1520 - Constitution of the University Faculty

CONTENTS:

Preamble
Article I. General Provisions
Article II. Faculty Classifications
Article III. Faculty Meetings
Article IV. Responsibilities of the University Faculty
Article V. Faculty Senate
Article VI. Rules of Order
Article VII. Amendments

PREAMBLE. The faculty of the University of Idaho, designated "university faculty," as defined in article II, section 1, in acknowledgement of the responsibilities entrusted to it for the immediate government of the university by article IX, section 10, of the constitution of the state of Idaho, has adopted and declared this constitution to be the basic document under which to discharge its responsibilities.

ARTICLE I--GENERAL PROVISIONS.

Section 1. Regents. The regents are vested by article IX, section 10, of the constitution of the state of Idaho with all powers necessary or convenient to govern the university in all its aspects.  The regents are the authority for actions of the university faculty, and policy actions taken by the university faculty are subject to review and approval by the president and by the regents.

Section 2. President. The president of the university is both a member of and the president of the university faculty and is also the president of the other faculties referred to in section 4, below, and in article II. The president is the representative of the regents, the institution’s chief executive officer, and the official leader and voice of the university.

Section 3. Faculty Senate. This senate is empowered to act for the university faculty in all matters pertaining to the immediate government of the university. The senate is responsible to and reports to the university faculty and, through the president, to the regents. The university faculty, president, and regents retain the authority to review policy actions taken by the senate. 

Section 4. Constituent Faculties. The university faculty is composed of various constituent faculties, including the faculties of the several colleges and other units of the university. Faculty are entitled to speak or write freely on matters pertaining to university governance, programs and policies (see Article IV below and FSH 4000).

Clause A. College Faculties. The constituent faculty of each college or similar unit, meeting regularly and in accordance with bylaws adopted by a majority vote of the members of such faculty, is authorized to establish and to effect its own educational objectives, including matters of student admission and curriculum, and to participate in the selection of its own dean, other executive officers, and faculty members, subject only to the general rules and regulations of the university faculty and the authority of the president and the regents.

Clause B. Faculties of Subdivisions. If there are schools, intracollege divisions, departments, or separate disciplines within a college or similar unit, the constituent faculty of each such subdivision participates in decisions concerning its educational objectives, including matters of student admission and curriculum, the selection of its executive officers, and its faculty appointments, subject only to the general rules and regulations of the college faculty and the university faculty and the authority of the president and the regents.

Clause C. Interim Government. The Faculty Senate will provide for the establishment of bylaws for any college or similar unit that has not adopted its own bylaws.

Clause D. Matters of Mutual Concern. The Faculty Senate has the responsibility for resolving academic matters that concern more than one college or similar unit.

ARTICLE II--FACULTY CLASSIFICATIONS.

Section 1. University Faculty. The university faculty comprises the president, provost, vice presidents, deans, professors, associate professors, assistant professors, senior instructors, instructors (including those professors, associate professors, assistant professors, senior instructors, and instructors whose titles have distinguished, research, extension, clinical or visiting designations, e.g., "assistant clinical professor", "assistant research professor" and "visiting associate professor"), and lecturers who have served at least four semesters on more than half-time appointment (see 1565 G-1). Those who qualify under this section have the privilege of participation with vote in meetings of the university faculty and the appropriate constituent faculties.

Section 2. Emeriti. Faculty members emeriti have the privilege of participation without vote in meetings of the university faculty and the appropriate constituent and associated faculties. Also, they may be appointed to serve with vote on UI committees. (See also 1565 E.)

Section 3. Associated Faculties.

Clause A. The adjunct faculty (see 1565 F-1) and the affiliate faculty (see 1565 F-2) are associated faculties. Other associated faculties may be established as needed with the approval of the university faculty, president, and regents.

Clause B. Members of the adjunct faculty have the privilege of participation without vote in meetings of the university faculty. Members of the affiliate faculty may participate with vote in meetings of the university faculty if they have status as university faculty in their home unit. Both adjunct and affiliate faculty members have the privilege of participating in meetings of their respective constituencies of the university faculty, and may participate with vote if the bylaws of their constituent faculty so provide; however, if authorized to vote, they are not counted among the full-time-equivalent faculty members when determining the basis for the constituent faculty's representation on the Faculty Senate.

Section 4. General Faculty. "General faculty" is a collective description for the combined faculties referred to in sections 1, 2, and 3, above.

ARTICLE III--FACULTY MEETINGS. Meetings of the university faculty may be called at any time, with due notice, by the president. Procedure for meetings of the university faculty is governed by FSH 1540 Standing Rules of the University Faculty. 

ARTICLE IV--RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY. Subject to the authority of the president and the general supervision and ultimate authority of the regents, the university faculty accepts its responsibilities for the immediate government of the university, including, but not restricted to:

Section 1. Standards for Admission. The university faculty establishes minimum standards for admission to the university. Supplementary standards for admission to individual colleges or other units of the university that are recommended by the appropriate constituent faculties are subject to approval by the university faculty.

Section 2. Academic Standards. The university faculty establishes minimum academic standards to be maintained by all students in the university.  Supplementary academic standards to be maintained by students in individual colleges or other units of the university that are recommended by the appropriate constituent faculties are subject to approval by the university faculty. (See I-4-D.)

Section 3. Courses, Curricula, Graduation Requirements, and Degrees. Courses of instruction, curricula, and degrees to be offered in, and the requirements for graduation from, the individual colleges or other units of the university, as recommended by the appropriate constituent faculties, are subject to approval by the university faculty. (See I-4-D.)

Section 4. Scholarships, Honors, Awards, and Financial Aid. The university faculty recommends general principles in accordance with which privileges such as scholarships, honors, awards, and financial aid are accepted and allocated. The university faculty may review the standards recommended by the individual constituent faculties for the acceptance and allocation of such privileges at the college or departmental levels.

Section 5. Conduct of Students. The faculty’s responsibility for approving student disciplinary regulations and the rights guaranteed to students during disciplinary hearings and proceedings are as provided in FSH 2200 Statement of Student Rights and FSH 2300 Student Code of Conduct and Resolution Process.

Section 6. Student Participation. The university faculty provides an opportunity for students of the university to be heard in all matters pertaining to their welfare as students.  To this end, the students are entrusted with their own student government organization and are represented on the Faculty Senate.  If students so desire, they are represented on faculty committees that deal with matters affecting them.

Section 7. Selection of Officers. The university faculty assists the regents in the selection of the president and assists the president in the selection of the provost, vice presidents and other administrative officers of the university.

Section 8. Governance of Colleges and Subdivisions. The university faculty promulgates general standards to guarantee the right of faculty members to participate in the meetings of the appropriate constituent faculties and in the governance of their colleges, schools, intracollege divisions, departments, and other units of the university. (See 1540 A.)

Section 9. Faculty Welfare. The university faculty recommends general policies and procedures concerning the welfare of faculty members, including, but not limited to, appointment, reappointment, nonreappointment, academic freedom, tenure, working conditions, promotions, salaries, leaves, fringe benefits, periodic evaluations, performance reviews, reassignment, layoff, and dismissal or termination.

Section 10. The Budget. Members of the university faculty participate in budgetary deliberations, and it is expected that the president will seek faculty advice and counsel on budgetary priorities that could significantly affect existing units of the university. (See 1640.20, University Budget and Finance Committee.)

Section 11. Committee Structure. The university faculty, through the medium of its Faculty Senate, establishes and maintains all university-wide and interdivisional standing and special committees, subcommittees, councils, boards, and similar bodies necessary to the immediate government of the university and provides for the appointment or election of members of such bodies. This section does not apply to ad hoc advisory committees appointed by the president or committees made up primarily of administrators. (See 1620 and 1640)

Section 12. Organization of the University. The university faculty advises and assists the president and the regents in establishing, reorganizing, or discontinuing major academic and administrative units of the university, such as colleges, schools, intracollege divisions, departments, and similar functional organizations.

Section 13. Bylaws of the Faculty Senate. The bylaws under which the Faculty Senate discharges its responsibilities as the representative body of the university faculty are subject to review and approval by the university faculty. (See 1580.)

ARTICLE V--FACULTY SENATE.

Section 1. Function. The Faculty Senate functions as provided in this constitution and in accordance with its bylaws as approved by the university faculty. (See I-3 and 1580.)

Section 2. Structure. The senate is constituted as follows:

Clause A. Elected Members.

(1) College Faculties. The faculty of each college, except the College of Graduate Studies, elects one senator for each 50, or major fraction thereof, full-time-equivalent faculty members in the college, provided, however, that each college faculty elects at least one senator. If, because of a reduction in the membership of a college faculty, there is to be a corresponding reduction in the college’s representation in the senate, the reduction does not take place until the expiration of the term of office of an elected senator from the college.

(2) University Centers. The resident faculty of the university centers in Boise, Coeur d'Alene and Idaho Falls each elects one senator from among its number. Senators elected to represent a center have a unique role on senate, which is to provide a voice and vote from the perspective of their centers. That perspective is not intended to be college or discipline specific.

(3) Faculty-at-Large. Members of the university faculty who are not affiliated with a college faculty constitute the faculty-at-large, and this constituent faculty, in accordance with procedures adopted by the faculty-at-large, elects senators to serve with vote in the senate on the same basis as provided above for college faculties.¹

¹The constitution of the university faculty originally provided that faculty status could be conferred by presidential designation on certain administrative and service officers who did not hold academic rank. When the faculty, on May 13, 1986, amended the constitution by, among other things, deleting that provision, it explicitly granted continuing membership, for the duration of their then current incumbencies, to those officers who on that date were members by virtue of presidential designation. These officers are members of the constituency known as the faculty-at-large.

(4) Dean. The academic deans elect one of their number to serve with vote in the senate.

(5) Staff. The representative body (Staff Council) of the university staff elects two employees who do not have faculty status to serve with vote in the senate.

(6) Students. Two undergraduate students, one graduate student, and one law student serve as voting members of the senate, and the senate provides regulations governing the qualifications, terms of office, and election of student members, and procedures for filling vacancies in the student membership.  (See 1580 VI.)

Clause B. Members Ex Officiis. The president or the president’s designated representative and the secretary of the faculty are members ex officiis of the senate, with voice but without vote.

Section 3. Officers. Each year the senate elects a chair and a vice chair from among the elected faculty members of the senate.

Section 4. Terms of Office. Elected faculty members of the senate serve for three years. The academic dean shall serve one year, the staff representatives shall serve for staggered two year terms. The terms of office for student members are as established by the senate. (See 1580 VI.) Newly elected members take office each year on September 1 or on the official opening date of the academic year, whichever is earlier. To carry out the requirement that approximately one-third of the elected faculty members are to take office each year, the senate may shorten the initial term of office of faculty senators elected to fill new positions in the senate to conform to a balanced rotation plan. When members are elected to fill a vacancy, they take office at the first meeting after the election and serve for the unexpired term of the vacancy. A faculty member elected to the senate may serve two consecutive terms. After serving two consecutive terms the faculty senate member must wait one full year before they are again eligible for election (see also FSH 1580 III-3).

Section 5. Eligibility. Every member of the university faculty is eligible to vote for members of the senate representing his or her college or other unit.  Every member of the university faculty is eligible to serve as an elected member of the Faculty Senate and to hold an elective or appointive office in the senate.

Section 6. Elections. Regular elections for senators on the senate are held before April 15 of each year in which an election is to be held. All elections for members of the senate are by secret ballot. Appropriate procedures for nominations and elections are developed and approved by a majority vote of the faculty of the college or other unit.

Section 7. Vacancies.

Clause A. If it is necessary for a member of the senate to be absent temporarily (more than a month, but less than four months), the candidate who received the next highest number of votes in the most recent election in the college or unit acts as his or her alternate in the senate with full vote. If it is necessary for a member to be absent for more than four months, but less than one year, a special election is held to fill the temporary vacancy. When the senate member returns, he or she resumes the position in the senate. If it is necessary for a member to be absent for more than one year, or if the member is unable to complete the term of office for any reason, a special election is held to fill the unexpired term. (See 1580 VI for procedures covering student vacancies.)

Clause B. The chair of the Faculty Senate must declare a position vacant if a member is absent from three consecutive meetings unless the member has informed the chair of the senate in writing that he or she intends to participate fully in the activities of the senate in the future. When a position is declared vacant, the chair must notify the constituency concerned.

Section 8. Recall. The recall of a member of the senate may be initiated by a petition bearing the signatures of at least 10 percent, or five members, whichever is greater, of the membership of the particular constituency represented. The petition must be delivered to the chair of the senate. In the receipt of a valid petition, the chair calls a meeting of the faculty of the college or other unit and appoints a chair. Charges against the member are presented in writing and the member is given adequate opportunity for his or her defense. A two-thirds majority vote by secret ballot of the members of the college or other unit present at the meeting is necessary for recall, providing the members present constitute a quorum as defined in the bylaws of the college or other unit. In the event that the vote is to recall the senator, the member may appeal the case to the senate within 10 days. If the case is appealed and the senate affirms the recall, or if the recall stands for 10 days without appeal, the members of the college or other unit elect another senator. Regular procedures are followed in replacing the recalled person, except that the chair of the senate appoints the chair of the election committee of the college or other unit. During the interval between recall and the election of a replacement, the candidate who received the next highest number of votes in the most recent election acts as the alternate in the senate with full vote.

ARTICLE VI--RULES OF ORDER. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised govern all meetings of the university faculty, other faculties, the Faculty Senate, and faculty committees in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not in conflict with this constitution, regents’ policies, or any bylaws or rules adopted by any of those bodies for the conduct of their respective meetings. An action taken by the university faculty, a constituent or associated faculty, the Faculty Senate, or a faculty committee that conflicts with a previous action by that body takes precedence and, in effect, amends, in part or in full, the previous action.

ARTICLE VII--AMENDMENTS. This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the members of the university faculty, as defined in article II, section 1, in attendance at a regular meeting, a quorum being present. Proposed amendments must have been published in full in the agenda at least one week before the meeting or presented in writing at a meeting previous to the one at which the vote is to be taken. Amendments to this constitution are subject to review and approval by the president and by the regents.

Version History

Amended August 2023. Minor edit to update cross-reference.

Amended January 2023. Minor edit to update cross-reference.

Amended September 2022. Clerical Minor edit to correct cross-reference.

Amended July 2022. University faculty meeting procedure moved from Article III to FSH 1420 Standing Rules of the University Faculty. Outdated information regarding remote participation removed from Article V.

Amended July 2019. Language from FSH 1566 was moved to a footnote to Article V, Section 2, and language in Article V, Section 3 was removed to address the restructure of the Faculty Secretary position.

Amended July 2015. Faculty Senate members were allowed to serve an additional term and language was added to Article I. Section 4 that affirms academic freedom in faculty governance and university programs and policies.

Amended July 2014. Editorial changes.

Amended July 2013. The Faculty Senate’s membership was increased by one member to represent the Student Bar Association.

Amended July 2012. The Faculty Senate Center Senator’s role/responsibility was clarified, staff membership increased to two, and the required annual venue determination removed.

Amended July 2011. The clinical faculty rank was added and language with respect to associated faculty voting was clarified.

Amended July 2009. The Faculty Council changed its name to Faculty Senate, a more common name used in academia, off campus faculty will have voting members on Senate at Coeur d'Alene, Boise, and Idaho Falls, and off-campus faculty will now be counted in the quorum at university faculty meetings with vote through designated sites and delegates given available technology (see 1640.94 and 1540 A).

Amended July 2006. Editorial changes.

Amended July 2005. Editorial changes.

Amended July 2001. Editorial changes.

Amended July 2000. Editorial changes

Amended July 1999. Editorial changes.

Amended July 1997. Editorial changes.

Amended 1986. Content of revision unknown.

Adopted 1968.