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Constitution of the FAFC
The name of the organization shall be the Boston University Faculty Assembly. The purpose of the Boston University Faculty Assembly shall be to speak for the faculty on matters of importance to the University and to consider and act, or recommend action, as appropriate, on all matters affecting the academic and professional concerns of the faculty of two or more Schools, Colleges, or designated academic units of the University. Section 1 All professorial faculty (other than adjunct, emeritus or visiting professors), lecturers, and instructors who hold at least one-half time appointments in Boston University’s Schools, Colleges, or academic units designated by the University Provost, shall be members of the Faculty Assembly. Section 2 Each Faculty Assembly member shall cast one vote. Section 3 When faculty members with particular ranks or titles in individual schools, colleges, designated academic units, or programs are excluded from membership in the Faculty Assembly by its Constitution or the by-laws to it, the faculty of the School, College, designated academic unit, or program may petition the Faculty Council to admit such faculty to membership in the Assembly; the Council may do so upon recommendation of the appropriate standing committee, in accord with the by-laws. Section 1 The President of the University shall serve as President of the Faculty Assembly. Section 2 The Officers of the Faculty Assembly shall consist of a Chair, a Vice-Chair or Past Chair, and a Secretary-Treasurer. These shall be the same persons who serve as the corresponding officers of the Faculty Council, having been elected pursuant to Article VIII. Section 1 The Faculty Assembly shall meet during each fall and spring semester. Section 2 Special meetings may be called by the President of the Faculty Assembly, by the Faculty Council by a majority vote of the membership of the Faculty Council, or by a petition of five percent of the membership of the Faculty Assembly presented to the President. The agenda for all special meetings shall be announced when the call is made. Section 3 Twenty percent of the membership, without regard to voting status, shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business. Section 4 The agenda for all regular meetings shall be established jointly by the President of the Faculty Assembly and the Chair. Items for consideration by the Faculty Assembly shall be placed on the agenda when requested by five percent of the membership of the Faculty Assembly, or by a majority of Assembly members within each of two Schools, Colleges or designated academic units. Section 5 The President of the Faculty Assembly shall preside at the meetings of the Faculty Assembly. In the absence of the President or at the President’s request, the Chair shall preside. When the Chair has been requested to preside over a specific item on the agenda, this shall be indicated on the agenda. Section 1 The Faculty Council shall represent the Faculty Assembly when the Assembly is not in session. Section 2 The actions and recommendations of the Faculty Council shall be summarized and presented to the Faculty Assembly, and, where appropriate, shall be ratified or annulled by the Faculty Assembly. Section 1 All members of the Faculty Assembly shall be eligible to serve as representatives or alternates of the Faculty Council. Section 2 The following members, all voting members, shall comprise the Faculty Council: the officers, elected pursuant to Article VIII, representatives elected pursuant to Article IX; and chairs of standing committees, elected pursuant to Article XIII, Section 3. Section 1 The Officers of the Faculty Council shall be a Chair, a Vice-Chair or immediate Past Chair, and a Secretary-Treasurer. The Chair shall serve for a two-year term, or until a successor is installed. A Vice-Chair shall be elected to serve during the second year of the Chair’s term, and shall succeed the Chair in office at the end of that time. Until a new Vice-Chair is elected and installed, the immediate Past Chair shall assume the duties of Vice-Chair. The immediate Past Chair may be not a candidate for Vice-chair until at least one year after the expiration of their term as immediate Past Chair. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected to serve a two-year term, and may be elected to serve no more than two consecutive terms. Section 2 Faculty of professorial rank who, at the time of the election, have served at least one year during the four-year period preceding the election as Council representatives, alternates, chairs of the various standing committees of the Faculty Council and/or as Secretary-Treasurer of the Council, are eligible for election as officers. Members of the Nominating Committee are not eligible for election as officers of the Faculty Council during the period for which they are elected to serve. Section 3 The Vice-Chair and Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected by the members of the Faculty Assembly by confidential electronic or written ballot. Section 4 Candidates for office shall be nominated by the Nominating Committee pursuant to Article XIII, Section 2. Section 5 The candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be elected. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, a run-off election shall be held between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes. Section 6 Upon installation, officers shall cease to represent a particular School, College, or designated academic unit and these vacancies shall be filled pursuant to Article IX, Section 7. Section 7 Officers shall be installed on June 1. Section 8 A vacancy in the office of Chair that occurs before the duly elected successor has served for six months as Vice-Chair shall be temporarily filled by the immediate Past Chair, until the Vice-Chair has been in office for six months. If a Vice-Chair has not yet been elected when a vacancy in the office of Chair occurs, a vacancy in the office of Vice-Chair shall be declared. A vacancy in the office of Vice-Chair or Secretary-Treasurer shall be filled by an interim election by the Faculty Council. This action shall be presented for ratification at the next meeting of the Assembly, or at the next referendum, if sooner. Ratification shall be by a simple majority of the votes cast. Section 1 Assembly members within each School, College, or designated academic unit shall elect representatives to the Faculty Council for a term of two years or until their successors are installed. Each school, college or designated academic unit shall hold its election by May 31 and report the results to the Faculty Council. Elections shall be held in accordance with the rules of the School, College or designated academic unit. Section 2 The number of representatives elected to the Faculty Council from, School, College, or designated academic unit shall be determined by Assembly members within the School, College, or designated academic unit as follows: Section 3 Assembly members within each School, College, or designated academic unit shall elect alternate representatives for a term of two years or until their successors are installed. The number of alternate representatives elected to the Faculty Council from each School, College, or designated academic unit shall be the same as the number of representatives from that School, College, or designated academic unit. Section 4 No representative or alternate shall serve more than two consecutive terms. Section 5 A vacancy in the position of representative shall be filled by the alternate representative.
A vacancy in the position of alternate representative shall be filled in an election in accordance with the rules of the appropriate School, College, or designated academic unit. Section 6 Except in the case of special elections, representatives shall begin their term on the Faculty Council at the September meeting and shall continue until a successor is installed. Section 1 The Faculty Council shall meet at least once each month during the period September to May. Section 2 Special meetings may be called by the Chair or by the Executive Committee. Section 3 Fifty percent of the membership shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business. Section 1 The Chair shall preside at the meetings of the Faculty Council Executive Committee and shall perform such additional duties as customarily pertain to this office. Section 2 The Vice-Chair shall perform such duties as may be specified or directed from time to time by the Chair and such other duties as customarily pertain to this office. Section 3 The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Faculty Assembly, Faculty Council and of the Faculty Council Executive Committee, shall maintain the financial records of the Faculty Council and shall perform such other duties as customarily pertain to this office. Section 1 Representatives shall convey to the Faculty Council the views of colleagues in their Schools, Colleges, or designated academic units. Representatives shall make periodic, public reports of Faculty Council activities to their Schools, Colleges or designated academic units and shall endeavor to elicit free and general discussion of all appropriate matters. Representatives shall serve the welfare of the entire faculty of Boston University. Section 2 Alternate representatives shall participate in all Faculty Council activities, including discussion and service on committees, but shall not vote in Faculty Council meetings except in the absence of a representative from their School, College, or designated academic unit. Section 1 There shall be an Executive Committee of the Faculty Council composed of the three officers of the Faculty Council and the chairs of all standing committees. The Executive Committee shall advise the Chair on the agenda for Faculty Council meetings, the appointment of the committees, and make recommendations to the Faculty Council on matters brought to its attention. The Executive Committee shall act, if necessary, for the Faculty Council when the Faculty Council is not in session, reporting all actions taken to the next regularly scheduled Faculty Council meeting. Section 2 There shall be a Nominating Committee consisting of five Assembly members elected in a special fall election by confidential electronic or written ballot. The term of the Nominating Committee shall be subject to the by-laws and members of the Nominating Committee shall not succeed themselves. The chair of the Nominating Committee shall be elected from among themselves by the members of the committee at its first meeting. The Nominating Committee shall present nominations for officers of the Faculty Council pursuant to Article VIII, Section 2, for committee chairs, and for members of the succeeding Nominating Committee, and for other positions as requested by the Faculty Council. Normally, at least two nominees shall be presented for each position of officer and committee chair. Section 3 Section 4 The Faculty Council may establish such temporary ad hoc committees or task forces as it may deem appropriate and may, by resolution, determine the charge, chair, membership and term of any such committee. Section 1 Referenda on matters of importance to the membership may be initiated by a majority of the members present and voting at a meeting of the Faculty Assembly, by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting at a meeting of the Faculty Council, or by a petition of ten percent of the membership of the Faculty Assembly, no more than half of which shall come from any one School, College, or designated academic unit, presented to the Chair. Referenda shall be conducted by the Faculty Council pursuant to procedures in the by-laws. Section 2 Referenda whose results are intended for presentation to the President and the Board of Trustees shall be conducted by the Faculty Council after consultation with the President. The results of such referenda shall be forwarded to the President and the Board of Trustees as representative of the views of the Faculty Assembly when voted on by two-thirds of the members of the Faculty Council, or when approved by forty percent of the members of the Faculty Assembly. Section 1 An election to recall officers shall be conducted by the Faculty Council when requested by a majority of the members present and voting at a meeting of the Faculty Assembly, by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting at a meeting of the Faculty Council, or by petition of ten percent of the membership of the Faculty Assembly, no more than half of which shall come from any one School, College, or designated academic unit, presented to the Chair. Section 2 Recall and removal of officers shall occur when approved by two-thirds of the membership voting at a meeting of the Faculty Assembly, provided that each member shall receive written notice of the recall election at least ten days before the vote was taken, or by a majority of votes cast in a confidential electronic or written ballot that has been returned by a majority of the membership of the Faculty Assembly. Section 3 An election to recall a committee chair shall be conducted by the Faculty Council when requested by a majority of the members present and voting at a Faculty Council meeting. Section 4 Recall and removal of a committee chair shall occur when approved by two-thirds of the membership voting at a meeting of the Faculty Council. Section 5 Representatives and alternate representatives may be recalled by the faculty of the School, College, or designated academic unit they represent. Section 1 The Faculty Council may establish by-laws consistent with the provisions of this Constitution. Section 2 By-Laws may be approved, amended or repealed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at any meeting of the Faculty Council provided the proposed change has been submitted in writing to each member of the Faculty Council at least ten days before the meeting. Section 1 Amendments to this Constitution may be initiated by a majority of the members present and voting at a meeting of the Faculty Assembly, by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting at a meeting of the Faculty Council, or by petition of ten percent of the membership of the Faculty Assembly, no more than half of which shall come from any one School, College, or designated academic unit, presented to the Chair. Section 2 Amendments to this Constitution shall take effect when approved by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in a confidential electronic or written ballot that has been returned by a majority of the faculty represented by the Faculty Assembly, and when approved by the Trustees of Boston University. All provisions, procedures and by-laws of this Constitution are valid only as they are consistent with the Charter, Statutes, and By-Laws of Boston University. This Constitution shall be ratified when affirmative votes are cast by a majority of faculty who have returned written ballots. This Constitution shall take effect immediately following ratification by the faculty of the University and approval by the Board of Trustees.Article I – Name
Article II – Purpose of the Faculty Assembly
Article III – Membership and Voting Rights in the Faculty Assembly
Article IV – Officers of the Faculty Assembly
Article V – Meetings of the Faculty Assembly
Article VI – The Faculty Council
Article VII – Membership in the Faculty Council
Article VIII – Officers of the Faculty Council
Article IX – Faculty Council Representatives
Article X – Meetings of the Faculty Council
Article XI – Duties of the Faculty Council Officers
Article XII – Duties of the Faculty Council Representatives
Article XIII – Committees of the Faculty Council
Article XIV – Referenda
Article XV – Recall
Article XVI – By-Laws
Article XVII – Amendments
Article XVIII
Article XVIX
Amended by vote of the Faculty Assembly and approval of the Board of Trustees, Spring 2020.