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FSD 21-03 Constitutional Amendment: Size of the Senate

September 8, 2021

PURDUE UNIVERSITY NORTHWEST FACULTY SENATE

Constitutional Amendment: Size of the Senate

Submission Date: August 27, 2021                                                            Faculty Senate Document 21-03

Nominating Committee

For Discussion

Whereas: The Constitution, in Article IV.A.1, requires the following:

Total number of all senators should not be less than 14 percent of the total number of voting faculty at PNW. The By-laws shall determine the proportional representation for each of the 19 academic units established by the Purdue University Board of Trustees on 10/09/2015; excluding the Honors College. The Library faculty shall have one seat as the 20th academic unit. At-large senators may then be elected to meet the 14 percent requirement of the total number of voting faculty at PNW that must be represented.

 

Whereas: It is often difficult for academic units to recruit sufficient numbers of candidates for Senate seats to meet this requirement, and

Whereas: This can result in a Senate that is less effective and efficient than it would be with a higher proportion of committed and dedicated members, and

Whereas: Article X of the Constitution allows for its amendment as follows:

Changes and amendments shall become effective when approved by the Senate, with a simple majority of those voting, and accepted by the voting Faculty, with a 60 percent majority of those voting.

 

Be it Resolved: Constitution Article IV.A.1 shall be replaced with the following:

The total number of all faculty senators shall be not less than 10 percent of the total number of voting faculty at PNW.  The Bylaws shall determine the proportional representation for each of the academic units established by the Purdue University Board of Trustees from time to time, excluding the Honors College.  The Library faculty, as long as it exists, shall have one seat on the Senate.  At-large senators may be elected to meet the requirement that faculty senators consist of 10 percent of the voting faculty.

Approved:

Ali Alavizadeh (Chair)

Tony Elmendorf

Amlan Mitra