Rules of Procedure

As approved July 26, 1945 and as amended November 20, 1956; April 11, 1967; October 12, 1971; May 10, 1977; June 7, May 11, 1992, February 12, 2002, April 22, 2003, and May 13, 2003

PART I. The Council of the University Senate

Rule 1. Meetings

The Council shall meet once a month in the Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters, or oftener at the call of the President, or of the Provost, or upon the request of six members. In the Summer Quarter one meeting will normally be held during the first term.

Rule 2. Quorum

Twenty members of the Council shall constitute a quorum.

Rule 3. Majorities Required

The Council shall act by vote of the majority (but not fewer than twenty) of the members in attendance (Statute 12.5.3.3). Such action includes all resolutions and motions addressed to the Board of Trustees (including references under Statute 12.5.3.8), to the Central Administration, to another ruling body, to the University as a whole, or to any other agency, group, or public outside the Council itself or its committees. Other motions pertaining to the conduct of the Council’s own business, such as references to committees, amendments, and procedural matters, shall require for passage such majority of those present and voting as may be specified in Robert’s Rules of Order.

Rule 4. Voting

At the request of two members, the vote on any motion before the Council shall be taken by roll call, except when there is a request by two members for a written ballot, the request for a written ballot always having precedence.

The individual votes on a roll call, and the number of votes by a show of hands and by written ballot, shall be recorded in the minutes.

Before the Council votes on matters of importance, the Committee of the Council shall arrange that the Councilors receive the record of the Committee of the Council’s discussion of that topic. Because some discussions at Committee meetings may contain sensitive or confidential materials, the Committee may redact the record it gives to the Council to omit such material from the description of the discussion.*

Voting shall be by written ballot upon the question of reference of matters to the Board of Trustees in accordance with the provisions of Statute 12.5.3.8.

*Rule 4 has been modified to conform with the action by the Council on May 13, 2003.

Rule 5. Reference of Matters of Business to the Council

All matters to be presented to the Council for action shall first be laid before the Committee, provided that by not fewer than thirty affirmative votes this requirement may be suspended, and under such circumstances matters may be presented to the Council for action without preliminary consideration and recommendation by the Committee.

Actions of ruling bodies to be referred to the Council under the provisions of Statute 12.5.3.2 and 12.5.3.4, and recommendations of the Council to a ruling body under the provisions of Statute 12.5.3.7, shall be referred directly to the Committee, in conformity with the provisions of Statute 12.6.2.

Faculty are invited to send memoranda to the Committee of the Council proposing agenda items on topics of general concern that are within the legislative jurisdiction of the Council. Upon receipt of a relevant memorandum, the Spokesman will report to the next meeting of the Council that the Committee has received a memorandum and will identify its topic and author. After the Committee of the Council has discussed the memorandum, the Spokesman will ask the Secretary to attach the original memorandum to each Councilor’s copy of the meeting agenda at which the Spokesman will describe the Committee’s discussion of the memorandum, unless the Committee deems it inappropriate for wider circulation or the author requests confidentiality For the same reason, the Committee may also report the fact of request and its discussion without elaboration.*

*Rule 5 has been modified to conform with the action by the Council on April 22, 2003.

Rule 6. Vacancies

Members of the Council or of the Committee may resign their seats.

A vacancy shall be declared to exist in the Council upon the death, retirement, or resignation of a member. Members knowing that they will be absent from the University for three consecutive quarters or more shall resign for the remainder of their terms. Members not absent from the University who absent themselves from all meetings of the Council for two consecutive quarters shall be replaced.

At the time of the regular annual election, the Secretary of the Faculties shall list, in order of the total number of votes received, five candidates who follow the seventeen members regularly elected to the Council. When a vacancy is declared in the Council, it shall be filled by the person next on the list having the greatest number of votes

At the time of the regular election to the Committee of the Council, in the Spring Quarter of each year, account shall be taken of all known vacancies on the Council (in addition to those from expiration of terms) which will be effective for the coming academic year; that is, any Councilor who will be obliged to resign before October 1 because of inability to serve during the coming academic year shall be declared ineligible to vote for the Committee of the Council at the Spring election, and the name of the next alternate, as of the most recent election, shall be placed on the ballot as eligible to vote for and be elected to the Committee of the Council.

Rule 7. Proposals to the Council Through the Office of the President

Through the Office of the President or of the Committee of the Council, any member of the Senate may propose to the Council consideration of any matter within the jurisdiction of the Council.

Rule 8. Preparation and Distribution of Agenda and Minutes of the Council to the Senate

The agenda of the Council shall be prepared and the Minutes of the Council shall be kept by the Secretary of the Faculties, and both shall be distributed to the members of the University Senate. When the Minutes of a meeting are amended, those Minutes shall be revised accordingly for the file and the Minutes of the meeting at which the amendment was presented shall reflect the substance of that amendment.*

The agenda shall be circulated to members of the Council at least four days before the meeting of the Council. By a vote of at least thirty members, the Council may add additional business to the agenda.

*Rule 8 has been modified to conform with action taken by the Council on February 12, 2002.

Rule 9. Procedure of Subcommittees

A subcommittee shall at its first meeting determine the scope of its assignment and estimate roughly the time required for its completion. This information should be reported to the Council at the next meeting, and interim reports should be made at each meeting until the report is completed.

When the Council is scheduled to take action based on the report of a subcommittee and the chairman of that subcommittee is not a member of the Council, the normal procedure shall be to invite the chairman to attend the meeting in question.

Rule 10. Forms of Resolutions

Resolutions of the Council shall accord with the following forms and the Spokesman of the Committee of the Council shall be responsible for suggesting the proper form of a resolution:

(1) Resolutions within the legislative powers of the Council as defined in Statute 12.5.3.1, shall begin with the words, “The Council decides . . .”

(2) Resolutions concerning action of another ruling body submitted to the Council in accord with Statute 12.5.3.2, and 12.10.3.3, 12.10.3.4, 12.10.3.5, shall begin with the words, “The Council approves (or disapproves) the action of . . . on (date) in respect to . . . be stayed until further order of the Council.”

(3) Resolutions recommending action to another ruling body as provided in Statute 12.5.3.7 or to the Board of Trustees as provided in Statute 12.13.1 and 12.13.2, or to the Office of the President, or to an Institute as recognized by custom shall begin with the words, “The Council recommends to . . .”

(4) Resolutions requesting a meeting with a committee of the Board of Trustees as provided in Statute 12.5.3.6 and 12.5.3.8, shall begin with the words, “The Council requests of the Board of Trustees that . . .”

(5) Resolutions addressed to the general public or to some agency outside the University shall begin with the words, “The Council resolves . . .”

(6) Resolutions pertaining to the conduct of the Council’s own business, such as reference to committees, amendments to resolutions, and procedural matters such as provided in Rule 3, shall begin with the words, “The Council votes . . .”