New Brunswick Faculty Council Bylaws

New Brunswick Faculty Council Bylaws (PDF)

(as adopted November 2024 )

CONTENTS

Purpose 
Election, Representation, and Composition 
Operation and Authority 
Officers and Committees 
Amendments
Calendar

I. Purpose

The New Brunswick Faculty Council is the principal faculty body that advises the New Brunswick Chancellor, and from which the Chancellor seeks advice, on issues affecting and relevant to the New Brunswick faculty and campus. These issues include but are not limited to admissions and academic policies, regulations, standards, and processes; curricular design and implementation; fiscal priorities, policies, and budgeting; student support programs and services; personnel policies and practices affecting faculty and academic staff; intercollegiate athletics operations as they affect the New Brunswick campus; library services and other resources; physical plant and services; academic computing and related technologies; and policies and practices affecting research. The Council is responsible for gathering the views of the New Brunswick faculty on these matters and generating advice to the Chancellor, primarily in the form of reports and resolutions developed by standing committees and then voted on by the full Council. The Chancellor is responsible for fully informing the Council and seeking its advice on administrative plans or proposals on issues of concern to the New Brunswick faculty, and for responding to the advice of the Council, both in a timely manner. 

The Council operates in a manner consistent with its authority as vested in University regulations and policies, to which it may recommend changes.

II. Election, Representation, and Composition

1. The New Brunswick Chancellor is an ex-officio member of the Council.

2. Individuals eligible to serve as Council representatives and participate in Council officer elections include all Rutgers faculty based at the New Brunswick campus and faculty members appointed across multiple Rutgers campuses or serving in dual-unit schools who have significant duties in New Brunswick. 

3. Individuals whose primary line assignment explicitly removes them from the faculty during their term of appointment (e.g., deans, associate deans, and other administrative officers) are not eligible to serve as Council representatives during their terms of administrative appointment. 

4. Within schools, each department elects one representative to the Council from among its faculty. 

5. Within the School of Graduate Studies, two Council representatives are elected by and from the School of Graduate Studies faculty. 

6. Faculty in the New Brunswick Libraries elect two representatives to the Council.

7. Rutgers-New Brunswick Lecturers elect at least two, and up to 10, representatives to the Council.

8. Council representatives serve for terms of three years, or less upon negotiation between the Chair, the representative, and the representative's unit.

9. Elections of representatives to the Council are conducted within Rutgers-New Brunswick departments/units as needed in Spring Term, with election results reported to the New Brunswick Chancellor and the Council. For these elections, the Chair and Chancellor work with New Brunswick departments/units to provide a complete and broad spectrum of faculty representation.

10. For elections of the positions of Chair, Vice Chair, and other Executive Committee members, the Executive Committee prepares a ballot annually for an election taking place by May 15.

11. If a Council representative is unable to serve for a semester during an academic year, that representative’s constituents shall elect an interim replacement. If a representative is unable to serve for more than one semester, that representative’s constituents may elect a replacement for that time period or elect a new representative to serve the balance of the term.

III.  Officers and Committees 

1. Council leadership consists of the Executive Committee, constituted of the Chair, Vice Chair, the immediate Past Chair, and five additional EC members. EC members other than the immediate Past Chair are elected annually for one-year terms by the full Council via secret ballot.  

2. The Chair may serve no more than three one-year terms consecutively.  

3. The Chair presides over meetings of the Executive Committee and the full Council. When the Chair must be absent, the Vice Chair presides over the meeting. The Chair also appoints a parliamentarian. 

4. Duties of the Executive Committee include overseeing and the development and implementation of the Council work agenda, with input from standing committee chairs and the Chancellor; setting the agenda for full Council meetings; reviewing and evaluating the functioning of the Council; and organizing and running elections. The Executive Committee acts for the Council between meetings and during the summer. Such actions may be subject to later review by the full Council. 

5. The Council has five standing committees, the purposes of which are described below: 

 

Academic Affairs Committee 

This Committee considers matters related to academic standards, regulations, curriculum and instruction, honors, research, and admissions as they apply to New Brunswick graduate and undergraduate students. Its responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

  • reviewing regulations governing admissions, major and graduation requirements, financial aid, retention and graduation rates, minority student affairs, and honors programs, as well as academic practices and standards; 
  • assessing teaching and planning an annual conference for New Brunswick faculty on undergraduate education for the exchange of ideas on curriculum and pedagogy; 
  • examining new program initiatives and monitoring various policies and issues related to instruction and curriculum development; and 
  • making suggestions for policies regarding academic integrity and the practices and procedures for promoting academic integrity. 

Athletic Affairs Committee 

This Committee considers matters related to intercollegiate athletics and associated standards as pertain to and affect the New Brunswick campus. Its responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

  • receiving and studying reports on athletics, including spending, new legislation, facilities, Title IX equity, and related items from the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, the Faculty Athletics Representative, the Director of Academic Support Services for Student-Athletes, the Athletics Compliance office, and/or the institutional compliance officer for athletics; and 
  •  making recommendations to the Administration on any and all athletics activities on the New Brunswick campus, including finances, athletics facilities, and other relevant issues. 

Budget, Planning, and Infrastructure Committee 

This Committee considers all matters related to New Brunswick budget priorities and allocations, general planning, libraries and their concerns, and campus facilities. Its responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

  •  reviewing and evaluating the probable impact of New Brunswick budget allocations and policies annually and making recommendations to the New Brunswick Chancellor; 
  • considering educational policies related to different times, places, and manners of instruction, including distance learning, and use of technology; 
  • considering library priorities, collection growth, and needs; and 
  • reviewing allocation and maintenance of campus facilities and such issues as campus security, parking, procurement and contracting, and campus mail and email. 

Faculty and Personnel Affairs Committee 

This Committee considers matters concerning New Brunswick faculty and research and instructional staff. Its responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

  • reviewing personnel policies of the University as they affect faculty, staff, and graduate students; 
  • examining research policies and services, including research and sponsored programs, research contracts, animal care, and laboratory facilities, especially considering patent and human subjects policies of the University; 
  • exploring matters concerning academic freedom, equal opportunity policies, and personnel practices and procedures; and
  • reassessing broad policy issues related to graduate and professional education. 

Student Affairs Committee 

This Committee considers matters concerning New Brunswick graduate and undergraduate students. Its responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

  • reviewing student-life and extracurricular activities and services, and such issues as financial services, textbooks and other learning materials, housing, student fees, and dining services; 
  • providing advice on University policies and operations as they impact students on the New Brunswick campus, such as University policies on student use of drugs and alcohol, disciplinary procedures, student records, and dormitories and fraternities 
  • receiving updates from and making recommendations to the office of the Vice- Chancellor for Student Affairs; 
  • working to provide adequate and appropriate study-abroad experiences; and 
  • providing advice regarding academic and career advising. 

6. Temporary ad hoc committees may occasionally be established by approval of the EC. 

7. At the start of every academic year, each committee elects its leadership (preferably two co-chairs).  

8. Committee chairs may attend Executive Committee meetings as non-voting participants.  

V.  Operation and Authority 

The Council’s Work Process 

1. The Council’s work is conducted by the Chair and Vice Chair, other Executive Committee members, standing committee chairs, and other Council representatives during monthly meetings and in between. This work takes the form of research, reports, and resolutions completed in response to charges on issues of concern to New Brunswick faculty, relevant to the Council’s purpose, and within the auspices of one or more of its standing committees. 

2. Council charges may be proposed by the Executive Committee, standing committees, individual Council representatives, New Brunswick faculty members at large, or the New Brunswick Chancellor. A charge emerging from outside of the Executive Committee or a Council standing committee should be conveyed first to the Executive Committee, which will review it for fit with the Council’s purpose and current resources; if approved, the EC will assign the charge to a relevant standing committee. A charge emerging from within a Council standing committee requires only committee-level approval to proceed, but the EC should be notified at the time of its adoption.  

3. When a standing committee has completed its work related to a charge (i.e., produced a report and/or resolution), that committee votes to approve that product. If passed, it is then sent to the Chair for inclusion in the next Executive Committee meeting, where it will be reviewed for fit with Council purpose and, if so confirmed, formally docketed onto the agenda of the next full Council meeting. For committee-approved products to be included in a full meeting agenda, they should be received by the Chair by the day before the Executive Committee meeting preceding the applicable full meeting. 

The Role of the Chancellor in Council Work 

4. To facilitate the Council’s advising role to the Chancellor, the Chancellor should, in a full and timely manner, inform the Council about administrative plans and proposals of concern to the New Brunswick faculty; provide information requested by the Council on issues of concern to New Brunswick faculty; and respond to the Council's advice, provided in the forms of reports and resolutions.  

5. As a rule, the Council expects that the Chancellor will respond to its adopted resolutions within four weeks of receipt from a Council officer/representative. A response to a resolution may include acceptance of the recommendations included in the resolution, with a plan for their implementation; a request for further information about the resolution; or rejection of the resolution, in whole or in part, with an explanation of the reasons for the rejection. 

6. The Chancellor shall also seek the advice of the Council in making appointments of New Brunswick faculty to New Brunswick and University committees. 

The Role of Faculty Representatives in Council Work 

7. Upon the start of their term, every representative is expected to affiliate with and actively participate in the work of a standing committee. 

8. Representatives are also expected to attend full Council meetings and meetings of their chosen standing committee. A representative’s missing more than 2 of either meeting type in the Fall term, or three of either type across a single academic year, may prompt the need to identify a department alternate for that Representative’s slot.   

9. Council representatives are expected to report regularly to their faculty constituents on the work of the Council, and to transmit faculty reactions and suggestions to the Council. 

Meetings 

10. The Council normally meets seven or eight times each academic year.  

11. Council meetings are open to all New Brunswick Faculty members, and to others by invitation.  

12. Proposed agendas for full Council meetings are sent to the Executive Committee for review two weeks before a full meeting, and the EC-reviewed agenda is sent to all representatives and ex-officio members one week before that meeting. Standing committee chairs, Council representatives, the New Brunswick Chancellor and Provost, as well as individual New Brunswick faculty members may propose full meeting agenda items to the Executive Council up to one and a half weeks before a full meeting. Agendas and minutes for full meetings are posted on the NBFC website.  

13. As an ex-officio member, the New Brunswick Chancellor or appropriate designee shall normally be present at Council meetings. 

14. Meetings of the Council are conducted under Robert's Rules of Order. 

15. A quorum of the Council (required for voting) consists of one-third of currently elected representatives. 

16. Attendees who are not Council representatives may speak at meetings with permission of the Council Chair, and after all representatives wishing to speak have done so. 

V. Amendments 

Amendments to the bylaws shall first be discussed at a meeting of the full Council. If a simple majority of voting representatives approves, a secret ballot on the proposed amendments shall be sent to all Council representatives. Adoption of amendments requires a two-thirds vote of the representatives who cast a secret ballot. 

VI.  Calendar 

  • AUGUST: Terms of the Council Chair, Vice Chair, and Executive Committee member begin August 1. 
  • SEPTEMBER: Terms of new faculty representatives begin September 1. 
  • FEBRUARY: In February the Chair sends to the Chancellor a list of upcoming vacancies in Council representation by department/unit. The Chancellor will request that deans/unit heads conduct elections to fill those slots.   
  • FEBRUARY – APRIL: Elections take place within departments/units and among Lecturers.
  • APRIL: The Executive Committee prepares a ballot for the election of Chair, Vice Chair, and the five additional Executive Committee members. 
  • APRIL – MAY: Election of Chair, Vice Chair, and Executive Committee members takes place via secret ballot. This voting is done at the last Council meeting of the academic year, to which new members of the next year's Council are invited, or if needed via online voting after that meeting. New and continuing Council representatives are permitted to vote in this election.
  • JUNE: Reports summarizing the work of the standing committees are due from committee co-chairs June 1.
  • JULY: The Chair's annual report is due July 1.