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PREAMBLE��

Mission Statement��

The �鶹ԭ�� Administrative Faculty Senate (hereafter known as “Senate”) is committed to elevating the student experience by empowering administrative faculty through representation, collaboration, and shared governance. We strive to ensure that the input of administrative faculty – those who directly and indirectly support student learning, engagement, and success – is integral to institutional decision-making and continuous improvement of �鶹ԭ��.����

Shared Values������

The �鶹ԭ�� Administrative Faculty Senate upholds the following values:��

• Center Students������

Prioritize decisions and initiatives that enhance student access, development, retention, achievement, and alumni engagement. Continuously evaluate and improve efforts to ensure student needs and experiences remain at the center of all institutional work.����

• Advance Inclusion������

Foster inclusive environments and ensure full participation by promoting equitable access to resources and opportunities. Identify and remove barriers through intentional solutions, structural change, and shared accountability.����

• Empower Growth������

Support the professional development, leadership, and recognition of administrative faculty. Equip individuals to grow with the institution and strengthen student-centered services and programs.����

• Engage Intentionally������

Engage proactively and purposefully with faculty, students, staff, and leadership. Align administrative faculty efforts with institutional needs through collaboration, co-creation, and shared responsibility.����

• Model Integrity����

Practice transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership. Choose courage over comfort and speak up about inequities—even when it’s hard—to ensure values are lived, not just stated.����

• Cultivate Well-Being������

Foster a culture of care, empathy, and balance for administrative faculty and the broader community. Thrive together by offering support generously and asking, “How can I help?”��

• Practice Accountability������

Own measurable progress toward student success, equity, and institutional effectiveness. Use feedback to continually refine policies, practices, and culture with intention and care.��

• Innovate Solutions-Oriented Practices����

Embrace creativity, collaboration, and evidence-informed approaches to address institutional challenges and enhance the student experience. Commit to reflection, learning, and adapting in service to students and each other.����

• Lead with Vulnerability������

Recognize vulnerability as a strength that fosters authenticity, courageous leadership, and connection. Create space for openness, reflection, and emotional honesty in our work.��

Intent��

The intent of these bylaws is to facilitate the business of the Administrative Faculty Senate of �鶹ԭ�� (NSHE Handbook, Title 2 (the “Code”), Chapter 1, Sections 1.4.7 – 1.4.8). These procedures supplement those outlined in the NSHE Code and the �鶹ԭ�� Bylaws. The bylaws of the Senate shall be in accordance with all the provisions of the NSU bylaws and the NSHE Code.����

Purpose��

These bylaws establish the basis for effective participation and deliberation in formulating, evaluating, recommending and implementing decisions by which the University is governed. The bylaws provide the governance structure of the University administrative faculty based on a philosophy of shared responsibility for University leadership, to facilitate coordination and cooperation between and among governing bodies, and to provide avenues to promote institutional cohesiveness and shared governance.������

Provisional Status��

These bylaws are provisional for the establishment of an Administrative Faculty Senate. They expire on or before 1/31/2027 and will be replaced with revised bylaws.����

ARTICLES��

ARTICLE 1. ELIGIBILITY & MEMBERSHIP��

1.1 Eligibility. All administrative faculty members who hold greater than a .50 FTE professional contract with �鶹ԭ�� as defined in Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 2 of the Board of Regents Handbook, and whose title is Director-level (or equivalent) or below are eligible to serve be a member of the Senate and serve on its committees.��

1.1.1 Administrative faculty occupying executive offices with a title including the words “President”, “Provost”, “Vice President”, “Associate Vice President”, “Dean”, “Chief,” or “General Counsel” are not eligible for Administrative Faculty Senate membership or voting in Senate elections.��

1.1.2 In March the Parliamentarian will conduct an annual census of administrative faculty to determine the correct number of representatives allowed to serve in the Senate. The census will determine the number of senators for the following academic year.����

1.2 Senators. Senators are elected representatives of the administrative faculty. Senators may be elected as Divisional senators or At-Large senators.����

1.2.1 Divisional senators represent the division in which they work (Academic Affairs; Student Affairs; Advancement; Finance and Business Operations; Culture, Policy & Planning/Office of the�� President). Each division elects two Senators. For the year 2025-2026, there will be 10 Divisional senators.����

1.2.2 If a Divisional senate seat cannot be filled with a Divisional representative, the seat will convert to an At-Large seat for a one-year term.����

1.2.3 At-Large senators represent all administrative faculty, regardless of their own division or department. The number of At-Large senators will equal half the number of Divisional Senators. For the year 2025-2026, there will be 5 At-Large senators.����

1.2.4 All administrative faculty as defined in 1.1.1 are eligible to serve up to two consecutive 2-year terms and will be eligible for re-nomination after one year of non-participation. For purposes of this section a “term” shall include a full term or partial term to fill a vacancy.��

1.2.5 If there are no volunteers or nominations for a vacancy, a non-participation year as defined by 1.2.3 can be excused to offer the employee eligibility for immediate re-election. Such action must be approved by a majority of Senators.��

1.3 Ex-Officio Members. Ex-Officio members provide valuable perspectives and subject matter expertise, contribute to discussions, and help foster intergroup collaboration. Ex-Officio members serve in advisory capacity only; they are not members of the Senate and do not hold voting rights.��

1.3.1 One representative identified from each of the other institutional governance groups will serve as Ex-Officio members for a one-year term.����

1.3.2 Other Ex-Officio members may be added on an ad hoc basis as determined by the Executive Cabinet.��

1.3.3 Three senators will serve as Ex-officio members for the other institutional governance groups. Individuals will be nominated by a senator or volunteer. They will be elected by Senate vote in the August meeting and will serve a one-year term.����

1.4 Executive Team Liaisons. Two members of the University Executive Team will serve as liaisons for informational and advisory purposes. These liaisons, assigned by the President, will not be members of the Senate and do not hold voting rights.��

ARTICLE 2. PARTICIPATION, ATTENDANCE, TERMS, PROXIES, AND REMOVAL��

2.1 Participation. Consistent senator participation facilitates communication with constituents and allows the Senate to run smoothly and achieve its goals.����

2.1.1 Senators must obtain approval from their supervisors to serve.��

2.1.2 Senators are required to participate in at least one Senate or institutional committee activity during their term.��

2.1.3 Senators are responsible for informing their constituents of Senate proceedings and soliciting constituents’ input on matters under consideration by the Senate. Senators will act and vote in the best interests of their constituents as well as the long-term interests of students and the institution.��

2.1.4 Further responsibilities and qualifications specific to roles of members – including committee membership, institutional committee membership, and officer roles – can be found in the Related Information section of this document.����

2.2 Attendance. After each Senate meeting, the Communications and Engagement Officer reviews the attendance record of each senator.��

2.2.1 A senator who is absent for two regularly scheduled Senate meetings per year without a proxy (see 2.4), as verified by the Communications and Engagement Officer, shall be automatically dismissed from service, and notified via email.��

2.2.2 At that time, the number required for a quorum shall be reduced accordingly. The Senate Chair will initiate a Special Election (see 4.3) to fill the vacancy.��

2.3 Terms. With the exception of the Chair and Chair-Elect, all terms are two years. The year of service is the academic calendar: July 1 – June 30.����

2.4�� Proxies. Senators who cannot attend meetings are responsible for designating a proxy. The senator is responsible for informing the proxy about items and actions on the agenda. Sitting senators cannot serve as proxy.������

2.4.1 A short-term proxy is needed if a senator anticipates being unavailable for a single meeting, up to two meetings a year.����

2.4.2 A long-term proxy is needed if a senator anticipates being unavailable for four or more consecutive meetings but intends to return prior to the end of the academic year. Long-term proxies are limited to six months.��

2.4.3 Officers are not permitted to have long-term proxies.��

2.5 Removal of Senators and Officers. A senator or an officer may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. Only an elected senator may make a motion to hold a removal vote. If the motion passes, the Senate will vote immediately for a binding decision.����

ARTICLE 3. OFFICERS��

3.1 Officers. Officers provide leadership and coordination for Senate business and activities. Responsibilities and qualifications for the roles of officers can be found in the Related Information section of this document.��

3.1.1 Chair. The Chair of the Administrative Faculty Senate holds a pivotal leadership role within �鶹ԭ��, responsible for steering the Senate toward fulfilling its mission. They are responsible for managing the Senate, creating timely and accurate agendas, and acting as liaison to University Executive Administration and other governance executive boards. The Chair serves a one-year term, can be elected for a second term as Chair, and serves one year as Past Chair.������

3.1.2 Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect supports the Chair in overseeing Senate committees, assisting with agendas, leading projects, and acting as Chair when needed. The Chair-Elect serves for one or two years as Chair-Elect (depending on whether the current Chair is re-elected for a second consecutive term) before becoming Chair.��

3.1.3 Communications and Engagement Officer: The Communications and Engagement Officer is responsible for documentation and organizational support, including meeting notes and maintaining the Senate’s archives. This role manages internal and external committee communications to promote transparency, engagement, and accessibility. This officer chairs the Communications, Engagement, and Collaboration Committee.��

3.1.4 Parliamentarian: The Parliamentarian ensures that the Senate operates within the framework of its bylaws and established parliamentary procedures. This role supports fair, inclusive, and orderly conduct of meetings and assists in interpreting governance rules as needed. This officer chairs the Policy, Elections, and Bylaws Committee and conducts all elections.����

3.2 Upon becoming officers, the Chair and Chair-Elect relinquish their seats in the Senate. A special election will be conducted to fill the vacant seats (see 4.3).����

3.3 Aside from the Chair and Chair-Elect (see 3.1.1 and 3.1.2), no term limits shall be imposed on the remaining officers as long as they are sitting senators, guided by the rules of participation (see 1.2.3).��

3.4 If an officer vacancy occurs during the term, the Executive Cabinet will serve as a nominating committee and will present Senate a list of candidates as soon as possible for consideration prior to a Senate vote at the next regularly scheduled Senate meeting.����

3.5 The Executive Cabinet will submit a budget request in each annual budget cycle. The request will include stipends of officers and general operating funds.����

ARTICLE 4. ELECTION PROCESS AND PROCEDURES��

4.1 Senator Election. Senators are elected by their peers in a Body vote (see 6.1.2). These elected senators are announced to campus following the conclusion of the election. Senators are expected to attend governance orientation or training as provided by the university.������

4.1.1 To avoid replacing the entirety of the Senate each year, 7 of the terms in the 2025-2026 inaugural year will be one-year terms and 8 will be two-year terms. Going forward, all Senate terms will be two years.����

4.1.2 If a Senator becomes unable to serve, the Chair will instruct the Parliamentarian to conduct a Special Election (see 4.3).��

4.1.3 All administrative faculty, as defined in 1.1.1, may cast votes for their Divisional representative and one At-Large representative during Senate elections.����

4.2 Officer Elections. Chair and Chair-Elect are elected by their peers in a Body vote (see 6.1.2). These Officers are announced to campus following the conclusion of the election.��

4.2.1 Communications and Engagement Officer and Parliamentarian are to be elected by Senate vote in the first Senate meeting of the year.��

4.2.2 Any current or incoming senator who will be seated in the upcoming term is eligible to be nominated for an officer position.��

4.3 Special Elections. Special Elections may be conducted in cases of multiple nominees, vacated seats, or Officer elections. Special Elections are conducted in the manner in which the first election was conducted.����

4.3.1 Senate seats vacated by the election of a Chair or Chair-Elect shall be filled by special election, conducted by the Parliamentarian. These elections will be conducted electronically and be concluded within 30 days of the seat(s) being vacated.����

ARTICLE 5. MEETING PROCESS AND PROCEDURES����

5.1 Agenda. The Chair shall prepare an agenda which will be included with one week’s advance notification of the meeting.����

5.1.1 All requests for action must first appear on the Senate agenda as information items. The faculty or Division with authority over the request shall coordinate, if relevant, with the appropriate Senate committee, as determined by the Chair, to have their policy or proposal reviewed prior to presentation to the Senate.��

5.1.2 Agenda requests shall be submitted to the Chair for approval no later than two weeks prior to the desired Senate meeting date.��

5.1.3 The Senate must address agenda requests no later than the second regular meeting following the receipt of requests.����

5.2 Schedule. The Senate holds regular meetings every month. The date, time, and place of each meeting will be posted on the agenda one week before the meeting.��

5.2.1 Senate meetings are open to all faculty and staff unless specified as “closed” on the agenda or if voted on at the beginning of the meeting, after motion by a senator. During the closed portion of the meeting, only senators and ex-officio members are permitted to attend unless invited by the Chair.��

5.2.2 The Senate may hold special meetings at any time, called by the Chair or requested by petition of at least one-third of the senators. These meetings shall be publicized in the same manner as regular meetings. These meetings will not be included in attendance records (see 2.2).��

5.3 Quorum. A majority of the voting members of the Senate shall constitute a quorum. Designated proxies will be counted for quorum. All committee meetings must also meet quorum at the beginning of their meeting, or an alternate meeting date must be chosen. In the absence of quorum, discussion and deliberation may take place.����

5.4 Minutes. A copy of the minutes of each Senate meeting shall be distributed to each member of the Senate and posted to the Senate Canvas library within two weeks of the meeting.��

5.5 Rules of Order. The Senate will use an agreed-upon system of order for managing meetings. Committee Chairs may decide how best to run committee meetings.����

5.6 Campus Poll. The Senate may solicit campus opinion on an issue through a poll. The results are not binding upon the Senate.��

5.7 Issue Group. At the request of a majority vote of Senate, when there is disagreement on an issue, an Issue Group will be formed to attempt to reach a consensus position, and a time frame will be established. An equal number of participants shall represent each side of the issue. If no consensus is reached, the Issue Group shall develop a joint statement of the differences. All recommendations of the Issue Group are returned to the Executive Cabinet for inclusion in the next meeting agenda.��

5.8 Petitions. Administrative faculty may petition the Senate to force an administrative faculty-wide vote on any issue before the Senate. If 10% of all Senate-eligible administrative faculty sign a petition addressed to the Chair, the Senate must conduct a Body vote as per 6.1.2 within 10 working days.��

ARTICLE 6. VOTING PROCESS AND PROCEDURES��

6.1 The will of the NSU administrative faculty on any given matter is determined through one of two procedures, following presentation as information to the Senate: (1) Senate vote or (2) Body vote.��

6.1.1 Senate vote – A vote of the Administrative Faculty Senate. All motions require a simple majority of voting members present. Motions to close or limit debate or to return to the previous motion require a two-thirds majority vote of those present. All Senate votes other than elections are taken by open voting (e.g., voice votes/show of hands), unless a majority of Senators present vote in favor of a secret ballot on the question or request an electronic vote.��

6.1.2 Body vote – A vote of the entire body of administrative faculty. The Senate will have two weeks to conduct the vote after a question is considered at a Senate meeting. A simple majority of voting faculty is sufficient to resolve any question.��

6.2 Actions approved by the entire faculty shall be presented to the University President by the Chair, and the vote will be recorded in the associated Senate meeting minutes. The Chair or their designee will report the results of the vote to the entire body of administrative faculty within three business days.����

ARTICLE 7. COMMITTEES����

Committees are established bodies within the Senate tasked with conducting specialized work, research, or planning in support of the Senate’s mission and objectives. Committees may be standing, ad hoc, or special, and are responsible for making recommendations, developing proposals, or carrying out objectives assigned by the Senate. Except for Institutional Committees, each committee operates under the authority of the Senate and reports on its activities and findings regularly.��

7.1 Committee Chair Eligibility and Term.����

7.1.2 Except where noted below (Sections 7.3.1, 7.3.2, and 7.3.5), committee chairs are elected by a majority vote of the Senate. Committee Chairs are limited to a one-year term.����

7.2 Committee Composition and Term. Committees have a minimum of three members and shall strive for multi-divisional representation.��

7.2.1 All administrative faculty are eligible to serve on Senate committees. Only Senators are eligible to serve as Committee Chair or Ex-officio representatives.��

7.2.2 Student representatives may participate in a committee. They are selected in any democratic manner directed by the �鶹ԭ�� State Student Alliance bylaws and serve in an ex-officio capacity.����

7.2.3 Standing committee assignments are for two-year terms.��

7.2.4 Committee members follow the same procedures as Senate members in delegating proxies (see Section 2.4).��

7.3 Standing Committees. The Senate includes a variety of standing committees that address both campus-wide issues and Senate issues. The Executive Cabinet may move to initiate or inactivate standing committees as needed. To proceed, the motion requires a majority vote in the Senate. Below are the standing committees of the Senate. More information regarding responsibilities can be found in Related Information.����

7.3.1 Communications, Engagement, and Collaboration Committee. The Communications, Engagement, and Collaboration Committee advances the visibility, transparency, and effectiveness of the Senate by promoting clear communication, cultivating engagement opportunities for administrative faculty, and facilitating meaningful partnerships across the university. The committee works to ensure that administrative faculty voices are heard, valued, and aligned with the broader institutional mission. The Communications and Engagement Officer chairs this committee.����

7.3.2 Policy, Elections, and Bylaws Committee. The Policy, Elections, and Bylaws committee upholds the integrity, transparency, and effectiveness of the Senate by administering fair elections, ensuring bylaws and policy alignment with institutional regulations, and guiding the Senate in procedural governance matters. The Parliamentarian chairs this committee.����

7.3.3�� Student Success and Wellness Committee. The Student Success and Wellness Committee ensures that administrative faculty perspectives are integrated into student support, wellness, engagement, and success strategies by serving as a liaison to student-facing units and programs. The committee works to identify issues faced by students and recommends potential solutions to the Senate. A senator chairs this committee.����

7.3.4 Professional Development and Recognition Committee. The Professional Development and Recognition Committee cultivates a vibrant professional community by advancing continuous learning, recognizing exemplary performance, and fostering collaboration among administrative faculty. The committee promotes development and recognition initiatives that not only enhance individual and organizational effectiveness but also directly support student success by ensuring administrative faculty are equipped to contribute meaningfully to the student experience and institutional mission. A senator chairs this committee.��

7.3.5 Administrative Faculty Senate Executive Cabinet. The Administrative Faculty Senate Executive Cabinet is comprised of the officers, committee chairs, and ex-officio senators and serves as the Senate’s leadership core. The Executive Cabinet oversees Senate operations, advances strategic priorities, and serves as the primary liaison between the Administrative Faculty Senate and University administration. The Senate Chair serves as Chair of the Executive Cabinet.������

7.4 Ad Hoc Committees. Ad hoc committees are formed on an as-needed basis as determined by a majority vote of the Senate.��

7.5 The Committee Chair sets the priorities and direction of each committee in July. Matters within the scope of a committee’s work may be submitted to the Committee Chair by committee members.����

7.5.1 The Senate Chair shall assign the committee a timeframe in which to respond to matters and shall inform the Senate of the Committee Chair’s directions to the committee and the expected timeline.��

7.5.2 The timely recommendations of a standing or ad hoc committee, upon a matter within its jurisdiction, shall be accepted and implemented upon a majority vote of the Senate.��

7.5.3�� If a committee does not recommend action upon a matter within the expected timeframe, the matter may be brought directly to the Senate floor by any senator for disposition.��

7.6 Committee Chairs are responsible for presenting a written report on committee activities to the Communications & Engagement Officer as requested. The Executive Cabinet determines the rotational schedule for the committee reports to be reviewed within Senate meetings.����

7.7 No provision contained herein shall be interpreted as restricting the Senate Chair, with the concurrence of the Executive Cabinet, from forming ad hoc or standing committees or restricting a standing committee from forming subcommittees.��

7.8 Institutional Committees. Administrative faculty support institutional committees through representative and collaboration relationships. Administrative faculty will be nominated or volunteer for these commitments on an as-needed basis. Information on institutional committees can be found in Related Information. Any administrative faculty member can serve on an institutional committee unless specifically noted otherwise. The Communications, Engagement, and Collaboration Committee is responsible for collaborating with these representatives to communicate information to the Senate.����

ARTICLE 8. STATEMENT OF AUTHORITY����

Chapter 1, Section 2 of the NSU Bylaws requires that policies and procedures having institutional impact be submitted to the Administrative Faculty Senate for review and recommendation. Information about institutional and academic policies processes is located on the �鶹ԭ�� State website, under GP 1 and GP 2 (/policy-category/general-policy/).��

8.1 Public Comment Period. Policies submitted through GP 1 or GP 2 have a public comment period. The Administrative Faculty Senate Executive Cabinet is responsible for ensuring that this comment period is communicated to all administrative faculty.����

8.2 Institutional Policy Review. All new or amended institutional policies shall be submitted to the Administrative Faculty Senate Executive Cabinet for distribution to the appropriate committees based on the subject-matter jurisdiction of the committee and the goal of the policy. The committees provide suggested revisions to the policy development lead or designee.��

8.3 Institutional Policy Recommendation. A reviewed policy voted out of Senate committees shall be presented to the Senate for a vote (see 6.1.1). A policy receives Administrative Faculty Senate recommendation when a majority of senators vote to recommend the reviewed policy as presented, and the Senate Chair’s signature is affixed.��

8.3.1 Any policy which undergoes substantive edits (including but not limited to: addition or deletion of sections or subsections, redefinition of key terms, a narrowing or broadening of policy applicability) after receiving a Senate recommendation must again proceed through the review and recommendation process.��

8.4 Academic Policy (GP2) Process: According to GP 2, selected administrative faculty will be responsible for providing input into academic policy development. All administrative faculty will be informed of the public comment period. Ex-officio members of the Senate may provide additional information from the administrative faculty or other constituent groups.����

ARTICLE 9. AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS��

Amendment of these bylaws may be accomplished in the following manner:��

9.1 A proposed amendment is submitted by an administrative faculty member to the Policy, Election, and Bylaws Committee.��

9.1.1 The proposed amendment shall be circulated to all Senate members one week prior to a properly called and constituted Senate meeting.��

9.1.2 The proposed amendment shall be discussed in the Senate meeting.��

9.1.3 If the proposed amendment is approved by two-thirds of the voting Senate members, the amendment takes effect in ten business days.��

9.2 The bylaws are reviewed in January for possible updates by the Policy, Elections, and Bylaws Committee.��

ARTICLE 10. SUSPENSION OF BYLAWS��

No part of these bylaws shall be suspended except as provided herein. Suspension of any provision, excluding those enumerated in Articles 9 and 10, may be affected only with the consent of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members present at a properly called and constituted Senate meeting.��

The following provisions shall not be subject to suspension under any circumstance:��

• Quorum requirements as defined in Article 4.��

• Voting thresholds necessary to initiate or approve specific actions (e.g., constitutional amendments, officer removal, and budget approvals).��

• Procedural rules governing due notice and agenda distribution.��

This safeguard is intended to preserve the integrity, consistency, and enforceability of the governing framework and to prevent circumvention of critical democratic processes. Suspension authority is granted only to enable flexibility in operational matters where strict application may impede the Senate’s responsiveness or adaptability.��

CONTACTS��

Administrative Faculty Senate Executive Cabinet email address (update with ITS)��

NS Governance Canvas Course (add link)��

RELATED INFORMATION��

Administrative Faculty Senate Office and Other Positions: Overview, Qualifications, and Responsibilities�� – ��

Administrative Faculty Senate Standing Committee: Full Overview, Composition, and Responsibilities –�� ��

Administrative Faculty and Institutional Committees: Current information about institutional committees and administrative faculty associated with them – ��

NSHE Code Chapter 1, Section 1.4.7 – 1.4.8:��

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NSHE Handbook Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 2��

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NSU Website Address for Academic Faculty Senate bylaws����

/policy/current/faculty-senate-bylaws/��

HISTORY��

APPROVALS

Approved by Administrative Faculty Senate, Chair on July 30, 2025

Approved by NSU President, Dr. Pollard, on July 30, 2025

*Approved Condition: Provisional Senate bylaws until January 31, 2027

The post Administrative Faculty Senate Bylaws – Provisional (MH 6) appeared first on �鶹ԭ��.

POLICY STATEMENT

These Bylaws facilitate the business of the Faculty Senate of �鶹ԭ�� (NSHE Code Title 2, Chapter 1, Section 1.4.7 – 1.4.8) (Hereafter referred to as the Senate.) They establish the basis upon which effective participation and deliberation shall take place in formulating, evaluating, and recommending policy by which the University shall be governed.

The Faculty Senate Bylaws provide the guidelines necessary for the Faculty Senate to express the faculty’s position on matters of academic concern and faculty rights. It also serves to facilitate coordination and cooperation between and among the several parts of the University organization.

PROCEDURES

I. Article 1: Preamble

1.1���� The intent of these Bylaws is to facilitate the business of the Faculty Senate of �鶹ԭ�� (NSHE Code Section Title 2, Chapter 1, Sections 1.4.7 – 1.4.8) (hereafter referred to as the Senate.) This document consists of procedures designed to supplement those outlined in the NSHE Code and the �鶹ԭ�� Bylaws.

1.2���� These Bylaws establish the basis upon which effective participation and deliberation shall take place in formulating, evaluating, and recommending policy by which the University shall be governed. It is intended to provide the governance structure of the University faculty based on a philosophy of shared responsibility for University leadership, to facilitate coordination and cooperation between and among the several parts of the University organization, and to provide means of expression on matters of academic concern and faculty rights.

1.3���� The Bylaws of the Senate shall be in accord at all times with the provisions of the NSU Bylaws and the NSHE Code.

1.4���� In cases of doubt as to proper procedure, and when not superseded by either the NSHE Code or NSU Bylaws, the parliamentary authority of the Senate shall be in accordance with the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.

II. Article 2: Membership

2.1���� All academic and administrative faculty who hold greater than a .50 FTE professional contract with �鶹ԭ�� as defined in Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 2 of the Board of Regents Handbook, are eligible to serve on the Senate and its committees.

2.1.1������ Administrative Faculty occupying executive offices, such as the President, the Provost, Vice Presidents, Vice Provosts, Associate Vice Presidents, Assistant Vice Presidents, Deans, Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, and Chairs with a greater than 50% administrative assignment, shall not be eligible for Faculty Senate membership or voting in Faculty Senator elections.

2.1.2������ Administrative Faculty, as listed in 2.1.1, may attend Faculty Senate meetings by invitation of the Faculty Senate Chair.

2.1.3������ All academic and administrative faculty are eligible to serve up to two (2) consecutive terms and will be eligible for re-nomination after two (2) years of non-participation. For purposes of this section a “term” shall include a full term or partial term to fill a vacancy.

2.1.4.���� At-Large Senator is eligible to serve one year and will adhere to 2- term consecutive term limit. If an At-Large Senator is elected to an Administrative or Academic Senator seat or voted into Faculty Senate Executive Leadership role, the At-Large Senator may complete two consecutive terms in the new role.

2.2���� Adjunct faculty shall be represented by a duly elected senator who shall hold full voting rights and privileges (see Section 4.3).

2.3���� Advisory members are non-voting, advising members of the Senate. The following groups will each have one (1) advisory member: the NSU Chapter of the �鶹ԭ�� Faculty Alliance (NSU-NFA) and the �鶹ԭ�� State Student Alliance (NSSA), and the Classified Employee Council (CEC). An advisory member may include a representative from Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE). Representatives are to be selected by the members of these groups. The representatives will be announced at the April meeting and seated as an advisory member of the Faculty Senate July 1st.

2.4���� Meetings of the Faculty Senate are open to all faculty, staff, and administrators unless otherwise specified as “closed” on the agenda or at the discretion of the Faculty Senate Chair. During the “closed” portion of the meeting, only voting and advisory members of the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will be permitted to attend unless invited by the Faculty Senate Chair.

III. Article 3: Faculty Senate Units

3.1���� For the purpose of conducting elections of senators, the faculty of �鶹ԭ�� is divided into the following units: Administrative Faculty (excluding executive and supervisory as defined in Section 2.1.1); University Libraries; School of Education; School of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Business; School of Nursing.

3.2���� Units named above are separately identified academic units, Schools, or eligible employee groups. At the formation of new academic units or Schools (i.e., a School of Business) then these new Units will have equal representation.

IV. Article 4: Faculty Senate Representation and Annual Census

4.1���� Academic Faculty: Each School and the Library named in 3.1 shall have one (1) representative for each five (5) faculty (with professional contracts of >0.50 FTE) or fraction thereof, to be elected by the members of the Unit from among its eligible members. “Fraction thereof” is exemplified as follows: there will be three (3) representatives for a group of 11 faculty, and four (4) for a group of 16 faculty. Each School will have a minimum of three (3) representatives. The University Libraries will have a minimum of two (2) representatives.

4.2���� Administrative Faculty: The Administrative Faculty Unit shall consist of 30% of the Faculty Senate voting members. They will be elected by the members of the Unit from among its eligible members.

4.3���� Adjunct Faculty: One (1) Senate seat shall be designated for an adjunct faculty representative. The adjunct faculty seat is a one-year term. This seat will be filled by an eligible faculty member who has (a) completed teaching a minimum of one (1) 16-week semester at �鶹ԭ��, (b) currently holds a part-time letter of appointment in the 16-week term nominated, and (c) expects to be reappointed in the following academic year.

4.4���� At-Large Faculty: One (1) Senate seat shall be designated “At-Large.” The At-Large seat is a one-year term. This seat will be filled by an eligible academic or administrative faculty member who is successful in an election conducted of the entire faculty in which all persons on at least a 50% FTE contract are eligible to vote.

4.5���� Annual Census: Each year on the third Wednesday of January the Faculty Senate Chair or designee on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will conduct an annual census of the faculty to determine the correct number of representatives allowed to serve on the Faculty Senate. The census will count the lines allocated to each school. The Chair will notify each unit of any elections that need to be held as a result of the census.

4.6���� The total body of the Senate shall reflect the representative-to-faculty ratio defined in 4.1 and 4.2.

V. Article 5: Faculty Senate Participation, Attendance, and Designating Proxies

5.1���� Participation: Faculty members elected to the Senate are authorized and have responsibility to represent faculty on matters of primary concern to the faculty of the University. Senators do hold the responsibility of informing their constituents of Faculty Senate proceedings and soliciting their constituents’ input on matters under consideration of the Faculty Senate.

5.1.1������ It is understood that all senators will obtain approval from their supervisors to serve on senate and that all work-related duties will be scheduled outside of monthly senate meetings to the extent possible.

5.1.2������ All Faculty Senators are expected to participate in Faculty Senate committees and activities.

5.2���� Attendance: Subsequent to the conclusion of each Senate meeting, the Secretary to the Senate shall review the attendance record of each senator.

5.2.1������ A Senator who is absent for two regularly scheduled senate meetings per year without a proxy (see Section 5.3), as verified by the Secretary, shall be automatically dismissed from service on Senate.

5.2.2������ At that time, the number required for a quorum shall be reduced accordingly. The Senate Chair will then take action to see that replacement from that same unit is named to fill the vacancy.

5.3���� Designating Proxies: A member of the Senate who is unable to attend a single meeting may designate a proxy for the meeting. Sitting senators cannot serve as a proxy. All proxies must present to the Secretary of the Senate a written authorization signed by the designating member or an email authorizing the proxy from the Senator’s NSU email account.

5.3.1������ A long-term proxy is defined as one in which the senator anticipates being unavailable for four or more consecutive meetings but intends to return prior to the expiration of the academic year.

5.3.2������ Long term proxies are limited to one academic year.

5.4���� In the absence of Unit Bylaws or regulations stipulating the selection of long-term proxies, the following will be used:

5.4.1������ If the Unit delegation includes two (2) or more senators, the delegation shall designate the proxy. If the delegation contains only one senator, that Unit shall conduct a special election to select a long-term proxy.

5.4.2������ In the case of At-Large senators, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee shall designate a long-term proxy with input from the senator requesting the proxy and special consideration given to the results of the most recent At-Large election.

5.4.3������ Any senator may request the designation of a long-term proxy so long as the time during which the senator will be unavailable does not extend beyond one year and that a definite date of return is indicated on the written notice to the Secretary of the Senate.

5.4.4������ Any Faculty Senate Executive Committee Officers must resign their office if requesting a long-term proxy.

VI. Article 6: Officers of the Faculty Senate

6.1���� There are six officers that make up the Faculty Senate Executive Committee: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Parliamentarian, Administrative Faculty Chair, and Treasurer. Officers are nominated in April and elected by closed vote at the May meeting (see Section 7.4).

6.2���� Chair: The Chair of the Senate shall be the official representative of the faculty and the Senate at all functions. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Senate and the Executive Committee, and s/he may serve in other capacities as directed by the NSHE Code or the NSU Bylaws. The Chair shall have voting privileges as a member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, and have Senate voting privileges only in the event of a tie. The person elected Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate shall serve one year as Vice Chair, one year as Chair, and one year as Past Chair, respectively.

6.2.1������ As compensation for the duties of this position, the Chair of the Senate will receive a $8,000 stipend for the academic year, a six-unit course release for the Fall term, and a six-unit course release for Spring term. The Chair will be expected to attend meetings and conduct some business in the summer months.

6.3���� Vice Chair: The Vice Chair of the Senate shall assume the position of the Chair in the absence of the elected Chair. The Vice Chair shall also serve as Chair for the Institutional Policy and Procedure Committee, as well as oversee all Senate Committees. The Vice Chair shall have voting privileges as a member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, and they shall not have Senate voting privileges. The person elected Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate shall serve one year as Vice Chair, one year as Chair, and one year as Past Chair, respectively.

6.3.1������ As compensation for the duties of this position, the Vice Chair of the Senate will receive a three-unit course release in Spring term.

6.3.2������ In order to provide oversight to Senate Committees, the Vice Chair will periodically check in with Senate Committee Chairs and provide guidance on matters, if necessary.

6.4���� Secretary: The Secretary shall maintain minutes of the activities of the Senate, distribute minutes of the Senate meetings to the Senate memberships within a timely manner, and oversee the Senate’s online presence on the NSU website and Canvas Senate page.

6.5���� Parliamentarian: The Parliamentarian shall make recommendations to the Chair on matters of parliamentary procedures and adherence to the bylaws. The Parliamentarian shall serve as the chair of the Bylaws Committee.

6.6���� Administrative Faculty Chair: The Administrative Faculty Chair provides insight from administrative faculty. The Administrative Faculty Chair shall serve as the chair of the Administrative Faculty Affairs Committee, as detailed below in section 10.3.3.

6.6.1������ The Administrative Faculty Chair will serve as a voting member on the NSU Executive Budget Committee.

6.7���� Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial affairs and records of the Faculty Senate, ensuring transparency, accuracy, and compliance.

6.7.1������ Duties of the Treasurer shall include but are not limited to: Overseeing the budgetary process of the Faculty Senate, including the preparation, presentation, and monitoring of the annual budget. Providing financial guidance and support to the Faculty Senate Chair, Executive Committee, and Senate members as needed.

6.8���� Upon becoming officers, the Chair and Vice Chair shall relinquish their seats on the Senate. Their respective Units will hold a special election to fill the vacant seats (see Section 7.5).

6.9���� Members of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee may not appoint proxies to Faculty Senate Executive Committee meetings; however, votes may be submitted in absentia.

6.10 The number of consecutive terms that an individual may serve as Chair shall be limited to two; no term limits shall be imposed on the remaining offices of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.

6.11 If a vacancy occurs midterm for any officer, except Chair, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will serve as a nominating committee and will present a list of candidates willing to run for the vacancy at the next Senate meeting.

VII. Article 7: Senator and Officer Election Procedures

7.1���� Senator Elections: At the February meeting of the Senate, the Chair will announce that each unit is to choose its representative(s) for the following academic year. Each unit must complete the call for nominations by the third Friday in February. The election must be completed by the first Friday in March. The names of the winning candidates must be forwarded to the Chair by the second Friday in March. The newly elected representatives will be announced at the April meeting, attend and be introduced at the May meeting, and be seated July 1st.

7.1.1������ Only members eligible to vote (as defined in 2.1) shall be allowed to vote in elections.

7.1.2������ To maintain a combination of new and experienced Faculty Senate membership, it is recommended that elections shall occur on a staggered schedule.

7.1.3������ If a unit senator becomes unable to serve, a replacement will be elected by School or Administrative Faculty Units. The newly appointed senator will serve the unexpired term at any time by the unit affected according to the procedures contained in the Bylaws.

7.2���� Adjunct Election: At the April meeting of the Senate, the Chair will announce the election of the adjunct faculty representative. The Faculty Senate Executive Committee will conduct an election of all adjunct faculty in which academic faculty with a current part-time letter of appointment are eligible to vote. Nominations will be accepted through the second Friday in April. An online election will be completed by the fourth Friday of April. The winning candidate will be announced at the May meeting and seated on the Faculty Senate July 1st.

7.3���� At-Large Election: At the April meeting of the Senate, the Chair will announce the election of the At-Large representative. The Faculty Senate Executive Committee will conduct an election of the entire faculty in which all persons on at least a 50% FTE contract. Nominations will be accepted through the second Friday in April. An online election will be completed by the fourth Friday of April. The winning candidate will be announced at the May meeting and seated on the Faculty Senate July 1st.

7.3.1������ If an At-Large senator becomes unable to serve, the person finishing second in the most recent election for an At-Large seat shall be appointed by the Faculty Senate Chair to fill the remainder of the unexpired term.

7.4���� Officer Elections: At the April meeting of the Senate, the Chair will call for nominations of Senate officers. Nominations will remain open until the second Friday in April. A list of candidates for all Faculty Senate offices shall be distributed by email at least one (1) week in advance of the May meeting.

7.4.1������ The office positions for elections include Vice Chair, Parliamentarian, Secretary, Administrative Faculty Chair, and Treasurer.

7.4.2������ Officers shall be elected by secret ballot as an action-item on the agenda at the May meeting.

7.4.3������ Any current or incoming Senator is eligible to be nominated as an officer according to the eligibility restrictions below.

7.4.3.1 Only Academic Faculty are eligible to be nominated for Vice Chair.

7.4.3.2 Only Administrative Faculty are eligible to be nominated for Administrative Faculty Chair

7.4.4������ Only senators who will be seated senators in the upcoming term are eligible to vote in officer elections.

7.5���� Special Elections: Faculty Senate seats vacated by the election of a Chair or Vice Chair shall be filled by special election held by the Unit they represented. These elections will be conducted online. Nominations will be accepted through the second Friday in May and an election will be completed by the fourth Friday in May.

7.6���� Terms of office for all senators and officers shall run from July 1st to the following June 30th.

VIII. Article 8: Meetings, Agenda, Quorum, and Minutes

8.1���� Agenda: The Faculty Senate Executive Committee shall prepare an agenda which shall allow for the introduction of new business at each meeting and which shall accompany notification of the meeting. The Senate must include on its agenda any request directed to it by the faculty or any units thereof not later than the second regular meeting following the receipt of such request by the Chair of the Senate.

8.1.1������ All requests requiring action must first appear on the Senate agenda as information items. The faculty or Unit with authority over the request shall coordinate, if relevant, with the appropriate Senate committee to have their policy or proposal reviewed prior to presentation to the Senate.

8.1.2������ Agenda requests shall be submitted to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee for approval no later than two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled meeting.

8.1.3������ Recommended Senate meeting agenda format: announcements; action items, guest speakers; future action items – meeting (date); general information; committee reports; new business.

8.2���� Meetings: The Senate shall hold meetings at least once each calendar month during the fall and spring semesters. The date, time, and place of each of faculty at least ten (10) full working days in advance of the meeting).

8.2.1������ The Senate may hold special meetings at any time, called by the Chair of the Senate or requested of the Chair by petition of at least one-third of the senators. These meetings shall be publicized in the same manner prescribed for regular meetings in Article 8.1.

8.2.2������ Meetings during summer shall be called by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee as necessary.

8.3���� Quorum: A majority of the voting members of the Senate shall constitute a quorum. Single meeting proxies may not be counted in determining a quorum.

8.4���� Minutes: A copy of the minutes of each Senate meeting shall be distributed to each member of the Senate and the faculty within fifteen (15) working days of the meeting.

IX. Article 9: Senate Authority and Voting

9.1���� Authority: Chapter 1, Section 2 of the NSU Bylaws requires that policies and procedures having University-wide impact be submitted to the Faculty Senate for review and recommendation.

9.1.1������ Review: All new or amended academic and/or university-wide policies shall be submitted to Faculty Senate Executive Committee for distribution to the appropriate Senate Committees based on the subject-matter jurisdiction of the committee and the goal of the submitted policy. The Senate Committees shall provide review and revision of the submitted policy to the policy development lead or designee.

9.1.2������ Recommendation: A reviewed policy as voted out of Senate Committees shall be presented to the Senate for a vote as defined in Sections 9.2-4 below. A policy receives Faculty Senate Recommendation when a majority of senators present vote in the affirmative to recommend the reviewed policy as presented and the Faculty Senate Chair’s signature is affixed.

9.1.2.1 Any policy having received prior Senate recommendation which undergoes substantive edits (including, but not limited to: addition of sections or subsections, deletion of sections or subsections, redefinition of key terms, a narrowing or broadening of policy applicability, etc.) must again proceed through the review and recommendation process as described in 9.1.1 and 9.1.2.

9.2���� Voting: The will of the NSU faculty on any given matter is determined through one of the two following procedures, following presentation as information to the Senate: (1) a vote of the Faculty Senate or (2) a vote of the entire faculty.

9.3���� The Faculty Senate will have two (2) weeks to conduct the vote after a question is considered at a meeting of the Faculty Senate.

9.4���� Procedure 1: A vote of the Faculty Senate.

9.4.1������ All motions will require a simple majority of those voting members present. Motions to close or limit debate or to move to the previous question shall require a two-thirds majority vote of those present.

9.4.2������ All Senate votes other than elections shall be taken by open voting (e.g., voice votes/show of hands), unless a majority of Senators present vote in favor of a secret ballot on the question or request an electronic vote.

9.4.3������ Actions approved by the Senate shall be forwarded through administrative channels to the Provost and the vote will be recorded in the associated meeting minutes.

9.5���� Procedure 2: A vote of the entire faculty: A question is submitted to the entire faculty through electronic or other means for a vote. It is Faculty Senate Executive Committee’s responsibility to draft a ballot and distribute to faculty for a vote.

9.5.1������ A simple majority of voting faculty (faculty in the definition of Title 2, Chapter 1, Section 1.1 of the NSHE Code) is sufficient to resolve any question.

9.5.2������ Actions approved by the entire faculty shall be forwarded through administrative channels to the President and the vote will be recorded in the associated meeting minutes. The Chair will report the results of such actions to the entire faculty at the earliest convenience.

9.6���� The Senate may solicit campus opinion on an issue through a campus ballot. The results of this opinion poll are not binding upon the Senate.

9.7���� At the request of a majority vote of Faculty Senate, when there is disagreement on an issue, an Issue Group will be formed to attempt to mediate a joint stand. An equal number of participants shall represent each side of the issue. If no consensus is reached, the Issue Group shall develop a joint statement of the differences. All recommendations of the Issue Group will be returned to Faculty Senate.

9.8���� Faculty of NSU may petition the Senate to force a faculty-wide vote on any issue before the Senate. If ten percent (10%) of all academic and administrative faculty with greater than 0.50 FTE sign a written petition addressed to the Chair of the Faculty Senate on any issue, the Senate must follow procedure 2 as described above in Section 9.5.

X. Article 10: Standing Committees: Composition and Functions

10.1 Committee Chair Eligibility and Term: Any seated senator in the upcoming term shall be eligible for election to chair a standing committee of the Senate, except as may be provided in Section 10.3.1 to 10.3.11 below. Also, as may be appropriate from time to time, the Senate may appoint, or ask, any individual to serve as a chair or participate in a special committee of the Senate.

10.1.1�� Except where noted below (Sections 10.3.1.2, 10.3.3.2, 10.3.9.2, and 10.3.10.3), all other committee chairs will be elected by the voting majority of the Senate at the May meeting.

10.1.2�� Only senators who will be seated senators in the upcoming term are eligible to vote in committee chair elections.

10.1.3�� There is a two-year term limit for chairs of Faculty Senate committees.

10.2 Committee Composition and Term: Each committee will have a minimum of three members. Faculty Senate committees shall strive for balanced representation from each Unit as defined above in Section 3.1.

10.2.1�� The faculty members of each committee shall be selected by the committee chair.

10.2.2�� Faculty Senate committees may include faculty who are not senators. Only those eligible to serve as senators may be members of committees.

10.2.3�� The student members of a committee shall be selected in any democratic manner directed by the student government Bylaws.

10.2.4�� All standing committee assignments shall be for two-year terms.

10.2.4.1 For purposes of committee assignments, the year begins at the beginning of the fall semester.

10.2.4.2 Committee members shall follow the same procedures as do Senate members in delegating proxies (see Section 5.2).

10.2.4.3 When appropriate, committees shall meet during the summer months.

10.3 Standing Committees: The Faculty Senate includes a variety of standing committees that address both campus-wide issues and Senate issues. Below are the standing committees of the Senate, including specifics about membership where relevant. Standing committees may move to inactive committees, as needed throughout the year.

10.3.1�� Institutional Policy and Procedure

10.3.1.1 This committee identifies, shares, reviews, and provides feedback on policies, procedures, or issues that may impact the institution and its ability to operate successfully. Concerns include campus-wide policies that are not subsumed under other committees including those relevant to academic, administrative, and part-time faculty or curriculum development.

10.3.1.2 The Vice Chair of Senate will serve as the committee chair and liaison to the Provost (or his/her designee) to review emerging institutional issues, to discuss priorities for the agenda in the year ahead, and to plan for ad hoc assignments pertaining to institutional affairs.

10.3.2�� Academic Faculty Affairs

10.3.2.1 This committee identifies, shares, reviews, and provides feedback on policies, procedures, or issues that may impact academic faculty and their ability to carry out their professional responsibilities. When relevant, the committee may draft new policy that creates protections for academic faculty. Concerns may include (but are not limited to): evaluation, promotion, tenure, compensation, academic freedom, disciplinary issues, grievances, and due process, workload, leave, course releases, intellectual property, course content, and grading.

10.3.2.2 The Faculty Senate Academic Faculty Affairs Committee shall consist of a minimum of one tenured faculty member and one tenure-track faculty member.

10.3.2.3 No administrative faculty as defined in Section 2.1 or 2.1.1 above may be members of the Academic Faculty Affairs Committee.

10.3.3�� Administrative Faculty Affairs

10.3.3.1 This committee identifies, shares, reviews, and provides feedback on policies, procedures, or issues that may impact administrative faculty and their ability to carry out their professional responsibilities. When relevant, the committee may draft new policy that create protections for administrative faculty. Concerns may include (but are not limited to): evaluation, promotion, compensation, disciplinary issues, grievances, due process, workload, and sabbatical.

10.3.3.2 The Administrative Faculty Chair shall serve as the chair of this committee.

10.3.4�� Part-Time Faculty Affairs

10.3.4.1 This committee identifies, shares, reviews, and provides feedback on policies, procedures, or issues that may impact part-time faculty and their ability to carry out their professional responsibilities. When relevant, the committee may draft new policy that creates protections for part-time faculty. Concerns may include (but are not limited to): hiring, evaluation, compensation, disciplinary issues, grievances, and due process, workload, course content, and grading.

10.3.4.2 The Faculty Senate shall establish a Standing Part-time Faculty Affairs Committee that meets at least once a semester and is chaired by a senator who is elected from within the senate. Part-time instructors are eligible to serve on the committee.

10.3.5�� Fiscal Affairs

10.3.5.1 This committee monitors, reviews, and reports on all major issues related to the institution’s operational budget (e.g., tuition/fees, legislative formula, income, expenditures), annual budget prioritization, and resource allocation. Represents Faculty Senate at relevant institution meetings including (but not limited to) the NSU Executive Budget Committee.

10.3.5.2 The Fiscal Affairs Chair will serve as an advisory (non- voting) member on the NSU Executive Budget Committee.

10.3.5.3 The Fiscal Affairs Committee shall elect an administrative faculty member from its membership to serve as the second administrative faculty representative on the NSU Executive Budget Committee, a position with voting privileges. In the event that the Fiscal Affairs Committee does not include any administrative faculty members, the Committee Chair shall be responsible for recruiting one (1) administrative faculty member to jointly serve on the Fiscal Affairs Committee and the NSU Executive Budget Committee.

10.3.6�� Curriculum

10.3.6.1 This committee evaluates course, core curriculum, and degree change/creation/deletion proposals once those proposals have been approved by the appropriate School-level curriculum committee.

10.3.6.2 The chair of the Curriculum committee will be elected by the voting majority of the Senate in the Spring semester.

10.3.6.3 The Curriculum committee chair will receive a $1000 stipend for the academic year.

10.3.7�� Facilities and Campus Planning

10.3.7.1 This committee ensures faculty input as land and building space is allocated, changed, or planned.

10.3.7.2 One administrative and one academic faculty member from the committee will serve on the Facilities Resource Committee and Campus Safety Committee, or other committee where appropriate.

10.3.8�� Library Advisory Board

10.3.8.1 This committee shall serve in a strategic advisory role as a liaison between faculty and the University Library. The Committee provides feedback and recommendations to the Library in support of student success.

10.3.9�� Bylaws and Code

10.3.9.1 This committee reviews the bylaws for the purpose of considering any additions and/or revisions which may be deemed necessary and advisable by members of the Faculty Senate and its Executive Committee.

10.3.9.2 The Parliamentarian shall serve as the chair of this committee.

10.3.10 Strategic Planning

10.3.10.1 This committee maintains the Faculty Senate’s strategic plan to assist the Senate in planning and accountability to faculty and NSU’s mission.

10.3.10.2 This Faculty Senate Executive Committee comprises the membership for this committee.

10.3.10.3 The Faculty Senate Chair shall serve as the chair of this committee

10.3.11 Ad Hoc Committees

10.3.11.1 Ad Hoc committees will be formed on an as-needed basis as judged by a voting majority of the Senate.

10.4 Committee Business: A matter within the jurisdiction of any committee must be submitted to that committee by the Chair of the Senate. This does not preclude issues initiated by the committee in concurrence with the chair or other issues non-senators bring to the committee.

10.4.1 The Chair shall allow the committee a reasonable time in which to respond to matters so submitted and shall inform the Senate of the Chair’s directions to the committee and the time period allowed for committee.

10.4.2 The timely recommendations of a standing or ad hoc committee upon any matter within its jurisdiction shall be accepted and implemented upon a vote of a majority of the voting senators present.

10.4.3 In the event a committee does not recommend action upon any matter so submitted within a reasonable time, said matter may be brought directly to the floor of the Senate by any senator for disposition.

10.5 Committee Reports: Senate standing and ad hoc committee chairs will present a report of their committee’s activities to the Senate at least once a semester. All standing and ad hoc committee reports must be distributed in writing to the Senate at the meeting. The Faculty Senate Executive Committee shall determine the rotational schedule for the committee reports.

10.5.1�� At the end of each semester, the chair of each Senate Committee shall submit to the Secretary to the Senate the attendance record of each committee member.

10.6 No provision contained herein shall be interpreted as restricting the Chair of the Senate, with the concurrence of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, from forming Ad hoc committees, standing committees, or restricting a standing committee from forming subcommittees.

XI. Article 11: Amendment of Bylaws

11.1 Amendment of these Bylaws may be accomplished in the following manner:

11.1.1�� A proposed amendment must first be submitted to the Faculty Senate Bylaws Committee.

11.1.2�� The proposed amendment shall be circulated to all Senate members seven (7) days prior to a properly called and constituted meeting of the Senate.

11.1.3�� The proposed amendment shall be discussed in the Senate meeting.

11.1.4�� If the proposed amendment is approved by two-thirds of the voting membership of the Senate, the amendment shall not take effect for ten days.

11.2 Bylaws shall be reviewed for possible revision every two years.

XII. Article 12: Suspension of the Bylaws

12.1 Suspension of any part of these Bylaws, except Articles 11 and 12 may be accomplished by the consent of two-thirds of the voting members present in a formal meeting.

CONTACTS

Faculty Senate Chair
fsec@nevadastate.edu

RELATED INFORMATION

• NSHE Code Title 2, Chapter 1, Section 1.4.7 – 1.4.8:

• NSHE Handbook Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 2

• Robert’s Rules of Order

• NSU Website Address for this Policy

/policy/current/faculty-senate-bylaws/

HISTORY

• Originally approved June 17, 2008
• Revised May 12, 2023
• Revised May 16, 2024

APPROVALS

Approved by Dr. David Cooper, August 20, 2024.
Approved by Dr. Sarah Frey, Provost, October 16, 2024.
Approved by Dr. DeRionne Pollard, President, October 16, 2024.

The post Faculty Senate Bylaws (MH 5.2) appeared first on �鶹ԭ��.

�鶹ԭ�� State’s Bylaws were originally published as Title 5 of the NSHE Governing Documents.

CHAPTER 1: BYLAWS

Section 1 Authorization

These Bylaws are authorized by Chapter 1, Section 1.3.4 of the �鶹ԭ�� System of Higher Education of �鶹ԭ�� Code, hereinafter referred to as Code, as adopted by the Board of Regents.

Section 2 Scope

The Bylaws provide for the basic organizational structure, personnel policies and personnel administrative procedures for �鶹ԭ�� State College. The Bylaws shall be consistent with the
Code, Board of Regents Handbook and the NSHE Procedures Manual, and the laws of the State of �鶹ԭ�� and the United States of America. The Code, Board Handbook and the NSHE Procedures Manual will prevail should conflict arise with the Bylaws.

The Bylaws are intended to be a statement of general policy. The Policies and Procedures Manual of �鶹ԭ�� State College, as approved by the President, provides further policies and procedures applicable to the College.

Additional policies may be approved by the President for inclusion in the Policies and Procedures Manual. Policies and procedures having college-wide impact shall first be submitted to Faculty
Senate for review and recommendation before being included in the Manual. The President may delegate authority to Departments or Units to adopt procedures for implementation of previously
approved policies. In addition, where urgent action is required, the President may approve interim policies to remain in effect pending review by Faculty Senate.

Section 3 Amendments

Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by faculty members, the President, the Chancellor or the Board of Regents. All proposals shall be submitted in writing to the Faculty Senate for its
review and recommendation. Upon approval by the Faculty Senate, amendments are forwarded to the President for review. Upon approval by the President, amendments are forwarded to the Board of Regents for final review and approval.

Section 4 Interpretation

The President shall make a final decision regarding interpretation of Bylaws, Policies and Procedures after consultation with legal counsel and where appropriate, the Faculty Senate.

CHAPTER 2: ORGANIZATION

Section 1 Units

The College shall be organized into constituent units or other appropriate designations such as schools or divisions supporting the mission of the College.

Section 2 Departments of Units

Units may be further divided into constituent parts known as departments.

Section 3 Committees and Advisory Groups

The President may establish internal College Committees and external Advisory Groups to provide assistance and recommendations.

Section 4 Changes in Organization

The President shall confer with the appropriate faculty, administrators and the Faculty Senate prior to the creation, abolition, transfer or significant modification of the mission, function, or structure of units or departments.

CHAPTER 3: FACULTY

Section 1 Faculty Governance

The faculty shall govern itself in accordance with these Bylaws, subject to the Constitution and laws of the United States, the Constitution and laws of the State of �鶹ԭ��, the Code, Board Policy and the NSHE Procedures Manual.

Section 2 Definitions

The College faculty shall consist of all persons holding authorized professional positions as provided in Subsection 1.4.5 of the Code. Classified staff are not subject to these rules; but are instead subject to the provisions of the State Personnel System.

a. For the purposes of these bylaws, “administrators” will refer to a subset of the category defined in section 1.1.b of the Code, such as president, provost, vice presidents, associate and assistant vice presidents and vice provosts, deans, associate and assistant deans, directors and the like.

b. For the purposes of these bylaws, “academic faculty” is defined in Section 1.1(a) of the Code and Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 2(1)(b), and generally consists of those professional staff members who specifically create and disseminate scholarly information through teaching, or providing counseling or library services closely and directly supportive of teaching and research.

c. For the purposes of these bylaws, “administrative faculty” will refer to a subset of the category of administrators defined in section 1.1.b of the Code and Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 2(1)(d) such as professional staff that provide services to students, faculty, or administrators, outside the traditional classroom, counseling or library services.

Section 3 Faculty Ranks

a. Academic faculty — There shall be four ranks of academic faculty, designated for contract purposes by numbers, as follows: Professor (IV), Associate Professor (III), Assistant Professor (II), and Instructor (I). Ranks equivalent to these identified by corresponding numbers may be assigned appropriate titles.

b. Administrative faculty — There are five grades of administrative faculty as follows: Grades A, B, C, D, and E. Appropriate titles may be assigned to administrative faculty in any grade.

c. Non-tenure track academic faculty — There shall be positions for lecturers, or positions with other appropriate titles, reserved for persons with special qualifications that do not fit the criteria of the four academic ranks.

Section 4 Faculty Contracts

a. Academic faculty — Academic faculty in the ranks Professor (IV), Associate Professor (III), Assistant Professor (II), or Instructor (I) shall be employed on annual contracts.

b. Administrative faculty — Administrative faculty tenured in an academic position shall be employed on annual contracts, as provided in the Code, Subsection 5.4.2(c).

c. Non-tenure-track academic faculty — Academic faculty in non tenure track positions maybe employed on an annual or partial-year basis and may be employed on a full-or part-time contract.

(i) The duration of employment contracts is specified in Subsection 5.4.2 of the Code. Lecturers on continuing contracts shall enjoy academic freedom and shall have the rights of reconsideration and appeal permitted by the Code and these Bylaws, faculty voting rights (except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws), salary and merit pay increases, fringe benefits, and rights of notification of non-reappointment. However, they shall not be eligible for tenure. These faculty shall possess at least a master’s degree or its equivalent in the appropriate academic discipline. Exceptions to this policy shall occur only in exceptional circumstances as reviewed and approved by the departmental chair and/or the dean and the Provost. These contracts shall not be used as a substitute for the tenure system. Specifically, continuing tenure-track positions shall not be converted to Lecturer to avoid terminating incumbents whose performance or educational background does not warrant the award of tenure.

(ii) Those employed on a full- or part-time basis for a temporary term of employment as specified in contracts and/or letters of appointment approved by the President shall be appointed for a term not to exceed twelve months. There is no right to continuing renewal of such contracts and the notice and procedural protections afforded in the Code are not applicable.

CHAPTER 4: FACULTY SENATE

Section 1 Purpose and Responsibility

The Faculty Senate reports to the President and is the principal representative body of the faculty and is composed of representatives selected by and from the faculty in accordance with procedures specified in the Faculty Senate Bylaws. The responsibility of the Faculty Senate is to deliberate and recommend upon any matters related to programs, policies, and functions of the College and policies and procedures related to the rights and welfare of the faculty. All faculty members have the right of access to the Senate to introduce any questions of general policy or any matters related to professional rights and welfare.

Section 2 Policies and Procedures of the Faculty Senate

a. Every member of the Faculty Senate has the obligation to speak and act in the best interests of the College. In discharging their functions, the members of the Faculty Senate shall be responsible to the faculty who elected them. However, members shall have the freedom to speak and act according to their own judgments.

b. Actions of Faculty Senate shall be forwarded to the President and reported to the faculty through the minutes.

c. Faculty Senate Bylaws will define voting rights, election procedures, qualifications for officers, regular and special meetings; the right of faculty to attend said meetings; amending the Bylaws and the filing and distribution of minutes; Faculty Senate organizational structure and other matters pertaining to Faculty Senate governance. The bylaws shall also provide for the recall of officers and members by the unit or other portion of the faculty from and by whom members were elected, and for discharge by that body of any of its elected members.

d. The bylaws shall be in effect upon: 1) approval by the members of that body and 2) approval by the President.

CHAPTER 5: TENURE

Section 1 Justification: Tenure and Academic Excellence

The major purpose of tenure is to ensure a faculty committed to excellence. Tenure is a means to certain ends, specifically: 1) academic freedom for teaching, scholarly research, and of extramural activities; and 2) a sufficient degree of economic security to make faculty appointment at the College attractive to persons of ability. The objective of tenure is not to afford job security to persons who have performed satisfactorily or without incident, but rather to provide a substantial degree of security to those persons whose record of excellence convinces the College that their expected future performance justifies the degree of permanence afforded by tenure. See Code, Subsection 7.1.2. For further details and NSC procedures dealing with tenure, please see the Faculty Handbook.

Section 2 Eligibility for Tenure

Except as provided in Chapter Seven of the Code, full-time academic faculty in Rank II, Rank III, and Rank IV positions shall be eligible for tenure. Administrators may be included in this condition of eligibility, but only in the capacity as academic faculty. Full-time academic faculty in non tenure-track positions, such as Lecturers, are not eligible for appointment with, nor shall have, tenure under any circumstances. See Code, Subsection 7.2.1.

Section 3 Probationary Period

As provided in the Code, Section 7.3, academic faculty eligible for appointment with tenure must serve a probationary period before receiving such an appointment. Except as provided herein, the total probationary period for all academic faculty eligible for such appointment shall not exceed seven years of uninterrupted full-time employment as specified in Subsection 7.3.1(d) and 7.3.1(a) of the Code.

Section 4 Schedule for Evaluation of Probationary Faculty

Departments (or a School if there is no department within the School) shall evaluate the progress of probationary members of the faculty according to the following schedule:

a. Reappointment – A probationary member of the faculty shall be evaluated and formally considered annually for reappointment at the department and unit levels.

b. Three Year Review – A probationary member of the faculty must be evaluated and advised regarding progress toward tenure recommendation no later than the end of the third full academic year as a probationary member of the academic faculty of the College and, if not granted tenure, annually thereafter.

c. Recommendations and Appointment – As provided in Subsection 7.4.1 of the Code, a probationary member of the faculty may request consideration by his or her department for tenure in any year of the probationary period, including the terminal year, through regular personnel procedures for such appointment.

Section 5 Standards for Recommending Tenure

As provided in Subsection 7.4.2 of the Code, the consideration of a recommendation for appointment of an academic faculty member with tenure shall include the application of the standards and the ratings contained in this subsection, which shall be applied in consideration of the conditions for appointment with tenure stated in Subsection 7.1.2 of the NSHE Code.

The only areas evaluated for promotion and tenure decisions shall be Teaching and/or Other Professional Duties, Scholarship, and Service. To receive tenure and promotion, the NS P&T Committee must assign a candidate’s portfolio a rating of “excellent” in the area of Teaching and/or Other Professional Duties and a minimum rating of “satisfactory” in the areas of Scholarship and Service.��These ratings are based on the NS P&T Committee’s review and are distinct from ratings in annual reviews.

5.1 Teaching and/or Other Professional Duties: Instructional faculty must have a pattern of growth and excellence as a teacher. This includes, but is not limited to, demonstrated Teaching effectiveness and use of evidence-based practices for instructional design and delivery; the ability to communicate effectively with students and create an inclusive learning environment for a diverse study body; and demonstrated skill in class management and performance of other duties related to Teaching and mentoring students. Faculty with Other Professional Duties must have a record of excellence in performing assigned duties in the position description, including demonstrated effectiveness, efficiency, and professional growth and improvement over the course of the Probationary Period.

5.2 Scholarship/Creative Activity: To receive Tenure, the candidate must have a record of Scholarship including accomplishments in the Scholarship of Discovery and Creation leading to Peer-Reviewed (or equivalent externally-reviewed) contributions in the Scholarship of Dissemination that are appropriate to the candidate’s field, position, and requirements or expectations of program-specific accrediting bodies. It is the candidate’s responsibility to present evidence that the body of Scholarship completed during the Probationary Period is sufficient to merit granting of Tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor.

5.3 Service: The applicant must have a record of meaningful, active Service to the faculty member’s program, unit, or the broader institution.

5.4 Tenure Review Process: For more information on the process and procedures related to tenure at �鶹ԭ�� State College, refer to the Promotion & Tenure Policy (AA 5.1) housed in the campus policy library.

Section 6 Notice of Tenure

As provided in Subsection 7.4.4 of the Code, when a member of the academic faculty has been granted appointment with tenure, the academic faculty member shall be informed immediately by the President in writing.

Section 7 Annual Performance Evaluation of Tenured Faculty

Declaration of Policy – As provided in Section 5.13.1 of the Code, it is the policy of the NSHE to expect the continued commitment of its faculty to excellence after the granting of appointments with tenure. Under this policy, tenured faculty will be encouraged to realize the College community’s expectations to such excellence in their future service and performances. This policy shall be taken into consideration in the annual performance evaluation of tenured faculty, as provided in Section 5.13 of the Code.

Section 8 Tenured Faculty in Administrative Positions

Administrative appointment, as defined in Section 1.1(b) and Section 1.6 of the Code, is separate and distinct from appointment as academic faculty. An administrator with tenure may be removed from the administrative post without cause, but shall be reassigned within the College.

Section 9 Relinquishment of Tenure on Transfer

Except as otherwise provided in the Code (See Subsection 7.4.7), in the event a tenured faculty member transfers employment from the member’s institution granting an appointment with tenure to another system institution, the faculty member shall be deemed to have relinquished tenure in the former entity and shall not carry over such appointment to the latter entity.

Section 10 Termination of Tenure

After a faculty member has been appointed with tenure, his or her service may be terminated only through established College procedures as specified in the Code and these Bylaws, or upon resignation from the College.

Section 11 Financial or Curricular Reasons for Terminations

A tenured faculty member may be terminated for financial exigency or curricular reasons in accordance with the provisions of the Code and Chapter 6 of these Bylaws.

CHAPTER 6: FACULTY PERSONNEL POLICIES

Section 1 Academic Freedom

All members of the academic faculty enjoy academic freedom in the exercise of their professional duties.

Teachers are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of their other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution. Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter that has no relation to their subject.

College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers of an educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes special obligations. As scholars and educational officers, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.

Section 2 Personnel Files

The personnel file of a faculty member maintained by Human Resources shall constitute the official record of employment related actions and shall include such items as applications, resumes, transcripts, employment contracts, evaluations, promotions, leave records, employment notices, awards, disciplinary actions and related records. The File shall be maintained confidentially in accordance with the Code, Chapter 5, Section 5.6.

Section 3 Grievance Procedures for Academic and Administrative Faculty

Pursuant to the Code, Section 5.7, a Grievance Committee shall be established, in accordance with approved Faculty Senate procedures, to hear all grievances that fall within the scope

authorized under the Code. Depending on Faculty Senate Bylaws, the Grievance Committee may be a standing committee, or it may be formed on an ad hoc basis. The Grievance Committee shall have representation as required by Section 5.7.3 of the Code, and proceedings are to be informal in nature.

The purpose of this grievance policy is to secure, at the most immediate administrative level, equitable solutions to the problems that may arise from time to time, affecting the welfare or working conditions of academic and administrative faculty. These proceedings shall be kept confidential to those parties involved in the process. Every effort shall be made to expedite the process and to resolve the grievance as soon as possible. Before grievance procedures are pursued, faculty members are encouraged to utilize informal conflict management where appropriate.

This policy and these delineated procedures do not apply to classified staff, but rather to academic faculty members, administrative faculty members, and/ or administrators who are current members of academic faculty or who oversee academic and administrative faculty.

3.1 Definitions

Administrative Representative: An administrator above the Dean’s level selected by the President or President’s designee to serve on the College Grievance Committee.

Advocate: NSC academic faculty member, administrative faculty member, or legal counsel chosen by the Grievant or Respondent who may serve as their advisor during the grievance process. If the Grievant or Respondent is a member of the NFA, their advocate can be an NFA representative. The Advocate’s role is solely to advise the Grievant or Respondent. Advocates are not allowed to participate in hearings.

College Grievance Committee: A five-member team composed to evaluate a grievance and provide a recommendation to the President. Title 2, Section 5.7.3 of NSHE Code states, “…if a multi-member grievance committee, board or panel is established, the institutional bylaws must provide that each such grievance committee, board or panel shall represent the administration and the faculty of the System institution.”

Email: For the purposes of this policy, an email is an electronic correspondence sent from and to an official �鶹ԭ�� State College email account.

Grievable Act: According to Title 2, Section 5.7.2, a Grievable Act is “An act or omission to act by the respective administrations of the System institutions, allegedly resulting in an adverse impact on the employment conditions of a faculty member relating to promotion, appointment with tenure or other aspects of contractual status, or relating to alleged violations of the NSHE Code or institutional bylaws.”

Grievant: The academic or administrative faculty member filing the grievance.

Respondent: Any person whose Grievable Act gave rise to the grievance. The Respondent shall be a Dean, Assistant or Associate Dean, Library Director, or Chair for academic faculty and/or professional staff serving in their unit; or the Director of Human Resources if a Grievance involves allegations of an error in merit pay calculation. A Respondent may not be another faculty member, as faculty-to-faculty disagreements should be pursued through other means of informal conflict management.

Working Day: For the purposes of the grievance procedure, a Working Day is Monday through Friday when college classes are scheduled and in session during fall and spring semesters.

3.2 Grievances Covered by Policy

Grievances covered by this policy are limited to faculty-level grievances directed upward in the chain of command. These may include alleged incident(s) directly relevant to teaching workload (as related to types, level, and creative content of classes), salary adjustments insofar as they fall under the purview of the Respondent, equity, evaluation, eligibility for merit pay, or promotion. This policy and process does not cover Title IX, faculty-to-faculty, student-to-faculty, or other types of grievances. The President’s final decision on a grievance is not a Grievable Act.

Title 2, Section 5.7.2 of the NSHE Handbook states, “Decisions of the Board of Regents are not subject to review by grievance procedures. Any decision which involves the nonreappointment to or termination of employment of faculty as provided in Subsections 5.4.2, 5.8.2, 5.9.1, 5.9.2, 5.9.3, and 5.9.4 of the NSHE Code, or the furlough or lay off of faculty for financial exigency or curricular reasons is not subject to review by grievance procedures.”

Section 4 Informal Resolution Process

The grievance process involves a series of steps which must be documented to ensure fairness. Therefore, this procedure notes a series of artifacts, which are either emails or forms that are signed or sent on a specific date. The completion of an artifact often provides a time constraint for the step that follows.

All grievances must begin with an attempt to resolve the issue amicably pursuant to this section.

To begin the informal resolution process, the Grievant will send an Email to the Respondent within 10 Working Days following the alleged Grievable Act, or following the first date the Grievant knew or should have known of the alleged Grievable Act, whichever is later. The Email must identify when the Grievant first learned of the alleged Grievable Act.

The Email to the Respondent should contain:

• A description of the issue and any relevant dates;
• An indication of relevant policy or practices that were allegedly violated;
• The resolution the Grievant seeks.

If the issue has not been resolved informally, or if no response is received, within 20 Working Days of the Grievant’s initial correspondence to the Respondent, the Grievant may move forward with a formal grievance.

Grievants and Respondents are encouraged to document attempts to resolve the issue informally.

Section 5 Formal Grievance Process

5.1 Initiating the process. The Grievant must complete the Notice of Grievance Form, available from the Office of the Provost. The Grievant is responsible for including any email correspondence and any corroborating evidence. Failure to fully comply with the informal resolution process shall be a bar to filing a formal

For an act to be grievable, there must be an act or omission by the Respondent that meets the definition of a Grievable Act.

The Grievant must submit the completed Notice of Grievance Form to the Faculty Senate Chair via Email within ten (10) Working Days following the end of the allowable informal resolution process. If a Grievant does not file a timely Notice of Grievance Form pursuant to this section, then the matter will be considered closed.

5.2 Informing the Respondent. Within five (5) Working Days from the receipt of a completed Notice of Grievance Form, the Faculty Senate Chair shall notify the Respondent via Email.

5.3 Responding to the grievance. The Respondent must compile documentation and send it to the Faculty Senate Chair within fifteen (15) Working Days from receiving the

5.4 Forming a grievance committee. Within fifteen (15) Working Days from receipt of a completed Notice of Grievance Form, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will select the College Grievance Committee as per Section 6 below. If the Grievant or the Respondent makes a peremptory challenge to the committee composition, this process can take up to twenty-five (25) Working Days, pursuant to Section 6.5. The Faculty Senate Chair will send an Email to the Grievant and the Respondent documenting that the College Grievance Committee membership has been

5.5 Determining if a hearing is warranted. Within fifteen (15) Working Days of finalizing the College Grievance Committee, the committee will sign the Confidentiality Form (available from the Office of the Provost), review materials provided by the Grievant and Respondent, and determine by majority vote if there is sufficient cause to recommend a hearing. The Committee may request additional information to render its

5.5.1Recommendation to proceed. If the College Grievance Committee recommends a hearing, the College Grievance Committee Chair will notify the Grievant, the Respondent, and the President or President’s designee via Email of the decision to schedule a

5.5.2 Recommendation not to proceed. If the College Grievance Committee recommends against a hearing, the College Grievance Committee Chair will notify the President or designee via Email. The Email must contain a summary of the Committee’s rationale. If the President or President’s designee concurs with the recommendation, the matter will be considered If the President disagrees, the grievance will proceed to a hearing.

5.6 Selecting an Advocate. If the grievance advances to a hearing, any Grievant bringing an Advocate must so advise the College Grievance Committee Chair by Email at least ten (10) Working Days prior to the hearing; the College Grievance Committee Chair will in turn inform the Respondent(s), who may then request representation by NSC General Counsel. The Grievant(s) or the Respondent(s) is allowed one Advocate, who serves only in an advisory capacity. If either party fails to provide notification of an Advocate to the College Grievance Committee Chair at least ten (10) Working Days prior to the hearing, they will not be permitted to have an Advocate present at the

5.7 Holding a hearing. The hearing is to be attended only by the five (5) members of the College Grievance Committee, the Grievant, the Respondent, and any Advocates. The hearing shall occur within fifteen (15) Working Days of the date in which the Email (detailed in 5.5) was sent from the College Grievance Committee to the Grievant, Respondent, and President or President’s

5.8 Reaching a recommendation. The decisions of the College Grievance Committee panel shall be in the form of recommendations and are advisory only. Such recommendations shall be sent to the President.

The College Grievance Committee shall reach its recommendation based solely on the evidence presented by the Grievant and Respondent and any additional evidence requested by the College Grievance Committee. The College Grievance Committee Chair forwards the Final Recommendation Form, available from the Office of the Provost, via Email to the President or the President’s designee, the Grievant, and the Respondent within ten (10) Working Days of concluding the hearing.

5.9 Formal determination. Upon receipt of the Final Recommendation Form, the President or President’s designee shall provide Email notification of a decision regarding the grievance within fifteen (15) Working Days to the Grievant, the Respondent, and the College Grievance Committee Chair. The College Grievance Committee Chair will inform the College Grievance Committee of the decision. The decision of the President or the President’s designee is final.

Section 6 Selecting a College Grievance Committee

6.1 Determining eligible committee members. The Faculty Senate Chair requests a list from the Office of Human Resources of faculty who are eligible to serve on the committee. The following criteria determine eligibility:

• • Must have greater than 50% full-time equivalent (FTE) at NSC;
  • A minimum of three of the five committee member must have the same faculty classification as the Grievant:
    • Must be academic faculty in cases in which the Grievant is an academic faculty member;
    • Must be administrative faculty in cases in which the Grievant is an administrative faculty member.

6.2 Distributing the list. Upon receipt of the list from HR, the Faculty Senate Chair will send the list of eligible faculty to the Grievant, the Respondent, and the President or President’s

6.3 Submitting preferred candidates. Within five (5) Working Days of receiving the list of eligible faculty, the Grievant and Respondent will each provide five (5) names from the list for

6.4 Composing the committee. The Faculty Senate Chair will compose the College Grievance Committee of the following members: two (2) faculty chosen from the preferred list provided by the Grievant and two (2) faculty chosen from the preferred list provided by the Respondent. An Administrative Representative chosen from the list of eligible faculty by the President or President’s designee serves as the fifth member. The Faculty Senate Chair will appoint one member of the College Grievance Committee to serve as the College Grievance Committee Chair. The Faculty Senate Chair will send an Email to the Grievant, the Respondent, and the President or President’s designee documenting the committee

6.5 Exercising a peremptory challenge. Within five (5) Working Days from receipt of the preliminary list of committee members, the Grievant and the Respondent may each exercise a peremptory challenge of one member of the College Grievance Committee. In the case of a peremptory challenge, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will reconvene within five (5) Working Days to select a replacement member from the pool of eligible faculty and administration members or consult with the President or designee for an alternate Administrative Representative. The Faculty Senate Chair will notify the Grievant, Respondent, and President or President’s designee via Email of the finalized committee

Section 7 Confidentiality and Record Retention

As grievances are personnel matters, confidentiality of grievance files shall be maintained, excepting instances of court order or requests for reproduction to the extent required by law. The files shall be secured in the Office of Human Resources Access to the files shall be granted only for the purpose of evaluating or determining a grievance and shall be limited to the College Grievance Committee, the Grievant, the Respondent, and the President or President’s designee. Each person authorized to view the file will sign a document agreeing to preserve the confidentiality of its contents at the beginning of the grievance process, and the Office of Human Resources shall maintain a log detailing who has requested access to the files and their reason for reviewing them.

��NSC will follow a “FY + 7 years” retention period set forth in the NSHE Procedures and Guidelines Manual, Chapter 16; a copy of the grievance and decision will be kept for seven (7) years past the fiscal year of the faculty member’s last date of employment.

Section 8 Evaluations

Each academic and administrative faculty member shall be evaluated annually by Department Chairs, supervisors or heads of administrative units. The annual performance evaluation provides constructive, developmental feedback to the faculty member. All performance evaluations shall be based on the criteria specified in the Title 2, Section 5.12 of the NSHE Code and Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 4(2) of the Board Handbook. The categories of evaluation include the following ratings: excellent, commendable, satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

Each person shall submit documentation on each of the applicable areas. The College may recommend a specific form of submission. In addition, department or unit bylaws may contain more specific requirements. Evidence of excellent performance in specified professional responsibilities shall be a requirement for tenure or promotion.

Annual evaluations of tenured faculty shall comply with Title 2, Chapter 5, Section 5.13 of the Code. For academic faculty, evaluation for promotion and tenure shall include peer review within the department or unit.

The performance evaluations of executive and supervisory faculty shall include consultation with the professional and classified staff of the appropriate administrative unit.

The evaluation of each person shall carry a signed statement indicating that they have read the evaluation or has waived the right to read it. If the faculty member disagrees with any part of the evaluation, they may submit a written statement, which shall be attached to the written evaluation and become a part thereof as specified in Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 4(5). In addition, the faculty member may seek reconsideration if permitted by the Code and/or file a grievance with respect to the evaluation. In the event reconsideration is sought, the final step of the reconsideration for an academic faculty member will be to the Dean, and the final step for an administrative faculty member will be to the appropriate Vice President or Provost. If the College adopts a peer committee evaluation review process, the peer committee process may be used as an alternative to a grievance. The peer committee shall be comprised of members outside the department or unit. All reconsideration determinations must have the approval of the President.

Section 9 Personnel Recommendations

All tenure, promotion, merit determinations and annual evaluations shall be made on the basis of the person’s professional performance in meeting their assigned responsibilities, with due consideration to such additional activities undertaken with the approval of the faculty member’s supervisor.

Section 10 Merit Determinations

Where funds have been allocated for merit during a given year, merit shall be awarded based on the annual evaluation. Merit funds shall not be routinely distributed evenly between members of the department or unit, but must instead be awarded to individual faculty members to recognize substantial contributions leading to an annual evaluation of commendable or excellent.

If a faculty member challenges the award of merit or the annual evaluation, the Grievance Procedure must be used for review of both issues.

Section 11 Nonreappointment of Nontenured Faculty

Notification of nonreappointment or termination of nontenured members of the faculty shall be made in accordance with the provisions prescribed in the Code, Section 5.9, et. seq. The faculty member involved has the right to request the reasons for nonreappointment or termination in accordance with Section 5.2.3 of the Code. This section is not applicable to temporary or part-time faculty.

Section 12 Dismissal

All faculty members are subject to dismissal for cause as specified in the Title 2, Chapter 6 of the Code, as well as pursuant to certain other more specific policies stated in Title 2, Chapter 5 of the Code, including, but not limited to termination for financial exigency or curricular reasons, abandonment of job, falsification of application materials or degree, and/or failure to return to work after exhaustion of all available leave.

In addition, certain contracts of employment may have more specific terms stated in the contract pertaining to termination.

Section 13 Sabbatical Leave

The number of slots for sabbatical leaves is determined by the NSHE, and is limited by available funding. The major purpose of sabbatical leaves is to provide the faculty opportunity for continued professional growth and new or renewed intellectual achievement through study, research, writing, creative work and travel, so that teaching effectiveness may be enhanced, scholarly usefulness increased, and the institution’s academic, research, and service programs strengthened.

Any faculty member with academic equivalent rank, including the rank of lecturer, who shall, at the beginning of the proposed leave, have served full-time on either a ten- or twelve-month contract for six or more consecutive salaried years without a sabbatical leave is eligible to apply for sabbatical leave. The request shall be made to the Provost, who shall consult with the department or unit, and with the President, prior to making a decision. Any sabbatical shall be conditioned upon returning to the College for at least one year following the conclusion of the sabbatical.

If there is an approved leave of absence during the six consecutive years, the time accrued toward earning a sabbatical will not be lost, and will continue once the leave is completed.

CHAPTER 7: SEARCH PROCEDURES

Section 1 General Policy

All full-time positions, except for temporary or interim appointments, should be filled through an established search process, except where an exception is approved by the President.

Section 2 Office of the President

In accordance with the Code, Chapter 1, Section 1.5.4, an Institutional Advisory Committee shall be appointed whenever a vacancy in the position of President occurs.

Section 3 Provost/Vice Presidents

Consultation with faculty by the President will occur in all searches for Provost and Vice President positions. Such consultation will usually occur in the form of participation on an appointed screening committee.

Section 4 Deans

Consultation with faculty in the unit concerned by the Provost will occur in all searches for Dean positions. Such consultation will usually occur in the form of participation on an appointed screening committee.

Section 5 Department Chairs

Department chairs shall be nominated and selected according to procedures established in campus policy. The name of the department chair shall be forwarded to the Provost and President for approval. The nit Dean may make interim appointments to fill vacancies.

Section 6 Faculty

Recommendation for new faculty appointments shall originate in the academic departments or administrative units, upon authorization by the Provost and appropriate Dean/Director/Supervisor. The objective of the recruitment and screening process shall be to hire the most suitable candidate for each academic and administrative position through an appropriate search process.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Statement

�鶹ԭ�� State College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and is committed to excellence through diversity. �鶹ԭ�� State College will not tolerate discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, or Vietnam-era and/or disabled veteran status, in any of its programs, organizations, and/or conditions of employment and admission.

HISTORY

Revisions to Chapter 6 Section 3, Grievance policy, approved internally in 2018. Revised and approved by NSHE Spring 2021.
Revised 2022 to add language on tenure requirements and grievance process.

The post �鶹ԭ�� Bylaws (MH 2.2) appeared first on �鶹ԭ��.

BY-LAW I: NSSA MEMBERSHIP

A. Membership is open to all students registered in at least one class at NSC.

B. The cumulative GPA for office holders shall be determined from official college transcripts. In order for an officer to continue in office, he/she must maintain at least a 2.00 semester GPA and a 2.25 cumulative GPA. At the end of each semester and before the elections, the Business Manager shall check grades to verify eligibility. A student representing a single credit group can only hold office for that credit group twice. A student holding an Executive Council position can only hold office in the Executive Council for a total of three years, as well as only hold a single position within the Executive Council for a total of two years.

C. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the Executive Council or the Senate, the President shall recommend an appointee to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term. The recommendation shall be approved at a Joint Meeting by a majority vote. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President shall assume the presidency for the remainder of the elected term. Upon assuming the presidency, the new President shall recommend an appointee to fill the office of Vice President for the remaining term. The appointee must be approved by a majority vote at a Joint Meeting. If the new President declines to assume the presidency for only the remaining term, a Special Election will be held to fill the vacancy within two calendar months. If the office of Vice President is vacant at the time the office of President becomes vacant, the Secretary will act as President until a new election is held to elect a President. The election shall be held within two calendar months of the position becoming vacant. Persons recommended for appointment shall possess the qualifications for the position, as set forth in the NSSA Constitution.

D. Any officer holding any additional elected and/or appointed office in any other student organization shall abstain from voting in the event of a conflict of interest.

E. NSSA officers shall attend their respective board meetings.

BY-LAW II: STIPENDS & ATTENDANCE

A. All NSSA Senators will receive a stipend equivalent to the amount of six NSC in-state credits per semester served for fall and spring semesters, and a stipend equivalent to the amount of one NSC in-state credit for summer service. All members of the NSSA Executive Council will receive a stipend equivalent to the amount of nine NSC in-state credits per semester served for fall and spring semesters, and a stipend in the amount of three NSC in-state credits for summer service. The NSSA President will receive a stipend equivalent to the amount of twelve NSC in-state credits per semester served for fall and spring semesters, and a stipend in the amount of six NSC in-state credits for summer service. Summer service for all members of the NSSA is optional. To be eligible to receive the stipend, Senate members must meet the following requirements:

a. Maintain 70% attendance of all required meetings as evidenced by the list of attendees in the approved minutes of each meeting.

b. Maintain 70% attendance of all required office hours.

i. All senators and executive board members shall complete a total of 8 office hours every two weeks, with the exception of summer service.

1. Summer service includes: No office hours and 70% of joint and board meetings.

ii. Office hours must be primarily served in the NSSA Office.
iii. If office hours are served outside of the NSSA office, they must be verified by the NSSA secretary or through minutes from an outside meeting where the hours are served. In order for hours outside of the NSSA office to be official, prior notice must be given to the NSSA secretary.

B. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25 and a semester GPA of 2.0.

a. Successfully complete at least the required credit hours for each position during the semester to be compensated, with the exception of summer term. Successful completion means that a student has maintained the minimum 2.25 cumulative GPA requirement.

b. Senators are required to complete six credit hours; Executive Council members are required to complete nine credit hours; and the President is required to complete twelve credit hours.

C. Stipend and attendance eligibility will begin the day a Senate member takes the oath of office or one week after the start of a regular semester, whichever comes later, and will end two weeks prior to the end of each regular semester.

D. All NSSA Senators and Executive Council Members appointed to office shall be eligible for a full stipend during that particular semester only if they take the oath of office before the first 30 calendar days of the semester. After 30 calendar days, stipends shall be prorated based on time served according to attendance records.

BY-LAW III: BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

A. All boards and committee meetings:

a. Shall comply with the �鶹ԭ�� Board of Regents’ policy and any amendments thereto.

b. Shall be run in accordance with the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order and �鶹ԭ�� Open Meeting Law.

c. Shall be held at least once per month during the fall and spring semesters.

d. Each board shall consist of the elected chair and senators appointed by the President.

e. The chair of each board shall set meeting dates and times, in accordance with board members’ schedules.

f. In the absence of the chair, a senator on the board shall chair the meeting.

g. At the first meeting of every board, that board shall appoint a senator who will serve as the Secretary.

h. Agenda items for the boards must be sent to the chair, or secretary, of that board three calendar days prior to the posting of the agenda. All agendas must be posted in public view by 9:00 a.m. on each campus three full calendar days prior to all scheduled meetings, in accordance with the �鶹ԭ�� Open Meeting Law.

i. The chair, or secretary, of each board is required to submit completed meeting minutes for each board meeting no later than seven calendar days after a meeting has taken place.

j. A majority vote on any agenda item from any of the NSSA boards that involves the expenditure and/or collection of funds shall be treated as a recommendation that the item be placed on the next Joint Meeting’s agenda for approval.

B. Executive Council Duties:

a. Clubs & Organizations Board

i. Purpose

1. Will have the authority to recommend to the Joint Meeting that a student organization’s charter be granted or revoked.

2. Create a forum for addressing the concerns of student organizations.

3. Monies budgeted for the Clubs & Organizations Board may be used to support student organizations. A majority of the Clubs & Organizations Board must recommend such expenditures to the Joint Meeting for approval.

b. Programming Board

i. Purpose

1. Will be responsible for the planning and running of all NSSA events.

2. Will be responsible for keeping records of attendance at all NSSA events on file in the NSSA Office for a period of up to seven years.

3. Will have the authority to recommend to the Joint Meeting that expenditures be spent on NSSA events.

4. Monies budgeted for the Programming Board may be used to support events arranged by the Programming Board. A majority of the Programming Board must recommend such expenditures to the Joint Meeting for approval.

c. Budget and Finance Board

i. Purpose

1. Will create a budget at the beginning of each academic year, which divides the monies amongst the five boards, by a majority vote of the Budget and Finance Board.

2. Monies budgeted for the Budget and Finance Board may be used to further support the other four boards, NSSA committees, student’s requests, school’s requests, and/or requests made from the community. A majority of the Budget and Finance Board must recommend such expenditures to the Joint Meeting for approval.

3. Will be required to keep records of all monies spent.

4. Will review and submit recommendations to the Joint Meeting for approval of all funding requests. Funding requests being recommended to the Joint Meeting must include the meeting minutes where a vote was passed requesting funding approval from NSSA.

d. Public Relations Board

i. Purpose

1. Will promote NSSA and NSC within the Southern �鶹ԭ�� community.

2. Will publicize all NSSA events.

3. Will maintain accurate NSSA online presence on the NSC website and social media sites.

4. Create a forum for clubs and organizations addressing website requirements, social media conduct, and online policy.

5. Will oversee any public relations projects and purchase all public relations promotional items.

6. Monies budgeted for the Public Relations Board may be used to support the purpose of the Public Relations Board, as outlined in the constitution. A majority of the Public Relations Board must recommend such expenditures to the Joint Meeting for approval.

e. Capital Improvement Board

i. Purpose

1. Will be responsible for planning and accomplishing projects that will benefit NSSA and the NSC community.

2. Monies budgeted for the Capital Improvement Board may be used to support the purpose of the Capital Improvement Board, as outlined in the constitution. A majority of the Capital Improvement Board must recommend such expenditures to the Joint Meeting for approval.

BY-LAW IV: ELECTION BOARD

A. An Election Committee:

a. Shall be created by a majority vote at a Joint Meeting a month before an election.

b. Shall consist of two NSSA members and one NSSA officer who will chair the committee, and none of whom is seeking office in the election.

c. Shall have the authority to determine eligibility of candidates, enforce the provisions of the constitution and by-laws, and to certify the final results of the election.

d. Shall have the authority to disqualify a candidate from running by a majority vote if the candidate is found in violation of election rules and procedures.

e. Shall hold an election orientation for potential candidates.

B. Potential Candidates

a. Shall attend a mandatory election orientation held at the beginning of the election process.

b. Shall abide by the rules established by the election committee, which will be distributed and signed by each candidate.

c. Shall adhere to the eligibility provisions set forth in the constitution.

d. May file for no more than one office in any election.

C. Campaigning

a. Shall be limited to fifteen calendar days prior to the scheduled election.

b. Campaigning materials shall be approved by the election committee prior to being released for distribution.

c. Candidates seeking election will be barred from acting on behalf or in support of any other candidates campaigning during the election process. Each candidate must run independently of all other candidates.

d. Candidates shall be responsible for the cleanup of their campaign materials within two calendar days following the end of the election.

D. Voting Procedures

a. NSSA officers shall be elected in a general election.

b. The NSSA Business Manager shall compile and make available all votes within 24 hours of close of the last Election Day. The results shall be posted by 5: 00 p.m. the following business day after the conclusion and verification of the count.

c. The Election Committee will keep election results on file in the NSSA Office.

BY-LAW V: BOARDS AND COMMITTEE

A. By-Law & Constitution Committee

a. Purpose

i. The By-Law & Constitution Committee shall review the current NSSA Constitution and By-Laws and recommend amendments on the basis of relevance and necessity.

b. The By-Law & Constitution Committee shall consist of no less than one member of the NSSA Executive Council, two NSSA senators, and three NSC students.

c. Any proposed changes shall be submitted to the Committee Chair. Upon receipt of any proposed changes, the Committee shall meet to consider them and make recommendations to the NSSA Senate.

d. A By-law for NSSA shall be a legislative act prescribing procedure for NSSA Student Government. Such By-laws shall comply with the NSSA Constitution.

e. By-law changes recommended by the Committee shall become effective upon approval by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Senate.

f. The Committee shall present any proposed Constitution changes to the Senate for a decision on referral to the student body. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Senate is necessary to refer the recommended constitutional amendment(s) to the student body for approval during an election.

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ARTICLE I – DEFINITIONS, MISSION, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, AND NAME

Section 1.�� Definitions

(a) Member: The members of the Board of Regents of the �鶹ԭ�� System of Higher Education shall be corporate members of the �鶹ԭ�� State College Foundation and, as such, the term “Member” as used herein shall refer to the individual members of the Board of Regents in their capacity as Members of the Corporation.

(b) Trustee: The term “Trustee” as used herein shall refer to the individual members of the Board of Trustees of the �鶹ԭ�� State College Foundation. Trustees shall be nominated and appointed as set forth herein

(c) Officers: The Officers of the Corporation shall include a Chairperson of the Board, one or more Vice Chairpersons, a Secretary, Treasurer, and such other Officers as the Board shall deem necessary to elect. At the discretion of the President of the �鶹ԭ�� State College, an official of the �鶹ԭ�� State College shall serve as Secretary of the Corporation.

Section 2.�� Mission

The �鶹ԭ�� State College Foundation is a non-profit corporation organized under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, incorporated in the State of �鶹ԭ�� (hereinafter, “Corporation”). The sole purpose and mission of the Corporation shall be to raise charitable funds for �鶹ԭ�� State College in support of the educational, technology, operational, facility and research needs of the students, faculty, staff and volunteers of �鶹ԭ�� State College.�� No part of the donations, receipts or earnings of the Corporation shall inure to the benefit of any Trustee or Officer of the Corporation.

Section 3.�� Principal Office

The principal office and place of business of the �鶹ԭ�� State College Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the “Corporation”) in the State of �鶹ԭ�� shall be on the campus of the �鶹ԭ�� State College or any other location as the Board of Trustees may determine.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERS, BOARD OF REGENTS

Section 1.�� “Member”

The members of the Board of Regents of the �鶹ԭ�� System of Higher Education shall be corporate members of the �鶹ԭ�� State College Foundation and, as such, the term “Member” as used herein shall refer to the individual members of the Board of Regents in their capacity as Members of the Corporation.

Section 2.�� Tenure

Each Member’s tenure as a Member of the Corporation shall run concurrently to their tenure as member of the Board of Regents.

Section 3.�� Annual Meeting

The Members shall meet annually to ratify the appointment of members of the Board of Trustees and for the transaction of such other business as may come before the meeting.

Section 4.�� Special Meetings

Special meetings of the Members shall be held upon the call of the Chair, or, in the absence of the Chair, upon the call of the Vice Chair, or upon the receipt by the Member’s Chief of Staff of a petition signed by at least five (5) Members.

Section 5.�� Quorum

Seven (7) Members shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at regular or special meetings of the Members. A majority of the membership of a special committee shall constitute a quorum for purposes of the business of the committee. A quorum may be gained by telephonic, video, or electronic transmission providing that notice to that effect has been given.

Section 6.�� Inspection of Books and Records

Upon reasonable demand, each Member shall have the right to examine and photocopy, in person, or by agent or attorney, at any reasonable time and for any purpose, all of the books and records of account of the Corporation, its last annual and most recently published financial statement, and minutes of all acts and proceedings of the Board of Trustees.�� However, such documents shall not be entered into the public record at a Member meeting.�� The Corporation shall comply with the provisions of section 239.010, Public Records, of �鶹ԭ�� Revised Statutes, subject to those exceptions set forth in NRS 396.405 regarding the disclosure of contributor or potential contributor information.

Section 7.�� Transfer of Membership

Membership in the Corporation is not transferable or assignable.

ARTICLE III – TRUSTEES, NEVADA STATE COLLEGE FOUNDATION

Section 1. “Trustee”

The term “Trustee” as used herein shall refer to the individual members of the Board of Trustees of the �鶹ԭ�� State College Foundation. Trustees shall be nominated and appointed as set forth herein.

Section 2.�� Powers

The business affairs and property of the Corporation shall be managed by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”).�� Without limiting the general powers conferred by these Bylaws and the Articles of Incorporation and provided by law, the Board shall have the following additional powers:

(a) to set forth rules for the management of the Corporation and its affairs;

(b) to set forth rules for the acquisition, management, disbursement and sale of assets so that such transactions are in the Corporation’s best interests;

(c) to enter into agreements and contracts that are in the Corporation’s best interests;

(d) to supervise and direct the Officers, employees, and agents of the Corporation and to ensure that their duties are properly performed;

(e) to appoint and remove at its pleasure any and all Officers, employees, and agents of the Corporation, to prescribe their duties in a manner consistent with these bylaws, and to fix their compensation;

(f) to borrow money and otherwise to incur indebtedness and to enter the terms and amount of such indebtedness in the minutes of the Board, and to evidence such indebtedness by the note of the Corporation, and to mortgage the property of the Corporation, and otherwise give security for payment of such indebtedness;

(g) to cause to be kept a complete record of all Corporation and Board meetings, an annual inspection or audit, and an annual report to the Members showing in reasonable detail all of the assets and liabilities of the corporation and its financial condition;

(h) to amend, alter, and repeal these bylaws or any part thereof, at any meeting of the Board, provided that such bylaws shall be submitted to and approved by a majority of the Members present at any of their official meetings; and

(i) in addition to the power and authority conferred upon the Board by these Bylaws, to exercise all such other lawful powers of the Corporation and do all such lawful acts in the furtherance of the Corporation’s business as are not done by the Members.

(j) To accept contributions to the Corporation and establish segregated endowment funds separate from the general assets of the Corporation to be held pursuant to the terms of any such contribution to the extent not inconsistent with the purpose of this Corporation and the continued qualification of the Corporation as an entity exempt from income tax under Section 501(c)3.

(k) To appoint an Executive Committee and other committees to accomplish the purpose and mission of the Corporation, and to delegate to the Executive Committee any of the powers and authority of the Board of Trustees in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, except to the extent limited by applicable law. The Board of Trustees shall have the power to prescribe the manner in which proceedings of the Executive Committee and other committees shall be conducted.

Section 3 – Duties

The duties of the Trustees are to support the objectives and purposes of the Corporation as defined in Article III of the Articles of Incorporation. To the extent consistent with Article III of the Articles of Incorporation, each Trustee shall seek to promote the general welfare, development, growth, and well-being of �鶹ԭ�� State College through: 1) personal contributions, as determined by the Board of Trustees; 2) the raising of funds for the benefit of �鶹ԭ�� State College, and the solicitation of funds or in-kind contributions; and 3) Board meeting attendance and participation.�� Failure to attend or participate in scheduled meetings may be cause for dismissal from the Board.

Section 4.�� Qualifications, Election, Tenure

The�� Board of Trustees shall be comprised of not less than thirteen (13) or more than thirty (30) Trustees who need not be residents of the State of �鶹ԭ��, provided that fifty percent (50%) or more of the Trustees at any time shall not be disqualified persons other than foundation managers, as defined in Section 4946 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. Trustees to succeed those whose terms expire shall be nominated by the Committee on Trusteeship and approved by the Members in accordance with the terms of this section.

(a) The Board shall meet at least four times a year, once each calendar quarter. The first meeting of ��the third calendar quarter or first fiscal year quarter is designated as the Annual Meeting and the purpose of the meeting shall be to nominate the Executive Committee, nominate Trustees and conduct any other business as may properly come before the meeting.�� The Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be held prior to the Board of Regents Member meeting as set forth in Article II, Section 2 at a place determined by the Chairperson.�� Trustees shall be notified at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting date.

(b) In order to submit nominations to the Members for approval, the Board of Trustees shall announce nominations for new Officers at the Board of Trustees Annual Meeting. The Executive Committee shall report the names of the Nominees of the Officers to the Board of Trustees.�� Additional nominations may be made by any five (5) Trustees or any two (2) Members by means of a written instrument signed by all such Trustees or Members, as the case may be, and delivered to the Chair. Each Officer shall assume office at the next meeting of the Board of Trustees following their election, and shall serve for a term of two (2) years.

(c) In order to submit nominations to the Members for approval, the Committee on Trusteeship shall announce nominations for new Trustees at the Board of Trustees Annual Meeting. The Committee on Trusteeship shall report the names of the nominees of the Trustees to the Board of Trustees.�� Additional nominations may be made by any five (5) Trustees or any two (2) Members by means of a written instrument signed by all such Trustees or Members, as the case may be, and delivered to the Chair. The names of all Trustees nominated by the Board of Trustees shall be sent to Members in advance of the next meeting of the Members. All nominees to the Board of Trustees shall be elected upon receiving the affirmative vote of a majority of the Members present at the Members meeting.�� Each Trustee shall assume trusteeship at the next meeting of the Board of Trustees or committee to which they are assigned, following their election, and shall serve for a term of three (3) Trustees may serve no more than three (3) consecutive terms in addition to fulfilling a partial term from a trustee vacancy , unless the term limit has been waived by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

(d) The following persons shall serve as ex-officio Trustees, shall be given notice of all the meetings of the Board, and shall be entitled to participate fully in any such meeting but shall not be counted for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum at any such meeting and shall not be entitled to vote upon any matter submitted to a vote of the Board:

• • (1) President, �鶹ԭ�� State College;
  • (2) Any one official of the �鶹ԭ�� State College designated by the President, �鶹ԭ�� State College;
  • (3) The Executive Director of the �鶹ԭ�� State College Foundation.
  • The Board may provide by resolution for additional persons to serve as ex-officio Trustees having the same rights and privileges as set forth in this paragraph (c).

(e) The Board may offer “Trustee Emeritus” status to those Trustees who wish to remain affiliated with, but not active on, the Board. Trustee Emeritus status shall carry the same rights and restrictions as ex-officio status, and the change of a Trustee’s status to Trustee Emeritus shall create a Board vacancy. The status terminates with the conclusion of the Trustee’s current term of office; however, the Committee on Trusteeship may recommend the Trustee continue as Trustee Emeritus for another term or return to active Board status for a specified term.

(f) No provision of this section shall restrict the right of the Members to fill vacancies as is provided elsewhere in this Article III.

Section 5.�� Special Meetings

Special meetings of the Members shall be held upon ��the call of the Chair, or, in the absence of the Chair, upon the call of the Vice Chair, or upon the receipt by the Corporation’s Executive Director of a petition signed by at least five (5) Members.

Section 6.�� Quorum

A quorum at all meetings of the Board of Trustees shall consist of a majority of Trustees, except as provided specifically to the contrary by these bylaws, the act of a majority of the Trustees at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board.

Section 7.�� Vacancies

As vacancies occur, the Committee on Trusteeship may nominate the individual(s) and present the name(s) at the next scheduled Board meeting for ratification of nomination.�� The name of the Nominee(s) shall then be presented to the Trustees at their next scheduled meeting for election.�� Each Trustee so elected will serve for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor.

Section 8.�� Committees

Committees may have the number of members that the Trustees deem to be the most efficient for the Committee’s purpose.�� A quorum of Committee meetings consists of a majority of the committee members.�� Except as provided specifically to the contrary by these bylaws, the act of a majority of the Committee members at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the committee.�� The following Committees shall be established:

(a) Executive Committee

1. 1. The Executive Committee is established to supervise and manage the operations and affairs of the corporation. Except to the extent limited by resolution of the Board,�� the Board shall delegate to the Executive Committee all of the power of the Board�� whenever the Board is not in session, and all actions taken by the Executive Committee within the scope of its authority shall be valid and binding upon the Corporation for all purposes.�� The Executive Committee shall be chaired by the Chairperson of the Board and vice chaired by the Vice Chairperson of the Board.�� Its membership shall also include the immediate past Chairperson of the Board, the Treasurer of the Corporation, who is also the Chairperson of the Finance and Audit ��Committee, and the Secretary, who also is the Chair of the Committee on Trusteeship, The members of the Executive Committee, by majority vote, shall elect additional members as the Committee deems necessary.�� The Executive Committee as constituted from time to time may fill any vacancies as they occur by majority vote of the members of the Board.
   2. A majority of the Trustees of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business at any meeting. The vote of the majority of the Trustees present at a meeting shall be the act of the Executive Committee.
   3. The Executive Committee shall present at every meeting of the Board a complete report of all actions taken by the Executive Committee on behalf of the Corporation which occurred subsequent to its preceding report.�� The minutes of the Executive Committee meetings will be circulated to all Board members when properly approved.
   5. Finance and Audit Committee. The Finance and Audit Committee is established for the purpose of managing Corporation assets through acceptance, purchase, sale, investment or whatever device is most advantageous to the Corporation.�� It will also audit the transactions of the Corporation and the compliance of the Executive Director with corporate directives.�� This committee is a standing committee of the Board.�� Committee members shall be appointed by the Chairperson, with concurrence of the Executive Committee.�� Terms are three�� (3) years and have no more than three (3) members from the local community, however, the majority of the committee membership must be from the current Board.

(b) Finance and Audit Committee. The Finance and Audit Committee is established for the purpose of managing Corporation assets through acceptance, purchase, sale, investment or whatever device is most advantageous to the Corporation.�� It will also audit the transactions of the Corporation and the compliance of the Executive Director with corporate directives.�� This committee is a standing committee of the Board.�� Committee members shall be appointed by the Chairperson, with concurrence of the Executive Committee.�� Terms are three�� (3) years and have no more than three (3) members from the local community, however, the majority of the committee membership must be from the current Board.

(c) Committee on Trusteeship. The Committee on Trusteeship has the purpose of creating a list of nominees for a vacant position on the Board, maintaining a pool of candidates for Board membership and evaluating Board member performance.���� Committee members shall be appointed by the Chairperson, with concurrence of the Executive Committee.�� . This Committee is a standing committee of the Board.�� Terms are three (3) years.

(d) The Board may establish any other committee and its rules of membership and operation that it deems necessary to carry on the business of the Corporation.

Section 9.�� Removal

Any Trustee of the Board may be removed by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Members or of three-fourths of the Trustees then on the board whenever in their judgment such removal would serve the best interests of the Corporation.�� A failure to perform responsibilities as a Trustee of the corporation as defined in Article III Section 2 of the Bylaws constitutes cause for removal. A fifteen (15) day notice shall be given to the individual who is to be brought up for removal, giving the affected person the right to either be present or to send in a written representation/defense. Any Trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Board Chair, or Secretary of the Corporation. Such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, and unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

Section 10.�� Participation by Telephone

To the extent permitted by law any Trustee of the Board of Trustees, or committee thereof, may participate in a meeting of such Board or committee by means of a conference telephone network or similar communications method by which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in such a fashion shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

Section 11.�� Compensation

No Trustee shall receive any compensation for serving in such office, provided that the Corporation may reimburse any member of the Board for reasonable expenses incurred in connection with service on the Board.�� Any such reasonable expenses that are not reimbursed by the Corporation shall be regarded as a gift to the Corporation.�� No provision of this section shall be construed as restricting the right of any member of the Board to receive reasonable compensation for serving the Corporation in a capacity other than as a Trustee.

ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS

Section 1.�� Number

The Officers of the Corporation shall include a Chairperson of the Board, one or more Vice Chairpersons, a Secretary, Treasurer, and such other Officers as the Board shall deem necessary to elect.�� At the discretion of the President of the �鶹ԭ�� State College, an official of the �鶹ԭ�� State College shall serve as Secretary of the Corporation.

Section 2.�� Election and Term of Office

Fourteen (14) days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Board, the Executive Committee, ��established in accordance with Article III, Section 7 (a) shall compile the names of its Nominees to be elected as Officers, which may include the names of then current Officers whose terms are due to expire.�� The Chairperson shall cause the names of all Nominees to be communicated to all Trustees seven (7) days prior to the next meeting of the Trustees at which officers are to be elected.�� The new Officers shall be installed immediately following their election.�� The term of office is two years.

(a) The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson may serve for a maximum of two consecutive terms in a single office. The Vice Chairperson will automatically succeed the Chairperson when the Chairperson’s term is over, unless the Vice Chairperson declines.

Section 3.�� Removal of Officers

Any Officer of the Corporation may be removed by a majority of the Trustees then in office at any meeting of the Board.�� Any change in the position of any Officer holding office by virtue of his or her College position shall require approval by the President of the �鶹ԭ�� State College.

Section 4.�� Duties of the Chairperson; Limitations

The Chairperson of the Board shall preside at all meetings of the Board and the Executive Committee and shall serve as a member of the Finance and Audit Committee and one more committee, if applicable.�� The Chairperson shall appoint individuals to such Committees of the Board to the extent authorized by these bylaws.�� The Chairperson shall have such authority as may be expressly prescribed by or implied from these bylaws or by resolution of the Board or the Executive Committee.�� However, the Chairperson does not have any apparent authority to bind the Corporation.�� Except to the extent otherwise specifically provided by these bylaws, or by resolution of the Board, the Chairperson shall not execute any contract or take any action on behalf of the Corporation without first obtaining the approval of the Board or Executive Committee.

Section 5.�� Duties of the Vice Chairperson

In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson shall perform all the duties of the Chairperson and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all of the restrictions upon the Chairperson.�� The Vice Chairperson shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Board or detailed in these bylaws.�� The Vice Chairperson shall be Vice Chairperson of the Executive Committee, will be an member of the Finance and Audit committee and one other committee, but not the same committee as the Chairperson

Section 6.�� Duties of the Secretary

The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of the proceedings of the meetings of the Members of the Corporation, of the Board, and of any Committees of the Board; shall ensure that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws; shall be the custodian of the records and of the seal of the Corporation and shall attest the affixing of the seal of the Corporation when authorized by the Board; and shall perform all duties incident to such office and such other duties as may be assigned to such person by the Chairperson or by the Board. The Secretary will also be the Chairperson of the Committee on Trusteeship.�� ��An employee of �鶹ԭ�� State College may be assigned to assist the Secretary in these duties.

Section 7.�� Duties of the Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be the principal finance officer of the Corporation; shall have the charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds and securities of the Corporation; shall ensure such funds are deposited in the name of the Corporation and such depositories as shall be designated by the Board; shall keep accurate books of accounts and records of financial transactions and the condition of the Corporation; and shall submit such reports thereof as the Board may require; and, in general, perform all duties incident to such office and such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to such person by the Chairperson or by the Board of Trustees.�� The Treasurer shall make an annual written financial report to the Corporation at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees.�� With the approval of the Board, the Treasurer shall be authorized to engage any firm or certified public accountants to assist the Treasurer in the performance of any of the duties incident to this office.�� By resolution of the Executive Committee, the Treasurer’s responsibilities may be assigned either in whole or in part to another individual or agency.�� The Treasurer must be the Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee.

Section 8.�� Vacancies

A vacancy in any office for any reason may be filled on a temporary basis by a Trustee serving on the Executive Committee until the next meeting of the Board, at which time the Board shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired portion of the term.

ARTICLE V – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Section 1. The Executive Director

The Executive Director shall be appointed by the President of �鶹ԭ�� State College and serves as the Executive Director to the �鶹ԭ�� State College Foundation.�� The Executive Director is accountable to the Board for the administration of the Corporation and shall supervise the business affairs of the Corporation, and coordinate, administer, and expedite the programs and policies of the Corporation as determined by the Board.�� The Executive Director shall serve in this capacity by virtue of his or her College position.

Section 2.�� Compensation

The Executive Director will receive reasonable compensation for services to the Corporation, determined by the Board and leadership at �鶹ԭ�� State College.�� Compensation for the position will be funded fifty percent (50%) by the Corporation and fifty percent (50%) by �鶹ԭ�� State College.

ARTICLE VI – CONTRACTS, LOANS AND DEPOSITS

Section 1.�� Contracts

The Board may authorize any Officer or Officers, agent or agents to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.

Section 2.�� Loans

No loans shall be contracted for or on behalf of the Corporation and no evidence of indebtedness shall be issued in the name of the Corporation unless authorized by a resolution of the Board.�� Such authority shall be confined to specific instances.�� No loan shall be made by the Corporation to any Officer or Trustee of the Corporation.

Section 3.�� Checks, Drafts, and Notes

All checks, drafts, or other orders for payment of money, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers, agent or agents of the Corporation, and in such manner as shall be determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees.

Section 4.���� Deposits

All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies, or other custodians as the Board or any Committee of the Corporation so empowered by the Board may select.

Section 5.�� Investment Managers

The Board shall have the authority to designate or may empower any Committee of the Corporation to designate an agent to manage the assets and the investment of the assets of the Corporation.

Section 6.�� Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Corporation shall coincide with that of the �鶹ԭ�� State College.

ARTICLE VII – PROPERTY

The property of the Corporation, unless otherwise directed by donors, shall be used to promote the general purposes of the Corporation declared in its Articles of Incorporation.�� No property belonging to the Corporation shall be conveyed or encumbered except by the authority of a majority vote of the Executive Committee or the Finance and Investment Committee.�� Any such conveyance or encumbrance shall be executed by the Chairperson of the Board or designee in the name of the Corporation, and such instrument shall be duly attested and sealed by the Secretary or Treasurer of the Corporation.

ARTICLE VIII – INDEMNIFICATION

The Board may authorize the Corporation to pay or cause to be paid, by insurance or otherwise, any judgment or fine rendered or levied against a present or former Trustee, Officer, employee or agent of the Corporation in an action brought against such person to impose a liability or penalty for an act or omission alleged to have been committed by such a person while a Trustee, Officer, employee, or agent of the Corporation, provided that the Board shall determine in good faith that such person acted in good faith and without willful misconduct or gross negligence for a purpose which he or she reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Corporation.�� Payments authorized hereunder include amounts paid and expenses incurred (including attorney’s fees) in satisfaction of any liabilities or penalty or in settling any action or threatened action, but in no event shall this Article permit payment of any amount, the payment of which would give rise to any liability for taxes or penalties under Chapter 42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, if the corporation is at such time a private foundation.

ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS

The bylaws may be amended, altered, or repealed and new bylaws may be adopted by the Board by a vote of two-thirds of all Trustees then in office at any meeting of the Board, provided that the full text of the proposed amendment, alteration, or repeal shall have been delivered to each Trustee of the Corporation at least five (5) days prior to the meeting at which the proposed amendment, alteration, or repeal will be presented to the Board for action, and provided also that any such amendment, alteration, or repeal shall, after approval by the Board, be submitted to and approved by a majority of the Members of the Corporation.

ARTICLE X – DISSOLUTION

Upon dissolution or other termination of the Corporation, any assets remaining after all debts of the Corporation have been paid shall be disposed of as provided in the Articles of Incorporation.

ARTICLE XI – PURPOSE

These bylaws are adopted for the sole purpose of facilitating the discharge, in an orderly manner, of the purposes of the Corporation.�� These bylaws shall never be construed in any way as to impair the efficient operation of the Corporation. Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern this Board in all cases where they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws.

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