ARTICLE I. Name Purpose

This representative body shall be known as the Faculty Assembly of the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

The purpose of the Faculty Assembly is to participate in the shared responsibility and cooperative action between the Faculty, Administration, and Students in order to promote and maintain the general welfare of the University. Within this general concern, the faculty's role in the development, understanding, and dissemination of knowledge is primary.

ARTICLE II. Powers in General

Section 1. In general, functions allocated to the Faculty Assembly shall include but not be limited to, accreditation, establishment and maintenance of academic standards, policies concerning faculty appointment and tenure, curriculum, and assessment of student learning.

ARTICLE III. Faculty Assembly

Section 1. Membership

The Faculty Assembly shall be composed of the following voting members: (a) tenured faculty,(b) tenure track faculty, (c) faculty and other professional staff who work at least 50% time in credit teaching and 66% time in teaching, research and service as defined in the all University promotion and tenure documents, (d) one faculty member from the Northwest Research and Outreach Center, (e) members on leave and (f) the Chancellor.

Section 2. Officers

The Officers of the Faculty Assembly shall be the Chair of the Assembly (hereafter, "the Chair"); the Vice-Chair and Chair-Elect (hereafter, "the Vice-Chair"), who shall succeed to the Office of Chair the July following his or her assumption of the Vice-Chair duties; the Past Chair (hereafter, "the Past Chair), and the Secretary.

Section 3. Elections

1. Each spring semester and prior to Commencement, the Faculty Assembly and the incumbent officers shall convene the following year's Faculty Assembly for the Annual Meeting. The purpose of the Annual Meeting shall be to elect the Faculty Consultative Committee. Elections shall proceed in the following sequence: Chair (if necessary), Vice-Chair, Secretary, and the remaining members of the Faculty Consultative Committee. The incumbent Officers shall officiate at this meeting, and shall distribute notices of the meeting and minutes as for regular meetings. Only the members of the following year's Faculty Assembly are eligible to vote in this meeting.
2. A slate of officers, (one candidate per office), shall be presented by the Elections, Constitution and Bylaws Committee. Additional nominations shall be from the floor. Elections are by ballot, and a majority of all votes cast is necessary for election. In the event that more than two candidates are nominated for a position and none receives a majority of the votes cast on the first ballot, balloting continues with the name of the candidate receiving the fewest votes being dropped from the ballot, after each vote. In the event that there is no one candidate with the fewest votes, balloting continues with all names included until such time as a candidate receives a majority of votes cast (in which case he or she is declared elected).
3. When either the Vice-Chair or the Secretary is unable to complete a term of office, a replacement shall be elected by the Assembly
4. Committee chairs will be elected in the spring for the following year by the committee members. If a committee does not elect a chair in the Spring for the following academic year, the longest serving faculty member on that committee assumes chair duties until a chair can be elected.

Section 4. Officer Responsibilities

1. Officers shall serve one-year terms and shall assume their duties on July 1.
2. Officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Assembly.
   
3. The Chair shall preside over meetings of the Faculty Assembly and shall appoint a Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian shall attend all Faculty Assembly meetings and advise the Chair on parliamentary procedure.
   
4. The Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair during his or her absence. The Vice-Chair shall serve as an ex officio (nonvoting) member of all Faculty Assembly committees and meet with each committee at least once a semester.
   
5. The Past Chair shall assist the new Chair as needed. This includes providing orientation to new standing committee chairs.
   
6. The Secretary shall maintain the membership roster, prepare and distribute to each member of the Faculty Assembly the agenda for regular meetings at least seven calendar days prior to the meetings; prepare and distribute the minutes of meetings of the Faculty Assembly, except for those of executive sessions, to members of the Faculty Assembly, to the Chancellor of the campus, and other concerned parties, and shall have published (e-mail or web) a report to the faculty of the business conducted in each meeting.

ARTICLE IV. Meetings

Section 1. The regular meetings of the Faculty Assembly shall be held at least once per semester. Regular meeting dates shall be published in advance.

Section 2. Items may be placed on agendas for regular meetings by the Chair, by the Faculty Consultative Committee, by any committee of the Faculty Assembly, or by any two members of the Faculty Assembly. Items to be placed on the agenda shall be submitted to the Secretary at least ten business days prior to the next regular meeting. The final agenda will be determined by the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Past President.

Section 3. Special meetings of the Faculty Assembly may be called by the Chair of the Faculty Assembly or by the Faculty Consultative Committee or may be called upon the written request of ten members of the Faculty Assembly. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call. Except in cases of emergency, at least ten days notice shall be given.

Section 4. Forty percent of all voting members of the Faculty Assembly shall constitute a quorum.

Section 5. Meetings of the Faculty Assembly are open to attendance by all members of the university community. However, the Faculty Assembly may move into executive session by a majority vote of the Faculty Assembly members present.

Section 6. The Assembly may invite persons who are not members of the Faculty Assembly to speak. Non-members may also be granted the privilege of the floor by the presiding officer.

ARTICLE V. Faculty Consultative Committee

Section 1. The Faculty Consultative Committee shall consist of the Officers, Past Chair, Standing Committee Chairmen, Parliamentarian (non-voting), , plus an elected representative from any academic unit not represented on this Committee. This representative shall be elected by the Faculty Assembly. Members shall serve one-year terms and shall assume their duties on July 1.

Section 2. The Faculty Consultative Committee shall be nominated and elected by means of the procedures in Article III.

Section 3. The duties of the Faculty Consultative Committee shall be as follows:

1. To schedule the hour and place of meetings
2. To make recommendations to the Faculty Assembly
3. To meet with the Chancellor at least monthly to discuss educational and administrative policies, budget and financial planning, long-range planning, or other items of concern to faculty.
4. To serve as a general liaison between administrative personnel and faculty to discuss various areas of concern.
5. To advise the Chancellor on considerations in making major administrative appointments.
6. To initiate appropriate studies to fulfill consultative responsibilities.
7. To perform such other duties as are specified in the bylaws.

The Committee shall be subject to the orders of the Faculty Assembly, and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the Faculty Assembly.

Section 4. The Faculty Consultative Committee shall be the Faculty Liaison Committee to the Chancellor for the Faculty Assembly.

Section 5. During the summer recess, the Faculty Consultative Committee may act on behalf of the Faculty Assembly for emergency matters.

ARTICLE VI. Amendments

Section 1. This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of those present at a meeting of the Faculty Assembly, such amendment to be introduced by proposal from the Elections, Constitution and Bylaws Committee. All amendments shall be reviewed by the Elections, Constitution and Bylaws Committee, and shall be given in writing to all members of the Faculty Assembly at least two weeks before the Faculty Assembly is called upon to act on them.

Section 2. Final authority to interpret this Constitution shall reside in the Faculty Assembly.

ARTICLE VII. Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Faculty Assembly in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Faculty Assembly may adopt.

Adopted: December 10, 1999
Revised Feb 17, 2006