c. CONSTITUTION OF THE SENATE OF THE URBAN A- CHAMPAIGN CAMPUS UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS As Approved November 9, 1970 Article I. -- Basic Structure Section 1 . For the purpose of exercising legislative functions in matters of educational policy and other powers and duties specified in the University Statutes , there is hereby established a unicameral body to be known as the Senate of the Urbana-Champaign Campus. Section 2 . The Senate shall consist of persons from the faculty and student electorates, elected in accordance with the provisions of this Constitu- tion, and such ex officio members as are provided in this Constitution. Elected members shall have full floor and voting privileges on all mat- ters before the Senate; e_x officio members shall have full floor privi- leges on all matters before the Senate, but shall not vote except as provided in Article V, Section 7. Section 3 . For the purpose of implementing the provisions of this Constitu- tion and to provide for the internal organization of the Senate, the Senate shall enact such bylaws as it deems necessary and proper, not inconsistent with this Constitution. Bylaws of the Senate shall be adopted, amended, or repealed only upon two-thirds vote of the Senators present at a Senate meeting, provided due notice (as defined in Article V, Section 10) of such proposed action has been given. Unless otherwise provided therein bylaws or amendments thereto shall be effective immedi- ately upon adoption. Section 4 An amendment to this Constitution may be initiated by either of the following procedures: (1) Any member of the Senate may introduce at a regular or special meeting of the Senate a proposed amendment to the Constitution. Due notice (Article V, Section 10) shall be given that the amendment will be introduced at such meeting. If the Senate so determines, the amendment as introduced or as modified by the Senate shall be submitted to the faculty electorate as provided in paragraph (b) of this section. (2) Upon submission to the Senate of a petition proposing an amend- ment to this Constitution, signed by at least that number of members of the faculty electorate required to obtain an expres- sion of opinion under the procedures of Article V, Section 1, such amendment shall be submitted to the faculty electorate as provided in paragraph (b) of this section. Upon initiation of a proposed amendment as provided above, the amend- ment shall be submitted to the faculty electorate under the procedures of Article V, Section 1 for an expression of opinion with regard to the approval or disapproval of such amendment. The results of the poll of the faculty electorate shall be made public. Within a reason- able time thereafter, the Senate shall act on the amendment at a c Constitution Page 2 regular or special meeting. Due notice (Article V, Section 10) shall be given that the amendment will be acted upon at such meeting. Adoption of the amendment shall require a vote of no less than 2/3 of the Senators present at the meeting. After adoption of a constitutional amendment by the Senate, the Senate shall transmit the amendment to the Board of Trustees for appro- priate action in accordance with the University Statutes . Section 5 . A quorum necessary for a Senate meeting shall consist of a majority of the Senators elected. Article II. -- Faculty Representation Section 1 . The faculty electorate are those members of the academic staff who are directly engaged in and responsible for the educational func- tion of the University; ordinarily this will involve teaching and research. Specifically, the faculty electorate shall consist of all persons of the campus academic staff, other than persons holding administrative appointments in excess of one-half time, who: a. hold the academic title of professor, associate professor, or assis- tant professor (including those who hold the title of "with the rank of" professor, associate professor, and assistant professor), and have at least a one-half time non-visitng appointment, and are paid for their services by the University; or b. hold the academic title of instructor (including those who hold the title of "with the rank of" instructor), and have a full-time appointment, and are paid for their services by the University, and are not candidates for a degree from this University; or c. are appointed as and hold positions with titles other than those described in (a) and (b) above, and who, in the determination of the Senate, are directly engaged in and responsible for the educa- tional function of the University, ordinarily involving teaching and research; or d. are retired members of the campus academic staff with the title of emeritus, and would otherwise be eligible for inclusion in the faculty electorate. However, retired members shall not be counted for purposes of the provisions of Sections 3, 4, and 5 of this Article. Provided, that heads or chairmen of departments, or executive officers of comparable units, who are otherwise eligible, shall not be excluded from the faculty electorate because they hold administrative appoint- ments in excess of one-half time. Section 2 . All persons included in the faculty electorate shall be eligible for election to the Senate, without distinction on the basis of rank or other criteria. Each member of the electorate shall be entitled to cast one vote for each open senatorial position apportioned to his vot- ing unit; there shall be no cumulative voting. Section 3 . Elections shall be held on the basis of faculty voting units. A faculty voting unit is the smallest academic unit, such as the depart- ment or its equivalent, in each college or analogous academic division, which unit has at least seven members of the faculty electorate. Section 4 . A voting unit having seven members of the faculty electorate is entitled to elect one Senator from its membership. For each 12 members Constitution Page 3 of the faculty electorate over the initial seven, it shall elect an additional Senator. Prior to each election following the first elec- tion under this Constitution, the Senate shall adjust the numbers 7 and 12, or either of them, up or down one or more whole numbers, or retain the numbers 7 or 12, or either of them, as the case may be, in order to ensure that after such election the total number of Senators from the faculty electorate shall be as close to 200 as possible. Section 5 . Academic units having fewer than seven members of the faculty electorate shall be combined with or attached to other units within the college or other analogous educational division in which the unit is located, in such a way as to ensure opportunity for full partici- pation by all members of the faculty electorate. Section 6 . Each faculty voting unit shall provide to its faculty electorate a nominating ballot containing the names of all those eligible to vote in the voting unit. Each member of the unit's faculty electorate shall be entitled to cast one nominating vote for each open senatorial posi- tion apportioned to his voting unit; there shall be no cumulative vot- ing. The voting unit shall then prepare an election ballot containing the names of those who received the highest number of nominating votes and who are willing to serve. The number of names on the election bal- lot shall be equal to twice the number of those to be elected, or all those nominated if the number of those nominated and willing to serve is less than twice the number to be elected. The nominees receiving the highest numbers of votes shall be deemed elected. Section 7 . Voting on nominations and elections of Senators shall be by secret written ballot. Section 8 . Senators shall be elected for two-year terms commencing at the beginning of the next academic year. Provision shall be made for stag- gered terms so that approximately half the Senate wiii be elected each year. In the first election under this Constitution, the terms of Senators may be longer or shorter than provided above as necessary to place the Senate on a cycle beginning with the start of the academic year. Section 9. Vacancies shall be filled by election of a member of the voting unit for the remainder of the vacant term in accordance with the nomi- nation and election procedures prescribed in this Article. Section 10. No Senator shall be elected for more than three consecutive full terms Article III. -- Student Representation Section 1. The student electorate shall consist of all persons actively pursuing a degree on this campus and who meet the eligibility require- ments for voting. Eligibility for voting shall require that the stu- dent be: a. in residence; b. a candidate for a degree; c. if an undergraduate, taking a minimum of 12 hours for credit; d. if a professional student, taking a minimum of 12 hours for credit; Constitution Pa^e 4 e. if a graduate student, taking a minimum of 2 units for credit, or be registered for thesis credit. Section 2 . Any member of the student electorate shall be eligible for nomination and election to the Senate if at the time of his nomination and election he is making satisfactory progress towards his degree as certified by his academic dean. The nominating and election require- ments and procedures shall be as provided by the Senate, consistent with the provisions of this Article. Section 3 . The total number of Senators elected from the student elector- ate shall be as nearly fifty as practicable, but shall not exceed fifty. They shall be elected from student election units as provided in this Article. The Senate shall determine prior to each election the number of Senators to be elected from each student election unit. This determination shall be based insofar as feasible on each unit's proportional share of the total student electorate, provided, however, that each college or its equivalent shall be entitled to elect at least one Senator from its student electorate. Section 4 . Student election units shall be comprised of the major academic divisions, normally the colleges or their equivalent or subdivisions thereof. Insofar as feasible, the larger academic divisions shall be subdivided into smaller student election units based on related subject- matter areas. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and profes- sional students shall be grouped separately, and shall vote only for the Senators from their respective groups. Section 5 . The terms of Senators elected from the student electorate shall be one year, with a maximum of three consecutive terms. Unless the Senate provides otherwise, special elections shall not be held to fill vacancies. Section 6 . The elected head of the undergraduate student body and the elected head of the graduate student body shall be ex officio members of the Senate. Such members to be seated shall be members of the stu- dent electorate. Article IV. -- Administrative Participation Section 1. The following shall be ex officio members of the Senate. a. President, Executive Vice President and Provost; b. Chancellor, Vice-Chancellors, and Dean of Students; c. The academic dean of a college or executive officer of a compara- ble academic division. Section 2 . Heads and chairmen of departments, and executive officers of comparable units, who are not members of the Senate shall have the privilege of the floor on matters of direct concern to their units when such matters are before the Senate for debate. Article V. -- General Provisions Section 1. At the request of the Chancellor, upon request contained in a petition signed by members of the faculty electorate as provided here- after, or on its own initiative, the Senate shall obtain by a written Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/constitutionofseOOuniv Constitution Page 5 mail poll the requested expression of opinion from the faculty elector- ate. The minimum number of signers required in such a petition from the faculty electorate shall be established by the Senate in its bylaws. The formulation of the questions presented, and the procedures for obtaining such an expression of opinion shall be determined in each instance by the Senate. In all cases in which such poll is required, the Senate shall arrange for the poll to be conducted promptly upon receipt of the request. The results of any such poll of the faculty electorate shall be made public promptly. Section 2 . The Senate shall provide for the distribution of minutes, agenda, and reports of the Senate so as to maximize the opportunity for all interested persons to be informed as to the Senate's business. Section 3 . The Senate shall meet at such times as the Senate shall deter- mine. Due notice (Article V, Section 10) shall be given of all meet- ings except that in an emergency a meeting may be called on such notice as the bylaws may provide. Section 4 . Senate meetings shall be open to the public, subject to such rea- sonable rules and procedures as may be adopted by the Senate. Section 5 . The Senate is empowered to appoint to Senate committees such non- Senators as the Senate may determine. Such committee members may have floor but not voting privileges in the Senate on matters relating to the committee on which they serve. Section 6 . A Senator must be present at a Senate meeting to vote; no Senator may vote by proxy or absentee ballot. Section 7 . The presiding officer may not vote on any matter before the Senate except that, in the event of a tie vote, the presiding officer may vote to decide the question even though he would not otherwise be entitled to vote. Section 8 . The Senate may employ such staff and other assistants as are necessary to carry out its business effectively. The Chancellor shall undertake within available resources to provide funding for such pur- poses. Section 9 . Periodically the Senate shall provide for a comprehensive review of its size, organization, structure, and operation by a commission composed of members of the faculty and student electorates, and admin- istrative officials. Such commission shall report its findings and make appropriate recommendations. The report of the commission shall be made public and distributed as all other reports of the Senate. The first^| report shall be submitted not later than three years after the first election held under this Constitution. Section 10 . "Due notice" as used in this Constitution shall consist of written notice, announcing the meeting or proposed action, sent to the individual members of the Senate at least five days prior to the date of such meeting or proposed action. I BYLAWS OF THE SENATE OF THE URBANA-CHAMPAIGN CAMPUS UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS As Approved November 9, 1970 Part A -- Meetings 1. The Chancellor or his designate shall preside at Senate meetings. 2. Regular meetings of the Senate shall be held monthly during the academic year on such dates and at such times as the Senate Coun- cil may determine, subject to the approval of the Senate. 3. The Senate Council shall be empowered to call special meetings of the Senate. At least five days prior notice of the date, time, place, and purpose of such a meeting shall be sent to all Senators. 4. If an emergency exists on the campus requiring the convening of the Senate within a period of time less than the five days neces- sary for the notice provided above, the Chancellor or the Chairman of the Senate Council may declare that such an emergency exists and convene the Senate as soon as may be practicable. The conven- ing officer shall employ all practical means to notify all Senators of the date, time, place, and purpose of such emergency meeting. 5. Meetings of the Senate shall be open to the public in accordance with the open meetings policy contained in these Bylaws, bylaws . 6. An administrative officer not a member of the Senate, in anticipa- tion of Senate debate on a matter of direct concern to him in his official capacity, may request of the Senate that he be given the privilege of the floor at the time of the debate. 7. A student who is an officer of a registered student organization and who is not a member of the Senate, in anticipation of Senate debate on a matter of direct concern to him in his official capa- city, may request of the Senate that he be given the privilege of the floor at the time of the debate. Part B -- Council and Committees There shall be a Senate Council composed of the chairmen of all standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate, all members of the Committee on Committees, and such other persons as may be desig- nated by the Senate. The function of the Senate Council shall be to coordinate the activities of the Senate committees, to evaluate the functions of these committees, to supervise the agenda for Senate meetings, and to perform such other duties as the Senate may specify. The Senate shall elect annually by ballot from its membership a chairman and vice-chairman who shall be the presiding officers of the Senate Council. The agenda for Senate meetings shall be prepared by the Senate Council and sent to all Senators at least five days prior to Sen- ate meetings. Items of business submitted to the Senate Council by any Senator shall be placed on the agenda, provided that such items are submitted prior to preparation and distribution of the agenda. Matters not included in the agenda may not be presented to the Senate without concurrence of at least two-thirds of the members present . Bylaws Page 2 4. Until otherwise modified by the Senate, the standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate previously established shall continue in existence with the same duties. In addition there shall be a Sen- ate Elections and Credentials Committee with the duties provided in Part C below. 5. Committee members shall be elected by the Senate. Nominations for committee membership shall be made by the Committee on Committees or from the floor. Part C -- Elections 1. The Senate Elections and Credentials Committee shall be responsi- ble for the overall supervision and conduct of all nominations and elections of Senators. Its duties shall include: determination of faculty voting units and student election units; allocation of senatorial seats among faculty voting units and student election units; ruling on questions of eligibility; generally ensuring that nominations and elections are conducted in accordance with estab- lished procedures; and certifying election results. The Committee shall report regularly to the Senate regarding its actions and deci- sions. 2. Each college or other analogous educational division shall establish an elections and credentials committee to assist the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee in the conduct of senatorial nominations and elections in that college or division. The Senate Committee may delegate to the college or division committee such functions as deemed appropriate. Actions of the college or division committees shall be subject to review by the Senate Committee. 3. A member of the faculty electorate who has a joint appointment in two or more voting units may vote in and be elected from only one such unit, and shall designate the unit of his choice in a signed statement submitted to the Senate Elections and Credentials Commit- tee. Such designation shall remain in effect until such time as a change is approved by the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee. 4. The nominating and election procedure for Senators elected by the student electorate shall be as follows: a. any member of the student electorate who desires to run for election from his student election unit shall submit a state- ment to that effect to the appropriate college or division elections and credentials committee. b. if such student is found to be eligible, he shall be deemed nominated, and the college or division committee shall have his name placed on the appropriate election ballot. c. to be elected to a seat, a nominee must receive a number of votes equal tc oi greater than a majority of the votes cast for that seat. If no nominee receives such number, the two nominees receiving the highest number of votes shall become nominees in a run-off election. Part D -- General Provisions 1. A petition by members of the faculty electorate requiring the Senate to submit a question to and obtain an expression of opinion from the faculty electorate under Article V, Section 1 of the Constitution, shall contain the signatures of at least 200 mem- bers of the faculty electorate. A petition with a smaller number Bylaws Page 3 of signatures may be presented to the Senate requesting it to obtain such an expression of opinion, but in such case it shall be within the Senate's discretion whether to present the question to the faculty electorate. In either case the Senate may call a general meeting of the faculty electorate to discuss the question prior to conducting the mail poll. 2. The minutes of Senate meetings shall be recorded by the Clerk of the Senate and distributed to members of the Senate within a rea- sonable time following Senate meetings. 3. All Senators, and such other persons as the Senate Council may designate, shall receive copies of the agenda, minutes, and reports of the Senate. 4. Each faculty voting unit shall be entitled to a reasonable number of copies of the agenda, minutes, and reports of the Senate. 5. Any interested person may have access to the agenda, minutes, and reports of the Senate at the Office of the Clerk of the Senate. A reasonable number of copies shall be available for distribution. 6. Open Meetings Policy a. Meetings of the Senate shall be open to observation by accred- ited members of the press and other news media. b. Facilities shall be provided for the public at large to listen to and, if physically feasible, to observe the proceedings of the Senate. c. The Senate reserves the right to close its sessions on those occasions when it has before it matters of business where pub- lic disclosure would substantially and adversely affect the matter at issue. It is intended that closed sessions would be held rarely. d. Procedures to implement this policy on open meetings will be established by the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures and reported to the Senate. [Note: The procedures adopted to date by the Committee are contained in Appendix A hereto. ] e. It is the intent of the Senate that this policy and any imple- menting procedures shall apply to the Senate when meeting as a body; it is not intended that they shall apply to standing or other committees, or to similar constituent bodies. Bylaws Page 4 APPENDIX A Procedures Adopted by the Senate Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures To Implement the Senate Policy on Open Meetings Approved Through November 15, 1970 1 . Representatives of News Media a. Effective immediately, a press area will be established on the floor of the Senate for accredited representatives of news media. b. Admission to the Senate meetings and seating in the press area will be contingent on possession of a valid Press Card. c. Accreditation of a news medium (and of up to two representatives of each such accredited medium) may be gained by application to the Clerk of the Senate, who will issue Press Cards. Both types of accreditation are subject to review by the Committee on Univer- sity Statutes and Senate Procedures. [Note: Amended 3/70] 2. The Public at Large a. Insofar as available campus facilities permit, there shall be pub- lic seating in a gallery or balcony, permitting visitors to di- rectly observe as well as listen to the proceedings. The gallery shall be physically separated from the floor of the Senate, and have a distinctly separate means of entry. b. In the absence of facilities for the implementation of subpara- graph (a) above, public seating shall be provided on the same floor as that of the Senate, provided that such seating is physi- cally separated from that of the body of the Senate (for example, by ropes or other visual barrier) and located in such a manner as to ensure that there can be no confusion between those who are entitled to participate in the Senate's business and those who are public observers, and provided that such number of seats shall not exceed 25 . c. In the event the public seating provided under either subparagraphs (a) or (b) is insufficient to accommodate most of those desiring to observe Senate meetings, consideration shall be given to providing, where feasible, additional public seating at a location separate from that of the Senate meeting, to which location the proceedings are piped by closed circuit TV or audio circuit. d. Admission to the public seating will be on a first-come first- served basis, in accordance with the following procedure. Visitors cards stating the time and place of the meeting concerned may be secured from the Office of the Clerk of the Senate until the number issued equals the number of available seats, or until noon of the day on which the meeting is to be held, whichever comes first. When it is possible to do so without causing undue congestion or confu- sion, any remaining cards may be issued at the place where the pub- lic seating is located starting 15 minutes before the Senate convenes e. The presiding officer of the Senate, assisted by such Sergeants at Arms as he may from time to time appoint, shall ensure that the con- duct of visitors and news media representatives is such as to in no way interfere with the conduct of the Senate's business. In the BylaWS Page 5 event any such interference occurs, he shall order the offending persons removed from the chambers and galleries, and if necessary to maintain order may clear the chambers and galleries of all per- sons other than Senators. 3. General Rules a. Broadcasting and electronic or photographic recording of Senate meetings, except as provided in paragraph 2(c) above, is prohibited. b. Cameras and electronic recorders are prohibited in the Senate cham- bers and in the visitors' areas. c. Visitors and representatives of news media are present as observers, not as participants. As observers, none of their actions should be designed to affect the proceedings in any way. Those who violate the procedures governing open meetings will be subject to removal from the chambers and the public areas, and, where appropriate, loss of accreditation. d. The minutes of Senate meetings, as prepared by the Secretary and approved or amended by the Senate, shall be the official and perma- nent record of Senate action and debate. To aid in preparation of the minutes and to provide a temporary supplemental record of debates, the Secretary shall tape record each Senate meeting and preserve the tape for a period of three years from the date of the meeting. Any interested person may arrange to listen to the tape in the Secretary's office or under such other circumstances as the Secretary may deem appropriate, except that non-senators may not listen to a tape of any session which by affirmative Senate action was closed to the publ ic . \. Closed Sessions of the Senate a. Matters of business which are judged by the Senate Council to be within the ambit of Part D, 6(c) of the Bylaws of the Senate, i.e., those warranting a closed session of the Senate, will normally be placed at the end of the agenda for the meeting in question. Such matters need not be specifically described in advance, but the gen- eral category of the matter warranting a closed session will be indicated. b. If in the course of debate in a regular open meeting, matters evolve which a Senate member deems within the ambit of Part D, 6(c) of the Bylaws of the Senate warranting a closed session, he may move for a closed session on such matter. Ordinarily, the approval of such a motion should have the effect of postponing further debate on the matter until the end of the regular agenda, at which time the Senate proceedings would be closed. No such motion shall be deemed approved without a two-thirds vote of the Senators present and voting. c. At the time the agenda is presented to a Senate meeting, any Senator may move to schedule an item proposed for open session to a closed session, if such item is deemed to fall within the ambit of Part D, 6(c) of the Bylaws of the Senate. Such motion shall require for approval a two-thirds vote of those Senators present and voting. d. When a closed session is next on the agenda, or otherwise voted in accordance with the above provisions, the presiding officer shall clear the chambers and public areas of all persons except Senators and appropriate Senate personnel (such as clerks) . SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNIVERSITY STATUTES AND SENATE PROCEDURES TRANSITION REPORT As Approved November 9, 1970 And Revised March 8, and April 12, 1971 I. Ejections For the first election the terms of service of Senators elected from the faculty electorate shall be scheduled so that the terms of approxi- mately one-half the Senators will end on September 1, 1972, and the other half on September 1, 1973: future elections will select Senators from the faculty electorate for two-year terms. For the first election the terms of service of Senators from the student electorate shall be scheduled so that the terms of these Senators shall expire September 1, 1972; future elections will select Senators from the student electorate for one-year terms . II. Organizational Meeting Following the elections of Senators, the Senate Elections and Creden- tials Committee shall certify to the Chancellor a list of those persons elected to the new Senate. The Chancellor shall notify promptly each of the elected Senators and all ex officio members of the new Senate of the time and place of the organizational meeting of the new Senate. III. Bylaws The bylaws adopted as part of the reconstitution plan of the Senate shall take effect upon adoption for purposes of organizing the new Sen- ate, and shall take effect as bylaws of the new Senate as of the date of the organizational meeting. These bylaws shall remain in effect until changed by the now Senate in accordance with the Senate Constitution. IV. Continuation of Senate Council The members of the existing Senate Council in office at the time of the assumption of duties by the new Senate shall continue in office until the following September 1, or such other time as the new Senate may deter- mine. Provided that those members serving by virtue of this provision and who have not been elected to the new Senate shall have only floor privileges but not voting privileges on matters relating to their committees. Provided, further, that the membership of the Committee on Committees shall be in- creased by the addition of two Senators elected from the student electorate, such additional members to be nominated and elected by the new Senate. The conducting of the organizational meeting (or meetings) of the new Senate shall be the responsibility of the Senate Council in office at the time of such meetings. Transition Report Pare 2 V. Election of Committees The Committee on Committees, constituted as provided in paragraph IV above, shall at the organizational meeting or an adjourned meeting thereof present to the new Senate a complete slate of committee members, other than the chairmen, for all standing and ad hoc committees. The new Senate shall proceed promptly to elect its committees and otherwise prepare itself for the assumption of its duties. VI. Formal Assumption of Duties After the Senate is fully organized, the Senate Council shall inform the Chancellor that the new Senate is prepared to assume its duties. The Chancellor shall so notify all members of the new and old Senates, and shall convene the new Senate at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Senate, at which time the new Senate shall assume all the powers and duties previously exercised by the old Senate. All matters pending before the old Senate and its committees and council at the time of the assumption of duties by the new Senate shall be deemed automatically transferred to the new Senate and its committees and council. Attach to Constitution and Bylaws SPECIAL RULES OF THE URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE (Adopted December 13, 1971) 1. AD JOURNHENT . At 5:15 p.m., if still in session, the Senate shall terminate its discussion of business. No debatable motion may thereafter be made. If a prior debatable motion is still pending, it may be voted on only if no senator present wishes to continue de- bate or if the previous question is moved and ordered. Nonde- batable motions may be made and voted on if they relate to the matter under discussion at 5:15 p.m., or to adjournment or sus- pension of the rules, and the subject of adjournment to a spe- cific time may be discussed. If at the conclusion of the meet- ing any agenda item remains uncompleted, the session shall be adjourned to the following Monday at 3:10 p.m. unless the Senate has determined otherwise. 2. PETITIONS TO OBTAIN EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION FROM THE FACULTY ELECTORATE . Petitions purporting to contain the signatures of at least 200 members of the faculty electorate and to require the Senate to submit a question to and obtain an expression of opinion from the faculty electorate under Article V, Section 1 of the Consti- tution and Part D, paragraph 1 of the Bylaws shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Senate. He shall refer them to the Sen- ate Council and the Committee on Elections and Credentials. The Committee on Elections and Credentials shall determine whether the petition does in fact contain the signatures of at least 200 members of the faculty electorate and shall report to the Senate Council. If the number of valid signatures is found to be less than 200, the petition shall be returned to the petitioners. If the number of valid signatures is found to be sufficient, the Senate Council shall then recommend to the Senate the formulation of the question to be presented to the faculty electorate, the procedures for obtaining the expression of opinion, and whether a general meeting of the faculty electorate should be called to dis- cuss the question prior to conducting the poll. The Council's report to the Senate shall include the exact language of the peti- tion delivered to the Secretary of the Senate. Petitions not containing the signatures of at least 200 members of the faculty electorate may be presented to the Senate only through the sponsorship of a senator. Upon such presentation by a senator, the Senate shall first determine whether to submit the question to the faculty electorate for an expression of opinion. If the Senate's determination is in the affirmative, the petition shall then be referred to the Senate Council to secure its recom- mendation on the formulation of the question, the procedures for obtaining the expression of opinion, and whether a general meeting of the faculty electorate should be called to discuss the question prior to conducting the poll. 3 °1 12 10572818}