EASTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY

La Grande, Oregon

 

CONSTITUTION

 

Preamble

 

Eastern Oregon University is a comprehensive institution of higher education within the Oregon University System subject to the control of the State Board of Higher Education.  This Constitution has been developed in order to insure shared participation and responsibility for governance at Eastern Oregon University.  The educational concerns and responsibilities of the campus are herein provided to the President, the campus Assembly, and the Faculty Senate.

 

Article I.  Administration

 

Section 1.  The President of the University  --  Duties of Office

 

             a.  The President is the chief executive officer and has general administrative authority       over all University affairs as outlined in the standing Administrative Rules and the Internal Management Directives of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education.  The President shall be responsible for introducing and testing the improvement of educational  ideas and proposals for formulating policy; stimulating and conducting discussion leading to the improvement of educational programs; and reviewing policies, procedures, and programs of the individual units on the campus and the campus as a whole.  The President shall develop an administrative organization to assist him in carrying out the policies as established by the Oregon State Board of  Higher Education.

 

             b.  The President shall establish and maintain communication with the outside community.  The President will take the necessary steps to insure continuous and frequent interactions with the community in the interest of facilitating maximum understanding of interests, goals, and needs of both the campus and the larger community.

 

             c.  The President serves as the communication link between the Chancellor's Office and the campus community.

 

Section 2.  Terms of Office

            

             a.  The President serves at the pleasure of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education.

 

             b.  The Executive Committee of the Assembly or the Faculty Senate may, by majority vote of its membership, ask the Chancellor of  the Oregon University System to initiate an extraordinary review of the President when deemed appropriate.

 

 

Section 3.  Selection of Administrative Officers

 

             The establishment and organization of administrative offices shall be done in consultation with the Executive Committee of the Assembly, the Faculty Senate, and other appropriate members of the campus selected in  consultation with the Assembly and the Faculty Senate.  In the appointment of principal administrative officers whose duties materially affect the educational programs, the President and the Provost shall consult with appropriate members of the campus community.

 

Section 4.  Faculty Personnel Policy and Procedure

 

             Policies and procedures relating to faculty personnel issues such as tenure, promotion,       and leave are specified in the Faculty/Staff Handbook.  Such policies and procedures are                recommended by the Assembly and the Faculty Senate to the President for implementation and shall be consistent with all applicable federal, state, and Oregon State Board of Higher Education rules, regulations, and procedures.

 

Article II.  Schools

 

Section 1.  Organization

 

             The School shall be the basic academic organizational unit of Eastern Oregon University and shall consist of its professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors, part-time faculty, and other members the School may choose to elect or appoint.

 

Section 2.  Dean of the School

 

             a.  Duties and Responsibilities  ---  The Dean of the School is the official representative and administrative officer of the School.  The Dean of the School shall be responsible for the formulation of School policies and execution of Oregon State System of Higher Education and campus policies insofar as they concern the School.  The Dean shall call and preside over School meetings and meetings of the School Council, be generally responsible for the organization and quality of the work of the School, report on teaching and research of the School faculty, and prepare the budget and be responsible for the expenditure of School funds in consultation with members of the School and the School Council.  The Dean shall introduce proposals, stimulate and conduct discussions directed toward improvement of the education program, and consult with members of the School, and other individuals and groups as appropriate, on all manners of common concern.  The Dean serves at the pleasure of the President.

 

Section 3.  Meetings

 

             a.  Each School shall hold at least one meeting each quarter.  Special meetings may be      called by the Dean of the School.  At the request of four (4) or more members of the School, the Dean shall call a meeting of the School within seven (7) days.  The agendas for regular and special meetings of the School shall be prepared by the Dean of the School and shall be distributed in advance to all members of the School, the President, and the Provost.

 

Section 4.  School Personnel Committees

 

             a.  Organization  ---  Each School shall elect a School Personnel Committee.  The structure of each School Personnel Committee shall be decided by the School.

 

             b.  Membership

 

                  1.  Only tenured faculty may be elected to and serve on School Personnel Committees.  Faculty shall be elected to two-year terms.

 

                   2.  Each School shall select one (1) current student majoring in an area covered by the School to serve on the School Personnel  Committee.

 

                  3.  No faculty member shall serve on a School Personnel Committee in a year when       the faculty member is being considered for promotion.

 

                  4.  The School Personnel Committee shall select its own Chair from its members.

 

             c.  Duties and Responsibilities

 

                  1.  The School Personnel Committee shall review faculty personnel matters of tenure,   promotion, merit, post-tenure review, continuing review, sabbatical leave, and termination. Committee decisions shall be forwarded to the School Dean and to the Faculty Senate Personnel Committee.

 

                  2.  The School Personnel Committee may also review such policy issues as evaluation,  salary, tenure, and promotion as it deems appropriate.  Recommendations shall be made to the School Dean.

 

Section 5.  School  Council

 

             a.  Organization  ---  Each School shall establish a School Council.  The composition, size, and selection of the Council shall be the shared responsibility of the School Dean and the faculty.

 

             b.  Duties and Responsibilities

 

                  1.  The School Council will serve as the principal faculty governance body of the School.

 

                 2.  The School Council will advise the Dean in the development of budgets, School policies, scheduling, and any other matters of mutual interest and concern.

 

Article III.  The Eastern Oregon University Assembly

 

Section 1.  Membership

 

             All academic faculty and administrative-support faculty holding at least half-time appointments shall be members of the Assembly.  In addition, all officers (President, and Vice Presidents) of the recognized student government and all classified staff serving on Assembly committees shall be members of the Assembly.   

 

Section 2.  Election of Officers, Committees, and Standing Committees

 

             a.  The Assembly shall be responsible for determining and publicizing a mechanism for electing Assembly officers and for electing members to and filling appointments on Assembly committees.

 

             b.  The Assembly Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Parliamentarian shall be elected by the Assembly.  The Assembly officers shall serve one-year terms and are eligible for reelection.  Vacancies shall be filled by special elections.

 

             c.  The classified staff shall fill by election all designated classified staff positions on Assembly committees. 

            

Section 3.  Duties and Responsibilities of Officers

 

             a.  The Assembly Chair shall preside over all meetings.

 

             b.  The Assembly Vice Chair shall preside in the absence of the Assembly Chair or when the Assembly Chair takes the floor.

 

             c.  The Assembly Secretary shall be responsible for the preparation of the minutes of all Assembly meetings.  The minutes should report only the range of discussion and action taken and shall be subject to additions and corrections only by the Assembly.  Within two weeks following each meeting of the Assembly, the Secretary shall distribute the minutes to all members of the campus community and place a copy in the library where a permanent file shall be maintained.

 

             d.  The Parliamentarian shall advise the Assembly Chair on the propriety of actions according to rules and procedures adopted by the Assembly.  Where there is no explicit rule or procedure, or where interpretation is in doubt, the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern.

 

Section 4.  Meetings, Agenda, Quorum

 

             a.  The Eastern Oregon University Assembly shall hold at least one regular meeting each quarter.  Special meetings may be called by the Assembly Chair, the University President, the Executive Committee, or by request of not less than ten (10) members of the Assembly.  Special meetings must be announced no later than three (3) school days prior to the intended meeting.   An emergency meeting may be called only by the Executive Committee with a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours notice.

 

             b.  The call for all meetings shall include the agenda for the meeting.

 

             c.  A quorum shall consist of no less than one-half of the Assembly members.

 

Section 5.  Executive Session

 

             The Assembly may, by majority vote, declare an executive session wherein only members of the Assembly and others required by Oregon law shall be present.

 

Section 6.  Duties and Responsibilities

 

             The Assembly is the policy-making and legislative body responsible for addressing non-academic issues and concerns of Eastern Oregon University delegated to it by policies of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education and the University President.  If the President should disagree with any action of the Assembly, the President shall be responsible for reporting the reasons for the disagreement to the Assembly. 

 

The duties and responsibilities of the Assembly would generally include the following:

 

             a.  To establish appropriate policies and review procedures and regulations governing all non-educational matters of the University program.  This would generally include the following areas of concern: University-wide budget issues, athletics, student activities, awards, financial aid, student behavior, personnel policies and procedures for administrative-support faculty, and campus events.

 

             b.  To establish and review the actions of standing and ad hoc Assembly committees.

 

             c.  To review the actions of the Executive Committee of the Assembly.

 

             d.  To receive and discuss reports from the University President and other University administrative officers or to request such reports on any matter affecting the University.

 

             e.  To discuss and act upon any measure or question appropriate to the function of the Assembly.

 

             f.  To consider and decide matters related to the interpretation of the Constitution and Bylaws in non-academic areas.  In academic areas the Faculty Senate will be the deciding body with respect to Constitution and Bylaws interpretation.

 

             g.  To delegate any of the above duties and responsibilities.

 

Section 7.  Voting

 

             Open, individual voting shall occur within the Assembly.  There is no provision for proxy votes.  The most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern secret ballots.  If a ballot is required external to a Assembly meeting, the notice of the balloting time shall be distributed to all Assembly members and ballots shall be cast at designated polling sites.  A list of eligible voters shall be placed at each site.  A validated list of individuals casting ballots shall be maintained by the University President's Office.

           

Article IV.  Executive Committee of the Assembly

 

Section 1.  Organization

 

             a.  The Executive Committee shall consist of fourteen (14) members including the Assembly Chair who chairs the Executive Committee, the Assembly Vice Chair, the Assembly Secretary; two (2) faculty members from each school, two (2) administrative-support faculty, two (2) classified staff, and two (2) students.  The University President shall serve ex officio without vote.  Faculty members shall be elected by the Assembly, classified staff members shall be elected by the classified staff, and the student members shall be appointed by the recognized student government.  The University President's Office shall provide staff support to the Executive Committee.  A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members of the committee.  Members assume their duties at the start of the new academic year following their election.

 

             b.  Non-student members shall be elected for two-year terms in alternating years.  Student members are appointed for one-year terms.

 

Section 2.  Duties and Responsibilities

 

             a.  To carry out any function delegated by the Assembly.

 

             b.  To prepare agendas and call meetings of the Assembly.

 

             c.  To request reports and information for the Assembly.

 

             d.  To receive and coordinate reports and recommendations for action by the Assembly.

 

             e.  To apprize appropriate committees of the Assembly of any matters the Executive Committee considers worthy of deliberation.

 

             f.  To remove any chair or members of an Assembly committee for inaction.

 

             g.  To serve as an advisory board to the President of the University.  The advisory role of the Executive Committee may be initiated by either the President or the Assembly Chair.

 

Article V. Faculty Senate

 

Section 1.  Membership

 

             All faculty whose primary responsibility is teaching shall be members of the Faculty Senate. All voting members of the Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee, the Academic Support Committee, and the Academic Standards Committee shall be voting members of the Faculty Senate during their tenure on those committees.

 

Section 2.  Election of Officers, Committees, and Standing Committees

 

             a.  The Faculty Senate shall be responsible for determining and publicizing a mechanism for electing Faculty Senate officers and for electing members to and filling appointments on Faculty Senate committees.

 

             b.  The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Parliamentarian of the Faculty Senate shall be elected by the Faculty Senate.  The Senate officers shall serve one-year terms and are eligible for reelection.  Vacancies shall be filled by special elections.

 

Section 3.  Duties and Responsibilities of Officers

 

             a.  The President of the Faculty Senate shall preside over all meetings.

 

             b.  The Vice President of the Faculty Senate shall preside in the absence of the Faculty Senate President or when the Senate President takes the floor.

 

             c.  The Secretary of the Faculty Senate shall be responsible for the preparation of the minutes of all Faculty Senate meetings.  The minutes should report only the range of discussion and action taken and shall be subject to additions and corrections only by the Faculty Senate.  Within two weeks following each meeting of the Faculty Senate, the Secretary shall distribute the minutes to all members of the Faculty Senate, the University President, the Provost, and the School Deans, and place a copy in the library where a permanent file shall be maintained.

 

             d.  The Parliamentarian shall advise the Senate President on the propriety of actions according to rules and procedures adopted by the Faculty Senate.  Where there is no explicit rule or procedure, or where interpretation is in doubt, the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern.

 

Section 4.  Meetings, Agenda, Quorum

 

             a.  The Faculty Senate shall hold at least one regular meeting each quarter.  Special meetings may be called by the Senate President, the University President, or by request of not less than ten (10) members of the Faculty Senate.  Special meetings must be announced no later than three (3) school days prior to the intended meeting.   If the up-coming meeting is designated by  the Senate President, the University President, or the ten (10) or more requesting Senate members as an emergency meeting, a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours notice is required.

 

             b.  The call for all meetings shall include the agenda for the meeting.

 

             c.  A quorum shall consist of no less than one-third of the Faculty Senate members resident on the La Grande campus.

 

Section 5.  Executive Session

 

             The Faculty Senate may, by majority vote, declare an executive session wherein only members of the Faculty Senate, and others required by Oregon law, shall be present.

 

Section 6.  Duties and Responsibilities

 

             The Faculty Senate, as the educational policy-making and legislative body, shall exercise general legislative authority and responsibility for educational matters concerning Eastern Oregon University delegated to it by policies of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education and the University President.  If the President should disagree with any action of the Faculty Senate, the President shall be responsible for reporting the reasons for the disagreement to the Faculty Senate. 

 

The duties and responsibilities of the Faculty Senate would generally include the following:

 

             a.  To establish appropriate policies and review procedures and regulations governing all educational and academic matters of the University program.  This would generally include the following areas of concern: curricula, academic policies, admission standards, honors, personnel policies and procedures for teaching faculty, and academic functions.

 

             b.  To establish and review the actions of standing and ad hoc Faculty Senate committees.

 

             c.  To receive and discuss reports from the University President and other University administrative officers or to request such reports on any matter affecting teaching faculty of the University.

 

             d.  To discuss and act upon any measure or question appropriate to the teaching faculty or the educational mission of the University.

 

             e.  To delegate any of the above duties and responsibilities.

 

Section 7.  Faculty Senate Committees

 

             The Education Policy and Curriculum Committee, Faculty Senate Personnel Committee, Academic Standards Committee and Academic Support Committee  report solely to the Faculty Senate.  If grievances involving teaching faculty occur, the Faculty Senate will appoint a grievance committee to hear and make a recommendation on the grievance to the University President.  Teaching faculty grievance committees, when established, shall follow the general policies, procedures, and contractual obligations of Eastern Oregon University.

 

Section 8.  Voting

 

             Open, individual voting shall occur within the Faculty Senate.  There is no provision for proxy votes.  The most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern secret ballots.  If a ballot is required external to a Faculty Senate meeting, the notice of the balloting time shall be distributed to all Faculty Senate members and ballots shall be cast at designated polling sites.  A list of eligible voters shall be placed at each site.  A validated list of individuals casting ballots shall be maintained by the University President's Office.

 

                        Article VI.  Assembly Grievance Committee

 

Section 1.  Organization

 

             a.  The Assembly Grievance Committee shall consist of seven (6) members including two (2) administrative-support faculty member, two (2) classified staff, and two (2) students appointed by the recognized student government.  The University President, Provost, and School Deans shall not be eligible for membership.  The committee shall elect its own chair.

 

             b.  The members of the Grievance Committee do not represent constituencies, but are to act in the best interests and for the welfare of the entire community at Eastern Oregon University.

 

             c.  Non-student members shall be elected by their respective constituencies and shall serve two-year terms.  Students shall be appointed to one-year terms by the recognized student government.  Interim vacancies shall be filled by special elections.

 

Section 2.  Duties and Responsibilities

 

             a.  The Committee shall serve as a grievance and appeals committee for any non-teaching member of the campus community who petitions the Grievance Committee.  Petitioners must have already made a good-faith effort to resolve their grievance at a lower level.

 

             b.  The Committee shall recommend to the Assembly all grievance and appeals procedures.

 

Article VII.  Faculty Senate Personnel Committee

 

Section 1.  Organization

 

             The Faculty Senate Personnel Committee shall consist of six (6) members elected by the Faculty Senate.  Three (3) members shall be from the School of Arts & Sciences and three (3) members shall be from the School of Education and Business Programs.

 

Section 2.  Membership

 

             a.  Only tenured teaching faculty may be elected to and serve on the Faculty Senate Personnel Committee.  At least one of the faculty members elected to the Faculty Senate Personnel Committee from each School must also be a member of the School's Personnel Committee.  Faculty members are elected to two-year terms.

 

             b.  No faculty member shall serve on the Faculty Senate Personnel Committee in a year when the faculty member is being considered for promotion.

 

Section 3.  Duties and Responsibilities

 

             a.  To recommend to the Faculty Senate such policies regarding evaluation, procedures, tenure, and promotion as it deems appropriate and advisable.

 

             b.  To recommend to the University President and Provost such policies regarding salary as the Committee deems appropriate and advisable, and shall report to the Faculty Senate on current policies and practices.

 

             c.  To receive and review all School Personnel Committee and School Dean recommendations for tenure, promotion, merit, post-tenure review, continuing review, sabbatical  leave, and termination.  The Faculty Senate Personnel Committee shall add its own recommendation and rationale to each case before forwarding them to the Provost and the affected faculty member.

 

             d.  To meet with faculty members, when requested, about Committee decisions.

 

             e.  To meet, if necessary, with the University President or the Provost to discuss preliminary presidential decisions before implementation.

 

Article VIII. Administrative-Support Faculty Personnel Committee

 

Section 1.  Organization

 

            The Administrative-Support Faculty Personnel Committee shall consist of six (6) members elected by the administrative-support faculty of the Assembly.

 

Section 2.  Membership

 

             Only individuals whose primary responsibility is administrative or support may be elected to serve on this Committee.  Members are elected to two-year terms.  Interim vacancies shall be filled by special elections.

 

Section 3.  Duties and Responsibilities

 

             a.  To recommend to the Assembly such policies regarding evaluation procedures, step advancement, and merit as the Committee deems appropriate and advisable.

 

             b.  To receive and review all recommendations for step advancement, retention, merit, and sabbatical leave for administrative-support faculty.  The Administrative-Support Personnel Committee shall add its own recommendations to each case and forward them on to the University President.

 

             c.  To meet with administrative-support faculty members, when requested, to respond to personnel matters.

 

             d.  To serve as an advisory committee to the President regarding personnel matters for the administrative-support faculty.

 

Article IX.  Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee

 

Section 1.  Organization

 

             The Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee shall consist of  ten (10) members, including six (6) teaching faculty with balanced representation from each school and two (2) students appointed by the recognized student government.  Four (4) of the faculty members must be tenured.  The Provost and a representative from the Division of Extended Programs shall serve ex officio without vote.  The Provost's Office shall provide staff support for the Committee.  Teaching faculty members shall be elected by the Assembly to two-year terms.  The Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee shall report directly to the Faculty Senate.

 

Section 2.  Duties and Responsibilities

 

             1.  To develop educational programs, curricular policy, and course offerings and to recommend the implementation of these programs and policies to the Assembly.

 

             2.  To initiate study proposals in order to improve the educational development and programs at Eastern Oregon University.

 

Article X.  Standing Committees of the Assembly

 

Section 1.  Organization

 

             The Assembly may establish standing committees to assist in the discharge of its responsibilities.

 

Section 2.  Meetings

 

             a.  The chair of a standing committee shall call meetings as often as is required to conduct the business of the committee.  Special meetings shall be called if requested by two (2) or more committee members.

 

             b.  Standing committees shall report as necessary to the Assembly regarding their activities and actions.

 

             c.  A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the voting membership of each standing committee.

 

Article XI.  Standing Committees of the Faculty Senate

 

Section 1.  Organization

 

             The Faculty Senate may establish standing committees to assist in the discharge of its responsibilities.

 

Section 2.  Meetings

 

             a.  The chair of a standing committee shall call meetings as often as is required to conduct the business of the committee.  Special meetings shall be called if requested by two (2) or more committee members.

 

             b.  Standing committees shall report as necessary to the Faculty Senate regarding their activities and actions.

 

             c.  A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the voting membership of each standing committee.

 

Article XII.  Ad Hoc Committees

 

The Assembly, Faculty Senate, President, or Provost may establish ad hoc committees or task forces to undertake special charges which do not fall within the purview of Assembly or Faculty Senate standing committees.  The Assembly and the Faculty Senate must be notified in a timely manner about the formation of ad hoc committees.  Search committees are exempted from this notification requirement.  These committees, once formed, shall have a finite lifespan and shall observe the same operational procedures as specified for standing committees.

 

 

Article XIII.  Reports

 

A permanent file of the minutes of all meetings of the Assembly, the Faculty Senate, the Schools, and the Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee shall be maintained in the Library.  This file shall be accessible to all members of the campus community.

 

 

 

Article XIV.  Amending the Constitution and Bylaws

 

The Assembly may amend the articles and sections of the Constitution and the Bylaws which do not apply to the Faculty Senate by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Assembly membership voting in the election.  The articles and sections of the Constitution and Bylaws which apply to the Faculty Senate, including Constitution Articles V, VII, and XI and Bylaws Article II, may be amended only by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Faculty Senate membership voting in the election.  The proposed amendment must have been presented at the previous meeting of the Assembly or the Faculty Senate and must have been distributed to the members of the appropriate body at least two (2) weeks of a regular academic term prior to voting.  The election, by secret written ballot, must take place during a regular academic term and must be conducted over at least a three-day period.