Resolution of the Executive Committee of the
Faculty
By-Laws of the University Senate
Committees
Columbia University Statutes, Chapter II: The
University Senate
Rules of Procedure of the University
Senate
The By-Laws,
Statutes, and
Rules
of the
Columbia
University Senate
Columbia
University in the City of New York
Relating to the
Establishment of
BY-LAWS OF THE UNIVERSITY
SENATE
WHEREAS, the Trustees of Columbia
University in the City of New York, by their Resolution of May 13, 1969, have
authorized the Executive Committee of the Faculty “to promulgate such initial
By-Laws of the University Senate as shall not contravene the Charter or
Statutes of the University and which By-Laws may thereafter be amended as
provided in Section 26 of the Statutes of the University;” and
WHEREAS, the substance of the
By-Laws was overwhelmingly approved as part of the submission of the entire
plan for the establishment of the University Senate in a poll of the University
community in April of 1969 by a vote of about nine to one; and
WHEREAS, the University Senate is
expected to hold its first meeting before the end of the current academic year;
NOW THEREFORE, the Executive Committee of
the Faculty by RESOLUTION duly made, seconded and adopted by the unanimous vote
of its members hereby promulgates the following.
BY-LAWS
OF THE UNIVERSITY SENATE
Sec. 1: ORGANIZATION
AND PROCEDURE.
(a)
Rules. Subject to the provision of these By-Laws, the Senate shall
establish its own rules of procedure.
(b)
Presiding Officer. The President of the University shall be the
presiding officer of the Senate. In his absence, or at his request, the
Chairman of the Executive Committee shall preside as Speaker pro tempore.
(c)
Meetings. The Senate shall hold regular meetings at least once a
month during the academic year, and may meet more frequently by decision of a
majority of its members present and voting, at the call of the President of the
University, at the call of the Executive Committee, or at the call of one-third
of all its members. Meetings of the University Senate shall be open to members
of the University community, campus press, radio and other campus news media,
unless such meetings have been designated closed by the Executive Committee of
the Senate and such designation has not been overruled by a majority of the
members of the Senate present and voting thereon.
(d)
Quorum. One-half of the membership of the Senate shall constitute a
quorum for the conduct of the Senate’s business.
(e)
Agenda. The Senate shall prepare its own agenda, and the Executive
Committee of the Senate shall serve as the agenda committee. The Senate’s
agenda shall include all matters referred to the Senate by its various standing
and special committees, and all matters within its jurisdiction that may be
referred to it by the President, the Trustees, or the Executive Committee
itself. A majority of the members of the Senate may place an item on the agenda
at any time.
(f)
Introduction of Proposals. Any senator may introduce proposals,
including measures and resolutions, from the floor of the Senate. Such
proposals shall be referred to the appropriate committee to be dealt with in
accordance with Senate rules.
(g)
Floor Privileges. The Dean or Director of any Faculty, School, or
Administrative Board, whether or not he is a senator, shall have the right to
speak and participate in debate whenever any matter that is of special concern
to his particular Faculty or School is before the Senate.
The
student body in each of the following affiliated institutions may elect one or
two student observers, with Teachers College eligible to elect two, and Union
Theological Seminary eligible to elect one. If any of the affiliated institutions
elect such student observers, they shall be entitled to sit with the University
Senate but shall not vote or otherwise participate in its deliberations, unless
particular questions relevant to student interests in affiliated institutions
are the subject of Senate action, in which case, with the approval of the
Chairman, they shall have a voice but not a vote.
When
the Senate considers the report of any standing committee of the Senate, or of
any committee, commission, or other group appointed by the Senate or by the
Senate Executive Committee, members of that standing committee, and members of
such committees, commissions, or groups, who are not members of the Senate may
sit with the Senate and have a voice but not a vote in the deliberations of the
Senate on that report.
(h)
Committee Reports: Discharge of Committees. The majority of the
members of any committee of the Senate may report on any matter before the
committee. A majority of the members of the Senate present and voting may
require a committee to report at the next regular meeting of the Senate, and
one-third of the members of the Senate present and voting may require the
committee to report no later than the second regular meeting of the Senate next
following.
(i)
Petitions for Senate Action. Any matter may be placed on the agenda
of any appropriate committee of the Senate as determined by the Executive
Committee by petition signed by 150 members of the University community who are
entitled to vote for members of the Senate. Any Committee on Instruction may
place a matter on the agenda of an appropriate committee shall be disposed of
by the committee at the earliest time with due regard to other prior agenda
items, and the disposition shall be reported to the full University Senate.
(j)
Minutes. The Minutes of the Senate shall be widely disseminated, and
shall be made available to the campus and other news media. Copies of the
Minutes shall be posted in at least two prominent places on the Morningside
Campus and at least one prominent place in each of the divisions of the
University not on the Morningside Campus.
Sec. 2: FINALITY
OF SENATE ACTION; CONCURRENCE BY TRUSTEES; AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS.
(a) Action of the Senate shall
become final on first passage unless Trustee concurrence is necessary pursuant
to Section 25 of the Statutes of the University.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions
of sub-section (a), the President of the University may convene a special
meeting of the Senate within 15 class days of any Senate action, and may request
it to reconsider such action.
(c) The provisions of these By-Laws
shall not be subject to amendment except by a three-fifths vote of all
incumbent members of the Senate.
Sec. 3: COMMITTEES.
(a)
Establishment. There shall be the following standing committees:
Executive
Committee
Committee
on Education
Committee
on Rules of University Conduct
Committee
on Budget Review
Committee
on Alumni Relations
Committee
on Honors and Prizes
Committee
on Libraries and Academic Computing Facilities
Committee
on Physical Development of the University
Committee
on Student Affairs
Committee
on Faculty Affairs, Academic Freedom and Tenure
Committee
on Senate Structure and Operations
Committee
on External Relations and Research Policy
(b)
Additional Committees. Such additional standing and special
committees may be established from time to time as deemed necessary.
(c)
Periodic Reorganization of the Senate. The regular organization of
the Executive Committee and other standing committees of the Senate and
elections of committee chairmen shall take place biennially, in odd calendar
years, following the spring election.
Each
outgoing Senate committee which considers that it has continuing business to be
conducted in the summer interim may so advise the incoming Executive Committee
and request it, under the Senate’s delegation of summer powers, to appoint
interim committees as necessary to conduct this business until the new
committees are constituted, and include in their membership such members of the
outgoing committee as are available for service.
(d)
Responsibility. Every committee of the Senate shall operate within
the area of its jurisdiction as an arm of the Senate and, except where
expressly indicated otherwise in these By-Laws, committees shall be responsible
to the Senate and shall report recommendations for consideration and action by
the Senate as a whole.
(e)
Committee Membership. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
section, persons who are not members of the Senate may serve as members of Senate
committees. At least a majority of every committee shall, however, be senators.
The membership of several committees, other than the Executive Committee, shall
be elected as follows: each member of the Senate shall submit to the Executive
Committee the first three choices for committee service in the order of his
preference; the Executive Committee shall then nominate the membership of each
committee so that, to the fullest extent possible, no member of the Senate is
nominated to a committee that is not among his first three choices; after the
Executive Committee has made its nomination, nominations from the floor shall
be in order, and the Senate as a whole shall elect the members of each
committee by majority vote.
(f)
Committee Chairmen. Each committee, other than the Executive
Committee, shall elect its chairman from among its members.
(g)
Absences. If a member has more than two consecutive unexcused
absences from committee meetings scheduled at least one week in advance, the
seat shall be deemed vacant. Each committee shall determine the grounds for
absence from its meetings. When a member shall have accumulated two consecutive
unexcused absences, the chairman of the committee shall notify the member and
the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may recommend to the Senate
that the member be continued on the committee, or it may nominate a new member.
The Senate as a whole shall reappoint the member or elect a new member by a
majority vote.
(h)
The composition and jurisdiction of the several standing committees shall be as
follows:
(1) Executive Committee
The
Executive Committee shall consist of 13 members
apportioned as follows: 6
tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 2 administrators, and 3 students. All
shall be members of the Senate. The two administration representatives shall be
the President and another officer of administration of his choice. Elected
members of the Executive Committee shall be chosen as follows: each category in
the Senate entitled to members on the Executive Committee as here provided
shall nominate the requisite number and the membership of the Senate as a whole
shall vote on each of the nominees; a nominee who receives a majority of the
total number of affirmative votes cast shall become a member of the Executive
Committee; if a nominee fails to achieve a majority, the category that
nominated him shall nominate another person in his stead. Following the
election of the Executive Committee, the Chairman of the Committee shall be
nominated and elected from among the tenured faculty members by the Senate as a
whole.
The
Executive Committee shall be the Senate’s agenda committee and its committee on
committees. It may authorize standing committees without regular and recurring
duties, if they request to be put on a stand-by basis, to meet once a semester
and otherwise be on the call of the Senate or the Executive Committee or of a
majority of the Committee concerned as the need for the activity of such
committees may arise. The Executive Committee shall have the power to call the
Senate into extraordinary session, and shall have such powers, functions and
duties as the Senate may delegate to it during periods when the Senate is not
in session. The Executive Committee shall serve as a continuing liaison between
the University Senate and the central administration. The Executive Committee
may create subcommittees and may delegate any of its powers, functions, and
duties. The Executive Committee shall participate pursuant to the Statutes of
the University and the By-Laws of the Trustees, in the selection of University
Professors, the President of the University, the Provost or Provosts, and six
Trustees. In performing these functions, the Executive Committee or the
appropriate subcommittee thereof shall act in executive session and in a
confidential manner and shall not be required to report its deliberations or
actions to the Senate as a whole.
To
the extent possible, officers of instruction may be allowed a reduction in
their teaching loads and students may be granted appropriate credit for serving
as members of the Executive Committee.
(2) Committee on
Education
The
Committee on Education shall consist of 19 members
apportioned as follows: 8
tenured faculty, 3 non-tenured faculty, 4 students, 2 administrators, 1 alumnus
and 1 library staff. The Committee on Education shall review, and may from time
to time recommend, plans and policies relating to the educational system of the
University. The Committee shall receive ideas, recommendations, and plans for
educational innovations from members of the faculty and others. The Committee
shall inform itself of conditions in the several schools, faculties and
departments, and propose measures needed to make the most effective use of the
resources of the University for educational purposes.
(3) Committee on Budget
Review
The
Committee on Budget Review shall consist of 11 members,
all of whom shall be
members of the Senate. The membership of the Committee shall consist of 5
tenured faculty representatives, 2 non-tenured faculty, 2 student
representatives, 1 alumnus and the Chairman of the Executive Committee or his
designee serving ex officio. The Budget Review Committee shall review the
annual budget of the University after its adoption to assure its general
conformity with short-range and long-range priorities of the University and
expressions of policy by the Senate. The Chairman of the Budget Review
Committee or his designee may sit with the appropriate committee of the
administration when it formulates its budget policy guidelines for the coming
year and when categories of the budget are discussed or adopted. The Budget
Review Committee shall report its activities to the Senate and shall bring to
its attention any instance of non-compliance of the budget with the existing priorities
or policies and any other allocations which, in the Committee’s opinion, are
not in the best interests of the University.
(4) Committee on Physical
Development of the University
The
Committee on Physical Development of the University
shall consist of 16 members
apportioned as follows: 5 tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 2
administrators, 3 students, 1 alumnus, 1 library staff, 1 research staff, and 1
administrative staff.
The
primary mandate of the Physical Development Committee is to satisfy itself that
the processes for planning, reviewing, assigning priorities and implementing
the University’s physical development operate effectively. In addition, the
Committee will work with the administration and appropriate committees of the
Trustees in reviewing, with respect to the University’s academic goals, the
long-term physical development plans of the University, for the campus and for
off-campus properties, and the effects of those plans on the community. The
Committee shall meet periodically with the appropriate vice president and his
or her designates to discuss the status of planned and ongoing major capital
improvements for the University. In addition, the Committee shall regularly
receive reports from pertinent departments and committees charged with
academically relevant aspects of physical development. The Committee may also
advise the administration and the Trustees on faculty, student and staff
concerns, priorities and particular projects related to physical development.
The Committee on Physical Development shall work closely with the Committee on
Education so that developmental plans may bear close relationship to the
fulfillment of educational policies and purposes. The Committee shall also work
closely with the Committee on External Relations to minimize areas of conflict
and maximize areas of cooperation with the community. On behalf of the Senate,
the Committee shall also serve as a forum for reviewing reports of exceptional
difficulties experienced with the academic physical plant, buildings, grounds
and maintenance.
(5) Committee on Faculty
Affairs, Academic Freedom and Tenure
The
Committee on Faculty Affairs, Academic Freedom and Tenure shall consist of 17
members, of whom 13 shall be tenured faculty and 4 non-tenured faculty. One of
its members shall also be a member of the Committee on Rules of University
Conduct. It shall have jurisdiction of all matters relating to terms and
conditions of academic employment including, but not limited to, tenure and
academic freedom, academic advancement, sabbatical and other leaves, faculty
conduct and discipline, retirement, faculty housing and other faculty
perquisites. The Committee shall also review and, when appropriate, recommend
revision of policies governing the appointment of persons to named chairs.
The
Committee on Faculty Affairs, Academic Freedom and Tenure, or one of its
subcommittees shall also sit as board of appeal on faculty grievances. When
acting in such judicial capacity the Committee, or its subcommittee, shall
function in a confidential manner and shall not be required to report its
deliberations to the Senate as a whole. With the consent, or at the request of
the petitioner, however, the Committee or its subcommittee may make public its
recommendations and reasons therefor.
(6) Committee on Student
Affairs
The
Committee on Student Affairs shall consist of all 23 student Senators and all
student non-Senator observers from affiliated institutions, including two from
Teachers College and one from Union Theological Seminary. One of its members
shall also be a member of the Committee on Rules of University Conduct. Its
jurisdiction shall cover matters of student life including, but not limited to,
student organizations, student housing, extracurricular activities and student
concerns in the community. The Committee’s jurisdiction, however, is restricted
to matters of University-wide student concerns, and to concerns of students in
more than one faculty or school. Where student interests are closely related to
the interests of other groups in the University, the Committee shall cooperate
with other appropriate committees of the Senate.
(7) Committee on External
Relations and Research Policy
The
Committee on External Relations and Research Policy shall consist of 18 members
apportioned as follows: 7 tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 3 students, 2
administrators, 1 library staff, 1 alumnus, 2 research staff. The Committee
shall review and recommend policies for the University’s external relations
involving instruction, research, and public affairs, including community
relations. The Committee’s purview will include the University’s research
strategies and its relations with private and public sponsoring agencies, as
well as the University’s strategies for enhancing its local, national, and
international reputation through its connections with other academic
institutions, governmental agencies, the media, and the surrounding community.
The Committee shall meet periodically with the Vice President for Public
Affairs and his designates.
(8) Committee on
Rules of
University Conduct
The
Committee on Rules of University Conduct shall consist of 15 members
apportioned as follows: 4 tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 5 students, 2
administrators, 1 library staff, and 1 administrative staff. One of its members
shall also be a member of the Committee on Faculty Affairs, Academic Freedom
and Tenure, and one shall also be a member of the Student Affairs Committee. It
shall have jurisdiction to review and recommend revision of rules of University
conduct, as well as the means of enforcing those rules. In matters pertaining
to rules of conduct and tribunals for faculty, the Rules Committee shall
consult with the Faculty Affairs Committee, and in matters pertaining to such
rules and tribunals for students, it shall consult with the Student Affairs
Committee. The Committee shall, to the extent appropriate, incorporate its
proposals in the form of amendments to the University Statutes and shall submit
the same to the University Senate as a whole, to become effective upon adoption
by the Senate with the concurrence of the Trustees.
(9) Committee on Alumni
Relations
The
Committee on Alumni Relations shall consist of six members apportioned as
follows: 1 tenured faculty, 1 non-tenured faculty, 1 student, 1 administrator,
and 2 alumni. The Committee shall encourage more effective communication with
alumni. The Committee shall stimulate alumni loyalty and support for the
University and shall serve as liaison between the University Senate and various
alumni groups. The Committee shall work with the administration in the
furtherance of these purposes.
(10) Committee on Honors
and Prizes
The
Committee on Honors and Prizes shall consist of 15 members apportioned as
follows: 6 tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 2 students, 2
administrators, 1 library staff, 1 research staff and 1 alumnus. The Committee
on Honors and Prizes shall recommend policies relating to the award of
University prizes and honors to persons who are not members of the University.
The Committee shall consider and report to the Senate standards and policies
(not inconsistent with such limitations as may legally bind the University
under specific endowments or grants) for the award of honorary degrees, the
University Medal for Excellence, the various categories of the Pulitzer Prize
and other similar evidences of academic recognition. The Committee shall work
with the President and the Trustees in the selection of recipients for honorary
degrees and prizes. In deliberating on nominations for prizes and honors, the
Committee may act in executive session and in confidential manner, and shall
not be required to report its deliberations or actions to the Senate as a
whole.
(11) Committee on
Libraries and Academic Computing
Facilities
The
Committee on Libraries and Academic Computing Facilities shall consist of 17
members apportioned as follows: 5 tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 3
students, 1 administrator, 2 administrators or administrative staff from the
computer center, 2 library staff, 1 research staff, and 1 alumnus. One of its
faculty members shall be familiar with the University’s computing facilities,
and one student member shall be a graduate student and frequent user of the
University’s computer facilities.
The
Committee shall review and recommend University policies relating to the
libraries and computer facilities in support of the University’s educational
purposes. The Committee shall review both short- and long-term policies
relating to the operation of the University bookstore and offer suggestions for
improvements. The Committee shall work with the libraries, computer facilities,
and the University bookstores, as well as the President and the Trustees to
implement such policies.
(12) Committee on Senate
Structure and Operations
The
Committee on Senate Structure and Operations shall consist of 12 members
apportioned as follows: 6 tenured faculty, 1 non-tenured faculty, 2 students, 2
administrators, and 1 administrative staff. The Committee shall observe and
review the operations and effectiveness of the University Senate and make
recommendations for the improvement of the structure and operations of the
Senate, through statutory amendment and otherwise. The Committee shall be the
University Senate’s committee on the Senate’s rules and procedures.
UNIVERSITY
STATUTES
CHAPTER II
THE UNIVERSITY
SENATE
§20. Membership The University Senate shall be a unicameral body whose
membership shall be composed of representatives from the following categories:
a. Administration members
l. The president
2. The provost (or if there is more than one provost, the provost
designated by the president)
3. The dean of the faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences
4. The dean of Columbia College
5. Five members, who shall be appointed by the president, from among
officers of administration who are part of the central administration and
administrators of faculties
b. Faculty members
l. Forty-two officers of
instruction having an appointment without stated term as professor or associate
professor as defined in Sections 60 and 61, to be elected from and by such
officers of instruction, subject to the provisions of Section 21
2. Fifteen officers of instruction having an appointment for a stated
term as defined in Sections 60 and 61 to be elected from and by such officers
of instruction, subject to the provisions of Section 21
c. Student members
Twenty-two students as defined in Section 381 to be
elected from and by such students as provided in Section 21, and one student
from Barnard College to be elected from and by the students of Barnard College
as provided in Section 21;
d. Affiliated institution members
l. Two representatives of
the faculty of Barnard College
2. Subject to renegotiation of the existing affiliation agreement with
Teachers College, two representatives of the faculty of Teachers College
3. Subject to renegotiation of the existing affiliation agreement
with the Union Theological Seminary, one representative of the faculty of the
Union Theological Seminary
e. Professional library staff
members
Two members who shall be elected from and by those
persons holding a full-time trustee or presidential appointment to the
professional library service
f. Research members
Two members who shall be elected from and by those persons
designated as senior research scientist or senior research scholar, research
scientist or research scholar, associate research scientist or associate
research scholar, postdoctoral research scientist or postdoctoral research
scholar, senior staff associate and staff associate, as defined in Section 62
of these Statutes, and who are not entitled to vote as officers of instruction
g. Administrative staff members
Two members who shall be elected from and by those
persons having an appointment from the president or the secretary of the
University, or who are in Grade VII or above of the University Personnel
Classification System for officers of administration and supporting staff and
who are not entitled to vote in any other category for members of the University
Senate
h. Alumni members
Two alumni members who shall be chosen by the Alumni
Council of the Alumni Federation of the University
§21. Elections, eligibility,
recall, and term of office
a. Election of faculty members
l. The forty-two memberships for officers of instruction having an
appointment without stated term as professor or associate professor as defined
in Sections 60 or 61 shall be apportioned by the University Senate biennially
among the faculties of the Columbia Corporation in proportion to the number of
such officers of instruction; provided, however, that each such faculty, other
than the faculties of Arts and Sciences and Health Sciences, which shall not be
entitled to elect any members, shall be entitled to elect at least one member;
and for the purposes of this paragraph (1), apportionment and election of
members from the faculties of the College, General Studies and the Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences, treated as one group, shall be among the three
disciplines of the Social Sciences, Humanities, and Pure Sciences,
respectively, as specified in Section 153 of the Statutes.
2. The fifteen memberships for officers of instruction with stated term shall be apportioned by the University Senate biennially among the faculties of the Columbia Corporation other than the faculties of Arts and Sciences and Health Sciences. All such officers of instruction having an appointment as preceptor, associate, lecturer, instructor, and assistant professor, regardless of whether all such officers are full time or part time, shall be entitled to vote. Officers of instruction having an appointment with a stated term above that of assistant professor also shall be entitled to vote in this category. For the purposes of this paragraph (2), apportionment and election of members from the faculties of the College, General Studies and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, treated as one group, shall be among the three disciplines of the Social Sciences, Humanities, and Pure Sciences, respectively, as specified in Section 153 of the Statutes.
b. Election of student members
The twenty-three memberships for students shall be apportioned by the University Senate biennially as follows: Twenty-two among the faculties of the Columbia Corporation; provided, however, that at least one student member shall be elected from each faculty other than the faculties of Arts and Sciences and Health Sciences; two additional student members shall be elected from the Faculty with the largest number of full-time students; one additional student member shall be elected from each of the faculties with the next largest number of students, until the limit of twenty-two student seats for the Columbia Corporation is reached; and one student member shall be elected from Barnard College. For the purposes of this subsection (b), the faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences shall be treated as consisting of three separate faculties, comprised of the disciplines of the Social Sciences, Humanities, and Pure Sciences, respectively, as specified in Section 153 of the Statutes.
c. Election of members from
professional library staff, research staff, and administrative staff
Two members shall be elected from and by the research staff, library staff, and administrative staff.
d. Representatives from affiliated institutions
Each of the affiliated institutions shall choose representatives from among their respective faculties to serve as members in such manner as each of them may determine.
e. Direct and indirect elections
All members elected under subsections (a), (b), and (c) shall be chosen by direct election, except that student members may be chosen by indirect election as hereinafter provided. If the indirect election method is chosen, then the student member of the University Senate shall be elected by the elected student governing body of the faculty from which the student member of the University Senate is being chosen. Such choice shall be exercised only by a referendum of the students within such faculty and shall stand unless and until reversed by a succeeding referendum. If there is no elected student governing body of the faculty which is authorized to hold indirect elections, and if either a seat assigned to a student member has remained vacant for six months or longer, or elections have failed to fill such a seat, then a member may be elected from one or more departments within that faculty in rotation, as may be prescribed by the body designated of the University Senate, to administer University Senate elections.
f. Time of election and term of office
There shall be two regular election periods each year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The regular term of office for each member shall be as follows:
l. For each member elected in the spring elections, the term of office
shall begin fourteen days before the day of Commencement next following his or
her election and shall be for two years; provided that a member elected to a
vacant seat shall assume office immediately; and provided further that if the
spring elections are not completed by the date set for the beginning of his or
her term, the member shall assume office immediately upon the completion of the
elections.
2. For each member elected in the fall elections, the term of office shall commence immediately upon election and shall expire fourteen days before the day of the second Commencement next following his or her election.
3. For each appointed member, the term of office shall commence immediately upon appointment and shall expire fourteen days before the day of the second Commencement next following his or her appointment.
It shall be the responsibility of each member to advise the commission supervising elections of members to the University Senate, as early as possible, if he or she will be unable to serve his or her full term. When such commission is so advised, provision will be made to vote, at the next election, for a member to fill the anticipated vacancy. The term of such member shall be the same as that of all other members elected in the same election period, except that if the seat is occupied at the time of election, the term shall commence upon the effective date of resignation of the retiring member. Except as provided in subsection (f), any vacancy occurring between election periods shall be filled in the same manner in which the original member was chosen, and the term of office for each member so elected shall commence immediately upon election and shall expire fourteen days before the day of the second Commencement next following the election. The Executive Committee of the University Senate may designate a day for the expiration of terms and beginnings of new terms different from the date set herein, if such a redesignation is necessary to allow for an orderly transition of the work of the University Senate from one session to the next. No person shall be disqualified from election because he or she will be a member of the category from which he or she is elected for less than two years. However, his or her membership shall terminate when he or she is no longer a member of the category from which he or she was elected.
g. Recall
Every elected member shall be subject to recall. Upon petition signed by one-fourth of the number of members of the category from which the member was elected, a recall election shall be held. A majority of votes cast for recall shall cause the recall of the member and his membership shall thereupon become vacant.
The provisions of subsection (f) shall also apply to
recall elections.
§22. Duties It shall be the duty of the University Senate:
a. to report to the Trustees its opinion as to any exercise of power
proposed by a faculty under Section 35;
b. to submit such proposals to the Trustees or to the president or to
the several faculties as in its judgment may serve to increase the efficiency
of University work;
c. to consider any question that may arise as to the conduct or
efficiency of any officer of administration or instruction, and to report
thereon to the Trustees through the president.
§23. General
policies Subject to the reserve power of the
Trustees and the provisions of Section 25, the University Senate shall be a
policy-making body which may consider all matters of University-wide concern,
all matters affecting more than one faculty or school, and all matters pertaining
to the implementation and execution of agreements with the other educational
institutions that are now or may hereafter become affiliated with the
University. Without limitation by enumeration the University Senate shall
a. develop and review plans and policies to strengthen the
educational system of the University;
b. work on the long-range master plan for the physical development of
the University; recommend ways in which it can be improved; and keep the same
under continuing review;
c. work for the advancement of academic freedom and the protection of
faculty interests;
d. work for the promotion of student welfare and the enhancement of
student life;
e. initiate and review policies to govern the University’s relations
with outside agencies for research, instruction, and related purposes;
f. foster policies for cooperative and mutually beneficial relations
with the neighboring community;
g. review by broad categories the annual budget of the University
after its adoption and advise the Trustees as to its general conformity with
the goals of the University;
h. consider and recommend policies relating to the awarding of
University prizes and honors, and assist the Trustees in the selection of
recipients of such prizes and honors;
i. promulgate a code of conduct for faculty, students, and staff and
provide for its enforcement;
j. initiate proposed changes in Chapter II of these Statutes which
have been passed by a vote of at least three-fifths of all incumbent members of
the University Senate.
§24. Powers The University Senate, subject to the reserve power
of the Trustees and the provisions of Section 25, shall have power, and it
shall be its duty:
a. Academic correlation: to
secure the correlation of courses offered by the several faculties and administrative
boards; to adjust all questions involving more than one faculty or
administrative board;
b. Degrees: to prescribe, by concurrent action with the appropriate
faculty or administrative board, the conditions upon which the following
degrees shall be conferred and to recommend candidates for such degrees:
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
— Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Administrative Board
of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Doctor of the Science of Law
(J.S.D.) — Faculty of Law
Doctor of Medical Science
(Med.Sc.D.) — Faculty of Medicine
Doctor of Nursing Science
(D.N.Sc.) — Faculty of Nursing
Doctor of Public Health (Dr.
P.H.) — Faculty of Public Health
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
— Faculty of Teachers College
Doctor of Social Welfare
(D.S.W.) — Faculty of Social Work
Doctor of Library Science —
Faculty of Library Service
Master of Architecture
(M.Arch.) — Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
Master of Philosophy
(M.Phil.) — Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and
Administrative Board of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Master of Arts (M.A.) —
Faculties of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Teachers College, Union
Theological Seminary, and the Administrative Board of the Graduate School of
Arts and Sciences
Master of Science (M.S.) —
Faculties of Medicine, Engineering and Applied Science, Teachers College,
Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Journalism, Library Service, Dental
and Oral Surgery, Social Work, Business, Nursing, and Public Health
Master of Business
Administration (M.B.A.) — Faculty of Business Administration
Master of International
Affair (M.I.A.) — Faculty of International and Public Affairs
Master of Public
Administration (M.P.A.) — Faculty of International and Public Affairs
Master of Laws (LL.M.) —
Faculty of Law
Master of Public Health
(M.P.H.) — Faculty of Public Health
Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
— Faculty of the Arts
Master of Comparative Law
(M.C.L.) — Faculty of Law
Master of Education (Ed.M.)
— Faculty of Teachers College
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) —
Faculties of Teachers College, Engineering and Applied Science
Master of Arts in Teaching
(M.A.T.) — Faculty of Teachers College
Doctor of Musical Arts
(D.M.A.) — Faculty of Arts
Master of Arts in Liberal
Studies (M.A.L.S.) — Faculty of General Studies
c. Certificates: to
prescribe the conditions upon which the following certificates, and such other
certificates as the University Senate may from time to time approve, shall be
awarded upon recommendation of the several faculties, administrative boards, or
committees:
Certificate in Dentistry —
Faculty of Dental and Oral Surgery
Certificate in Advanced
General — Faculty of Dental and Oral Surgery
Certificate in Occupational
Therapy — Faculty of Medicine
Certificate in Physical
Therapy — Faculty of Medicine
Certificate in
Psychoanalytic Training — Faculty of Medicine
Certificate in Maternity
Nursing — Faculty of Nursing
Certificate in Critical Care
— Faculty of Nursing
Certificate in Nurse
Anesthesia — Faculty of Nursing
Certificate in Nurse
Midwifery — Faculty of Nursing
Certificate in Oncology —
Faculty of Nursing
Certificate in Primary Care
(Adult) — Faculty of Nursing
Certificate in Primary Care
(Family) — Faculty of Nursing
Certificate in Primary Care
(Geriatric) — Faculty of Nursing
Certificate in Primary Care
(Neonatal) — Faculty of Nursing
Certificate in Primary Care
(Pediatric) — Faculty of Nursing
Certificate in Psychiatric/Mental
Health Nursing — Faculty of Nursing
Professional Certificate in
Social Work — Faculty of Social Work
Certificate of East Asian
Institute — Administrative Committee, East Asian Institute
Certificate of Institute on
Western Europe — Administrative Committee, Institute on Western Europe
Certificate of The Harriman
Institute — Administrative Committee, The Harriman Institute
Certificate of Middle East
Institute — Administrative Committee, Middle East Institute
Certificate of Institute of
Latin American — Administrative Committee, Institute of Latin American and
Iberian Studies — and Iberian Studies
Certificate Program in East
Central European Studies — Coordinating Committee, East European Studies
Certificate in Accounting —
Faculty of General Studies
Certificate in Advanced
International Reporting — Faculty of Journalism
Certificate in Advanced
Science Writing Program — Faculty of Journalism
Certificate in Advanced
Librarianship — Faculty of Library Service
Certificate in Library and
Archives Conservation — Faculty of Library Service
Teachers College
Professional Diploma — Faculty of Teachers College
Certificate for Postdoctoral
Respecialization in School Psychology — Faculty of Teachers College
Certificate in Advanced
Social Welfare — Faculty of Social Work
Certificate in Medieval and
Renaissance Studies — Faculty of Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Certificate in Conservation
Biology — Faculty of Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Certificate in Environmental
Policy — Faculty of Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
d. College courses: to
prescribe, by concurrent action with the faculties of Columbia College, Barnard
College, and General Studies, severally, the extent to which courses offered by
other faculties and leading to graduate or professional degrees or diplomas
shall be included in the programs of studies under those faculties, and the
conditions upon which such courses may be elected by candidates for a
nonprofessional first degree;
e. Barnard College: to
prescribe the manner in which the degree of bachelor of arts conferred upon
graduates of Barnard College shall be maintained at all times as a degree of
equal value with the degree of bachelor of arts conferred upon the graduates of
Columbia College;
f. Other institutions: to
adopt regulations, subject to approval by the Trustees, providing for the
proper execution, as regards educational matters, of agreements that are now in
existence or that may hereafter be made between the University and such other
educational institutions as are now or may hereafter become affiliated with the
University, and to prescribe what degrees, diplomas, and certificates may be
granted by said institutions and the conditions for granting the same;
g. Summer Session: to adopt
regulations governing the relation of instruction in the Summer Session to the
other work of the University;
h. Fellowships and
scholarships: to determine the conditions upon which fellowships and
university scholarships shall be awarded, to appoint all fellows and university
scholars, and to make rules for their government, subject to such restrictions
as may be prescribed by the Statutes or by the terms upon which the several
fellowships and university scholarships are established;
i. Academic Calendar: to
fix, annually in advance the Academic Calendar, the dates for entrance and
final examinations, the date of Commencement, and the order of Commencement
exercises;
j. Research bureaus: to
encourage original research and to authorize the establishment of research
bureaus to be conducted by a faculty or by one or more departments under such
terms as the University Senate may prescribe;
k. Libraries: to advise in
such matters pertaining to the administration of the libraries as may be laid
before it by the provost or provosts or by the University librarian;
§25. Limitations of powers
a. Unless Trustee concurrence is required, acts of the University
Senate under Sections 22 and 23 shall become final on passage. In all matters
involving a change in budgetary appropriations; involving the acquisition or
disposition of real property, affecting contractual obligations of the
University, or as required by law, such concurrence shall be required. In all
other matters, the action of the University Senate will be final unless the
president shall advise the University Senate not later than its next regularly
scheduled meeting that Trustee concurrence is necessary. Acts of the University
Senate under Sections 22 and 23 shall be concurred in or not concurred in by
the Trustees by the second stated meeting of the Trustees following the
submission of the University Senate’s action to the Trustees, except when the
Trustees shall advise the University Senate of their need for a longer
specified period of time to consider such actions. Whenever the Trustees do not
concur in an act of the University Senate under Sections 22 and 23, they shall
return the measure to the University Senate with an explanation of the reason
for their action.
b. No exercise of the powers conferred on the University Senate by
Section 24 which involves a change in the educational policy of the University
in respect to the requirements of admission or the conditions of graduation
shall take effect until the same shall have been submitted to the Trustees at
one meeting and another meeting of the Trustees shall have been held.
c. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b), the
president may convene a special meeting of the University Senate within fifteen
class days of any University Senate action, and may request it to reconsider
such action.
§26. Bylaws
and committees The University Senate shall have the
power to organize itself and to make all such Bylaws and regulations for its
own proceedings as shall not contravene the Charter of the University or these
Statutes. Such Bylaws shall be amended only by a three-fifths vote of all
incumbent members of the University Senate. Any such Bylaws and regulations may
provide for such committees as may be necessary or desirable. Such committees
shall include an Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of the Trustees
shall work with the Executive Committee of the University Senate in the
nomination of six Trustees as provided by the Bylaws of the Trustees. The
Trustees shall work with the Executive Committee of the University Senate in
the selection of a President of the University as provided in the Bylaws of the
Trustees. The president shall work with the Executive Committee of the
University Senate in the selection of the provost or provosts as provided in
Section 50. The Executive Committee of the University Senate shall participate
in the appointment of University professors as provided in Section 61.
§27. Meetings The University Senate shall meet regularly as
provided in its Bylaws. Special meetings shall be held on the call of the
President and in accordance with its Bylaws. The president shall be the
presiding officer of the University Senate. In the absence of the president,
the chairman of the Executive Committee of the University Senate shall preside.
§28. Staff The University shall furnish, to the extent provided
for in the University’s budget, assistance to the University Senate as a whole
and to its committees in connection with its official business, as may be
authorized by the Executive Committee of the University Senate.
RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE
UNIVERSITY SENATE
The
Columbia University Senate is governed by the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order and, in
addition, by those rules appearing below which have a particular application to
this body.
RULE 1
MEETING TIME. Meetings of the Senate
shall be convened at 1:15 p.m.
and adjourned at 5:00 p.m. Prior
to 5.00 p.m., the Chairman may
entertain a motion for adjournment or for an extension of time. Unfinished
business shall be held over until, and placed on the agenda for, the next
regular or special meeting of the Senate.
RULE 2
WRITTEN RESOLUTIONS. Members making proposals or
amendments on the floor shall immediately transmit them in writing to the
President.
RULE 3
COMMUNICATION WITH
NON-SENATORS. Only members of the Senate and those persons specified in Section 1
(g) of the By-Laws may address the Senate when it is in session. Other persons
wishing to communicate with the entire body of the Senate may do so in writing,
and the Secretariat shall distribute such written communication to all Senators
provided that 125 copies are deposited with it at least 24 hours prior to any
particular session. On extraordinary occasions, the Senate may, by a two-thirds
vote taken at any session, schedule a convocation of the Senate to hear persons
who wish to address it or whom the Senate wishes to invite to address it. At
such convocation no business shall be transacted and no motion or vote shall be
in order. Upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, the Senate may
decide, by a two-thirds vote, to hear speakers not covered in the above
provision.
RULE 4
RECORD VOTE. By a one-third vote of the
members present and voting, a written and signed ballot may be taken on
substantive questions. Tellers will make an immediate count of the votes, and
after the result has been announced, the Secretariat will proceed to register
the individual members’ votes for release at the end of the meeting.
RULE 5
UNANIMOUS CONSENT. When the Committee on
Education reports to the Senate concerning minor changes in degree requirements
or degree-granting programs, it may ask that such resolutions adopted by
unanimous consent. Copies of these resolutions must have been circulated in
advance to all members of the Senate and to the deans of all divisions of the
University. If, at the conclusion of the reading of the relevant resolution or
at any other time within 30 days following the sending out of such information,
no objection has been made by any senator, the recommendations of the Committee
on Education shall be regarded as having been formally adopted at the close of
the second plenary meeting following the original report.
RULE 6
SUSPENSION OF THE RULES. A motion to suspend the
rules, if there is objection, shall not pass except by a three-fifths vote of
all incumbent members of the Senate.