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Policy

Faculty Assembly is chaired by the President of the University who has responsibility for the preparation of the agenda for meetings. The agenda shall be mailed to each member of Faculty Assembly at least seven (7) class days prior to the meeting and shall provide sufficient detail for reasonably clear identification of the nature of the items.

The actions of the University Senate are subject to the authority of Faculty Assembly to review and refer actions back to the University Senate and to recommend matters for Senate’s consideration.

Faculty Assembly is composed of all members of the faculty who hold a tenured or tenure-track  position; all librarians who hold the rank of Assistant Librarian, Associate Librarian, or Principal Librarian; and Teaching, Clinical Professors and Lecturers (TCPLs). Membership in Faculty Assembly does not qualify Teaching, Clinical Professors and Lecturers (TCPLs) to serve on committees whose membership is restricted to faculty in tenure-eligible ranks.

Faculty Assembly hears reports from its committees and from the President, the Chair of Senate, and other vice presidents.  It may propose, debate, and recommend matters for Senate consideration or for presentation to other officials or administrative bodies.   It may also challenge and refer back any University Senate action.  Faculty Assembly has the right of initiative and referendum.  Such action shall be considered as tantamount to University Senate action.

Faculty Assembly may raise questions, offer comments, debate, and forward recommendations based on votes taken during meetings or by mail ballot.  It may discuss matters affecting ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ and its environment.

Faculty Assembly normally meets in the fall.  Additional meetings may be called upon the request of fifty (50) members of Faculty Assembly filed with the Office of the Provost or upon the call of the President.  The exact time and location of the meetings will be determined by the President.

A quorum must be present in order for Faculty Assembly to return an action to University Senate. If a quorum is not present at a duly scheduled or called meeting of Faculty Assembly for which a challenged University Senate action is on the agenda, said action by University Senate shall be deemed to be sustained. A quorum shall be twenty-five (25) percent of the membership of Faculty Assembly. This number shall be determined by the Office of the Provost and announced at the first meeting of the Assembly each year. The number constituting a quorum shall be the same for every meeting during an academic year.

Voting in Faculty Assembly is on a motion to refer back to Senate one of its items and to provide opinions to individuals or groups on issues as Assembly deems appropriate. The usual method of taking a vote in Faculty Assembly shall be by voice vote or by show of hands. Voting shall be by secret ballot if requested by at least ten (10) members of the Assembly or by the Presiding Officer with general consent.

The membership of Faculty Assembly shall have the right of initiative and referendum according to the following provisions:

A written proposal must be accompanied by a petition signed by at least ten percent of the membership of Faculty Assembly and presented to the Office of the Provost before the proposal shall be considered for initiative or referendum.

Following the receipt of the petition and the proposal, Faculty Assembly must meet within one calendar month at a regular or called meeting to discuss the proposal. Provided that a quorum is present, Faculty Assembly may vote to amend the original written proposal.

Following the discussion of the proposal by Faculty Assembly, within ten (10) working days the Office of the Provost shall mail a copy of the written proposal to each member of Faculty Assembly who shall be asked to vote “yes” or “no” on a ballot to be returned to the Office of the Provost within another ten (10) working days.

An initiative or referendum matter presented to the membership of Faculty Assembly should be framed and worded in a straightforward manner that makes clear and unambiguous the substance of the issue and the meaning of an affirmative or negative vote (e.g., not worded with a double negative; rather worded so that a “yes” vote means approval of a new or revised policy and a “no” vote means rejection of a new or revised policy).

The proposal shall be considered to have passed if it receives an affirmative vote of a simple majority of those voting, provided the said affirmative vote constitutes at least a quorum of Faculty Assembly. Such action shall be considered as tantamount to University Senate action and shall be subject to the limitations specified in the “University Senate” policy.

Copies of the Enabling Act of University Senate and Faculty Assembly are available from the Office of the Provost and online at .

Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities

The Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities is a standing committee of Faculty Assembly, composed of eight (8) tenured members of the faculty without official administrative appointment, and may not serve concurrently on the University Senate.

The Committee is charged to do the following:

Formulate and recommend standards defining the professional rights and responsibilities of the faculty, and propose legislation and/or procedures appropriate to their enforcement;

Conduct grievance and disciplinary hearings as outlined in the “Grievance, Termination for Cause, and Disciplinary Procedures for the Instructional Staff” section;

Consider and, at its discretion, report to the President and the Provost alleged infractions of faculty rights and responsibilities;

Act as a continuing advisory body to the President on matters of University policy and operation that affect the professional rights and responsibilities of the faculty;

Review the ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ Policy and Information Manual on matters pertaining to faculty rights and responsibilities, and to recommend changes, as appropriate, to the President;

Review departmental and divisional definitions and elaborations of University promotion and tenure criteria when requested to do so by a faculty member, in order to decide whether those departmental and divisional policies are consistent with all-University policy;

Report annually to Faculty Assembly on matters considered by the Committee.

The Chair and individual members of the Committee are available to any member of the University community who wishes to discuss aspects of faculty rights and responsibilities in general or as related to his or her personal situation, or who wishes to report alleged infractions, or to file a grievance or complaint through the “Grievance, Termination for Cause, and Disciplinary Procedures for the Instructional Staff” section.

Faculty Assembly expects all members of the ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ community to cooperate with the Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities in the discharge of its mandate from Faculty Assembly and the Board of Trustees, including meeting reasonable requests for information relevant to general issues and specific cases before the Committee, and meeting with the Committee, at mutually convenient times and places to discuss general issues and specific cases, and to respond to reasonable questions relating to matters before the Committee.  Incidents of refusal to cooperate shall be reported by the Committee to Faculty Assembly for its consideration and action. While reasonable requests for information should be honored, the Committee shall be given access to the relevant contents of faculty personnel files only when such access is necessary to conduct a disciplinary hearing under the “Grievance, Termination for Cause, and Disciplinary Procedures for the Instructional Staff” section, to process a formal grievance under the “Grievance, Termination for Cause, and Disciplinary Procedures for the Instructional Staff” section, or to resolve an informal complaint or problem brought to the Committee.

Related Form(s)

Not Applicable.

Additional Resources and Procedures

Websites

FAQ

Not Applicable.

Policy Administration

Next Review Date

7/1/2023

Responsible Officer

• Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
• President 

Legal Authority

Not Applicable.

Compliance Policy

No

Revision History

 Amended July 2018; Amended July 2021

Reference ID

MUPIM 2.5

Reviewing Bodies

• ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ Senate
• Faculty Assembly
• President
• ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ Board of Trustees