CONSTITUTION OF THE NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY ASSOCIATIONPREAMBLE
The Northeastern Faculty Association is an organization of the faculty designed to facilitate democratic participation in the development of institutional policies and further the pursuit of the University's missions and goals. This is accomplished through its elected representatives -- the Faculty Council -- serving as a liaison body between the faculty and administration.
SECTION 1. Constitution of the Northeastern Faculty Association (Revised, 1994, 2005)
1.1 PurposeSECTION 2. Organization of the Faculty Association and Faculty CouncilWe, the faculty and administration of Northeastern State University, in order to provide an instrument for democratic participation by the faculty in the affairs of the University do hereby create the Northeastern Faculty Association, the Northeastern Faculty Council, and this constitution.
1.2 Name
The faculty organization shall be known as "The Northeastern Faculty Association." The legislative body of the association shall be known as "The Northeastern Faculty Council."
1.3 Membership and Voting Rights in the Association
All members of the faculty, employed on a full-time faculty contract, including department chairpersons, automatically shall hold membership in the Association. Association members shall have full voting rights on such matters as require Association approval.
1.4 Officers of the Association
The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Vice President, and a Secretary- Treasurer. The officers of the Association shall serve as the officers of the Faculty Council.
1.5 Duties of the Officers
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and Council. The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the minutes and conduct the financial affairs of the Association and Council, be the custodian of the records and shall transmit one copy of these minutes and a monthly financial report to the University archives.
1.6 The Faculty Council Membership and Voting Rights
The Faculty Council shall consist of the President, the Vice President and the Secretary- Treasurer, all elected at-large, and delegates selected by each academic unit. Neither the President nor Vice-President may simultaneously serve as a council delegate. Only Faculty Council delegates shall have voting rights.
1.7 Election of Officers
The President, Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected at-large by secret ballot by a simple majority or plurality of those association members voting. Elections shall be held in April of odd-numbered years.
1.8 Vacancies of Office
If the President leaves office before the end of his/her term, the duties of the President will go to the Vice President. Should a vacancy occur in the office of Vice President or Secretary-Treasurer, the Council shall elect a successor by simple majority vote of those delegates present and voting.
1.9 Election of Delegates
Each specified academic unit shall select, from among its membership by simple majority vote of those voting, two delegate as representatives to the Faculty Council. If a vacancy exists in an academic unit's delegation, the President of the Faculty Association shall inform the administrative head and the unit's membership of the need to fill the vacancy. The Northeastern Faculty Council shall determine in the by-laws to this Constitution those University units which qualify for representation on the Council and shall designate in what years each unit shall select delegates.
The academic unit is responsible for filling vacancies in delegate or alternate positions. In the event of such vacancy, the remaining delegate shall inform the Council, the membership of his/her unit and the administrative head of the unit of the vacancy. Following the election by the unit of a successor, the same delegate shall inform the Council of the selection.
1.10 Terms of Office
The President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer and delegates shall serve terms of two years. The terms of all officers shall
commence the first day of fall semester following the April election. The terms of delegates are specified by academic unit in the
bylaws to this constitution.
SECTION 3. Creating Amendments and By-Laws
2.1 Meetings and QuorumsThe Northeastern Faculty Association shall meet once each academic year or when requested by the President of the University, or by a majority vote of the Faculty Council, or when called by the President of the Association at the request of ten percent or more members of the Association. The Faculty Council shall meet at least monthly during the fall and spring semester or on call of the President of the Association.
Fifty percent of the members of the Faculty Association shall constitute a quorum to do business, and motions shall be passed by a simple majority of those present.
The Faculty Council shall have a quorum when a majority of the duly elected delegates are present. Questions shall be voted by a simple majority of delegates present.
2.2 Functions
The council shall consider matters pertaining to the affairs of the University which are brought to it by a delegate, association officer, or are submitted for consideration by the Administration. Recommendations regarding these matters shall be submitted in writing to the President of the University, other appropriate administrators, and members of the association. The council requests that the President of the University provide it with a written report of the disposition of each recommendation which the council submits for consideration.
2.3 Dues
The council shall have the power to assess annual dues of Faculty Association members in an amount sufficient to carry out the mission of the Faculty Association. The Secretary- Treasurer will submit before the April Faculty Council meeting, a proposed fiscal budget for the Faculty Association. The Faculty Council will approve a budget and determine the amount of annual dues necessary to properly fund the budget. The Secretary-Treasurer will be responsible for notifying the members of the amount due and for depositing and accounting for dues collected.
2.4 Faculty Association Committee Responsibilities
The President of the Association may appoint, with the approval of the Council, such committees as seem necessary to conduct the work of the council. Committees will be composed of association members with voting privileges and may include additional non- voting individuals as ex-officio members. The Faculty Council shall maintain, but not be limited to, the following standing committees:
2.4.1 Faculty Awards Committee -- appointed each September and shall be responsible for soliciting nominations and selecting faculty members for the annual outstanding teaching, research, and service awards.2.4.2 Nominations Committee -- appointed each January and shall be responsible for soliciting nominations and conducting the elections for President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer of the Faculty Association. The nominations committee shall be responsible also for soliciting the names of faculty association members willing to be nominated to serve on university and other committees.2.4.3 Faculty Welfare Committee -- appointed each September and shall be responsible for addressing issues of general concern to the health and welfare of faculty association members. The Vice President of the Faculty Association will serve as chair of the Faculty Welfare Committee.
2.5 Nominations of Faculty to University and Other CommitteesThe President of the Association shall be responsible, after consultation with the nominations committee and the approval of the Faculty Council, for submitting to the President of the University the names of faculty members interested in appointments to the following University committees: Campus Parking, Curriculum and Educational Policies, Faculty Research, Parking Appeals, Publications, and Student Conduct. The President of the Association shall be responsible for submitting the names of faculty members interested in appointments to such other committees as shall from time to time be deemed necessary and appropriate.
SECTION 4. Amendments and By-Laws to the Faculty Association Constitution
3.1 AmendmentsAmendments to this constitution may be proposed by a simple majority of the Faculty Council, or by petitions signed by ten percent of the members of the Association. Amendments shall become a part of this constitution when ratified by two-thirds majority of all members voting in a Faculty Association election in which more than fifty percent of the members of the Association vote, or when ratified by two-thirds majority of all members present at a general meeting of the Association, provided that such meeting or election is called not less than one week after the proposal has been made to the membership and a quorum is present.
3.2 Bylaws
The Faculty Council shall formulate such by-laws as are necessary for the orderly administration of the intent and duties of the above constitution. By-laws may be proposed and enacted at a regular business meeting in which a quorum is present. A simple majority of a quorum is sufficient to enact a change in the by-laws.
4.1 By-law 1
Those academic units entitled to representation on the Faculty Council are: the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Business and Technology, the College of Education, the University Libraries, the College of Science and Health Professions, the College of Optometry, the NSU Muskogee Campus, and the NSU Broken Arrow Campus. [As revised by Council, December 4, 1998; titles corrected March 2002; modified and adopted by Council, April 8, 2005]
4.2 By-law 2
The College of Liberal Arts, the College of Education, the College of Optometry, and NSU Muskogee shall elect their Faculty Council Delegates in the Fall of the odd-numbered years. The College of Business and Technology, the University Libraries, the College of Science and Health Professions, and NSU Broken Arrow shall elect their Delegates in the Fall of the even-numbered years. [As revised by Council, December 4, 1998; titles corrected March 2002; modified and adopted by Council, April 8, 2005]
4.3 By-law 3
The Faculty Council President is responsible for submitting in May to the President of the University the names of Faculty Association members for appointment to the following committees: Campus Parking (1 faculty); Curriculum & Educational Policies (4 faculty); Faculty Research (2 faculty); Publications (1 faculty); Student Conduct (10 Nominations with 5 faculty selected to serve). [As revised by Council, April 2, 1999]
4.4 By-law 4
The University's Grievance Committee is established each year using the procedures in Section 3.7 of the Faculty Handbook. The Faculty Association President is responsible each fall semester for appointing a temporary chair from among the membership of the Grievance Committee. The names of members and officers of the Grievance Committee are to be included in the minutes of the Faculty Council. [Adopted by Council, December 4, 1998]
4.5 By-law 5
If unable to attend a council meeting, a faculty council delegate may designate an alternate from the same college to serve temporarily in his or her place. The delegate must inform the Faculty Council President in writing or by e-mail at least twenty-four hours before the meeting or the alternate will not possess voting privileges for issues before the council. If such notice is provided, the alternate will have full voting privileges for that meeting. [Adopted by Council, February 23, 2001]
4.6 By-law 6
The NSU Faculty Association, acting through its officers and Council, will advocate faculty interests in work-related matters pertaining to the role of faculty members on any campus of Northeastern State University. [Adopted by Council, April 8, 2005]
4.7 By-law 7
The President shall appoint a Historian/Archivist from among the Association membership who will keep a database of records relevant to the organization. These will include: 1] a history of motions made and passed by the Council Delegates; 2] summaries of open meetings held with University Administrators with lists of questions and answers; and 3] other data as supportive of the good of the Faculty. [Adopted by Council, April 8, 2005]
4.8 By-law 8
Members of the NSU Faculty Council shall hereafter be referred to as Delegates. Each College and the Library will automatically have 2 Delegates on the Faculty Council. Therefore, each College and the Library shall select, from among its membership by simple majority vote of those full-time faculty voting, two Delegates to serve as College/Library representatives to the Faculty Council. The faculty roster base for each academic entity represented is defined as 15 faculty members. Each academic unit also will elect an additional Faculty Council Delegate for each group of 30 faculty, working exclusively in that unit, over the base of 15. Furthermore, the Muskogee and Broken Arrow campuses will each have one Delegate on the Faculty Council. Such a person must have the majority of his or her workload at the site represented and will serve regardless of his or her College or Library affiliation. These Delegates will be elected by simple majority of those full-time Faculty who have a majority of their workload either at Muskogee or Broken Arrow. The Northeastern Faculty Council shall determine in the by-laws to this Constitution those entities eligible for representation on the Council and in what years each entity shall select its Faculty Council Delegates. [Adopted by Council, April 8, 2005]
4.9 By-law 9
The terms of all officers shall commence one week before the first day of classes in the fall semester following the April election in odd-numbered years. [Adopted by Council, April 8, 2005]
4.10 By-law 10
If a Delegate vacates his or her seat, the President of the Faculty Association shall inform the Dean or Director of the academic unit, as well as the faculty members in the academic unit, of the need to fill the vacancy. Following the election of a successor, the Dean or Director and/or the remaining Delegate or Delegates shall inform the President of the Faculty Association and Council of the selection.
If there is only one candidate for any office, that person can be elected by acclamation of a Council quorum at a regular meeting. If officers are not elected in April of an odd-numbered year for any reason, there may be an election at any time to seat a new President. The sitting President may call for a vote up until the time he or she leaves office. The Acting President then may call for a vote at any time thereafter. Such a vote would be a poll of the sitting Faculty Council Delegates. In a meeting, a quorum [half of the Delegates plus one] would have to be present to take such a poll. If done by phone or email, three quarters of the sitting Delegates would have to be polled. In either a meeting or by phone/email, the majority would prevail.
If no election occurs in April and the sitting President cannot find a presidential candidate, the Council Delegate with seniority in total years of service on the Council shall be Acting President until a new President is elected. If there is no Vice President elected, the delegate with second seniority in total years shall be the Acting Vice President until one is elected, and the delegate with third seniority in total years shall be the Acting Secretary-Treasurer until one is elected. If there is a tie in seniority of service as a delegate, the person with the longest tenure at NSU shall take office. Delegates temporarily serving as officers under these terms shall retain the right to make motions and vote on motions. [Adopted by Council, April 8, 2005; modified by Council, May 6, 2005]
4.11 By-law 11
Each two years, at the time of the election of the NSU Faculty Association [Council] officers, the Council may place on the ballot an amendment to this constitution regarding the payment of dues by Association members. [Adopted by Council, April 8, 2005]
4.12 By-law 12
An NSU Faculty Member may receive a Circle of Excellence award one time in his or her career. Once a Faculty Member wins an award in any category, he or she is retired from competition for a further award in any category. [Adopted by Council, April 8, 2005]
Constitution Revised 1994; By-laws revised and/or added at dates shown in Section 4.
Last Updated : August 08, 2007 by lhw.