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Constitution

PennWest Clarion OF PENNSYLVANIA
FACULTY SENATE CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I
Functions 

Section 1. 

The Senate shall serve as a representative body of full-time members of faculty and full-time state university coaches; herein after called the Faculty. The Senate shall, in this capacity, have sole competence, subject to the approval of the President of the University, the authority of the Council of Trustees, the laws of the Commonwealth, and policies of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, in all matters pertaining to the educational policies of the University.

The authority of the Senate shall extend to, but not be limited to the following matters, except as modified by the Collective Bargaining Agreement:

  • Educational goals of the University
  • Admission standards and requirements
  • Courses and programs of study
  • University academic and athletic calendars
  • Scholastic standards, honors and scholarships
  • Requirements for graduation and recommendations
  • Regulations involving student affairs including codes of conduct and methods used for adjudicating actions arising there under
  • Faculty affairs relating to professional standards of conduct, employment, tenure, and promotion and to matters involving individual administrative relationships.

Section 2. 

The Senate shall serve in an advisory capacity to the President regarding the following but not limited to the following: (1) planning, development, and use of the financial resources and physical facilities related to the educational objectives of the University, and (2) the creation, reorganization, or discontinuation of organizational units of instruction, research, or library and other informational and distributive facilities. This shall not be interpreted to limit the authority of the Senate as prescribed in Section 1.

Section 3. 

The Senate shall meet in accordance with the Constitution, By-laws and Standing Rules of Order. In order to provide a forum for discussion of University affairs, the Faculty shall have the right to attend all meeting of the Senate and to participate in accordance with the established rules, except for the right to vote.

Section 4. 

The Senate shall have the authority and duty to receive and consider matters referred to it by the Council of Trustees, the President, the Student Body, and the Faculty.

Section 5. 

Any matter referred by the Council of Trustees or by the President, and any resolution submitted in writing by members of the Faculty or of the Student Body as prescribed in the By-laws, shall be acted upon by the Senate and a report of such action shall be sent to those originating the matter with the rationale for the action taken.

Section 6. 

The Senate shall interpret its own Constitution, rules, regulations, and other actions. In matters involving the Senate’s jurisdiction, the final decision shall rest with the President of the University; provided that the President shall notify the Senate of the decision in writing accompanied with a rationale for the decision.

Section 7. 

All action of the Faculty Senate shall take effect upon written approval of the President of the University or on the thirty-first day following the action by the Faculty Senate unless the President has transmitted to the Senate within that period his or her written decision to disapprove the measure.

ARTICLE II
Membership and Term of Office 

Section 1. 

All individuals, as defined in Article I, section 1, shall be eligible for election to the Senate.

Section 2. 

There shall be twenty-four members elected by secret ballot, under a uniform procedure prescribed in the By-laws. The President of the University shall, as ex-officio, be an additional non-voting member, and have the authority to name a person to serve as his or her representative.

Section 3. 

Elections shall be by and from the Faculty, as defined in Article I, Section 1, except 
as specified in Article II, Section 4.

Section 4. 

All members of the Venango Campus, as defined in Article I, Section 1, shall be eligible for election to the Senate to represent Venango Campus.

  1. Membership in the Senate shall be prorated on a one person one-vote basis between Venango campus and the Clarion Campus, except that Venango Campus shall be entitled to at least one representative. 
  2. All members of the Clarion Campus Faculty, as defined in Article I, Section 1, shall vote only for nominees from the Clarion Campus; all members of the Venango Campus Faculty, as defined in Article I, Section 1, shall vote for nominees for the Venango Campus.
  3. All Faculty are eligible to serve as a Faculty Senator representing the campus at which he/she has a majority responsibility, with majority here defined, for faculty, as 75% or more of his/her regular teaching or non-teaching load and for staff or administrators as 75% or more of his/her regular responsibilities. An individual with a workload shared between the campuses (less than 75% at one campus, such as 50%/50%) may designate the campus s/he would like to represent, designating such at the time of nominations and appearing on the ballot for that campus (either Clarion or Venango) and eligible to serve on Faculty Senate as a representative of that campus if elected.  An individual with a workload that is entirely online may designate the campus s/he would like to represent, designating such at the time of nominations and appearing on the ballot for that campus (either Clarion or Venango) and eligible to serve on Faculty Senate as a representative of that campus if elected.
  4. Any individual elected as a Faculty Senator or serving a current Faculty Senate term will inform the Faculty Senate Chair and the Chair of the Faculty Senate Committee on Committees and Rules (CCR) if his/her work load assignment should change such that his/her majority responsibility will shift from the Venango Campus to the Clarion Campus, or from the Clarion Campus to the Venango Campus, for an academic year or more. The individual may continue to serve his/her term as Faculty Senator with the understanding that a Venango Campus Representative will retain ties to the Venango Campus by attending the Venango Campus Forum (and, for a senior Senator, continuing to provide Faculty Senate reports to the Forum), or a replacement Senator will be appointed for the remainder of his/her term, following established practices used in cases of teaching or other workload conflicts with Faculty Senate meeting times.

Section 5.

The term of office shall be three years with one-third of the members elected each year.

Section 6. 

The Senate shall choose its officers and committees upon its own initiative and authority.

ARTICLE III
The Senate Policy Committee 

Section 1. 

The chairpersons of the standing committees of the Senate, the Parliamentarian, the secretary, and the Senate Chairperson, as presiding officer, shall serve collectively as the Senate Policy Committee.

Section 2. 

It shall be the responsibility of the Committee to (1) coordinate and recommend general policy, (2) propose basic agenda for meetings of the Senate, (3) make assignments to the standing and special committees, (4) review and evaluate committee reports for consideration and action before their submission to the Senate, and (5) serve in an advisory capacity to the President and Council of Trustees.

ARTICLE   IV
Initiation of Policy by the Faculty 

Section 1

Any written petition signed by at least twenty-five faculty members relating to matters coming within the competence of the Senate, may be presented to the Faculty Senate, which must act upon it within thirty days in the precise form on which it was submitted. 

If the Senate does not act within the prescribed period or if it substantially alters the petition from the precise form in which it was submitted, the Chairperson, in consultation with the President, shall call a meeting of the entire Faculty to consider it. If the petition is adopted by the Faculty in the precise form in which it was submitted, it shall be binding as if enacted by the Faculty Senate.

 Section 2. 

Two weeks written notice for all meetings of the Faculty shall be given to all faculty members, including those at Venango Campus. 

A quorum of the Faculty in meeting shall consist of one-fifth of all full-time members as defined in Article I, Section 1.

Section 3. 

The actions of all meetings of the assembled Faculty shall be recorded in appropriate form for inspection and use by the Faculty.

ARTICLE V
Amendments of the Constitution 

Section 1. 

Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed in writing to the Senate by any member of the Senate, or by action of the assembled “Faculty” as authorized in the By-laws, or upon written petition signed by any 10 members of the “Faculty," as defined in Article I, Section 1. Such proposals shall be submitted to the Chairperson of the Senate.

Section 2. 

Written copies of the proposed amendment shall be sent to all members of the Senate within one day following its submission and communicated to the Faculty.

Section 3. 

The proposed amendment shall have priority on the Senate’s agenda at its next regular meeting for general discussion but without formal action of any kind. At a subsequent regular meeting, occurring not sooner than three weeks after the date of the meeting at which the proposal receives general discussion, the matter shall be acted upon by written secret ballot and a vote of one more than a majority of the total voting membership of the Senate shall be required for adoption. All proposed amendments shall retain priority on the agenda until action is completed.

Section 4. 

The assembled Faculty shall have the authority to amend the Constitution upon its own initiative. Amendments may be proposed at a meeting of the Faculty by a majority vote with an informational copy of the proposed amendment being furnished to the Senate Chairperson. At a subsequent meeting of the Faculty, to be called by the President, and occurring not sooner than three weeks after the date of the meeting at which the proposal was submitted, the proposed amendment shall be considered and, upon approval by a two thirds majority of a quorum of the Faculty shall be sent to the President and the Council of Trustees for approval.

ARTICLE VI
Self Study  

 Section 1.  

 Faculty Senate shall conduct a review of its Constitution and Bylaws every 10 years. 

 Section 2.  

The review shall be conducted by an ad hoc committee assembled by the current Chairperson of Faculty Senate and approved by Faculty Senate.     

 Section 3.  

Any proposed changes must be approved by a two thirds majority of a quorum of the Faculty Senate. All changes to the Constitution and Bylaws must be approved by the President and the Council of Trustees.

Official signed version

Last Updated 8/22/22