VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
FACULTY SENATE CONSTITUTION

Adopted July 8, l97l
Amended March 8, l973, December l4, l978, November 4, l982,
February 15, 2000, and July 11, 2002

To provide an orderly process for improving communications and mutual understanding within the college organization, and to promote faculty participation in policymaking procedures in keeping with the high aims of Virginia Highlands Community College in the educational process, the faculty of Virginia Highlands Community College establishes this constitution.

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of the organization shall be the Virginia Highlands Community College Faculty Senate.

ARTICLE II. OBJECT

The purposes of the organization shall be as follows:

1. To serve as a medium through which the faculty can make policy recommendations to the President of the College and the Virginia Highlands Community College Board. Such recommendations may include, but are not limited to, matters concerning general educational policy, professional advancement, academic freedom, internal operations, and student affairs.
2. To promote social and cultural activities among the faculty and their families and guests.
3. To establish a procedure through which the college community may be informed of the problems of individual members.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

The Faculty Senate shall consist of those persons employed full-time by Virginia Highlands Community College who are either Teaching Faculty or Professional Faculty and hold the rank of Assistant Instructor, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

Section l. Number: The officers of the Faculty Senate shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.

Section 2. Qualifications: The officers shall be faculty members with a minimum of one year of experience at Virginia Highlands Community College. No member shall be elected to the same office more than twice in succession.

Section 3. Election: The officers shall be nominated at the regular meeting in March and elected by majority vote of the members at the regular meeting in April.

Section 4. Term of Office: The term of office shall begin June l and continue for a period of twelve months.


Section 5. Duties:

The President shall:

1. Act as presiding officer over Faculty Senate meetings and as the representative of the Faculty Senate on the President’s Advisory Cabinet.
2. Meet monthly with the President of the College.
3. Appoint, with Faculty Senate approval, all special committees.
4. Nominate, with Faculty Senate approval, all vacancies on standing committees of the College.
5. Establish, in cooperation with the Faculty Affairs Committee, the agenda for the Faculty Senate meetings.
6. Cast a vote only in the case of ties.
7. After consultation with the President of the College, present matters to the Virginia Highlands Community College Board as directed by the Faculty Senate.

The Vice-President shall:

1. Be chairman of the Faculty Affairs Committee.
2. Meet monthly with the President of the College.
3. Serve in all of the capacities of the President in the President's absence.

The Secretary shall:

1. Keep the minutes of all regular and special meetings of the Faculty Senate.
2. Meet monthly with the President of the College.
3. Maintain archives of important papers of the Faculty Senate.
4. Publicize all meetings.
5. Serve in all of the capacities of the Vice-President in the Vice-President's absence.

The Treasurer shall:

1. Be responsible for collecting and accounting for all funds entrusted to the Faculty Senate.
2. Meet monthly with the President of the College.
3. Serve in all of the capacities of the Secretary in the Secretary's absence.

Section 6. Vacancies in Offices: In cases of vacancies in offices, nominations shall be made by a nominating committee and/or from the floor and voted on at the next regular Faculty Senate meeting.

Section 7. Chancellor’s Faculty Advisory Representative: In each even year, the Faculty Affairs Committee will present two nominees for the position on the Chancellor’s Faculty Advisory Committee at the regular meeting in March. Additional nominations will be accepted from the floor. Election by majority vote of the members present will take place at the regular meeting in April. If more than two nominees are running for the position, a majority of the votes cast must be received by someone in order to win the election. A run-off election may be required if no candidate receives a majority.

ARTICLE V. MEETINGS

Section l. Regular Meetings: Regular meetings are to be held the third Tuesday of each month of the academic year with the exception of vacation and examination periods at which time it will be held on the second Tuesday of the month. The President of the Faculty Senate in conjunction with the Faculty Affairs Committee shall publish the agenda. Any member of the Faculty Senate may present business to the President or member of the Faculty Affairs Committee prior to the circulation of the agenda.

Section 2. Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by the President of the Faculty Senate upon one day's written notice, which shall contain the purpose for the meeting. No additional matters shall be brought before the meeting. If ten percent of the Faculty Senate request a special meeting, the President will call a special meeting in accordance with Section 2, Paragraph l.

Section 3. Special Attendance: At the discretion of the President of the Faculty Senate, representatives of the Student Senate and/or members of the administration, staff or other interested parties may appear before the Senate on behalf of matters of common concern.

Section 4. Quorum: Thirty percent (30%) of the membership, represented in person, shall constitute a quorum at a regular meeting of the Faculty Senate. A quorum shall be required to conduct any business. If a quorum be present, the affirmative vote of the majority of the members present shall be the act of the Faculty Senate except as otherwise stated in the by-laws.

Section 5. Voting: Any member of the Faculty Senate shall be entitled to have the floor and to vote at any Faculty Senate meeting. For all legislative action, there shall be one reading of the stated motion before a vote is taken. Debate shall be closed only by a motion for the previous question. Such a motion requires a second and a two-thirds majority vote. Election of officers shall be exclusively by secret ballot. All other voting shall be done by show-of-hands or voice vote except when a secret ballot is requested by two or more members.

Section 6. Adjournment: Each meeting shall be adjourned only upon a motion duly seconded and passed by majority vote.

ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES

Section l. Purpose: There shall be a system of committees to assist and advise the officers. The committees shall consider all the problems referred to them, make thorough investigation of the problems, report the findings, and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate.

Section 2. Guidelines: Unless otherwise specified by the Faculty Senate, a majority of the committee members constitutes a quorum, and a majority of the votes cast shall be necessary to take any official action. If any committee members disagree with a report submitted, they may submit a signed minority report prior to action of the majority report. A permanent file of all committee records shall be transmitted to incoming committees, in the case of standing committees, and to the Secretary, in the case of special committees which have completed their assignment.

Section 3. Faculty Affairs Committee: The Faculty Affairs Committee shall be a Standing Committee consisting of four members. The Vice-President of the Senate shall be Chairman of the Faculty Affairs Committee. The other members shall be elected by a majority vote of the Faculty Senate at the regular April meeting. The term of office shall begin upon election and continue for a period of twelve months. Members are eligible for re-election. Vacancies shall be filled by the President of the Senate with Faculty Senate approval.

This Committee, in cooperation with the President of the Faculty Senate shall establish the agenda for the meetings. The Committee shall function as a Committee on Committees and shall examine and make recommendations each year on the committee structure of the College, looking to improvement, efficiency, service, communication, and other matters which will aid the College in its work and effectiveness.
The Committee shall be responsible for providing the means for faculty members to make known their preferences for committee service. After considering written preferences the Committee will then recommend members of the Senate for service on a College Standing Committee. The recommendations shall be submitted to the President of the College for appointment.

Section 4. Special Committees: The President of the Senate shall be empowered to appoint, with Faculty Senate approval, such special committees as are deemed necessary for the study of problems not covered by the standing committees. Selection of members assigned to these committees shall be at the discretion of the President of the Senate, with majority approval of the Faculty Senate, and the term of office shall be determined by the Faculty Senate President

ARTICLE VII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the Faculty Senate in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the by-laws or the special rules of order of this organization.

ARTICLE VIII. ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT

Section l. Adoption: The Constitution shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Faculty Senate present and voting. Upon adoption and ratification by the Virginia Highlands Community College Board, this Constitution shall become the effective governing instrument for the Faculty Senate of Virginia Highlands Community College.

Section 2. Amendment: Proposed amendments to this Constitution must be approved by a majority vote of the members present and voting at a regularly scheduled meeting and adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at the next regularly scheduled meeting, a quorum being present both times. Amendments will become effective upon adoption and ratification by the Virginia Highlands Community College Board.