Bylaws of the Faculty Council

ONE — An eligible member of the Faculty Council (FC) is a full-time faculty member at the University of Houston. Faculty members who hold administrative appointments (e.g., Assistant/Associate/Vice Dean, or higher and equivalent) are not eligible for membership in the Faculty Council. Elected councilors will serve two-year terms that begin on August 1 and therefore end on July 31 of their second year of service. Elected councilors may not be elected for consecutive terms. Appointed councilors will serve one-year terms that begin on August 1 and end on July 31 of their first year of service. Appointed councilors can be reappointed for up to six consecutive terms¹. The following representatives of the administration will have roles, as defined below, in the FC – Provost’s delegates (Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs; Senior Vice Provost and Dean, Undergraduate Student Success; Vice Provost and Dean, Graduate School); and the Vice President/Vice Chancellor for Research.

TWO — Duties of officers and representatives of the administration shall be as follows:

Duties of the Presiding Officer:

Preside over all meetings of the Faculty Council.
Serve as a non-voting ex officio member of all standing and ad hoc committees of the Faculty Council.
Call special meetings when appropriate.
Transmit to the appropriate administrative authorities of the University of Houston the recommendations and resolutions affirmed by the Faculty Council.
Advise the President/Chancellor and the Provost of the University of Houston on matters of general interest to the faculty.
Transmit from the President/Chancellor and Provost information on matters of general interest to the faculty.
Serve as a voting ex officio member of the University Coordinating Commission.
Report on faculty interests to the University of Houston System Board of Regents at regular Board meetings, as needed.

Duties of the Associate Presiding Officer:

Preside over all meetings of the Faculty Council in the absence of the Presiding Officer.
Be a non-voting ex officio member of all standing and ad hoc committees of the Faculty Council in the absence of the Presiding Officer.
Further assist the Presiding Officer as the Presiding Officer may deem advisable.
Coordinate with the Secretary in relation to the communications of the Faculty Council.
Serve as a voting ex officio member of the University Coordinating Commission in the absence of the Presiding Officer.

Duties of the Secretary:

In consultation with the Presiding Officer and Associate Presiding Officer, be responsible for all forms of communication emanating from the Faculty Council.
Ensure that complete minutes are kept for each meeting, and that a summary of the minutes is prepared of every regular or special meeting. The Secretary will work with Faculty Council staff to accomplish the duties of this role.

Duties of the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs:

Represent the President/Chancellor and the Provost on the Faculty Council
Serve as a non-voting ex officio member on the Faculty Engagement Committee, and all subcommittees, ad hoc committees, working groups, task forces, etc.
Serve as a non-voting ex officio member and co-chair of the Executive Committee with the Presiding Officer
Be responsible for oversight of the staff of the Faculty Council

Duties of the Senior Vice Provost and Dean, Undergraduate Student Success:

Serve as a non-voting ex officio member on the Curriculum Committee and of the Executive Committee

Duties of the Vice Provost and Dean, Graduate School:

Serve as a non-voting ex officio member on the Curriculum Committee and of the Executive Committee

Duties of the Vice President/Vice Chancellor for Research:

Serve as a non-voting ex officio member on the Research and Scholarship Committee and of the Executive Committee

THREE — The Faculty Engagement Committee (FEC) shall be comprised of designated members of the Faculty Council and the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs, who will be a non-voting ex officio member. The Faculty Engagement Committee shall administer the Innovation in Teaching Awards, operate as an advisory board to the Office of Faculty Engagement and Development and the Faculty Café, oversee nomination of faculty to university standing committees, oversee elections of the Faculty

Council, facilitate efficient communication networks between the Faculty Council and colleges, provide recommendations on updates to the Faculty Handbook, and perform other tasks as communicated by the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs. The Faculty Engagement Committee will be advisory to the Provost and Provost’s delegate. The FEC will receive its charge annually from the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs. Committee meeting agenda and activities should be developed in collaboration with the Provost or delegate.

FOUR — The Curriculum Committee (CC) advises on undergraduate and graduate curriculum matters. The Committee shall be comprised of designated members of the Faculty Council and shall include at least one representative from each college that offers undergraduate and/or graduate programs. The CC will be advisory to the Provost and the Provost’s delegates to this committee regarding curriculum and academic standards. The Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Student Success, and the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School serve on this committee in non-voting ex officio capacities.

Specifically, the Committee will consider proposals related to academic programs, courses, and policies. The CC will receive its charge annually from the Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Student Success, and the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School. Committee meeting agenda and activities should be developed in collaboration with the Provost or Provost’s delegate.

FIVE — The Research and Scholarship Committee (RSC) shall be comprised of designated members of the Faculty Council and the Vice President for Research, who will be a non-voting ex officio member. The RSC shall focus on matters related to the research and scholarship of the university and will be advisory to the Vice President for Research and the Provost or designee. The RSC will receive its charge annually from the Vice President for Research. Committee meeting agenda and activities should be developed in collaboration with the VPR or VPR delegate.

To be eligible for nomination for appointment to the RSC, the faculty member must satisfy the following criteria:

A. The faculty member must have an ongoing, focused research agenda as evidenced by refereed scholarly articles, grant writing, research presentations, or other scholarly research output deemed in their discipline as appropriate to a faculty member actively engaged in the research endeavor of a nationally recognized research university. Such scholarly output must satisfy the expectations of the individual college from which the faculty member is nominated.

B. The faculty member must be actively involved in either graduate or undergraduate research programs administered within their own academic unit.

The RSC will advise on matters related to research, scholarship, and creative activity across disciplines and recommend policies to strengthen the University’s research ecosystem, including research infrastructure and intellectual property. The committee will also administer the Assistant Professor Excellence (ApeX) speaker series.

SIX — The Executive Committee (EC) shall evaluate the eligibility and qualifications of all nominees for election to the Faculty Council. The EC shall be composed of the Presiding Officer, Associate Presiding Officer, Secretary, the representatives of the administration, and the chairs of the standing committees of the Faculty Council. The officers and standing committee chairs serve in voting capacities, while the representatives of the administration serve in a non-voting capacity. The role of the representatives of the administration is to jointly and collaboratively develop agendas and build consensus for EC recommendations. The EC shall be co-chaired by the Presiding Officer and the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs. The representatives of the administration are typically the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs, the Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Student Success, the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, and the Vice President for Research. Appointed and elected members of the Faculty Council shall be asked to provide ranked preferences for committee membership. Committee chairs and associate chairs shall be appointed by the incoming officers of the Faculty Council and the representatives of the administration. The EC will also provide advice on campus-wide faculty issues in collaboration with the Provost or designee.

SEVEN — An agenda for each meeting of the Faculty Council must be posted on its website seven (7) or more days before the meeting. The agenda will provide sufficient details about the items to be discussed or will be subject to a vote and any curriculum proposals that will be reviewed or on which a vote will occur. Agenda for Faculty Council meetings will be developed by the Presiding Officer in consultation with the Provost or designee, and must receive approval by the Provost or designee. Minutes for regular Faculty Council meetings will be made publicly available on its website seven (7) or more days before the next regular meeting.

EIGHT — The Faculty Engagement Committee of the Faculty Council shall appoint councilors to an Appointments Subcommittee, which shall nominate faculty members from across the University of Houston to serve on university committees as requested. The Appointments Subcommittee shall include one representative from each college and may include members who are not members of the Faculty Engagement Committee.

NINE — The Presiding Officer of the Faculty Council, the chair of the Curriculum Committee, the chair of the Research and Scholarship Committee, and the chair of the Faculty Engagement Committee are members of the University Coordinating Commission (UCC), which coordinates and expedites communication among faculty, staff, and students regarding the review of proposed policies and procedures submitted through the UCC process.

TEN — The Presiding Officer and Associate Presiding Officer or their representatives shall serve as Faculty Council representatives to the University Faculties Executive Council (UFEC). Each representative shall serve until the end of their term as a Faculty Council Officer, or until replaced. The Provost and the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs at UH will serve on the UFEC. UFEC is comprised of the equivalent representatives of the other UH System universities.

ELEVEN — When the UH Faculty Council is a member of the Texas Council of Faculty Senates (TCoFS), a state-wide organization composed of state colleges and universities, it will be represented by its Presiding Officer and Associate Presiding Officer.

TWELVE — The Faculty Council is a member of the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics. The delegate to, and an alternate for, the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (CoIA) will be elected by the UH Faculty Council for two-year terms. The elections will be held as necessary at the same meeting as the other officers each year. The CoIA delegate and alternate must be members of the Faculty Council at the time of their election. In the event that neither can attend a meeting of CoIA, the Faculty Council Executive Committee may appoint another Faculty Council member as the UH representative for that meeting. In the event the CoIA delegate resigns, the alternate will become the CoIA delegate and the Executive Committee shall appoint another alternate. In the event the alternate resigns, the Executive Committee shall appoint another alternate. Appointees must be members of the Faculty Council at the time of appointment. The elected CoIA delegate or alternate shall be a voting ex officio member of the University of Houston Athletic Advisory Committee.

In the event the delegate resigns, the alternate will become the delegate and the Executive Committee shall appoint another alternate. In the event the alternate resigns, the Executive Committee shall appoint another alternate. Appointees must be members of the Faculty Council at the time of appointment. The elected CoIA delegate or alternate shall be a voting ex officio member of the University of Houston Athletic Advisory Committee.

THIRTEEN — the Presiding Officer of the Faculty Council and the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs may be asked to establish subcommittees, ad hoc committees, working groups, task forces, etc. to represent the academic interests of the campus and should obtain input from the Provost or Provost’s delegate.

FOURTEEN — The quorum for meetings of the Faculty Council shall consist of forty percent of the eligible voting faculty members. The quorum for meetings of standing and ad hoc committees of the Faculty Council will be fifty percent.

FIFTEEN — Appointed and elected members of the FC possess the same rights, powers, and responsibilities. Neither should be viewed as having more or less value than the other.

To download the UH Faculty Council bylaws, please click here.

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