III.A.1 Composition

III.A.1.a Member Selection

Members of the Faculty Council shall be selected from Faculty Senate members. During the period from the election of new members of the Faculty Council until the start of the new senate year, the newly elected members of the Faculty Council shall be invited to attend all Faculty Council meetings and to participate in debate. They shall not be voting members of the Faculty Council until the start of the new senate year, except that they may vote in the election of officers at the annual organizational meeting of the Faculty Council.  Replacement members shall serve the remainder of the original member's term. 

III.A.2 Officers

III.A.2.a Chair

  1. The Faculty Council Chair shall:
    1. preside over all meetings of the Faculty Senate, the Faculty Council, and the Executive Committee;
    2. report Faculty Council actions to the Faculty Senate at regular and special meetings of the Faculty Senate;
    3. prepare the agenda for Faculty Council meetings in consultation with other members of the Faculty Council. 
    4. serve in an advisory role as past-Chair at the discretion of the Chair.

III.A.2.b Vice Chair

  1. The Faculty Council vice chair shall:
    1. perform the duties of the chair when the chair is unable to do so;
    2. serve as parliamentarian of the Faculty Council. 

III.A.2.c Secretary

  1. The secretary of Faculty Council (hereinafter the "Faculty Council Secretary") shall:
    1. chair the Faculty Council's Elections Committee;
    2. preside over the election of officers;
    3. keep an accurate list of current voting members;
    4. assume the duties of the recording secretary in the event that the recording secretary is unable to fulfill the duties as described below at III.A.2.d 

III.A.2.d Recording Secretary

  1. There shall be a recording secretary (not necessarily a member of the Faculty Council) who is selected at the discretion of the chair of the Faculty Council. The recording secretary shall:
    1. keep, distribute, and preserve accurate minutes of meetings of the Faculty Senate and Faculty Council;
    2. distribute agendas, proposed motions, resolutions, and actions of the Faculty Council;
    3. keep an up-to-date record of the status of all resolutions and actions taken by the Faculty Senate, the Faculty Council, or the Executive Committee;
    4. maintain the official files of the Faculty Senate, the Faculty Council, and the Executive Committee. 

III.A.2.e Concurrent Terms of Office

  1. Persons holding a Faculty Council office shall hold only one Faculty Council office at any one time.
  2. Persons currently holding an office in a campus assembly may be candidates for election to an office of the Faculty Council, but should consider resigning the faculty assembly office before serving as an officer of the Faculty Council. 

III.A.3 Executive Committee

III.A.3.a Membership

  1. The Faculty Council Chair shall serve as the chair of the Executive Committee. 

III.A.3.b Meetings 

III.A.3.c FunctionsThe Executive Committee of the Faculty Council shall: 

  1. coordinate activities of the Faculty Council and its committees;
  2. ensure that Faculty Council is informed of the activities of the Faculty Council committees and the Faculty Senate committee;
  3. request reports as it deems necessary from the committees of the Faculty Council and the committee of the Faculty Senate;
  4. initiate and assign items of new business to the Faculty Council and to the Faculty Council committees and the Faculty Senate committee;
  5. receive proposals for items suggested for Faculty Council consideration;
  6. request the circulation to the Faculty Council or to the Faculty Senate of documents offered for consideration by the Faculty Council or Faculty Senate;
  7. serve as the Faculty Council's Committee on Elections;
  8. notify the relevant campus assemblies of the need to fill vacancies on the Faculty Council;
  9. appoint a Special Event chair to preside at a special event, as needed;
  10. review and recommend changes in these bylaws.

III.B Meetings, Quorum and Attendance [Click here to see corresponding section of the Constitution]

III.B.1. Meetings and Quorum

III.B.1.a Regular Meetings

  1. The regular meetings of the Faculty Council shall be held eight times a year in accordance with the September through December and February through May Regents meetings. Generally, Faculty Council meetings are held the week before Regents meetings, but should there be no Regents meeting in a particular month, a date will be chosen for that month's Faculty Council meeting by the Executive Committee. Meetings in January and between May 15 and August 15 shall be held only if specially recommended by the Executive Committee or if called by a majority vote of the Faculty Council. 
     
  2. Any bylaw may be temporarily suspended by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of those voting in a regular or special meeting of Faculty Council. 
     
  3. Members of the Faculty Council who travel in connection with Faculty Council service shall be provided mileage allowances at university rates. 

III.B.1.b Annual Organizational Meeting

  1. An organizational meeting of the Faculty Council shall be held annually prior to the earliest of the spring commencement exercises. This meeting shall consist of current voting members and newly elected members. The Faculty Council at this time shall elect officers for the next senate year, in accordance with procedures in section III.C below. The Faculty Council shall also establish its schedule of meeting times for the next senate year. 

III.B.1.c Non-Faculty Council Attendees

  1. Meetings of the Faculty Council are open to members of the Faculty Senate. Such members may express their views to the Faculty Council at the discretion of the chair or by a majority vote of the Faculty Council. 
  2. Meetings of the Faculty Council are open to representatives of University communication teams and other media. The names and affiliations of each reporter present shall be announced by the chair at the beginning of each meeting. 
  3. Meetings of the Faculty Council are open to the chair or designee of the Intercampus Student Forum and the chair or designee of officially recognized graduate student governance organizations to speak on matters of interest to the student organizations. 
  4. Meetings of the Faculty Council are open to the chair or designee of University of Colorado Staff Council to speak on matters of interest to the staff. 

III.B.1.d Quorum

  1. If a quorum is present at the beginning of the meeting, a quorum shall be assumed to be present throughout the meeting, unless a point of order concerning the quorum is made. 

III.B.1.e Voting

  1. In the event that a campus assembly or Faculty Council committee shall have co-chairs, only one vote will be allowed from that campus assembly or Faculty Council committee. 
  2. Absentee voting shall not be permitted. Tele- and video-conferencing votes shall be permitted. In urgent circumstances, when a decision is required before the next scheduled meeting, the Faculty Council may conduct electronic voting if all other bylaws concerning notice of motion have been satisfied. 
  3. A roll call ballot on any issue before the Faculty Council shall be held if a motion for a roll call ballot receives the affirmative votes of six or more members.
  4. A secret ballot on any issue before the Faculty Council shall be held if a motion for a secret ballot receives the affirmative votes of two or more members. 

III.B.1.f Agenda

  1. In all regular meetings of the Faculty Council, the following items of business shall be included on the agenda, as appropriate:
    1. call to order;
    2. approval of the minutes of the preceding Faculty Council and/or Senate meetings;
    3. Faculty Council Chair's report;
    4. report(s) from administration;
    5. call for texts of new motions;
    6. reports of Faculty Senate committee and Faculty Council committees;
    7. reports from the campuses: Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Health Sciences Center;
    8. report from the Retired Faculty Association;
    9. reports of special committees;
    10. unfinished business;
    11. new business;
    12. adjournment.

III.B.1.g Miscellaneous

  1. The Faculty Council Chair may exercise discretion in the frequency and length for which one person is recognized to speak. 
  2. All approved Faculty Council resolutions, motions, and recommendations shall be made available to the Office of the President for appropriate distribution to the system administration. 

III.B.2. Notice of MotionIII.B.2.a Requirements for Motions

  1. Any voting member of Faculty Council may make a motion or resolution, subject to the provisions of these Bylaws.
  2. All substantive formal recommendations to the Faculty Council shall be made in the form of a motion or resolution. 

III.B.2.b Notice of Motion Procedures

  1. On substantive matters of new business, written notice of motion or resolution shall be delivered to the Faculty Council Chair and the Faculty Council Office such that it can be distributed to the Faculty Council at least 72 hours in advance of a Faculty Council meeting. Notices of motion or resolution may also be distributed to the Faculty Council by the maker at least 72 hours in advance of a meeting which shall call for a vote on that motion. 
  2. Motions or resolutions on substantive matters of new business for which previous notice has not been given shall be introduced at the call of the Faculty Council Chair. These motions shall then be read and may be debated without action. Final action on such motions shall be deferred until the following meeting. In special circumstances, this rule may be suspended by a majority vote of the Faculty Council, and a vote may be taken on the new motion/resolution. 

III.B.3. Committee Reports

III.B.3.a Routine Committee Reports

  1. Routine Faculty Council Committee reports shall be limited to five minutes. 

III.B.3.b Forwarded Committee Reports

  1. Faculty Council Committee reports forwarded to the President or other administrative officials must first be approved by Faculty Council. Such reports shall be distributed to Faculty Council members 72 hours in advance of discussion. Discussion and debate may take place and notices of motion to amend the report shall be received at the first Faculty Council meeting for which the report is scheduled. Final action on such reports and on any amendments to them may be taken at the next meeting of the Faculty Council. 

III.B.4. Attendance

III.B.4.a Ineligibility

  1. Members of the Faculty Council may become ineligible to serve if they have three unexcused absences from meetings of the Faculty Council within one academic year. The Faculty Council Chair shall be responsible for determining whether a member has become ineligible, for notifying the member after the second unexcused absence of impending ineligibility, and, following a third unexcused absence, if the member is determined to be ineligible, for notifying the assembly or committee from which the member comes of the necessity for a replacement.

III.C Elections [Click here to see corresponding section of the Constitution]

  1. Vacancies on the Faculty Council and the Faculty Council Committees shall be filled by selection procedures administered by the faculty assembly on the campus where the vacancy occurs. These procedures shall be stipulated by the relevant campus faculty constitution or assembly bylaws. 
     
  2. The selection of new members to the Faculty Council and the Faculty Council committees for the next senate year shall take place no later than March 31 of each year. 
     
  3. The election of officers of the Faculty Council committees for the next senate year shall take place as soon as practicable at an organizational meeting of each of the Faculty Council Committees after the election of new members of Faculty Council Committees. These elections should occur prior to the election of Faculty Council officers. 
     
  4. The election of officers of the Faculty Council for the next senate year shall take place as soon as practicable at an organizational meeting of the Faculty Council. The elections shall be held after the election of officers of the Faculty Council Committees and the faculty assemblies, but prior to the earliest of the spring commencement exercises. 
     
  5. Eligible voters at the annual organizational meeting shall include current voting members and newly elected members. Eligible voters shall vote only once for each officer. 
     
  6. In the event that a committee or campus assembly shall have co-chairs, only one vote shall be allowed from that assembly or committee. 
     
  7. The Faculty Council Elections Committee Chair (i.e. Secretary of Faculty Council) shall call for nominations for officers at least one month prior to the annual organizational meeting. Nominations may be made by any Faculty Senate member. Nominations shall be received up to and during the annual organizational meeting.
     
  8. The sequence of Faculty Council officer elections at the annual organizational meetings shall be as follows: Faculty Council Chair, Faculty Council Vice Chair, Faculty Council Secretary. Anyone elected to a Faculty Council office shall withdraw from candidacy for any other Faculty Council office. 
     
  9. The Faculty Council Elections Chair (i.e. Secretary of Faculty Council) shall prepare a written ballot 48 hours in advance of the organizational meeting. 
  10. Written secret ballots shall be used in all elections of officers of the Faculty Council. Solo candidates may be elected by acclamation if there is a majority vote to do so. 
     
  11. In order to be elected as an officer of the Faculty Council or committee, a nominee must receive the affirmative votes of a majority of those attending a meeting at which a quorum is present. If no nominee receives this number of votes, the name of the nominee with the lowest number of votes will be dropped from the ballot and the balloting shall be repeated until one nominee receives a majority of the votes cast.

III.D Functions [Click here to see corresponding section of the Constitution]

The Faculty Council shall:

  1. discuss, formulate and distribute new policies or modifications of old policies that lie within the jurisdiction of the Faculty Senate; 
     
  2. prepare notices of motion for submission to the Faculty Senate for action in accordance with the procedure specified herein and in the Constitution; 
     
  3. hear, receive, refer to the appropriate committee, or act on reports, recommendations, or motions from Faculty Council members, Faculty Senate and Faculty Council Committees, special committees, and joint boards; 
     
  4. forward reports and resolutions to the President, other administrators, or the Board of Regents approved according to the procedures specified above at III.B.3.b.1; 
     
  5. consider issues affecting faculty referred to it from university administration or other parties external to faculty governance; 
     
  6. approve the members of the Privilege and Tenure Committee; 
     
  7. distribute minutes to all Faculty Council members as soon as possible after each meeting of the Faculty Council; 
     
  8. conduct surveys of the Faculty Senate on any major issue it deems appropriate; 
     
  9. create its own special committees as needed; 
     
  10. administer the faculty awards under its jurisdiction.

III.E Jurisdiction [Click here to see corresponding section of the Constitution]

III.F Joint Responsibility with System Administration [Click here to see corresponding section of the Constitution]

III.G Faculty Council Committees [Click here to see corresponding section of the Constitution]

III.G.1. Membership and Organization

III.G.1.a Membership

  1. Members of the Faculty Council standing committees (hereinafter "Faculty Council Committees") are not required to be members of the Faculty Council. Each Faculty Council Committee shall be composed of eight to twelve members of the Faculty Senate, two to three of whom shall be elected or appointed by each of the campus faculty assemblies, according to the provisions of the relevant campus faculty constitution or assembly bylaws. All Faculty Council Committees shall be permitted to have the following representatives as voting members: student representatives appointed by the Intercampus Student Forum and a designated graduate student governance organization, representatives appointed by a designated governance organization of lecturers, staff representatives appointed by the University of Colorado Staff Council and representatives from retired faculty appointed by the Retired Faculty Association. The Faculty Council shall, where appropriate, invite system administration to provide an administrative liaison for each Faculty Council Committee. Exceptions to this membership are listed below: 
     
    1. The Budget Committee, in addition to its campus representatives as specified above in III.G.a.1, shall include the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research or a designee from that office, the Vice President for Budget and Finance and the Director of the Budget as non-voting members. The Budget Committee shall also have staff and student representatives appointed as described above. 
       
    2. The EPUS Committee shall be composed of three representatives from each campus. In addition, EPUS shall include a graduate and an undergraduate student representative appointed as described above. 
       
    3. The Personnel Committee, in addition to its campus representatives as specified above in III.G.1.a, shall include a representative from retired faculty as described above and a representative from the non-tenure track faculty. The Director of Benefit Services shall be non-voting members. 
       
  2. In order to be eligible to serve as a student member of a Faculty Council Committee, the student must be a full-time undergraduate or graduate student in good standing throughout the time of service on said committee. The Faculty Council may make exceptions to this requirement for specific positions, or may waive application of such requirements in particular cases, as it deems appropriate.
     
  3. Each Faculty Council Committee may appoint temporary members for terms not to exceed one year. Terms are renewable. These members shall serve in an advisory capacity without vote, and all such appointments shall be reported to and approved by Faculty Council. 
     
  4. Members of Faculty Council Committees may become ineligible to serve if they have three unexcused absences from meetings of the committee within one academic year. The committee chair shall be responsible for determining whether a member has become ineligible, for notifying the member after the second unexcused absence of impending ineligibility, and, following a third unexcused absence, if the member is determined to be ineligible, for notifying the assembly from which the member comes of the necessity for a replacement. 
     
  5. Any member of a Faculty Council Committee whose service is deemed incompetent or disruptive by the Faculty Council Committee chair or faculty assembly chair may be subject to recall by the relevant campus faculty assembly or its executive committee. When a Faculty Council Committee chair or faculty assembly chair recommends recall of a Faculty Council Committee member, the faculty member shall be given the opportunity to discuss the matter with the faculty assembly or its executive committee. If necessary, a replacement shall be selected by the faculty assembly. 
     
  6. In the event that a committee member is unable to serve out her/his term, a replacement member shall be selected by the relevant faculty assembly. 
     
  7. A replacement member shall serve the remainder of the original member's term. 

III.G.1.b Officers

  1. Each Faculty Council Committee shall elect a chair (hereinafter "Faculty Council Committee Chair"), a vice chair (hereinafter "Faculty Council Committee Vice Chair"), and a secretary (hereinafter "Faculty Council Committee Secretary"). See Bylaw III.C. above for election 
  2. Faculty Council Committee Chairs shall be voting members of the Faculty Council. 
  3. Faculty Council Committee Chairs shall:
    1. call and preside over meetings of the Faculty Council Committee;
    2. report to each of the monthly meetings of the Faculty Council or designate a representative without vote to Faculty Council meetings to make the report for that committee in the event that the chair cannot attend;
    3. call an organizational meeting of the newly constituted Faculty Council Committee prior to Faculty Council elections to elect officers for the next senate year;
    4. notify relevant campus assemblies of the need to fill vacancies on the Faculty Council Committee;
    5. submit an annual written report in electronic format and suitable for publication, on the work of the Faculty Council Committee to the Faculty Council Office prior to the May Faculty Council meeting. A verbal summary of this report shall be presented at the May Faculty Council meeting.
  4. Faculty Council Committee Vice Chairs shall:
    1. perform the duties of the Faculty Council Committee Chair when the Faculty Council Committee Chair is unable to do so;
    2. serve as the parliamentarian of the Faculty Council Committee. 
  5. Faculty Council Committee Secretaries shall:
    1. record and preserve appropriate minutes of discussions and actions taken by the Faculty Council Committee;
    2. administer the elections of Faculty Council Committee officers;
    3. transmit Faculty Council Committee minutes to the person next succeeding in that office and to the Faculty Council office;
    4. keep an accurate list of current voting members of the committee.

III.G.1.c Organization

  1. Each Faculty Council Committee is authorized to create appropriate subcommittees subject to the approval of the Faculty Council. 
     
  2. Each Faculty Council Committee shall compose internal administrative rules to facilitate its proper functioning. 

III.G.2. Meetings and Quorum [Click here to see corresponding section of the Constitution]

III.G.2.a Meetings

  1. Faculty Council Committees are expected to meet at least monthly during the academic year except in January. The Faculty Council Committee chair may call special meetings at other times. 
     
  2. Location of the monthly meetings of Faculty Council Committees shall be determined by the Faculty Council Committee Chair in consultation with Faculty Council Committee members. 
     
  3. Absentee voting shall not be permitted. Tele- and videoconferencing votes shall be permitted. In urgent circumstances, when a decision is required before the next scheduled meeting, the committee may conduct electronic voting if all other bylaws concerning notice of motion have been satisfied. 
     
  4. At an annual organizational meeting of each Faculty Council Committee, current members and newly elected members shall:
    1. elect Faculty Council Committee officers for the next senate year;
    2. designate members to serve on each of its subcommittees, where appropriate;
    3. set the dates of Faculty Council Committee meetings for the next academic year.
    The Faculty Council Secretary and the Faculty Council Office shall receive written notification of such actions. 
     
  5. Members of Faculty Council committees who travel in connection with committee service shall be provided mileage allowances at university rates. 

III.G.2.b Quorum

  1. The quorum for a meeting of a Faculty Council Committee shall consist of the majority of the voting members of said committee. 

III.G.3. Functions [Click here to see corresponding section of the Constitution]
The primary purview of each Faculty Council Committee is stated in the Constitution. Specific functions of Faculty Council Committees are as follows: 

  1. Budget Committee. The Budget Committee considers matters concerning the allocation of university resources, including:
    1. reviewing the budget requests with representatives of the system administration prior to their submission to the Board of Regents and reporting the committee's concurrence or nonconcurrence with the budget request to Faculty Council;
    2. evaluating the management of the university's resources, which shall be included in the committee's annual report to Faculty Council;
    3. acting as the advisory body to Faculty Council on matters of the budget;
    4. when requested by the Faculty Council Chair or Faculty Council Committee Chair, provide recommendations about any financial implications.
  2. Women's Committee. The Women's Committee considers concerns of women faculty, including:
    1. assessing the cultural climate of the university as it pertains to opportunities of women faculty for academic advancement, productivity and appropriate compensation;
    2. making recommendations for creating an academic environment that fosters the academic success of women faculty;
    3. working to assure fairness in the recruitment and retention of women faculty;
    4. developing support networks and recommending policy to address the needs of women faculty;
    5. administering the Elizabeth Gee Memorial Lectureship Award.
  3. Educational Policy and University Standards Committee. The Educational Policy and University Standards (EPUS) Committee considers and recommends policies on education and academic and procedural standards, including:
    1. university academic standards, including the Uniform Grading Policy;
    2. procedural standards affecting academic affairs common to all academic units of the university;
    3. honorary degrees and recognition medals;
    4. evaluation and improvement of learning and teaching at all university levels.
  4. Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee. The Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee (EMAC) considers concerns of ethnic minority faculty, including:
    1. assessing the cultural climate of the university as it pertains to opportunities for ethnic minority faculty for academic advancement, productivity and appropriate compensation;
    2. making recommendations for creating an academic environment that fosters the academic success of both ethnic minority faculty and ethnic minority students;
    3. working to assure fairness in the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority faculty and students;
    4. developing support networks and recommending policy to address the needs of ethnic minority faculty and students.
  5. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Issues. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Issues ​ committee (GLBTI) considers concerns of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender faculty, including:
    1. assessing the cultural climate of the university as it pertains to opportunities of GLBTI faculty for academic advancement, productivity and appropriate compensation;
    2. making recommendations for creating an academic environment that fosters the academic success of GLBTI faculty;
    3. working to assure fairness in the recruitment and retention of GLBTI faculty;
    4. developing support networks and recommending policy to address the needs of GLBTI faculty.
  6. Communications Committee. The Communications Committee considers communication of information regarding the University of Colorado within the University and to the broader communities impacted by the University including:
    1. ​​Advising systemwide communication media to assure inclusion of relevant content;
    2. Identifying appropriate technology used to communicate information;
    3. Coordinating the flow of information among campuses and with systemwide University communications;
    4. Recognizing and promoting examples of excellence found in the University as a means of encouraging continuous growth of excellence;
    5. Informing constituencies of the issues before the Faculty Council and urging them to contribute their opinions, analysis, and ideas to the discussion;
    6. Publicizing current and upcoming events of significance to the faculty and staff and promoting awareness of the mission and impact of the Faculty Council and other shared governance bodies;
    7. Encouraging greater participation in the shared governance process.
  7. Personnel and Benefits Committee. The Personnel and Benefits Committee considers policies and other matters in the general area of university faculty personnel compensation and benefits including:
    1. faculty salaries;
    2. general policies on tenure, promotion and privilege of faculty members;
    3. sabbaticals and other types of academic leave;
    4. travel allowances;
    5. retirement annuities, insurance, sick leave, health benefits and other benefits;
    6. personnel and benefits decisions due to program discontinuance. Specifically, the Personnel and Benefits Committee monitors the efforts made by the university in balancing diversity considerations in termination decisions and in finding suitable positions for displaced faculty members within the university.

III.G.4. Reporting and Coordination [Click here to see corresponding section of the Constitution]
III.G.4.a Reporting

  1. Each Faculty Council Committee shall report directly to Faculty Council, keep the Executive Committee informed of its activities, subjects of discussion, recommendations and actions, and make an annual summary report in writing to Faculty Council. 

III.G.4.b Coordination

  1. Members of each Faculty Council Committee shall consider the prerogatives, interests, needs, and concerns of the constituencies they represent. They shall also keep their constituencies informed of the activities of the Faculty Council Committee and shall keep current on the relevant policies and regulations of each campus.
  2. Requests from Faculty Council Committees for funding shall be made to the Faculty Council Office in writing and in advance. 

III.G.5. Relationships with Administrative Officers [Click here to see corresponding section of the Constitution]

  1. In the event that a university administrator wishes to call any problem to the attention of a Faculty Council Committee, or requests a Faculty Council Committee to undertake any inquiry, the administrator shall make the notification or request to the Faculty Council Chair.