Handbook of Operating Procedures 2-1030-PM

By-Laws of the General Faculty

 



POLICY MEMORANDUM

The University of Texas at Austin

Executive Sponsor: Executive Vice President and Provost
Policy Owner: Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
November 15, 2006

 

 

 HOP 2-1010 of the Handbook of Operating Procedures contains information regarding the General Faculty of the University. The following rules and regulations or a procedural nature constitute the by-laws of the General Faculty.

 

  1. The order of business for meetings of the General Faculty shall be as follows:

 

  1. Approval of minutes

 

  1. Secretary's report

 

  1. Discussion of the Secretary's report

 

  1. Questions to the President (limited to 30 minutes unless extended by vote of the voting members of the General Faculty in attendance).

 

  1. Special orders

 

  1. Petitions

 

  1. Unfinished business

 

  1. Reports of the General Faculty, Schools and Colleges, and Committees

 

  1. New business

 

  1. Matters presented by the President

 

  1. Matters presented by deans or other administrative officials

 

  1. Matters presented by other members

 

  1. Remaining questions to the president. Involved questions, questions of major importance, and questions the answer to which may require preparation of factual material should be submitted in writing to the secretary for transmittal to the president at least one week before the date of the meeting at which the question is to be considered.
 
  1. Adjournment

 

  1. Reading of the minutes shall be omitted unless called for by a member.

 

  1. The following rules of debate shall be followed:

 

  1. No one, with the exceptions stated below, shall speak more than ten minutes upon any question without an affirmative vote of the faculty.

 

  1. No one, with the exceptions stated below, shall be allowed to speak more than once upon any question without an affirmative vote of the faculty. A motion to extend the time of a speaker shall be in order at any time and shall not be debatable.

 

  1. The chair of the committee whose report is under consideration shall not be subject to the preceding rules and shall have the privilege of concluding the debate in a five-minute speech.

 

  1. A similar privilege of summing up for the opposition shall be granted to the leader of the opposition if the name of the leader is certified to the secretary in writing by five members.

 

  1. ln voting, a record vote of yeas and nays shall be taken only when requested by a majority of the voting members of the General Faculty, present and voting.

 

  1. An affirmative vote upon a motion to table an amendment shall operate to table nothing except the amendment in question.

 

  1. All resolutions shall be in writing, and all motions and amendments shall be reduced to writing upon the request of the secretary or any other member of the faculty.

 

  1. No standing procedural rules may be suspended except by two-thirds vote of the members present.

 

  1. Changes in the standing rules of procedure of the General Faculty shall be proposed in writing and shall lie over until the next meeting of the General Faculty, regular or called, before they may be finally approved. This rule may be suspended and the matter taken up at once and disposed of if (1) a quorum being present unanimous consent of all in attendance is given to immediate action; or (2) the proposed change has been put in legible form and copies thereof have been distributed among all members of the faculty at least three days before the date of the meeting, together with notice that the proposed changes will be considered at the meeting.

 

  1. Questions of interpretation of rules of procedure shall be determined by the General Faculty Rules and Governance Committee of the General Faculty.

 

Previously PM 1.101

Editorial revisions: November 08, 2023