3.1 The Faculty Meeting

The faculty meets six times annually as a body to conduct the business of the faculty. Standing committees of the faculty report on actions taken on behalf of the faculty, and make recommendations to the faculty for action on issues which require faculty approval for implementation or faculty support for items of advice and recommendation to the administration of the College. The principal concerns of this formal body of faculty and administrators are educational policy, programs and standards.

3.1.1 Membership

Those persons holding appointments to positions in the College that require them to be immediately and continuously involved in teaching or making academic policy shall comprise the faculty meeting. This includes:

All tenured and tenure-track members of the Faculty (including those on temporary leave, e.g., junior leave or sabbatical, and those serving as administrators), as well as all visiting and continuing Faculty members appointed under at least a half-time contract that includes teaching courses for academic credit;
Select Administrators and Staff devoted to Academic Policy: the President, the Provost, the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Vice President for Library and Information Services, the Associate Provosts, the Dean of Student Development, the Dean for Academic Advising, the Director of Athletics, the Director of the Center for Global Engagement, the Director of the Library, the Director of the Center of Innovative Pedagogy, the Director of Sponsored Research & Strategic Initiatives, and the Registrar.

All members have a voice and vote in faculty meetings. The Chair of the Faculty may invite visitors to attend faculty meetings when appropriate, with voice but no vote, or as observers. The Chair of the Faculty regularly invites, at the beginning of the year, appropriate individuals to attend the faculty meeting with voice but no vote; these should include but are not limited to: the Vice President for Finance, the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admissions, the Vice President for Advancement, the Civil Rights/Title IX Coordinator, the Dean for Career Development, Librarians, Chief of Staff, all adjunct Instructors and Professors teaching less than half-time, and Emeritus faculty.

Membership in the faculty meeting carries with it the expectation of regular attendance at meetings and, in the case of administrators, the expectation that reports of activity pertinent to faculty concerns from their areas of responsibility will be made to the meeting from time to time.

3.1.2 Officers

There are two officers: the Chair, who shall be a tenured member of the faculty, and the Vice Chair; both will be elected by the faculty prior to the March meeting and serve for the ensuing academic year. No person may serve consecutively in either of these positions for more than three years.

Duties of the Chair

Preside at faculty meetings or arrange for another Executive Committee faculty member to preside if necessary;
Set the written agenda for the faculty meeting;
Convene and preside over the Executive Committee;
Organize the process of nomination and election of faculty officers, and committee chairs and members;
Supervise, with the Executive Committee, the creation and appointment of action committees and ad hoc committees;
Represent the faculty in regular meetings with the President and Provost;
Attend the Kenyon College Board of Trustees Meeting on behalf of the Faculty; attend one of the board strategic committees, as appropriate.

Duties of the Vice Chair

Keep a written report of the faculty meetings, adding the minutes to the cumulative record of faculty business kept in the Provost's office;
Provide accurate final versions of material to be included in the Faculty Handbook;
Keep such records of the Executive Committee as needed;
Conduct the official correspondence of the faculty;
Present candidates for degrees at Commencement and other ceremonies or designate a member of the faculty to present candidates at such ceremonies.

3.1.3 Conduct of Meetings

The chair shall distribute a schedule of the year's faculty meetings prior to the beginning of classes in August. Additional meetings may be called by the chair or the vice chair. The chair must call a special meeting on receipt of a petition to do so signed by twenty-five or more members of the faculty. At each meeting the record of the previous meeting shall be approved or altered so as to receive approval. Except as herein provided, meetings are conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order, all debate being addressed to the chair.

The normal order of business is:

A. Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting;
B. Old business;
C. New business;
D. General Forum;
E. Committee reports;
F. Administrative reports;
G. Announcements.

General Forum is a time for open discussion of items of concern to the faculty. While the chair may suggest a topic in the published agenda, this should not keep faculty from bringing other issues forward from the floor, either for general discussion or for referral to one of the standing committees for further investigation.

To be on the agenda for each faculty meeting, all reports, motions and supporting documents from committees or individuals must be submitted, in writing, no later than 9 a.m. on the Wednesday preceding the Monday meeting, to the Chair of the Faculty and the Faculty Resources Specialist, who will distribute copies to all members preceding the meeting. Normally, the FacPac is available before noon on the Thursday preceding the meeting.

The President, the Provost, the Associate Provosts, the Vice President for Student Affairs, and the Vice President for Library and Information Services each normally submit a written report for Faculty Meeting, on time for inclusion in the FacPac.

3.1.4 Legislative Procedures

Any member may raise items of business for consideration and vote, regardless of previous action by a committee, provided the matter is duly placed on the agenda. Unless specific time limits for debate have been voted, all members may be permitted to speak to the issues. Any member may call for a written ballot for any vote, either in regular meeting or in the Committee of the Whole. Proposed legislation must be made available in writing in advance of the meeting at which it is to be introduced. Normally it will not be voted on until the next meeting.

Legislation requires a simple majority of the votes cast (for or against) to pass, except in special cases where a 60 percent vote is required: legislation which revises, amends, or alters requirements for graduation, or employment policies and procedures, or other significant matters for which by vote the faculty decides this is needed.

Legislative and executive actions taken by a standing committee of the faculty will be reported in writing and circulated to all members. All such actions are subject to review by the faculty at any regular or special meeting by passage of a motion calling for review. A review may also be initiated by presentation to the secretary of a petition signed by at least fifteen members of the faculty meeting.

3.1.5 Committee of the Whole

When standing committees or ad hoc committees of the faculty examine important issues, they should have discussion in the faculty meetings early in their deliberations in order to become familiar with views of the whole faculty. The Committee of the Whole provides the setting for such discussion. The contents of a discussion in the Committee of the Whole would not appear in the record of the meeting in order to give opportunity for free discussion to all participants without final commitment.

The Committee of the Whole should be used for important matters, and the Chair of the Faculty should include it in the agenda for that meeting. When the faculty votes to resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole, it will normally do so following the committee reports. The issues to be discussed will be specified, and remarks will be restricted to those issues. Ordinarily, discussion will be guided by an agenda or a position paper distributed prior to that meeting.