WHEREAS, the faculty of Calhoun Community College has expressed a desire to have a representative group to function as a key voice to the Administration relative to issues affecting faculty at  he  college; and,

WHEREAS, interested faculty peers convened 23 January 2015 on the Research Park Campus and Decatur campus to organize a new Faculty Senate; and,

WHEREAS, the faculty of Calhoun Community College chose representatives from all academic areas to convene to form a new Faculty Senate and an election held on 6 February 2015 and,

WHEREAS, those selected by their peers convened on 28 February 2015 to organize a new Faculty Senate; and,

WHEREAS, those assembled began the task of reorganization, a part of which, was the drafting, formation and adoption of a new Constitution and By-Laws; and,

WHEREAS, that same provisional Senate ratified the Faculty Senate Constitution on 31 March 2015; and,

WHEREAS, commiserate with the adoption of the Constitution the provisional Senate adopted certain By-laws for the operational procedures of the body:

The following document and its provisions constitute the By-Laws, as adopted by the Faculty Senate on 31 March 2015.

ARTICLE I: MEETINGS

Section 1:        Quorum

A majority of the Senators must be present to constitute the quorum.  A “majority” shall be defined as fifty-one percent (51%) of Senate members.

Section 2:        Meetings

A. Regular Meetings

In order to conduct business, the Senate shall meet regularly every month during the academic year unless the date shall fall on a holiday or during the final week of instruction.  Meetings shall alternate between the Decatur and Research Park campuses, when permissible or unless otherwise justifiable.

B. Special Meetings

The Senate President may call for a special meeting by sending written notification to Senate members stating the date, time, and location of said meeting, as well as defining the purpose of said meeting.

The Faculty Senate may request a special meeting may be called by presentment of a written request for the meeting by not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the Faculty Senate.  Said notice must contain the requested date, time, and location of the meeting and must state the meeting’s purpose.

A special meeting may also be called upon a written request submitted to the Senate President by no less than ten percent (10 %) of the full-time faculty.  Said notice must contain the requested date, time, and location of the meeting and must state the meeting’s purpose.

C. Retreats/Planning

In order to prepare for the semester, the Senate may hold a retreat during each Professional Development week of each full semester of the academic year.

Section 3: Agenda

The agenda of every regularly scheduled monthly meeting shall be posted online by the Webmaster at least three days prior to the meeting.

Section 4: Minutes

Except as may otherwise be allowed or required by applicable law or procedure, the Senate Secretary shall document Senate Meetings; these minutes shall be made available by posting the approved minutes to the Senate website.

Section 5: Attendance

Meetings of the Senate are open to all Schedule D faculty members: adjunct, non-tenured, and tenured.  Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the latest version of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.

ARTICLE II: ELECTIONS FOR SENATORS

Section 1:        Representatives

A. Division Grouping Representatives

1. Each Division Grouping is eligible for one Senate representative for every seven full-time faculty or portion thereof.
2. The Division Groupings shall be:
   1. Business/Applied Technologies/Workforce Development;
   2. Counseling, Library, Evening Program
   3. Health Sciences;
   4. Humanities and Social Sciences;
   5. Mathematics and Sciences.
3. The number of representatives for each Division Grouping shall be determined by the list of full-time faculty given to the Executive Board by the Human ResourcesDirector on the first day of  the Spring semester preceding the election.
4. The number of representatives from each campus shall be representative, an equitable percentage to reflect faculty from both campuses.
5. Each aforementioned division shall elect an alternate Senator.

B. Adjunct Representatives

1. There shall be one adjunct representative, regardless of division or discipline.
2. Adjunct faculty wishing to run for election to the Senate must present verification of their fall assignment to the Senate Vice President.

Section 2:        Voting Eligibility

1. All full-time faculty members may vote for the nominees within their Division Grouping.
2. All adjunct faculty may vote for one adjunct representative.

Section 3:        General Procedure

All elections shall be by secret ballot and in manner as determined by the Senate Executive Board to be the most effective, expeditious manner.
Adequate precautions shall be taken to ensure that only those eligible may vote.

Section 4:        Election

1. Each Division Grouping shall conduct its own election for Senators.  These elections shall be by nomination and secret ballot.
2. The Senate Vice President shall conduct the adjunct representative elections. These elections shall be by nomination and secret ballot.

Section 5:        Vacancies

1. A. The Senate seat of an elected member shall be declared vacant whenever a Senator:
   1. resigns from the Senate;
   2. fails to meet the eligibility requirements for membership in the Senate;
   3. accepts a leave of absence of any kind;
   4. encounters any other condition(s) which necessitate(s) absence for three or more consecutive regular meetings of the Senate;
   5. absents himself/herself from three meetings for reasons, which in the judgment of the Executive Board, are not justifiable.
2. When a Senator vacancy occurs, the Executive Board shall call the Alternate Senator of the Division Grouping. If the Alternate is unwilling/unable to serve the remainder of the academic year, the Executive Board may appoint a Senator from a list of eligible members of the Division Grouping in question. If a faculty member from that Division Grouping is unavailable, one may be appointed from the faculty at large.
3. Senators elected or appointed to fill vacancies shall complete the term of office of the Senator they replace.
4. In addition to standard representation, a Division Grouping may elect an Alternate.  The Alternate should attend all Senate meetings. The Alternate will be counted towards quorum and may vote only when a Senator from the Alternate’s Division Grouping is absent. In the event that a Senator creates a vacancy, the Alternate will serve the remainder of the term. If neither the Senator nor the Alternate can attend Senate meetings, a special election, as outlined above, will be held.

Section 6:        Recall of Senators

Senators may be recalled only by the following process:

A. Twenty percent (20%) of the full-time faculty within the Discipline Grouping must sign a petition to recall the Senator. In the case of an adjunct Senator, the petition must be signed by twenty percent (20%) of the number of adjunct faculty who voted in the previous general election. The petition shall be submitted to the Senate Vice President to be authenticated as quickly as possible.

B. In order for the recall to be effective, over half of the Division Grouping must vote and two-thirds (2/3) of the ballots returned must be in favor of the recall. In the case of an adjunct Senator, the recall is effective if over fifty percent (50%) of the number that voted in the previous general cast a vote and two-thirds (2/3) of those ballots are in favor of recall. The recall is effective on the date of the election.

C. If the recall is approved, the Alternate, in the case where one exists, shall become a Senator from that Division Grouping. A new Alternate will be elected from that Division Grouping in accordance with procedures consistent with these bylaws.

ARTICLE III: ELECTION OF SENATE OFFICERS

Section 1:        Eligibility

Any active, tenured member of the Faculty Senate shall be eligible for nomination to the office of President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer.

Section 2:        Nominations

As soon as possible after April 1, and at other such times as the circumstances of a special election may require, the Executive Board shall request nominations from the members of the Electorate. No person’s name shall be included in any list of nominations without his/her consent.

Section 3:        Elections

On the basis of the lists of nominees submitted, the Senate Vice President shall prepare ballots, make them available to the Faculty Senate and conduct an election according to established procedures. Results shall be reported at once to the Senate through the Senate President. The Senate Secretary shall immediately announce the results to the Electorate and shall record them.

Section 4:        Time

The regular annual election of Senate Officers shall be completed prior to the  last meeting of the Senate for that academic year.

Section 5:        Vacancy

In the event a Senate Officer resigns or is otherwise unable to serve the remainder of her/his term of office, the Executive Board may appoint a Senator to serve the remainder of the term. If it be the Senate President, then the Senate Vice President shall serve the remainder of the Senate President’s term of office. If it be the Vice President, then the Secretary shall replace the Vice President. If it be the Secretary, then the Treasurer shall replace the Secretary.  The Senate President may appoint a new Treasurer or hold an election to fill the vacancy and finish out the remainder of the term.

Section 6:        Terms of Service

1. Length of service
   1. The President is elected to a one-year term.
   2. The Vice President is elected to a one-year term.
   3. The Secretary is elected to a one-year term.
   4. The Treasurer is elected to a one-year term.
   5. The Webmaster/PR is elected to a one-year term
2. B. Term limits
   1. There are no term limits for President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Webmaster/PR.

Section 7:        Recall of Officers

Senate officers may be recalled only by the following process:

A. Twenty percent (20%) of the full-time faculty members sign a petition to recall the officer. The petition shall be authenticated by a member of the Executive Board.

B. The Senate Vice President (or other Senate Officer appointed by the Executive Board if the Senate Vice President is the subject of the recall) shall prepare ballots and make them available to all full-time faculty members.

C. The Senate Vice President (or designee) will then hold an election by secret ballot within two weeks of receiving the recall petition.

D. The ballots shall be returned by the next regular Senate meeting and the Senate Secretary shall immediately publish the results to the entire faculty and shall record them.

E. In order for the recall to be effective, over fifty percent (50%) of the full time Faculty must vote and two-thirds (2/3) of the ballots returned must be in favor of recall. The position will immediately become vacant.

ARTICLE IV: DUTIES

Section 1:        Senators

A. The primary responsibility of Senators is to inform division faculty of Senate business and to determine the will of their constituency and to vote and represent that view to the Senate, its officers, the area deans and appropriate councils and committees.

B. Senators will be responsible for calling Division Grouping meetings as appropriate during the year to inform and poll division faculty.

C. Senators are to attend all Senate meetings in order to convey the will of their Constituency. Any Senator unable to attend a Senate session should notify the Senate Secretary as soon as possible.

D. Senators may be asked to serve as members on appropriate Senate subcommittee to advance the Senate’s purpose and scope.

Section 2:        President

It shall be the duty of the President:

1. to preside at all meetings of the Faculty Senate.
2. to serve as president of the Faculty Senate.
3. to serve as chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Senate.
4. to be ex-officio member of College committees, as requested or appointed, except as provided in these bylaws or in the Senate Constitution.
5. to perform such other duties as may be specified by the Senate constitution or in these bylaws.

Section 3:        Vice President

It shall be the duty of the Vice President:

1. to serve for the President during any temporary absence of the President.
2. to serve as Vice-President of the Faculty Senate.
3. to coordinate the appointment of Faculty Senate members to committees and councils as needed/appropriate.
4. to represent the President, as the President, the Executive committee, or the Senate may direct.
5. to coordinate Faculty Senate elections.
6. to perform such other duties as may be specified in the Senate Constitution and in these bylaws.
7. to organize, facilitate, and charge any justifiable, approved Faculty Senate sub-committee to advance the work of the Faculty Senate.
8. to function as a liaison between and among any existing or newly established college committees.

Section 4:        Secretary

It shall be the duty of the Secretary:

1. to issue calls to meetings, publish agendas, keep appropriate records and publish minutes of all of the Senate.
2. to conduct all routine correspondence pertaining to this office, including notification of the membership in advance of all Senate activities in addition to business meetings.
3. to perform other duties as may be specified in the Faculty Senate Constitution and in these bylaws.

Section 5:        Treasurer

It shall be the duty of the Treasurer:

1. to coordinate and solicit membership of its annual assessments.
2. to deposit funds in a local bank (or Business Office) in the name of the Faculty Senate.
3. to issue checks, co-signed by the Faculty Senate President or Vice President for expenses incurred by the Faculty Senate as authorized by the Senate or Executive Committee.
4. to maintain a record of all receipts and disbursements of Senate monies, and to make available for audit by the Faculty Senate Executive committee.
5. to present a yearly budget to the Senate by the last regular meeting in April of the previous academic year.

Section 6:        Webmaster/PR

It shall be the duty of the Webmaster/PR:

1. To designs layout for the Faculty Senate Website
2. To maintain any revisions to the Faculty Senate Website such as Senate member contact Information.
3. To ensure the Bylaws and Constitution are on the Website and up to date
4. To upload the approved Faculty Senate Meeting minutes each month to the Website
5. To ensure the Faculty Senate Website looks professional and contains accurate information
6. To archives hard copies of meeting minutes, Bylaws, and Constitution.
7. To serve as the contact person when something is wrong with the Website such as broken URL links, etc.

Ratified: 31 March 2015