All advisory, legislative, and administrative powers in the University concerning its educational work, except those vested in the President by the Board of Trustees, are exercised by, or are under the authority of, the Ruling Bodies according to their respective jurisdictions as herein defined. See the University Statutes for a complete description of governance procedures.

The University Ruling Bodies

The University Ruling Bodies consist of:

Provisions Common to Several Ruling Bodies

Membership in the Faculty of a School, Division, or College with voting privileges is extended to all Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Instructors, and clinical faculty without public distinction of title who are appointed on a full-time basis in the University for at least a year, and one-third of whose work for the current year is in the School, Division, or College in question. Further, the Faculty of any School, Division, or College may adopt a rule conferring membership with voting privileges on faculty members who have been full-time members of the Faculty and who currently have at least a half-time appointment in the University.

A faculty member on full-time service in the University for at least a year may, if specifically appointed, may hold joint membership with voting privileges in more than one faculty on the basis of less than one-third service.

Members of a Faculty with emeritus status, lecturers, assistants, and other academic personnel who are appointed for at least one year to give service in the College, a Division, or a School may be invited to attend the meetings and take part in the deliberations of its Faculty, but shall not vote.

Vacancies in the places of ex officio representatives in any Ruling Body may be temporarily filled by persons appointed by the President.

Jurisdiction and Powers

Each Faculty shall have general legislative power over all matters pertaining to its own meetings, and to the admission requirements, curricula, instruction, examinations, grading, and degrees in its own School or Division, and these powers of each Faculty shall be exclusive and final, except as otherwise specifically provided in below.

Meetings of any Faculty may be called by the Dean, and shall be called by the Dean at the request of such proportion of the Faculty as shall be fixed by the Faculty.

The University Senate

Powers

The Senate meet not less than once a year to hear a report from the President and to discuss matters of University interest.

The President may call special meetings of the Senate, and shall call such special meetings on vote of the Council or on petition of one-tenth of the members of the Senate.

The Senate shall elect a Council as provided below.

The Council of the University Senate

The Council of the University Senate consists of fifty-one elected members chosen by the Senate from its membership by the Hare System of Proportional Representation. The President and the Provost of the University are members without vote, save that the Chairman may vote to break a tie. These officers shall serve as Chairman or Vice-Chairman in the order listed, and if none of these be present, a Dean of a Division shall preside. Nominations are made and elections are held each year to elect seventeen regular members to serve for a term of three years from September 25, to replace the seventeen whose terms expire on September 24. Candidates are placed in nomination by three or more members of the Senate. The retiring members, except those who have served less than one year, are ineligible for re-election until the lapse of one year. Vacancies are filled, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Council, at the time of the annual elections.

The Council meets once a month in the Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters, or oftener at the call of the President or of the Provost, or of such proportion of its membership as it shall determine.

The Council is the supreme academic body of the University, having all legislative powers except concerning those matters reserved to the Board of Trustees, the Office of the President, or the other Ruling Bodies. In particular, it has jurisdiction over 1) matters affecting more than one Ruling Body, and 2) any action of any Ruling Body which substantially affects the general interest of the University.

Questions of jurisdiction between the President and the Council are decided by the Board of Trustees. Questions of jurisdiction between the Council and other Ruling Bodies are decided by the President.

Actions of Ruling Bodies within the jurisdiction of the Council are referred to the Council, through the Committee of the Council, at the first Council meeting following the action, and are not effective until that meeting of the Council. At such meeting the Council may approve or disapprove such action, or direct that such action be stayed until further order of the Council.

The Council acts by vote of the majority (but not less than twenty) of the members in attendance.

The Committee of the Council

The Committee of the Council consists of seven members of the Council chosen annually by the Council by the Hare System of Proportional Representation. Deans are not be eligible for election to the Committee. Members of the Committee are eligible for reelection provided they are members of the Council.

The President and the Provost of the University are members of the Committee, without vote and serve as Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively. Vacancies in the elected membership are filled as provided by the Council. The Committee elects a spokesman who is the channel of communication between the Committee and the Council.

The Committee may concern itself with all matters of educational policy within the jurisdiction of the Council. All matters to be presented to the Council for action first have to be laid before the Committee, which shall report its opinion upon them to the Council through its spokesman. At the Committee’s request it may meet with the appropriate committee of the Board of Trustees.

The Committee meets every two weeks during the Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters, or oftener at the call of the President or of such proportion of its membership as it shall determine.

The President keeps the Committee informed as far as practicable on all matters of general University interest.

Subcommittees of the Committee of the Council are appointed by the President in consultation with the spokesman.

The Constitution of the College

The complete Constitution of the College can be viewed here.