UNIVERSITY SENATE
¶
1417. Organization and Membership--1. The University Senate is
an elected body of professionals in higher education created by the General Conference
to determine which schools, colleges, universities, and theological schools
meet the criteria for listing as institutions affiliated with The United
Methodist Church.32
[FTN] 32. See
Judicial Council Decision 589.
2. The
senate shall be composed of twenty-five voting members who, at the time of
election, are actively engaged in the work of education through employment in
an educational institution and are fitted by training and experience for the
technical work of evaluating educational institutions. Election is for the
quadrennium, except in cases where conflict of interest arises as a result of
change in employment. Nine of these members shall be elected quadrennially by
the National Association of Schools and Colleges of The United Methodist Church--seven
of whom shall be chief executive officers of United Methodist-related
educational institutions, the other two holding other positions relevant to
academic or financial affairs or Church relationships; four by the General
Board of Higher Education and Ministry--two of whom shall be chief executive
officers of United Methodist-related higher educational institutions, the other
two holding other positions relevant to academic or financial affairs or Church
relationships; four by the General Conference--two of whom shall be chief
executive officers of United Methodist-related educational institutions at the
time of their election, the other two holding other positions relevant to
academic or financial affairs or Church relationships; four by the senate
itself, without limitation other than the general provisions of this paragraph;
and four shall be appointed by the Council of Bishops--two of whom shall be
chief executive officers of United Methodist-related educational institutions,
the other two holding other positions relevant to academic or financial affairs
or Church relationships. Each of the five electing bodies shall elect at least
one woman.
Members
elected by the General Conference shall be nominated and elected by the
following procedure: Twelve persons shall be nominated by the Council of
Bishops, six of whom shall be chief executive officers of United
Methodist-related educational institutions, the other six holding other
positions relevant to academic or financial affairs or Church relationships. At
the same daily session at which the above nominations are announced, additional
nominations may be made from the floor but at no other time. From these
nominations, the General Conference shall elect without discussion, by ballot
and by plurality vote, the four persons to serve on the senate, two from each
of the two categories of nominees. Should a vacancy occur in the members
elected by General Conference in the interim prior to the next General
Conference, the Council of Bishops shall appoint a replacement taken from the
remaining nominees. The election process shall be repeated at each succeeding
General Conference. Care should be taken that women, racial and ethnic persons,
and representatives from the United Methodist-related Black colleges and
graduate theological seminaries shall be members of the senate. If a member
(other than the four elected by the General Conference) retires from
educational work, or for any other cause a vacancy occurs during the
quadrennium, it shall be filled by the agency by which the retiring member was
elected at its next meeting. The general secretary of the General Board of
Higher Education and Ministry and the associate general secretaries of the
Divisions of Higher Education and Ordained Ministry (Section of Elders and
Local Pastors and Section of Deacons and Diaconal Ministers) of that board
shall serve as ex officio members of the senate, with voice but without vote.
There shall be one staff representative on the senate from the General Board of
Global Ministries, with voice but without vote, named by the general secretary
of the General Board of Global Ministries.
3. The
associate general secretary of the Division of Higher Education shall be the
executive secretary of the senate. The general secretary of the board shall
convene it for organization at the beginning of each quadrennium. The senate
shall elect its own officers, including a president, a vice president, and a
recording secretary, and it may appoint such committees and commissions and
delegate to them such powers as are incident to its work. Thereafter, it shall
meet semiannually at such time and place as it may determine. Special meetings
may be called on the written request of five members or at the discretion of
the president and the executive secretary.
4.
After consultation with the officers of the senate, the Division of Higher
Education shall provide in its annual budget for the expense of the senate as
it may deem sufficient, except that expenses incurred by the senate on behalf
of any other board of the Church shall be borne by that board.