Faculty Bylaws Amendment 1718-BA02
UNIVERSITY SENATE
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Introduced by: Governance Council
Date: March 8th, 2017
FACULTY BYLAWS AMENDMENT DEFINING QUORUM FOR SENATE
MEETINGS
IT IS HEREBY PROPOSED THAT THE FOLLOWING BE ADOPTED:
That the proposed amendment of the Faculty Bylaws below be adopted
That these amendments go into effect immediately
Current Faculty Bylaws:
Article II. Section 7 – Calendar and Meetings of the Senate
7.6 The quorum of the Senate shall be 50 percent of its membership plus one.
In all other matters of procedure, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be followed,
except where the Senate has established a rule of its own.
Proposed Revision to the Faculty Bylaws:
Article II. Section 7 – Calendar and Meetings of the Senate
7.6 The quorum of the Senate shall be 50 percent of its voting membership
plus one. In all other matters of procedure, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be
followed, except where the Senate has established a rule of its own.
Rationale:
This bill seeks to clarify the confusion about what should constitute quorum that
was generated after the passage of Bylaws amendment 1415-10BA that removed
voting privileges from individuals who, by virtue of their administrative title,
hold ex-officio positions on the Senate and its Councils and Committees. After that
amendment, the membership of the Senate became composed of voting members
and ex-officio non-voting members. Retaining the prior quorum definition as a
simple majority of the membership has had the consequence of requiring the
presence of more than 50% plus one of voting members to conduct Senate business.
But since non-voting members cannot vote, their presence or their absence at a
Senate meeting should not prevent the Senate from conducting its regular business.
Therefore, it is hereby proposed that quorum should be based on the number of
voting members of the Senate, whose presence is required for conducting Senate
business. That is, quorum should be a simple majority of voting members of the
Senate.
