University Senate Charter Amendment No.: _____
UNIVERSITY SENATE
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Introduced by:
Governance Council
Date:
___________ , 2015
Amendment RE: Voting for Ex Officio Members of University Senate Councils and Committees
IT IS HEREBY PROPOSED THAT THE FOLLOWING BE ADOPTED:
•
That the proposed amendments of the University Senate Charter Faculty be adopted
•
That these amendments go into effect immediately
Current Charter:
Section VIII: Council Structure and Operation
In addition to structure detailed in Section V:
VIII.1. Each Senator, except ex officio Senators, ordinarily must serve on a council.
VIII.2. Council meetings normally may be observed by any member of the University community.
Under certain circumstances, a council may vote to close a meeting. Closure must be reported to the
Senate.
VIII.3. Council chairs
VIII.3.1. Unless otherwise specified, each council shall elect a chair from among its eligible
members.
Proposed Revisions to the Charter:
Section VIII: Council Structure and Operation
In addition to structure detailed in Section V:
VIII.1. Each Senator, except ex officio Senators, ordinarily must serve on a council.
VIII.2. Council meetings normally may be observed by any member of the University community.
Under certain circumstances, a council may vote to close a meeting. Closure must be reported to the
Senate.
VIII.3 Ex officio members of councils and committees
VIII.3.1 Ex officio members of councils or committees shall be invited to all meetings of that
council or committee.
VIII.3.2 Persons or their designees who are ex officio members of a Senate council or committee
by virtue of their title or position in the University administration are non-voting members and
may not count towards quorum.
VIII.3.3 Nothing shall be interpreted as removing voting rights granted in the Bylaws (Article II
Section 2.1).
VIII.4. Council chairs
VIII.4.1. Unless otherwise specified, each council shall elect a chair from among its eligible
members.
Section X: Senate Councils
X.1. GOVERNANCE COUNCIL
X.1.1. Composition
X.1.1.1. The Senate Vice Chair, the Senate Secretary, the President of the Graduate Student
Organization Graduate Student Association, and the Chair of the Student Association Senate, or
their designees, ex officio.
X.2. UNIVERSITY PLANNING AND POLICY COUNCIL
X.2.1. Composition:
X.2.1.3. The Vice President for Finance and Business The Vice President for Finance and
Administration, ex officio.
X.2.1.11. Staff support for the Council shall be designated by the Vice President of Finance and
Business Vice President of Finance and Administration. [added by amendment 5/2/05]
X.2.9. Resource Analysis and Planning Committee
X.2.9.2. The Committee shall include the Vice President of Finance and Business Vice President
of Finance and Administration, ex officio, or designee.
X.2.10. University Facilities Committee
X.2.10.2. The Committee shall include the Vice President of Finance and Business Vice
President for Finance and Administration or designee, ex officio.
X.3. UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC COUNCIL
X.3.1. Composition [amended 12/18/06]
X.3.1.1. The Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education or designee, ex officio
X.3.10. Committee on General Education [amended 12/18/06]
X.3.10.1. The Committee shall consist of the Director of the General Education Program
Associate Dean for General Education ex officio, the Chair of the General Education Assessment
Committee of the Council on Academic Assessment or designee ex officio, at least five but no
more than ten members of the Teaching Faculty, at least three of whom are members of the
Council, two Professional Faculty, two Undergraduate Students, at least one of whom is a
member of the Council, and no more than 2 voting members selected from Faculty or Staff who
are not students or Voting Faculty. The Chair of the Council shall consult with the Vice Provost
and Dean for Undergraduate Education when determining the membership of this Committee.
X.3.10.3. The Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education shall have authority to grant
waivers and make appropriate substitutions for individual students. The Committee shall serve as
an appellate body for students who are not satisfied with the Vice Provost’s decision.
X.4. GRADUATE ACADEMIC COUNCIL
X.4.1. Composition:
X.4.1.1. The Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Education or designee, ex officio
X.4.2. The staff support person for the Council shall be a designee of the Dean of Graduate Studies
Education.
X.4.6.2. New graduate courses and changes to existing graduate courses receive final approval
from the schools and colleges, subject to appropriate notification, but the Graduate Academic
Council shall have the power to review new courses and changes to existing courses and require
reconsideration by the schools and colleges. Notification should be made to the Graduate
Academic Council, to the Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies Education, the Office of the
Vice President or Dean of the affected college or school, and to all other interested parties.
[Section X. 4.6.2 revised by amendment 5/2/05]
X.4.7.3. It shall review such actions of the Dean of Graduate Studies Education or of school
deans and department chairs dealing with academic standing or academic grievances as are
brought before it by any interested party.
X.6. COUNCIL ON ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT
X.6.1. Composition
X.6.1.1. The Vice Provost and Dean of for Graduate Education Studies, the Vice Provost and
Dean for Undergraduate Education, and the Assistant Vice President of Strategic Planning and
Assessment Associate Vice Provost for Academic and Resource Planning, or their designees, ex
officio
X.6.2. The staff support person for the Council shall be the Assistant Vice President of Strategic
Planning and Assessment Associate Vice Provost for Academic and Resource Planning or designee.
X.6.6. Academic Program Review Committee
X.6.6.2. The Committee shall consist of no more than eleven members, including at least six
members of the Teaching Faculty, at least three of whom are members of the Council, one
Professional Faculty member, one Graduate Student, one Undergraduate Student, the Assistant
Vice President of Strategic Planning and Assessment Associate Vice Provost for Academic and
Resource Planning , ex officio, or designee, and no more than 2 voting members selected from
Faculty or Staff who are not students or Voting Faculty.
X.6.7. General Education Assessment Committee [amended 12/18/06]
X.6.7.2. The Committee shall consist of no more than fourteen members, including at least six
members of the Teaching Faculty, at least three of whom are members of the Council, one
Professional Faculty, one Graduate Student, one Undergraduate Student, the Assistant Vice
President of Strategic Planning and Assessment Associate Vice Provost for Academic and
Resource Planning or designee ex officio, the Director of the General Education Program
Associate Dean for General Education ex officio, the Chair of the General Education Committee
of the Undergraduate Academic Council or designee ex officio, and no more than 2 voting
members selected from Faculty or Staff who are not students or Voting Faculty.
X.9. UNIVERSITY LIFE COUNCIL
X.9.1. Composition
X.9.1.2. The Vice President for Finance and Business Vice President for Finance and
Administration or designee, ex officio
X.9.1.3. The Director Coordinator of EAP, or designee, ex officio
X.9.5. The Committee on Health, Safety and Well-being
X.9.5.1.3. The Director Coordinator of EAP, or designee, ex officio
X.9.7. The Committee on Residential Life
X.9.7.1. Composition
X.9.7.1.2. The Vice President for Finance and Business Vice President for Business and
Administration or designee, ex officio
Rationale
The proposed amendment brings the Senate Charter in alignment with the newly amended Bylaws
Article II Section 2 (Appendix A).
In its vote of April 1-8, 2015, the Voting Faculty approved by 2/3 affirmation the passage of Bylaws
Amendment 1415-01 which removes Senate voting privileges from individuals who are named as ex
officio Senators by virtue of their administrative position. The Charter amendment proposed here
removes Council and Committee voting privileges from individuals who are named as ex officio members
of Councils and Committees by virtue of the same. In aligning the two documents, Senate practices are
made consistent with respect to administrative voting privileges.
The proposed amendment inserts new language into Charter Section VIII: Council Structure and
Operation that specifies that ex officio members of councils or committees shall be invited to all
meetings (VIII.3.1) and that ex officio members who hold an administrative position in the university are
non-voting members and may not be counted toward quorum (VIII.3.2). Paragraph VIII.3.3 serves to
preserve the voting privileges for non-administrative ex officio members such as the presidents of the
Graduate Student Association and the Student Association. These privileges are granted in the Bylaws
and were not affected by the passage of Bylaws amendment 1415-01.
With the insertion of a new Charter Section VIII. 3, what was formerly Charter Section VIII.3 becomes
Charter Section VIII.4. The remainder of Charter Section VIII is then renumbered accordingly.
The changes highlighted in Charter Section X : Senate Councils update the language of the Charter to
reflect official changes to administrative titles and to the name of the organization representing graduate
students since the document was first written.
Appendix A: University Senate Bylaws Article II Section 2 (revised April 8, 2015)
Appendix A
Faculty Bylaws of the University at
Albany,
State University of New York
[…]
Article II. Section 2 — Composition of the Senate
2.1 The ex officio non-voting members of the Senate shall be the President, the Senior Vice
President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate
Education, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Education, the Vice President for Research, the Vice
President for Student Success, the Vice President for Finance and Administration, and the dean
elected by the deans of the schools and colleges. The ex officio voting members of the Senate shall
be the Senate officers, the University Senators to the Faculty Senate of the State University of New
York, the president of the Graduate Student Association, the president of the Student Association,
and the chair of the Student Association Senate. [Amended April 8, 2015]
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