We hold that the governing of Mesa Community College is the joint responsibility of the Governing Board, the Administration, and the Faculty of the College. In order to assure the full participation of the Faculty in the determination of educational policy, the adoption of this constitution establishing a Faculty Senate at Mesa Community College is hereby ordained.
PURPOSES
The primary functions of the Faculty Association or its appointees shall be to serve as the exclusive negotiating representative of the Faculty to the Mesa Community College Administration, the District Administration, and the Governing Board on academic and professional matters, to select representatives to serve on Administrative councils and on Coordinating Committees of the faculties of the colleges of the district, and to participate in the formation and implementation of policies affecting education and professional working conditions and/or relationships for Mesa Community College and the Maricopa Community College District.
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS
Section 1. "Faculty" as used in this Constitution means full-time certificated members engaged primarily in teaching and/or research, librarians, counselors, and certificated media personnel.
Section 2. Faculty Association as used in this Constitution means Faculty members who have paid assessed dues by November 15 of each year.
Section 3. Faculty Senate as used in this Constitution hereinafter referred to as "Senate," means elected representatives of the Faculty Association.
ARTICLE II ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE
Section 1. All Faculty Association members shall be eligible to vote in the election of Senators.
(Senate Constitution Revised Feb. 25, 1999)
ARTICLE III COMPOSITION
Section 1. The Senate shall consist of seventeen members, eight of the members will be elected from zones representing a variety of disciplines and seven members elected at large. The president and the president-elect will not represent a zone or be a member at large.
Section 2. Retired faculty members who are 49% time shall have Faculty Senate representation. The Faculty Senate President will appoint an individual for a one-year term. The retired faculty shall be a pro-rated paid member of the Faculty Association. This member will not have voting privileges but may serve on committees as deemed appropriate by the president.
ARTICLE IV NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. Each Faculty Association member shall receive a form, published and distributed by April 1 of each year by the President for the purpose of self -nomination. Return of the signed form to the President within five working days, shall constitute a formal request for said member's name to be placed on the ballot as a nominee. If the number of vacancies exceeds the number of nominees, the president shall appoint a committee who will nominate a number of additional individuals sufficient to redress the discrepancy.
Section 2. The election of Senators shall be held by April 20 of the academic year.
Section 3. If no nominees receive a simple majority, a run-off election will be held.
ARTICLE V TERM OF OFFICE
Section 1. Members of the Senate shall serve terms of two (2) years. Eight (8) members shall be elected in a given year and seven (7) shall be elected in the alternate year. The term of office shall begin at the first meeting in May
ARTICLE V1 VACANCIES
Section 1. Vacancies shall be declared by the President upon direction of the Senate, or when a Senator has been absent three (3) consecutive times or four (4) total times during the academic year. The remaining term of a declared "zone" or "at large" Senate vacancy shall be filled by presidential appointment with approval of a majority vote of the Senate.
ARTICLE Vll REMOVAL OF SENATORS
Section 1. On the petition of 25 percent or more of the Faculty Association members, a Senator may be removed from office by two-thirds vote of all members of the Faculty Association (Senators included).
(Senate Constitution Revised Feb. 25, 1999)
ARTICLE VIII OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Senate shall include, but shall not be restricted to, a President, a President-Elect, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Treasurer-Elect. These shall be elected from among the Senators by a simple majority vote, except for the President and Treasurer which positions shall be filled by those persons holding the Elect positions the preceding year. The Treasurer-Elect must be chosen from among incoming two year senators.
Section 2. President: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Senate and all meetings of the Mesa Community College Faculty Association Executive Committee. He shall appoint members to serve on all Special Committees subject to the approval of a majority of the Senate. He shall be a member, ex-officio, of all committees except the Nominating Committee. He shall be a representative to the District Faculty Association Executive Council. He shall have the right to call special meetings of the Mesa Community College Faculty Association Executive Committee and of the Senate. He shall be the official spokesman for the Senate and shall meet regularly with the President of the College. The President may call a general Faculty meeting at his discretion, or as asked by a majority of the Senate.
Section 2A. The President will appoint a nominating committee to provide a slate of officers. President-Elect will be nominated from current members of the Faculty Association that have served at least one full academic year in the Senate. If the President-Elect is completing the first year of a two-year term, then the remaining one-year will be filled by presidential appointment.
Section 3. President Elect: The President-Elect shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the President, be a representative to the District Faculty Association Executive Council and serve on the Mesa Community College Executive Committee of the Senate. In addition, he shall preside in the absence of the President.
Section 4. Secretary: The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Senate. The Secretary shall record and maintain a record of minutes of all official Senate meetings which shall include all motions and the disposition of each. He shall be responsible for the correspondence files and be in charge of communications between the Senate and any other person or organizations.
Section 5. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping of all financial and membership records, collecting of assessments, approving of payments from the Faculty Association accounts and making of periodic financial reports.
Section 6. Treasurer- Elect: The Treasurer-Elect and the President shall be the only persons authorized to disburse funds from the Faculty Association account. Such disbursement must be approved in writing by the Treasurer.
Section 7. At the first meeting in May the Senate shall elect officers for the following academic year and the Senate representatives to the District Faculty Association.
Section 8: An officer shall be elected for a one-year term.
(Senate Constitution Revised Feb. 25, 1999)
ARTICLE IX EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers of the Senate. It shall act as a Steering Committee for the Senate by preparing the priority agenda for Senate meetings and recommending actions to the Senate.
ARTICLE X DELEGATES
Section 1. The Senate shall select from its number representatives to Administrative Councils as they now exist or may be established.
Section 2. Membership in the District Coordinating Committees shall be determined by the Senate President with confirmation by the Senate.
Section 3. Representation to the District Faculty Association shall be determined in the following way: A simple majority of the representatives shall be selected by the Senate from its number. The remaining members shall be elected by May 15 by the Faculty Association from its membership by plurality vote excluding those who are Senators.
ARTICLE XI MEETINGS
Section 1. The Senate shall meet at least once monthly during the academic year, or more often at the call of the President, or by request of the Executive Committee or as established by Senate resolution.
Section 2. Senate meetings shall be open to Faculty members only. However, the President or Senate members may invite non-Faculty members for official business.
Section 3. Faculty members may participate as non-voting members upon request of a sponsoring Senator or by written request to the President, which shall include the reason for such request, at least three (3) days prior to the meeting of attendance.
ARTICLE XII QUORUM
Section 1. A two-thirds majority of the elected Senate shall be considered a quorum.
(Senate Constitution Revised Feb. 25, 1999)
ARTICLE XIII VOTING RECORDS
Section 1. A voting record of each Senator shall be kept by the secretary upon request by a Senator with the exception of election of Senate Officers which shall be by secret ballot.
ARTICLE XIV PROCEDURES
Section 1. In all matters of internal functioning not otherwise by the Constitution, the Senate shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.
ARTICLE XV EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
Section 1. By unanimous vote of the Senators, the Senate may resolve itself into an executive session where only Senators may be present.
Section 2. In executive session no record shall be kept of debate, except that which is ordered by the Senate, and no Senator shall reveal the nature of executive proceedings to any person without the permission of the Senate.
Section 3. No recommendations either to the administration or to MCCCD Governing Board Members shall be enacted during the executive sessions except personal matters.
ARTICLE XVI COMMITTEES
Section 1. There shall be no Standing Committees of the Senate other than the Executive Committee.
Section 2. Special Committees may be established by majority approval of the Senate.
Section 3. Special Committees shall exist for no more than one year unless reaffirmed by vote of each succeeding Senate.
Section 4. The size, purpose, and membership of Special Committees shall be determined or modified by the Senate. Non-Senate member's right to vote in Committee.
Section 5. The chairman of each Special Committee shall be appointed by the President of the Senate subject to the approval of the Senate membership.
Section 6. Membership of Special Committees must be reconfirmed or modified by the Senate prior to October 1 of each academic year.
Section 7. Vacancies on Special Committees shall be filled by the President of the Senate subject to the approval of the Senate membership.
Section 8. Special Committees shall report and be responsible to the Senate.
(Senate Constitution Revised Feb. 25, 1999)
ARTICLE XVII JOINT COMMITTEES
Section 1. None of the above provisions shall restrict or limit the power of the Senate to propose or participate in Joint Committees involving the Governing Board, the District Administration, Mesa Community College Administration, other colleges in the District, or the students of Mesa Community College. The nature and extent of Senate Participation shall occur as needed or as the opportunity arises.
Section 2. Special Committees may be designated by the Senate to represent the Senate in Joint Committee activities.
Section 3. Regular reports of the progress of Joint Committees shall be made to the Senate.
Section 4. Recommendations of a Joint Committee shall be referred to the Senate for approval; otherwise, such recommendations shall not imply the concurrence of, or be binding upon the Senate.
ARTICLE XVIII AGENDA
Section 1. Any member of the Senate, any Faculty member, by securing a senator to sponsor it, or 10 percent of the members of the Faculty Association may place an item on the agenda of the Senate by signed written notice to the President of the Senate. The President shall provide the Faculty with an agenda prior to all meetings.
ARTICLE XIX PRIVILEGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Section 1. The Senate shall of its own determination concern itself with any academic and professional matter which it deems important to the welfare of the college, and/or student body.
Section 2. The Senate on behalf of the Faculty shall actively participate, directly or through its representatives, in the non-salary benefits, sabbaticals, general conditions of employment, and Faculty evaluations.
Section 3. The Senate shall not be required to accept, represent, sponsor, or defend any action or grievance, or negotiate on behalf of any member of the faculty who is not a member of the Faculty Association as specified in Article 1.
ARTICLE XX REFERENDUM
Section 1. The Senate may request the administrative head of the college to call a Faculty meeting for consideration of matters of Faculty interest.
Section 2. The Senate may request the advice of the Faculty through written ballots or other communication.
(Senate Constitution Revised Feb. 25, 1999)
Section 3. On petition of 10 percent of the Faculty Association members, or on demand of one-third of the Senators, any matter must be referred to the Faculty for a secret ballot.
ARTICLE XXI RECOMMENDATIONS
Section 1. Recommendations of the Senate shall be forwarded through the established administrative channels.
ARTICLE XXII FINANCES
Section 1. Faculty members will be asked to pay an annual assessment in an amount established by the Senate for the support of the Senate and the District Faculty Association.
ARTICLE XXIII AMENDMENTS
This constitution may be amended through the following procedure:
Section 1. A proposal shall require a two-thirds vote of those Senators present at any general or special Senate meeting called for that purpose, provided that the proposed amendment shall have been presented in writing to each member of the Senate at least one (1) week preceding the voting.
Section 2. An approved proposal shall be submitted to the members of the Faculty Association by written ballot and receive approval of a majority of the membership voting.
ARTICLE XXIV RATIFICATION
Section 1. This constitution shall become effective by a majority vote of the Faculty by secret ballot in meeting or by written ballot submitted to the Faculty.
(Revised by vote of Association members February 1999)
Certified as a true and accurate copy:
Linda S. Larson
Senate Secretary
February 25, 1999