Elections Committee Charter

Mission and Scope

Alignment with Strategic Plan

4. Inclusive Culture

  • 4A. Foster a high performing organization driven by a culture of engagement, respect, and accountability (Employees)
  • 4B. Foster a high performing organization driven by a culture of engagement, respect, and accountability (Students)

Alignment with NWCCU 2020 Accreditation Standards

  • 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.
  • 2.B.1 Within the context of its mission and values, the institution adheres to the principles of academic freedom and independence that protect its constituencies from inappropriate internal and external influences, pressures, and harassment.
  • 2.B.2 Within the context of its mission and values, the institution defines and actively promotes an environment that supports independent thought in the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. It affirms the freedom of faculty, staff, administrators, and students to share their scholarship and reasoned conclusions with others. While the institution and individuals within the institution may hold to a particular personal, social, or religious philosophy, its constituencies are intellectually free to test and examine all knowledge and theories, thought, reason, and perspectives of truth. Individuals within the institution allow others the freedom to do the same.
  • 2.D.2 The institution advocates, subscribes to, and exemplifies high ethical standards in its management and operations, including in its dealings with the public, NWCCU, and external organizations, including the fair and equitable treatment of students, faculty, administrators, staff, and other stakeholders and constituencies. The institution ensures that complaints and grievances are addressed in a fair, equitable, and timely manner.
  • 2.D.3 The institution adheres to clearly defined policies that prohibit conflicts of interest on the part of members of the governing board(s), administration, faculty, and staff.

Mission 

The Elections Committee exists to maintain the integrity of the election process and oversee elections for Faculty Senate. 

Charge and Objectives

  • The Elections Committee provides the following services to Faculty Senate:
    • Determine appropriate schedule for holding elections
    • Oversee elections per Faculty Senate bylaws
    • Solicit nominees
    • Communicate with candidates
    • Supply ballots and candidate statements to voters
    • Collect and tally votes
  • Report results to senate and faculty at large
  • Ensure integrity of procedures

History

Former chairs are recorded here for the purpose of facilitating continuity and outreach:

  • Cathy Carson (Chair 2020 – present, Member 2016 - 2019)
  • Jenny Miller (Chair 2012 – 2019)

Membership and Representation 

A. Leadership

  • Chair
    • The committee will have a chairperson to call and organize meetings, represent the committee to various CWI Stakeholders, ensure adherence to the established election timelines, communicate election related information to faculty as appropriate, and facilitate communication between the committee and the Faculty Senate
  • Vice Chair
    • The vice chair will assume all responsibilities of the chair in the chair’s absence, support the chair in the fulfillment of their duties, learn the Chair responsibilities, and attend meetings with the Chair as appropriate.

B. Selection of leadership

Leadership positions are elected through the voting procedures of the committee. Election of leadership positions will occur at the April meeting prior to the position being vacated.

C. Terms

  • Term Periods
    • Leadership positions will be held for a period of three years.
  • Limits
    • A person may serve up to two consecutive terms in a single leadership position. Faculty Senate may vote to extend a person’s terms in a single position beyond two terms for substantial need.
  • Vacancies
    • Should any leader resign from duties an interim will be chosen from the existing membership and voted on by the committee members to complete the term.

Members

A. Regular members

The Elections Committee will have 1-2 non-leadership regular members for a total of 3 – 4 members

B. Selection of members

Members will volunteer to serve on the Elections Committee. If the committee would like to have more than four members and there are volunteers, the existing committee members will elect additional members from the volunteers. The quantity of members needed is tied to the workload of the committee.

C. Terms

  • Term Periods
    • Members serve for three-year terms.
  • Limits
    • Members may serve up to five consecutive terms.
  • Rotations
    • The committee may vote to extend the terms of members for the period of a year to avoid more than 50% of the committee rotating off at a time.
  • Vacancies
    • Should any regular member resign from committee duties, an interim will be chosen by the existing membership and voted on by the committee members to complete the term. In the event an interim member is not available, a request will be made to Faculty Senate to provide a new committee member.

D. Participation Expectations

Members of the Elections Committee are expected to participate in meetings and elections as tasked. Members may be considered as inactive and removed by vote of the committee. See voting procedures. Inactivity is considered missing two or more meetings without notifying the chair and/or consistently failing to contribute to the work of the committee as agreed to by the member.

Reporting

A. Reporting body

Elections Committee is a subcommittee of and reports to Faculty Senate.

B. Method of reporting

The chair will send a brief monthly update to the Faculty Senate President one week prior to each meeting. The update will be added to the Senate minutes. If the committee has business to be discussed by the Senate, the chair will send as a separate request one week prior to the meeting.

C. Required report content

  During the election cycle, the reports submitted to Faculty Senate should contain any upcoming nomination and/or voting needs as well as any finalized election results.  Outside of the election cycle, reports should notify Faculty Senate of any off-cycle vacancies that need to be filled.

Operating procedures

A. Frequency of meetings

The Elections Committee will meet as needed in accordance with the academic year contracts of the committee members.

B. Methods of meeting

Meetings will be in person, via video conference, or through email collaboration.

C. Voting procedures

Decisions of the committee will be made by simple majority vote of the members present. In order to make a decision, a quorum—at least half of the committee members—must be in attendance. In instances of a tie, the chair will abstain from voting.

Maintenance of Committee Documents and Records

Committee documents and records will be maintained on the committee’s Faculty Senate teamsite page.