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Approved February, 2019

Preamble

The Faculty Senate of Windward Community College is hereby established to provide formal faculty involvement in educational decision-making, academic policy, and program development.

The purpose of this formal faculty involvement is to ensure that quality education is provided, preserved, and improved at Windward Community College and in the University of Hawai’i system in general.

ARTICLE I – NAME AND DUTIES

The name of this organization shall be the Faculty Senate of Windward Community College (hereinafter referred to as the Senate).

Section A.

The Senate shall be the exclusive policy-recommending and advisory body that represents the Windward Community College (hereinafter referred to as the College) faculty.

Section B.

The Senate shall provide advice and recommendations in the following areas:

  1. The Strategic Plan and related planning documents;
  2. Academic policy and programs;
  3. Policy for evaluation of faculty and campus academic administrators;
  4. Credit and non-credit curricula, especially, but not limited to, content, subject matter,methods of instruction, grading policy, and certificate and degreerequirements;
  5. Priorities for position and resource allocation;
  6. Standards of teaching, scholarship, and college and community service;
  7. Student services and student life;
  8. Community relations and public services programs;
  9. Other policy matters referred to it by the Chancellor or other elements oftheUniversity of Hawai’i (herein after referred to as the University); and
  10. Other academic policy not listed, which affects the general welfare of the College.

Section C.

The Senate may make rules, regulations, and procedures as necessary to provide its advice and recommendations and carry out its business. All advice and recommendations from the Senate shall be transmitted to the Chancellor and other elements of the University as appropriate.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP

Section A. Faculty

For voting and serving in an elected or appointed office of the Senate, faculty shall mean a person who has at least a 0.5 position count Board of Regents appointment and is a member of Unit 7, or who is a lecturer assigned at least 8 credits in the current semester at Windward Community College. Faculty in all other contexts shall include lecturers and faculty having less than a 0.5 position count appointment.

Section B. Composition of the Senate

The Senate shall be composed of

  • three Senate Chairs;
  • one senator (or the designated alternate) from each of these Windward campus units:
    • Support Units (Library, Media, Computing Services, Institutional Research, and Planning and Program Evaluation)
    • Humanities
    • Language Arts
    • Mathematics/Business
    • Natural Sciences
    • Social Sciences
    • Student Services
    • Career and Community Education (CCE)

A senator may not serve concurrently as an administrator, chair of a Department, chair of the Senate, or chair of a Curriculum Committee. The Senate may suspend this rule if a department does not have enough eligible members.

ARTICLE III – SENATORS

Section A. Duties

Each senator is expected to represent the interests of his/her unit at all meetings and communicate Senate matters to his/her department.

Section B. Terms of Office

Senators shall be elected by their units. Term of office shall be for 1 year commencing with the first Faculty Senate meeting in May, or if no May meeting is held, May 15.

ARTICLE IV – SENATE CHAIRS

Section A. Composition

There shall be three chairs of the Senate who represent the interests of the faculty as a whole: Chair 1 (“Recording Chair”), Chair 2 (” Off-Campus Chair”), and Chair 3 (“Presiding Chair”).

Section B. Terms of Office

The Presiding Chair shall assume office at the first Faculty Senate meeting in May, or May 15 if no May meeting is held, and serve 12 months. The Recording Chair and Off-Campus Chair shall assume office at the first Faculty Senate meeting in May, or May 15 if no May meeting is held, and serve 24 months. No chair shall serve concurrently as an administrator, a department chair, or The Curriculum Committee chair, unless an exception is made by the Senate.

Section C. Duties

General duties of the Senate chairs are as follows:

  • To convene the Senate;
  • To represent the Senate and transmit its recommendations and advice to the Chancellor or other elements of the University of Hawai’i;
  • To prepare and distribute written agendas to the Senate and faculty 1 week prior to Senate meetings;
  • To meet with the Chancellor a minimum of once a month and report on those meetings to the Senate and the faculty;
  • To receive all formal communications addressed to the Senate and take action or assign them to the appropriate committee;
  • To assure appropriate communication between the Senate and the Chancellor;
  • To appoint standing committee chairs unless elected by the committee members or by the faculty at large, to assign tasks and completion dates to the committees, and create ad hoc committees as needed for the execution of business;
  • To make provisional decisions subject to the Senate’s review at its next meeting;
  • To resolve any disputes regarding committee memberships and chairs;
  • To serve as non-voting and ex-officio members of committees;
  • To conduct relations with the Faculty Senates of the University of Hawai’i colleges;
  • To assume other tasks assigned to them by the Senate.

Division of duties among the Senate chairs

  • Chair One (“Recording Chair”) The Recording Chair shall assume the following major duties:
    • Transmit all written communications to persons external to the Senate;
    • Record and distribute to the faculty the minutes of meetings;
    • Serve as Master of Ceremonies at Commencement or delegate this duty to another faculty member approved by the Commencement Committee;
    • Make written reports to the Senate and faculty of meetings with the Chancellor; and
    • V ote at Senate meetings.
  • Chair Two (“Off-Campus Chair”) The Off-Campus Chair shall assume the following major duties:
    • Represent the Senate at all off-campus meetings, both within the University of Hawai’i and with other groups where a Windward Community College Senate chair is required. Provide brief reports on these meetings to the Senate and the faculty;
    • Solicit nominations and conduct elections for chairs of the Senate and the Curriculum Committees and all other elections involving the entire faculty;
    • Serve as treasurer for Senate funds
    • V ote at Senate meetings; and
    • Serve as parliamentarian.
  • Chair Three (“Presiding Chair”) The Presiding Chair is elected for a 1-year term and shall assume the following major duties:
    • Preside at meetings of the Senate;
    • Receive all communications to the Senate and request action from the appropriate Senate committees;
    • Be responsible for the preparation and distribution of written agendas of Senate meetings to the faculty 1 week prior to a meeting;
    • Distribute information to the Senate and the faculty;
    • Vote on motions only in case of a tie vote; and
    • Serve as Marshal at Commencement.

The three chairs will meet regularly to consult with each other to carry out Senate responsibilities. The following major duties will be completed by the chairs as a group:

  • Provide the Senate with an annual report of accomplishments and issues still pending at the May transition meeting; and
  • Set agenda for meetings.
  • Any two of the three Senate chairs may discharge any of their joint responsibilities.
  • Individual assignments may be exchanged by mutual agreement of the chairs.

Section D. Compensation for Faculty Leadership

UHCCP #9.237 on Teaching Equivalencies (dated March 2013) states that each campus shall determine the number of teaching equivalencies to be granted within the following ranges: a) Faculty Senate Leadership, from 6 to 12 teaching equivalencies per academic year; b) Curriculum Committee Leadership, from 4 to 12 teaching equivalencies per academic year. Teaching Equivalencies are for both 9-month and 11-month faculty. If a reduction in workload to accommodate these TE’s is not possible, as may be the case for the 11-month faculty, then it shall be paid as overload. The allocation of the teaching equivalencies for WCC leadership has been established through a memorandum with college administration (dated October 2018) for the following amounts:

  1. Chair One (1 TE per semester for a total of 2 TE per academic year)
  2. Chair Two (3 TE per semester for a total of 6 TE per academic year)
  3. Chair Three (1 TE per semester for a total of 2 TE per academic year)
  4. Curriculum Committee Chair (3 TE per semester for a total of 6 TE per academic year)

ARTICLE V – COMMITTEES

Section A. Standing Committees and Duties

The standing committees of the Senate shall be The Curriculum Committee, The Writing Advisory Board, The Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific (HAP) Issues Board, The Foundations Board, and The Aloha Committee.

  1. The Curriculum Committee shall be composed of a representative elected from within each Faculty Senate unit. The chair shall be elected at large by credit faculty every two years. A committee member may not serve concurrently as a department chair, senator, Senate chair, or administrator without prior approval of the Curriculum Committee. The committee shall study, evaluate, and make recommendations concerning the nature and scope of all aspects of the for-credit educational curricula and policies on grading and academic probation. The Curriculum Committee may create ad hoc committees to perform specific tasks. It shall notify the Faculty Senate of the creation and termination of these ad hoc committees.
  2. The Writing Advisory Board shall be composed of at least one representativefrom each credit department, who may also be its Curriculum representative, to the board. The Writing Advisory Board shall elect its chair each year from among its members by September 1. The board shall promote writing as a tool for learning and critical thinking across the curriculum. It shall designate writing intensive courses, evaluate their effectiveness, and provide for inter-campus articulation. The chair shall write an annual report to the Senate and the University of Hawai’i Writing Committee.
  3. The Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific (HAP) Issues Board shall be composed of one representative selected from each of the departments of Humanities, Language Arts, and Natural Sciences, and Student Services. One at-large representative shall be elected to represent the Math/Business and Social Sciences departments. Board members take office September 1. The chair shall be elected by current members of the HAP Board and take office May 1. The term of office for the chair and board members is 3 years. The board shall receive, evaluate, and approve requests for HAP designation. It shall also provide assistance and guidance to faculty who are interested in obtaining HAP designation for their courses.
  4. The Foundations Board shall be composed of one representative selected from each of the departments and Student Services. Board members take office September 1. The chair shall be elected by current members of the Foundations Board and take office May 1. When a representative is elected as chair of the Board, thedepartment or unit must select a new representative. The term of office for the chair and board members is three years. The board shall receive, evaluate, and approve requests for Foundations designation.
  5. The Sustainability Curriculum Committee shall be composed of volunteer representatives from each of the academic departments, academic support, student affairs, and career and continuing education, with a chair selected from among the members by a simple majority vote. Because membership is voluntary, some departments may select not to be represented. The Chair shall serve for two years with the possibility of renewal by a vote. The committee consists of maximum of up to eight voting members with a simple majority of active members needed for quorum. Members shall serve for one academic year or as determined by their respective departments with no term limits. A term of service beings on July 1st and concludes on June 30th of the following year.

Section B. Term of Office of Standing Committees

Membership on standing committees shall be for one year commencing May 1 unless otherwise indicated above.

Section C. Standing Committee Chairs

Standing committee chairs shall assume office by September 1, unless otherwise indicated above, either by election or selection by committee members. They shall present reports as tasks are completed, and present a written annual report listing accomplishments and pending issues at the Faculty Senate’s May transition meeting.

Section D. Ad Hoc Committees

These committees shall be established by the Senate chairs to perform specific tasks that are not covered by the responsibilities of the standing committees. After presentation of their final written reports, these committees shall cease to function unless extended by the Senate chairs.

Section E. Procedure for Standing and Ad Hoc Committees

Committees may meet with persons external to the faculty for information gathering in order to develop recommendations for the Senate’s decision making. No committee shall speak for the Senate.

ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS

Section A. Regular and Special Meetings

The Senate shall meet monthly during the academic year, with additional meetings called by the Senate chairs as needed. In May, a transitional meeting will orient new Senate members. Senate chairs and standing committee chairs will present their annual reports. These will be the only items of business at this transitional meeting.

Section B. Quorum

A quorum shall consist of a majority of voting members.

Section C. Attendance at Meetings

All faculty members may attend meetings. Non-faculty may attend Senate and committee meetings at the invitation of the chairs. Requests by non-faculty to attend a meeting shall be submitted to the Presiding Chair ahead of time for consideration. Visitors may be asked to leave during discussion and voting on motions.

Section D. Meetings of the Entire Faculty

The Senate chairs may call meetings of the entire faculty, as they deem necessary.

ARTICLE VII – ELECTION PROCEDURES

Section A. Elections

Department Chairs shall conduct elections for their Senate and Curriculum Committee representatives. The Off-Campus Chair shall conduct elections for chairs of the Senate, the chairs of the Curriculum Committee, and all other elections involving the entire faculty.

Section B. Elections Procedures for Chairs of Faculty Senate and Curriculum Committees

Nominations may come from any faculty member. The call for nominations shall specify the term length. Voting shall be by secret ballot and shall be completed by the first Monday in April. In the event of a vacancy, a special election shall be held in a timely fashion.

Section C. Announcement of Election Results

The Off-Campus Chair will announce the election results of the Faculty Senate chairs and the Curriculum Committee chair at least one week prior to the election of the department chairs.

Section D. Senators and Curriculum Committee Representatives

All units shall conduct the elections of their senators and Curriculum Committee representatives by secret ballot by the third Monday in April. Department shall also appoint Writing Advisory Board members at this time.

ARTICLE VIII – INITIATIVE

Any faculty member may present a motion, in the form of a petition bearing the signatures of 25% of the faculty, to the Senate to be considered at its next meeting.

ARTICLE IX – REFERENDUM

Any duly presented initiative not passed by the Senate shall be submitted to the whole faculty for a vote by secret ballot. The Senate shall schedule a meeting of the entire faculty to discuss the motion. The vote shall be completed within 5 working days of the discussion meeting. The initiative passes if the majority of all votes cast are in favor.

ARTICLE X – RECALL

Section A. Initiation of a Recall of Senate and Curriculum Committee Chairs

Upon receipt of a petition signed by 25% of the faculty for the recall of a Senate chair or The Curriculum Committee chair, the Senate shall hold a recall vote. This recall vote shall be held within 5 working days of the receipt of a valid petition. A majority of all votes cast shall suffice to recall the chair, and the seat of the chair shall be declared vacant. A special election shall be held in a timely fashion to fill the vacancy.

Section B. Recall of Senators and Curriculum Committee Representatives

Units can recall senators and Curriculum Committee representatives using procedures similar to those described in Section A.

ARTICLE XI – AMENDING PROCEDURE

Section A. Amendments

Amendments to this constitution shall be proposed by a petition of at least one-third (1/3) of the faculty or a majority vote of the Senate. Copies of proposed amendments shall be distributed to the entire faculty, discussed at a meeting of the entire faculty or online via the WCC Discussion Board (posted one week), and voted on by secret ballot of the faculty no later than 5 working days after the discussion meeting or after the discussion board posting closes. The proposed amendments shall be ratified by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the votes cast.

Section B. Implementation of Amendments

All amendments approved under the provisions of Article XI, Section A of this constitution will be sent to the Chancellor of the College. Upon the Chancellor’s approval, the amendments will become a permanent part of the Constitution.

ARTICLE XII – PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

The most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall be the authority on all matters of procedure not otherwise covered in this constitution.

ARTICLE XIII – EFFECTIVE DATE

This constitution, as amended in February 2019, shall be officially effective upon approval of the Chancellor of Windward Community College.

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