Appendix D

1/23/18

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES AND RULES

Revisions to Bylaws; Article IV Committees, Section 6

(Legislative)

Implementation: Upon Approval by the Senate

Rationale:

The University Faculty Senate is a deliberative body that relies on the expertise of its committees when considering important questions. While committees often come to a decision by consensus, some questions are decided by a split vote. Under the Senate bylaws, there is no formal mechanism by which members of a committee can disseminate their concerns about recommendations made by the committee as a whole. Permitting committee members with the option of writing a minority opinion, and having it submitted along with the decision of the majority, permits the full Senate to better understand the nature of the disagreement within a committee, and to make more informed judgments when considering whether to support a committee’s recommendation.

Recommendation:

That Article IV, Section 6 of the Bylaws be and is hereby amended as follows:

Please note that the following contains bold text for additions. Added text is notated with [Add] [End Add].

[Add]

Article IV

Section 6

Members of a Senate committee may file a minority opinion outlining concerns or objections to a pending committee report, provided that the minority opinion is signed by two or more voting members. If the committee report is approved for the agenda, Senate Council will include the minority opinion(s) in the Senate Agenda for the Senate’s consideration. The author(s) of a minority opinion will not present the report or stand for questions during the presentation of the report except by special invitation by the Chair. Committee members, like all Senators, are free to ask questions, or make statements when the Senate considers the pending report.

[End Add]

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES AND RULES

  • Jonathan Abel
  • Michael Bérubé
  • Victor Brunsden
  • Mark Casteel
  • Ann Clements
  • Amy Dietz
  • Beth King
  • Richard Robinett
  • James Strauss
  • Jane Sutton
  • Ann Taylor
  • Kent Vrana, Chair
  • Nicole Webster, Vice-Chair
  • Matthew Woessner