University Libraries Faculty Assembly
Function: The University Libraries Faculty Assembly (or “Faculty Assembly”) shall serve as the chief faculty organization of the University Libraries; to assist in carrying out the University Libraries mission; to support faculty development and mentoring; to receive and review reports from faculty committees and from the Dean; to be a forum for information, discussion, and when necessary, formal resolutions to the Dean; to represent faculty interests and concerns to the Dean; and to advise the Dean. The University Libraries Faculty Assembly will be called at least three times each semester (Fall, Winter, and Spring/Summer), and may be called into special session by the Dean or by petition of 15% of the total membership of the University Libraries Faculty Assembly.[i]
Powers and Duties: Advise the Dean on academic and curricular support programs and educational policies of the University Libraries for the attainment of objectives; vote or otherwise take action on recommendations of standing committees and other committees or task forces; initiate a process each Winter semester to fill University Libraries seats on Unit and University academic governance committees for the next academic year[ii]; review bylaws biennially in the fall of even years and revise if necessary.[iii]
Membership: All regular University Libraries faculty are expected to attend Faculty Assembly meetings; visiting and adjunct appointees are also invited to attend. Tenured or tenure-track faculty comprise the voting membership; visiting and adjunct faculty are non-voting members. The Dean (or designee) will sit on the committee as a non-voting, ex-officio member.[iv] On occasion, the non-voting membership and/or the Dean may be excused from meetings or certain proceedings. In general, any tenured or tenure-track library faculty member who also holds a seat on the Library Administrative Council will be considered a Dean’s designee unless the Dean names a specific individual on a given occasion; a designee who is also a tenured or tenure-track library faculty member may cast single votes in her/his faculty capacity.[v]
Leadership: The chair of the University Libraries Faculty Assembly shall be tenured and have at least a three-quarters-time appointment, and shall be elected by tenured and tenure-track faculty. The term as chair will be one year. The University Libraries Faculty Assembly Chair may request time on the agenda of any regular Library Council meeting, with the expectation that the request will be honored in a timely and appropriate manner.[vi]
Elections: Election results will be determined by, or at, the final Winter semester meeting each year (for 2006-2007, the Faculty Assembly Chair and Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect will be elected during 2006-2007, upon approval of this document by UAS). The University Libraries Faculty Assembly Chair will be elected to serve for 2006-2007; subsequent terms for the Faculty Assembly Chair will be for two years, one as vice-chair/chair-elect, and one as chair. The vice-chair elected in 2006-2007 will serve for the remainder of the academic year as chair elect; the vice chair then moves into the role of University Libraries Faculty Assembly Chair for one year.
Terms: All faculty governance offices commence with the start of the academic year (the beginning of Fall Semester). Terms will conclude at the end of the Spring/Summer session concluding that academic year. Current officers will assist in preparing the incoming officers during the months preceding that transition.
Procedures: The University Libraries Faculty Assembly
operates in accordance with the bylaws and the faculty procedures of
1. Eligible voters: For votes at the unit faculty level, tenured and tenure-track faculty comprise the eligible voters.
2. Quorum: For votes taken in live meetings, 2/3 of the eligible voters must be present to constitute a quorum and conduct a valid vote; for votes conducted electronically, at least 2/3 of the eligible voters in the unit must cast their votes by the stated deadline for a vote to be valid. The calculation of a valid vote may be different for live meetings and for electronic votes, if faculty are able to vote electronically, but unable to participate in person due to excused leaves (e.g. sabbatical, medical).
3. Voting: Votes pass with a simple majority of eligible voters, i.e. 50% + 1. In general, voting shall take place by secret ballot in live meetings, or by electronic means which ensure anonymity. Abstentions are counted as non-votes, and under the calculation for a “valid vote” (under “Quorum”) if a vote is not valid, a motion does not pass.
4. Unit committees: Elections will be held annually before the end of Winter Semester to select members as defined by each standing committee for vacancies in the upcoming new academic year.
5. Committee leadership: Standing committees may elect/select their chairs in whatever manner they may choose, unless otherwise specified for a given standing committee. Chairs will serve for one year, coinciding with the academic calendar; chairs may be serve for more than one year if that is the will of the committee. In general, ad hoc committee or task force chairs may be assigned when the committee is formed and charged.
6. Minutes: Chairs of the Faculty Assembly and all committees and task forces will elect, select, or appoint recorders to take minutes of meetings; chairs will be responsible for receiving minutes and summarizing them into reports as appropriate. Minutes and reports will be available to faculty generally within [timeframe?] of their acceptance.
7. Annual reports: Chairs of the Faculty Assembly and all standing committees will be responsible for preparing annual reports of their activities for the year. The annual report of the Faculty Assembly will be submitted to the Faculty and to the Dean. The annual reports of standing committees will be submitted to the Chair of the Faculty Assembly. Periodic and final reports of ad hoc committees and task forces will be submitted to the Chair of the Faculty Assembly and/or the Dean, as appropriate, relating to the period for which the committee was constituted.
8. University faculty governance positions: Elections will be held annually before the end of Winter Semester to select appointees to university faculty governance committee vacancies in the upcoming new academic year. Faculty elected to Libraries seats on university faculty governance committees are expected to attend meetings regularly, to be prepared to report to the Library Assembly Chair and membership on items of import or interest, and to represent the Libraries and University Libraries Faculty actively and affirmatively. If a representative is unable to attend for a period of time less than a semester, a replacement may be sought by the individual or by the Chair of the Faculty Assembly, and the appointee will remain the incumbent; if the period will be longer than a semester, then the Chair of the Faculty Assembly will call for the election of a permanent replacement for the remainder of the term of appointment. Term lengths are specified by University Faculty Governance. Re-election of Library Faculty to committees for successive terms will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
[i] 7/18: The Bylaws small committee (KR, VL) propose incorporating the “meetings” statement into the “Function” statement for the Library Faculty Assembly. Is this appropriate and effective? or would retaining a separate “Meetings” statement be good to consider?
[ii] 8/1: D.Morrow proposes that Powers and Duties should be expanded to include the clause, “initiate a process each Winter semester to fill University Libraries seats on Unit and University academic governance committees for the next academic year;”
[iii] 7/19: The Bylaws small committee (VL, KR) propose no changes. D.Morrow proposes that the italicized text be added: “…vote or otherwise take action on recommendations of standing committees and other committees or task forces…”
[iv] 7/19: This “Membership” statement reflects the proposal of the Bylaws small committee (VL, KR), with edits for clarity. Is there any need to consider retaining a statement requiring at least half-time (50%) employment as a tenure-line faculty member in order to be part of the voting membership?
[v] It
is required by the Provost’s Office that the Dean, or Dean’s designee, be
included ex officio on the Faculty Council Assembly to represent
administrative interests in the shared governance structure. –What if the Dean
wishes to designate a tenure/tenure-track faculty member? wouldn’t that person
then be a voter by definition? do we have to spell out an exception to
“non-voting, ex officio”? good
questions! I don’t know
the answers, but we will need to!
7/18: D.Morrow proposes the additional wording which defines the Dean’s designee, and the circumstances under which the Dean’s designee may vote as a faculty member. Will this proposal work?
[vi] 7/19: The Bylaws small committee (VL, KR) propose accepting the Dean’s wording, which makes provision for the Chair of the Library faculty’s primary governing body to appear on the agenda of a Library Council meeting upon request; but does not allow for the alternative proposal, of having the Chair of the Library faculty hold a seat on, or be a regular member of, the Library Council.