Version Dec. 24, 2024

The Faculty Senate is an elected body that represents the faculty of the school. The Faculty Senate is governed by its own bylaws, which it alone has the power to amend.

The purpose of the Faculty Senate is to consider and act, or recommend action, as appropriate, on all matters affecting the academic and professional concerns of the School of Public Health (SPH) faculty, including any matters as may be referred to it by the Dean or the Governing Council, and may examine and recommend action on broad issues affecting the general SPH and university community and such other matters as from time to time may be deemed appropriate.

The Faculty Senate will strive to protect academic freedom, optimize the faculty appointment and promotion processes, and encourage excellence, equity, and diversity within the faculty body and university as a whole.

The Faculty Senate will consider and make recommendations concerning faculty at all career stages, including faculty salary and benefits policies, and toward improving the intellectual and social environment for faculty.

The Faculty Senate will represent the faculty in any revisions to the Faculty Handbook.

Members of the faculty senate are the representatives of their constituents. It shall be the responsibility of the members of the Faculty Senate to seek the opinions of their constituents. Having exercised such responsibility, the members of the Faculty Senate shall feel free to make decisions and vote on matters according to their own reasoned judgment.

Faculty Senate Bylaws

I. Organization

A. Membership of the Faculty Senate

The faculty will elect the members of the Senate, for a minimum of 5 and not to exceed a total of 9 elected members of the Senate.

All faculty with a primary or joint appointment at SPH, including all ranks and tracks, are eligible to serve as elected members of the Faculty Senate, unless they are members of the Governing Council. The Senate Chair, a member of the Governing Council, is the exception.

B. Terms of Office

The terms of office for elected Senate members shall be two years. Elections shall be held within one week of December 1, and terms will begin on January 1. No member may serve more than two consecutive two-year terms, but the total number of terms a member may serve is not limited. After serving two consecutive terms, an individual is not eligible for election for one year after leaving office.

C. Ex officio Members

Unless otherwise elected as a Faculty Senate member, one SPH representative to the WashU Faculty Council will serve as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the Faculty Senate.

II. Voting rights

Faculty who have a primary or joint appointment at SPH, including all ranks and tracks, may vote in Faculty Senate elections.

III. Officers

A. The officers of the Faculty Senate shall include at least a Chair and a Vice Chair.

B. Officers will be elected by the members of the Faculty Senate.

C. Officers will be elected every year.

IV. Meetings and Procedures

A. Faculty Senate meetings will be held at least four times per year. The Chair of the Faculty Senate may call special meetings on their own motion.

B. Meetings will be open to all faculty with a faculty appointment at SPH, whether or not they are eligible to vote, although the Faculty Senate, by vote of its members, may go into executive session if necessary.

C. Executive session is limited to elected and ex officio Faculty Senate members and anyone specifically invited to attend.

D. A quorum is defined as a majority of members of the Senate entitled to vote. A quorum must be present when a vote on official action is taken. The decision of a majority of those voting shall constitute official action of the Senate.

E. The Faculty Senate shall be sole judge of its own rules and procedures not specified in these bylaws.

F. Amendment procedures. These bylaws may be amended by a two‐thirds vote of voting members of the Faculty Senate.

V. Committees

Standing and ad hoc committees may be formed by the Faculty Senate.

VI. Plebiscite Referral

The Faculty Senate may refer an issue to the vote of the entire faculty. A referral shall be initiated by a majority vote at a regularly scheduled or special meeting of the Faculty Senate.

VII. Absentee and Proxy Voting

Absentee voting and proxy voting are not allowed in the Senate or in its Councils and Committees. Email votes on routine items may be taken in the Councils and Committees, provided that:

A. Email voting must be kept open for at least 48 hours and

B. There is no request by any member to postpone the vote to a regular meeting of the Council or Committee. The item is adopted if a majority of the total membership of the Council or Committee explicitly agrees in the email vote.