Indiana University Bloomington


 

BYLAWS OF THE BLOOMINGTON FACULTY COUNCIL OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY

(By Action of Bloomington Faculty Council: November 18, 1975; last amended, April 15, 2003)

  1. The current revision of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of the meetings of the Council except insofar as the bylaws make express provision to the contrary.

  2. The Agenda Committee shall publish a schedule of Council meetings for the academic year before the beginning of the fall semester but may schedule additional meetings or cancel meetings as the need arises. The meetings of the Council shall begin at 3:30 P.M. and adjourn at 5:30 P.M. unless a later adjournment is agreed to unanimously. The Council by concurrence of a simple majority vote may fix a different time for a regular meeting or call a special meeting.

  3. The presence of a majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.

  4. Elections
    1. The Nomination Committee and its Election Supervisor shall conduct the elections for both the Bloomington Faculty Council and the Bloomington representatives to the University Faculty Council. These elections must begin early enough in the Fall Semester to permit completion of the election process in order to satisfy the deadlines imposed.

      • Eligible participants and election units are governed by sections 5.6. A through C of the Constitution of the Bloomington Faculty. The election sub-units into which the College of Arts and Sciences is divided pursuant to section 5.6.A of the Constitution of the Bloomington Faculty shall be specified in an appendix to these bylaws.

      • Preparation of Voting Lists.
        • The Chancellor shall supply a list of eligible Bloomington faculty and librarians; this list shall specify the departmental or program affiliations and tenured or non-tenured status of each person. From this list each school dean and the Dean of Libraries shall supply to the Nomination Committee and its Election Supervisor a list of those eligible under his or her jurisdiction. The Nomination Committee and its Election Supervisor shall check the lists and adjust them to provide that no person is assigned to more than one unit.

      • Individual Choice of Voting Unit.
        • Anyone may request the Nomination Committee and its Election Supervisor to change an assignment to a unit. If the Nomination Committee and its Election Supervisor do not agree to the change, this decision may be appealed to the Constitution and Rules Committee, whose decision will be final. The Constitution and Rules Committee shall report to the Council any such actions taken.

      • Designation of Unit Election Officials.
        • The Council shall designate one or more election officials in each voting unit to facilitate and to encourage participation from that unit.

      • Basis of Representation.
        • Each of the units shall be entitled to one Council representative for each fifty members (or major fraction thereof); each unit shall have a minimum of one representative.

      • Nominations.
        • In November of each year, the Nomination Committee and its Election Supervisor shall solicit nominations for representatives to the Bloomington Faculty Council. The list of all persons eligible to vote (organized by electoral unit and indicating which are tenured and which are non-tenured) shall be distributed to all faculty and librarians. This list shall accompany the nomination ballot. The nomination ballot shall list the present membership of the Bloomington Faculty Council--indicating which persons will serve an additional year, which are finishing a term but are eligible for re-election, and which are ineligible for re-election under Section 5.6.D of the Constitution of the Bloomington Faculty. The nomination ballot shall be returned to the Nomination Committee and its Election Supervisor by the end of the first semester. Each voter shall be notified as to his or her representation unit and the number of seats to be filled from that unit. He or she shall be invited to make twice this number of nominations from that unit. The ballot shall provide for separate nomination of general at-large representatives and of representatives limited to untenured faculty. Each voter may make three nominations for general at-large representatives and two for at-large representatives limited to untenured faculty.

      • Preparing the Election Ballot.
        • For the Bloomington Faculty Council, those persons receiving the most nominating votes in each unit (up to twice the number of seats to be filled) shall be placed on the final ballot. Ties shall be decided by lot. Six additional at-large nominations shall be made by the Bloomington Faculty Council's Nomination Committee. Before any name is placed on the final ballot, the Nomination Committee and its Election Supervisor must determine that the nominee is willing to serve if elected. If a person has been nominated for the Bloomington Faculty Council from a unit and at large, the Nomination Committee and its Election Supervisor shall direct the nominee to choose in which one (and only one) of the categories he or she wishes to stand for election. The final ballot shall list the nominees from each unit. The at-large nominees plus the six nominees from the Nomination Committee will be combined and listed alphabetically in the separate categories for general at-large representatives and for at-large representatives limited to untenured faculty.

      • Conduct of the Election.
        • The election of the Bloomington Faculty Council for the following academic year shall be completed by the end of January. Each voter shall be entitled to vote in this election for representatives in their unit and representatives elected at large. Ties will be decided by lot. The Nomination Committee and its Election Supervisor shall file with the President Pro Tempore of the Bloomington Faculty Council a record of the votes cast and the final ballot.

    3. After the Bloomington Faculty Council members of the ensuing year have been determined, the existing Nomination Committee shall circulate a ballot to these members containing at least ten nominees for a new Nomination Committee. The names on the ballot shall be arranged in pairs by academic units (schools), of which no fewer than four shall be represented. The person in each pair receiving the larger number of voters shall be elected. Ties shall be decided by lot. The new Nomination Committee must be elected by the end of the first week of March.

    4. The newly-elected Nomination Committee shall circulate a ballot to the voting members of the Council--as it will be constituted for the ensuing term--to elect a President Pro Tempore, a Secretary, a Parliamentarian, and three additional members of the Agenda Committee. There shall be two nominees for President Pro Tempore, two for Secretary, two for Parliamentarian, and twelve for Agenda Committee; the twelve nominees for Agenda Committee shall include the six persons being nominated for President Pro Tempore, Secretary, and Parliamentarian and six others. The ballot shall permit write-in candidates. The persons receiving the most votes for President Pro Tempore, Secretary, and Parliamentarian shall serve in those offices and shall also be members of the Agenda Committee. The three persons among the remaining nominees for Agenda Committee receiving the most votes shall serve on that committee. This election shall be completed by the end of the second week of March.

    5. Bloomington representatives to the University Faculty Council shall include the chairperson or a co-chairperson who is a BFC member of the Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee, the Agenda Committee, the Budgetary Affairs Committee, the Constitution and Rules Committee, the Educational Policies Committee, the External Relations Committee, the Faculty Affairs Committee, the Fringe Benefits Committee, the Library Committee, the Long-Range Planning Committee, the Research Affairs Committee, the Student Affairs Committee, and the Technology Policy Committee. These BFC members shall be the principal Bloomington nominees for the chair or co-chair of their counterpart committees of the UFC. The remaining members of the Bloomington delegation to the University Faculty Council shall be elected by the voting members of the Bloomington Faculty Council from a ballot prepared by the Nomination Committee. In preparing that ballot, the Nomination Committee shall bear in mind the mandate of section 4.2 of the Constitution of the Indiana University Faculty: "To the extent feasible consistent with the principle of providing representation proportional to the number of faculty in units, each campus shall provide in its constitution or bylaws for representation on the University Faculty Council for schools on the campus." To comply with Bylaw 4 of the University Faculty Council, all members of the Bloomington delegation to the University Faculty Council must be chosen by March 30.

    6. Specific times for particular steps in the election process established by the above regulations, as well as number to be elected from units or length of terms of service, may need to be modified in emergencies. Such necessary revisions shall not invalidate the election procedures or results.

    7. If a vacancy occurs in any of the following--President Pro Tempore, Secretary, Parliamentarian, Nomination Committee, or Agenda Committee--the Nomination Committee and the Agenda Committee (meeting jointly) shall elect a replacement from among the present faculty members of the Council.

    8. In all elections of officers, committees, and Council members, ties will be decided by lot.

  5. The Dean of Faculties, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Associate Vice-President for Research in Bloomington, and the Chief Budgetary Officer for the Bloomington campus shall be voting members of the council.

  6. One representative of the Bloomington Reserve Officer Training Corps shall be a non-voting member of the Bloomington Faculty Council, representing the Departments of Military Science (Army) and Aerospace Studies (Air Force), to be designated jointly by the members of those departments.

  7. Alternates, Temporary Replacement Members, Vacancies:

    1. Members of the Council may appoint alternates to serve in their places at any meeting.

    2. If an elected member will be absent for one or two semesters, the member shall notify the Agenda Committee prior to the first meeting of the semester. The Agenda Committee will initiate a process for temporary replacement that will include consultation of the member's school policy committee or, in the case of at-large members, the Nomination Committee. If an elected member will be absent for more than a year, the member shall notify the Agenda Committee, and the Agenda Committee will declare the seat vacant.

    3. Whenever a vacancy occurs among the elected members of the Council earlier than a month before the Council's final meeting of the academic year, that vacancy shall be filled by the unelected nominee in the same election unit (whether faculty and librarian election unit or the at-large unit) who received the highest number of votes in the most recent election. If that person is unable to serve, the elected faculty members of the unit's policy committee, or equivalent, shall elect a replacement from among members of the same election unit or, in the case of an at-large vacancy, the Nomination Committee and the Agenda Committee, meeting jointly, shall elect a replacement from among eligible faculty.

    4. A member of Council who fails to attend a majority of Council meetings during a semester without an alternate will be contacted by the Agenda Committee. After the discussion the Agenda Committee, at its discretion, may take no action, initiate a temporary replacement process, or declare the seat vacant.

  8. Pursuant to section 5.7 of the Constitution of the Bloomington Faculty, one representative from each faculty and librarian election unit shall serve as a Council liaison to the unit's policy committee, or equivalent. The Council's nomination and election ballots shall designate the representative positions that will serve that role. For units with more than one representative, other than the College of Arts and Sciences, the Nomination Committee shall designate one position for service as Council liaison to the unit's policy committee, or equivalent. The Agenda Committee shall inform Council liaisons of matters arising in the work of the Council and its committees of which school faculty governance should be aware. School policy committees, or equivalent, shall establish working relationships with their Council liaisons that will enable them to convey school faculty concerns and policy to the Agenda Committee and the Council. In cases where no elected BFC member is also a member of the elected policy committee of a particular school or college, that school or college policy committee may send a representative to attend BFC meetings as an observer with speaking privileges. At the beginning of each academic year, the Agenda Committee shall call a meeting of the Agenda Committee, the chairs of Council committees, and representatives of faculty and librarian unit policy committees to survey and discuss issues expected to come before faculty governance groups during the year.

  9. On request prior to a meeting, any faculty member shall be invited by the Agenda Committee to participate without vote in Council meetings--subject, however, to the exercise by the Agenda Committee of its responsibility for taking varied points of view into account and for the efficient management of the Council's time. On its own initiative the Agenda Committee may invite any non-member to participate in the discussion of matters of particular interest. Faculty members, students, members of the University staff, and members of the press are welcome to attend meetings of the Council, subject only to the adequacy of available space. The Agenda Committee may invite the general faculty to participate in special meetings of the Council to be governed by ad hoc rules adopted by the Agenda Committee.

  10. The duties of the President Pro Tempore shall include, but not be limited to, the following responsibilities:

    1. To serve as Co-Secretary of the University Faculty Council.

    2. To serve, along with the Presiding Officer, the Secretary, and the Parliamentarian of the Bloomington Faculty Council, as an officer of the Bloomington faculty. (Article III, Section 9, Constitution of the Bloomington Faculty)

    3. To serve as administrator for the Bloomington Faculty Council.

    4. To preside at meetings of the Bloomington Faculty Council and at meetings of the Bloomington Faculty in the absence of the Chancellor.

    5. To preside at meetings of the Agenda Committee.

    6. To report to the Council at the first meeting of each academic year the status of uncompleted business from the prior year and the status of legislative actions taken in the prior year.

    7. To convene search and screen committees, when the majority of the membership of any search and screen committee is selected by the BFC.

    8. To convene, with the Chancellor, review committees of administrative officers holding positions bearing directly on the campus-wide teaching / research mission of IUB and who report to the Chancellor. (Review Procedures for Bloomington Campus Administrators, Section 5)

    9. To consult with the Chancellor in advance of actions taken to alleviate a crisis which could lead to a declaration of financial exigency. (Contingency Planning Policy, Part III, Section G)

    10. To convene the BFC Committee on Merger / Reorganization / Elimination. (Contingency Planning Policy, Part IV, Section B.4)

    11. To represent the Bloomington faculty in meetings with the Board of Trustees, the President, the Chancellor, and their administrative committees.

    12. Commencing July 1, 1993, the term of the President Pro Tempore shall extend for two years following his/her election until June 30, two years hence. If the President Pro Tempore's term begins in the second year of a term as a Bloomington Faculty Council member, election as President Pro Tempore shall automatically extend that person's term as a BFC member by an additional year. No person, however, shall be eligible to serve consecutive terms as President Pro Tempore.

  11. The duties of the Secretary shall include, but not be limited to, the following responsibilities:

    1. To keep comprehensive minutes of the proceedings and actions of the Council.

    2. To prepare a summary of the activities of the Council each year and to distribute it to the Bloomington Faculty.

    3. To report in the minutes the names of those present or absent at Council meetings and names of alternates present.

    4. To make available as soon as possible after each meeting of the Council the minutes of the meeting; Council documents; and the time, place, and agenda of the next meeting to all members of the faculty, associate faculty, the Treasurer, the Registrar, the Director of the News Bureau, the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, and the Secretary and President of the Student Association.

    5. To serve as a member of the Agenda Committee. (Bylaw 4.D)

    6. To preside at meetings of the Agenda Committee in the absence of the President Pro Tempore.

    7. To preside at meetings of the Faculty Council in the absence of both the Chancellor and the President Pro Tempore.

    8. To substitute temporarily for the President Pro Tempore in the execution of the duties specified in Bylaw 9, when unavoidable circumstances prohibit him/her from fulfilling those obligations.

  12. The duties of the Parliamentarian shall include, but not be limited to, the following responsibilities:

    1. To serve, along with the Presiding Officer, the President Pro Tempore, and the Secretary, as an officer of the Bloomington Faculty. (Article III, Section 9, Constitution of the Bloomington Faculty)

    2. To serve as Parliamentarian of the Bloomington Faculty Council.

    3. To serve as Chairperson of the Constitution and Rules Committee. (Bylaw 13.A as amended November 13, 1984)

    4. To serve as a member of the Agenda Committee of the Bloomington Faculty Council. (Bylaw 4.D)

    5. To preside at meetings of the Agenda Committee in the absence of both the President Pro Tempore and the Secretary.

    6. To substitute temporarily for the Secretary in the execution of the duties specified in Bylaw 10, when circumstances prohibit him/her from fulfilling those obligations.

  13. Organization of the standing committees:

    1. Standing committees of the Council are those constituted for an indefinite term.

    2. Standing committees of the Council shall consist of the AI Affairs Committee, the Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee, the Agenda Committee, the Budgetary Affairs Committee, the Constitution and Rules Committee, the Distributed Education Committee, the Educational Policies Committee, the External Relations Committee, the Faculty Affairs Committee, the Foundation Relations Committee, the Fringe Benefits Committee, the Library Committee, the Merger / Reorganization / Elimination Committee, the Nomination Committee, the Research Affairs Committee, the Student Affairs Committee, and the Technology Policy Committee.

    3. After consultation with individual Council members to determine the most effective distribution of talents and preference, the Nomination Committee shall appoint at least three--and no more than six--Council members to each standing committee.

    4. Where reasonably possible, every elected member of the Council--including students and associate instructors--shall serve on a committee of the Council. Members of the Council who serve as liaison to faculty and librarian election unit policy committees, or equivalents, shall have that participation in Council work recognized as committee service.

    5. Additional non-Council faculty members, students, and associate instructors may be appointed to each committee by the Nomination Committee. The Nomination Committee shall solicit recommendations from faculty and librarian unit policy committees, or equivalent, for committee appointments in order to facilitate communication between council and school committees with similar responsibilities. The Nomination Committee shall appoint committee chairpersons from among the committees' members who are members of the Council. Each committee may, itself, select additional members, appoint a co-chairperson, and create and staff subcommittees.

    6. Committee organization for an academic year shall be completed, as far as possible, during the spring semester of the preceding year.

    7. Terms of service on all committees, including the Agenda Committee and the Nomination Committee, shall be arranged so as to achieve a reasonable continuity of membership.

  14. Duties of the standing committees:

    1. The function of the Agenda Committee shall be as follows:
      • The agenda of the Council shall be determined by the Agenda Committee. All communications--including those from individual faculty members requesting Council action, study, or advice--shall be placed on the agenda or shall be referred to an appropriate body or committee for consideration. In the latter case, the Agenda Committee shall report its action to the Council which may--by a simple majority vote--request the Agenda Committee to place a referred item on the agenda.

      • The Agenda Committee shall prepare the final draft of any new legislation approved by the Council.

      • The Agenda Committee at any time may request the Council to determine the implementation and the effect of any past legislation or action or to reconsider any past legislation.

      • The Agenda Committee shall assign items proposed for Council consideration to the AI Affairs Committee, the Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee, the Budgetary Affairs Committee, the Constitution and Rules Committee, the Educational Policies Committee, the External Relations Committee, the Faculty Affairs Committee, the Foundation Relations Committee, the Library Committee, the Merger / Reorganization / Elimination Committee, the Nomination Committee, the Research Affairs Committee, and the Student Affairs Committee. Assignment to a particular committee shall be guided by the subject categories suggested by their names, which are purposely broad enough to cover most matters that might be brought to the Council. The committees shall consider the proposals and advise the Council as to their appropriate disposition.

      • A member of the Agenda Committee initially shall convene each committee.

    2. The Budgetary Affairs Committee shall act as a representative of the Council in offering to the Chancellor and to the chief budgetary officer for Bloomington its continuing advice and criticism on all aspect of the Bloomington Campus budgetary policy and the allocation of the Bloomington Campus financial resources, especially those proposed allocations and re-allocations of financial resources that have bearing on the economic well-being of the faculty and academic staff. Among others, the committee's responsibilities shall include:
      • Considering the relative allocations of the University's resources with respect to new programs and significant changes in existing programs.

      • Considering the setting of priorities with regard to capital outlays.

      • Considering the setting of general faculty salary policies.

    3. The Constitution and Rules Committee regularly shall evaluate the Constitution of the Bloomington Faculty and the operation of the Council's rules, shall receive and initiate proposals for modifications, and shall advise the Council on the desirability of these modifications. In addition, it shall advise officers or committees of the Council on questions concerning the interpretation of the Constitution of the Bloomington Faculty or the Council rules, which do not arise in the course of a Council meeting. The Parliamentarian shall chair this committee.

    4. The primary role of the Technology Policy Committee shall be to liaison with and represent faculty interests in technology applications with the office of the Vice President for Information Technology and the various subdivisions of this office pertaining to technology issues on the Bloomington Campus.

    5. Standing committees may also initiate their own proposals for Council action.

  15. Retention and disposition of Faculty Council records and files:

    1. Definition and principles:
      • All records and files created or received by the President Pro Tempore of the BFC as administrator of the Council and relating to Faculty Council business are defined as the official records of the BFC.

      • Records and files created or received by the chairpersons of BFC committees are defined as BFC committee files and are therefore excluded from the provisions of these rules.

      • The maintenance of official BFC records and files shall be in accordance with general Indiana University rules established by the Trustees, the Vice President for Administration, and the Indiana University Controller.

    2. Maintenance of BFC records and files:
      • Official BFC records and files shall be maintained in the Faculty Council Office for the minimum periods specified:
        • Incoming and outgoing correspondence relating to BFC business and incoming correspondence log: three years.

        • Tape recordings of BFC meetings: one year.

        • Election ballots or other data relating to elections and committee assignments: one year

        • Tabulations by name of votes in Council meetings: one year

        • File copy of agendas, minutes, circulars, and each year's Summary of the Year: permanently

    3. Disposition of BFC records and files:
      • Subject to space limitations, official BFC records and files may be retained in the BFC office for longer periods than those specified in Bylaw 15.B, at the discretion of the President Pro Tempore.

      • Tape recordings of minutes, ballots, and other election materials relating to elections and committee assignments may be erased / discarded after one year, at the discretion of the President Pro Tempore.

      • Other official BFC records and files shall be offered to the University Archives upon expiration of the period specified in Bylaw 15.B.

      • Surplus copies of items listed under Bylaw 15.B.(1)(e) shall be offered to the University Archives at the end of the Council year in which they have been created.

      • Records or files not preserved at the discretion of the President Pro Tempore according to 15.C.(1) and 15.C.(2) of this bylaw or those not accepted by the University Archives according to 15.C(3) and 15.C(4) may be discarded.

    4. Exceptions:
      • The records and files of BFC committees, while not subject to these rules, are an important resource for the efficient administration of Council activities and a potentially valuable historical record. Chairpersons are encouraged to pass on BFC committee records and files to their successors at the conclusion of the Council year and/or to offer them to the University Archives at an appropriate time.

      • Files maintained by the BFC staff for their own use and containing unofficial materials shall not be subject to the provisions of these rules.

Appendix

 

Below are the electoral sub-units within the College of Arts and Sciences that are authorized pursuant to amended Bylaw 4.B.(1).
  1. Arts and Sciences "A"

  2. Arts and Sciences "B"

  3. Arts and Sciences "C"

  4. Arts and Sciences "D"

  5. Arts and Sciences "E"

  6. Arts and Sciences "F"

  7. Arts and Sciences "G"

Approved by the Bloomington Faculty Council: November 18, 1975
Amended by the Bloomington Faculty Council: January 20, 1976
February 17, 1976
October 5, 1976
January 18, 1977
April 4, 1977
April 19, 1977
April 18, 1978
October 3, 1978
February 20, 1979
December 7, 1982
February 1, 1983
February 15, 1983
March 1, 1983
November 15, 1983
December 6, 1983
February 7, 1984
September 18, 1984
October 16, 1984
November 13, 1984
January 15, 1985
March 5, 1985
April 16, 1985
March 4, 1986
January 17, 1989
January 21, 1992
April 1, 1997
November 18, 1997
April 20, 1999
December 5, 2000
September 10, 2002
April 15, 2003