UNM-Los Alamos Faculty Handbook

APPENDIX B:  CONSTITUTION OF THE FACULTY ASSEMBLY UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO-LOS ALAMOS 

I.           The Faculty Assembly

A.       Membership

1.        Membership in the UNM–Los Alamos Faculty Assembly shall be open to:

a.        All current faculty members appointed by the branch to teach credit-bearing courses

b.        Faculty members similarly appointed in either of the two previous years who notify the Secretary by the second Assembly meeting of their wish to belong

c.         The Director of the Learning Resource Center/Library
 

2.        Responsibilities:  The Faculty Assembly shall have the right of review and appropriate action in regard to the following:

a.        Formulation of institutional aims

b.        Creation of divisions, departments, and programs

c.         Major curricular changes and other matters that affect the institution as a whole

d.        Recommendation of standards for admission and graduation and for honors and scholastic performance in general

e.        Approval of candidates for degrees

f.           Policies and procedures of appointment, dismissal, and promotion in academic rank

g.        Academic counseling of students

h.         General faculty welfare provided that actions proposed by the Assembly shall be reviewed with the UNM–Los Alamos Advisory Board and Executive Director and shall be subject to the direct and delegated authority of the Board of Regents.
 

II.         Assembly Structure

A.        Officers

1.        The Assembly shall elect the following officers and representatives annually

a.        President

b.        Vice President

c.         Secretary

d.        Three members of the Assembly Operations Committee

2.        Duties of Officers

a.        The President shall have the following duties:

(1)     Serve as chairperson of the Assembly and of the Assembly Operations Committee

(2)     Represent the Faculty before the Regents, Advisory Board, Administration, and other groups as appropriate

(3)     Appoint ad hoc committees as necessary to conduct Assembly meetings

b.        The Vice President shall have the following duties:

(1)     Serve on the Operations Committee

(2)     Perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President

c.         The Secretary shall have the following duties:

(1)     Record minutes of meetings of the Assembly and the Operations Committee and distribute minutes and agendas of meetings to the Faculty

(2)     Act as custodian of official documents of the Assembly

(3)     Conduct the correspondence of the Assembly

(4)     Maintain a list of names and addresses of members of the Assembly
 

3.      Election of Officers and Operations Committee Members

a.    The election of the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Operations Committee members shall be conducted annually within the first two months of the fall term.

b.        The election shall be conducted by the outgoing President.

c.    Nominations for President, Vice President, Secretary, and members of the Operations Committee shall be solicited at the start of fall term.  Faculty members may submit nominations to any member of the Operations Committee or their designated representative.  The Operations Committee will verify the willingness to serve of the nominees.

d.    Voting shall be conducted by campus mail or other means approved by the Operations Committee.  A third party not running for office, selected by the Operations Committee, shall tabulate the ballots.

e.   The new officers and Operations Committee members shall take office immediately upon election.
 

B.       Assembly Operations Committee

1.        Membership

a.        The President, Vice President, Secretary, and three voting members of the Assembly elected by the Assembly

b.        The UNM Faculty Senator from Los Alamos

2.        Procedures:  The President of the Assembly shall serve as chairperson of the Assembly Operations Committee

3.        Duties

a.       Perform basic administrative functions to facilitate the work of the Assembly and Assembly committees

b.        Establish priorities and set agendas for Assembly meetings

c.        Study Assembly procedures and structure and make recommendations for their improvement

d.        Function as a committee on committees.  Recommend to the Assembly the appointment of members and chairpersons of standing committees.  Coordinate the activities of all Assembly committees.

e.        Appoint representatives to joint and off-campus committees

f.          Transmit to the Assembly with recommendations as to adoption all reports and proposals received from Assembly committees.  The Operations Committee shall not change committee proposals without the approval of the originating committee.  It may refer a proposal back to the committee for further study or it may present its own recommendations to the Assembly together with those of the originating committee.  If additional comment appears necessary, it may refer a committee's proposal to another Assembly committee or directly to a college administrator or other officer.

II.           Assembly Operating Policies

A.       Committees

a.        In its capacity as a committee on committees, the Operations Committee shall make recommendations to the Assembly for all committee appointments (including committee chairpersons) that are the responsibility of the Assembly.  These appointments shall be voted on by the Assembly.

b.        All faculty shall be asked to rank the various committees according to their preference for membership on the committees.  The Operations Committee shall recommend appointments to committees based as much as feasible upon the stated preferences of faculty members.

c.         Administrative officers shall not serve as Assembly-appointed committee members.

d.        After a committee member has missed two meetings in an academic year, the chairperson may recommend to the Assembly Operations Committee that the committee position be declared vacant.

B.       Procedure

a.        Each speaker is limited to five minutes each time when speaking to an issue.

b.        The Assembly shall normally meet once a month during the academic year.

III.       Amendments and Bylaws

A.       Amendments: This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote from the Faculty Assembly after presentation twice to the Assembly for debate in consecutive meetings at least four weeks apart.

B.       Bylaws: This Constitution may be supplemented by Bylaws adopted by a majority vote of the Assembly after a single presentation.  Such Bylaws will normally include:

1.        Interpretations and implementations of this Constitution

2.        A statement of the duties and responsibilities of the Standing Committees of the Faculty Assembly

3.        Other faculty regulations

Distribution:  The Secretary of the Assembly shall keep on file a copy of this Constitution, its Bylaws and Amendments, and shall distribute copies to all members of the assembly by publication in the Faculty Handbook or otherwise.

II.         Adoption of Constitution

This Constitution shall be effective when approved by a two-thirds vote of those attending an Assembly meeting subsequent to its first presentation.

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Page Last Updated August 31, 2007