Faculty Senate Constitution

The Constitution of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice Faculty Senate 

 

Preamble 

The Faculty of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, having been entrusted by the by-laws of The City University of New York with responsibility for policy relating to admission and retention of students, health and scholarship standards, attendance, curriculum, awarding of college credit, granting of degrees, and the conduct of educational affairs customarily cared for by a college faculty, hereby establishes the John Jay College of Criminal Justice Faculty

Senate in order to provide a formal means of representing faculty concerns to the administration of the College and the University and to provide a democratic forum for the deliberation of such matters and other matters upon which deliberation by the academic community may contribute to the well being of the University and the society which sustains it and looks to it for enlightenment.

Article I

Powers of the John Jay College Faculty Senate

The John Jay College Faculty Senate shall serve as one of the bodies of the College in the shaping of academic and educational policies. The John Jay Faculty Senate shall concern itself with matters of teaching, scholarship, research and any and all other matters related to faculty concerns as part of the educational mission of John Jay College. The Faculty Senate, acting through resolutions voted upon, shall be considered the voice of the faculty when making recommendations to the College Council, to administrative officials, or to other components of the College and the University, consistent with C.U.N.Y. by-laws, the Professional Staff Congress contract and academic freedom.

Article II

Representation of the John Jay College Faculty Senate

The John Jay College Faculty Senate shall be composed of those faculty members elected to the John Jay College Council, 13 full-time faculty members elected at large, and four adjunct faculty members elected at large. Faculty members may be self nominated or nominated by any other faculty member.

No member of the faculty shall serve simultaneously as an at-large member of the Faculty Senate and as a member of the College Council except for the at-large faculty representatives on the College Council who shall be elected by the Faculty Senate from among the at-large members of the Faculty Senate. This election shall take place in May after elections to the Senate have taken place and the Senate has been convened. The term of office shall be for one year.

Election to the Faculty Senate for at-large positions shall take place in the spring prior to elections for Departmental representatives to the College Council. Only full time faculty members may vote for full-time faculty nominees. Only adjunct faculty may vote for adjunct nominees. The term of office shall begin in May after the new Senate has been elected and shall be for 1 year.

The Senate may declare a vacancy in membership or in an office of the Senate by adopting a resolution to that effect if a member resigns, can no longer serve, no longer meets the requirements for membership, or for cause. A member may resign from the Senate by submitting notice in writing to the President of the Senate. A motion to declare a vacancy must be passed by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting at a meeting of the Senate. After declaring a vacancy, the Senate shall determine what action, if any, is to be taken to fill the vacancy, except that a vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled by succession of the Vice President to the office of the President.

Article III

Voting and Participation

Each member of the John Jay College Faculty Senate shall have one vote on official matters. Motions shall be deemed to have been passed, or not passed, in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.

All meetings shall be open to all members of the teaching faculty. Any member of the teaching faculty may speak at a meeting, although voting is limited to members of the Senate.

Other members of the College or University community, as well as any other persons, may attend a meeting of the Senate and participate in discussions only by invitation of the Senate or its Executive Committee.

Article IV

Officers of the John Jay College Faculty Senate 

The officers of the John Jay College Faculty Senate shall be as follows:

1. President. The President shall preside at all meetings. In the event that a President is unable to complete a term, the Senate shall determine by vote that the office is vacant and thereupon the Vice President shall succeed automatically to the office of President.

2. Vice President. The Vice President shall assume the duties of the President in presiding over the Senate when the President is not present or when the President yields in order to participate in discussion on a motion. If the Vice President is unable to complete a term or succeeds to the office of the President, the Senate shall elect a new Vice President.

3. Recording Secretary(ies). The Recording Secretary(ies) shall record and transmit the minutes of all meetings of the Faculty Senate to the Corresponding Secretary for distribution.

4. Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary shall distribute minutes of Senate meetings, forward official correspondence of the President and of Senate committees, receive copies of official committee reports from committee secretaries, and maintain archives of minutes, committee records and correspondence.

5. Officers-At-Large. Two (2) Officers-At-Large shall assist the other executive officers in the execution of their responsibilities.

All officers shall be elected in May after the new Senators have been elected and the Senate has been convened. Their terms of office shall be for 1 year.

Article V

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the Senate. The Executive Committee shall determine when meetings of the Senate are to be held in accordance with Article VI. The Executive Committee shall receive agenda items from members of the faculty and shall establish the priority of agenda items. The Executive Committee may recommend limiting discussion, subject to approval by a vote of the Senate. The agenda may be revised at any time upon a motion from the floor and an affirmative vote at a meeting of the Senate.

Article VI

Regular and Special Meetings

The Faculty Senate shall meet every month of the fall and spring semesters. Additional meetings or any other changes in schedule may take place upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee of the Senate.

Article VII

Committees

The Faculty Senate shall create committees which are necessary to advance the activities of the Senate. Standing or ad hoc committees may be established, as needed. Members of standing committees shall annually be self-nominated or nominated by a member of the Senate, and the Executive Committee shall then recommend to the Senate membership slates for election by the full Senate. The Executive Committee shall designate Chairs for all committees. Each committee shall elect its own Assistant Chairperson and Recording Secretary, as it deems necessary. All committees shall have members of the Executive Committee as liaisons.

A committee may act upon items referred to it by the Senate as a whole, by the Executive Committee or by any member of the faculty. All committees shall report directly to the Senate as a whole, providing reports and offering motions at meetings of the Senate.

Positions on College or University committees designated for Faculty Senate shall be filled as follows: individuals shall be nominated by the Executive Committee and approved by a majority vote of the Senate.

Article VIII

Agenda

Any member of the faculty may present items for the Senate agenda by forwarding items in writing to any member of the Executive Committee at least ten school days prior to a regular meeting of the Senate. Items received too late will be held for the next meeting of the Senate. A written agenda shall be available from any member of the Executive Committee five days prior to a regular meeting of the Senate and, whenever feasible, shall be published and distributed prior to the meeting. In emergencies the Executive Committee may call a special meeting of the Senate without prior written agenda.

Article IX

Quorum

A quorum of the Senate shall consist of a majority of its voting members. The same rule applies for its committees.

Article X

Governance

The Faculty Senate and its committees shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, unless otherwise specified in this constitution.

Article XI

Amendments

This constitution can be amended through a motion made and passed by a vote of at least two-thirds of members present and voting at two consecutive regular meetings of the Senate.

Ratified by the Faculty: May 1988
Amended:

• April 1993
• October 1997
• March 2000