Bylaws

Academic Standards Council Bylaws

Approved by Faculty Senate: November 16, 2015

Approved by the Provost: November 17, 2015

Article 1: Name and Reporting Chain

The name of this group is the Academic Standards Council (ASC), a subcommittee of the Faculty Senate. All recommendations from the Academic Standards Council will be sent to the Faculty Senate for review and approval.

Article 2: Purpose

The charge of the Academic Standards Council is to recommend university policy and procedures pertaining to undergraduate academic standards for admission, progression, and the granting of degrees and certificates. Specific areas of concern include but are not restricted to: 1) advising, 2) academic standards, 3) scholastic appeals, 4) admission and progression requirements, 5) honors programs and societies, 6) advanced standing and placement, 7) evaluation of transfer policies, 8) standards for award of ISU credit, and 9) review of academic calendars and scheduling.

Article 3: Membership, Selection, and Recall

A. The membership of the Council consists of:

College of Arts and Letters faculty representative
Division of Health Sciences faculty representative
College of Pharmacy faculty representative
College of Science and Engineering faculty representative
College of Education faculty representative
College of Business faculty representative
College of Technology faculty representative
Registrar or designee (ex-officio non-voting)
Representative of College of Technology Student Services (ex-officio non-voting)
Representative of Central Academic Advising (ex-officio non-voting)

B. Colleges or divisions will nominate a representative according to their internal selection procedures, and forward the nomination to the Faculty Senate for consideration and final appointment. Ex-officio representatives on the Council are appointed by their constituencies.

C. Faculty Senate appoints faculty representatives to the Council for terms of three years, staggered such that one-third of the council rotates off each year. Faculty representatives may re-nominated by their constituents and re-appointed by Faculty Senate for a second three-year term. No faculty representative may be reappointed to the Council for a third term without at least a one-year interval between full terms of office. Terms of ex-officio representatives are determined by their constituencies.

D. If a vacancy occurs among the faculty representatives, the Faculty Senate, in accordance with the membership provisions in Article 3.B. above, appoints a new member who shall complete the vacated term.

E. Attendance at Council meetings is required.

Any Council member who misses three meetings in an academic year may be subject to recall by their constituency.
The Faculty Senate may recall any faculty representative for three absences through approval of two-thirds of those voting. The Faculty Senate must allow the member in question an opportunity to appear before the Senate to explain his or her absences.

Article 4: Officers and Meetings

A. The Council elects the Chair and the Vice Chair of the Council in the spring semester, or upon a vacancy, from the continuing faculty representatives of the Council. These officers will serve for one year, and may be re-elected if eligible.

B. The duties of the Chair and Vice Chair shall be as follows:

Establish a meeting schedule for the Council at the beginning of the academic year in accordance with the Faculty Senate administrative schedule.
Communicate with Faculty Senate to prepare agenda items for Council meetings.
Chair meetings of the Council in accordance with the Procedures in Small Boards section of Robert's Rule of Order (latest edition). The Vice Chair will conduct scheduled meetings in the absence of the Chair, unless a meeting is cancelled.
Ensure minutes of meetings are forwarded to the Faculty Senate.
Forward all action items approved by the Council to the Faculty Senate for review and recommendation for submission to Academic Affairs.
Place items remanded by Faculty Senate for further work back onto the Council's agenda.
Communicate with Faculty Senate about current action items under review and future agenda items.
Submit to Faculty Senate the Council Chair's Report at the end of the academic year.

C. The Council meets:

In accordance with a regularly established calendar which is published on the Academic Standards Council website.
Upon the call of the Chair, who is responsible for informing Council members in advance of the meeting of its time, place, and agenda.

D. If three members of the Council request a meeting, the Chair will call it within two weeks of the request in accordance with the provisions in Article 4.D.2. above.

E. The Council Chair may be removed with approval of two-thirds of the voting membership. Notification of a motion to remove the Chair must be sent to all members at least one week in advance of the meeting.

Article 5: Minutes, Quorum, and Voting

A. Minutes are kept for each meeting and prepared in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order, New Revised edition. Minutes should be approved within two weeks, either in the next meeting or via electronic media, and are submitted to the Faculty Senate for review and acceptance. The Council shall choose, how, and by whom, minutes will be taken.

B. Statements of policy recommendations are approved or disapproved at Council meetings when a quorum of the membership is present, or by mail or e-mail ballot, and submitted to the Faculty Senate for review. The Council's policy recommendations are considered by the Faculty Senate in accordance with its Bylaws.

C. A quorum consists of fifty percent plus one of the voting Council membership. Ex-officio positions are not considered when determining the quorum.

D. The results of a vote will be as follows:

A majority of quorum in favor: motion passes.
A majority of quorum against: motion fails
A majority of quorum abstains, or in case of a tie: motion is tabled.

E. The Chair has the right to vote on all motions.

F. Absentee votes are allowed for votes; proxy votes by substitutes are not allowed.

G. Meetings shall be held in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised edition, which shall be the authority in all matters not covered by the bylaws and/or approved operating procedures.

Article 6: Bylaws Amendment Process

A. These Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds majority of the voting membership of the Council.

B. No amendment of the Bylaws may be both introduced and passed in the same meeting.

C. The Faculty Senate may override Council Bylaw changes in accordance with the Faculty Senate Bylaws (Article VII, Section II).

Article 7: Business Items

A. New business may be initiated in the Academic Standards Council by any of the following means:

Items referred in writing to the Council by Faculty Senate.
Items referred to the Council by a member of the Council.
Items referred in writing by the Office of Academic Affairs.

B. The agenda for each meeting is set by the Chair of the Academic Standards Council in accordance with Article 4.B.2. The agenda may be changed by majority approval of the quorum of the voting membership present.

C. Recommendations sent to Faculty Senate for review and approval may be remanded for additional work.

D. Business items or policy recommendations not completed in one academic year will be considered old or continuing business to be completed by the Academic Standards Council in the next academic year.

E. Ad hoc subcommittee(s) charged with specific tasks may be created by the Academic Standards Council to assist the work of the Council, as necessary. The formation and charge of an ad hoc subcommittee must be approved by a majority vote of the voting membership of the Council.

*Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised is the authority in all matters not covered by these bylaws and/or approved operating procedures.