Representation in the Faculty Senate will be according to districts. The Faculty Senate is comprised of senators who represent districts within the constituent Faculties of Old Dominion University and Eastern Virginia Health Sciences Center. The districts are defined to reflect the size of the faculty, students, and the structures of the academic colleges and schools. In situations involving changes to the names of the units or entities (i.e., college, school, department) underpinning the Faculty Senate districts, the naming of the districts can be changed by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee without requiring approval of the Faculty Senate. However, fundamental changes to the number of districts, such as the addition or removal of academic departments that grant tenure and promotion will require review by the Faculty Senate.
College of Arts and Letters: Each academic department that grants tenure and promotion is considered a Faculty Senate District.
District 1: Art
District 2: Communication and Theater Arts
District 3: English
District 4: World Languages and Cultures
District 5: History
District 6: Music
District 7: Political Science and Geography
District 8: Sociology and Criminal Justice
District 9: Philosophy and Religious Studies
District 10: Women's and Gender Studies
College of Business: Each academic department and school that grants tenure and promotion is considered a Faculty Senate District.
District 11: Accounting
District 12: Management
District 13: Economics
District 14: Information Technology and Decision Sciences
District 15: Marketing
District 16: Finance
District 17: Public Service
College of Education and Professional Studies: Each academic department that grants tenure and promotion is considered a Faculty Senate District.
District 18: Special Education
District 19: Counseling and Human Services
District 20: Education Foundations and Leadership
District 21: Human Movement Sciences
District 22: STEM Education and Professional Studies
District 23: Teaching and Learning
College of Engineering and Technology: Each academic department that grants tenure and promotion is considered a Faculty Senate District.
District 24: Electrical and Computer Engineering
District 25: Engineering Technology
District 26: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
District 27: Civil and Environmental Engineering
District 28: Engineering Management and Systems Engineering
College of Sciences: Each academic department that grants tenure and promotion is considered a Faculty Senate District.
District 29: Biological Sciences
District 30: Chemistry and Biochemistry
District 31: Computer Science
District 32: Mathematics and Statistics
District 33: Ocean and Earth Sciences
District 34: Physics
District 35: Psychology
University Libraries: The University Libraries is considered one Faculty Senate District.
District 36: University Libraries
Teaching Faculty without academic home departments: Teaching faculty without affiliation to an academic home department or in standalone schools that do not grant tenure and promotion constitute one Faculty Senate District.
District 37: Unaffiliated Teaching Faculty
Emeritus Faculty: The Old Dominion University Emeriti Faculty Organization constitutes one Faculty Senate District. Emeriti faculty shall be entitled to one senator and no more.
District 38: Emeritus Faculty
Unaffiliated Research Faculty: Research faculty without affiliation to an academic home department constitute one Faculty Senate District.
District 39: Unaffiliated Research Faculty
College of Health Sciences: Each academic department that grants tenure and promotion is considered a Faculty Senate District.
District 40: Medical Diagnostics and Translational Sciences
District 41: Rehabilitation Sciences
District 42: Dental Hygiene
District 43: Communication Sciences and Disorders
District 44: Kinesiology and Health Science
School of Health Professions: Two Faculty Senate Districts that will be represented by Senators elected through procedures defined by the Schools of Medicine and Health Professions Faculty Assembly.
District 45: Clinical Departments (PA/SA)
District 46: Non-Clinical Departments
School of Medicine: Seven Faculty Senate Districts that will be represented by Senators elected through procedures defined by the Schools of Medicine and Health Professions Faculty Assembly.
Districts 47-53: School of Medicine
School of Nursing: Two Faculty Senate Districts representing academic departments that grant tenure and promotion.
District 54: Entry Level Nursing Education
District 55: Advanced Level Nursing Education
School of Public Health: Two Faculty Senate Districts representing academic departments that grant tenure and promotion.
District 56-57: School of Public Health
Election of Faculty Senators
Senators from odd-numbered Districts shall be elected in odd- numbered years. Senators from even-numbered Districts shall be elected in even-numbered years. Elections shall be conducted by each District independently or according to the procedures of their respective Faculty Assembly and validated by the Executive Committee.
Election of Officers
Each spring, after the election of the new members of the Faculty Senate and prior to commencement, the incumbent Executive Committee shall convene the following year's Faculty Senate for the purpose of electing officers. The incumbent officers shall officiate at this meeting and shall distribute notices of the meeting and minutes as for regular meetings. Only the members of the following year's Faculty Senate are eligible to vote in the meeting.
Officers and the Executive Committee
The officers of the Faculty Senate shall be the chair, the vice chair, the secretary, and such other officers as the Faculty Senate deems necessary. Officers will be elected every two years by the Faculty Senate at its organizational meeting.
The Executive Committee provides leadership for the Faculty Senate by serving as an agenda committee for the deliberations of the Faculty Senate, helping the Senate conduct its business consistent with the Constitution and By-laws, and representing the faculty and the Faculty Senate to University leadership and the University community.
The officers plus six faculty senators will constitute the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate. Executive Committee members will be elected every two years by the Faculty Senate at its organizational meeting. The terms of the Executive Committee will be two calendar years beginning the first day after commencement.
The composition of the Executive Committee will include:
- Faculty Senate chair
- Faculty Senate vice chair
- Faculty Senate secretary
- Six at-large representatives
In the election of members to the Executive Committee (both officers and at-large members) the Faculty Senate should strive to achieve broad representation of all campus units with members in the Faculty Senate.
- Prepare the agenda for all Faculty Senate and Faculty Forum meetings, including regular reporting on Executive Committee activities.
- Represent the faculty and the Faculty Senate to the University leadership.
- Represent the Faculty Senate to the University community.
- Manage assignments to Faculty Senate standing and ad hoc committees and the follow-up to Faculty Senate actions by other University entities.
- Administer elections for officers and and the Executive Committee for the incoming Faculty Senate (led by the Vice Chair).
- Monitor participation by faculty senators. The Executive Committee can declare vacant the seat of a district senator who fails to attend more than three properly called meetings of the Faculty Senate.
- Appoint standing and ad hoc committees.
- Perform such other functions as assigned to it by the Faculty Senate or the Faculty Forum.
- Recommendations of the committees of the Faculty Senate are to be presented to the Faculty Senate for its approval except when such committees have been specifically empowered by the Faculty Senate to act without such approval.
- Recommendations of committees of the Faculty Senate shall be in the form of written motions placed before the senate for its consideration, accompanied by written rationales for the specific recommendations made.
- Each standing committee shall have at least two faculty senators among its membership and at least two-thirds of the membership of each committee shall be members of the Faculty Forum. The chair of the senate shall serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of all Senate committees and shall receive materials and agenda distributed to other committee members.
- The chair of each standing committee shall be a faculty senator and shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.
- The student government shall be invited to appoint the student members to vacancies of Faculty Senate committees on which they have representation.
- The Executive Committee shall be empowered to declare vacant the seat of a member on a committee who fails to attend more than three properly called meetings of the committee.
- General Responsibilities
- Committee chairs will have a special responsibility for keeping the secretary of the Faculty Senate informed of their current work.
- It is the committee chair's responsibility to schedule committee meetings so that, to the extent possible, all members have the opportunity to attend.
- Committee chairs will publicize and hold open hearings on issues where appropriate or when so directed by the Faculty Senate.
- All Faculty Senate committees are required to file agenda and accurate minutes of all committee meetings and hearings with the Faculty Senate secretary.
- All Faculty Senate committees are required to file an annual report with the Executive Committee.
- When a committee is ready to bring a resolution to the floor, the committee chair will inform the secretary of the Faculty Senate and submit a written copy of the resolution, with rationale, for consideration by the Executive Committee, which may place the resolution on the agenda of the senate meeting. Resolutions and rationales shall accompany the agenda for the meeting at which the resolution is scheduled for action by the senate.
A. UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM AND PROGRAMS COMMITTEE
Areas of Responsibility: All matters related to undergraduate curriculum and programs.
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Undergraduate curriculum and degree requirements for existing and proposed programs
- General Education curriculum and requirements
- Oversight of articulation agreements and course equivalency
- Registration and orientation
- Articulation agreements and course equivalency oversight
Membership
- Eight faculty members (at least one from each college)
- One student representative appointed by the Student Senate (ex officio/non voting member)
- Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (ex officio/non voting member)
B. UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC POLICY AND PROCEDURE COMMITTEE
Areas of Responsibility: All matters related to academic policies and procedures affecting undergraduate students, program, and faculty.
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Academic policy and procedures relating to admissions, continuance, and exit standards for undergraduate students
- Policies and procedures relating to academic advising for undergraduate students (including advising of student athletes)
- Interaction of intercollegiate athletics with academic units and programs
- Financial aid to undergraduate students (including oversight of financial aid to student athletes)
- Undergraduate instruction
- Continuance regulations and disciplinary-related issues such as academic dishonesty and the student code of conduct
- Student concerns as they relate to intercollegiate athletics.
Membership
- Eight faculty members (one from each college and at least two chief departmental advisors)
- One student representative appointed by the Student Senate (ex officio/non-voting)
C. GRADUATE STUDIES COMMITTEE
Areas of Responsibility: All matters related to graduate curriculum, instruction, programs, students, and faculty.
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Graduate curriculum and requirements for existing and proposed degree and certificate programs
- Academic policies and procedures relating to admissions and enrollment, continuance, transfer credits, graduate assistantships and financial aid, and other issues affecting graduate students
- Policies and Procedures impacting the administration of and faculty in graduate programs
- Graduate instruction, including graduate certification of faculty and training and certification of graduate teaching assistants
Membership
- Eight faculty members certified for graduate instruction. At least six of these must be graduate program directors (one from each college)
- Two graduate student representatives appointed by the Student Senate (one master's and one doctoral student) (ex officio/non-voting members)
- Dean of Graduate School (ex officio/non-voting member)
D. SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY AND RESEARCH COMMITTEE
Areas of Responsibility: All matters related to or impacting faculty scholarly activity and research.
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Policies and procedures for scholarly activity and research, including research institutes or centers
- Resource allocation for support of scholarly activity and research
- Policies and procedures related to the administration of sponsored research
Membership
- Six faculty members (one from each college)
- Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies (ex officio/non-voting member)
E. BLANK
F. PROMOTION AND TENURE COMMITTEE
Areas of Responsibility: All matters related to policies and procedures for faculty promotion and tenure.
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Policies on academic rank and tenure
- Procedures on awarding various academic ranks and procedure for granting tenure
- Policy on hiring and terminiating faculty
- Policy and procedures on evaluation of faculty
Membership
- Eight faculty members (at least one from each college)
- Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Strategic Initiatives (ex officio/non-voting member
G. FACULTY STATUS AND REMUNERATION COMMITTEE
Areas of Responsibility:
- Faculty rights, privileges, responsibilities, and related matters
- Working conditions for faculty
- Faculty development (including review of Faculty Development Fund Program Proposals)
- Faculty Salaries
- Conditions and terms of faculty contracts
- Faculty fringe benefits
- Faculty retirement programs
Membership
- Six Faculty Members (one from each college)
- Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Strategic Initiatives (ex officio/non-voting member)
H. DIGITAL LEARNING AND ONLINE EDUCATION
Areas of Responsibility: All matters related to digital learning, online education and academic programs
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Academic polices and procedures governing online education, programs, and courses
- Policies impacting faculty teaching online courses
- Policies and procedures relating to academic advising for online students
- Online instruction and assessment
- Resources and support for online programs and faculty teaching online
Membership
- Ten faculty members affiliated with online programs or teaching online courses
- One representative of University Libraries
- Vice President for Digital Learning or representative of the Division of Digital Learning (ex officio/non-voting member)
- Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (ex officio/non-voting member)
I. ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES COMMITTEE
Areas of Responsibility: All matters related to administrative and academic support and resources for academic programs and faculty.
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Budget related matters such as enrollment projections, budget priorities and policies, and tuition and fee changes
- Physical plant, landscaping, and parking
- Computing services to support research and teaching
- Instructional support services
- Oversight of continuing education and noncredit programming
- Oversight of planning and use of university physical and financial resources for intercollegiate athletics that affect the academic mission, units, and programs of the university.
Membership
- Eight faculty members including one member of the Executive Committee and at least two members of the previous year's committee
- Vice President for Administration and Finance (ex officio/non-voting member)
J. LIBRARY COMMITTEE
Areas of Responsibility: Advise the University Libraries' activities in support of students and faculty.
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Identifying and addressing issues affecting the ability of the University Libraries to meet the instructional and research needs of students and faculty
- Ensuring adequate communication between the Libraries and students, faculty, and administrators
- Ensuring adequate coordination between the University Libraries and faculty and academic programs
- Advising the University Libraries on the allocation of resources for collection material and services, especially considering changes in academic programs, the student population, and faculty needs.
Membership
- Six Faculty members (one from each college)
- Three professional librarians selected by the University
A. All members of the academic community may submit matters for consideration to the Faculty Senate. The procedure to be used is as follows, except for emergency matters (see section C, below).
- Resolutions, petitions, suggestions, or any other matters shall be submitted to the chair of the Faculty Senate in writing. A concise explanation of the rationale behind the petition should form part of the statement. Issues can be submitted via the online issue form or via email to the Faculty Senate Office.
- The Executive Committee will give careful consideration to all matters thus submitted. Depending on the issue and the way it is presented, the Executive Committee may do the following:
- Bring a matter of special urgency directly to the floor of the senate.
- Assign the matter to the appropriate standing committee for deliberation and a report to the senate, or appoint an Ad hoc Committee to investigate the issue and report its findings to the Senate.
- Refer the matter to another officer or organization within the university for action.
- Decide that the matter is outside the purview of the senate, or that it cannot be acted on in the form submitted.
B. Whatever the decision of the Executive Committee, the secretary of the Faculty Senate will do the following:
- Inform the petitioner in writing of the decision taken by the Executive Committee, and in cases of refusal to take action, briefly explain the rationale for the decision.
- Inform the Faculty Senate of the actions of the Executive Committee and distribute with the agenda of the senate meetings a list of all matters submitted, together with a statement of the action of the Executive Committee in each case. The Faculty Senate may reverse or revise any of the Executive Committee's actions at its next regular meeting.
- Maintain a complete register of all resolutions and issues with a file on each issue, including any action taken on the issue by the administration or Board of Visitors.
C. Emergency Issues
Any committee or senator that wishes to bring directly to a meeting an item that is too urgent to be submitted in the normal manner may do so by the following procedures:
- The resolution and its rationale, accompanied by a concise explanation of the nature of the emergency, must be distributed in writing to the Faculty Senate before the meeting is called to order.
- Under "Approval of the Agenda," a motion must be made to add the item at an appropriate place in the agenda of the meeting. If the motion is passed, the item will be dealt with as a part of the Faculty Senate's business.
A. Any faculty senator who for any reason misses three meetings of the Faculty Senate in an academic year shall be deemed to have vacated their seat and shall be replaced. In the event that a regular meeting is recessed to be reconvened at a later date, each session missed will be considered and absence for purposes of this role.
B. Exceptions to the above provision may be made only by a two-thirds vote of the senate conducted by a secret ballot.
A. These bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the faculty senate by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided the amendment has been submitted in writing and read at the previous regularly scheduled meeting.