Purpose

The purpose of Faculty Senate is to

  • Align with NWCCU 2.A.4, “The institution’s decision-making structures and processes, which are documented and publicly available, must include provisions for the consideration of the views of faculty, staff, administrators, and students on matters in which each has a direct and reasonable interest” and support faculty participation in the governance of the institution.
  • Align with Section 4.17 of the Montana Two Year College Faculty Association (MTYFCA) Collective Bargaining Agreement, which “recognize[s] 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.”
  • Provide a voice for faculty in decision making and discussion of academic and professional topics in which they have interest and concern.

Committee Charge

The Faculty Senate seeks to advance the welfare of the College and promote communication within the academic community of faculty, administration, staff and students by providing a forum for Informal discussion of academic opportunities and concerns, within departments, across campus, and at the system level.

Areas of Responsibility

Role in service

  • Role in service

    • Consultation with department chairs, program directors, division directors, Advising and Career Center staff or other relevant parties regarding proposed changes to and initiation of policy and procedure affecting instructional operations, e.g., curriculum, degree requirements, admission and retention, the structure of the academic programs;
    • Ensure opportunities for participation in shared governance by providing input on faculty assignment to vacancies on the College’s standing committees and ad hoc work groups in adherence with MTYCFA CBA;
    • Form ad hoc work groups for the purpose of completing work assigned by Executive Council or College Council;
    • Review and update the faculty handbook jointly with MTYCFA and division directors annually;
    • Participate in state-level shared governance initiatives and provide input to state-level entities, including the Montana University System Faculty Association Representatives (MUSFAR), the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, and Board of Regents; and
    Inform and gather input from GFC Faculty regarding state-level shared governance initiatives and activities.

Role in promoting excellence

  • Promote creativity, quality, and innovation by encouraging the development of intellectual property and promoting the ethical and fair use of course resources and human capital;
  • Foster a culture of collaboration and collegiality across divisions and departments; and

Role in fostering communication

  • Lead free and open discussion and deliberation of faculty concerns; route those concerns to various internal and external entities; act as a hub for communication across academic departments and between divisions; and serve as a communication link by providing feedback to faculty regarding discussion, deliberation, and decision-making surrounding concerns faculty have elevated through Faculty Senate;
  • Provide a venue for communication with faculty members;
  • Ensure engagement of the entire faculty by scheduling and holding regular Faculty Senate meetings; and
  • Meet periodically with the CEO/Dean.

Membership

  • Membership of GFC Faculty Senate includes all faculty having teaching assignments in the current academic year; GFC administrative and professional staff are invited guests;
  • The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate is comprised of Chair and Chair-Elect;
  • Per the MTYCFA Collective Bargaining Agreement, “the Dean and/or his/her representative should participate in Faculty Senate as an ex officio (non-voting) member”

Term Limits

The Chair shall serve for two years. The Chair-Elect serves for one year as Chair-Elect before completing the two-year term as Faculty Senate Chair. There are no term limits as all faculty members with teaching loads are members of Senate.

Communication

Stipulated as part of committee responsibilities

Deliverables

In addition to responding to requests for faculty input, Faculty Senate is responsible for a variety of deliverables (work products). Deliverables include:

  • A proposed slate of faculty to fill standing committee vacancies for the coming academic year c;
  • A proposed slate of faculty to fill ad hoc committee vacancies
    • Syllabus template review
    • Faculty handbook review
    • Faculty Senate handbook and bylaws review
    • Strategic Action Plan reporting
    • Policy input
  • Regular input to College Council

 

Meeting Schedule

Quarterly meetings (two meetings per 16-week semester) are scheduled back-to-back with All Faculty meetings. Scheduling meetings in this way allows the faculty dedicated time to organize a response to requests from Executive Council, College Council, a division, or another unit; for ad hoc groups to report back to the body on their progress or final proposals/recommendations; for faculty to provide input on new and proposed revision to campus policy and procedure to be presented to College Council; and to share concerns and opportunities with a peer audience.