St. Bonaventure University’s Faculty Senate held a nomination process for an interim senator position, representing the School of Education, that concluded at the beginning of the month. The only nominee, associate professor Rene Hauser, will represent the School of Education while assistant professor Rebecca Scherer is on leave until the start of the spring 2020 semester.
For this process, faculty from the School of Education were invited to nominate themselves or someone else with the signatures of at least four School of Education teaching faculty. Both forms of nomination were sent to the chair of the Faculty Senate, Anne Foerst.
The Faculty Senate is a governing organization, representing the teaching faculty of the university. According to Constitution Committee Chair Maureen Cox, the Senate “legislates on academic matters concerning the undergraduate schools, such as student admission; advancement and graduation standards; the academic calendar; curricula; degree requirements; establishment, modification or discontinuance of any school, department, curriculum or program.”
She continued on, adding that the Senate formulates policy on faculty organization, faculty qualifications, faculty duties and promotion and the Faculty Status and Welfare Handbook in areas where the Senate is legislative. However, the Senate does not represent the teaching faculty on amendments to the Faculty Status and Welfare Handbook.
Cox’s role as Constitution Chair is to “advise the Faculty Senate Chair, Anne Foerst, on rules for running the meetings and providing clarification on any constitutional issues,” Cox said. “The Constitution Committee is charged with continuing study of the Constitution. We make interpretations if the Constitution is unclear or ambiguous on something.”
The Constitution is responsible for conducting elections for Faculty Senators, including the one that just occurred.
It is also accountable for organizing elections for the Academic Honesty Board, the Faculty Committee on Recommendations and the Faculty Status and Welfare Handbook Committee.
“Most of these elections are in the spring, but when openings arise, a call for nominations has to be made, and if needed, an election is held. Also, the Constitution Committee is responsible for maintaining a list of faculty who are eligible to vote in these elections. Finally, we maintain an archive of senate agendas and minutes and must make sure that the university documents are updated when new legislation is passed,” Cox said.
The Senate consists of many members. Aside from the Faculty Senators, Anne Foerst and Ann Tenglund, there are representatives for the arts, science, business, communication, education, health professions, non-teaching, Student Government Association and ex officio departments.
More information for the Faculty Senate constitution can be found on the Governing Documents page of my.sbu.edu.
By Vanessa Donadio, News Assignment Editor
donadivj16@bonaventure.edu
