Re-submitted to the President with changes: Feb 18, 1998
Approved by the President: March 18, 1998
CONSTITUTION OF THE FACULTY ASSEMBLY
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE (UMES)
Article 1: Purpose
The UMES Faculty Assembly (FA) is established with the belief
that those involved in conducting the University's academic
programs should participate in the formulation of policies
governing the establishment of those programs. The Faculty
Assembly shall function so that through it the collective
intelligence of the Faculty can be directed towards promoting the
academic well-being of the University.
Article II: Membership
Sec. A. General Membership
Voting membership in the UMES Faculty Assembly shall
consist of the full-time teaching, research and
extension faculty (including Department Chairs). Part-
time faculty members are encouraged to attend and
participate in meetings but are recognized as nonvoting
members.
Sec. B. UMES Faculty Assembly Council Membership
Each academic department at UMES shall elect one
Councillor for every ten (10) voting members of the
UMES Faculty Assembly or any remaining portion of five
(5) or greater except that every department is
guaranteed at least one Councillor. One alternate
councilor will also be elected from each department
(who is encouraged to attend all the meetings but will
vote only when a regular councilor is not present).
For the purposes of this subsection and Articles VII
and IX, all voting members not belonging to an academic
department will be treated as a single department. The
Officers of the Faculty Assembly, as specified in
Article IV, are also members of the UMES Faculty
Assembly Council. Membership on the UMES Faculty
Assembly Council is limited to voting members of the
UMES Faculty Assembly.
Article III: Functions and Responsibilities
The UMES Faculty Assembly (FA), through UMES Faculty Assembly
Councillors(the elected representatives of the UMES Faculty Assembly)
and its representation in the UMES Senate, shall be the voice in
recommending policies concerning all factors influencing the
academic and intellectual environment of the University. The
faculty shall elect representatives (and alternates) to UMES
Faculty Assembly Council, the Council of the University of
Maryland System Faculty (CUSF), the Faculty Advisory Council of
the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) and other
agencies and bodies, as appropriate. Election procedures shall
be as prescribed in Article VII. For matters of great importance
(as determined by the FA Council), full faculty voting will be
solicited (e.g. Presidential search, FA Constitution, Post-Tenure
Review Policies etc.).
Sec. A. The UMES Faculty Assembly shall:
1. act as the collective voice of the faculty through the
UMES Faculty Assembly Council,
2. participate actively in the process of formulating
policies and procedures relating to issues of academic
importance,
3. through its elected representatives (the UMES Faculty
Assembly Council) on behalf of the UMES Faculty
Assembly will, advise the President of the University
of Maryland Eastern Shore, the Chancellor of the
University of Maryland System, the Maryland Higher
Education Commission and the Board of Regents, and
other bodies on significant issues pertinent to the
faculty, and
4. serve as the referendum body of the faculty.
Sec. B. The membership of the UMES Faculty Assembly, the UMES
President (or designate), Vice Presidents , and official
representatives of the UMES Senate may present matters
to the Faculty Assembly in accordance with procedures
specified in Article V.
Sec. C. The UMES Faculty Assembly Council shall develop
resolutions on behalf of the UMES Faculty Assembly
except in instances where the modification of the
constitution are concerned. Resolutions shall be
presented to the President of the University of Maryland
Eastern Shore or to official agencies (through elected
representatives) as appropriate.
Article IV: Organization and Duties
Sec. A. The officers of the UMES Faculty Assembly shall consist
of a Chair, Chair-Elect, the Immediate Past Chair,
Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and any other
officers deemed necessary by the Faculty Assembly. The
officers of the UMES Faculty Assembly, shall also serve
as the officers of the UMES Faculty Assembly Council.
1. The Chair shall preside over all meetings, and shall
serve as an ex-officio member of all standing
committees. After one term (one year) the Chair shall
succeed to the office of Immediate Past Chair.
2. The Chair-elect shall act as Chair in the absence of
the elected Chair and shall also be the coordinator of
committee reports. After one term, the Chair-elect
shall succeed to the office of the Chair.
3. The Immediate Past Chair will serve as an advisory
capacity and will act as the Chair in the absence of
the Chair and the Chair-Elect.
4. The Secretary shall keep and distribute minutes of all
the proceedings of the meetings of the UMES Faculty
Assembly, UMES Faculty Assembly Council, and the
Executive Board.
5. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all financial
matters of the UMES Faculty Assembly Council; shall
collect and distribute money as authorized by the UMES
Faculty Assembly Council; and keep accurate accounts of
the UMES Faculty Assembly Council's financial affairs
by proper accounting methods. Financial records shall
be subject to audit as authorized by the UMES Faculty
Assembly Council.
6. The Parliamentarian shall advise the Chairperson
regarding parliamentary and constitutional
procedures.
Sec. B. The Executive Board
1. The FA Executive Board shall consist of the officers of
the Faculty Assembly. This board shall meet once every
month before the regularly scheduled meeting of the FA
Council to set the agenda and to discuss other matters
of importance.
2. The Executive Board shall be responsible for the
implementation of decisions made by the UMES Faculty
Assembly Council; it shall coordinate the functions of
the standing and ad hoc committees, and shall oversee
the preparation of Faculty Assembly reports submitted to
interested agencies, bodies and individuals. The
Executive Board (through the secretary) shall also
compile and distribute agendas for all meetings.
Sec. C. Committees
1. Standing Committees
a. There shall be two (2) standing committees:
i. Committee on Faculty Affairs.
The committee shall review and recommend
policies regarding all matters which affect
the Faculty in the areas of appointments,
promotions, salaries, leaves of absence,
retirement programs, insurance, fringe
benefits, academic freedom and
responsibilities, grievance procedures, and
other matters pertaining to the welfare and
activities of the faculty.
ii. Committee on Academic Standards, Curriculum,
Programs, and Services.
The committee shall review matters and
recommend policies pertaining to academic
standards, admissions, orientation, general
curriculum courses, library affairs, academic
facilities, summer school, calendar and
catalog schedules, cultural programs,
honorary degrees, and recognition awards.
b. Committee Membership
i. Members of the Faculty Assembly shall indicate
the committees on which they wish to serve.
From these lists each committee chairperson
shall select the committee membership subject
to approval by a simple majority of the
membership of the UMES Faculty Assembly
Council. In the absence of volunteers,
committee members will be appointed by the
committee chair with the concurrence of the
UMES Faculty Assembly Council.
ii. No committee shall have more than one member
from any one academic department.
iii. Committees shall consist of a committee chair
and at least three (3) members, all of whom
shall be members of the UMES Faculty
Assembly.
iv. The Chairperson of the UMES Faculty Assembly
shall be a non-voting ex officio member of
standing committees.
v. An interim chair of each committee shall be
appointed by the Chair of the FA. Interim
Chair is responsible for calling the first
meeting of the committee and reporting the
results of the election for the committee
chair. Chairperson is to be elected by members
of the committee at this first meeting of the
committee.
c. Subcommittees
Standing committees may establish temporary
subcommittees as required by simply notifying the
Executive Board of their intent to do so in
writing.
2. Ad Hoc Committees
a. Ad Hoc Committees may be established by the UMES
Faculty Assembly Council as required.
b. All matters concerning functions, election of
committee chairs, and membership of an ad hoc
committee shall be determined by the UMES Faculty
Assembly Council at the time of its establishment.
Article V: Meetings
Sec. A. Types of Meetings
1. Regular Meetings of the UMES Faculty Assembly Council
The UMES Faculty Assembly Council shall hold regular
monthly meetings during the fall and spring semesters at
a time and place to be determined by the Executive Board.
2. Regular Meetings of the UMES Faculty Assembly
The UMES Faculty Assembly shall hold a regular meeting at
the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters at a time
and place to be determined by the Executive Board.
3. Special Meetings
The Chairperson may call special meetings of either the
UMES Faculty Assembly or the UMES Faculty Assembly
Council at the request of the UMES President or his/her
designated representative, or by a majority vote of the
UMES Executive Board, or by a petition from one third of
the UMES Faculty Assembly Council membership, or by a
petition from UMES Faculty Assembly members representing
75% of the departments at UMES. Members shall be given
as much prior notice as is possible, but in no case less
than twenty-four (24) hours.
Sec. B. Agenda
1. The agenda for each regular meeting of the UMES Faculty
Assembly and the UMES Faculty Assembly Council shall be
distributed to all voting members of the respective body
(via e-mail or to councilors for distribution to
faculty without access to e-mail) at least one week prior
to the meeting. This requirement may be suspended by a
motion of the respective body.
2. Agenda items shall be submitted to the Chair for
consideration by the Executive Board at least two (2)
weeks prior to the regularly scheduled meeting wherein
such items are to be discussed.
3. The agenda for special meetings shall be included with
the notification of such meeting.
Sec. C. Minutes
Minutes of all meetings of the UMES Faculty Assembly and the
UMES Faculty Assembly Council shall be kept and distributed to
all faculty prior to the next regular meeting.
Sec. D. Quorum
Representation from fifty (50) percent of the UMES academic
Department shall constitute a quorum at a regular or special
meeting of the UMES Faculty Assembly. Forty (40) percent of
the membership shall constitute a quorum of a regular or
special meeting of the UMES Faculty Assembly Council.
Sec. E. Proxy Provision
Members of the Faculty Assembly Council who are unable to
attend a regularly scheduled meeting will ensure the
attendance of a proxy member (alternate councilor). Proxy
representation for an individual councillor will be limited to
two meetings per semester. The FA secretary will inform the
faculty of any department whose councilors (or alternate) miss
more than two meetings in a semester. The department faculty
may choose to replace those councilors.
Sec. F. Parliamentary Authority
Meetings of the UMES Faculty Assembly Council and the UMES
Faculty Assembly shall be conducted in accordance with
Robert's Rules of Order, except as otherwise provided in this
constitution.
Article VI: Amendments
Sec. A. An Amendment to this Constitution shall be presented at
a regular meeting of the UMES Faculty Assembly. A copy
of the proposed amendment shall be provided to each
member of the UMES Faculty Assembly two weeks prior to
the meeting. Proposals shall be made by:
1. A Petition signed by fifteen percent (15%) of the members
of the UMES Faculty Assembly; or
2. The Executive Board of the UMES Faculty Assembly; or
3. The UMES Faculty Assembly Council; or
4. An Ad Hoc Constitution committee established pursuant to
Article IV, Section C, Paragraph 2.
Sec. B. Amendments to this Constitution shall be voted on by mail
ballot (Article VII, Sec. C). A copy of the proposed
amendment and a ballot shall be mailed to each member of
the Faculty Assembly by the Secretary, not later than (5)
school days after the meeting at which the amendment was
proposed. Ten (10) school days after the initial
mailing, the ballots shall be counted and the results
announced.
Sec. C. Ratification
An amendment to this Constitution shall become effective upon
approval by (1) a two-thirds majority of the UMES Faculty
Assembly casting a ballot and (2) the President of the
University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Article VII: Elections
Sec. A. Officer Nominations and Elections
Officers shall serve one year terms and may be re-elected.
Official notice of the opening of nominations for the Officers of
the UMES Faculty Assembly (except Chair and Immediate Past Chair),
UMES Faculty Assembly Council, CUSF, MHEC and other representatives
(as appropriate) shall be given during the regular Spring meeting
of the UMES Faculty Assembly. Nominations shall be taken from the
floor at this meeting, or by mail or e-mail after this meeting up
to the March FA Council meeting, and from the floor at the regular
March meeting of the UMES Faculty Assembly Council. Election shall
be by mail ballot following the regular March meeting of voting
members of the UMES Faculty Assembly. A nominee who receives a
simple plurality of the votes cast shall be deemed elected. In the
event of a tie vote, there shall be a runoff election at the
regular April (or May) meeting of the UMES Faculty Assembly
Council.
Sec. B. Inauguration
All newly elected persons shall be inaugurated at the regular
May meeting.
Sec. C. Mail Ballots
When a vote is to be taken by mail; the Secretary shall
distribute a marked ballot (which if xeroxed can be identified) to
each member of the UMES Faculty Assembly. The ballot shall be
received by the Secretary of the Faculty Assembly within ten (10)
school days after the mailing date of the ballot. The ballots will
be counted by 3 members of the FA Executive Board) [tellers elected
by the Faculty Assembly Council] and the result announced by the
Chair.
Sec. D. Special Elections
Special elections shall be carried out in the same manner as
a regular election (Article VII, Sec. C). Nominations shall
be made at a regularly scheduled meeting.
Sec. E. Departmental Representatives to UMES Faculty Assembly
Council
Councilors shall serve three-year terms with no more than two
terms in succession. After a one-year absence, member is
again eligible to serve. Councilors and one alternate shall
be nominated and elected by secret ballot at a meeting of
voting members in a department. The UMES Faculty Assembly
Council shall divide itself into three equal groups to serve
one, two and three-year terms after its initial election with
no two members of a department being in the same group.
Alternate councilors will vote in the Faculty Assembly
Council meetings only when the Faculty Assembly Councilor does
not attend the meeting.
Sec. F. UMES Senate Representative
Faculty Representatives of the UMES Senate shall be elected by
the UMES Faculty Assembly Council. Councilors in their third
year will be given preference and then councilors in their
second year and lastly the councilors in their first year. The
alternate councilors elected from each department are
encouraged to attend UMES Senate and Faculty Assembly Council
meetings regularly. In case the elected Senator is unable to
attend he/she should make sure to arrange for the alternate
councilor to attend the Senate meetings.
Article VIII: Vacancies in Office
Sec. A. If the Chair of the Faculty Assembly is unable to
complete a term of office, the Chair-elect shall serve as
Chair for the remainder of that term.
Sec. B. A vacancy in the Chair-elect position shall be filled by
a special election held in the manner prescribed for a
special election in Article VII, Sec. D. of this
Constitution.
Sec. C. If the Chair and the Chair-elect of the FA are
simultaneously unable to serve during the given academic
term, the Immediate Past Chair shall serve as Chair pro
temp until a special election is held at the following
regular meeting of the UMES Faculty Assembly Council. If
none of these three persons are able to serve in any
given academic term, the order of succession to the
office of Chair pro temp shall be the Chair of the
Faculty Affairs Committee, FA Secretary and then the
Treasurer.
Sec. D. If a vacancy shall occur in the office of Secretary,
Treasurer or Parliamentarian the vacancy shall be filled by an
appointment by the FA Chair with the approval of the Executive
Board.
Article IX: Recall
Each member of the Executive Board or the UMES FA Council shall be
subject to recall.
