Standing Rules for Faculty Senate Meetings
NB “Senator” shall refer to either a member of the Senate or their designated alternate
Quorum calls. The presence of a quorum shall be established by Vice President or Sergeant at Arms if the Vice President is unavailable at the beginning of the meeting. Thereafter, the continued presence of a quorum shall be determined by the online list of participating members and the physical presence of members (or alternates) in attendance, unless any member (or alternate) demands a quorum count by audible roll call.
Technical requirements and malfunctions. Each member is responsible for their audio and Internet connections; no action shall be invalidated on the grounds that the loss of, or poor quality of, a member’s individual connection prevented participation in the meeting.
Forced disconnections. The chair may cause or direct the disconnection or muting of an attendee’s connection if it is causing undue interference with the meeting. The chair’s decision to do so, which is subject to an undebatable appeal that can be made by any member, shall be recorded in the minutes.
Assignment of the floor. To seek recognition by the chair, a member shall raise their hand, and the chair may recognize that member. The Sergeant-at-arms shall assist the chair in this recognition.
Interrupting a Senator. A remote member who intends to make a motion (such as a point of order) or request that under the rules may interrupt a speaker shall type “POINT OF ORDER” in all capital letters in the meeting chat and shall thereafter wait to be recognized and unmuted.
Motions submitted in writing. A remote member intending to make a main motion, to offer an amendment, or to propose instructions to a committee, shall, before or after being recognized, post the motion in writing to the online area designated by the Secretary for this purpose.
Voting. Votes shall be taken by the raising of hands. In certain situations requiring secret ballots, appropriate electronic tools will be utilized (e.g., anonymous survey in Teams using MS Forms). The chair will announce the outcome of the vote. Any member who wishes to challenge the chair’s discernment of the vote may proceed as per Robert’s Rules (e.g. division of the house; roll call vote). Business may also be conducted by unanimous consent.
Transcripts: a transcript of the Chat shall be reviewed by the Sergeant-at-Arms, for the use of the Secretary and Executive Committee. It shall not be a part of the official recorded minutes of the meeting, excepting points of order and other parliamentary issues raised in the Chat.
Open meetings requirements: in compliance with Texas State Law, the faculty senate shall observe the following requirements for open meetings:
- The Executive Committee shall approve an agenda for each senate meeting and post the agenda publicly on the Faculty Senate website at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting date.
- The agenda shall include a link to join the online meeting.
- The agenda shall include all items that will be discussed or that will be subject to a vote, including any reports or motions coming out of committee.
- The agenda will include a regular item called “hearing of faculty concerns.” To speak during this period, faculty will need to submit their name and a brief description of their concern via online form 48 hours prior to the meeting. Speaking time will be limited to 3 minutes per person.
- Immediately following the regular meeting of the Faculty Senate, the president may convene a Committee of the Whole meeting where the concerns of any member of the Association and any new business can be discussed.
- A vote of no confidence requires a voting method recording the name of each member of the senate along with their vote, with results published in the minutes.
- Any vote on policies related to curriculum and academic standards requires a voting method recording the name of each member of the senate along with their vote, with results published in the minutes.
Debate. A member may speak twice on the same motion in the same meeting, for up to 3 minutes each time, and a speaker’s remarks must be germane to the motion. In recognizing speakers, the chair shall give preference to members who have not yet spoken on the motion over those who have already spoken once, and to the extent members’ positions are known, the chair should alternate between members who favor and oppose the motion.
Committees and Subcommittees. The standing rules for senate meetings on voting and debate shall be followed in committee and subcommittee meetings. Moreover, committees and subcommittees are authorized to hold hearings to obtain information from non-members (i.e., those who are not members of the committee or subcommittee) who possess knowledge and expertise on matters germane to the work of a committee or subcommittee.
