The question of the Faculty Senate’s purpose, its north star, was recently discussed among the Provisional Faculty Senate Executive Committee (FSEC). It is clear during our meetings that every single individual has unique expertise, views and ideas of how the Faculty Senate should operate — clearly supporting the purpose in convening such a group with multiple perspectives.
As the conversations continue, it is also clear that each member of the Provisional FSEC holds the same desire for a Faculty Senate that will simultaneously be inclusive enough to allow all faculty to have their voices heard and also be agile enough to respond to the needs of faculty as they, and UK, evolve. This is the future of faculty representation at our institution, and its framework is beginning to take shape.
The Provisional FSEC continues its weekly meetings, and its focus for recent meetings has been drafting the bylaws to govern the Faculty Senate — a new administrative regulation (AR) for this shared governance body. But while the current goal is to have a first draft of the Faculty Senate’s bylaws in front of the president prior to the beginning of the semester, it is important that we continue to have open and productive dialogue to consider all viewpoints.
The bylaws will govern the official rules and regulations for the Faculty Senate — but the Provisional FSEC is attempting to weigh the need to set a firm foundation for how the Faculty Senate will operate with the need to allow for flexibility of the senate body as they learn through the transition.
For this reason, the bylaws will cover the higher-level operations of the Faculty Senate and provide the structure under which it will operate. There will be further operating procedures for the Faculty Senate that will guide the day-to-day work of the body and its members — these will be more flexible as the inaugural Faculty Senate determines its ideal cadence and workflow, enabling it to be more agile in responding to future changes.
Currently, the draft encompasses six components and a preamble — the preamble lays out the central values held by the body, and each section details a fundamental rule or process to govern the Faculty Senate. I am thankful for the dedication of each of the members and their ability to come together with individual viewpoints to create a Faculty Senate that will represent faculty at UK.
As a reminder, the timeline for the Provisional FSEC requires elections for Faculty Senators to be held no later than Oct. 31, 2024. This first draft of the bylaws details the articles and rules for eligibility requirements, duties of senators and the senate chair, details of meetings, voting, senate committees and amendments to bylaws. With this first draft of the bylaws, the Provisional FSEC can begin refining and revising the processes that will guide the first elections of the Faculty Senate this fall.
In our discussions around the bylaws and their revisions, it is clear how deeply each individual cares about this work and how it impacts their fellow faculty members. These bylaws are the result of passionate debates and conversations. Through it all, it is evident we share the goal of creating a Faculty Senate that is inclusive and representative of all faculty across campus. I remain grateful for each member and the thoughtful work they contribute each week as the creation of the Faculty Senate continues.