Policy and Planning Committee

1. A question shall appear on the agenda of the Faculty if and only if the Stated Rules require it; or any of the following request that it be put on the agenda: the Executive Vice President; the Executive Committee; at least four members of the Policy and Planning Committee; at least 40 members of the Faculty who sign a petition to this effect. A petition from members of the Faculty must be delivered to the Executive Vice President at least 168 hours before the scheduled start of the meeting at which the question is to be discussed. The Policy and Planning Committee should usually place a question on the agenda whenever it thinks that the University needs faculty input to produce a better policy or decision.
 
2. Following parliamentary procedure, members of the Faculty may make motions from the floor during a Faculty meeting. These motions may be debated. However, no vote on a substantive motion may be taken until it has been advertised to the Faculty as a whole. Amendments do not need to be advertised to the Faculty as a whole, but they must be in order according to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.
 
3. Generally, an item to be voted on should appear on the agenda of and be discussed at the meeting immediately preceding the meeting at which it is voted on. However, there may be exceptions to this practice. The Policy and Planning Committee may in its discretion advertise to the Faculty that a question will be voted on in the first meeting at which it is discussed. If this advertising has occurred, a member of the Faculty may move the previous question during the discussion of this question. If the previous question is not moved or fails of adoption, the Policy and Planning Committee may advertise a vote on the question in the next meeting of the Faculty.
 
4. Generally, voting will follow the procedures in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised. However electronic voting shall be used on the request of either the Policy and Planning Committee or of at least 40 members of the Faculty who deliver a petition to the Executive Vice President before the scheduled start of the meeting at which the question is to be voted on. The Policy and Planning Committee sets the time and form of the electronic vote. Electronic voting cannot begin on a question until after it has been discussed at one or more faculty meetings. Electronic voting is confidential. The motion passes if and only if the number of affirmative votes cast is greater than the number of negative votes cast, and the total number of votes cast (including abstentions) is at least 50.
 
The Policy and Planning Committee should use electronic voting for matters of the highest importance. It is recommended that electronic voting be used for major changes in the governance of Arts and Sciences, serious and long-lasting policies that affect a large number of faculty members, and matters of similar gravity and
importance. 

 

D. Membership. The Policy and Planning Committee shall consist of nine tenured faculty members and one senior lecturer faculty member. The senior lecturer, who may be from any division among the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, and six of the tenured faculty (two from each division, and from different departments) are elected by the entire Faculty of Arts and Sciences from a nominated slate (referred to below as the “regular faculty members”). Three of the tenured faculty members (one from each division) are chosen by and from the chairs. Terms are three years for regular faculty and one year renewable up to three years for members chosen by the chairs. Each member shall serve for his or her term and until his or her successor is qualified.
 
Regular faculty members: Elections for regular faculty members shall be held in May of each year. The term of each regular faculty member elected shall begin on September 1 following his or her election. Whenever a regular faculty member leaves the committee, having completed his or her term or not, he or she shall be replaced by a new member from the same division elected by the Faculty at the normal election time in May. However, if a regular faculty member leaves the committee before May 1 in any year, the Policy and Planning Committee shall select an interim member, from the same division or among the senior lecturers, to serve until the term of the elected member commences. Members chosen by the chairs: The term of a member chosen by the chairs shall begin on September 1 following his or her selection. If a vacancy occurs among the members chosen by the Chairs, the Chairs shall select a replacement from the same division. The replacement member shall serve until the first August 31 following his or her selection.
 
E. The Policy and Planning Committee chair and vice chair. The Committee shall have a chair chosen from the pool of tenured regular faculty members. A vice chair shall be elected by a vote of PPC members at the beginning of the spring semester each year, and shall serve until the first August 31 following his or her election. A vice chair must be qualified to serve as chair in the year following his or her election. The vice chair shall become the chair for the following year. The chair shall serve a one-year nonrenewable term, beginning on September 1 and ending on August 31. In the event of a vacancy in either position, the Policy and Planning Committee shall select a replacement to complete the remaining term. The replacement chair shall not be eligible to serve as chair in the following year.
 
F. The Policy and Planning Committee nominating committee. A seven-person nominating committee consisting of the Executive Vice President and six members chosen by and from the chairs shall put forward a slate of candidates for the Policy and Planning Committee. The slate shall include at least two candidates for every open position for an annual election to take place in May. All members of the nominating committee may vote for any number of potential candidates. A nominee must receive five of the seven votes to be placed on the ballot. Candidates may be added to the nominating committee's slate upon presentation of a petition signed by twenty
members of the Faculty.