If there is no one eligible to assume the vacant seat, the Faculty Senate President shall request the Registrar to initiate, in conjunction with the administrative head of the unit, a special election to select a representative for that unit until the next regular election. If one of the five (5) at large Senators vacates a seat, the eligible individual who received the next highest vote shall serve for the duration of the academic year until the next election. If there is no eligible individual to assume the vacant seat; a special University faculty meeting shall be called to nominate candidates.
5. If necessary during the Summer Session, when the full faculty is not available for an election, the members of the Executive Committee who are available shall appoint temporary Senators to work with Senators who are available to conduct Senate business.
The officers of the Faculty Senate shall consist of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Parliamentarian elected as stipulated in Article V. B. The President and Secretary of the Faculty Senate shall be provided one-fourth full-time equivalent release time from other assigned duties to perform the responsibilities of these offices.
After Senate elections are held in the Spring Semester, the outgoing Executive Committee (minus the President) shall appoint a Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall consist of three continuing senators (who have one year remaining in their term of office in the Senate) and two newly elected senators (re-elected to a second term or elected to a first term). The Executive Committee shall designate a convener for the Nominating Committee.
The convener of the Nominating Committee shall convene a meeting of the committee no later than one week after appointment of the committee. At the first meeting of the Nominating Committee a chair shall be elected.
The Nominating committee shall prepare a single slate of nominees for Senate offices. In preparation of the slate of nominees, the Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations from the membership of the Senate for the next academic year.
The Nominating Committee shall obtain the consent of the nominees for office.
Nominating Committee members will remain eligible for nominations to Senate office while serving on the Nominating Committee; however, any Nominating Committee member proposed as a nominee for a Senate office shall be excluded from all committee discussions and decisions regarding selection of a nominee for that office. The Nominating Committee shall complete its nominations no later than two weeks after appointment.
The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall call a meeting of the next academic year Senate before the end of the Spring Semester for the purpose of electing Senate officers for the next academic year. Announcement of the slate of nominees prepared by the Nominating Committee shall be included in the meeting announcement.
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