The University Senate of Michigan Technological University

Proposal 13-12
(Voting Units: Full Senate)

“Constitution Revision”

Background/Rationale

Our University Senate Constitution and By-Laws currently state that there would be no more than 12 professional staff representation units including independent research units, and that two of these units would be the Library and Physical Education.  The Department of Physical Education was to be both an academic department and a professional staff unit.

In the years since the professional staff were added to the Senate, the Department of Physical Education has been divided into (1) Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (academic department) and General Athletics (reporting to the Vice President for Student Affairs). transitioned to an academic degree granting department and is now titled the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology. Moreover, General Athletics was part of a recent internal reorganization and reports to the Vice President for Student Affairs.

 Reason for Policy

The Professional Staff Policy committee is recommending that the following changes be made in the constitution of the University Senate.

1)    Athletic coaches should not be included mentioned in the Senate representation constitution. Coaches negotiate their leave and benefits as part of their contract. (II.B.3.a.)

2)    Staff Senate constituencies will be represented as detailed in the By-laws with 12 professional staff representation units, including independent research units. The title of non-academic will be changed to professional staff for better clarification. (II.C.1.b.2)

3)    II.C.1.b.3 would be deleted.

4)    The representation units shall be listed in the By-laws. The By-laws shall contain procedures for reviewing and updating the list as recommended by the Professional Staff Policy Committee. (II.C.3)

Proposal

To make the following changes to the University Senate constitution.

 

 

Article II.

 

B.  Individuals:

 

            3.  Professional Staff Constituents:

                        a. Professional staff including athletic coaches and members of independent research units, shall be constituents of the University Senate, unless otherwise excluded because of major administrative functions as defined in the By-laws (independent research units are not administered by one or more academic departments).                 

     

C.  Representation Units

            1. Each constituent of the Senate shall be a member of one representation unit.  A senator elected by members of each unit shall represent each unit.  The units and their included constituents are:

                        a. Academic Departments. Academic and research faculty holding appointments in an academic department or school shall be the only faculty constituent members of that department or school.
                       
                        b. Research Units and Professional Staff

                                    1) The Senate’s Professional Staff Policy Committee will define the composition of the professional staff and independent research representation units.
                                   
                                    2) There shall be no more than 12 professional staff representation units, including independent research units. Two One of the units shall be the Library and Physical Education. The other ten eleven shall be composed as defined by the By-laws. The groupings of the non-academic professional staff units are only for Senate representation. The reporting structures of constituents within any one unit may differ.
                                   
                                    3) The Department of Physical Education is both an academic department and a professional staff unit. All constituents in the Athletic Department shall be constituent members of the Department of Physical Education.
                                   
                                    4)  3) All Senate constituents employed in an independent research unit shall be constituent members of that unit. A research unit may be included as part of another constituent unit.                                     

                                    5) 4) Senate constituents as defined above who are not constituent members of an academic department or research unit shall be members of a professional staff representation unit.                                                          

 

            3.  The representation units shall be listed in the By-laws.  The By-laws shall contain             procedures for reviewing and updating the list once a year before the annual spring elections  as        recommended by the Professional Staff Policy Committee.

 

 

Introduced to Senate: 15 February 2012
Approved by Senate with friendly amendments in blue: 21 March 2012
Referendum Passed by 88%: 04 April 2012 (287 yes out of 326 votes)
Approved by the Board of Control: 27 April 2012