Columbia University Statutes, The University Senate

Rules of Procedure of the University Senate

Link to the University Statutes

The By-Laws, Statutes, and Rules

of the

Columbia University Senate

Columbia University in the City of New York

OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE FACULTY

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 or her absence, or at his or her request, the Chairperson 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 or she is a senator, shall have the right to speak and participate in debate whenever any matter that is of special concern to his or her particular Faculty or School is before the Senate.

  The student body in the following affiliated institution may elect one student observer: Union Theological Seminary. 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 Chairperson, 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 of the Senate. Any matter so placed on the agenda of a standing 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. The Minutes shall be posted on the Senate web site.

  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 Alumni Relations

Committee on Budget Review

Committee on Campus Planning and Physical Development of the University

Committee on Education

Committee on External Relations and Research Policy

Committee on Faculty Affairs, Academic Freedom and Tenure

Committee on Honors and Prizes

Committee on Housing Policy

Committee on Libraries and Digital Resources

Committee on Rules of University Conduct

Committee on Senate Structure and Operations

Committee on Student Affairs

Research Officers Committee

Committee on Information and Communications Technology

  (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 or her 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 or her 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 chairperson from among its members. No person shall serve as chairperson of more than two standing committees, it being understood that serving as a co-chairperson constitutes serving as one chairperson.

  (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 chairperson 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 or her 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 or her shall nominate another person in his or her stead. Following the election of the Executive Committee, the Chairperson 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 at least one of whom will be a graduate student, 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.

  The Committee shall examine new online/distance learning and multimedia learning applications to understand their broad academic implications and to recommend policy, procedures, and monitoring in consultation with the committees on Libraries and Digital Resources and on Information and Communications Technology.  It will evaluate the extent to which these enterprises enhance the core mission of the University.

  (3) Committee on Budget Review

  The Committee on Budget Review shall consist of 12 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, 1 officer of research, and the Chairperson of the Executive Committee or his or her 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 Chairperson of the Budget Review Committee or his or her 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 Campus Planning and Physical Development of the University

  The Committee on Campus Planning and 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 officer of research, and 1 administrative staff.

  The primary mandate of the Campus Planning and Physical Development Committee is to review and comment upon the processes for planning, reviewing, assigning priorities and implementing the University’s physical development assess how they impact the academic mission of the University. This shall include plans and projects to change space available for specific schools and departments as well as space for the well-being of the University community. The Committee will report to the Senate, President and Trustees whether major projects have been properly reviewed and serve the best interests of the University. 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 campus planning and physical development. The Committee shall work closely with the Committees on Education, Budget Review, and Libraries and Digital Media 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 and Research Policy 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 therefore.

  (6) Committee on Student Affairs

  The Committee on Student Affairs shall consist of all 24 student Senators, as well as one non-Senator observer 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 officers of research. 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 or her designates.

  (8) Committee on Rules of University Conduct

  The Committee on Rules of University Conduct shall consist of 16 members apportioned as follows: 4 tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 5 students, 2 administrators, 1 library staff, 1 officer of research, 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. In matters pertaining to rules of conduct and tribunals for research officers, the Rules Committee shall consult with the Research Officers 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 seven members apportioned as follows: 1 tenured faculty, 1 non-tenured faculty, 1 student, 1 administrator, 1 officer of research, 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 officer of research 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 Digital Resources

  The Committee on Libraries and Digital Resources shall consist of 17 members apportioned as follows: 6 tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 3 students at least one of whom will be a graduate student, 2 administrators, 2 officers of the libraries, 1 officer of research, and 1 alumnus.  The Committee shall review and recommend University policies relating to the University's libraries, information resources, and academic computing programs. The Committee shall attend to all aspects of the University's storage, accessing and retrieval of information whether in analog or in digital form, and to all aspects of information services that support the academic work of the University, in consultation with other Senate committees (e.g., the Education Committee and the Committee on Information and Communications Technology).  

  (12) Committee on Senate Structure and Operations

  The Committee on Senate Structure and Operations shall consist of 13 members apportioned as follows: 6 tenured faculty, 1 non-tenured faculty, 2 students, 2 administrators, 1 officer of research, 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.

  (13) Research Officers Committee

  The Research Officers Committee shall consist of 9 members, including all 6 elected senators representing Officers of Research, and 3 other Officers of Research, who shall be nominated by the 6 research senators with a view to achieving balance among the different ranks of officers in the constituency and among the campuses represented, and who shall be approved by the Executive Committee. The Research Officers Committee shall have jurisdiction to consider all matters relating to the terms and conditions of research officers’ academic employment, including, but not limited to, promotion, leaves of absence, retirement, academic freedom, academic advancement, benefits, housing, the conduct and discipline of research officers, and other perquisites of research officers.

  (14) Committee on Housing Policy

  The Committee on Housing Policy shall consist of 11 members apportioned as follows: 4 tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 2 students, 2 administrators, and 1 research officer. The student members shall be from among those housed by the Columbia corporation. The Committee on Housing Policy shall review and recommend policies relating to housing provided to University students, faculty and other employees, including those pertaining to rent or occupancy charges, the assignment of housing, and the condition and renovation of Institutional Real Estate and residence buildings and units.

  15) Committee on Information and Communications Technology

  The Committee on Information and Communications Technology will consist of 13 members including 5 faculty; 2 students, at least one of whom shall be a graduate student; 1 alumnus/a; 1 officer of the libraries; 1 research officer; 1 administrative staff member whose work involves technology management; and 2 administration members at least one of whom works in technology management. One of the 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 University's technology systems and services and network infrastructure. The Committee shall attend to all aspects of the University's administrative computing, telecommunications services, computing facilities, and hardware and software systems that support the work of the University, in consultation with other Senate committees (e.g., the Education Committee and the Libraries and Digital Resources Committee).

  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. Sixteen 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, one student from Barnard College to be elected from and by the students of Barnard College as provided in Section 21, and one student from Teachers College to be elected from and by the students of Teachers 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

Six 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, postdoctoral research scholar, or postdoctoral research fellow, 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 sixteen 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-four 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; one student member shall be elected from Barnard College; and one student member shall be elected from Teachers 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 and administrative staff

Two members shall be elected from and by the professional library staff and administrative staff.

d.   Election of members from officers of research

The six memberships for officers of research shall be apportioned by the University Senate biennially as follows: four among officers of research members designated as senior research scientist or senior research scholar, research scientist or research scholar, and associate research scientist or associate research scholar; one additional research officer member shall be elected from those persons designated as postdoctoral research scientist, postdoctoral research scholar, or postdoctoral research fellow; and one additional research officer member shall be elected from those persons designated senior staff associate or staff associate.

e.   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.

f.   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.

g.   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.

h.   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 or her 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

Juris Doctor (J.D.) — Faculty of Law

Doctor of Medical Science (Med.Sc.D.) — Faculty of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) — Faculty of Medicine

Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) — Faculty of Dental and Oral Surgery

Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) — Faculty of Medicine

Doctor of Nursing Practice (Dr.N.P.) — Faculty of Nursing

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 Engineering Science (Eng.Sc.D) — Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Doctor of Social Welfare (D.S.W.) — Faculty of Social Work

Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) — Faculty of the Arts

Doctor of Library Science — Faculty of Library Service

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 Architecture (M. Arch.) — Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

Master of Arts (M.A.) — Faculties of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Teachers College, Journalism, 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, Dental and Oral Surgery, Social Work, Business, Nursing, Public Health, and Continuing Education

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) — Faculty of Business

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

Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) — Faculty of Teachers College

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (M.A.L.S.) — Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) — Faculties of Columbia College, Barnard College, General Studies, and Teachers College

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) — Faculties of General Studies and Engineering and Applied Science

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 Education in General Dentistry — Faculty of Dental and Oral Surgery

Certificate in Orthodontia — Faculty of Dental and Oral Surgery

Certificate in Peridontia — Faculty of Dental and Oral Surgery

Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry — Faculty of Dental and Oral Surgery

Certificate in Prosthodontics — Faculty of Dental and Oral Surgery

Certificate in Oral Surgery — Faculty of Dental and Oral Surgery

Certificate in Endodontics — 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 and Iberian Studies — Administrative Committee, Institute of Latin American and Iberian Studies

Certificate Program of East Central European Studies — Coordinating Committee, East Central European 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 the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Certificate in Conservation Biology — Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Certificate in Environmental Policy — Faculty of the 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