standing committee. The chairperson of each standing committee will also serve as a member of Faculty Senate. Standing committee members are not members of senate unless elected to senate through divisional or at-large positions.
Representative from college committees, Instruction and Curriculum and College Council, will be nominated and elected by campus (DeWitt, Helena, Stuttgart) and will serve as members of those college committees as well as members of Faculty Senate. In addition to the campus representatives for Instruction and Curriculum, the Chair of the standing Curriculum Committee will also serve on Instruction and Curriculum.
When a divisional committee position becomes vacant before the completion of its term, a special election will be held to fill that position for the remainder of its term.
When an at-large committee position becomes vacant before the completion of its term, that position will remain vacant until the next regular election.
A. Academic Standards Committee
The Academic Standards Committee shall be responsible for all matters related to the employment of faculty.
These responsibilities include:
- Recommending policies that advance the welfare of the faculty and the students they are employed to serve;
- Serving as the appeals committee in any grievances or disciplinary actions against faculty; and
- Assisting in the recruitment and hiring of new faculty by designating the appropriate divisional committee member to serve on search committees for faculty who will be employed in that specific division.
The Academic Standards Committee will make recommendations to the Faculty Senate which will act on the recommendations of the Committee.
B. Curriculum Committee
The Curriculum Committee shall be responsible for all matters related to students’ learning. These responsibilities include:
- Assisting in developing academic standards for admission, retention, and graduation;
- Recommending additions and deletions of curricular offerings to the Academic council;
- Periodically evaluating all curricular offerings;
- Making recommendations regarding physical facilities and equipment for instructional purposes;
- Participating actively in the college’s recruitment and retention efforts; and
- Recommending action on all proposals for changes in the college’s curriculum.
The Curriculum Committee shall make recommendations to the Faculty Senate, which will act on the committee’s findings.
C. Faculty Development Committee
The Faculty Development Committee shall be composed of nine members of the faculty association, five of whom shall be appointed from each of the five academic divisions of the College and four who shall be elected at large by the Faculty Association.
The Faculty Development Committee shall develop and implement an active faculty development program. Recommendations regarding budgetary needs for faculty development shall be made to the Vice President of Instruction. This committee shall also have the responsibility for working with the Vice President for Instruction and the Divisional Deans to appraise, modify, and implement an on-going performance evaluation for all faculty.
Article III
Procedures and Policies
Section 1 Elections
Faculty Association and Faculty Senate elections shall be supervised by the elections officer of the Faculty Senate. The officer shall adhere to the following policies when conducting elections:
During March/April, the elections officer will conduct elections for the division senators and standing committee representatives, members and chairs, for the next academic year. The elections officer will call for nominations for any open positions by sending a Nominations Form to each Faculty Association member. Once nominations are received, voting will be done electronically, and the elections officer will report election results at the April meeting of the Faculty Senate. Elected positions will serve for two years.
Following the April meeting, the elections officer will conduct elections of new officers (Vice-President, Secretary, and Elections) in the same manner as stated above. The new officers will begin their new term at the May meeting which will follow the spring meeting of the Faculty Association.
Section 2 Constitutional Ratification, Amendment, and Revision
This constitution will become effective when ratified by two-thirds of the faculty members who are eligible for membership in the faculty association. Ratification shall be sought in a general election by secret ballot.
The constitution may be amended when ratified by a majority (51%) of the faculty members who are eligible for membership in the Faculty Association vote for approval of an amendment that has been:
1. Submitted in writing to the full membership of the Faculty Association at least ten days prior to the regular meeting of the Faculty Association; and
2. Placed on the agenda for a regular meeting of the Faculty Association at least ten days before the regular meeting.
Section 3 Parliamentary Procedure
The Faculty Association, the Faculty Senate, and the standing committees shall abide by Robert’s Rules of Order (Revised). For all purposes except those explicitly exempted, a quorum of the Faculty Association shall consist of two-fifths of the membership of the Faculty Association and a quorum of the Faculty Senate shall consist of a majority, 51%, of Faculty Senate members.
Posted August 2013
