/Institutions/Elon-University/json/2024-2025/Faculty-Handbook-local.json

/Institutions/Elon-University/json/2024-2025/Faculty-Handbook.json

Faculty Bylaws

B33M

The name of this organization will be the faculty of Elon University.

B28Y

The objective of the organization is to enable the faculty, administrative officers, students, and Board of Trustees to engage in conscious, deliberate, and purposeful cooperation so that each may most effectively contribute to the growth, development, and functioning of Elon University.

B28S

The faculty will consist of the teaching faculty, administrators with faculty rank and staff with faculty rank.

B25P

Voting members will be those people appointed by the Board of Trustees to the rank of Assistant Teaching Professor, Associate Teaching Professor, Teaching Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Assistant Librarian, Associate Librarian, Senior Librarian, and/or all teaching personnel with a load of 18 or more semester hours in the current academic year.

B33J

The officers of the faculty will be a Chair and a Secretary.

B23B

The President of the University will serve as Chair of the Faculty. The Chair of Academic Council will serve as the Secretary of the Faculty.

B22H

The Chair or their appointee will serve as the presiding officer at meetings of the faculty, exercise supervision over the activities of the organization, and represent and speak for the organization to other organizations and to the public. The Secretary will keep an accurate record of the proceedings of the meetings, prepare the minutes, and cause to be preserved all reports and documents of the organization.

B25B

The general powers granted to the faculty by the Charter of Elon University are "to confer by and with the consent of the Board of Trustees all degrees and marks of literary distinction as are usually conferred by colleges and universities and to make regulations regarding courses of instruction, student discipline, and such other matters as may be assigned to it by the Board of Trustees."

B29A

The following specific powers are granted to the faculty to be exercised subject to review by and approval of the President and the Board of Trustees:

 

• To recommend the academic standards for admission of students to, and continuation in, Elon University
• To determine courses of study, requirements for admission, and standards of performance
• To determine and to maintain current requirements for granting of academic degrees
• To evaluate student performance and to recommend approval of student applications for graduation
• To determine and recommend to the Board of Trustees standards for selection, promotion, and tenure of faculty members
• To make rules for the implementation of the instructional program
• To evaluate (1) effectiveness of the instructional program, (2) performance of individual faculty members in execution of the program, and (3) proposals for improvement of academic instruction
• To make rules for conduct of faculty business and to organize such councils and committees as may be required
• To discipline members for infractions of faculty rules
• To make rules of conduct for aspects of students’ lives relating to the educational process and to discipline students for infractions
• To make recommendations to the Board of Trustees through its Academic Affairs and Campus Life committees on any matter pertaining to the educational program of the University
• To define ethical and professional standards for members of the faculty

 

The Faculty of Elon University recognizes the union as the collective bargaining unit for all limited term, visiting, and adjunct faculty employees teaching at least one credit-bearing undergraduate course in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Communications, Dr. Jo Watts-Williams School of Education, or Love School of Business. When documents are in conflict, the collective bargaining agreement between Elon University and the union supersedes this handbook for faculty within the bargaining unit. 

B29W

• Academic Council will consist of 20 members elected for terms specified in the section on Elections.
• In addition to elected members, the following will hold seats on Academic Council:
• The Chair of the University Curriculum Committee, without vote
• The President, without vote; and/or the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, without vote
• The Labor Management Committee (CBA, Article 18) may designate one of its members as liaison to Academic Council. The liaison must be currently employed by the university as a member of the bargaining unit, and typically will have taught a minimum of two contiguous semesters at the university. The Chair will invite the liaison to meetings of the entire Academic Council and university faculty meetings while ensuring relevant meeting materials are shared with the liaison.
• On occasions when Academic Council so requests, the President and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will not meet with Academic Council. Such requests may be made as a matter of course and need not signify any exigency. In addition, the President and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will not meet with Academic Council when it is serving as a nominating committee or as a hearing committee.

To serve as a voting member of Academic Council, a faculty member must be a voting member  under the terms of these bylaws and must have two years of service on the faculty. Divisional and school representatives must hold the rank of Assistant Teaching Professor (post Continuance Review),Associate Teaching Professor, Associate Professor, or above; at-large members must hold the rank of Assistant Teaching Professor, Assistant Professor, Assistant Librarian (post Continuance Review) or above. No more than two members of the faculty whose principal duties are administrative may serve on Academic Council at any one time.

All faculty members who have voting privileges under the terms of these bylaws will be eligible to vote for members of Academic Council.  

Academic Council will solicit interest in serving, but will not provide a slate of nominees. All nominations for Academic Council will be made from the floor. All voting will be by secret ballot. Elected members of Academic Council will take office during the last Academic Council meeting of the academic year and will serve until their successors are duly installed.

At the March Faculty Meeting or the February School/College Meeting, elections of members will follow a prescribed cycle.

In year one, at-large members will be elected by full voting faculty at the March Faculty Meeting. In years two and three, divisions and schools will elect their representative at the February School/College meeting. The current Academic Council members from each division and school will coordinate these elections. Representatives of the staff with faculty rank will also be elected at meetings of that group coordinated by the current Academic Council members.

Year One

• Three at-large members. Two of the at-large teaching faculty members will be from Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences and one University-wide at-large faculty member.

Year Two

• One member from the division of Arts and Humanities
• One member from the division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• One member from the division of Social Sciences
• One member from the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education
• One member from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business
• One member from the School of Communications
• One member from the School of Health Sciences
• One member from the School of Law
• One member of Staff with Faculty Rank
  
  

Year Three

• One member from the division of Arts and Humanities
• One member from the division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• One member from the division of Social Sciences
• One member from the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education
• One member from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business
• One member from the School of Communications
• One member from the School of Health Sciences
• One member from the School of Law
• One member of Staff with Faculty Rank

 

In the event of an elective vacancy on Academic Council, an election will be held at the next regular meeting of the faculty to fill the unexpired term. The manner of election will be the same as that by which the vacating member was elected.

The faculty reserves the right of recall of any member of Academic Council. A two-thirds vote of the faculty will be required.

No member of Academic Council will serve for more than two consecutive terms.

B26A

The members will elect annually a Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect will serve one year in that role and then assume the duties of chair in the following year. In the third year they will serve as Past-Chair.

• Serves in the place of the Chair in their absence
• Serves on the Academic Council Chair Advisory Committee
• When possible, attends meetings between the Chair and the President and/or Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Acts as a liaison between Academic Council and the Standing Committees of the Faculty
• Serves as recorder at the teaching faculty Town Hall Faculty Forums

• Serves as Chair of the Academic Council Chair Advisory Committee
• Meets regularly with the Provost’s Advisory Council and the Academic Affairs Advisory Council
• Works with the President in planning the agenda for the Full Faculty Meetings. Assembles the agenda for and presides over the Academic Council portion of the Faculty Meetings and the Academic Council Faculty Forums
• Assembles the agenda for and presides over the regular meetings of Academic Council. In consultation with the administration, the Chair will designate on each item on the agenda the capacity in which Academic Council will serve on that item: Make a decision, make a formal recommendation, advise, or receive a report.
• Acts as a liaison between the administration and the teaching faculty and academic support staff with faculty rank in meetings with the President and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

• Serves on the Academic Council Chair Advisory Committee in an advisory role
• In the eventuality that the Past-Chair is not a member of Academic Council, they will not attend the regular meetings of the Academic Council.

Academic Council will have an Academic Council Chair Advisory Committee consisting of:

• Chair of Academic Council who will serve as Chair of the Advisory Committee
• Chair-Elect of Academic Council
• Past-Chair of Academic Council
• Chair of the University Curriculum Committee

The Academic Council Chair Advisory Committee will advise the Academic Council Chair in her or his duties and will act as a bridge between Academic Council and the University Curriculum Committee.

B28M

• Academic Council will act as coordinating committee of the Faculty and will deliberate on any matter within the province of the faculty for the purpose of formulating general policy for approval or disapproval of the faculty. Those matters that are the responsibility of standing committees will be referred to the appropriate committee.
• On issues that are of broad scope or impact and that do not fall within the purview of a standing committee, Academic Council may create a task force to investigate and offer policy suggestions. In doing so, Academic Council will follow the Guidelines for Academic Council Task Force.
• On issues that are of limited scope or impact and that do not fall within the purview of a standing committee, Academic Council may create a special committee to investigate and offer policy suggestions. Academic Council will specify all expectations of the special committee with its initial charge and with any subsequent revisions. The special committee will submit its report to Academic Council. Academic council will vote (1) to file the special committee's report and to dissolve the special committee when its work is determined to be completed, and (2) to approve or disapprove the special committees proposed changes to the faculty handbook. Academic Council may further vote to adopt the special committee's report in part or in full, which binds it to the report's findings and recommendations. 
• Academic Council will work with the President in planning the agenda for meetings of the faculty in order to provide for timely and appropriate discussion of faculty business and to provide adequate information about matters of concern to the faculty.
• In its role as coordinating committee of the Faculty, Academic Council will communicate regularly with members of standing committees. Faculty representatives of standing committees who have concerns about issues of shared governance in areas relevant to their committees should report those concerns to Academic Council. Academic Council will consider these concerns and, where it deems appropriate, formally address them in regular Academic Council meetings. On matters deemed to be of general concern, Academic Council may report directly to the faculty, or request that standing committees do so. In addition, Academic Council will collect formal reports on a yearly basis from the chairs of all standing committees.
• Academic Council will act in an advisory capacity to the President. It will advise the President on the setting of priorities and the planning of long-range goals for the University. Academic Council will obtain pertinent information that is required to carry out these advisory duties effectively.
• Academic Council will act in an advisory capacity to the administration, assisting in the selection of members for all campus-wide ad hoc committees and advising the administration in the early stages of explorations of new programs that do not originate in a department or school.
• Academic Council will supply the faculty yearly with information relevant to its participation in the formulation of the goals and priorities of the University and will supply the faculty yearly with information relevant to these priorities and goals.
• Academic Council will oversee the non-bylaws portion of the Faculty Handbook by approving or disapproving changes, except in cases where such changes have been negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for faculty within the bargaining unit. A detailed account of non-bylaw changes will be included in the minutes of the meeting. Notice of CBA related changes will be shared with Academic Council for information purposes. 
• Academic Council will oversee editorial changes to these bylaws by approving or disapproving the changes, except in cases where such changes have been negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for faculty within the bargaining unit. Examples of editorial changes within Academic Council oversight include changes to the bylaws that reflect a modification of the wording of a title, changes in the name of a division, department, etc.
• Academic Council will develop and maintain a Statement of Professional Standards and publish it upon adoption by the faculty. Council will submit proposed amendments to this statement to the faculty. Approval will require an affirmative vote of the majority of the voting members present at a regular meeting of the faculty subsequent to the one in which the proposal was presented.
• Elected members of Academic Council will serve as a hearing committee, using Academic Council's Hearing Committee Procedures (Academic Council's Hearing Committee Procedures) in cases involving the dismissal or suspension of a faculty member when requested by the faculty member. Additionally, any dismissal, suspension, or disciplinary action as a result of a finding of a violation of the University’s Non-Discrimination/Non-Harassment policies may, upon request by the accused faculty member, be heard by Academic Council.
• Academic Council will solicit names and appoint faculty to serve as temporary replacements on all standing committees of the faculty as necessary, except Academic Council, the University Curriculum Committee, and the Promotions and Tenure Committee.
• The union of the collective bargaining unit is the exclusive representative for all limited term, visiting, and adjunct faculty employees teaching at least one credit-bearing undergraduate course in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Communications, Dr. Jo Watts-Williams School of Education, or Love School of Business.  Part-time faculty not covered by the collective bargaining agreement are represented by elected members from their school or division.

 

B22M

Academic Council will determine its place of meeting and its procedures. Meetings of Academic Council will be held no less than twice a month during the academic year and at such other times as it will deem necessary. At least one monthly meeting will be of the entire Academic Council, and at least one monthly meeting will be of the elected members, the part-time representative, and the Chair of the University Curriculum Committee.

B26P

• The Chair of Academic Council will make reports on the deliberations and recommendations of Academic Council at all full faculty meetings and will make such other reports as may be required by the faculty.
• The agenda for each meeting of Academic Council will be distributed by the elected representatives of each division and school to their constituencies at least two days in advance of the meeting.
• Academic Council will produce minutes for each meeting. Council will edit and approve the minutes at the next regular meeting of Academic Council. The elected representatives of each division and school will distribute the minutes to their constituencies within one week of their approval.
• Academic Council will maintain its annual goals and objectives and any reports submitted to it in a print or electronic venue that is easily accessible to all faculty members. Each item in the annual goals and objectives should be clearly labeled with a contact person to whom questions may be directed.

B29H

At the beginning of each academic year, the Chair of Committee on Committees will select up to nine additional members, from among existing elected Academic Council members, to serve on the Committee on Committees, ensuring that all four of the schools, all three of the divisions in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the staff with faculty rank are represented, and ensuring that at least one Committee on Committees member claims sufficient technical expertise to conduct elections through electronic/virtual means and to manage relevant data used by the Committee.

• In order to help Academic Council fulfill its responsibility to act as the coordinating committee of the Faculty, the Committee on Committees will perform the following duties
  o Oversees the collection of annual reports from the chairs of standing committees
  o Serves as the liaison between Academic Council and the standing committees. In that role, the Committee on Committees will receive concerns from faculty representatives of standing committees about issues of shared governance in areas relevant to their committees and will communicate with chairs of standing committees on behalf Academic Council.
•  In order to help Academic Council fulfill its responsibility to act as the appointing committee for standing committees and as an advisory committee to the administration in the creation of campus-wide ad hoc and special committees the Committee on Committees will have the following duties:
  o Creates and maintains a database of all faculty members serving on standing committees, advisory committees, special and ad hoc committees, search committees, and task forces.                  
  o Submits to Academic Council a slate consisting of one name for each opening on standing committees of the faculty (with the exception of Academic Council, the University Curriculum Committee, the School- and Division-Based Curriculum Committees, and the Promotions and Tenure Committee) at least one week in advance of the April meeting of Academic Council. The Committee on Committees will secure the consent of persons being nominated.
  o Submits to the University Curriculum Committee one or more suggestions for their Chair Elect in advance of their April meeting in Year One of the University Curriculum Committee's three-year election cycle.
  o Serves as a nominating committee for elected members of the University Curriculum Committee and the Promotions and Tenure Committee, submitting to Academic Council during the month in advance of either the March Faculty Meeting or the February School/College Meeting the recommended names for each place to be filled. Normally, the number of nominees will exceed the number of positions to be filled. The Committee on Committees will secure the consent of people being nominated.
  o Appoints committee replacements when membership positions on standing or special committees other than Academic Council, University Curriculum Committee, or Promotions and Tenure Committee are vacated during the year and reports all appointments to Council on or before the next meeting of Academic Council.
  o Works with Academic Council and University administration to fill temporary standing committee or advisory committee vacancies in roles designated as ex-officio.
  o Recommends to Academic Council faculty members to serve on ad hoc or special committees created by Council.
  o Recommends to the Chair of Academic Council faculty members to serve on ad hoc or special committees created by the President or Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Chair of Academic Council will forward these names to the President or Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
  o Recommends to the Chair of Academic Council faculty members to serve on search committees for administrators with faculty rank. The Chair of Academic Council will forward these names to the President or Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
• In fulfilling these responsibilities, the Committee on Committees will attempt to balance the need to provide opportunities for committee service to interested faculty with its  responsibility to ensure that standing and special committees successfully contribute to effective shared governance.
• The Chair of Committee on Committees has discretion to leave vacancies on committees unfilled due to mid-year vacancies or lack of volunteers. Prior to making a decision to leave a vacancy unfilled, the Chair should consult with the chair of the affected committee and members of Academic Council representing the areas of the university with a committee vacancy.

B25A

At the beginning of each academic year, the chair of Academic Council will select three members of Academic Council to serve on the Faculty Handbook Language Subcommittee. The chair of Academic Council will appoint one of the three members to serve as chair of the subcommittee.

In order to help Academic Council fulfill its role (stipulated in Article 13. Section 2) in bringing proposed Faculty Handbook bylaw changes to the faculty for consideration and to help Academic Council fulfill its responsibility (stipulated in Article 6. Section 3) to approve or disapprove non-bylaw changes to the Faculty Handbook, the Faculty Handbook Language Subcommittee will act in an editorial and advisory capacity in performing the following duties.

• Receive and organize proposed Faculty Handbook changes from standing committees, working groups, task forces and other concerned individuals or constituencies. Typically, proposals will be submitted at the beginning of fall and spring semesters.
• Review and provide feedback to those proposing handbook changes in terms of clarity of the proposed language, the rationale for the proposed changes, and any clerical issues. In providing feedback, the committee will avoid endorsing or attempting to block handbook language that is being proposed.
• Work with the chair of Academic Council to schedule a time for the proposer of the language to present the proposal to Academic Council.
• Work with the proposer of the language to provide the chair of Academic Council with the proposed language for inclusion in upcoming meeting materials.
• At end of the academic year, provide the Provost's Office with electronic copies of all approved Faculty Handbook language changes for inclusion in the following year's Faculty Handbook at which time the changes will take effect.
• Additionally, the committee will regularly review the Faculty Handbook bylaws and non-bylaws. And, as the committee considers appropriate, propose changes to Academic Council for consideration.

At the beginning of each academic year, the chair of Academic Council will select three members of Academic Council to serve on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee. The chair of Academic Council will appoint one of the three members to serve as chair of the subcommittee.

In order to help Academic Council fulfill its responsibilities (stipulated in Article 6, Section 3) to (a) act as coordinating committee of the Faculty; (b) act in an advisory capacity to the President, advising the President on the setting of priorities and the planning of long-range goals for the University; and (c) supply the faculty yearly with information relevant to its participation in the formulation of the goals and priorities of the University and supply the faculty yearly with information relevant to these priorities and goals, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee will perform the following duties.

 

• Represent the faculty and Academic Council as liaisons and facilitate communication about DEI initiatives across campus.
• Advocate for the needs of the campus community around DEI-related concerns.
• Coordinate annual DEI training for Academic Council to promote awareness of bias in faculty roles and issues that affect faculty. At a minimum, this training will address biases related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, age, disability, and nationality.
• Meet at least twice per academic year with the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence (or designee) and report back to Academic Council about DEI efforts across campus.
• Offer suggestions for best practices regarding use of technology, survey implementation, and voting methods for faculty meetings to increase accessibility and inclusivity.

B34F

The regular faculty meeting will be held on the first Friday of the months of September, November, December, March, and May. At least three days in advance of regular meetings, the President or their designee will cause to be prepared and distributed to each member a written notice and an agenda accompanied by minutes of the previous meeting. The agenda will be prepared jointly by the President and the Chair of the Academic Council, with the advice and counsel of the Chair-Elect of Academic Council and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

1. Call to Order and Invocation/Meditation
2. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
3. Academic Council Business Items (led by the Chair of Academic Council)

• Report and Resolutions of Academic Council, with discussion
• Reports and Resolutions of Standing Committees, with discussion
• Questions and Concerns to Academic Council

4. Reports of Task Forces or Special or Ad Hoc Committees (led by either Chair of Academic Council or the President of the University)
5. Administrative Business Items (led by the President of the University)

• Reports of Administrative Officers

6. Unfinished Business
7. New Business
8. Announcements
9. Adjournment

• Formal announcement of faculty action will be made only by the President or their designee or by vote of the faculty.
• Non-voting members may participate in discussion.
• A major policy item, including a curriculum change, will not be allowed to come to a vote at a regular meeting unless the proposal in writing has been distributed with the agenda three days in advance or unless the item has been discussed at a previous meeting.
• All motions will be decided by a majority (more than one half) of the legal votes cast unless otherwise specified. Legal votes are defined as votes cast by eligible voters. Abstentions are not included in the legal vote count as a member who voluntarily abstains from voting gives up their vote. 
• All elections will be decided by a majority of votes cast by eligible voters.

B29F

The President will call a special meeting whenever (1) the President considers it necessary, or (2) Academic Council or any ten faculty members request such. Special meetings follow the order of business and procedure for faculty meetings.

B23K

The first Friday of February is reserved for meetings of the faculty of each school or college for the purpose of consideration and discussion of matters within their purview, including curriculum. The agenda of the meeting will be set by the appropriate Dean, who will also preside over the meeting. At least three days in advance of the meeting, each Dean will prepare and send a written notice and an agenda accompanied by minutes of the previous school/college meeting to all faculty of the relevant school or college. Additional meetings may be scheduled by the Dean of each school/college when needed and/or meetings may be scheduled on alternative dates according to pre-established practice.

B26T

Elon University’s Statement on Shared Governance begins with the premise that the active engagement of the University’s various constituencies is a prerequisite for effective, democratic governance (see Section I-3). In order to promote this level of engagement, the University’s governance structure must provide opportunities for those constituencies to communicate and cooperate in a way that meets the following conditions. First, all faculty members—teaching faculty, staff with faculty rank, and administrators with faculty rank—must feel empowered to express their ideas honestly and in a productive way. In addition, they must feel confident that a structural mechanism exists to ensure that these ideas, once expressed, will be taken seriously by those who participate directly in the governance of the institution. Town Hall Faculty Forums, described in more detail below, are designed to satisfy both of these conditions.

• Three separate Town Hall Faculty Forums, one for each of the three categories of faculty as defined in the Policy Statements and Definitions, will be held on the first Friday afternoon in October and April. These forums will be led by the following faculty members: the Chair of Academic Council will lead the teaching faculty forum; the Academic Council representative of staff with faculty rank will lead that group’s forum; and the President or Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will lead the faculty forum for administrators with faculty rank. The Chair-Elect of Academic Council will serve as recorder at the teaching faculty Town Hall Faculty Forum. The leaders of the other two Town Hall Faculty Forums will appoint an eligible faculty member to serve as recorder. In each case, the leader will prepare the agenda for their forum and publicize that agenda to the faculty.
• With the help of the faculty members who served as recorders, each of these three leaders—all of whom are members of Academic Council—is responsible for accurately conveying to Academic Council the sense of the discussion that occurred at their respective forums. In this way, the ideas expressed at each of the Town Hall Faculty Forums will be incorporated into Academic Council’s deliberations on issues of importance to the University community.
• As the term, “Town Hall Faculty Forums,” makes clear, these meetings exist for the express purpose of fostering discussion and communication. Since these forums are not official meetings of the faculty, no official business can be transacted.

B28G

Election of members for the Promotion and Tenure Committee will be held at the regular March meeting of the faculty. Election of at-large members of the University Curriculum Committee will be held at the regular March meeting of the faculty and the School/College representatives will be elected at the February School/College Faculty meetings. Elections of members for School- and Division-Based Curriculum Committees will occur at the February School/College Faculty Meetings. Membership on other standing committees will be appointed annually at the April meeting of Academic Council, based upon a slate provided by Academic Council’s Committee on Committees. Faculty of the Law School are excluded from service on standing committees. Appointments for student representatives on standing committees (for the following academic year) will be completed by the Student Government Association no later than May 15.

Occasionally, a specified ex-officio member of committees is unable to fulfill their role on a committee. In such instances, the Committee on Committees will work with Academic Council and University administration to appoint an appropriate temporary replacement for the specified ex-officio member. 

B34J

Notwithstanding other provisions of the article, upon initial election total membership will be provided, and where staggered terms of membership are required, elected committee members will assign themselves to short terms by lot.

B34Q

Student members will be full-time students and will have at least a 2.0 cumulative average. Unless otherwise provided for in this article, students will be elected annually in May by the newly installed Student Senate from nominations submitted by the President of the Student Government Association. Members appointed by the President of the Student Government Association will be approved by the Student Senate. No student will serve on more than one committee at the same time. Those standing committees with student members may submit a list to the Student Government Association President and Student Senate of suggested names for future membership on their committees.

B29U

• Standing committees will meet at least once each academic semester and at other times as called by the chair.
• When they are considering matters of general concern to the faculty, standing committees will announce the time, place, and agenda of their meetings and will seek out information from faculty, and other knowledgeable sources.
• Any standing committee may convene in executive session at its own discretion.

B32P

Standing committees will agree on procedures for carrying out their duties, including their method of reporting to the faculty and Academic Council, and will publish these procedures as information in the Faculty Handbook.

• Administrative officers are responsible for insuring that necessary information and clerical assistance are provided to the committees.
• Standing committees will furnish Academic Council with regular, written, and substantive reports of their activities.
• Standing committee members who have concerns about the degree of participation in decision-making on issues falling within their purview should report those concerns to Academic Council.
• Standing committee chairs will communicate with the chairs of other standing committees as appropriate on issues of shared concern.
• When standing committees are considering a motion of relevance to a School or College division and do not currently have a member from that School or College division, the standing committee chair should contact the Chair of Committee on Committees to facilitate discussion with Academic Council members representing that School or College division.
• All motions will be decided by a majority (more than one half) of the legal votes cast unless otherwise specified. Legal votes are defined as votes cast by eligible voters. Abstentions are not included in the legal vote count as a member who voluntarily abstains from voting gives up their vote. 

B23S

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Academic Standing Committee.

• Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee, administrative officer
• Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students
• Registrar
• Six members of the teaching faculty elected for two-year terms, one from the College of Arts and Sciences and one from each of the schools into which the institution is organized, and two members-at-large from among the teaching faculty. Three members will be elected each year, with at-large members elected in different years. The committee will elect annually in May a chair from among these faculty members.
• Representative appointed by and from the Koenigsberger Learning Center, ex officio, without vote
• Two student members appointed by the President of the Student Government Association
• Faculty of the Law School are excluded from service on this committee

• To periodically review standards for satisfactory academic performance by undergraduate students of the University
• To periodically review academic standards for probationary status or suspension of undergraduate students whose work fails to meet these standards
• To recommend an appeals procedure for undergraduate students contesting academic standing decisions
• To establish procedures for the readmission of suspended undergraduate students
• To periodically review the operation of the grading system and to propose changes that will provide for academic quality
• To publish periodic reports of its work to the faculty
• To advise on standards for making Dean’s list, Honors, and other academic programs and recognition for the undergraduate program
• To consider special projects or policies as proposed by Academic Council
• To evaluate the effect of curricular or program change on academic standing issues (e.g., Elon Core Curriculum changes, student body changes)
• To periodically review the grade appeal process
• None of the above duties of the committee will apply to the law school or graduate programs

B23E

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Academic Technology Committee Section.

• Associate Vice President for Information Technology and CIO or designee
• Assistant CIO and Director of Campus Technology Support or designee, ex officio, without vote
• Dean of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library or designee, without vote
• Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies, ex officio, without vote
• Faculty Fellow for Technology
• Eight faculty members: three from the College of Arts and Sciences (one from each division) and one each from Love School of Business, School of Communications, Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, School of Health Sciences, and School of Law. Each member will serve a three-year term. To ensure membership continuity, membership is staggered in a three-year cycle:

Year One

• One member from the division of Arts and Humanities
• One member from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business
• One member from the School of Health Sciences

Year Two

• One member from the division of Social Sciences
• One member from the School of Communications
• One member from the School of Law

Year Three

• One member from the division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• One member from the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education

• The committee elects its Chair by May from among the faculty membership to assume duties June 1.

• Two student members appointed annually

• To make recommendations regarding improvement, extension, and development of the services and facilities provided to make technologies available for academic use.
• To report to the faculty regarding the level of provision of educational technology to the academic community both in absolute terms and in comparative terms relative to other institutions.
• To serve as a liaison committee between the faculty, the students, and Information Technology (IT). The committee should also discuss administrative matters pertaining to the provision of suitable technological support of the academic function.
• To encourage the use of technology in the classroom by awarding grants to faculty for new software, hardware, applications, and initial licenses used to support teaching and learning.

B33T

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Admissions Committee Section.

• Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Vice President of Admissions and Financial Planning, administrative officer
• Registrar
• Four faculty members, serving two-year terms, with two elected each year. The committee will elect annually in May a Chair from among these four faculty members.
• Faculty of the Law School are excluded from service on this committee.

• To recommend to the President standards for the admission of students to the University
• To establish procedures for reviewing individual applications that are on the borderline of acceptability and collectively making decisions on acceptance
• To publish periodic reports of its work to the faculty
• None of the above duties will apply to the Law School.

B25V

For Information for the Curriculum Committee (University) and for the names of current members, refer to Curriculum Committee (University) Section.

• Chair, without vote, elected by the ten elected committee members specified below
• Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, or designee
• Dean of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library or designee, without vote
• University Registrar or designee, without vote
• Executive Director of the Elon Core Curriculum
• Three elected teaching faculty members serving three-year terms, representing the College of Arts and Sciences, one each from Fine Arts and Humanities, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences
• Four elected teaching faculty members serving three-year terms, representing the following schools: one each from the Love School of Business, the School of Communications, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, and the School of Health Sciences
• Two at-large teaching faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences and one University wide at-large faculty member serving three-year terms, elected by the teaching faculty members
• At least seven of the ten elected teaching faculty members must have achieved the rank of Associate Teaching Professor, Teaching Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor.
• Faculty from the School of Law are excluded from service on this committee.

Chair
The Chair will serve a three-year term. The Chair's term begins the Fall semester. Faculty may not serve more than two consecutive terms as Chair. The faculty member serving as Chair must have achieved the rank of Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, or Professor. During its April meeting in the second year of the incumbent Chair's term, committee members will elect a Chair-Elect. Candidates can be current committee members, incoming committee members, or individuals nominated by Academic Council's Committee on Committees. The Chair-Elect will shadow the incumbent Chair in the Chair's third year before assuming Chair duties in the next Academic Calendar year.

Duties of the Chair

• Act as the presiding officer at meetings of the University Curriculum Committee

• Work with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, or designee, to plan the agenda for meetings, based on: proposals that have been received at least two weeks before each meeting, charges from Academic Council, and any other issues that are curricular in nature that the University Curriculum Committee wishes to discuss
• Respond to questions from faculty planning a proposal
• Invite proposers, their chairs/program directors, and deans (or designees) to meetings that are pertinent to their proposals
• After each meeting, enter decisions of the University Curriculum Committee into the technology being used to manage document flow
• Report to the faculty, Academic Council, President, and Trustees (twice a year) on actions taken and respond to their questions
• Compile the annual report of the University Curriculum Committee
• Serve on Academic Council ex officio

Elections of faculty members to the Curriculum Committee (University) will occur on a three-year cycle.

Year One

• One member from Fine Arts and Humanities
• One member from Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• One member from Social Sciences

Year Two

• One member from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business
• One member from the School of Communications
• One member from the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education
• One member from the School of Health Sciences

Year Three

• Two at-large members from Arts and Sciences
• One at-large University-wide member

One of these elected representatives will be elected by the committee each April as Chair pro tempore. The Chair pro tempore will assume the duties of the Chair at meetings where the Chair is not present.

• To study and make decisions, Subject to Article V, Section 2 of the Faculty Bylaws, in regard to all areas of the instructional program of Elon University, including the content, methods, and objectives of all courses and major fields of study. Proposals for new graduate programs are subject to the provisions of Procedures for Proposal of New Graduate Programs.
• To evaluate proposed additions to or deletions from the curriculum and to approve curricular changes
• To be responsible for periodic studies of the curriculum in order to provide an instructional program which is consistent with the aims and objectives of Elon University and which will meet the needs of the students who are currently enrolled
• To review and make recommendations on significant changes in curriculum, especially those impacting multiple departments or schools, in early planning stages
• To review and make recommendations on all grant proposals with curriculum implications
• To review and approve independent major proposals submitted to the Coordinator of the Independent Major program
• To serve as the coordinating committee of the elected standing committees that deal directly with the curriculum (the Global Education Curriculum Committee, the Elon Core Curriculum Council, and the Graduate Council)
• Upon receipt by the Chair of Academic Council of a written request, decisions made by the University Curriculum Committee will be subject to discussion and vote at the next scheduled faculty meeting. The request for a faculty vote must be signed by at least 15% of the fulltime teaching faculty and must be received by the Chair of Academic Council at least one week prior to the next scheduled meeting of the full faculty. In that event, the decision made at the faculty meeting will take precedence. (As noted in C26A, subsection "Methods of Reporting to the Faculty", the UCC membership may also decide to forward an item to the faculty as a whole for a vote).
• None of the above duties of the committee will apply to the curriculum of the Law School, nor will the Law School faculty participate in the decisions of this committee.

B26F

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Curriculum Committee (School and Division-Based) Section.

• Three division-based curriculum committees will be created in the College of Arts and Sciences, one each for Fine Arts and Humanities, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.
• School-based curriculum committees will be created for each of the schools (the Love School of Business, the School of Communications, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, and the School of Health Sciences).

Membership of each committee will be determined by the school or division in question. In doing so, these guiding principles will be followed:

• The committee will include the Academic Dean or their designee.
• The committee will consist of at least five elected teaching faculty members.
• The committee will be chaired by one of the elected representatives.

• To evaluate proposed additions to or deletions from the curriculum in departments or majors located in their school or division and to report to the University Curriculum Committee recommendations for curricular changes

• To study and make decisions regarding reportable item changes to the curriculum in departments or majors located in their school or division (reportable items are those that do not impact any student's graduation requirements)

• Upon the request of any member of the University Curriculum Committee, any decision made by a school- or division-based curriculum committee will be subject to discussion and vote at the next scheduled University Curriculum Committee meeting. In that event, the decision made by the University Curriculum Committee will take precedence.

• To ensure that proper consultation with the appropriate Deans, Department Chairs, and Curriculum Committee Chairs has occurred on any and all grant proposals that have implications for other divisions, schools, or colleges 

• To ensure that proper consultation with the appropriate Deans, Department Chairs, and Curriculum Committee Chairs has occurred on any and all curriculum proposals that have implications for other divisions, schools, or colleges

One Chair:

o The Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Core Curriculum will serve as the chair.
o In the event this person is unavailable, the Executive Director of the Core Curriculum and the Chair of Committee on Committees will jointly determine the appropriate faculty member to serve as chair.
o In order to provide neutral advice and support to faculty proposing courses, the chair will serve in an ex officio non-voting capacity.

 

Six faculty voting members:

o Voting members will be appointed by Academic Council through the Committee on Committees process.
o Terms for these members are three-years. To ensure membership continuity, terms will be staggered on a three-year cycle with one-third of members’ terms expiring each year. Faculty are eligible for reappointment using the above process for no more than two consecutive terms.
o Collectively, these faculty members’ primary departments should be in at least two of the divisions of the College and two of the Schools. School of Law faculty are ineligible due to their separate curriculum process. Members should have a shared goal of supporting students throughout the undergraduate curriculum.
o At least five of these members must be teaching faculty.
o At least four members’ teaching, service, and/or scholarship should reflect professional interest in diversity, equity and inclusion. Due to the collective expertise important to fulfill the committee’s duty, the Chair of Committee on Committees should consult with the chair of this committee prior to recommending appointments to Academic Council.

• To determine whether courses should be designated as satisfying the Advancing Equity Requirement in the Core Curriculum.

B27T

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Elon Core Curriculum Committee Section.

• Director of the Elon Core Curriculum
• Members of the teaching faculty elected for three-year terms, one from each of the divisions and schools into which the departments are organized, except the Law School, and two at-large from among the teaching faculty. At-large members must represent different divisions. Elections to the Elon Core Curriculum Council occur in a three-year cycle:

Year One

• One member from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business
• One member from the School of Communications
• One at-large member

Year Two

• One member from Fine Arts and Humanities
• One member from Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• One member from Social Sciences

Year Three

• One member from the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education
• One at-large member

• The Elon Core Curriculum Council will elect annually in May a Chair-Elect from among the eight teaching faculty members. The Chair-Elect will serve one year in that role and then assume the duties of the Chair in the following year.

• Two student members elected for two-year terms, one elected each year

• Writing Across the Curriculum Director, ex officio
• Faculty of the Law School are excluded from service on this committee.

• To advise the Director of the Elon Core Curriculum in implementation of the core curriculum program
• To work in consultation with the departments to insure that department courses satisfactorily meet Core Curriculum requirements
• To provide leadership in creating, modeling, and promoting effective teaching methods for Core Curriculum courses
• To develop and implement assessment criteria and procedures to evaluate courses, student development, and the progress of the Core Curriculum itself
• To promote the goals of Core Curriculum across campus
• To review periodically and make recommendations to the University Curriculum Committee for curricular changes in the core curriculum
• To approve petitions from departments not included in liberal studies for acceptance for one semester of an appropriate class for credit in the Core Curriculum at the advanced (300-400) level
• To approve petitions from departments for acceptance of courses carrying a Core Curriculum prefix
• To plan, implement, and review Core Curriculum seminars (first year foundations and advanced)

B24W

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Faculty Research and Development Committee Section.

• Teaching faculty members elected for two-year terms. In odd numbered years one member will be elected from each of the divisions and schools, except the Law School. Four at-large members will be elected in even numbered years. The committee will elect annually in May a chair from among these teaching faculty members.
• Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, or their designee
• Director of Sponsored Programs, without vote
• Faculty of the Law School are excluded from service on this committee

• To develop and recommend to the President policy regarding faculty development
• To help monitor the effectiveness of such policies
• To plan and help coordinate workshops, seminars, or other individual proposals related to faculty development
• To devise criteria for the administration and evaluation of individual proposals related to faculty development
• To receive, evaluate, and approve such proposals
• To receive, study, and evaluate proposals for research and advanced study submitted by members of the faculty, and approve those proposals which, in the judgment of the committee, should receive financial assistance
• To receive, study, and evaluate requests for sabbatical leaves and approve those requests that, in the judgment of the committee, should be granted
• To form a subcommittee, composed of teaching faculty from both the FR&D Committee and the broader University, to select the recipient of Elon’s Distinguished Scholar Award
• None of the above duties will apply to the Law School.

B24C

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Global Education Curriculum Committee Section.

• Dean of Global Education, the Director of Study Abroad, and the Director of Study USA, ex-officio, without vote
• Assistant Dean of Global Education, ex-officio, without vote
• Members of the teaching faculty elected for staggered three-year terms with three members elected each year as follows:

Year One

• One member from Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• One member from Fine Arts and Humanities
• One member from Social Sciences

Year Two

• One member from the School of Business
• One member from the School of Communications
• One member at-large from the teaching faculty or support staff with faculty rank (The two at-large members must represent different divisions/schools)

Year Three

• One member from the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education
• One member from the School of Health Sciences
• One member at-large from Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences (The two at-large members must represent different divisions/schools)

All members will have experience teaching a study abroad or Study USA course at Elon. Each May the committee will elect a chair from among the nine teaching faculty members.

• Director of the Elon Core Curriculum, ex officio, with vote
• Two student members, with study abroad experience or Study USA, elected annually by the Student Government Association
• Faculty of the Law School are excluded from service on this committee.

• To promote the goals of global education
• To develop and apply criteria and procedures for reviewing and approving global education program proposals by Elon faculty
• To work in consultation with faculty and departments on the development of global education courses
• To review periodically and to make recommendations to the University Curriculum Committee for general curricular changes in the Elon global education program
• To promote the integration of global education experiences with other components of the academic programs of Elon University
• To work in collaboration with the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center on developing and conducting assessments to evaluate credit-earning Elon global education courses and programs, including both academic and the development of intercultural competence
• To work in collaboration with the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center on reviewing and evaluating relevant programmatic aspects of the Elon University global education program
• To consult with the Dean of Global Studies on the implementation of the Elon global education program

The Grade Appeals Hearing Committee should refer to Grade Appeals Hearing Procedure (X28B)

B35R

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Graduate Council Section.

• Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, or designee
• Director of each graduate program, except the Law School, without vote
• Associate Dean for Admissions and Administration for the Law School, or designee, ex officio, without vote
• Director of Graduate Admissions, or designee, ex-officio, without vote
• Registrar, or designee, ex-officio, without vote
• Dean of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library, or designee, ex-officio, without vote
• Three elected teaching faculty members serving three-year terms, representing the College of Arts and Sciences, one each from the Fine Arts and Humanities, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. Must have achieved the rank of Associate Teaching Professor, Teaching Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor.
• Four elected teaching faculty members serving three-year terms, representing the following schools, one each from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, the School of Communications, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, and the School of Health Sciences. Must have achieved the rank of Associate Teaching Professor, Teaching Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor.
• Two at-large teaching faculty members serving three-year terms, elected by the teaching faculty members. At-large members must represent different divisions or schools and be elected in alternate years.
• Elections to the Graduate Council occur on a three-year cycle. In the first year of the cycle representatives from the College of Arts and Sciences will be elected. In the second year of the cycle, representatives from the schools will be elected. In the final year of the cycle, at-large representatives will be elected. At the May meeting, one of these elected representatives will be elected by the committee as Chair.

• To evaluate proposed additions to or deletions from the graduate curriculum and to approve graduate curricular changes
• To review proposals for new graduate programs and to report to the University Curriculum Committee recommendations on those proposals
• To recommend standards for admission and retention of students in graduate programs
• To develop and recommend policy with regard to graduate programs
• To recommend academic support and student services pertinent to graduate students
• To be responsible for periodic review of the graduate curriculum in order to provide an instructional program that is consistent with the aims and objectives of the Elon University Graduate Program Mission Statement and that will meet the needs of the students who are currently enrolled.
• To publish an annual report of its work to the faculty
• None of the above duties of the committee will apply to the curriculum of the Law School, nor will the Law School faculty participate in the decisions of this committee.

B32T

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Library Committee Section.

• Dean of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library
• Six at-large teaching faculty members, three elected each year for a two-year term. Annually in May, the committee will elect a Chair from among these six teaching faculty members
• Two student members elected for a one-year term
• Associate Dean for Library and Information Services for the Law School or their designee, without vote

• To serve as a liaison committee between the faculty, the students, and the librarian and to discuss administrative matters pertaining to the library and make recommendations for the best possible library services
• To develop and recommend policy with regard to the library and library services
• To make recommendations regarding improvement, extension, and development of the services and facilities of the library

B34A

• To devise criteria for the administration and evaluation of individual proposals related to reassigned time faculty awards
• To receive, evaluate, and approve such proposals

B27Z

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Promotion and Tenure Committee Section.

The Promotion and Tenure Committee will consist of nine post-probationary teaching faculty members, at least four of whom will be full professors. Of the nine, at least four will be tenured, and all will hold the rank of Associate Teaching Professor, Teaching Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor. Members will serve two-year terms with no person serving more than two consecutive terms, nor more than three terms within a ten year period. Members will be elected annually on a two-year cycle.

Year One

• One member from Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• One member from Social Sciences
• One member from the School of Communications
• One at-large member from the College of Arts and Sciences

Year Two

• One member from Fine Arts and Humanities
• One member from the School of Education
• One member from the School of Health Sciences
• One member from the Love School of Business
• One at-large member

A Chair will be elected from and by the membership of the committee. Faculty members will be ineligible for promotion or tenure while serving on this committee and in the year following service on this committee. Faculty members will be ineligible for service on this committee the year following their promotion or tenure applications. Faculty of the Law School are excluded from service on this committee.

• To receive from the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs a list of faculty members who are eligible for promotion in rank and/or tenure.
• To participate in an annual training session, arranged by the provost, to promote awareness of bias in the faculty evaluation process. At a minimum, this training will address biases related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, age, disability, and nationality.
• To consider each eligible faculty member who applies for promotion and/or tenure based on the portfolio provided to the committee by the candidate and in accordance with University policies. Members from a candidate’s department serving on Promotion and Tenure may engage in the deliberations of Promotion and Tenure related to the candidate; however, they may not write a letter for inclusion in a candidate’s application materials while on Promotion and Tenure.
• To submit to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University recommendations for the next academic year no later than December 31 of each year and prior to meeting with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and each candidate’s Dean
• To meet with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and each candidate’s Dean to discuss the recommendation for each candidate and the rationale for the recommendation
• After notification of Promotion and Tenure decisions, to make available to any eligible faculty member upon request, through the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, its recommendations concerning the faculty member and an explanation of the basis for that recommendation.
• To lead a meeting in the spring with department chairs, deans, and members of the Academic Council to share general observations about the P&T process and to recommend future improvements. 
• None of the above duties of the committee will apply to the promotions and tenure of the faculty of the School of Law.

B27B

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Religious and Spiritual Life Committee Section.

• University Chaplain
• Nine at-large faculty members, serving three-year terms, with three appointed each year of a three-year cycle. The Committee on Committees invites the Chaplain's office to nominate up to two faculty members for consideration each year. The Religious and Spiritual Life Committee will elect annually in May a Chair from among these nine faculty members.
• Two to four student members, serving staggered two-year terms, elected by the faculty members of the Religious and Spiritual Life Committee.
• Two to four student members, serving staggered two-year terms, elected by the SGA.
• This committee may supplement faculty and/or student membership by electing non-voting members.

To exercise an overall concern for the religious and spiritual life of the University and to advise the University Chaplain on needs in this area of campus life. To develop ideas, recommendations and programs that support spiritual development and education broadly across campus. To assist chaplain and Truitt Center staff in communicating and implementing efforts to encourage dialog and engagement with religious and spiritual life matters to support multi-faith and inclusive community initiatives.

B32C

For procedures, policies, and the names of current members, refer to Student Life Committee Section.

• Five faculty members, serving two-year terms with three elected in Year One and two elected in Year Two. The committee will elect annually a Chair from among these five faculty members.
• Four student members appointed to two-year terms by the President of the Student Government Association. Student membership should reflect the variety of experiences and perspectives found in the student body. The committee will elect annually a Vice Chair from the student members.
• Vice President for Student Life, ex officio. The Dean will serve as Secretary to the committee.
• President of the Student Government Association, ex officio
• Director of Student Activities

• To advise and assist the Vice President for Student Life and Student Organizations
• To review extracurricular student activities and organizations periodically
• To recommend changes in policy and procedures affecting student life to the faculty and/or administration of the University
• To recommend to the Vice President for Student Life the bylaws of all new student organizations
• To promote more effective communication among the several campus constituencies in connection with student development and/or student life

B32H

At regular or special meetings of the faculty, an excess of one-third of the voting members will constitute a quorum.

B35K

At meetings of Academic Council, two-thirds of the voting members will constitute a quorum.

B35F

At meetings of the standing committees, a majority of the voting members will constitute a quorum.

B24K

Elon University affirms principles of free inquiry and respect for the right of each person to her or his convictions. Academic freedom is the right of every faculty member to be responsibly engaged in scholastic efforts to seek, discover, speak, teach, and publish the truth. Elon University will uphold its faculty's academic freedom and will protect all its faculty members against influences from inside or outside the University which would restrict them in the exercise of that freedom.

At the same time, Elon University enjoins its faculty members to exercise these freedoms in a professional and responsible fashion. As scholars and teachers, they should remember that others may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, exercise appropriate restraint, show respect for the opinions of others, and make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution unless so authorized.

Any faculty member, regardless of rank or contract status, who believes their academic freedom has been violated, may petition the Academic Council for a hearing. Following the hearing, the Academic Council will report its findings to the President and to the faculty member who initiated the petition.

B27P

The holding of public office is consistent with the principles of academic freedom, but intensive campaigning or a significant time requirement to perform the public duties may constitute interference with the faculty member’s loyalty to the University and to students. The amount and type of outside employment, especially with respect to outside teaching, consistent with the teaching objective is a matter to be resolved between the individual faculty member, the Department Chair, and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Research for monetary gain should be based upon an understanding between the individual faculty member and the University administration.

B29M

Appointment

The appropriate Dean will make a recommendation for a department’s Chair to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs after consulting with all full-time department teaching faculty. The chair will be appointed by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs after conferring with the Dean. A Department Chair will normally be appointed for a period of four years. The chair may be reappointed for successive two-, three-, or four-year terms.

Duties

A Department Chair, in addition to performing all regular duties of teaching faculty members, will serve as the chief administrative officer of the department and will represent the department in general University matters. The Chair will involve department members in decision making especially with regard to curriculum proposals and appointment, promotion, and retention of faculty members. They may also delegate administrative duties. Specific responsibilities include the following:

• Planning courses, submitting class schedules, making teaching assignments, and supervising the advising of majors
• Keeping under continuous study the departmental curriculum and standards, and making efforts to strengthen teaching procedures and to improve the quality of instruction
• Holding annual individual conferences with all department members to review their progress on current goals, consider new ones, and determine how those goals might best be achieved
• Participating in the selection and orientation of new staff members and making recommendations relative to the retention and promotion of staff members
• Preparing budget requests for the department and for library needs and requisitioning materials and equipment
• Preparing catalog material related to the department, conducting correspondence, and maintaining files necessary for the department
• Collecting the information necessary and writing the department’s annual report
• Conducting the annual evaluation of faculty members within the department (Unit III of the teaching faculty evaluation process)

B35A

Section 2. University Parliamentarian

B24A
Appointment

Primary and secondary University Parliamentarians are appointed by the President upon recommendation by Academic Council using Academic Council's Committee on Committees process. The Parliamentarians will be full-time members of the teaching faculty and will each serve a five-year term, with possible reappointment for two additional five-year terms.

Responsibilities

• The Parliamentarians are required to be experts in parliamentary procedure. At least one Parliamentarian is expected to be present at all university faculty meetings for the purpose of providing procedural advice.
• Parliamentarians provide guidance to presiding officers and assembly members as needed during university faculty meetings to facilitate productive, cooperative, and respectful transaction of business.
• Parliamentarians are also available to provide procedural advice to Academic Council, other committees, and task forces, as well as to individual faculty and staff members when requested.
• Administration supports specialized training and education for the Parliamentarians to maintain adequate parliamentarian expertise.

B24B
Appointment

The Faculty Ombudsperson is appointed by the President upon recommendation by Academic Council using Academic Council's Committee on Committees process. The Ombudsperson will be a member of the full-time teaching faculty with at least ten years of experience at Elon. They will serve a three-year term, with possible reappointment for an additional term. During their term, the Ombudsperson should not hold a leadership position (such as department chair) or other position which would compromise the impartial role of the Ombudsperson.

 

Responsibilities

The Faculty Ombudsperson helps faculty members address conflicts by providing consultation that is as free and open as possible.

• This consultation is confidential subject to law; no records are kept other than a statistical summary of the visit and its categories.
• This consultation is independent; the Ombudsperson has no instructions from the administration as to how to offer counsel.
• This consultation is neutral; the Ombudsperson does not take a side.
• This consultation is informal; the Ombudsperson does not prepare for any formal grievance process as that would completely change the tenor of the conversation. The Ombudsperson does not participate in grievance processes in any way.
• If the Faculty Ombudsperson has a conflict of interest with the individual seeking consultation or other involved persons, the Staff Ombudsperson will provide consultation.
  
  

Please review https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/faculty-ombudsperson/ for a fuller description and contact information.

B23X

All meetings and other business of the faculty will be conducted according to Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure.

B27G

A proposal for amendment to these bylaws may be originated by motion at any regular meeting of the faculty or at any special meeting called for such purpose, except in cases where such changes have been negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for faculty within the bargaining unit. A written copy will be distributed at the meeting. 

B34X

A proposal for amendment to these bylaws may be originated by a vote of the Academic Council, except in cases where such changes have been negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for faculty within the bargaining unit. A written copy will be distributed at least nine calendar days prior to the meeting at which the vote is to take place. 

B22A

Approval of an amendment to these bylaws will require an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members present at a Faculty Meeting subsequent to the meeting of the faculty or the Academic Council at which the proposal was presented, except in cases where such changes have been negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for faculty within the bargaining unit. All amendments are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.

B33A

Amendments that are editorial in nature (See Article VI, Section 3), except in cases where such changes have been negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for faculty within the bargaining unit may be approved by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members present at the Academic Council meeting at which the Amendment was proposed or any Academic Council meeting thereafter. Upon a motion of a voting member prior to the vote on the amendment, Academic Council will vote, using simple majority, on whether or not to require a vote on the proposed change at the next Faculty Meeting. All amendments are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.