ARTICLE I.

THE GENERAL FACULTY

Section 1.

The general faculty shall consist of those persons who shall be approved by the Board of Trustees of Western Carolina University for faculty status at the rank of instructor or above, or as further provided by The Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina.

Section 2.

Organization

I.2.1

The chair of the faculty shall be the presiding officer except on those occasions when the chancellor elects to preside.

I.2.2

The secretary of the general faculty shall keep a record of the proceedings.

I.2.3

The presence of 25% of the members shall be necessary for a quorum.

I.2.4

The general faculty shall, subject to the approval of the chancellor, adopt bylaws to govern its proceedings.

Section 3.

Meetings

I.3.1

The general faculty shall meet at least once each term during the regular academic year.

I.3.2

Special meetings may be called by the chancellor, or upon written request to the secretary of ten percent of the members of the general faculty.

Section 4.

All members of the general faculty shall have the right to vote.

Section 5.

Duties and Responsibilities of the General Faculty

The duties and responsibilities of the general faculty shall be as follows:

I.5.1

The faculty shall consider reports from the chancellor, the faculty senate, faculty councils and committees, departments, colleges, and other units of the university and make recommendations concerning these reports.

I.5.2

The faculty shall discuss matters relating to the welfare of the university.

I.5.3

The faculty may amend or repeal, with the consent of the chancellor, any part or all of the faculty constitution (See Article II, Section 9). Proposals to amend or repeal shall be discussed at an open forum called by the chair of the faculty during the regular academic year. The proposals and written notice of the open forum shall be sent to the faculty at least ten days prior to the forum. The proposals shall be acted upon by the general faculty, the vote to be conducted by mail ballot within one week following the discussion. Actions to repeal or amend shall not be effective unless approved by two-thirds of the members voting.

Section 6.

Officers

I.6.1

Those eligible for the office of chair or secretary of the faculty must hold academic rank and devote at least one-half time to teaching or other academic duties excluding administration. Questions of eligibility shall be resolved by the Committee on Nominations, Elections, Committees, and Councils.

I.6.2

The chair of the faculty shall serve ex officio as chair of the faculty senate. The chair shall represent the chancellor in academic matters whenever requested to do so by the chancellor, and shall have such other responsibilities as may be determined by the chancellor or the faculty senate. The chair shall serve ex officio as a member of the Faculty Senate Steering Committee and of the Committee on Nominations, Elections, Committees, and Councils.

I.6.3

The chair of the faculty shall serve for a term of two years and shall be eligible for one successive term. Nominations and elections shall be held in the spring term every second year, and the person elected shall take office on the following July 1.

I.6.4

The secretary of the faculty shall keep minutes of all meetings of the general faculty and of the faculty senate and enter these in the permanent minutes book of the faculty. The secretary shall keep records of all committee reports submitted to the chair of the faculty or the faculty senate. The secretary shall be ex officio secretary of the faculty senate, the Faculty Senate Steering Committee, and the Committee on Nominations, Elections, Committees and Councils, and keep records of all elections conducted by those committees.

I.6.5

The secretary of the faculty shall serve for a term of three years and shall be eligible for re-election. Nominations and elections shall be held in the spring term every third year, and the person elected shall take office on the following July 1.

I.6.6

Nominations for chair and secretary of the faculty shall be made by the Committee on Nominations, Elections, Committees, and Councils, which shall select and submit to its secretary for publication at least three weeks before the date of the election the names of three qualified persons for each office. Additional nominees may be added to the ballot by written nomination signed by twenty-five faculty members and submitted to the Committee on Nominations, Elections, Committees, and Councils at least two weeks before the date of election. The nominee receiving the highest number of votes in the election shall be declared elected, unless he or she has failed to receive a majority of the votes cast. In that event, a run-off election shall be held between the persons receiving the highest and the next highest number of votes. The person receiving the highest number of votes in the run-off election shall be declared elected.

Section 7.

Elected Committees of the General Faculty

1.7.1

The elected committees of the general faculty shall be the Committee on Nominations, Elections, Committees, and Councils; Delegates to the Faculty Assembly of The University of North Carolina; Faculty Grievance Committee; Faculty Hearing Committee; and the Post-Tenure Appeals Committee.

a.The Committee on Nominations, Elections, Committees, and Councils shall conduct all elections for officers of the general faculty and appoint all committees of the general faculty and councils of the faculty senate, according to the faculty constitution and the bylaws of the constituent bodies.

b.Delegates to the Faculty Assembly of The University of North Carolina shall represent the general faculty and shall serve according to the charter and bylaws of the assembly.

c.The Faculty Grievance Committee shall carry out the functions as required in Chapter VI, Section 607, of The Code.

d.The Faculty Hearing Committee shall carry out the functions of the faculty standing committees required in Chapter VI, Section 603, of The Code.

e. The Post-Tenure Appeals Committee is authorized to hear, mediate, and advise with respect to the adjustment of grievances of faculty members of the general faculty who have concerns relating to the Post-Tenure Review.

I.7.2

Methods of Election

a.Each spring term the faculty senate shall provide the secretary of the faculty with three nominees for each vacancy on the Committee on Nominations, Elections, Committees, and Councils.

b.Each spring term the Committee on Nominations, Elections, Committees, and Councils shall provide the secretary of the faculty with three nominees for each vacancy on the Faculty Grievance Committee, the Faculty Hearing Committee, and Faculty Assembly Delegation. These nominations must reach the secretary of the faculty in time for publication. In no case shall this be less than three weeks before the date of the election.

c.Additional nominees may be added to the ballot for any committee by written nomination signed by at least fifteen faculty members. Such nominations shall be submitted to the secretary of the faculty at least two weeks before the date of the election.

d.Ballots shall be distributed by the secretary of the faculty, and those nominees receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.

e.Interim vacancies shall be filled by the secretary of the faculty from the list of those voted on in the most recent election in the order of highest number of votes received, observing so far as possible the balance by colleges and academic rank required in the bylaws of the general faculty.

f.The number of persons to be elected to serve on each committee, the length of terms, other membership requirements, and the system of succession and rotation shall be established in the bylaws of the general faculty.

g.Eligibility shall be the same as for the officers of the general faculty.

h.No person shall serve more than two successive terms in the same position, but may be re-elected after one year off the committee.

ARTICLE II

THE FACULTY SENATE

Section 1.

The name of this body shall be the Faculty Senate of Western Carolina University.

Section 2.

Purpose and Responsibilities

II.2.1

The senate shall represent the general faculty as their principal voice to advise the chancellor on the conduct of the university's affairs. The faculty senate shall represent the sense of the general faculty in the long-term development of the university's identity. It shall serve as a collegial forum for the airing of faculty concerns and suggestions about the quality of academic aspects of the university, including matters of instruction, curriculum, composition of the faculty and student body, research and creative activities, community outreach, university evaluation and planning, and other faculty and student affairs.

II.2.2

The senate may recommend to the chancellor, by resolution, on any matter germane to the operation of the university, and correspondingly, the chancellor may delegate to the senate legislative responsibility in academic matters, including those areas specified in II 2.1 above.

II.2.3

All legislation by the senate shall be subject to the approval of the chancellor, who shall inform the senate in a timely manner of action taken on such legislation.

II.2.4

The senate recognizes that each of the several colleges and the university library bear the responsibility for the policies which affect their operations, but reserves the right to review the actions of any college or of the library relative to policies which may affect the university as a whole.

II.2.5

The senate may invite any dean, director, department head, or faculty member to appear before the senate to provide information. Conversely, an appearance before the senate to present information may be requested by any dean, director, department head, or faculty member.

Section 3.

Membership and Elections

II.3.1

The chancellor and vice chancellors of the university, and the senior member of the Faculty Assembly Delegation, as well as the chair and the secretary of the faculty, shall be ex-officio voting members of the senate.