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1.6 University Assembly

(Charter)

The University Assembly (Assembly), which includes administrators, faculty, and some staff, is the parent body for shared governance.

The Assembly considers issues regarding the academic program of the University at the conceptual level. Specific policies and procedures are decided in University Senate. Any action of University Senate that is intended as a recommendation to the President is subject to review by the Assembly. The Assembly may, with two-thirds majority vote of those present, veto or refer for further consideration any such action. Without veto or referral from Assembly, recommendations go to the President.

The Assembly meets monthly during Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters to

  • Encourage spiritual growth and commitment of the total campus community
  • Foster professional development and familiarize faculty and staff with current educational policies, problems, issues, trends; fiscal status and issues; and committee and Senate actions
  • Initiate discussion, review recommendations of committees responsible to the Assembly, and make recommendations to administration relative to the academic program, student life, student services, academic support, and auxiliary and business enterprises, etc.
  • Hear matters that are outside the domain of any other particular deliberative body
  • Share with the Board of Trustees, through the President, a general sense of the feeling of the University community

(Bylaws)

  1. The membership of the Assembly consists of

    1. Chair: University President

    2. Vice Chair: Chair of the Faculty

    3. Voting Members:

      i. Full-time tenured or tenure-track teachers and librarians holding academic rank

      ii. Full-time non-tenured and non-tenure-track teachers holding academic rank

      iii. Chair of Staff Council

      iv. Emeritus professors during any quarter for which they are contracted to teach

      v. Salaried staff

    4. Contract faculty and hourly staff are invited to attend as non-voting members.

    5. Students and other individuals may attend at the invitation of the chair.

  2. A quorum consists of one-third of the College Place University Assembly voting members.

(Procedures)

The University Assembly meets monthly during the Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters. The meeting is chaired by the University President. The Chair of Faculty is the vice chair.

  1. The meetings will include a devotional time.

  2. The chair establishes the agenda in coordination with the vice chair and sets time parameters for each item.

    1. The agenda will include time for the Chair of the Faculty to review Senate actions. The Chair of the Faculty is responsible for placing Senate actions on the Assembly agenda and providing minutes of Senate discussion and supporting documents for distribution with the Assembly agenda at least three (3) calendar days before the meeting. Actions taken less than three days prior to an Assembly meeting will be considered at the next regular Assembly meeting.

    2. Items may be submitted by any member, subject to approval by the chair. Any item accompanied by a petition signed by 12 members from at least two (2) different departments must be placed on the agenda of the next meeting. Proposed agenda items are to be submitted to the chair by seven (7) teaching days before the meeting.

  3. No voting may occur if a quorum is not present.

    1. Discussion and review items do not require votes.

    2. Vetoes of University Senate actions, and addition of items to the agenda require a two-thirds majority of those present to pass.

    3. Voting requirements listed in 1.1.4.2 Interim Policy take precedence in Interim Policy voting.

    4. Changes to procedure require three-quarters of those present to pass.

    5. All other matters require a simple majority of those present to pass.

  4. The chair appoints a secretary to record minutes of the meetings. Agendas and minutes are distributed electronically to all members and maintained by the President in an electronic archive.

  5. Special meetings may be called by the chair with a minimum 7-day advance notice to all voting members. Emergency meetings may be called without advance notice.

  6. By the first meeting of the school year, the President chair appoints a parliamentarian. The parliamentarian is responsible for determining the number which constitutes quorum. Robert's Rules of Order is the procedural guide.