Faculty Forum Constitution

Table of Contents

ARTICLE I.  NAME  3

ARTICLE II.  OBJECTIVES  3

ARTICLE III.  MEMBERSHIP  3

Section 1.  Qualifications  3

Section 2.  Dues  4

Section 3.  Discipline  4

Section 4.  Dissolution  4

ARTICLE IV.  OFFICERS  4

Section 1.  Positions  4

Section 2.  Credentials  4

Section 3.  Terms of Office  5

Section 4.  Duties and Responsibilities  5

ARTICLE V.  THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE  6

Section 1.  Membership  6

Section 2.  Alternates and Resignations  7

Section 3.  Responsibilities  7

Section 4.  Organization of the Executive Committee  8

ARTICLE VI.  ELECTIONS AND RECALL  8

Section 1.  Nominating Committee  8

Section 2.  Election Procedures  8

Section 3.  Voting  9

Section 4.  Recall 9

Section 5.  Procedural Rights of Officers, Executive Committee, and Other Committee Members  9

ARTICLE VII.  FORUM MEETINGS  10

Section 1.  Regular Meetings  10

Section 2.  Special Meetings  10

Section 3.  Quorum   10

Section 4.  Rules and Procedures  10

ARTICLE VIII.  COMMITTEES  11

Section 1.  College Standing and Special Purpose Committees  11

Section 2.  Forum Standing Committees  12

Section 3.  Ad Hoc Committees  13

Section 4.  Participation  13

Section 5.  Vacancies  13

Section 6.  Reporting  13

ARTICLE IX.  AMENDMENTS  14

 

FACULTY FORUM CONSTITUTION

 

 

ARTICLE I.  NAME

 

The name of this organization shall be “The Central Oregon Community College Faculty Forum.”

ARTICLE II.  OBJECTIVES

 

The Forum shall serve as the bargaining unit for the faculty at COCC.  In addition, it shall be the responsibility of this organization to provide the members of the faculty of Central Oregon Community College a means by which their desires concerned with the curriculum, administration, faculty, and other areas pertinent to the well-being of this institution can be presented to the appropriate college standing committee, the administration, and/or the Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE III.  MEMBERSHIP

 

Section 1.  Qualifications

 

The membership of this organization shall consist of all members of the Central Oregon Community College faculty who meet one of the following criteria:

 

Part A: The faculty member teaches 8 or more load units each term;

 

  Or:    If the faculty’s primary responsibility is not instruction, one of the following:

 

Part B:  The faculty member is not an administrator and the member’s primary responsibility is directly related to instruction;

 

Part C: The faculty member is not an administrator and the member’s primary responsibility is contact with students.

 

For cases in question, the Executive Committee shall determine whether any of these criteria have been met.

 

Section 2.  Dues

 

Each member of the Forum will be assessed monthly dues by payroll deduction in an amount to be determined by the Forum.  Funds required for the operation of the Forum may be expended upon the approval of the Executive Committee, with such expenditures itemized in the first minutes of the committee meeting following the expenditure of the funds and in a quarterly report to the Forum.  However, a decision of discretionary spending of Forum funds greater than $500 must be approved by the Forum.

 

Section 3.  Discipline

 

No member of the Forum may be censured, suspended, or expelled without a due process hearing.  A member may request arbitration of any decision to be censured, suspended, or expelled.

 

Section 4.  Dissolution

 

In the event that the organization presently termed “Faculty Forum” dissolves, and it is not reconstituted under that or any other name within 60 days, all monies remaining in the organization’s treasury shall be distributed under the following provisions:  dating from the recognition by the IRS as a tax-exempt organization, accumulated funds to whatever balance is shown 30 days after dissolution will be transferred to the COCC Foundation.

 

ARTICLE IV.  OFFICERS

 

Section 1.  Positions

 

The officers of the Forum shall include:  President, Past-President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer.

 

Section 2.  Credentials

 

Each of the above officers shall be elected from the membership of the Forum.  The President and President-Elect shall be tenured faculty members.

 

Section 3.  Terms of Office

 

Each officer shall serve a one-year term.  All terms begin June 1, following the election.  Any officer of the Forum may run for re-election.

 

Section 4.  Duties and Responsibilities

 

Part A.  President

 

The President of the Forum shall preside as chair at Forum meetings and at Executive Committee meetings.  The President, or a member of the Executive Committee, shall be a member of the College Affairs Committee.  The President shall name Forum members to all standing and temporary committees, unless otherwise provided by action of the Forum or the Executive Committee [see Article VIII].  The President shall represent the Forum at all appropriate occasions and shall regularly attend the Board of Directors’ monthly meetings.  The President shall serve as Past President during the academic year following his or her tenure in the office of President.

 

Part B:  Past President

 

The Past President provides continuity from the previous year and serves in such capacities as the Executive Committee may assign.

 

Part C:  President-Elect

 

The President-Elect shall discharge the duties of the President in the event of the absence of the President and shall serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee.  The President-Elect shall serve as President during the academic year following his or her tenure in the office of President-Elect.

 

Part D:  Secretary

 

The Secretary shall serve as the Secretary of the Executive Committee and of the Forum, and, as such, shall record the minutes of the Forum meetings and the Executive Committee meetings, and shall distribute or electronically post minutes to each Forum member within one week after the meeting of the Forum and/or Executive Committee.  The Secretary shall execute correspondence as requested by the Executive Committee.

 

Part E:  Treasurer

 

The Treasurer shall collect dues and special levies, shall construct a budget, shall disburse funds, and shall submit a quarterly financial report to the Forum.

 

ARTICLE V.  THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

Section 1.  Membership

 

Part A.  Officers

 

The elected officers of the Forum will serve on the Executive Committee.  [See Article IV.  Officers for Credentials, Terms of Office, Duties, and Responsibilities.]

 

Part B.  Members-at-Large / Part-time Representation

 

Three Members-at-Large shall be elected from the membership of the Forum to serve on the Executive Committee.  An additional Forum member, whose status is adjunct, shall be elected to serve on the Forum Executive Committee.  They shall assume the new office on June 1, following the election, and serve one-year terms.

 

Part C.  Adequate Representation

 

If, after elections, any of the four areas identified below remain unrepresented, the faculty from that area may petition to have an additional member elected to the Executive Committee.  The part-time representative may not serve as the additional member.

 

·        Humanities, Social Science

·        Sciences and Allied Health (including Health and Human Performance, and Nursing)

·        Professional Technical, Fine Arts, and Library

·        Mathematics, Computer Information Systems, and Business

 

The petition should be submitted to the Executive Committee in writing within 14 days after elections.  The petition should include the names of at least two individuals nominated for the additional position.  The additional committee member will be selected from among the nominees in a secret ballot distributed to each member of the Forum.

 

Section 2.  Alternates and Resignations

 

The Executive Committee may appoint alternates to serve for absent members.  In the event an Executive Committee member resigns from the college and/or is unable to complete the term of office, the Executive Committee will seek nominations from the Forum and will conduct a special election in accordance with Article VI, Sections 1-4 to fill the vacant seat for the remainder of the resigning member’s term of office.

 

Section 3.  Responsibilities

 

Part A.  Action/Directives

 

The Executive Committee shall institute action and/or carry out directives assigned to it by the Forum in order to provide for the various objectives of the Forum as described in Article II.  The frequency of meetings will depend upon Forum business.

 

Part B.  Appointment to Committees

 

The Executive Committee shall appoint representatives to committees from the membership of the Forum as described in Article VIII.

 

Part C.  Standing Committees

 

The Executive Committee shall appoint from the membership of the Forum any Forum standing committee for the period of September 1 through August 31.

 

Part D.  Negotiations Team Appointments

 

Prior to each year that negotiations take place, the Executive Committee shall appoint a Negotiations Team from the membership of the Forum.  The Chair of the Negotiations Team shall be appointed first, and the number of team members to be appointed shall be jointly determined by the chair of the Negotiations Teams and the Executive Committee.  Any outside lawyer or negotiator may be made a member of the Negotiations Team upon recommendation of the Negotiations Team and by approval of the Forum.

 

Section 4.  Organization of the Executive Committee

 

Part A.  Officers and Their Duties

 

The President shall preside and the Secretary shall scribe as provided in Article IV. Section 4.

 

Part B.  Rules of Procedure

 

The Executive Committee is empowered to make rules governing its own internal organizations and procedures, except as follows:

 

1.      A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the elected members.

 

2.      All elections or recommendations of the Executive Committee shall be by majority vote of members present.

 

ARTICLE VI.  ELECTIONS AND RECALL

 

Section 1.  Nominating Committee

 

At least 30 days prior to the election, the Nominating Committee shall publish the names of the nominees to the Forum membership.  Before this time, members may submit nominations to the Nominating Committee orally, in writing or electronically.  The positions for which nominations shall be submitted are:  President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Executive Committee At-Large Members [3], Tenure Committee, and College Affairs Committee.

 

Likewise, at least 30 days prior to the election, the Part-Time Faculty Advisory Committee shall publish the names of the Part-Time nominees to the Forum membership.

 

At the time of the election, nominations for all these positions may also be made from the floor.

 

Section 2.  Election Procedures

 

Elections must be held in May, no later than the third week of the month.

 

Section 3.  Voting

 

All elections shall be conducted with open nominations and by secret ballot.

 

Section 4.  Recall

 

Part A.  President

 

The President may be recalled by a majority vote of the entire Forum.  Recall action may be instituted either by a petition containing the signatures of at least one-third of the members of the Forum or at the request of the President who wishes a vote of confidence.

 

Part B.  Executive Committee

 

Any member of the Executive Committee may be recalled by a majority vote of the entire Forum.  Recall action may be instituted by a petition containing the signatures of at least one-third of the members of the Forum, or by any member of the Executive Committee who wishes a vote of confidence.

 

Part C.  Procedure for President and Executive Committee Members

 

A vote for recall may be conducted by secret ballot at a special meeting of the Forum, or by secret sealed ballot distributed to each member of the Forum by the Secretary and returned not later than 48 hours after their distribution.  Tabulation of said ballots shall be conducted by the Secretary and two additional members of the Executive Committee.

 

Part D.  Procedure for Committee Members

 

Faculty members of committees may be recalled by a majority vote of the Executive Committee on the request of a majority of the members of the committee so affected.

 

Section 5.  Procedural Rights of Officers, Executive Committee, and Other Committee Members

 

In the event that a Forum officer, member of the Executive Committee or committee member is recalled, the member shall have the following procedural rights:

 

Part A.  To receive a written summation of charges against the members signed by the initiator(s) of the petition.

 

Part B.  To question the initiator(s) at a regular Executive Committee meeting.

 

Part C.  To appeal to the full Forum if the person feels the recall action is unjustified.

 

Part D.  To choose that a written summation of the events of the recall be placed in the regular minutes of the Forum.

 

ARTICLE VII.  FORUM MEETINGS

 

Section 1.  Regular Meetings

 

Regular meetings of the Forum shall be held at least once each term and once in May, no later than the third week of the month, for elections.

 

Section 2.  Special Meetings

 

Special meetings of the Forum may be called by the President or may be called by a petition containing signatures of one-third of the members of the Forum.

 

Section 3.  Quorum

 

One fourth of the membership shall constitute a quorum at regular as well as at special meetings of the Forum.

 

Section 4.  Rules and Procedures

 

Part A.  Voice

 

Every member of the Forum shall have a free and equal voice in its deliberations and conclusions.  Any member of the Forum may submit agenda items to the Secretary of the Forum at least two days prior to the meeting.

 

Part B.  Rules of Procedure

 

Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern the procedure of all the meetings of the Forum unless special regulations are established to the contrary.

 

Part C.  Voting

 

Voting shall be conducted by voice or hand sign unless secret ballots or sealed secret ballots distributed to each Forum member is specified by the President or requested by the Forum.

 

ARTICLE VIII.  COMMITTEES

 

Section 1.  College Standing and Special Purpose Committees

 

There are seven [7] College standing and special purpose committees to which representatives are elected by the Forum or are appointed by the Executive Committee.  These committees include:

 

Part A.  College Affairs Committee

 

Forum representation includes the Forum President or a member of the Executive Committee for a one-year term and two [2] Forum members elected for two-year staggered terms.

 

Part B.  Tenure Committee

 

Five [5] tenured Forum members shall be elected to serve three-year terms.  No faculty member will be eligible to serve more than four [4] consecutive years, nor may a faculty member be elected to begin a term, the completion of which would exceed the four-year consecutive limitation.  The election of the Tenure Committee shall be conducted by secret sealed ballot distributed to each member of the Forum.

 

Part C.  College for the Resolution of Concerns

 

Six [6] Forum members shall be appointed by the Forum to three-year staggered terms; two are appointed each year.

 

Part D.  Faculty Professional Improvement Review Committee

 

Five [5] Forum members shall be appointed by the College President for staggered three-year terms.  Each appointed Forum member shall be selected by the College President from a pool of three candidates submitted by the Executive Committee.

 

Part E.  Student Affairs Committee

 

Two [2] Forum members shall be appointed to this committee by the Executive Committee for two-year staggered terms.

 

 

Part F.  Institutional Support Committee

 

Two [2] Forum members shall be appointed to two-year staggered terms by the Executive Committee; one appointee shall be either the Secretary or Treasurer.


Part G.  College Committee on Academic Affairs

The Central Oregon Community College Academic Affairs Committee will take a role of advocate for instruction.  Academic Affairs will consist of ten members:  eight voting members and two non-voting members. Voting members of the Academic Affairs Committee will be one member from each of the four major divisions on campus, elected by faculty holding full-time appointments within that respective division. The Faculty Forum shall be represented on the Committee by two voting members:  the current President Elect, and one additional faculty member elected by the faculty at large. Non-voting members of the Academic Affairs Committee will be the Registrar, and the Secretary for the Instructional Deans.  The President of the College will make one appointment to represent the Managers on the Committee.

Subcommittee Structure:

                                              

Academic Affairs will establish one standing committee for curriculum concerns.  The Curriculum Committee will consist of seven members: five voting members and two non-voting members. Voting members of the Curriculum subcommittee will be determined as follows: a presidential appointee, two members selected from Academic Affairs and two persons appointed from a pool of at-large faculty that reflects campus distribution. All voting members will serve two-year terms. The purpose for having members of Academic Affairs on this subcommittee is to maintain continuity, present a historical context and to improve communication. One student will be appointed by ASCOCC to serve on the curriculum subcommittee for a one-year term.  

 

Section 2.  Forum Standing Committees

 

Part A.  Honors Recognition, Awards and Scholarship Committee

 

This committee shall plan the Honors Recognition Ceremony and review candidates for the Forum tuition and books/supplies scholarships.  This committee shall be composed of the Honor Society faculty advisors, a member of the Executive Committee, and at least two [2] additional Forum members appointed by the Executive Committee.

 

Part B.  Nominating Committee

 

This committee shall be chaired by the President-Elect of the Forum and shall include a minimum of three [3] Forum members.  [See Article VI, Elections and Recall, for duties.]

 

Part C.  Part-Time Faculty Advisory Committee

 

This committee shall consist of at least three [3] individuals who will be appointed annually by the Executive Committee.  At least two [2] of these individuals shall be selected from those who teach or have taught as part-time instructors.  General members of this committee need not be members of the Forum, but the chairperson of the committee must be a member of the Forum.

 

This committee shall meet on a regular basis to discuss and make recommendations regarding issues affecting part-time instructors.  The committee shall be responsible to nominate the part-time faculty representative to the Executive Committee [See Article V, Section 1]. 

 

Part D.  Other Committees

 

Other standing committees may be constituted by amendment to the Constitution.

 

Section 3.  Ad Hoc Committees

 

Ad hoc committees and their membership shall be appointed by the Executive Committee as needed.

 

Section 4.  Participation

 

The representatives to all committees shall regularly attend the meetings of the committees and shall participate in the business conducted at these meetings, at which they are entitled to one vote each.   They shall serve as liaison between the Forum and the committees.

 

Section 5.  Vacancies

 

The Executive Committee shall appoint members to fill interim vacancies on committees.

 

Section 6.  Reporting

 

At the conclusion of each academic year, the chair of each Forum committee shall provide the Executive Committee a report of the activities of the committee, and with greater frequency on request.

 

ARTICLE IX.  AMENDMENTS

 

This Constitution may be amended by the members of the Forum.  Notice of this amendment must be submitted in writing to the Secretary one month prior to any regular meeting of the Forum.  The Secretary must submit a copy of the proposed amendment to the Forum membership two weeks prior to the regular meeting of the Forum.  Voting shall be by secret ballot.  A two-thirds majority of those present and voting shall be required for passage of an amendment to this constitution.  All accepted amendments to this Constitution shall go into effect immediately upon passage.