Senate Operating Rules

1. The voting members of the Senate shall consist of the President; elected voting representatives of the full-time tenured/tenure-track faculty and non-tenure-track faculty; and as non-voting members, the Chancellor and the Provost.
   1. For the purposes of Senate membership, the term “eligible faculty” and faculty with professorial designation includes all those with full-time tenured/tenure-track faculty appointments as well as those with full-time non-tenure-track academic appointments (as identified in CRR 310.035 Non-Tenure Track Faculty) who have no more than a 50% administrative appointment.
   2. Members of the eligible faculty so defined will have the right to vote on Senate membership, to be nominated for Senate membership, and to serve in the Senate and on Senate committees. Members of the eligible faculty so defined will be counted in apportioning Senate at-large representation, and hereinafter referred to as “eligible faculty” to differentiate them from the more restrictive term Faculty as defined in 300.040.A.1, or the more general use of the term faculty.
   3. Elected faculty members of the Senate shall serve three-year staggered terms with one-third of the body elected by the eligible faculty annually. Any elected member of the Senate may be re-elected. The term of office of all Senators shall begin on the first day of August following their election.
2. The Senate and Assembly rosters and the committee rosters shall be posted on the web.
3. All students, irrespective of their status as elected, appointed, or ex-officio members of the Assembly and/or committees, are required to satisfy the eligibility requirements stated in the by-laws during their candidacy and throughout the entire period of their service. Elected students will be replaced in accordance with the by-laws if they fail to satisfy all requirements. Ex-officio student representatives will not be recognized by the Senate if they fail to satisfy all requirements. A qualified replacement may be appointed by the Senate Chairperson to serve until such time as the ex-officio student representative meets the stated requirements.
4. The grade point average used to determine student eligibility for service on the Assembly and on committees of the Senate and Assembly shall be overall cumulative grade point average reflected in MyView. 

1. The elected officers of the Senate shall be the Senate Chairperson, who must be a voting faculty Senator, and the Secretary of the Senate, who must be a voting faculty Senator. The elected officers of the Senate shall serve for one year, beginning on the first day of August following their election. The elected officers may be re-elected.
2. The Senate Chairperson, or in the Chairperson’s absence, a voting member of the Senate designated by the Chairperson, shall be the presiding officer at each meeting of the Senate.
3. The Secretary shall also maintain the official roster of the Senate, and shall collect annual reports on committee activities, which shall be submitted in written form by the committee chairperson no later than May 10 of each year. 

1. The Senate shall meet regularly each month during the academic year or in special meetings as called by the Steering Committee of the Senate. The Steering Committee shall call a special meeting of the Senate on request of the Chancellor or of any five members of the Senate. Proceedings in Senate meetings shall be in accordance with the rules set forth in the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the elected faculty Senators.
2. The Faculty Senate shall meet monthly during the academic year, and the University Assembly shall meet every other month within semesters. All Senate and University Assembly members are strongly encouraged to attend scheduled meetings.
3. The Secretary of the Senate shall distribute the agenda to all members of the Senate at least three working days in advance of each meeting, shall keep minutes of each meeting of the Senate, and shall distribute a copy of the minutes of each meeting to all member of the Senate.
4. Agendas and minutes of Senate and Assembly meetings shall be posted on the web no later than the Thursday before the Tuesday meeting. Minutes of the Senate and Assembly meetings should include motions as presented, with a summary of the main points of the discussion.
5. A report from the Chancellor shall be presented at each meeting of the Senate and the Assembly. The report shall include information on action taken as a result of Senate and Assembly recommendations.
6. Committee reports should:
   1. be filed with Assembly/Senate Assistant in advance of or at the meeting where actions are presented;
   2. include the names of committee members;
   3. present motions only as a part of the report.
7. The budget for athletics shall be recorded as information to the Assembly.
8. Reports from University wide and statewide committees may be presented to the Assembly. Whenever possible, representatives of the University of Missouri-St. Louis serving on Universitywide and/or statewide committees should advise the Steering Committee if a report to the Assembly is necessary.

Faculty Senate:

1. Each department of the parallel units, the library, and the Pierre Laclede Honors College, provided they have at least five full-time faculty, will elect one representative by a ballot distributed and tallied by the Faculty Senate. A department, parallel unit, the library, or the Honors College will elect one non-voting representative if it has fewer than five full-time faculty.
2. Following the election of the department, parallel unit, the library, and Pierre Laclede Honors College representatives, an election will be held by e-mail or paper ballot distributed and tallied by the Senate in each College and School of the parallel units for at-large representatives. The number of at-large representatives shall be equal to one-third (1/3) of the total of the individual unit representatives. The number elected in each independent school or college will be determined proportionally by the number of eligible faculty as determined at the beginning of each fall semester with each specified school or college having a minimum of one at-large representative.
3. Each College’s eligible faculty will vote for its College representatives.
4. For the purpose of determining the allocation of at-large seats, an eligible faculty member with a joint appointment shall be counted as a member of the unit which receives the greater share of the faculty member’s time. If a joint appointee’s time is equally distributed between units, the faculty member may select the unit in which to be counted. However, a joint appointee who is serving a continuing term on the Senate will be assigned to the unit from which he/she was originally elected to the Senate. Joint appointees may vote only on the nominating ballot of the unit in which they are counted in determining the allocation of Senate seats.
5. Elections of all faculty representatives shall occur before April 1 of each year, except for the first year when elections will be conducted within one month of approval.
6. A subcommittee of the Senate Steering Committee shall be established to supervise the election of faculty members to the Senate and distribute and tally the ballots. The Subcommittee shall consist of the Senate Chairperson; the Chairperson of the Committee on Committees; and the Senate Secretary, who shall maintain a complete record of the votes received by all candidates.
7. If a unit or departmental representative should resign from the University or from the Senate, the department or parallel unit will elect a replacement by mail ballot. If an at-large representative should resign from the University or from the Senate, he or she will be replaced until the next Senate election by the individual from the same school or college who received the next-highest number of votes at the most recent election. If a Senator should take a leave of absence for an academic year, an alternate shall be selected in the same manner to serve only during the duration of the leave of absence.
8. If an elected faculty Senator qualifies for service as an ex officio (non-voting) Senator, he/she will be moved immediately into the ex officio (non-voting) category. In accordance with the bylaws, a replacement will be elected to serve for the remainder of the academic year in which the vacancy occurs if the ex officio status is permanent. The balance (if any) of the faculty member’s elected term will be filled at the next spring election of Senators.
9. Only voting members of the Senate and Assembly may vote at their respective meetings. Proxy voting is prohibited.
10. Nomination for Senate and Assembly Chair shall be submitted to the Senate/Assembly Office no later than one week prior to the March meeting of the Faculty Senate to allow dissemination of names of nominees to the voting members of the Senate. Nominations from the floor may also be made on the day of the election.
11. Following each election, the newly constituted Senate shall meet for the sole purpose of selecting the Senate Chairperson, the Secretary of the Senate, and the Committee on Committees.

University Assembly:

1. Membership - The voting members of the Assembly shall consist of the elected members of the Senate; the UM System President; the Chancellor; the Provost; the executive leader of student affairs; student representatives equal in number to one-third of the Faculty members of the Assembly; two members of the adjunct faculty; and three staff members, including the Chair of the Staff Association. Non-voting members shall consist of vice chancellors and vice provosts not already included as voting members, deans of all colleges and schools (whether or not their faculties are represented), the Dean of Libraries, and the President of the Student Government Association.
2. Elected faculty members of the Assembly shall serve three-year staggered terms co-terminus with their service in the Senate. Elected student members of the Assembly will serve a term of one year and shall be elected by the student body each year. Elected adjunct faculty members will serve a term of one semester and will be elected by the adjunct faculty each semester. (Approved by University Assembly in Feb. 2018) Selected staff members of the Assembly will serve a term of one year and shall be selected by the Staff Association. Any elected member of the Assembly may be re-elected. The term of office of all Senators shall begin on the first day of August following their election.
3. Each year during the spring semester student members shall be elected at large without regard to department, school, college, or parallel unit affiliation. To qualify for service on the Assembly, a student must be enrolled in good standing, must not be on disciplinary probation, must have a cumulative grade point average calculated by the University of Missouri-St. Louis to be at least 2.0, and must have completed a minimum of nine hours of academic credit at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Qualified students who are interested in becoming members of the Assembly shall make their candidacy known to the executive leaders of student affairs by March 1 of each year. The Vice Provost shall verify that the candidates satisfy all requirements for service on the Assembly. Not later than March 15 of each year, duly registered students shall elect the appropriate number of student senators from the list of eligible candidates making themselves available. Only eligible students who file their candidacy in advance may be elected.
4. During the week before the start of the fall and spring semesters, two adjunct faculty members, each from a different parallel unit, shall be elected to serve as at large representatives on the Assembly. To be eligible for election to the Assembly, adjunct faculty members must have taught at UMSL for at least three semesters within the past five academic years at the time of their election, and must be teaching, or have been contracted to teach, at UMSL during the semester(s) they serve on the Assembly. Adjunct faculty who are interested in running for election to the Assembly shall make their candidacy known no later than two weeks prior to the start of the semester. Only eligible adjunct faculty who file their candidacy in advance may be elected. Of the slate of adjunct candidates, the two nominees from different parallel units with the most votes will be elected to serve on the Assembly. (Approved by University Assembly in Feb. 2018)
5. The Secretary shall distribute the agenda to all members of the Assembly at least three days in advance of each meeting, shall keep minutes of each meeting of the Assembly, and shall distribute a copy of the minutes of each meeting to all members of the Assembly. The Secretary shall also maintain the official roster of the Assembly, and shall collect annual reports on committee activities, which shall be submitted in written form by each committee chairperson no later than May 10 of each year.

Faculty Senate

1. All members of the eligible faculty, administration, and staff shall be eligible to serve on Senate committees except as otherwise provided. Students who satisfy the eligibility requirements for service on the Assembly shall also be eligible to serve on Senate committees. With the exception of the Committee on Committees, faculty members of the standing committees of the Senate shall be elected each year at the second organizational meeting of the Senate.
2. Members of the eligible faculty shall be elected to standing Senate committees by all voting members of the Senate. Staff members of standing Senate committees shall be elected by the Staff Association. Student members of standing Senate committees shall be elected by voting student members of the Assembly.
3. Eligible faculty members of all standing committees except the Committee on Committees and the Budget and Planning Committee shall be elected for two-year terms, with half the faculty members to be replaced each year. Budget and Planning Committee members will serve a three-year term. Student members of all standing committees shall be elected for one-year terms which may be renewed.
4. All standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate shall be chaired by the eligible faculty; the chairs of the Committee on Committees and the Bylaws and Rules Committee shall be faculty Senators, and the chair of the Steering Committee shall be the Senate Chairperson.
5. At least one elected member of each standing and ad hoc committee of the Senate shall be a voting faculty Senator. Faculty members of all standing committees except the Committee on Committees shall be elected for two-year terms, with half the faculty members to be replaced each year. Staff members of all standing committees shall be elected for one-year terms which may be renewed. Student members of all standing committees shall be elected for one-year terms which may be renewed. Each standing and ad hoc committee shall be convened by the Senate Chairperson. As its first order of business, each standing and ad hoc committee shall elect a chairperson. If a faculty member of a Senate committee is to take a leave of absence (or semester’s leave in the case of the independent Fall and Spring panels of the Committee on Research), a substitute shall be elected to serve for the entire academic year during which the leave is taken. A replacement will be elected to complete the remainder of the unexpired term of a committee member who becomes unable or ineligible to continue serving on a Senate committee.
6. Newly elected members of standing Senate committees shall assume office on the first day of August following their election unless completing the unexpired term of another member, with the exception of members of the Committee on Committees who take office immediately following their election.
7. Only voting members of Senate committees may vote at committee meetings. Proxy voting is prohibited.
8. To facilitate the flow of information and pertinent documents, the Assistant to the Senate Chair shall be invited to attend meetings of the Committee on Committees, the Steering Committee, the Committee on Curriculum & Instruction, and the Committee on By-Laws & Rules.

University Assembly

1. At least one elected member of each standing and ad hoc committee of the Assembly shall be a voting faculty Senator.
2. All faculty members of the Assembly will be elected only by voting faculty members of the Assembly for service on standing Assembly committees. Administrators shall be designated by position (or by the incumbent filling that position.)
3. All student members of the Assembly will be elected only by voting student members of the Assembly for service on standing University Assembly committees.
4. All staff members of Assembly committees shall be selected by the Staff Association.
5. Eligible faculty members of all standing committees except the Committee on Committees and the Budget and Planning Committee shall be elected for two-year terms, with half the faculty members to be replaced each year. Student members of all standing committees shall be elected for one-year terms which may be renewed.
6. Each standing and ad hoc committee shall be convened by the Assembly Chairperson. As its first order of business, each standing and ad hoc committee shall elect a chairperson. If a faculty member of an Assembly committee is to take a leave of absence, a substitute shall be elected to serve for the entire academic year during which the leave is taken. A replacement will be elected to complete the remainder of the unexpired term of a committee member who becomes unable or ineligible to continue serving on an Assembly committee.
7. Newly elected members of standing Assembly committees shall assume office on the first day of August following their election unless completing the unexpired term of another member.
8. The Steering Committee of the Senate shall serve the same function for the University Assembly.
9. Joint Committees of the Faculty Senate and University Assembly:
   1. The Faculty Senate and University Assembly Committee on Committees shall consist of one elected faculty Senator from each of the parallel units. The members of the Committee shall serve for one year. They shall be elected at a special meeting of the Senate called each spring, immediately following the election of the Senate. The Committee shall be convened by the newly elected Senate Chairperson, who shall assist the Committee with electing its chairperson. Normally, members of the Committee on Committees shall not nominate themselves for other committee assignments.
      1. 1. It shall be the responsibility of the Committee to nominate for election by the Senate:
            1. faculty members of all standing committees of the Senate;
            2. faculty members of ad hoc committees of the Senate, when so instructed by the Senate. Where appropriate, the Committee shall nominate members of the ad hoc or standing statewide committees for election by the Senate or appointment by the Chancellor.
         2. It shall be the responsibility of the Committee to nominate for election by the University Assembly:
            1. faculty members of all standing committees of the Assembly;
            2. faculty members of ad hoc committees of the Assembly, when so instructed by the Assembly. Where appropriate, the Committee shall nominate members of the ad hoc or standing statewide committees for election by the Assembly or appointment by the Chancellor.
         3. In preparing lists of nominees, the Committee may consult with the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellors, the academic deans or equivalent, and department chairpersons.
         4. Nominations made by the Committee shall be presented to the Senate or University Assembly as relevant. Members of the Senate shall have the right to make additional nominations from the floor for Senate committees. Members of the Assembly shall have the right to make additional nominations from the floor for Assembly committees.
   2. The Faculty Senate and University Assembly Steering Committee shall consist of the Senate Chairperson, the Senate Secretary, the Chancellor, and three elected senators. During the month of April, the Steering Committee shall examine its membership to determine which members will be absent during the summer session. Steering Committee members who will be absent shall designate their replacement from among the members of the Senate. If the Chairperson and/or Secretary of the Senate shall be absent, a summer replacement will be elected at the Steering Committee’s April meeting. The minutes of that meeting shall include the summer roster. In the event of the need for emergency action during the summer, the Steering Committee will be empowered to act on behalf of the Senate and Assembly and will be obligated to report its action to the Senate and Assembly in the fall.
   3. The Faculty Senate and University Assembly Committee on Bylaws and Rules shall consist of six eligible faculty members elected by the Senate who are broadly representative of the Faculty, and two students.
      1. The Committee may initiate proposals for Bylaw changes.
      2. The Committee shall recommend approval and disapproval of each proposed Bylaw change within two Senate meetings following receipt of the proposal.
      3. The Committee shall recommend approval and disapproval of proposed changes to the Collected Rules and Regulations in a timely manner.
      4. The Committee may invite faculty or staff members with expertise in the subject of the bylaws or rules under consideration to serve on the committee temporarily in an advisory capacity. (Approved by Faculty Senate in Jan. 2018)
10. Faculty Senate Committees:
    1. The Senate Committee on Curriculum and Instruction shall consist of the following voting members: one eligible faculty member from each of the parallel units and two students. At least two-thirds of the faculty members of this committee must hold tenured/tenure-track faculty appointments. Any NTT faculty members on the committee must have a rank of associate or higher. Non-voting members shall consist of the Provost and the Registrar.
    2. The Senate Committee on Appointments, Tenure, and Promotion shall consist of full professors holding a tenure appointment. One member shall be elected from each of the parallel units, and two additional faculty members shall be elected at-large from the campus.
    3. The Senate Committee on Research (Fall and Spring Panels) shall each consist of the following voting members: six eligible faculty members from Arts and Sciences (no more than two from any one parallel unit); and one eligible faculty member from each of the parallel units. The executive leader for research shall be a non-voting member of each Panel.
    4. The Faculty Senate Committee on Research and Libraries shall consist of one eligible faculty representative from each of the parallel units and two students, one of which should preferably be a graduate student. The Chair will be a voting faculty member of the committee. The Dean of Libraries and the executive leader for research shall be non-voting members of the Committee. The two chairs of the Committee on Research (Fall and Spring panels) will serve as non-voting ex-officio members.
    5. The Senate Committee on Faculty Teaching and Service Awards shall consist of the following voting members: five eligible faculty members from Arts and Sciences (no more than two from any one parallel unit); one eligible faculty member from each of the other parallel units; and two students. The Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Committee.
    6. The Senate Committee on Academic Advisory and Assessment shall consist of the following voting members: one eligible faculty member from each of the parallel units and two students. Non-voting members of the Committee shall consist of the Provost and any administrative appointee assigned to this committee. The committee may create a faculty-only subcommittee when the Provost needs advice on faculty-specific academic issues and when discussing issues that are confidential in nature.
    7. The Senate Committee on Research Misconduct shall consist of six full professors on continuous appointment who are broadly representative of the Faculty and who do not devote more than 50 percent of their time to administrative duties.
       1. The Committee shall elect from its members a chairperson and a secretary. A quorum of at least two-thirds of the members must be present in order for the Committee to conduct any business or hearing.
       2. In conducting a hearing requiring additional research expertise, [the Committee may] elect by majority vote as many as three additional full professors on continuous appointment who do not devote more than 50 percent of their time to administrative duties, and who have the required research expertise. These additional members shall serve only for the duration of the case for which they have been elected and, during that time, shall be voting members of the Committee.
    8. The Senate Committee on Issues of Tenure Removal shall consist of six full professors holding tenure appointments. Its membership shall be broadly representative of the various academic disciplines, schools, colleges, and such parallel units as may be created from time to time. No faculty member involved in a substantial way in administrative work above the level of the department shall be eligible.
    9. The Senate Committee on Promotion of Non-Tenure Track Faculty shall consist of eligible faculty holding the rank of Teaching Professor, Clinical Professor, Extension Professor, or Research Professor, and at least one tenured (full) Professor. There shall be one member on the Committee elected from each of the parallel units, and two faculty members elected at large from the campus.
    10. The senate Oversight Committee shall consist of three tenured faculty members who shall be broadly representative and shall serve two-year terms. The chair shall be a member of the Faculty Senate.
11. University Assembly Committees:
    1. The University Assembly Committee on Administrator Evaluation shall consist of at least five eligible faculty members who represent at least three colleges, one student, and one staff member. This Committee shall be chaired by an eligible faculty member.
       1. This Committee is responsible for preparing and distributing an evaluation form to the eligible faculty of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, collecting forms, and tabulating results.
       2. This committee shall present the forms and tabulated results to the Faculty Senate Chair, Provost, and Chancellor. The committee report to the University Assembly will include the names of individuals who were evaluated, the individuals who received the evaluation results (e.g. those they report to), and how the results will be used.
    2. The University Assembly Budget and Planning Committee shall consist of the following voting members: the Chancellor, the Senate Chairperson, two non-faculty employees selected by the Staff Association, one eligible faculty member from each of the parallel units, and two students. Non-voting members of the Committee shall consist of the Provost and the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration. At its first meeting each academic year, the Committee shall elect a recording secretary from its faculty members who will maintain minutes of the committee’s deliberations and actions and distribute them to the Assembly.
    3. The University Assembly Committee on Recruitment, Admissions, Retention, and Student Financial Aid shall consist of the following voting members: six eligible faculty members, two students, and two staff members elected by the Staff Association. Non-voting members of the Committee shall consist of the executive leader of student affairs, the executive leaders of enrollment, student retention services, and financial aid. The Committee shall be chaired by a faculty member.
    4. The University Assembly Committee on Student Affairs shall consist of the following voting members: four eligible faculty members, four student members, and three representatives chosen by the Staff Association. Faculty, staff, and student members shall be broadly representative of the various academic disciplines, colleges, or units. Non-voting members of the Committee shall consist of the executive leader of student affairs, the President of the Student Government Association, and the Faculty Advisor of The Current. The Committee may select co-chairs each year, with one co-chair typically being a student member.
    5. The University Assembly Committee on Physical Facilities, Space, and General Services shall consist of the executive in charge of Facilities Management, one eligible faculty member from each of the parallel units, three students, and one representative selected by the Staff Association.
    6. The University Assembly Committee on Information Technology shall consist of the following voting members: one eligible faculty member from each of the parallel units; one graduate research assistant and three additional student representatives; and two representatives elected by the Staff Association. The executive in charge of Information Technology Services be a non-voting member.
       1. The Committee will be charged with serving as an advisory body to the executive leader(s) for Information Technology Services and to the Assembly Budget and Planning Committee regarding information technology-based priorities and budgeting; routinely and consistently gathering information regarding information technology needs and productivity; developing consistent information technology policies across units and service groups; reviewing information technology applications to improve efficiency and productivity; identifying common information technology needs of units and groups; encouraging the effective communication between UM-St. Louis and the University of Missouri central administration, to make them aware of UM-St. Louis’s unique information technology needs; identifying policies that foster consistent and comprehensive training and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff to encourage innovation and creativity and to improve productivity and service to internal and external constituencies.
       2. The Committee will utilize ad-hoc subcommittees to respond as needed to the Assembly, to ITS, and to the campus community as a whole. (Approved by University Assembly Nov. 2017)
       3. For the purposes of defining the charge of this committee, information technology shall be defined to include, but not limited to, the use of computers and telecommunications in the processing and distribution of information in digital, audio, video, and other forms.