Agenda Items: Items to be considered for the senate agenda must be received in the Senate Office no later than the Wednesday of the week prior to the scheduled meeting.
Upon the written request of twenty members of the faculty, or 10 members of the Senate, the Senate shall consider either at its regular meeting or in a special session, the agenda accompanying such a request. (Article III, Section 6.6)

Attendance- A senator may be excused from a senate meeting by notifying the senate office by email or phone. A senator with three unexcused absences will be replaced. (Bylaw IV)

Administrative Changes to Programs
Such changes typically involve departmental reorganizations, structures, or titles that do not involve changes to curriculum. The proposal are sent to ECOS from the Provost’s Office for review. ECOS then places the items on the consent agenda of the Faculty Senate and invites a representative from the department to the meeting to describe the change and answer any questions. These require a majority vote of the senate.

Amendments to Bylaws
Bylaws may be amended or repealed at any meeting of the Senate by a majority vote of senators present and voting (currently 19), if presented at the previous meeting and recommended by ECOS. ECOS is required to notify members of the senate of proposed amendments to the bylaws. (Bylaw VIII)

Bereavement Motions- Usually the chair receives a request from a faculty member, who presents a brief summary of work/contributions and acknowledgement of service that is offered as a bereavement motion during communications at the Senate meeting.

Center Review (Establishment and Periodic Review of Academic Institutes, Bureaus, Centers, Stations, Laboratories, and Other Similar Entities- Academic Policy 100.0) This review is intented to ensure centers and other ancillary bodies are performing consistent with the university's academic purpose.

The Provost’s Office notifies and collects reports from the Centers scheduled for review and submits them to ECOS in November.  The administrative associate assures that the reports are complete and include a budget form.  ECOS solicits input from faculty via email.  An ECOS member is assigned as primary reviewer and drafts the review section of the form for discussion.  The review section includes the entity‘s scope in relation to the University’s mission, any controversy concerning its activities, relationship to academic units, progress toward objectives, use of University resources, and financial indapendance. From this analysis ECOS makes a recommendation and justification.  Comments are made on the forms and posted to the Senate website for vote in April.  The Senate votes for continuance or discontinuance.  The Provost then provides a written recommendation to the President, referencing the vote of the Senate.

Committee Appointments & Nominations
ECOS makes nominations to most committees requiring faculty representation. In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the University and the University Faculty Association the Faculty Senate ( ECOS ) appoints faculty to the following committees.

• Committee on Service (CBA 18.400)
• Unit Standards Committee (CBA 10.120 &10.250)
• University Appeals Committee (CBA 10.280)

Committee Operating Rules and Procedures

1. Faculty Senate standing committees shall establish a regular meeting time and place in conjunction with the Senate Office to facilitate administrative support. 
2. The chair-elect assumes the role of chair at the last meeting of the year and a new chair-elect is elected.
3. The committee chair will turn the meeting over to the chair-elect in matters pertaining to his/her department.
4. The chair is encouraged to consult with ECOS and inform the Faculty Senate on matters of academic interest.
5. Each committee shall file in the Faculty Senate Office a statement of operating procedures and guidelines adopted by the committee. It is the responsibility of the committee chair, or designee to see that statements are filed and changes are noted whenever they are approved by the committee. At the first meeting of each academic year, the committee should review its statement of procedures and guidelines.
6. The Senate Office will make committee procedures available on the Senate website.
7. Faculty Senate Committees will provide the Faculty Senate with a review of its activities during the year and the chair of the committee will orally summarize these activities at the last senate meeting of the year. (Bylaw V.F added 2/12/04 )
   

Committee Reports
Committees shall file annual reports with the Senate and President. (Article III, Section 1) According to Bylaw V, Section D, committees to which ECOS makes appointments shall deliver annual reports to the Faculty Senate.  The reports should contain the results of the committee’s work and a review of the overall process. 

A list of committees is maintained by the President’s Office and is located on the web- http://www.umt.edu/committees/

Curriculum Approval Notices
Curriculum approval notices are sent to department chairs, the Provost’s and Registrar’s Office, and academic deans for fall semester winter break and for spring semester summer break. A record of the approval agendas are maintained on the website. Copies of notices are maintained in the office.

Curriculum Consent Agenda’s: Summaries of proposals approved by ASCRC and Graduate Council is posted to the Senate web site. Detailed proposals, if not linked to the agenda, are also available electronically from the administrative associate.

Curriculum Reveiw Process
Curriculum forms are submitted to the Senate Office with appropriate approval signatures.  These are logged and distributed to ASCRC and Graduate Council.  The curriculum subcommittees review the forms and present a consent list to the full committee discussing issues as necessary.  The senate administrative associate creates the committee consent agenda for presentation to ECOS and then the Faculty Senate by the Chairs of ASCRC and Graduate Council.  After approval by the Senate, the Provost’s Office presents Level I and II items to the Board of Regents approval. 
Instructions and forms.

ECOS Meetings
ECOS meetings are held on Thursday’s at 3:10 in the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221. ECOS does not meet on the day of Senate meetings or Board of Regents meetings. The Chairs of both the ASCRC and Grad Council are invited to the meeting the week prior to the Faculty Senate meeting. The President and Provost are normally scheduled to visit with ECOS twice a semester.

Evaluation of the Administration (even fiscal years)
Faculty are asked to evaluate university administrators. The survey is available online in January.The senate administrative associate will put the data into a presentable format and a draft report. ECOS will discuss and complete the results section of this report. The report to the Senate is made no latter than April. The report and copies of all the administrator summaries are distributed to the President. The Provost receives the report and copies of the Deans' summaries. Each administrator receives a copy of their evaluation and is invited to meet with ECOS prior to presentation at the Senate. ECOS will submit the report on university administrators together with the data of the faculty evaluation of the President to the Chair of the Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Higher Education with a cover letter stating the purpose, method, and limitations of the evaluation.(Bylaw XIII)

Files
Files of minutes, agendas, and correspondence for the Faculty Senate, ECOS, ASCRC, General Education, Grad Council, Faculty Library, and Writing Committees are maintained in the Faculty Senate Office according to year.

Graduation Lists
Graduation lists are posted to the web site for approval at the July, December, and April Faculty Senate meetings. The lists are removed from the site the following month. These records are maintained in the Registrar’s Office

Honorary Degree Procedures

Petitions - The Senate shall consider an agenda item upon the written request of 20 members of the faculty or 10 members of the Senate. The Petitioner should inform the chair of the item and deliver the petition to the Senate Office. (Article III, section 6.6)

Posthumous Degree Guidelines

Program for the Senate Developed at the ECOS retreat and presented at the first meeting of the Senate. The program outlines issues to be addressed by the Senate or that may be expected for the coming year. (Bylaw XI)

Resolutions
Resolutions presented to the Faculty Senate follow the guidlines laid down by Roberts Rules of Order.

Sabbatical replacement for Senators - pending review
Senators temporarily absent from regular duties should inform the Senate Office whether they wish to resume their term on return.  ECOS will fill the seat for the year/semester with the runner-up from the last election.  If none of the runners-up are willing to serve then ECOS will fill the seat by appointment.

University Faculty Association, CBA

7.000 ACADEMIC GOVERNANCE

7.100 FACULTY SENATE

The UFA , as the elected bargaining agent, retains exclusive right to negotiate and reach agreement on all matters pertaining to salaries, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment. Without waiving this right, the UFA and the BOR recognize the desirability of a democratic governance system for faculty in areas of academic concern. Such a governance system shall be implemented through a democratically elected and representative Faculty Senate.

The University President and/or his/her representatives may request and shall be granted invitations to meetings of the Senate and Senate Committees to present and discuss administrative proposals in matters of mutrual interest. Matters of academic concern may be initiated by the Senate or by the President or his/her representative. The matters which shall be reviewed and recommended by the Senate, in accordance with regulations of the BOR, shall include:

1. specific curricular changes submitted by the faculties of the various departments, units, and schools through the appropriate University committee;
2. general requirements for various degrees, including honorary degrees, and nomination of candidates for graduation;
3. general requirements for admission and retention of students and guidelines for student recruitment;
4. development, curtailment, discontinuance, or reorganization of academic programs;
5. issues that pertain to the academic affairs of the University and matters of critical concern about the welfare and administration of the University;
6. establishment of committees and other bodies deemed necessary to carry out the responsibilities under this provision.

In accordance with BOR policy, faculty representatives shall have the right to address the BOR at its meetings in support of Faculty Senate positions.

7.200 REASSIGNED TIME — FACULTY SENATE

One designated representative of the Faculty Senate shall, upon request to the Administration, be granted the equivalent of three (3) credit hours release time per semester in work load with no reduction in pay.

The portion of the assignment from which the representatives will be reassigned shall be determined by the Administration in consultation with the affected employee.

Year-end Account -The Faculty Senate Chair's review of the activities of the senate during the previous year. The collection of accounts serves as a summary of the academic year/Senate activities from the faculty perspective.