Governance Documents

I. Section 1

Regular meetings of the Faculty shall be held monthly during the academic year. In normal circumstances these meetings should be conducted in person. When circumstances make it advisable that the faculty not gather as a whole in person, an electronic platform may be used for meetings and for voting during those meetings if the platform meets the following conditions: Each participant is able to view a list of all current participants in the meeting, know which participant is speaking at any given moment, view the text of motions, seek recognition from the chair and submit motions or amendments, view the results of a vote, and vote when entitled to do so. At any meeting of the Faculty, each faculty member shall have one vote.

I. Section 2

The order of business for a regular meeting shall normally be:

• approval of minutes of previous meeting(s)
• announcements by the President
• special order of business
• reports of committees and Divisions
• unfinished business
• new business

I. Section 3

The meetings shall be conducted according to the usual rules of parliamentary procedure.

I. Section 4

The President may invite any member of the college staff to attend any meeting of the Faculty when such attendance will contribute useful information or assist the staff member in the performance of their duties.

I. Section 5

When business is brought to a meeting of the Faculty by a Faculty committee with student members, those student members may be requested by the chair of the committee to attend and participate in a full discussion of that business.

I. Section 6

The President shall release to the Reed Community a tentative Agenda of a regular Faculty meeting three or four days before the meeting. In the case of any other meeting, the President shall release the Agenda at least 48 hours before the meeting, excluding weekends, breaks and holidays.

I. Section 7

A sign-up sheet for non-participating student observers shall be provided outside the President's Office at the time of the release of the Agenda for all meetings other than Grade Reviews. A total of eleven seats shall be allocated for student observers at each meeting. One of these seats shall be reserved for a Quest reporter. The remaining ten seats shall be open to the first ten students signing up for the meeting. The Faculty reserves the right to move into closed session at any time by means of a vote of a majority of those members present.

I. Section 8

Any motion to be voted on during a Faculty meeting must be voted on by secret ballot if any member of the Academic Faculty so requests. Any motion before a Faculty meeting shall be voted on by secret ballot after the conclusion of the faculty meeting if a motion for a secret ballot to be taken after the meeting is approved by a majority vote at that meeting. A ballot, whether paper or electronic, is secret if and only if it is a ballot in which: 1) both those who cast ballots and what they voted for is anonymous from voters; 2) what balloters voted for is anonymous from vote tellers; and 3) tellers keep confidential who cast ballots. De-identified data may be released to ensure the integrity of the election process. Secret ballot totals must be reported to the Faculty except for in the case of election ballots.

I. Section 9

Voting shall be conducted electronically for votes cast during online faculty meetings, or for voting that takes place after faculty meetings.

II. Section 1

The Academic Faculty shall be grouped into the following Divisions:

• The Arts
• History and Social Sciences
• Literature and Language
• Mathematical and Natural Sciences
• Philosophy, Religion, Psychology, and Linguistics

The administration of major subjects and responsibility for the work of major students shall be assumed by the Division. Each Division shall elect a chair and secretary annually. Copies of the divisional minutes shall be sent to the President and to the Registrar, and be available to all members of the Faculty.

II. Section 2

There shall be a Committee on Graduate Studies that shall exercise general supervision over the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program.

II. Section 3

Each Division shall be divided into such Departments as are determined by the Academic Faculty. Each Department shall select, by simple majority vote of the Faculty members of the Department, a Department Chair to administer departmental matters not specifically reserved to some other body.

IV. Section 1

The Committee on Advancement and Tenure

IV.1.A. The Committee on Advancement and Tenure (CAT) shall consist of seven members of the Academic Faculty selected by the procedure below, the Dean of the Faculty, ex officio, and the President as presiding officer. Faculty will normally serve for two years. Terms will be staggered such that, if at all possible, three or four new members are elected each year. No more than one faculty member from any one department and no more than two from any division shall serve on the committee at any one time except as specified in item 6 below.

IV.1.A.1. All members of the Academic Faculty are eligible to vote for the Committee on Advancement and Tenure.

IV.1.A.2. Eligibility for election to the Committee on Advancement and Tenure shall be restricted to those members of the Academic Faculty on continuing appointments of .5 FTE or higher. Faculty who are on a full-time leave for a semester or longer in the next academic year or who are on either full- or part-time appointments as members of the administrative faculty in the next academic year are ineligible for election. Faculty members should regard it as part of their normal responsibilities to make themselves available for service on CAT.

IV.1.A.3. Any member of the Faculty who has served four consecutive years on the Committee, or a combination of two consecutive years each on CAT and CAPP shall be ineligible for membership in the next year in which they are on a teaching appointment of .5 FTE or higher.

IV.1.A.4. Each year all members of the Academic Faculty shall be sent a first ballot listing all faculty members who are eligible for the Committee in the following year and who have not withdrawn their names by notifying the Dean of the Faculty's Office in advance of a ballot distribution date announced by the Appeals and Review Committee. Names on the ballot shall be organized by Division, with the ordering of divisions chosen at random prior to each election and the names randomly ordered within division. Faculty from any department that retains one sitting member or any Division that retains two sitting members, are not eligible for election.

IV.1.A.5. The number of names on the second ballot will be equal to twice the number of vacancies to be filled or as many names as are necessary to permit departmental and divisional distribution as limited by paragraph (4) above and to assure that no candidate on the second ballot is automatically elected. These names will be the top vote-getters on the initial ballot, with additional names in case of a tie for the final position. Names on the ballot will be randomly ordered. Each faculty member may vote for not more than the number of candidates for which vacancies exist.

IV.1.A.6. The faculty members receiving the highest number of votes on the second ballot will be elected to CAT, except that, if the pool allows, no more than two members of the CAT shall be from the same division and no more than one member shall be from an individual department. Thus, once one member of a department or two members of a division are seated, others from that department or division will be dropped from the pool, being reinstated only if no one else remains. Ties for the final seat shall be broken by a random draw supervised by the Appeals and Review Committee.

IV.1.A.7. Special Elections Procedures: In cases of unexpected or announced resignations, or to assure adherence to the requirement for staggered terms specified in IV.1.A of these Bylaws, Appeals and Review may schedule replacement elections, and may designate some positions as less than a full term during any election.

IV.1.A.7.i. Replacement elections are elections that are held at times other than the regular Spring election.

IV.1.A.7.ii. Appeals and Review may designate one or two more positions to be less than a full term during any election. The ballot should clearly indicate how many positions, if any, will be filled with less than a full term.

IV.1.A.7.iii. Appeals and Review may choose to consult with the President, the Dean of the Faculty, and the committee to determine the appropriate timing for special elections.

IV.1.B. The new Committee shall take office on the Monday of the week that is three weeks prior to the first day of class. During the summer the President or the Dean of the Faculty may invite new members-designate to meet with the Committee.

IV.1.C. Meetings of the Committee on Advancement and Tenure may be called by the President or, at their designation, by either the Dean of the Faculty or the Secretary of the Committee or by any three members of the Committee at any time, provided that written notice of the meeting be sent to all members of the Committee at least forty-eight hours before the time of the meeting.

IV.1.D. Five members of the Committee on Advancement and Tenure shall constitute a quorum. When there is no quorum at a meeting duly called, the President may take whatever action seems to be immediately necessary and report such action to the Committee at its next meeting.

IV.1.E. The Committee on Advancement and Tenure shall make routine reports to the Faculty and shall, at a regular spring meeting, review with the Faculty the criteria and procedures it uses in deliberating evaluation, promotion and tenure.

IV. Section 2

The Appeals and Review Committee

IV.2.A. The four faculty members of the Appeals and Review Committee shall be chosen by the following procedure:

IV.2.A.1. All members of the Academic Faculty are eligible to vote for the Appeals and Review Committee.

IV.2.A.2. Eligibility for election to the Appeals and Review Committee shall be restricted to those members of the Academic Faculty on continuing appointments of .5 FTE or higher. Faculty who are on a full-time leave for a semester or longer in the next academic year, or who are on either full- or part-time appointments as members of the administrative faculty in the next academic year, or who will be serving on CAT or CAPP in the next academic year, are ineligible for election. Faculty members should regard it as part of their normal responsibilities to make themselves available for service on the Appeals and Review Committee.

IV.2.A.3. Each year all members of the Academic Faculty shall be sent a first ballot listing all members of the Faculty eligible for the Committee in the following year. Names on the ballot shall be randomly selected.

IV.2.A.4. The second ballot, also to be sent to all members of the Academic Faculty, shall list the eight individuals receiving the highest number of votes on the first ballot with additional names in case of a tie for the final position. Each faculty member may vote for not more than four candidates.

IV.2.A.5. The four individuals receiving the highest number of votes on the second ballot shall be elected to the Committee. Ties for the final seat shall be broken by a random draw, supervised by the Appeals and Review Committee.

IV.2.A.6. In case resignations occur between the time of election and the completion of a full year’s service, replacements shall be elected by the same procedures set forth above.

IV.2.A.7. Generally, faculty members shall recuse themselves in the event of any circumstance that might reasonably be perceived to impair their impartiality regarding a specific case. In the event a faculty member is recused or is otherwise unable to serve, the faculty member will be replaced for that case by the person who received the next highest number of votes on the Appeals and Review ballot and who would not need to be recused.

IV.3.F. If after joint deliberation, the Faculty Committee on Academic Policy and Planning rejects a recommendation of its student counterpart, that recommendation shall lie on the table of the next regular meeting of the Faculty. If by the beginning of that meeting the student committee has formally appealed the rejection, this shall have the effect of taking the recommendation from the table and of giving members of the student committee the right to participate at that meeting in an informal discussion prior to Faculty debate on the question. If the Faculty Committee forwards to the Faculty a recommendation to which its student counterpart has objections, the student committee may forward its own report, and shall have the right to participate at that meeting in an informal discussion prior to Faculty debate on the question.

IV.3.G. Special meetings of the Committee may be called by the President or by its Chair or by any four members at any time provided that written notice be sent to each member at least forty-eight hours before the time of the meeting.

IV.3.H. Five faculty members of the Committee on Academic Policy and Planning shall constitute a quorum. When there is no quorum at a meeting duly called, the President may take whatever action seems to be immediately necessary and report such action to the Committee at its next meeting.

IV.3.I. The Committee shall keep written records of its meetings. It shall report to the Faculty at each Regular meeting of the Faculty.

IV.3.J. The faculty members of the Committee shall select from among its members a CAPP Budget Advisory Subcommittee (CBAS) to follow the construction of the College budget and to inform Committee members of the budget's progress and its bearing on the academic program.

IV.3.K. The Committee may appoint ad hoc subcommittees that include members selected from the administrative staff, Faculty and student body at large.

IV.3.L. On the nomination of the President and with the agreement of the Committee on Academic Policy and Planning, administrative officers of the College may be appointed as ex officio members of the Committee for one-year renewable terms.

IV. Section 4

The President shall have power to appoint such standing committees or special committees as necessary or when requested by a vote of the Faculty. Among the standing committees shall be:

• Administration Committee
• Committee on Admission and Financial Aid
• Grievance Review Panel
• Library Board
• Off-Campus Study Programs Committee
• Committee on Diversity

IV.4.A. The Administration Committee shall consist of the Registrar, the Vice President for Student Life, and one faculty member from each Division. The President shall appoint the Chair of the Committee from the latter group. The President may, when it is advisable, appoint additional members of the Faculty to the Committee. The Administration Committee shall have the responsibility of recommending to the Faculty scholastic disciplinary actions for underclass students. The Committee shall be responsible for interpreting the Faculty Code, for taking such actions as are delegated to it by the Faculty, and for proposing such changes in policy as are within its field of competence. The Committee shall share with the Registrar the responsibility for issuing revised editions of the Faculty Code at regular intervals.

IV.4.B. The Committee on Admission and Financial Aid shall consist of the Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, ex officio, Director of Financial Aid, ex officio, the Vice President/Treasurer, ex officio, the Vice President for Student Life, ex officio, five Academic Faculty members, typically one representing each division, appointed by the President, and at least two students appointed by the President, with the advice of the President of the Student Body.

The committee shall review, consult, and approve on policy regarding admission and financial aid, actively support the work of the admission and financial aid team in related activities, and act as a liaison with the faculty, seeking faculty input in relevant committee matters and periodically providing information about the committee’s work to the faculty. 

The President shall appoint one of the Academic Faculty members as Chair, who may not be a member of the Committee on Advancement and Tenure or the Committee on Academic Policy and Planning. The Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, as well as the Chair, shall be empowered to call meetings and prepare agendas.

IV.4.C. The Library Board shall consist of the librarian ex officio, as chair, four faculty members, with broad divisional representation, appointed by the President, plus three students appointed by the President of the Student Body. The Board shall pass on matters of general Library policy subject to the approval of the Faculty and shall apportion books and periodical funds. The Librarian shall present any proposed Library budget, exclusive of individual staff salaries, to the Library Board before submitting it to the President or to their designee.

IV.4.D. The Off-Campus Study Programs Committee shall consist of the Registrar (or delegate), ex officio, the Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid (or delegate), ex officio, the Director of Financial Aid, ex officio, the Director of International Programs, ex officio, the Vice President for Student Life (or delegate), ex officio, five Academic Faculty members appointed by the President, and one junior or senior student with experience in off-campus study appointed by the President with the advice of the President of the Student Body. All committee members are voting members. The President shall appoint one of the Academic Faculty members as Chair. The Committee shall formulate policy regarding off-campus study programs (both foreign and domestic); shall initiate proposals for such programs in consultation with relevant academic Departments or Divisions; and shall review proposals for such programs from Departments or Divisions. The Committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the Committee on Academic Policy and Planning.

IV.4.E. The Grievance Review Panel shall consist of six members of the Faculty, appointed by the President in consultation with the Committee on Advancement and Tenure and the Committee on Academic Policy and Planning. No member of the committee shall be a current member of the Committee on Advancement and Tenure or of the Appeals and Review Committee. The President shall appoint the Chair of the Grievance Review Panel.

IV.4.F. The Committee on Diversity supports the work required to build the inclusive campus community envisioned in the College's statements on Diversity and Anti-racism. The Committee shall consist of five members of the Academic Faculty, appointed by the President in consultation with the Dean of Faculty and the Committee on Academic Policy and Planning, and drawn broadly from the College’s academic divisions. Members will include at least two tenured and two pre-tenure members of the Faculty. Faculty will serve for two years. Terms will be staggered such that, if possible, two or three new members are selected each year. The Dean for Institutional Diversity, the Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, and the Director of Human Resources shall serve on the Committee in an ex officio capacity.

The committee will:

• Make recommendations to other faculty committees, the senior leadership of the college, and to the faculty as a whole on structural, policy, or practice initiatives that further the goals set forth in the college's Diversity and Anti-racism statements.
• Act as an information hub to disseminate information on initiatives happening across academic departments, programs, and other college offices.
• Act as a resource to departments, programs, college leadership, faculty committees, student committees, and individual faculty members for furthering inclusion and anti-racism.
• Work with the Office for Institutional Diversity to support its initiatives.
• Coordinate with the Student and Staff Committees on Diversity to share projects and further joint efforts.
• Meet with the President each semester jointly with the Student and Staff Committees on Diversity.

IV. Section 5

A majority of each committee shall have power to act in all matters under its jurisdiction except those specifically reserved for action by the Faculty.

IV. Section 6

In all cases where there are student members of a committee the student members shall have an equal vote with the faculty members of the committee.