By-Laws




1.5.2. ARTICLE II

Revised: August 2011



1.5.2. ARTICLE II: Committees

1.5.2.  The Senate shall establish standing committees to study and make reports on matters of concern to the University faculty. Standing committees created by the Senate become committees of the Senate, receive their authority from the Senate, and shall report their findings and make their recommendations to the Senate.

1.5.2.1.  Standing Committees. Except for the Executive Committee, the size of standing committees shall be determined by the Senate. The membership of each standing committee should reasonably reflect the composition of the Senate.

The chair of each committee, except for the Executive Committee, and the Committee on Committees, should be elected from the members of that committee at their first meeting.

The Standing Committees of the Senate are as follows:

    1. Executive Committee

    2. Committee on Academic Matters

    3. Committee on Faculty Concerns and Grievances   

    4. Committee on Faculty Elections and Governance       

    5. Committee on Faculty Development and Evaluation
   
    6. Committee on Research, Creative,and Scholarly Activity
   
    7. Committee on Committees
   
    8. Committee on Financial Matters
   
    9. Committee on Retiree Outreach

    10. Committee on Faculty Handbook


1.5.2.1.1.  Standing Committee Membership Criteria: The following criteria will be considered when assigning members to the Senate standing committees:

  • One Executive Committee member will be assigned to each committee.

  • Each college/school will be represented on the following committees:

    1. Academic Matters

    2. Concerns and Grievances

    3. Development and Evaluations

    4. Research, Creative, and Scholarly Activities

  • Senators shall rank order their personal preference for committee assignments at the first meeting in the Fall of their first year as senator. Except by waiver of the Executive Committee, Senators will serve on the same committee throughout their tenure on the Senate elected term of office. Personal preference will be considered as much as possible in satisfying the above criteria.



1.5.2.2. Executive Committee.

1.5.2.2.1. The Executive Committee duties shall be as follows:

  • To consider and to act on urgent matters of immediate general interest to the University which cannot wait for action by the Senate in regular session. Such actions of the Executive Committee shall be reported to the Senate at next meeting and shall be subject to ratification by a majority vote of the Senate.

  • To appoint members to the Senate standing committees no later than the second Senate meeting of the Fall semester. The following criteria will be considered:

  • To propose such ad hoc committees of the Senate as may be needed and to recommend to the Senate the membership of those committees.

  • To examine the work of the various Senate committees to prevent duplication of effort, to ensure the carrying out of the committee assignments, and to coordinate the work of all committees.

  • To refer matters to the proper committees of the Senate.

  • To meet at least five (5) workdays in advance of regular Senate meeting for preparing an agenda and making assignments to those who are to report to the Senate at the next meeting of the Senate. A copy of the agenda will be sent to each member of the Senate at least three (3) workdays before the Senate convenes.

  •  To act on requests for leave of absence from the Senate.


1.5.2.3. Committee on Academic Matters.

1.5.2.3.1. This Committee shall be broadly concerned with the various academic programs, policies, and procedures of the University. Matters of concern shall include but not be restricted to such things as:

  • admissions, retention, and transfer requirements;

  • recruitment and retention of high quality students;

  • promotion and coordination of interdepartmental and intercollegiate programs;

  • degree and residence requirements;

  • honors programs;

  • establishment of new and review of existing academic programs;

  • academic advisement program;

  • promotion and enhancement of honor societies.



1.5.2.4. Committee on Faculty Concerns and Grievances

1.5.2.4.1. The Committee on Faculty Concerns and Grievances may initiate recommendations and shall continuously review and evaluate University policies including but not restricted to such things as:

  • academic freedom and responsibility;

  • faculty salaries and other benefits;

  • criteria for determining annual salary increments;

  • all faculty personnel policies including appointments, promotion, tenure, dismissal, resignation and leaves of absence. The Committee shall also act as an appeals body to hear grievances filed by individual faculty members. The committee is charged with developing procedures for this purpose, subject to approval by the Senate. See Faculty Senate Grievance Procedure Policy 1.6.

1.5.2.4.2. The Committee shall also act as an consulting body to hear grievances filed by individual faculty members, at such point in time as a grievance may reach the desk of the President of the University, and is required by the Faculty Handbook. See Faculty Handbook section on Grievances for details of such procedures.


1.5.2.5. Committee on Faculty Senate Elections and Governance

1.5.2.5. Committee on Faculty Senate Elections Governance. The Committee on Faculty Senate Elections is charged with these responsibilities:

        formulating a standardized procedure for elections to the Senate and for all University elections involving faculty participation;

  • supervising the conduct of said elections;

  • conducting the annual election of Faculty Senate officers and of the elected members of the Executive Committee;

  • ruling on the eligibility of nominees and voters;

  • supervising the process for initiating and ratifying amendments of the Constitution and By-Laws.



1.5.2.6 Committee on Faculty Development and Evaluation

1.5.2.6.1. The Committee on Faculty Development and Evaluation shall be concerned with matters including, but not restricted to, various faculty developmental activities such as:

  • methods for improving teaching;

  • avenues for strengthening faculty capabilities in research, advanced scholarship, and creative activity;

  • public and professional service possibilities and activities

  • administrative training opportunities.

1.5.2.6.2. The Committee shall also be charged with the review and appraisal of the total campus evaluation process whether it is used for individual development or administrative judgment. Categories of evaluation include:

  • self evaluation

  • peer or collegial evaluation

  • student evaluation

  • administrative evaluation.

1.5.2.7. Committee on Research, Creative and Scholarly Activities

1.5.2.7.1. The Committee shall conduct a continuous review and evaluation of policies and procedures including but not restricted to such things as:

  • awarding and administering University sponsored grants;

  • computer utilization;

  • allocation and utilization of overhead funds from grants;

  • ownership and licensing of intellectual property and copyright.



1.5.2.8. Committee on Committees.

1.5.2.8.1. The Committee on Committees shall receive from all standing University committees an annual report of the activities and recommendations of the committee by June 1. The Committee on Committees shall be concerned with, but not restricted to, such things as:

  • staffing of all University standing committees except those elected by the general faculty. Upon request by the president of the University, names of faculty will be submitted to the president, from which committee appointments will be made.

  • evaluation of all standing University committees.

  • recommendations for change in the University committee structure. An annual report of the activities and recommendations of the Committee on Committees shall be made to the president of the Faculty Senate, who shall submit the report to the president of the University.

1.5.2.8.2. The immediate past president of the Faculty Senate shall serve as committee chair in the year following his/her term of office as president, irrespective of whether he/she is a continuing member of the Faculty Senate.


1.5.2.9. Committee on Legislative Affairs.

1.5.2.9.1. The Committee on Legislative Affairs shall shall be broadly concerned with, but not limited to, pending or proposed state (TN) and federal (U.S.) legislation on a variety of issues related to higher education. The committee may undertake activities which will involve participation from various constituencies across campus.

1.5.2.9.2. The Committee shall be involved in the following activities:

  • Work with the university administration in identifying appropriate issues for discussion and publicizing issues to all constituencies on campus.

  • Take a pro-active stance on legislative issues concerning higher education (including curriculum), state employees and benefits, intellectual property, and professional concerns (e.g., libraries, medicine, nursing, etc).

  • Track pending and/or proposed legislation on state (TN) and federal (U.S.) levels.

  • Develop a network of interested faculty and other individuals within each college or school academic and administrative unit who will actively support legislative causes. This network will also work closely with: colleagues at other TBR institutions via Faculty Sub-Council, campuses of the UT system, and other means, and the Tennessee State Employees Association

  • Assist with the planning and co-ordination of a legislative breakfast for Northeast Tennessee area lawmakers during the fall and spring semesters, or other forum, as necessary, highlighting appropriate issues.

  • Coordinate a campus-wide "Legislative Day" or "Legislative Fair" with the assistance of both the Staff Senate, and the Student Government Association, and/or other appropriate departments (i.e., units (e.g., Political Science, etc.)

  • Promote voter registration of new faculty, staff, and students in cooperation with the Staff Senate and Student Government Association



1.5.2.10. Committee on the Retiree Outreach Program.

1.5.2.10.1. Committee Composition: The Committee on Retiree Outreach Program shall be composed of an appointed chair/program coordinator who is an elected member of the Faculty Senate, at least 3 additional Faculty Senate members, and ETSU associates who volunteer to participate.

1.5.2.10.2. Duties of the Committee: The committee participants shall be responsible for:

  • maintaining an outreach program to retired university personnel [and/or spouses, as appropriate], who are confined to a nursing home, homebound due to health problems or disability, or have identified special needs and who wish to participate. For each retired person who wishes to participate in the program, the committee member assigned to the retiree shall consider the following:

    1. a card &/or small personal gift on the person's birthday;

    2. a card &/or small personal gift on appropriate national &/or religious holidays, and special occasions;

    3. a personal visit once a month;

    4. periodic telephone calls;

    5. a remembrance at death; and

    6. other items as appropriate.

  • working with Faculty Senators; the ETSU Retirees Association, especially the Board of Directors; the ETSU Staff Senate; other ETSU offices; and long-term care facilities, as needed and as appropriate, for information, record keeping, and review of outreach situations.

  • obtaining and maintaining enrollee information for each retiree in the program--name, address, telephone number, birthday, special diet, activity limitation, visitation hours, etc.

  • reporting to the Committee chair each month the number and types of contacts; pertinent situational items; and any change in status of the retiree, including any hospitalizations or significant changes in health.

  • keeping records and reporting to the Faculty Senate on a regular basis regarding the number of enrollees, number of contacts, special needs of enrollees, etc.

1.5.2.10.3. Duties of the Committee Chair/Program Coordinator: The committee chair/program coordinator shall be responsible for:

  • obtaining and updating the list of potential enrollees from the ETSU Retirees Association.

  • securing funds for the program including stamps, cards, and personal items shall be provided through the Faculty Senate treasury

    1.5.2.11. Committee on the Faculty Handbook

    1.5.2.11.1. Committee Leadership and Composition : The Committee on Faculty Handbook shall be chaired by the faculty senate past president (or Faculty Senate’s designee) who is a voting member only in the case of ties. The committee will include the following additional voting members: two Senators representing health affairs, two Senators representing academic affairs, one administrator appointed by the VPHA, one administrator appointed by the VPAA. The Academic Affairs Office Manager (or designee) will be an ad hoc non-voting member charged with the publication management of the faculty handbook.

    1.5.2.11.2. Duties of the Committee: The committee shall be responsible for oversight and disposition of any and all approved revisions to the faculty handbook. Approved changes will be forwarded directly to the academic affairs office manager (or designee) for implementation. The committee will also notify the faculty senate of any changes to the handbook.



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