SP.99.11
September 27, 1999

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE

University Statutes and Senate Procedures
(Final; Action)

SP.99.11 Election of Senate Council Chair and Vice-Chair

BACKGROUND

On several occasions in the past few years the position of either the Chair of Senate Council or the Vice-Chair of Senate Council has become vacant. Because of the current manner in which these two officers are elected, some confusion arose each time as to how to fill these vacancies. The Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures (USSP) has been asked to propose amendments to the Bylaws so as to avoid confusion in the future. USSP proposes several amendments. The net effect, we believe, will be to avoid the confusion that has arisen before. We want a procedure that leaves no room for pause or debate as to what should happen in the event a vacancy occurs.

The principles underlying our proposal are:

Vacancies (except for that of the Chair of Senate Council) are filled in the same manner in which the former incumbent obtained the position.

Two elections, one for Chair and one for Vice-Chair of Senate Council, should be held.

The solutions we propose are:

The Committee on Committees (CC) will prepare slates for two elections, one for Chair of Senate Council and one for Vice-Chair of Senate Council, before the organizational meeting in the Spring.

In the case of a vacancy for the Chair of Senate Council, the Vice-Chair will succeed to the position of Chair.

In the case of a vacancy for the Vice-Chair of Senate Council, for example if the Vice-Chair should succeed to the position of Chair, or resign, or befall some other fate, then the Vice-Chair position will be filled by an election at the next meeting of the Senate in the usual manner - nominations from CC, etc.

In the period from the date a Vice-Chair position becomes vacant to the date when a new Vice-Chair is elected, that member of the Council with the longest service to the University will serve as interim Vice-Chair.

RECOMMENDATION

The Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures recommends approval of the revisions to the Bylaws. Text to be deleted is indicated in [square brackets] and text to be added is underscored.

• PROPOSED REVISION TO THE BYLAWS PART A.5.(b)
• (b) Prior to this organizational meeting, nominations shall be made for the Chair and Vice-Chair
• of the Senate Council and for members of the Committee on Committees.
• (c) The nomination and election of the Committee on Committees shall be as stated in Part D 7(c)
• of these Bylaws.
• (d)
• 1. Nominations for Council officers shall be made by the incumbent Committee on
• Committees. Nominations may also be made by mail and must be accompanied by a
• consent to serve from the person nominated. Nominations by mail must be received in
• the Senate Office prior to the date set by the Senate Council. [The nominations will make
• no distinction between Chair and Vice-Chair. If there are more than four nominees,
• ballots will be cast by mail to reduce the number of nominees to four. On such a ballot
• each voter may cast two non-cumulative votes.] The nominations will clearly distinguish
• between Chair and Vice-Chair. The nominator shall provide a brief biographical sketch
• of each nominee for the ballot mailing.
• 2. The final elections shall be by mail ballot. The ballots shall be marked clearly to
• distinguish between the election for Chair and the election for Vice-Chair of Senate
• Council. Each voter may cast one vote [for Chair of the Senate Council] for each position.
• [The nominator may provide a brief biographical sketch of each nominee for the ballot
• mailing.] The biographical sketches shall be included with the mail ballot.
• 3. The nominee receiving the highest number of votes for each positon shall be declared
• elected [Chair, and the nominee receiving the second highest number of votes shall be
• declared elected Vice-Chair].
• PROPOSED REVISION TO THE BYLAWS PART D.1.(b)
• (b) Membership
• The Senate Council shall be composed of (a) a Chair and a Vice-Chair, elected by ballot by and
• from among the membership of the Senate, who shall be the presiding officers of the Senate
• Council, (b) seven faculty senators elected by and from among the faculty chairs of the
• standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate, (c) three students, including at least one
• undergraduate and at least one graduate or professional student, all of whom shall be elected
• by and from among the student senators, (d) one of the Senate's representatives to the
• University Senates Conference, elected by the Senate to serve on the Council, and (e) the
• campus faculty member of the Faculty Advisory Committee to the Board of Higher Education
• ex officio with vote. In the event of a vacancy in the Chair position, the Vice-Chair will
• immediately succeed to the position of Chair. In the event of a vacancy in the Vice-Chair
• position, an election by the Senate of a Vice-Chair will be conducted at the next meeting of the
• Senate in accordance with the provisions of Part A, Section 5 (d). From the time the Vice-
• Chair position becomes vacant and until a Vice-Chair has been elected and certified, that
• sitting member of the Council with longest university service will serve as interim Vice-Chair.
• [A] Any other vacancy on the Senate Council shall be filled by the same procedure utilized in
• selecting the vacating member.

UNIVERSITY STATUTES AND SENATE PROCEDURES
Robert Fossum, Chair
Humza Durrani
H. George Friedman, Jr.
Harry H. Hilton
John W. Kindt
Amit Mathur
Julian Palmore
Robert C. Damrau, Ex officio
Thomas M. Eakman, Observer
C. K. Gunsalus, Ex officio (designee)
Vera V. Mainz, (PAC Liaison)