Charter of the Faculty Senate of the College of Agriculture

On this page:

Article I. Name and Purpose

Section 1. Name.

The name of this organization shall be the Faculty Senate of the College of Agriculture, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Henceforth, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo shall be referred to as the University, the College of Agriculture shall be the College, and this body shall be the Senate

Section 2. Purpose/Responsibility.

The Senate has the responsibility of taking action on matters affecting the welfare of the faculty and students of the College in accordance with BOR policy. The Senate is also the final faculty authority in establishing entrance and graduation requirements, course modifications, exemptions to academic rules, and other academic matters which do not impinge significantly upon the operation of other units of the University.

Article II. Composition and Membership

Section 1. Regular Members.

The regular members of the Senate shall be composed of all faculty members of the College with Board of Regents appointments of at least 0.5 FTE (full-time equivalency), and currently classified under Bargaining Unit 07 of the University of Hawaiʻi Professional Assembly.

Section 2. Ex Officio Members.

All other University, Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi, and University of Hawaiʻi Foundations employees with appointments requiring them to work at least 0.5 FTE in the College shall be non-voting ex-officio member of the Senate. One College of Agriculture student, to be appointed annually by the student government association of the University, shall also be a non-voting ex-officio member of the Senate.

Article III. Officers and Their Functions

Section 1. Officers.

The administrative machinery of the Senate shall consist of the Chairman, Vice-chairman, and Secretary.

Section 2. Duties of Officers.

The Senate officers shall have the following duties.

Section 3. Terms of Office.

All officers of the Senate shall have a term of one (1) year commencing immediately upon election.

Article IV. Elections

Sections 1. Eligibility of Officers/Voters.

All regular members of the Senate are eligible to run and vote in the election of officers. Any officer shall be elected by majority vote of the members present.

Section 2. Interim Officers.

In case any officer is no longer able to discharge his/her duties for any valid reason, the incumbent presiding officer shall immediately convene the Senate which shall elect the interim officer. Interim officers shall hold terms of the office for the unexpired terms of their predecessors. However, they may be re-elected according to Section 3 of Article III.

Section 3. Manner of Election.

Election of officers shall be secret ballot.

Section 4. Time of Election.

Regular elections of officers and the nominating committee shall be held during the May meeting of the Senate.

Article V. Meetings

Section 1. Regular Meetings.

During the academic year, the Senate shall meet at least once a month.

Section 2. Quorum.

In order to proceed in its meeting and deliberation of matters, the Senate shall have a quorum present during such meeting. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of all regular members of the Senate.

Section 3. Parliamentary Procedure.

Robert's Rules of Order (latest edition) shall be used in governing all Senate meetings.

Section 4. Special Meetings.

The Chairman may call a special meeting of the Senate any time an urgent matter concerning Senate affairs arises. A special meeting of the Senate may also be called any time by a written petition signed by at least one-half of the regular members. Such petition shall contain the agenda of the proposed meeting and shall be addressed to the presiding officer who shall immediately make arrangements for the Senate to convene not later than one week after receipt of such petition.

A special meeting of the Senate can be restricted to regular members only by including a request for such restriction in a written petition signed by at least one-half of the regular members.

Section 5. Action on Proposals.

Senate action on proposals can be taken only in response to written proposals which are submitted at least one meeting prior to the meeting at which time action is taken. This requirement can be waived with a two-thirds vote of the regular members present at the meeting.

Article VI. Effectivity of Senate Actions.

Section 1. Effectivity of Senate Actions.

Rules, regulations, and legislation passed by the Senate shall become effective upon passage, subject to veto by the Dean of the College.

Section 2. Vetoes by the Dean.

Vetoes by the Dean of rules, regulations and legislation passed by the Senate must be distributed to the Senate members in writing and must include reasons for the veto. The distribution of the written veto and explanation must be within one month of the passage of the rule, regulation or legislation being vetoed.

Article VII. Recall of Officers.

Any elected officer of the Senate may be recalled by written petition of a simple majority of all regular members of the Senate. Such a petition shall be addressed to the highest-ranking officer of the Senate who is not the subject of recall and who shall immediately convene the Senate to present the petition and then let the Senate elect a successor to the recalled officer subject to provisions of Section 2 of Article IV.

Article VIII. Committees.

Section 1. Standing Committees.

The Senate shall have the following committees: Admissions, Curriculum, Faculty Evaluation, and Nominating Committees. The Chairman and members of each standing committee shall be selected by majority vote of the regular Senate members present.

Section 2. Representation in Committees.

Members of each standing committee shall come from the regular members of the Senate.

Section 3. Functions/Responsibilities.

The functions/responsibilities of the standing committees shall be as follows:

Section 4. Effectivity of Committee Actions.

All committee actions shall take effect only upon concurrence by a majority of the regular Senate members present at a regular or special meeting of the Senate. Such effectivity shall be subject to the provisions of Article VI.

Article IX. Amendments.

Section 1. Voting on Amendments.

Any provisions of this Charter may be repealed/amended by two thirds (2/3) vote of the regular members. Such amendment shall take effect upon approval of the Chancellor of the University.

Section 2. Initiation of Amendments.

Proposed amendments may be initiated by at the least one-fifth (1/5) of the regular members. Such initiation shall include the amendment(s) in the agenda of the next proposed meeting of the Senate, provided that such meeting shall not be held earlier than one (1) week after notice of such meeting.

Article X. By-Laws.

The Senate may adopt By-Laws to supplement this Charter. Such By-Laws shall be ratified by two-thirds vote of the regular members present and shall take effect upon approval of the Chancellor of the University.

Article XI. Transitory Provisions.

Section I. Ratification of this Charter.

This Charter shall be ratified by a two-thirds vote of the members of the College of Agriculture Faculty Senate created by the 1981 Faculty Senate Charter as amended 1983. Upon ratification, it shall take effect upon approval of the Chancellor of the University.

Section 2. Replacement of 1981 Senate Charter.

The 1981 Faculty Senate Charter as amended in 1983 will be repealed upon ratification of the Charter presented herein and in its approval by the Chancellor of the University.

Section 3. Adoption of Standing Policies/Rules.

All standing rules/policies passed and approved by the Faculty of the College prior to the ratification of this Charter shall be part of the policies/rules of the Senate unless such rules/policies are in conflict with this Charter. Any existing Faculty Senate rules/policies which conflict with this Charter shall automatically cease to the exist upon ratification of this Charter and its approval by the Chancellor of the University.

< signatures >