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Bylaws Standing Committees BYLAWS OF THE SENATE As amended during the 2006-2007 session of the University Senate Revising Article I, Sections 1 and 3 and Article V, Section 3 ARTICLE V. STANDING COMMITTEES Section 1. Standing Committees shall be nominated in accordance with Article IV, Section 4 of these Bylaws and shall be elected by the Senate at its April meeting. Terms of office for members of Standing Committees shall be two years provided that committee members remain in their respective positions of administrators, faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate student. Administrators, faculty members, staff members and students who are not members of the Senate may serve on Standing Committees. Section 2. For all standing committees, a quorum shall be one third of its membership or four people, whichever is greater. Section 3. The Chairpersons of the Standing Committees of the Senate shall be elected by the respective committees from among those of their own members who are also members of the Senate. The Chairpersons shall be elected at the first committee meeting of the academic year and shall remain in office until the election of the new chairperson. In exceptional circumstances, upon the recommendation of the Senate Agenda Committee and with the consent of a majority of the Senate, the chairperson of a standing committee may be a non-senator. Persons serving as chairs of the various standing committees are limited to a term as chair of no more than three consecutive years Section 4. There shall be seventeen primary Standing Committees: a Committee on Academic Affairs, a Committee on Student Life, a Committee on Administrative Operations, a Committee on Services to Faculty and Staff, a Committee on Appointment and Promotions, a Committee on Academic Freedom, Tenure and Professional Ethics, a Committee on Budget and Fiscal Affairs, a Committee on Instruction, a Committee on Curricula, a Committee on Academic Research and Creative Development, a Committee on the Library, a Committee on Computing Services, a Committee on Honorary Degrees, a Committee for Diversity, a Committee on Athletic Policy, a Committee on Women's Concerns, a Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Concerns. Each of these committees shall consist of a minimum nine members. Section 5. There shall be a Committee on Academic Affairs which shall concern itself with the academic planning process of the University and with the consideration of academic priorities and organization. It shall advise and consult regularly with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs on all matters that it deems appropriate. Section 6. There shall be a Committee on Student Life. The committee shall concern itself with aspects of student life. It shall consider such matters as campus activities and organizations, health and recreation, advising and counseling, and university environment and living conditions. The Committee shall also serve as a liaison between students and the Senate, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and other administrative offices of the University. It shall advise and consult regularly with the Vice President for Student Affairs. Section 7. There shall be a Committee on Administrative Operations. The Committee shall concern itself with the following matters: business and finance, such as accounting, purchasing, payroll, clerical, technical and hourly personnel; design and construction; parking; physical plant; food service; bookstore; public safety, and auxiliary enterprises. It shall advise and consult regularly with the appropriate administrators. Section 8. There shall be a Committee on Services to the Faculty and Staff. The committee shall strive to secure for faculty and staff members those services which will contribute to their welfare or convenience, including orientation to the University, housing, payroll deductions, insurance, health services, and they shall communicate annually with the Chancellor regarding policies governing faculty and staff perquisites and the structure of salaries. Section 9. The Committee on Appointment and Promotions shall study standards for original appointment to the faculty of the University, for promotion, and for granting tenure. The committee shall recommend to the Senate procedure for obtaining recognition of standards by the several colleges, schools and departments. It shall foster in the various colleges, schools and departments appropriate procedure for handling appointments, decisions of tenure and promotion. It shall audit all decisions of appointment, promotion and granting of tenure and may request testimony before it of appropriate deans, department chairmen and other officials. College decisions on promotions and granting of tenure may be appealed to this committee by either the candidate or the department, provided that the grievance pertains to procedural matters. The Committee on Academic Freedom, Tenure and Professional Ethics shall continue to have jurisdiction in all appeals in which violation of academic freedom or professional ethics is alleged. Section 10. There shall be a Committee on Academic Freedom, Tenure and Professional Ethics. This Committee shall concern itself with the academic privileges and responsibilities of all members of the University community. The Committee shall consider issues and entertain all cases relating to academic freedom and professional ethics arising throughout the University. This committee shall also receive and investigate all cases that have to do with sexual harassment complaints concerning the faculty. Section 11. There shall be a Committee on Budget and Fiscal Affairs. The Committee shall participate in the development and subsequent modification of University-wide budgets in cooperation with appropriate officers of the Central Administration. The Committee shall also have within its purview all long-range financial plans. It shall apprise itself of the general financial position of the University and of significant policy and priority aspects of budget decisions. It shall advise the Chancellor and the Cabinet and report all significant plans to the Senate, with recommendations when appropriate. Section 12. The Committee on Instruction shall study issues of instruction at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Such issues shall include teaching load, class size, use of graduate assistants, testing, and other pedagogical problems. The Committee shall also adjudicate course grade appeals based upon procedural irregularities, in accordance with the University's official policy on course grade appeals. It shall recommend to the Senate changes in University policy to increase emphasis on quality and the importance of teaching, and shall strive to keep a proper balance between teaching and research. The committee shall also work to find new ways of creating an atmosphere where education continues beyond the classroom. Section 13. The Committee on Curricula shall study the curricula of the various schools and colleges, consider all requests for curriculum and course changes, and recommend action on such changes to the Senate. This Committee may initiate suggestions to the several departments designed to improve their curricula and courses, but it shall concern itself primarily with curricular matters affecting the University as a whole. The Committee shall also study interdepartmental, interdivisional, intercollege, area, and summer session programs; consider what programs are academically wise and financially practicable; and recommend to the Senate policy concerning such programs. Section 14. The Committee on Research shall be responsible for stimulating, assisting and coordinating the various University groups interested in research. It shall also observe and report on research activities with respect to the maintenance of principles of academic freedom and open disclosure of research findings. It shall recommend policy regarding research leaves. It shall strive to promote a proper balance between research and teaching. Section 15. The Committee on the Library shall have as its primary responsibility studying the resources and long-range plans of the University Libraries and reporting about them to the Senate. It shall advise and consult with the administrators of the libraries on matters of policy and procedures. Section 16. The Committee on Computing Services shall have as its primary responsibility to advise and consult with administrators of computing services on major issues of policy and procedure for the use of University computing facilities. Such issues include the development of long range plans for acquisition, distribution, and use of resources, including staff and equipment, and for the creation and maintenance of effective structures for communicating and consulting with clients. Section 17. The Committee on Honorary Degrees shall recommend to the Senate candidates for such degrees, except as provided for in Article IV, Section 5, when it shall make its recommendations to the Agenda Committee. Nominations for degrees will be invited from all members of the University community. This Committee shall have exclusive responsibility for recommending to the Senate candidates for Honorary Degrees at the spring commencement, except for the commencement speaker. If a speaker is to be awarded an Honorary Degree, names of several potential speakers shall be recommended to the Honorary Degree Committee by a committee appointed by the Chancellor. The Honorary Degree Committee will transmit the names selected to the Senate for its action. Individual colleges and schools may on appropriate occasions award Honorary Degrees, but no school or college may award more than one such degree for a special occasion in any one academic year. Nominations for such degrees will be made to the Senate through the Honorary Degree Committee with the committee's recommendation for action Approved candidates for Honorary Degrees shall remain on the active list for a period of two years. After two years if either they have not been invited or it has not been possible to award such degrees in person, the names will be dropped from the list of approved candidates. Such persons may be renominated. No Honorary Degree will be awarded in absentia. The selection of Honorary Degree recipients will be made from the Senate-approved active list by the appropriate committee of the Board of Trustees in consultation with the Chancellor and the Senate Committee. Section 18. There shall be a Committee for Diversity, consisting of faculty, students, staff, and administrators. The members shall be appointed by the Senate. In addition, the Affirmative Action Officer and the Director of EEO shall be ex officio members. The Committee for Diversity shall be charged with reviewing, making recommendations, providing support, leadership and advocacy for University policies, practices and programs regarding diversity. The Committee shall report regularly to the Senate on matters of diversity relating to traditionally under-represented groups in enrollment, staffing, equal opportunity and access, and grievance procedures. Section 19. There shall be a Committee on Athletic Policy The committee shall be concerned with the impact of University as well as Athletic Department policies and practices on the well-being and progress of students who are athletes. Consideration shall be given to admissions, advising, comparisons of graduate rates with other institutions, placement after graduation, and other topics that the committee deems important. The committee shall recommend changes in policy where appropriate. Section 20. There shall be a Committee on Women's Concerns which shall focus on the development, oversight, and monitoring of the many issues at Syracuse University which are central to the climate for women faculty members, administrators, staff members, and students. In particular, but not exclusively, the committee will concern itself with issues of curriculum, pay equity, affirmative action, sexual harassment, climate and advancement of women Section 21. There shall be a Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) Concerns, which shall focus on improving the campus climate for LGBT faculty members, staff members, and students. The committee also will concern itself with education of campus leaders about LGBT issues and facilitation of public dialogue on LGBT issues. 
Updated April 20, 2007
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