Bylaws of the Faculty of Queensborough Community College

1.1 The faculty shall be defined as those full-time persons holding professorial titles; and lecturers, instructors, persons in the registrar series and college laboratory technicians. 

1.2 Faculty Designation. Such persons as enfranchised above in Article 1.1 shall have faculty designation pursuant to these bylaws. 

2.1 The Faculty of Queensborough Community College shall exercise the functions of a Faculty as defined by the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York and all other functions customary and proper for a college faculty.

2.2 The Faculty Executive Committee of Queensborough Community College shall be the principal agency of the Faculty in carrying out its Bylaw responsibilities. Any requests for clarifications of meaning and interpretations are to be directed to the Faculty Executive Committee who are the interpreters of its meaning at the College.

2.3 The Faculty of Queensborough Community College shall have the power to reverse the actions of the Academic Senate pursuant to the Governance Plan. 

3.1 Regular Meetings. The Faculty shall meet at least once each semester. Such meetings shall be called by the President of the College either on his/her own motion or at the request of the Faculty Executive Committee or by petition of ten percent (10%) of the Faculty. The agenda for a regular meeting, prepared by the Faculty Executive Committee, shall be sent to all members of the Faculty at least seven (7) days in advance of the meeting. The agenda for all regular meetings shall include a report by the President of the College or his/her designee on matters concerning the College and University.

3.2 Special Meetings. Special meetings shall be called by the President, the chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee, or at the written request of fifty (50) faculty members. The agenda for such meetings shall be sent to each member of the Faculty with the notice of the meeting. No items other than those included in the agenda accompanying the call for the meeting may be considered, except by two-thirds consent of the members present. Written requests for special meetings of the faculty, together with the required number of signatures, must be presented to the chairperson and the Faculty Executive Committee.

The chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee or his/her designee shall preside at all special meetings of the faculty. A special meeting shall be called within four (4) weeks of the receipt of such a request unless prevented by the end of the regular semester. In such cases, the meeting shall be called within three (3) weeks of the start of the next regular semester.

3.3 Quorum. A quorum for both regular and special meetings shall consist of what is required by the Open Meetings Law of New York State.  Only those members present may vote at a meeting.

3.4 Order of Business. The order of business shall be determined by the Faculty Executive Committee. In all matters not covered by these Bylaws, the Faculty shall be governed on its procedure by parliamentary rules and usages as set forth in Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition. 

4.1 Persons having received notice of nonreappointment shall not have the right to vote at faculty meetings or generalelections upon immediate receipt of such notice.

4.2 Persons who have submitted a resignation shall not have the right to vote immediately upon receipt of such resignation.

4.3 All persons having faculty designation as defined in Article I and not disenfranchised above (Articles 4.1, 4.2) shall have the right to vote in all faculty meetings and general elections.

4.4 Persons on leave shall retain the right to vote at faculty meetings during the period of their leave.

4.5 A recorded  poll of the Faculty shall be taken at the request of the Faculty Executive Committee, or by the Faculty Executive Committee as a result of a majority vote of Faculty present at a meeting.

4.5a A ballot containing the proposition to be voted upon, with exposition of the issue involved, shall be sent to each member of the Faculty eligible to vote.

Voting shall be by ballot, or as designated by the Faculty Executive Committee. At least three (3) days shall be allowed between the circulation of the ballot and the expiration of the poll.

4.5b Provision shall be made for secrecy of the balloting.

4.5c A number of ballots equal to or in excess of a majority of the Faculty eligible to vote must be returned in order to validate a written poll on any question other than one which is intended as an expression of faculty opinion or as a means of faculty consultation. 

 5.1  Officers. The Faculty shall elect a chairperson and six (6) other members of an Executive Committee for a three-year term. The committee shall designate one of its members to be secretary, and another to be treasurer of the Faculty. The secretary and the treasurer shall perform the duties of a secretary and a treasurer as required by the Faculty Executive Committee. The Faculty Executive Committee shall also elect  one of its members to serve as parliamentarian. Only persons eligible to vote at all faculty meetings (Article IV) shall be eligible to serve as and to vote for members of the Faculty Executive Committee.

5.2 Election of Faculty Executive Committee

5.2a Members of the Faculty Executive Committee shall be elected in the spring semester for a term of three (3) years beginning on June 1 and as needed to fill an unexpired term.

5.2b The election of the Chairperson and the six (6) members of the Faculty Executive Committee shall be conducted by the Faculty Executive Committee.

5.2c Nominations for Chairperson shall be made by petition signed by at least  ten (10) members of the Faculty eligible to vote (Article IV).

5.2d Nominations for the six (6) members of the Faculty Executive Committee shall be made by petition signed by at least ten (10) members of the Faculty eligible to vote (Article IV).

5.2e The Chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee shall be elected first before the election for the six (6) other members is carried out. The six (6) persons receiving the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected as members of the Faculty Executive Committee. A tie shall be resolved by a run-off election.  The election of the Chairperson and members of the Faculty Executive Committee shall be conducted by ballot.

5.2f A special election shall be held to fill vacancies in the Chair or membership of the Faculty Executive Committee resulting from resignation or permanent incapacity.

Procedures for such special elections shall be the same as described in 5.2c, d, e.

5.3 Functions of the Faculty Executive Committee

5.3a The Chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee or his/her designee shall preside at all meetings of the Faculty.

5.3b The Faculty Executive Committee shall prepare the agenda for Faculty meetings after discussion with the President.

5.3c The agenda of a regular meeting of the Faculty must include any written proposal signed by at least ten (10) members of the Faculty and submitted to the Faculty Executive Committee at least two (2) weeks before the date of the Faculty meeting.

5.3d The Faculty Executive Committee shall canvass the Faculty for proposals for consideration at meetings of the Faculty.

5.3e The President shall meet at least once each semester  with the Faculty Executive Committee to discuss items of concern to the Faculty.

5.3f The Faculty Executive Committee shall propose to the Faculty for its approval such standing and ad hoc committees as they deem necessary and the membership thereof.

5.3g The Faculty Executive Committee shall consider proposals for Academic Senate action; present such proposals to the Faculty with its recommendations; and communicate to the Academic Senate such proposals as the Faculty approves.

5.3h The Faculty Executive Committee shall: examine the actions of the Academic Senate and present to the Faculty such motions contemplating the reversal of specific actions of the Academic Senate as it shall deem advisable.

5.4 Committees

5.4a. At the request of the Faculty Executive Committee, standing and special committees of the Academic Senate may report to the Faculty at a regular or special meeting. Each standing committee shall render an annual report in writing to the Faculty.

5.4b Committees, other than the Faculty Executive Committee, may be established from time to time by either the Faculty or the Faculty Executive Committee and the membership chosen by nomination and election by ballot by a majority vote. Unless otherwise provided, each committee shall select its chairperson from among its members.

5.4c Special committees shall serve for a term requisite to the purpose to be accomplished and shall report to Faculty or at the Faculty Executive Committee at least once during the term of office. 

6.1 The Faculty shall be responsible for the academic status, role, rights, obligations, and freedoms of the Faculty, and such other matters that may affect the welfare of the Faculty consistent with this document. The Faculty through its Faculty Executive Committee may address communications to the Board of Trustees.

6.2 Review of Academic Senate Actions: The Faculty shall have the right to review any action of the Academic Senate. A special meeting shall be called by a petition of at least ten percent (10%) of the Faculty to discuss the issues involved. A majority of those present can initiate a referendum to be held no later than four (4) weeks after the general meeting. If the majority vote is against a referendum, one may still be called by a second petition of one-third of the Faculty. The actions of the Academic Senate shall be nullified by a two-thirds vote of the Faculty voting by poll  provided at least fifty percent [50%] of the total Faculty cast ballots.

6.3 Initiation of Academic Senate Agenda Items

6.3a The Faculty may initiate policy, bylaws, or regulations for consideration by the Academic Senate either by a simple majority of a faculty meeting or by a petition of ten percent (10%) of the Faculty; such items shall be placed on the agenda of the next meeting of the Academic Senate in accordance with the Bylaws of the Academic Senate.

6.3b The Faculty may initiate policy, bylaws, or regulations directly through an initiative voting by poll, conducted by the Faculty Executive Committee.

The faculty may request such a referendum at a regular or special meeting. A special meeting shall be called by a petition of at least ten percent (10%) of the Faculty to discuss the issues involved; a majority of those present can initiate a written referendum to be held no later than four weeks after the general meeting. A  poll regarding amendments to these bylaws shall require an affirmative vote of the majority eligible to vote as noted in 13.2.

6.4 The Faculty may adopt its own Bylaws consistent with the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees and with the Governance Plan.

6.5 The Faculty through its Faculty Executive Committee shall have access to all relevant information as it deems necessary for the fulfillment of its responsibilities. 

7.1 The Faculty may establish a system of dues or contributions to provide a fund for the incidental expenses of the various committees of the Faculty and for carrying out of authorized projects.

7.2 Disbursements from such a fund shall be made by the Treasurer in accordance with appropriations made by the Faculty Executive Committee. 

8.1 The departmental structure and qualifications for voting for the departmental chairperson and the members of a departmental personnel and budget committee shall be consistent with Article IX of the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees and the Bylaws of the Faculty.

8.2 Each department, subject to the approval of the College Faculty and to the provisions of Article IX of the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, shall have control of the educational policies of the department through the vote of all its full time members who are entitled to vote on such matters.

8.2a. All departments of the College must be in conformance to Article IX. Sections 9.1 and 9.2 of the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees. No administrative office shall be deemed a department of the College.

8.3 There shall be in each department a chairperson and a departmental committee on personnel and budget (Bylaws, Board of Trustees, Article IX, Section 9.1, Plan No. Two).

8.3a The departmental committee on personnel and budget shall consist, where possible, of five (5) members including the department chairperson as chairperson of the committee.

8.3b Election for the departmental committee on personnel and budget shall be held at the same time that the department chairperson is elected.

8.3c No more than one of the five (5) regular members of the departmental personnel and budget committee may be nontenured, consistent with the CUNY BOT Bylaws.

8.3d The chairperson and the other members of the departmental personnel and budget committee shall be elected by a majority vote of those individuals in the department eligible to vote (see Articles 8.4a and 8.4b).

8.4 Voting Rights

8.4a. All members of the department having faculty designation Article II. A QCC Governance Plan, and QCC Faculty Bylaws, Article I.1 above) who are not otherwise disenfranchised in these bylaws are entitled to vote.

All members of the department having faculty designation in Article I above who are not otherwise disenfranchised in these bylaws are entitled to vote.

8.4b Those who hold administrative positions shall not be permitted to vote within departments with the exception of the Chief Librarian and the Chief Student Affairs Officer.

8.4c Full-time lecturers and instructors and all individuals in professorial titles who do not hold administrative positions shall have the right to vote. 

 8.4d Following the regular election of the department chairperson, at its next meeting, the department may choose to conduct an election involving adjunct college laboratory technicians (CLT) for an adjunct CLT to serve as a representative of adjunct CLTs in the department who shall sit with vote at department meetings when matters concerning adjunct CLTs arise. This adjunct CLT shall cast one vote in the election of the full-time CLT representative to departmental meetings .

8.4d.  1Balloting shall be secret. The first ballot shall be a nominating ballot. Those receiving two votes or more shall be considered nominated. The second ballot shall be an election ballot. Balloting shall continue until a nominee receives at least a simple majority of the votes of those eligible to vote in accordance with Article 8.5d.2 of these Bylaws. The results shall be reported to the President.

8.4 d.2  For departments having only one CLT, that CLT shall be deemed nominated and elected to all departmental CLT positions that are enumerated in the Queensborough Community College Governance Plan.

8.4. d.3 All vacancies shall be promptly filled by a special election using the above procedures.

8.4 d 4.  At the same time as the election of the department chairperson, the full-time CLT’s of each department shall elect a full-time CLT for a three-year (3- year) term (commencing on 1 July subsequent to the election) who shall sit with voice and vote at department meetings when matters concerning CLT’s (both full-time and adjunct) arise.

8.4 e. Following the regular election of the department chairperson, at its next meeting, the department may choose to conduct an election involving instructional adjuncts for an instructional adjunct to serve as a representative of instructional adjuncts in the department who shall sit with vote at department meetings when matters concerning instructional adjuncts arise.

8.5 Election of Department Chairperson.

There shall be in each department a department chairperson elected by secret ballot for a term of three (3) years in accordance with the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees (Section 9.1b) and the following procedures. This election shall take place during the first full week in May at the expiration of the respective terms of office to take office on July first of the year in which they are elected. The department chairperson shall be a person of professorial rank. In departments in which there is no one of professorial rank available, or only one person of professorial rank available, an instructor with tenure in the department shall be deemed eligible for election to the position of department chairperson.

8.5a Procedure. The President and the department chairperson shall circulate, one week prior to the date on which the election shall take place, a list of all persons eligible to vote for chairperson as well as a list of persons eligible to serve as chairperson. In the event there is a departmental division, there shall be an election in accordance with the provisions set forth herein for a new chairperson for both the original department and the new department or departments.

8.5b Nominations. The department chairperson shall prepare and distribute at the time of the election a ballot listing all persons eligible to serve as chairperson. Any person who holds professorial rank or is a tenured instructor shall have the right to serve as chairperson. Each voting member of the department shall indicate on this secret ballot the person  whom he/she wishes to nominate for chairperson.

8.5c Election. Voting takes place immediately following nomination. Voting members of the department shall, by secret ballot, cast their votes for one of the candidates chosen under 8.5b above. The person receiving a majority vote of the total number of members of the department eligible to vote shall be deemed elected. After the second election ballot, if a decision is not reached, the two (2) persons receiving the largest number of votes shall be the only candidates considered.

8.5d.1 All ballots herein provided for shall be secret ballots, and shall be counted by at least two (2) tellers, and the results of the vote, including number of abstentions, shall be reported to the President.

8.5d.2 Tie votes or failure to elect a candidate by a majority vote in the first five (5) ballots shall be resolved by additional balloting (not to exceed ten [10] in number) after a waiting period of two (2) school days. In the event that there is still a tie or failure to elect a candidate by a majority vote, the election shall be solved by action of the President after consultation with the department.

8.5e.1 Persons holding the title of Dean, Director, Associate Dean, Associate Director, Assistant Dean, Assistant Director, or who, in effect, perform like duties, shall not simultaneously hold the position of department chairperson, with the exception of the Dean of Students.

8.5e.2a Any chairperson who is appointed to one of the positions listed in paragraph 8.5e.1 (excepting the Dean of Students) is expected to resign immediately.

8.5e.2b In the case where a chairperson takes a fellowship leave or a leave of absence, an acting chairperson will be elected by the department to serve until the expiration of the leave. The acting chairperson shall have all the rights and privileges of a chairperson. Where a chairperson resigns, a new chairperson will be elected for the unexpired term.

 8.5e.2c The failure of a department chairperson to complete his/her full term does not necessitate the election of the remaining members of the incumbent Committee on Personnel and Budget who continue for the full term to which they have been elected.

8.5f  Upon petition of at least forty per cent (40%) of the voters within a department, the Faculty Executive Committee shall appoint a committee to conduct the elections of that department.

8.5g Evaluation and Consultation—Department of the Library and the Department of Student Affairs: Every three (3) years the President shall consult with the faculty of the Department of the Library concerning the Chief Librarian, and consult with the faculty of the Department of Student Affairs concerning the Chief Student Affairs Officer .

8.5h In the selection of department chairpersons, where the terms “confer” or “consult” are utilized in these bylaws or the bylaws of the Board of Trustees, these terms shall be understood to mean that a formal vote by secret ballot is to be taken and shall be forwarded to the Board of Trustees by the President in some document, whether it be a Chancellor’s Report or some other report in which the vote must be recorded.

8.6 Duties of Department Chairperson

8.6a The department chairperson shall be the executive officer of his/her department, and shall carry out the department’s policies, as well as those of the Faculty and the Board which are related to it (Section 9.3, Bylaws of the Board of Trustees).

8.6b The department chairperson shall call and preside at a minimum of two (2) department meetings per semester. Such meetings shall be conducted according to the most recently revised version of Robert’s Rules of Order.

8.6b.2 Call a special meeting upon request of petition from at least one-third of the members of the faculty of the department.

8.6b.3 Keep and distribute minutes of departmental meetings to all members of the department at least one week prior to the next meeting of the department.

8.6b.4 Keep and distribute minutes of departmental subcommittees to all members of the department within two (2) weeks after the subcommittee has met.

8.6b.5 Report to the department the results and actions of the departmental personnel and budget committee on matters concerning personnel and budget.

8.6b.6 Inform the faculty at departmental meetings on matters of educational and personnel policy, and shall inform the members of the department as a whole and consult with members of the department on matters including but not limited to: preparation of teaching schedules; registration assignments; guidelines for summer session and evening schedules; other departmental assignments and responsibilities; and disseminate same expeditiously to all members of the department.

8.6b.7 Consult and inform the departmental personnel and budget committee on summer session and evening assignments.

8.6b.8 Include in the agenda of each departmental meeting a report concerning matters of College and University interest.

8.6b.9 Follow, in all matters not covered by these bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order (latest revised edition). In accordance with Robert’s Rules, a parliamentarian should be elected to advise the chair with regard to the application of these rules.

8.6b.10 Detail and make known criteria to be met for reappointments and promotions.

8.7 Election of Departmental Committees on Personnel and Budget

There shall be in each department a departmental committee on personnel and budget as described in Board of Trustees Bylaws 9.1d. Plan No. 2.

8.7a Procedure. The department chairperson shall circulate, one week prior to the date on which the election shall take place, a list of all persons eligible to vote for members of the departmental committee on personnel and budget. All persons having faculty  designation  (Article 1.1 and 8.4a) shall have the right to vote both in the faculty of which they are members and in their respective departments.

8.7b Nominations. The department chairperson shall prepare and distribute at the time of the election a ballot listing all persons eligible to serve as members of the departmental committee on personnel and budget. All persons having faculty rank shall have the right to serve both in the faculty of which they are members and their respective departments. Each voting member of the department shall indicate on this secret ballot the persons whom he/she wishes to nominate.

8.7c Election. Voting shall take place immediately following nomination. Voting members of the department shall, by secret ballot, cast their votes for four (4) of the candidates chosen under 8.7b. Persons receiving a majority vote of the members of the department eligible to vote shall be deemed elected provided that no more than one nontenured member is included among those elected. If more than one nontenured member among the first four has a majority, then the nontenured member with the highest vote shall be deemed elected, and a new election is to be held immediately to replace the other nontenured instructors to fill the remaining vacancies.

A tie vote or failure to elect a full departmental committee on personnel and budget after ten (10) ballots, shall be resolved by additional balloting (not to exceed ten [10] in number) after a waiting period of two (2) school days. In the event that there still is a tie or failure to elect a full committee by a majority vote, those positions still not filled by a majority vote shall be resolved by action of the President in consultation with the department.

In the event a person elected cannot serve for his/her full term, there shall be an election in accordance with the provisions set forth herein for the unexpired term, except in the case of a person taking leave, then the person shall be elected for the period of the leave.

In the event a departmental division occurs, there shall be an election in accordance with the provisions set forth herein for both the original department and the new department or departments.

8.7d In departments of more than one discipline, an elected representative of each discipline shall serve as a sixth member of the department committee, if that discipline is not represented on the personnel and budget committee. This representative shall be present, participate, and vote only in actions affecting members and recruitment of members of that specified discipline. The word “affecting” as used above means that only one discipline can be considered to be directly involved in any single personnel and budget action. Discipline representatives shall be elected at the same time as other personnel and budget members . The content discipline structure of the department shall be recommended by the department and approved by the Academic Senate.

8.7e A full- time CLT shall be elected by the full-time CLT’s of the department to serve with vote as the sixth member of the departmental personnel and budget committee. This representative shall be elected at the same time as other personnel and budget committee members, and shall serve for the same three (3) year term. The CLT representative shall be present, participate, and vote only in actions affecting CLT’s. All vacancies shall be promptly filled.

8.8 Duties of Department Personnel and Budget Committee

8.8a The Department Personnel and Budget Committee (P & B) must approve by a majority decision of members all matters of personnel and budget.

8.8b Promotions

8.8b.1 All promotions in the instructional staff, except promotions to the rank of professor, shall be recommended to the College Committee on Faculty Personnel and Budget by the head of the department only after a majority affirmative vote of the departmental committee on personnel and budget, provided, however, that no member of such committee shall vote on his/her own promotion. This is pursuant to Article IX, Section 9-8, Plan No. Two of the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees.

8.8b.2 A minority at any departmental committee on personnel and budget shall have the power to submit a minority recommendation to the College Personnel and Budget Committee.

8.8b.3 Promotion to the rank of professor shall be recommended by the College Committee on Faculty Personnel and Budget. The President, however, shall have the power to make an independent recommendation to the Board for promotion to any rank after consultation with the appropriate departmental committee and with the College Committee on Faculty Personnel and Budget.

8.8c Personnel Actions

8.8c.1 Results of personnel actions taken by the departmental committee shall be communicated promptly, in writing, to the involved party.

8.8c.2 In matters relating to negative actions with reference to faculty promotion, the chairperson shall confer with the affected member within a week following the action. During such a meeting, he/she shall detail the criteria considered by the personnel and budget committee and shall recommend action that the faculty member can take to meet the aforementioned criteria.

8.8d Upon receipt of a request from Student Government, day or evening, the department personnel and budget committee will make itself available within ten (10) school days of written notification for an oral and/or written presentation on matters concerning faculty evaluation.

8.9 Student Participation.

Students shall have the right through their student government to petition a department for a presentation on matters of personnel and educational policy. 

The Faculty as defined in Article I shall be enabled to reconsider and vote an alternate to Article VIII, Section 7c, should Bylaw provisions mandated by the Board of Trustees be passed which affect the implementation of these bylaws. 

10.1 .Upon written petition to the Chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee by a majority of the faculty in a department, the Executive Committee shall order a recall vote for the chairperson or any other member of the departmental personnel and budget committee as designated in the petition of recall. 

10.2. The Chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee shall expeditiously schedule a recall vote by the faculty of the affected department. This vote shall be held by secret ballot.

10.3 Upon ratification of the recall petition, the Chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee shall conduct a regular election under Article VIII, Section 3d, of these Bylaws and Article 9.1c of the Board’s Bylaws.

11.1 The purpose of the Academic Review Committee shall be to hear all appeals regarding personnel decisions of departmental and College personnel and budget committees. Consideration of an appeal may be requested by the affected individual or referred to the Academic Review Committee by the President.

11.2 Membership

The membership shall consist of the following: There shall be the Chief Academic Officer , chosen by the President annually to serve as chairperson without vote; five (5) tenured professors and/or associate professors elected at large   annually with a sixth as an alternate.

11.3  Election of the Members of the Academic Review Committee

11.3a Two (2) members of the Academic Review Committee shall be elected by the Faculty (see Section 11.3a.1) in the Spring  for a term of  three (3) year s beginning on June 1.  The terms shall be staggered with one third elected each year.   Six faculty will be elected in the Spring of 2012 , two each to terms of one , two and three years. The six (6) members shall be tenured professors and/or tenured associate professors. Deans, associate deans, assistant deans, assistants to the President, and departmental chairpersons shall be ineligible for election to the Academic Review Committee. Only one member from any department may serve at any time on the Academic Review Committee. Each year the Academic Review Committee will designate one member as an alternate member without vote who will serve with vote in the event that another cannot so serve. No member of the Academic Review Committee may participate in review of an appeal by a member of the same department as the member of the committee.

11.3a.1 Those members defined as Faculty (Article I) shall constitute the electorate in voting for members of this committee with the exception of administrators.

11.3b The election shall be conducted by the Faculty Executive Committee.

11.3c Nominations shall be made by petition signed by at least  ten (10)  members of the Faculty eligible to vote for the Faculty Executive Committee (Article XI, Section 11.3a.1).

11.3d Election shall be by ballot.

11.3d.1 Each year after 2012 The two (2) individuals receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected members of the Academic Review Committee. (A tie shall be resolved by a run-off election.)

11.4 The alternate member of the Academic Review Committee shall serve in the absence of one (1) of the five (5) members of the Academic Review Committee. In the event of the absence of an alternate member of the Academic Review Committee the Faculty Executive Committee will appoint one of its members to serve as alternate on a case by case basis, as needed.

11.5 Duties. The Academic Review Committee shall hear all appeals regarding personnel actions of departmental and College personnel and budget committees.

11.5a This Committee shall have access to all pertinent information available to departmental and College personnel and budget committees.

11.5b The chairperson shall preside at all meetings (or may designate a member of the Committee to preside). All meetings shall be conducted according to the most recently revised version of Robert’s Rules of Order.

11.5c Positive decisions shall be forwarded directly to the President.

11.5d In the case of negative departmental action, the Academic Review Committee may refer its positive recommendations initially to the College Personnel and Budget Committee.

11.5e The affected individual shall have the right to appear before this committee in his/her own behalf.

11.5f The affected individual shall have the right to access to all materials available to the committee ten (10) days prior to his/her appearance before the committee, or prior to a discussion of his/her case by the committee.  

12.1 Recognizing that Academic Freedom and Academic Due Process are both essential in the governance of institutions of higher education, the Faculty Executive Committee, in accordance with section 5.3f of the Bylaws of the Faculty hereby recommends the establishment of the Standing Committee on Academic Freedom. 

12.2 The Committee shall

12.2a Address issues of academic freedom through the colleges’ existing channels of communication and governance structure.

12.2b Provide information and guidance to the faculty concerning their rights, responsibilities, and recourse concerning violations of academic freedom.

12.2c Hear faculty concerns regarding issues of academic freedom. All reports and recommendations concerning these issues shall be forwarded to the College’s appropriate parties, as determined by the Academic Freedom Committee.

12.2d Monitor, examine, and report on the status of academic freedom at the College on an annual basis at the Spring General Faculty Meeting.

12.2e Meet at least once each semester.

12.3 Membership

The membership shall consist of the following: nine (9) members, six (6) of who are members of the Faculty Executive Committee(FEC) determined by the FEC and three (3) faculty members-at-large. The chairperson for this committee shall be elected by its members.

12.4 Election of the Members of the Academic Freedom Committee

12.4a Three (3) faculty members-at-large shall be elected by the Faculty in  the Spring to serve for a period of 3 years beginning on June 1 in a faculty wide election. All faculty who do not hold administrative positions shall be eligible to vote or serve. No more than one member of any department shall be elected to serve on the committee.

12.4b The election shall be conducted by the Faculty Executive Committee.

12.4c Nominations shall be made by petition signed by at least ten (10) members of the Faculty eligible to vote.

12.4d Election shall be by ballot.

12.4e The three (3) individuals receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected members of the Academic Freedom Committee. (A tie shall be resolved by a run-off election.)  

13.1a Adjunct CLT’s shall elect one representative from among their number who shall cast one vote in the election of the full-time CLT representative to the College Committee on Faculty Personnel and Budget and any other College-wide positions to which CLT’s are elected. For purposes of this document adjunct CLT’s shall be defined as any person who is employed part-time as a CLT and who does not otherwise have voting rights as described in the appropriate sections of these Bylaws.

13.1b. This election shall be conducted by the Faculty Executive Committee in the month of April and the elected adjunct CLT shall be notified prior to the first day in May.

13.1c Nominations shall be made by petitions signed by ten(10)   of the adjunct CLT’s. Elections shall be by intracollege mail and shall be decided by plurality for a term of one year. Vacancies shall be filled using a list of the most recent election tally. 

13.2 A full- time CLT, elected by the full- time CLT’s and the voting adjunct CLT, shall sit with vote on the College Committee on Faculty Personnel and Budget when personnel matters concerning CLT’s are considered.

13.3 This representative shall be elected for a three-year term beginning on July first following election.

13.4 The election shall take place, the ballots counted, and the results posted during the first full week in May.

13.5 The election shall be conducted by the Faculty Executive Committee according to the following procedure:

13.5a Procedure. The Faculty Executive Committee shall circulate, two weeks prior to the date on which the election is to take place, a nominations petition to all full-time CLT’s, to be returned in one week.

13.5b Nominations shall be made by petition signed by ten (10) signatures of the full-time CLT’s.

13.5c Election shall be by intracollege ballot and shall be secret. The person receiving a majority vote of those eligible to vote shall be deemed elected.

13.5d If no person receives a majority vote via the ballot, a convention of full-time CLT’s and the voting adjunct CLT must be held by the Faculty Executive Committee on Wednesday of the second full week in May.

13.5e Secret balloting will be conducted until a nominee receives a majority vote of those eligible to vote. After four (4) ballots, if no one has received a majority vote, the two (2) persons receiving the largest number of votes shall be the only candidates considered.

Ties for second place shall be resolved by a run-off election prior to the next election ballot.

13.5f Balloting will continue for a maximum of five (5) additional ballots. All ballots herein provided for shall be secret ballots and shall be counted by at least two (2) tellers, and the results of the vote, including number of abstentions, shall be reported to the President. In the event that there is still a tie or failure to elect a candidate by a majority vote, the election shall be resolved by action of the President, after consultation with the full-time CLT’s.

13.6 In the event a person elected cannot serve his/her full term, there shall be an election in accordance with the provisions set forth herein for the unexpired term, except in the case of a person taking leave, then the person elected shall serve for a period of the leave. All vacancies shall be promptly filled. 

14.1 Amendment of these bylaws shall be effected by a poll authorized by the Faculty at a meeting or by the Faculty Executive Committee provided that copies of the proposed amendment shall have been sent to all members of the Faculty at least seven (7) days before the close of the polls.

14.2 An amendment shall be adopted by an affirmative vote of a majority of those eligible to vote. 

The Bylaws presented herein are being distributed to all persons of Queensborough Community College eligible to vote (Article IV) for the purpose of determining by a referendum vote whether these bylaws shall be adopted.