Section 2. The purpose of the Faculty Senate shall be to provide part of the means by which the faculty shall carry out the responsibilities set forth in the Bylaws of the Lander University Board of Trustees, sections III.3.2(b) and III.3.2(c). In the event of real or apparent conflict between this Constitution and the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees shall take precedence.

Section 3. Upon the Constitution’s becoming effective, the Faculty Senate and its Constitution shall substitute nunc pro tunc for the Faculty Council and the Governance Committees.

ARTICLE II. ORGANIZATION

Section 1. The Faculty Senate shall be composed of Senators representing the voting faculty of Lander University. The voting faculty shall consist of the President of the University, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and anyone holding the rank of Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor -- including ‘Visiting’ positions and the incumbent (as of the 1993-94 academic year) Directors of the Reading, Writing, and Mathematics Laboratories (Bylaws of the Lander University Board of Trustees, section III 3.1). The President of the Student Government Association and the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall be ex officio nonvoting members of the Faculty Senate.

Section 2. The voting faculty of each academic division or school shall elect one Senator, who shall not be the chair, library director, or dean of that division or school at the time of nomination. For purposes of Faculty Senate representation, the Professional Librarians and the Directors of the Reading, Writing, and Mathematics Laboratories shall be considered members of one academic division and shall be entitled to elect one Senator. The voting faculty of the University shall elect nine additional Senators at large serving staggered terms.

Section 3. A Chair, Chair-elect, and Secretary shall be elected from among and by the Senators to serve for a term of one year.

ARTICLE III. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1. Each spring the voting faculty shall nominate and elect Faculty Senators to take office on the first day following the end of the spring semester during which the election is held. The Faculty Senate shall conduct the election through its Elections Committee.

Section 2. Nominations for divisional and at-large Senators shall be requested from the voting faculty. Voting faculty of each division may nominate one candidate for divisional Senator and up to three different candidates for at-large Senators. The same faculty member may be nominated for both positions. If a person is nominated for more than one Senatorial position, he or she shall indicate the position for which he or she will appear as a candidate. The two persons receiving the highest number of nominations from their academic divisions or schools shall be designated as the candidates to stand for election as Senator of their respective academic divisions or schools. The six persons receiving the highest number of nominations for at-large positions shall be designated as the candidates to stand for election to the three available positions.

Section 3. Members of the Faculty Senate shall be elected from among the candidates determined in the nominating process. Voting faculty of each academic division or school shall vote for Senators from their respective division or school and all voting faculty shall vote for at-large Senators. Tie votes shall be resolved by a special election.

If a Senatorial vacancy occurs, the Faculty Senate shall conduct a special election to fill the vacancy from the appropriate constituency. The specially elected Senator shall complete the unexpired term of the Senator originally elected.

Section 4. Qualification for election of the Faculty Senate shall be membership in the voting faculty. Chairs, the library director, and deans of academic divisions or schools shall be eligible for at-large positions if they are otherwise qualified; they shall not be eligible for positions representing their divisions or schools.

Section 5. The term of office for each member of the Faculty Senate shall be three years. A Senator may not be re-elected until one academic year election cycle has elapsed since the end of his or her term unless he or she was elected by special election to fill an unexpired term of one year or less.

Section 6. Upon receipt of a petition signed by at least 50 percent of a Senator’s constituents, the Election Committee shall schedule a formal recall vote. Any Senator may be recalled by a two-thirds vote of his or her constituency.

Section 7. To the extent possible, one-third of the Senators shall be elected each year.

ARTICLE IV. JURISDICTION

Section 1. The Faculty Senate shall formulate policy on behalf of the faculty and shall serve as an advisory body to the President of the University. It shall have primary responsibility for recommending policy in matters of curriculum; subject matter and methods of instruction; tenure and promotion; academic freedom and due process; and those aspects of student life which relate to the educational process. It may consider all matters of University concern.

Section 2. Any member of the University community may bring a matter of University concern to the attention of the Senate.

Section 3. The Senate shall make recommendations to the voting faculty of the University concerning its areas of primary responsibility and any other matters deemed appropriate by the Senate. The voting faculty shall then vote at its next meeting without amendment to ratify, to reject, or to remand to the Senate such recommendations.

Section 4. Upon ratification by the voting faculty, recommendations shall be delivered to the President of the University. Should he or she choose not to follow a recommendation of the voting faculty, the President shall inform the Faculty Senate in writing of the reasons within thirty days of receipt of the recommendation. The Faculty Senate shall inform the voting faculty of such action by the President. Upon request of the Senate, the President shall meet with the Senate for discussion of the matter.

ARTICLE V. RESPONSIBILITIES

Section 1. The Faculty Senate shall propose its rules of procedure and bylaws to the voting faculty.

Section 2. The Faculty Senate shall meet at least monthly during the regular academic year. All meetings of the Faculty Senate shall be open meetings unless otherwise required by law, or unless, when allowed by law, the Senate shall declare by two-thirds vote that a meeting shall be conducted in a closed session. No vote shall be taken while a meeting is conducted in closed session.

Section 3. The Faculty Senate may establish such Senate committees as it deems appropriate. The members and temporary chairs of Senate committees shall be named by the Faculty Senate from among its members; at their first meeting of each year, the members of each committee shall elect their own chair and such other officers as may be appropriate for the effective functioning of the committee. The roster of committee members and officers shall be distributed at the first faculty meeting following the first Faculty Senate meeting of each academic year.

Section 4. The Faculty Senate shall provide the President of the University with a list of faculty nominees for consideration as appointees to all University standing committees.

Section 5. The Tenure and Promotion Committee shall apply the procedures and policies of the Faculty Handbook in making tenure and promotion recommendations to the President of the University. This committee shall consist of five tenured faculty who are not chairs, deans, or directors, and who shall not apply for promotion or serve on the Faculty Senate during their term of office. The faculty shall nominate candidates for this committee at a faculty meeting at least two weeks before the regular election of Faculty Senators. The Elections Committee of the Faculty Senate shall prepare a slate including all eligible and willing nominees, and shall publish the slate at least one week before the election. The Tenure and Promotion Committee shall be elected by the faculty immediately after the spring election of Faculty Senators. A majority vote is needed for election. Should one or more posts remain to be filled after any ballot, another ballot shall be held. The slate for second and succeeding ballots shall include twice the number of candidates as there are posts to be filled. These candidates shall be those receiving the highest numbers of votes on the previous ballot. Committee members serve three-year non-consecutive staggered terms.

Section 6. The Faculty Senate shall regularly report its activities to the faculty of the University and shall distribute the minutes of each meeting to the President of the University, the vice presidents, and the faculty.

ARTICLE VI. AMENDMENT PROCEDURE

Section 1. An amendment to the Constitution of the Faculty Senate may be proposed by a petition to the Chair of the Faculty Senate signed by at least twenty-five per cent of the voting faculty, or by a majority vote of the Senators present and voting at a Faculty Senate meeting, or by the President of the University.

Section 2. A proposed amendment to this Constitution shall be distributed to the voting faculty at least four weeks prior to its consideration at a meeting of the voting faculty. No action on amendments to the Constitution of the Faculty Senate may be taken unless at least one-half of the voting faculty is present. Passage of any such amendment shall be by a two-thirds vote of the voting faculty then present and voting. Upon passage, an amendment shall become effective after ratification by the President of the University and the Board of Trustees.

Adopted by:

The Governance Review Committee on February 16, 1993

The Faculty of Lander University on March 17, 1993

The Board of Trustees on April 14, 1993

SECTION II-B

BYLAWS OF THE FACULTY SENATE

OF LANDER UNIVERSITY

SECTION 1. OFFICERS

The Faculty Senate shall elect a Chair-elect and a Secretary from among the Senators to serve for a term of one year beginning on the first day following the end of the spring semester. For the initial year of the Faculty Senate, the Faculty Senate shall also elect a Chair. Nominees for Chair and Chair-elect must be tenured members of the voting faculty. Nominees for Chair-elect must have at least two full years remaining of their Senate terms at the time of their nomination.

The election of officers shall be by secret ballot, with a simple majority vote required for election. If on any ballot no person receives a majority vote, then there shall be a runoff between those receiving the two highest vote totals.

The Chair shall appoint a Parliamentarian of the Senate who shall not be a member of the Faculty Senate. The Parliamentarian shall advise the Chair on all matters of procedure at the meeting according to the latest revision of Robert’s Rules of Order.

SECTION 2. CHAIR

The Chair shall preside at meetings of the Faculty Senate. The Chair shall act as a representative of the Senate on appropriate University committees and in University forums other than meetings of the Senate or of the whole faculty, and shall communicate the Senate’s advice and recommendations to appropriate University officers. No later than February 1 of each year, the Chair shall advise the Senate Elections Committee of the need to conduct an election of Senators to succeed those whose terms are about to expire. At other times, the Chair shall promptly advise the Elections Committee of any Senatorial vacancy and shall request that the committee conduct a special election to fill such vacancy.

SECTION 3. CHAIR-ELECT

The Chair-elect shall assume the office of Chair when the Chair’s term expires or in the event of the Chair’s resignation or removal from office. If the Chair resigns or is removed, the Senate shall elect a new Chair-elect to fill the unexpired term of office. The Chair-elect shall represent the Senate on appropriate University committees. The Chair may delegate to the Chair-elect such other duties as the Chair may prescribe. The Chair-elect shall preside at the meetings of the Senate in the absence of the Chair.

SECTION 4. SECRETARY

The Secretary shall keep minutes and records of all the proceedings of the Senate. The Secretary shall regularly report the Senate’s activities by distributing promptly the minutes of each meeting of the Senate to the faculty, officers of the Student Government Association, administrators, and trustees. These minutes shall include a roll of those Senators present and absent. The Secretary shall represent the Senate on appropriate University committees.

SECTION 5. REMOVAL OF SENATE OFFICERS

Any officer may be removed from office upon a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate. A vote shall not be taken unless a petition signed by 25 percent of the Senators has been filed with one of the officers of the Faculty Senate and attached to the agenda for the meeting at which the vote shall be taken. If an office is vacated by recall, resignation, or other cause, the voting faculty shall elect at its next meeting a successor for the unexpired term.

SECTION 6. COMMITTEES OF THE FACULTY SENATE

The Faculty Senate may establish such standing and ad hoc committees as it deems appropriate. The Senate officers shall nominate and the Senate shall appoint the members of each standing or ad hoc committee prior to adjournment of the final Senate meeting of the spring semester. Senators whose Senate terms have not expired shall continue their committee duties for the succeeding year, or until reassigned. The Chair, Chair-elect, and Secretary shall constitute the Agenda Committee.

SECTION 7. MEETINGS

The Faculty Senate shall conduct regularly scheduled meetings at least monthly during the fall and spring semesters of the academic year. The Chair of the Faculty Senate may call a meeting of the Faculty Senate if necessary. A meeting of the Faculty Senate must be called upon the receipt of a petition to the Chair of the Faculty Senate signed by at least 25 percent of the members of the Faculty Senate. No business shall be transacted unless a quorum is present and continues to be present at any meeting. A majority of the elected Senators constitutes a quorum. In the absence of a quorum, the Chair may only make announcements of an informative nature, rule on the existence of a quorum, and recess once for a short period to attempt to secure a quorum.

SECTION 8. VACANCY OF A SENATORIAL POSITION

A senate seat shall be declared vacant following three absences from regularly scheduled meetings without reasonable cause during a Senator’s term of office. The responsibility of reporting cause lies with the Senator.

Reasonable cause may be defined as absence due to other University or professional duties or business, illness, or pressing personal matters.

The Chair of the Senate shall have the authority to rule on the validity of the cause of absence. The Senator affected may appeal the ruling to the Senate, which may overrule the Chair by a simple majority.

If a Senator is absent or anticipates being absent from all regularly scheduled meetings for more than three consecutive months even with reasonable cause, the seat shall nevertheless be declared vacant.

SECTION 9. AGENDA AND PROCEDURE

The Agenda Committee shall prepare an agenda for each regularly scheduled meeting and shall distribute it to each Senator, the President and vice presidents of the University, and the officers of the Board of Trustees at least five working days preceding the meeting. Agendas for special meetings shall be distributed as expeditiously as possible. Each divisional Senator shall immediately publish the agenda within his or her school or division. The Agenda Committee may allot a time period for agenda items. The duration of discussion of such items at the meeting shall be so restricted unless altered by a majority vote of the Senate.

Any student, faculty member, staff member, or member of the Board of Trustees may bring a matter of University concern to the attention of the Faculty Senate by communicating in writing with the Chair of the Faculty Senate. The Agenda Committee shall make an appropriate announcement of the matter either in writing attached to the agenda or by placing the matter on the agenda; however, only a Senator can introduce a motion to be voted upon by the Senate.

A procedural motion may be introduced by a Senator and disposed of at that meeting.

A substantive (main) motion may be introduced by filing the motion with the Chair in time for it to be attached to the agenda for the impending meeting. If the motion does not involve a matter of significant academic import or a policy recommendation then it may be voted upon at that meeting. However, if it does involve a matter of significant academic import or a policy recommendation, and unless waived by the passage of a motion to suspend the rules, the motion shall be attached to the agenda of the meeting at which it is being introduced, will be offered for a short explanation, inquiry, and debate at such meeting, and shall be committed by the Chair at the close of debate to an appropriate committee for study, report, and recommendation. The motion and the committee’s report and recommendation shall be attached to the agenda for the following meeting and no vote shall be taken by the Faculty Senate before such meeting.

Any Senator may move to call to the floor any item or subject that is not on the agenda, but such non-agenda items or subjects shall not be discussed or considered unless the Faculty Senate by a majority vote shall amend the agenda. The Chair may permit any person the privilege of the floor unless the Senate by majority vote should withdraw the privilege.

SECTION 10. AMENDMENT PROCEDURE

A motion to amend these bylaws shall be introduced by filing it with the Chair of the Faculty Senate in time for it to be attached to the agenda for the impending meeting. Upon a majority affirmative vote of the Senate, a majority affirmative vote of the voting faculty, and approval of the President of the University and the Board of Trustees, these bylaws shall be amended.

Adopted by:

The Governance Review Committee on February 16, 1993

The Faculty of Lander University on March 17, 1993

The Board of Trustees on April 14, 1993

SECTION II-C

FACULTY SENATE COMMITTEES

THE LANGUAGE USED IN THE LANDER FACULTY HANDBOOK DOES NOT CREATE AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEE AND LANDER UNIVERSITY. LANDER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REVISE THE CONTENTS OF THIS HANDBOOK, IN WHOLE OR IN PART.

1. ACADEMIC FREEDOM, GRIEVANCE AND DUE PROCESS COMMITTEE

MEMBERSHIP

The Academic Freedom, Grievance, and Due Process Committee will consist of three tenured faculty members. For each case, the Senate will elect from among its tenured members the Chair of the Committee; the Chair of the Senate, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, will then appoint two other tenured faculty members to the Committee for that case. The Committee members will all be outside the discipline involved. Each party to the complaint may challenge one of the Committee members without cause and may challenge in writing one of the remaining two with cause. The Officers of the Senate will determine the validity of the cause. In such cases, the Officers of the Senate will appoint a replacement.

FUNCTION

The Committee's procedures provide an orderly process whereby any faculty member who believes that he or she has been treated unfairly may seek prompt and objective review.

DELINEATION OF COMPLAINTS

Matters concerning professional decisions which may be petitioned up to the President, include but are not limited to the following actions:

a. Improper or unfair implementation of Divisional, School, or University policies or procedures

b. Improper or unfair application of recognized criteria or guidelines used in formal review processes by persons authorized to conduct such reviews

c. Improper or unfair denial of the complainant's access to Divisional, School, or University resources

d. Improper or unfair implementation of the tenure process.

DELINEATION OF GRIEVANCES

Matters concerning professional decisions which may be grieved up to the Lander University Board of Trustees (in accordance with Section 8-17-380 of the S.C. Code of Laws) are limited to the following four actions:

a. Discrimination in the assignment of professional duties by an administrator

b. Discrimination in the determination of the complainant's salary increment(s) or compensation

c. Discrimination in the decisions regarding promotion

d. Dismissal from a tenured or permanent position and dismissal before the end of an employment contract for cause.

Decisions involving the granting of tenure or non-renewal of employment contracts shall not be subjects for consideration by this Grievance Procedure.

PROCEDURES

A. The faculty member will first meet with the appropriate Unit Head for an informal discussion of the matter (in the event that the matter involves a Unit Head, the faculty member may choose to meet with the Vice President for Academic Affairs). This discussion must take place within 60 days (in this document, 'days' refers to calendar days, excluding spring break, winter break, and summer) of the matter's occurrence. All parties involved will meet in good faith and will make every attempt to resolve the matter in an equitable and professional manner.

B. If the matter is not resolved at this level, then in order to pursue the matter, the faculty member must request mediation. This request must be made in writing to the Chair of the Faculty Senate within 15 days of the discussion of the matter with the Unit Head. The Chair of the Faculty Senate will forward this request to the Faculty Mediator and will notify the Vice President for Academic Affairs of this action. (The Faculty Mediator will be the immediate past Chair of the Faculty Senate. In the event that this is not possible, or if the Faculty Senate Officers determine that it poses a conflict of interest, then the Faculty Senate Officers will choose from among all previous Faculty Senate Chairs a Mediator for that case).

The Mediator will assist the parties in resolving the matter in an equitable and professional manner. In order to do so, the Mediator will have access to all materials relevant to the matter. It is expected that the matter will be resolved at this level. Only under extraordinary circumstances should it become necessary to proceed to the next level.

If the matter cannot be resolved by mediation within a reasonable period of time, then the Faculty Mediator will so state in writing to the Chair of the Faculty Senate, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and all involved parties.

C. If the matter has not been resolved by mediation, then in order to pursue the matter, the faculty member must request in writing to the Chair of the Faculty Senate (with copies to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and all involved parties) that an Academic Freedom, Grievance, and Due Process Committee be formed to hear this case. This is an action that should be taken only after careful consideration and must not be initiated frivolously. This referral must be in writing and must be received by the Committee within 30 daysof the Mediator's statement of non-resolution.

The Committee will meet within 15 days(or as soon thereafter as possible)after receiving the referral and will begin review of the matter no later than 30 days(or as soon thereafter as possible) after its receipt. The Committee will conduct an expeditious review of the matter, requesting additional information, as necessary.

The Committee will conduct a hearing with the parties involved. Each party to the matter will have the right to representation at the hearing personally and/or through counsel and the opportunity to present evidence in his/her behalf. A transcript of the hearing will be prepared and will be maintained by the Committee.

Within 15 daysof the preparation of the written record of the hearing, the Committee will submit its findings and recommendations to the President, along with a copy of the written record of the hearing. Simultaneously, the Committee will forward a copy of the Committee’s findings and recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and all involved parties.

D. After conferring with the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the President will render a decision no later than 30 daysafter receipt of the Committee's recommendation. The decision of the President will be transmitted in writing to the faculty member, the members of the Academic Freedom, Grievance, and Due Process Committee, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and all other parties directly concerned. The President’s decision is final, except if the matter is appealable to the Board of Trustees. The President may, upon written receipt of justifiable reasons, grant an extension at any step of the process prior to an appeal to the Board of Trustees.

E. The President's decision on grievances may be appealed to the Board of Trustees (through the Chair of the Board). Such an appeal must be made within 30 days of the President’s decision. The Board of Trustees will receive no new evidence, and such appeal is limited to the record of the Committee hearing. The Board’s decision will be final.

F. The above time frames should be followed by all parties involved.

2. AGENDA COMMITTEE

MEMBERSHIP

The Agenda Committee will consist of the Senate Chair, Chair-elect, and Secretary.

FUNCTION

The Agenda Committee will prepare an agenda for each regularly scheduled meeting. The Agenda Committee shall make all necessary changes in the text of the Faculty Handbook by revising the on-line version as changes are approved and by distributing paper copies to all Handbook users as the Committee shall deem them necessary; the Committee shall monitor theFaculty Handbook and recommend to the Faculty Senate revisions for clarity, consistency and precision.

PROCEDURE

At least five working days preceding a meeting of the Senate, the Agenda Committee will distribute the agenda to each Senator, to the President and Vice Presidents of the University, and to the Officers of the Board of Trustees. Agendas for special meetings will be distributed as expeditiously as possible. The Agenda Committee may allot a time period for agenda items.

3. BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MEMBERSHIP

Three voting members of the Faculty Senate.

FUNCTION

1. Reviews the University budget and recommends future budgetary allocations to the University Administration through the Faculty Senate;

2. Makes recommendations to the Faculty Senate regarding budgetary policies including (but not limited to ) summer school pay, overload pay, merit raises, and adjunct faculty salaries; and

3. Works to publicize faculty perceptions of budgetary needs and seeks to promote faculty understanding of budgetary matters.

PROCEDURE

The Committee will meet as often as deemed necessary by the Chair.

4. CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

MEMBERSHIP

The Curriculum Committee will consist of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President of the Student Government Association as ex officio non-voting members and at least four other Senators who will be voting members. Neither the Vice President for Academic Affairs nor the President of the Student Government Association may serve as the Committee Chair. The Chair will be elected from the eligible Committee members at the first Committee meeting of the academic year. The Registrar will serve as consultant to the Committee.

FUNCTIONS

The function of the Curriculum Committee is to recommend action on undergraduate proposals (additions, deletions, and modifications), changes in the present undergraduate curriculum, and changes in the undergraduate academic contents of the catalog. All votes will be reflected in the minutes of each meeting. Any recommendations affecting general education must be recorded in the minutes.

PROCEDURE

The Committee will meet as often as is deemed necessary by the Chair. A copy of the materials to be reviewed by the Committee will be sent to the Chair; a copy will be placed in the curriculum folder in the library for review.

All recommendations and votes will be reflected in the minutes. The minutes of the Curriculum Committee's meetings will be attached to the agenda for the next Faculty Senate meeting.

When the minutes of that particular Faculty Senate meeting are approved, nonpolicy actions take effect. Motions to change policy evolving from the Curriculum Committee will be sent to the Faculty Senate separately with the recommended approval or disapproval from the Committee and must be approved through normal Faculty Senate Procedures.

5. ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

MEMBERSHIP

The Elections Committee of the Faculty Senate will consist of the Chair-Elect of the Faculty Senate and two other voting Senators nominated by the Officers of the Senate and appointed by the Senate.

FUNCTIONS

In accordance with the procedures given in the Constitution and the Bylaws of the Lander University Faculty Senate, the Elections Committee will perform the following functions:

a. Conduct all regular and special elections to the Senate

b. Schedule a formal recall vote if requested by a petition signed by at least 50 percent of a Senator's constituents

c. Conduct elections of faculty members to University standing committees if the President deems that committee members are to be elected rather than appointed.

PROCEDURE

The Elections Committee will prepare and publish a slate of all eligible and willing nominees for the University Tenure and Promotion Committee. Candidates for the Tenure and Promotion Committee will be nominated each spring at a faculty meeting at least two weeks prior to the regular election of Faculty Senators; the slate will be published at least one week prior to the election.

The Chair of the Faculty Senate will notify the Elections Committee when there is need for an election, regular or special. Regular elections will be held each spring. Special elections will be held when a Senate seat becomes vacant. The Officers of the Senate will determine the existence of a vacancy.

All elections will be conducted according to the procedures outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Faculty Senate.

6. FACULTY GRANTS COMMITTEE

MEMBERSHIP

The Faculty Grants Committee will consist of three Senators and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will serve as a non-voting, ex-officio member.

FUNCTION

The function of the Faculty Grants Committee is to review and recommend funding for faculty in-house grant applications. The funding sources are the University Fund and the Lander Foundation Fund.

PROCEDURES

At its first yearly meeting the Faculty Grants Committee will

a. elect a Chair from among the three voting Senators to serve for the academic year

b. set up meeting dates to correspond with grant application deadlines

c. arrange to have the applications ranked before each scheduled meeting

In the application review process, all guidelines established in the preceding year will be consistently followed. With the regular minutes of its meetings, the Committee will submit the names and activities of all faculty members who receive recommendations of support for their applications.

After the last application review process, the Committee will meet to recommend adding, deleting, or altering guidelines for the next year. The recommendations will be submitted to the Faculty Senate.

The Chair will be responsible for maintaining a file of minutes and of application recommendations made during the academic year. The file will (a) act as a reference guide for subsequent committee members, (b) ensure that recommendations made on grant applications maintain some degree of consistency.

7. FINE ARTS AND LECTURESHIP (FALS) COMMITTEE

MEMBERSHIP

The FALS Committee will consist of three Senators. The Chair of the Committee will be elected from its members during its first meeting of the academic year.

FUNCTIONS

The FALS Committee will review proposed events and will determine which events meet the requirements for Fine Arts and Lectureship credit. This Committee will also recommend changes in the Fine Arts Lectureship policy to the Faculty Senate.

PROCEDURE

The Committee members will receive copies of completed FALS application forms from the Office of Academic Affairs. (The Chair will receive the original form.)

Within 24 hours of receipt of a form, the other two members of the Committee will notify the Chair whether the event is acceptable. All three members of the Committee will vote. A decision to approve or to deny an application requires two votes.

The Chair will sign the original application form, indicating approval or denial, and return it to the Office of Academic Affairs.

8. GENERAL COMMITTEES

MEMBERSHIP

Each of the General Committees of the Faculty Senate will consist of at least three Senators. All will be voting members. Additional ex-officio members may be asked to serve on each Committee as specific issues are addressed in Committee. The Chair of each Committee will be elected from among its members at its first Committee meeting of the year.

FUNCTIONS

The function of each of the General Committees is to address issues/tasks directed to the respective committee by the Chair of the Faculty Senate. Generally, these are issues/tasks that have no definite committee within the structure of the Faculty Senate. All actions and votes will be reflected in the minutes of each meeting. Any action affecting Lander University policy must be recorded in the minutes.

PROCEDURES

Each Committee will meet as often as is deemed necessary by the respective Chair. All actions and votes will be reflected in the minutes. The minutes of each Committee's meetings will be attached to the agenda for the next Faculty Senate meeting. When the minutes of that particular Faculty Senate meeting are approved, non-policy actions take effect. Motions to change policy evolving from the respective Committees will be sent to the Faculty Senate separately with the recommended approval or disapproval from the Committee and must be approved through normal Faculty Senate procedure.

9. THE GRADE AND JUDICIAL APPEALS COMMITTEE

MEMBERSHIP

The Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee will consist of a faculty member who will serve as Chair and is selected from and by the Faculty Senate, three other faculty members selected by the Faculty Senate, and a student representative. The student member and an alternate student member will be nominated by the President of the Student Government Association in consultation with the advisor to the Student Government Association. If neither the student representative nor the alternate can attend a meeting, the Student Government Association president will substitute for him/her.

The membership will be subject to approval by the President of the University. Prior to the end of each spring semester, the Faculty Senate will recommend the faculty membership to the President, and members will serve for one calendar year, beginning May 16 and extending through May 15 of the following year. In addition, at this time alternates will be chosen to be in line to take a member’s place in case of unavoidable absence during the academic year or during the summer. If a faculty member whose grade is being appealed is not available or is no longer on the Lander University faculty or in case of a conflict of interest, the Unit Head will represent the faculty member. If an appeal involves a member of the committee or a committee member’s Unit Head, one of the alternates will be asked to serve in his/her place.

Members of the committee will observe strict professional confidentiality concerning all committee business. The committee will uphold the University policy on confidentiality of student information. All other participants in the process will sign a confidentiality agreement.

FUNCTIONS

The committee will hear the following types of appeals:

1. grade appeals not resolved at the level of the academic unit

2. judicial appeals not resolved by the Student Life Council, the Honor Council, and the Vice President for Student Affairs

3. appeals related to regulations for academic honors at graduation.

The committee may affirm previous decisions, or it may recommend review and consideration of revisions.

PROCEDURES

The committee will meet as necessary and as called by the Chair. The following procedures govern the work of the committee.

Grade Appeals:

Appeals for a grade change may not be made after one calendar year from the date the grade was given. No grade appeal may be initiated after a student has graduated. The committee cannot hear cases that involve charges of academic dishonesty unless the academic Honor Council has already ruled on the situation.

Hearings for grade appeals will not be conducted after the last day of classes of each semester unless a student has a compelling reason for being heard during the examination period. The committee will not hear an appeal when the University is on official break. Official break is defined as Christmas and Spring breaks, the days between graduation and the beginning of Summer School I, and the days between the end of Summer School III and the beginning of the fall semester.

A student wishing to consider appealing a grade must meet with the Chair of the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee for an explanation of the procedure, including requirements for completing the Grade Appeal From. During this meeting the Chair will listen to the student’s explanation and advise the student to consider carefully whether an appeal seems appropriate. If the Chair wishes, he/she may contact the faculty member involved in order to seek further information before the student proceeds. Students at the University Center of Greenville may meet with Lander’s representative at the Greenville Center to receive this advice and information.

If the student chooses to continue the process, the Chair will explain that the hearing is not an effort on the part of the University to replicate in any way judicial proceedings in the spirit or sense of a formal court of law. The hearing simply provides a University forum for appropriate and fair-minded discussions and deliberations. In that spirit, neither the University nor the student may be accompanied by legal counsel. The student may, however, be accompanied by an on-campus advisor for support. Should the student be accompanied by an on-campus support person, the support person is not allowed to participate directly in any discussion but may discreetly confer only with the student during the course of the hearing. The Chair will then explain the phases of the appeal process.

First Phase of Appeal Procedure

1. The student will then attempt to resolve the issue by consulting with the faculty member. If the issue is not resolved at this meeting and the student wishes to proceed, the faculty member will sign the Grade Appeal Form; this signature indicates that the student has attempted to resolve the matter at this level. The student must also sign the Grade Appeal Form to verify discussion with the faculty member.

2. The student will then consult with the appropriate academic Unit Head to attempt a resolution. If the instructor whose grade is being appealed is the Unit Head, the student will consult with the Vice President for Academic Affairs. If the issue is not resolved at this meeting and the student wishes to proceed with his/her appeal, the Unit Head or Vice President for Academic Affairs will sign the Grade Appeal Form. This signature indicates that the student has attempted to resolve the matter at this level. The student must also sign the Grade Appeal Form to verify discussion with the Unit Head or Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Second Phase of the Procedure

At this point the student may continue the formal grade appeal process by submitting to the Chair of the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee the following items:

a. a completed Grade Appeal Form signed as specified above under "First Phase of Appeal Process"

b. a letter explaining the basis for the grade appeal

c. if applicable, supporting documents and a list of any other evidence to be presented.

Third Phase of the Procedure

Upon receipt of the required documents, the committee Chair will promptly inform the faculty member, the appropriate Unit Head, the student's advisor, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The committee Chair will also make available to the faculty member a copy of the items listed above under "Second Phase of the Procedure."

Fourth Phase of the Process

1. The committee will conduct a hearing within fourteen workdays of receipt of the Grade Appeal Form. If necessary, the committee may seek additional information and advice from individuals directly involved in the case.

2. The committee hearing will focus on the issue at hand. The student's argument at the hearing will be limited to statements from the student and the evidence outlined in the required documents listed in Phase 2 of the Process (above). A student's grades from another course and an earlier time should not be introduced unless they have a bearing on the matter at hand.

3. Within five workdays after the hearing, the committee Chair will notify the student, the faculty member, the appropriate Unit Head, the advisor, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs of the committee's findings and recommendation(s).

Fifth Phase of the Process

1. Should the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee recommend that a grade be changed, the committee will provide the instructor with a written explanation of its reason and will request that the instructor make the change. Should the instructor decline, he or she will inform the committee and provide an explanation for refusing within five workdays of receiving the request for a change.

2. Within three workdays of receiving notice of an instructor's refusal to change a grade as recommended, the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee will review its recommendation in the light of the explanation provided by the instructor. If the committee still concludes that it would be unjust to allow the original grade to stand, the Chair of the committee will, in consultation with the instructor's Unit Head or the Vice President for academic Affairs if the instructor is the Unit Head, appoint two faculty members from the instructor's discipline or a closely related discipline to a Review Committee.

a. The instructor's Unit Head shall not serve on the Review Committee.

b. The Chair of the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee shall serve as the third member and as Chair of the Review Committee.

c. The Review Committee shall meet within seven workdays of receiving the case. It will consider only whether particular intellectual and pedagogical characteristics of the discipline would require that the original grade be maintained as just. It will base its deliberations only on the written record of the case.

3. The Review Committee may either uphold or dissent from the decision of the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee.

a. Should the Review Committee, by majority vote, uphold the decision of the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee, the Chair will recommend in writing to the instructor's immediate administrative superior that the grade be changed, with copies of the recommendation sent to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the student, and the instructor. That administrative superior may then change the grade, notifying the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Chair of the committee, the instructor and the student of whatever action he or she takes on the recommendation.

b. Should the Review Committee, by majority vote, dissent from the decision of the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee in support of the instructor, it will provide a detailed rationale to the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee, which may then rescind or reaffirm its decision.

(1) Should the committee rescind in support of the instructor, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the instructor, and the student will be informed in writing of the recommendation that the original grade stand.

(2) Should the committee reaffirm its original decision to recommend changing the grade, the Chair will recommend that the instructor's administrative superior may proceed with the grade change. The administrative superior does not have to change the grade if he/she agrees with the instructor. The vice president for Academic Affairs, the instructor, and the student will be informed of the committee's recommendation that the grade be changed.

4. The Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee will then hear no further appeals from either side.

Judicial Appeals:

In the Student Handbook, the Appeals section of the "Lander University Academic Honor Code" states: "If the student is found guilty by a hearing of the honor council and he/she elects to appeal the decision, the appeal must be made to the faculty senate of the university [through the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee] within five calendar days of the honor council hearing." According to the Handbook, "The decision and judgment of the faculty senate will be binding. No further appeal will be available." This committee acts on all such appeals on behalf of the Faculty Senate.

A student may appeal according to the following procedure:

1. The student will submit to the Vice President for Student Affairs a letter explaining the reason(s) for appealing the Honor Council's decision.

2. The Vice President of Student Affairs will notify the Chair of the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee that the student is appealing the Honor Council's decision and will Provide the following items for the committee:

a. the student's letter of explanation

b. the case file

c. the recording of the hearing made by the Honor Council

3. Upon receipt of these items, the committee Chair will promptly call a meeting of the committee to review the appeal. The committee may seek additional information and advice .

4. The committee will proceed according to the following sequence

a. The Chair assures that appropriate committee members are present.

b. In executive session, the Chair reviews the role of the committee and the basic process to be followed. The committee members then review the items submitted by the student (see #1-2 above).

c. The Chair presides over the Committee during its deliberations. The final decision of the Committee is based on a motion, second, and simple majority vote.

5. Within five workdays after the meeting, the committee Chair will notify the student, the Vice President, for Student Affairs, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the appropriate judicial body, and all other involved parties of the committee's recommendation(s).

The Lander University Catalog explains the current policy on academic honors at graduation: "To be eligible for academic honors at graduation, a student must have completed at least 60 semester hours of undergraduate work in residence (which excludes CLEP and other credit earned by exam) at Lander University." A student may petition this policy or other honors policies according to the following procedure:

1. Main campus students must submit the following items to the Chair of the Grade and Judicial Appeals Committee. University Center students may submit this material to the Lander representative at the University Center of Greenville:

a. a letter explaining his/her reason(s) for requesting consideration of an exception to the policy stated in the Catalog

b. a complete, official transcript.

2. The student must submit this material to the Chair of the committee at least one month before the last day of classes of the semester during which he/she intends to graduate.

3. Upon receipt of the required documents, the Chair will call a committee meeting to consider the student's request and evidence.

4. The Chair of the committee will notify the student, the Dean of Enrollment Services, and the Lander representative at the University Center at Greenville if the student is a University Center student.