Section I - 2.00(A) UMB Faculty Senate Bylaws
(Approved by the UMB Faculty Senate in June 2025)
Article I
The UMB Senate Executive Board will consist of the Officers of the Faculty Senate. The Officers of the UMB Faculty Senate will be the President, the Vice President, and the Secretary. Officers must be members of the Faculty Senate. Terms of office begin on July 1. The President shall be elected for a term of two years with a maximum of two terms of consecutive service. The Vice President and the Secretary shall be elected for one-year terms and may serve three consecutive terms. In the event one of the officers resigns from the Senate, an election will be held to fill the remainder of the officer's term.
- The President shall have the duties of administering the policies of the Faculty Senate, generally supervising all activities and presiding at all meetings of the Senate and the Senate Executive Board. If the President must act on behalf of the Faculty Senate before a Faculty Senate meeting is feasible, the President should consult with the Senate Executive Board. Upon completion of their term(s) as President, the immediate Past-President may continue as an advisor to the Senate Executive Board.
- The Vice President shall have the duties usually assigned to this office, including such tasks as may be delegated by the President. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall preside over meetings of the Faculty Senate and the Senate Executive Board. The Vice President will also oversee the internal committees/taskforces designated by the Faculty Senate.
- The Secretary shall arrange for the taking and distribution of minutes of all proceedings of the Faculty Senate and the Senate Executive Board, for compiling and indexing the measures formally adopted, and for such other tasks as are designated by the President. The secretary also establishes and maintains efficient communication with the members of the Faculty Senate, including such information as meeting notices, minutes and special announcements designated by the President. The Secretary shall also find or develop means, including email and web resources, to communicate to the constituency of the Faculty Senate such information as shall be designated by the President. The Secretary will oversee the annual election of new Faculty Senators including advertisement of the nomination process, communication with nominees, running the election online and announcing the elected Senators.
Article II
The Faculty Senate may establish standing committees and special committees and provide representatives for participation in joint campus committees as may be appropriate for the performance of its functions. The members of all committees shall be appointed, or elected, by the Faculty Senate, or pursuant to its direction, from the faculty, students, and employees of UMB. In the absence of Faculty Senate action, the Senate Executive Board may make nominations or, in the case of need for prompt action, appoint members of committees subject to revision by the Faculty Senate. When the Faculty Senate is to vote on the membership of any committee, nominations from the floor shall be allowed.
Article III
The meetings of the Faculty Senate shall be conducted as follows:
- Generally, the Faculty Senate will meet monthly. There shall be a minimum of six meetings of the Faculty Senate each year. Special meetings may be called by the President of the Senate, by resolution of the Faculty Senate, or by petition signed by at least one-fourth of the Senators.
- An agenda shall be prepared by the Senate President. Copies of this agenda shall be sent by the President to all Senators prior to the meeting.
- Any Senator may request that a proposal be placed on the agenda. The Senate Executive Board will triage such requests to facilitate addition to the meeting or distribution via the Senate listserv.
- A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Senators. Unless otherwise specified in this Constitution, an affirmative vote of a majority of the Senators present and voting shall be necessary to adopt any motion, resolution, or other action. Notices to Senators are properly given when emailed directly to the listed Senators.
- Except when the Faculty Senate decides to meet in executive session, all members of the campus community may attend meetings of the Senate. Attendees that are not elected members of the Senate are welcome to attend, but will not be able to vote on Faculty Senate matters.
- Permanent records, such as minutes, of all proceedings shall be maintained by the Secretary and the records of the Senate shall be available to all members of the academic community upon reasonable request.
Article IV
Responsibilities of Faculty Senators:
- Senators are elected for three-year terms beginning on July 1 of the year elected and are expected to attend all meetings of the Faculty Senate. Any Senator with three or more unexcused absences in an academic year will be considered to have resigned. Senators should notify the Administrative Assistant to the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Senate Secretary via direct communication of anticipated absences prior to the meeting.
- Senators are expected to share information with faculty members from their schools and to bring issues of concern for their schools' faculty to the attention of the Senate.
Article V
Nomination and election of Senators, Senate Officers, and additional Advisory Council members shall be conducted as follows:
- The number of Senators from each School, as specified in the Constitution of Faculty Senate, is based upon the number of full-time faculty members (not full-time equivalent) in each School. Prior to each Senate election, the Administrative Assistant to the Faculty Senate in conjunction with the Senate Secretary shall examine each School's faculty count to determine if any change in the number of Senators per School is necessary. Election of the Senators shall be staggered so that approximately one-third are elected from each School each year.
- To provide an opportunity for all eligible faculty of each School to elect Senators who might represent different viewpoints, both the nomination and election ballot forms should be available online, facilitated by the University IT department and ask for the following information: (1) full name, (2) degrees, (3) position or title, (4) name of School, (5) primary appointment by department or appropriate unit, and (6) current campus phone number. Nominations from each School shall be solicited by April 1 and ballots shall be available to each School by May 1. Election of Senators shall be completed prior to the end of the second full week of May (Senate member elections must be completed prior to nomination of Senate officers).
- If so desired, each School's Faculty Council may specify that two or more groups within the School must be represented by one or more of the School's Senate seats. These School-specific criteria should be described in the School's Faculty Handbook and reinforced at the School-level. Instructions on the School-specific nomination and ballot forms should include a reference to the School and UMB Faculty Handbooks for Senate Constitution and Bylaws, and any School-specific instructions to identify the criteria for eligibility to be a Senator, length of term, and general purpose of the Senate. Instructions must include the number of Senate seats to be filled for each School for the current election.
- The online ballot for Faculty Senators will list all nominations received, and accepted, from the School.
- Newly elected Senators are welcomed to attend the May and June Senate meetings for orientation prior to their July 1st beginning of the three-year term.
- The Senate's year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 of each year.
- Unexpired terms vacated by resignation or any other reason shall be filled by a special election within 90 days. A person elected to fill a vacancy shall serve only for the remainder of the unexpired term.
- After election of Senators is completed (in May), the Executive Board shall solicit nominations for each of the Faculty Senate Officers and shall include all nominations from the floor at the Senate's May meeting. Immediately following the May Senate meeting, the Senate Executive Board shall compile a slate of candidates and distribute ballots to Senators with a deadline prior to the June Senate meeting. Results of this election will be announced at the June Senate meeting.