COP 03-1109: Faculty Senate

Purpose Statement

The faculty share in the governance of the Florida SouthWestern State College (College) through the Faculty Senate by recommending policies and procedures related to academic matters, thus creating a culture of collegiality with the administration to further the educational mission of the College.

Guidelines

Summary:

The mission of the Faculty Senate is to lead the faculty toward fulfilling their responsibilities in the shared governance of Florida SouthWestern State College and to represent faculty interests to the college's administration. The Faculty Senate is responsible for exercising its vested authority to ensure that faculty input is sustained, and to oversee policy and procedures that promote an effective and healthy educational environment. The Faculty Senate serves as a liaison between faculty and administration. This includes but not limited to:

• informing faculty about college policies, procedures, and substantive changes made by the administration;
• making recommendations to the VPAA and President regarding faculty academic issues; and
• making recommendations to faculty and administration on college policies.

The Faculty Senate is a strong advocate for academic freedom and expression as the basic tenet of the higher education community and the instructional environment at FSW.

Faculty Senate Office:

The College shall provide the Faculty Senate Executive Committee with an office location equipped with a personal computer, telephone, and printer. The office shall have a small conference table for small meetings that officers will utilize. The office will be open for faculty to visit during posted office hours.

Officers, Membership, and Voting:

The election of officers, membership and voting procedures are conducted in accordance with the adopted Senate bylaws posted on https://fsw.edu/facultysenate.

Purpose and Functions

1. Making recommendations to the VPAA and/or President:
   1. Standards of curricula and content of degree programs.
   2. Standards and facilities for research and scholarship.
   3. Establishment or discontinuance of departments, the merging, or the transfer of departments between constituent faculties.
   4. College Academic Calendar and modifications of the academic calendar.
   5. Admission standards and academic requirements for students.
   6. Awarding honorary degrees.
   7. New degrees and the modification of existing degrees.
2. Advising and consulting with the VPAA on the appointment of major academic officers other than those of constituent faculties, on the formulation of the budget, and the allocation of resources and facilities, on long range-planning, and on matters of similar concerns to the faculty.
3. Reviewing current programs, policies, and organizational structures with regard to their effectiveness and exercising initiative in proposing development and introduction of new program, policies, and organizational structures.
4. Recommending amendments to these bylaws.

Meetings: Attendance by non-members

Meetings of the Faculty Senate, as defined by Florida law, are open to attendance by non-Senate members. Members of the Board of Trustees, the President or his designee, the VPAA, vice-presidents, deans, and other academic officers may request an opportunity to address the Faculty Senate by contacting the Faculty Senate President. The Faculty Senate President or Executive Committee may also request that the College President, VPAA, or other college administrator address the Faculty Senate on an issue under consideration.

Executive Committee

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of five to ten persons. There shall be one individual from each geographic location and one person from each of the Schools and one person from the libraries. A faculty member may fill more than one representation requirement simultaneously.
2. Executive Committee members will be expected to be available during summer sessions if necessary. If extended summer availability is needed Executive Committee members may be given appropriate supplemental contracts.
3. Faculty Senate and FSW Faculty Union are essential and dedicated to the betterment of the college and to improve conditions for all faculties. Executive officers in both units agree that it is beneficial to keep unit autonomy when at all possible by not holding executive positions in both units.
4. The Executive Committee shall set the agenda for meetings of the Faculty Senate, subject to such exceptions as may be specified in the By-laws of the Faculty Senate.
5. The Executive Committee shall report all actions and recommendations to the Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Standing Committees

1. The By-laws of the Faculty Senate shall provide for additional standing committees and shall assign explicitly to each the appropriate areas of Senate powers and obligations from among those enumerated in these By-laws.
2. As may be provided in the By-laws of the Faculty Senate, members of such additional standing committees may include members of the College community who are not themselves members of the Faculty Senate.
3. All Faculty Senate Standing Committees report to the Executive Committee.
4. All Faculty Senate Standing Committees operate in accordance with College Operating Procedures and Collective Negotiations Agreement.

Ad Hoc Committees

Ad Hoc Committees of the Faculty Senate may be established by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall provide each such ad hoc committee with a specific charge stated in writing, and the ad hoc committee shall confine itself to the fulfillment of this charge unless otherwise authorized in writing by the Executive Committee. The maximum term of any ad hoc committee shall be twelve months, subject to extension at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

Meetings of the Executive Committee and College Administration

1. Representatives from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will hold regular monthly meetings with the President and VPAA to discuss matters related to shared governance.
2. The agenda for these meetings will be finalized one week prior to the meeting, when possible. The purpose of these meetings includes recommending policies and procedures related to academic matters and helping to create a culture of collegiality between the administration and the faculty to further enhance the mission of the College. Wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment will be the purview of the Faculty Union.
3. The President and/or VPAA may request additional members of the College administration to be present at meetings to discuss specific agenda items.
4. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to act for the Faculty Senate between meetings on matters requiring emergency action and the Executive Committee shall advise the President and VPAA in the selection of officers of academic administration whose positions carry responsibilities extending beyond a single constituent faculty.

Procedures