Bylaws

Mission

The Snow College Faculty Senate represents the faculty in the policy-making process of the institution and partners with the administration, Board of Trustees, and staff in promoting the goals and mission of the College. The Senate both represents and preserves faculty voice on issues directly related to the following areas:

Academic freedom
Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites, and placing courses within disciplines
Degree and certificate requirements
Educational program development
Standards or policies regarding student preparation and success
College governance structures as they relate to faculty roles
Academic standards
Faculty advancement, tenure and continuing review
Policies for faculty professional development activities
Processes for program review
Processes for institutional planning and budget development
Other academic and professional matters as mutually agreed upon between the Board of Trustees and the Faculty Senate

Membership

The Senate shall consist of two senators from each school, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws; one Adjunct Senator; and the Faculty Association Vice President. Additional nonvoting participants may attend as provided in these Bylaws. All senators are voting members of the Faculty Senate. Faculty serving in administrative roles above the level of department chair may not serve as senators or as Senate committee members.
1. For purposes of Faculty Senate representation, the schools of Snow College shall be: the School of Fine Arts, the School of Humanities, the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, the School of Professional Studies, the School of Social and Behavioral Science, and the School of Technical Education.
  1. The School of Technical Education shall elect one or two senators to represent its faculty in the Senate. These senators shall have the same rights as other senators.
  2. The Director of Technical Education, or another representative designated by the School of Technical Education, shall be invited to attend Senate meetings as a nonvoting participant. Such participation shall not constitute Senate membership.
2. Additional senators shall be full-time faculty members.
3. An adjunct senator shall be selected by the Snow College adjunct community and must have taught at either campus for at least one academic year and be currently employed by Snow College. The adjunct senator shall be recognized as a voting senator, but may not serve as Senate President nor Vice President. The Adjunct Senator may not serve on Senate committees as a Senate representative, since the adjunct faculty as a whole constitute this senator’s responsibilities.
4. The Faculty Association Vice President shall be recognized as a voting senator, but may not serve as Senate President nor Vice President. The Faculty Association Vice-President may not serve on Senate committees as a Senate representative, since the faculty as a whole constitute this senator’s responsibilities.
5. A nonvoting student representative shall be chosen by the student government.
The Faculty Senate may appoint a Parliamentarian to provide administrative support. All the Parliamentarian’s actions will be conducted with the approval and authority of the Senate President. The Parliamentarian will be a full-time faculty member, but will be a non-voting member of the Faculty Senate. However, the Parliamentarian may be asked questions regarding procedure.
1. The Senate President and Vice President shall conduct a yearly review of the Parliamentarian and recommend that he or she continue in the position or call for the appointment of a new Parliamentarian with Senate approval.
Terms of Office:
1. Each senator from the schools will serve a three-year term. Senatorial service will be limited to two consecutive terms with a minimum one-year break before reelection. One-third of the Senators will be elected each year by election within the schools. School elections and ongoing additional senatorial elections will be completed as early as possible in Spring semester to ensure that new senators can arrange schedules to meet at the designated time during their terms of office.
2. The adjunct senator shall be selected by an early fall semester, electronic mail-in nomination and election process administered by the Faculty Senate. The adjunct senator will serve a three-year, renewable term while employed by Snow College. Service will be limited to two consecutive terms with a minimum one-year break before reelection.
  1. The Faculty Senate President shall notify the Deans Council and/or Office of Academic Affairs each academic year to ensure that the Adjunct Senator is compensated for service beyond contractual obligations, in an amount deemed fair and appropriate by Academic Affairs.
3. The term for the Faculty Association Vice President shall be as indicated by the Faculty Association bylaws.
4. The method of selection and terms of additional senators will be determined by the Senate.
5. In the case of Senate reorganization or other exigencies, some terms may be designated as one- or two-year terms at the discretion of the current Senate.
Taking Office: Senators-elect may attend Senate meetings as non-voting members before they assume their respective offices and designated duties on July first.
In a Spring semester Senate meeting of each academic year, the Faculty Senate shall determine the process for election of a President and Vice President for the next school year (see 3.1). The Senate shall make committee assignments no later than September.
Filling Vacated Senate Member Seats, Proxies, and Unexcused Absences:
1. The resignation of a member of the Senate will be accepted and is valid on notification in writing to the Senate.
2. Members of the Senate may be removed from office by a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate; however, the senator under consideration for removal may not vote on the issue.
  1. If allegations of inappropriate behavior are brought against a sitting Senate member by another Senate member, the Senate President shall ensure that an investigation is made in a timely manner.
  2. A motion for removal shall not come to the floor of the Senate until after an investigation and report have been completed by an ad hoc committee of Senate members appointed by the Senate President and the results of the investigation presented to the Senate during a regularly scheduled meeting. If the senator considered for removal is the Senate President, the Vice President will take over the duties of the President in this process. Voting shall be by secret ballot.
3. Senate seats vacated by resignation, incapacity, or removal shall be filled for the duration of said Senate member’s term by election or appointment in that senator’s school, community, or by an all-faculty election for an additional position.
4. A member of the Senate who is unable to attend a regularly scheduled Senate meeting may designate a proxy representative. The Senate member must notify the Senate President of his or her absence and inform the President of the name of the chosen proxy. In the event of excessive absences, the Senate seat shall be considered “vacated” by discussion of the Senate and procedure to fill the seat will begin (see 2.6.3).

Organization of the Senate

President and Vice President of the Senate: The President and Vice President of the Senate shall be tenured faculty members or professional track faculty members with seven years of teaching experience at Snow College and at least one year of service as a senator. The Faculty Association Vice President and adjunct senator may not serve as Senate President nor Vice President. The President and Vice President are elected by the Senate in separate elections to renewable one-year terms by secret ballot (see 2.5). In accordance with Regents Rule 223, the Senate President is allowed release time to attend meetings and conduct business.
The duties and responsibilities of the Senate President (or Vice President if the President is not available) include the following:
- Represent the Senate and the faculty at meetings of the Board of Trustees
- Call and chair Senate meetings
- Consult with senators and the Parliamentarian in the compilation of the meeting agendas
- Attend and serve as a voting member of the College Council
- Meet with the College President and Chief Academic Officer regularly
- Attend other meetings and work on ad hoc committees as requested by the President of the College or Chief Academic Officer
- Advocate for the Senate and the faculty
- Train and orient new senators
Responsibilities of all senators:
- Assist in setting the committee agendas
- Read and review policy, and come prepared for each Senate meeting
- Act as voting members of Senate
- Serve and report on standing committees to which they are assigned
- Serve on college and/or ad hoc committees as assigned
- Act as liaisons between the Senate and their schools/colleagues
- Advocate for the Senate and the faculty
Parliamentarian: The Parliamentarian is responsible for taking, distributing, and posting meeting minutes. The Parliamentarian will also be responsible for helping the Senate President develop the agenda, researching relevant historical actions related to current Senate discussions, and maintaining Robert’s Rules in Senate meetings.
The Snow College Senate accomplishes much of its mission through the work of Senate committees. The following are committees and subcommittees of the Faculty Senate (see 4.5):
- Advancement and Tenure Committee
- Curriculum Committee — The General Education Committee and Academic Standards Committee are subcommittees of the Curriculum Committee
- Teaching and Learning Center Committee
- Professional Track Committee
- Honors Committee
- Library Committee
The creation of any subcommittee by a Senate committee requires the approval of the Faculty Senate.
Each committee and subcommittee of the Faculty Senate will include a senator as a voting member.
The Faculty Senate will administer elections for the at-large seats on the General Education Committee as terms of service conclude.

Operations

Presiding Authority: The Senate Presiding Officer shall be its President. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall preside. In the absence of both officers, the meeting will be adjourned.
Senate Meetings: The Senate shall hold at least one regular meeting at a stated time each month, September through April. In addition, special meetings shall be convened by the President of the Senate or, in the President’s absence, the Vice President:
- When requested by the President of the College; or
- When requested by written petition of at least ten percent of the faculty members; or
- When requested in writing by thirty percent of the senators; or
- When approved by the Senate during a regular meeting.
1. Senate meetings are open to all faculty, administrators, and other interested persons except during closed executive sessions.
  1. By majority vote of the Senators present, the Senate may enter executive session, limited to senators and any others specifically included in the motion, to discuss matters requiring confidentiality under college policy or applicable law. The motion shall state the general reason for the executive session. No formal action shall be taken in executive session.
2. Senate Agenda: Agenda items may be considered from the following sources:
  - Any senator; or
  - The President of the College or the College Council; or
  - Written petitions signed by at least ten percent of the faculty.
3. Proposed agenda items must be received at least two academic days before the meeting: Matters not on the agenda may be considered by the Senate at any meeting with the consent of a majority of Senate members present.
General Faculty Meetings: Meeting of the general faculty of the college may be called by the Senate President or Senate Vice President, the Faculty Association President, or upon petition by one-third of the Faculty of the College to review any action taken by the Senate or its committees. Such petitions shall specify the items to be considered.
College Council Representative Selection: The College Council consists of representatives from faculty, staff, and students. The faculty composition includes the following voting members: Faculty Senate President; Faculty Association President; a dean; and two at-large, full-time faculty members. If the Senate President and/or Association President are unable to attend a meeting, another member of their respective committee will attend in their place. The College Council has tasked the Faculty Senate with selecting the two at-large faculty representatives on the committee. One at-large representative shall be from the Ephraim campus and the other from Richfield. The at-large positions are selected on a two-year rotating schedule. The Faculty Senate will hold campus-wide elections for the at-large position each Spring semester to begin the following academic year. At-large representatives’ responsibilities include the consideration of adjunct faculty voices.
When the need for the formation of a new standing or ad hoc committee is recognized, such a committee will be constituted by a two-thirds vote of the entire Senate. Additionally, an existing committee whose purpose is no longer evident can be disbanded by a two-thirds vote of the entire Senate.
Procedures for amending the Faculty Senate Bylaws shall be as follows:
1. Amendments to these bylaws may be adopted at any regular business meeting of the Faculty Senate. Proposals must be received as a written statement and must be submitted by at least two people, at least one of whom is a sitting senator. The proposed changes shall be discussed and voted upon in a regular Senate meeting. To approve the proposed changes, two thirds of the entire Senate must vote in the affirmative.
2. Senate bylaws will be posted on the Senate website.

Appeal of Committee Decisions

Any decision made by a Senate committee may be appealed to the Faculty Senate through the following process. The appeal can be initiated by:
- A senator; or
- The College President or Chief Academic Officer; or
- A petition signed by ten percent of the faculty; or
- In the case of an Advancement and Tenure decision, the individual concerned.
The Senate will then take a vote, and the appeal will be decided by a two-thirds majority of senators.
The Senate, in its deliberations, may choose to consult with individuals, written documents, or poll the faculty at large before deciding.
The vote will either uphold the committee’s position or overturn it. The issue(s) may be sent back to the committee for further review.
If the committee of the Senate and the Senate are at an impasse on a committee’s decision, the Senate position shall prevail.

Referendum

A call for a referendum of a Senate decision shall require a petition containing signatures of one third of the faculty.
A repeal of a Senate decision shall require a majority vote of the full-time faculty.