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Faculty Handbook: Constitution of the Faculty Assembly and Faculty Senate

ARTICLE I.  THE FACULTY ASSEMBLY

Section 1. Function of the Faculty Assembly 

  1. The Faculty Assembly is the organization of the whole faculty. Its major function is to facilitate and encourage communication in three areas: within the University; among the several schools and colleges; and among the faculty, students, administrative officials, and the Board of Trustees.
  2. The Faculty Assembly may be convened to hear reports on the state of the University from the Chancellor, President, or other administrative officials.
  3. The Faculty Assembly may be convened to permit members to direct questions to the Chancellor, President, or other administrative officials or to the Chair of the Faculty Senate.
  4. The Faculty Assembly may discuss any University policy or practice and express its opinion thereon to the Chancellor, President, or other appropriate administrative officials or under unusual circumstances to the Board of Trustees.

Section 2. Composition and Voting Rights

  1. The Faculty Assembly consists of members and associate members.
  2. Full-time faculty are members of the Faculty Assembly with the right both to participate in deliberations and to vote.
  3. Associate Members. Part-time faculty are associate members of the Faculty Assembly with the right to participate in deliberations but without the right to vote.

Section 3. Officers

  1. The Chair of the Faculty Senate shall serve as Chair of regular meetings of the Faculty Assembly and special meetings except those called at the request of the Chancellor, President, or Provost/Vice Chancellor responsible for academic programs.
  2. The Chancellor, President, or someone designated by them shall preside at special meetings of the Faculty Assembly called by the Chancellor or President.
  3. The Provost shall preside at meetings called by the Provost.
  4. The Secretary of the Faculty Senate shall serve as Secretary of the Faculty Assembly.

 

ARTICLE II.  THE FACULTY SENATE

Section 1. Functions and Duties  

  1. The Faculty Senate is the representative body of the Faculty Assembly designed primarily to express the views of the teaching and research members of the faculty. Actions of the Faculty Senate shall be subject to review by the Faculty Assembly and may be revoked at a meeting of the Faculty Assembly by a majority vote of the members present and voting.
  2. The Faculty Senate may discuss and express its views upon any matter affecting the University.
  3. The Faculty Senate shall have the power to review and evaluate the educational policies, degree requirements, and curricula, questions with regard to academic freedom, student-faculty relations, faculty-administration relations, and practices of the University and may make recommendations concerning these issues through appropriate channels.
  4. The Faculty Senate may review admissions policies, research contracts policy, student behaviors policies, athletic policies, and broad financial policies and make recommendations to the Administration, University Council, House of Student Representatives, and under unusual circumstances, to the Board of Trustees.
  5. The Faculty Senate adjudicates and forwards honorary degree recommendations to the Chancellor. (See Faculty Senate Handbook, Appendix 1.0 for criteria and guidelines.)
  6. The Faculty Senate may establish such committees and subcommittees as it chooses to aid in the performance of its duties and may invite persons who are not members of the Senate to serve on these committees and subcommittees.

Section 2. Membership

  1. Elected Members.
    1. Membership shall be by general election of the faculty.
    2. Only full-time faculty members with the academic rank of Instructor or higher and whose duties include more than half-time teaching and/or research shall be eligible for election to the Faculty Senate.
    3. There shall be members representing all schools and colleges.
  2. The Chair-elect, Chair, and immediate past Chair of the Faculty Senate (if not otherwise elected members of the Senate) shall be ex officio members of the Faculty Senate with the right to participate fully in deliberations and to vote.
  3. The Chancellor of the University, the President, and the Provost shall be invited to attend meetings of the Faculty Senate at the discretion of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.
  4. Election of members to the Faculty Senate, in consultation with the Governance Committee, shall be administered by a Faculty Election Committee, composed of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.

Section 3. Officers

  1. The Officers of the Senate shall be the Chair, Chair-elect, Past-chair, Secretary, Administrative Officer, Diversity Advocate, and Information Officer. As a general guideline, officers shall be from different colleges or schools.
  2. The Chair-elect, Secretary, Administrative Officer, Diversity Advocate, and Information Officer shall be elected by the Senate at the last meeting of the academic year and the term of office shall be one year. The incumbent Chair-elect shall become Chair. The Governance Committee, in consultation with the Faculty Election Committee, shall serve as the nominating committee for all officer elections.

Section 4. Committees

  1. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate shall consist of the Chair, the Chair-elect, the immediate Past-Chair, the Secretary, the Administrative Officer, the DEI Officer, and the Information Officer.
  2. Consultative function of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. Among regular duties, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will, as appropriate, consult with the Chancellor, President, and other administrative officers and, under unusual circumstances, the Board of Trustees on matters of general University concern, including faculty grievance appeals or conflict resolution requests. The Faculty Senate Executive Committee shall meet with the Chancellor or President at their request, or upon request of a majority of the members of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, or by direction of the Senate. No formal votes shall be taken at such consultations, nor shall any action occur that might commit the Senate against its will.
  3. Committee on University Committees. A committee on University-wide Committees shall be appointed by the Executive Committee in session. It shall consist of one Senator from each of the schools, colleges, and divisions who elect two or more senators. Senators who are the sole representative from their school, college, or division may request the Committee on Committees as an assignment but are not required to serve on this Committee. This committee shall nominate to the proper appointing authorities the faculty members of committees established by the Senate, the Administration, or the Student Body. Faculty members so nominated are not required to be elected members of the Senate.
  4. Other Committees of the Faculty Senate shall be appointed by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, as it deems necessary.

Section 5. Bylaws

Unless otherwise provided herein, the Senate may adopt its own regulations, bylaws, and rules of order.

ARTICLE III.  AMENDMENTS

Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by the Faculty Senate or by any member of the Faculty Assembly. Whether voting is done by electronic means (e-ballot) or a convened meeting, twenty percent (20%) of full-time faculty shall constitute a quorum. Amendments shall become effective when approved by a two-thirds majority of the Faculty Assembly voting thereon by e-ballot, mail ballot, or paper ballot, and upon ratification by the Board of Trustees. Adequate written notice of the proposed amendments shall be given to the members of the Faculty Assembly.

 

ARTICLE IV.  RATIFICATION

The provisions of the Constitution shall become effective upon adoption by a majority of the Faculty Assembly voting thereon by e-ballot or mail ballot, and upon approval by the Board of Trustees of Texas Christian University.

Information on this page was transferred from the 2022 Faculty and Staff Handbook, and reviewed, updated to reflect the President, and approved by a special committee of the Faculty Senate in July 2023.