From the Cornell Assemblies
The Vice President of Student and Academic Services, Vice President of Human Resources, and Dean of the Faculty shall be members of the Assembly ex officio without vote.
If the UA by majority vote feels the President’s selections to search committees do not promote reasonable balance or representation, the UA may ask the President to reconsider these selections. The UA should specify how the balance or representation is inadequate.
By majority vote, the Assembly may suspend any of its actions related to the appeal until the Ombudsman makes a final ruling on the appeal.
At the first meeting of the academic year, the UA shall adopt a schedule of meetings for the remainder of the year. These meetings shall be referred to as the regular meetings.
Special meetings of the UA may be convened to consider issues of immediate and pressing concern. The Chair of the UA, the President or in the President’s absence, the Acting President, may call a special meeting of the UA. The Chair shall call a special meeting of the UA when requested to do so by any eleven of its members.
A quorum shall consist of a majority of the seated members of the UA.
The procedure for debate and general conduct of business of the UA in all matters not specifically described in this document shall be that of Roberts Rules of Order (latest edition).
With the concurrence of a majority of the voting members present, the UA or any of its committees may go into executive session to discuss confidential matters. The Assembly must enter into its minutes the purpose of an executive session. No policy decisions shall be made in executive session.
Speaking privileges may be obtained by any member of the Cornell community by notifying the Chair of a desire to speak on a specific agenda topic at least 24 hours prior to a meeting. Consultants invited to a UA meeting by the Chair shall be granted speaking privileges in regard to the particular topic on which they were invited to present information or answer questions. During the course of the meeting the UA may establish additional procedures for granting speaking privileges.
As soon as possible after completion of the elections in the spring, the newly-elected UA shall hold an organizational meeting to elect a Chair and a Vice Chair. Immediately after the completion of the spring elections the Vice Chair of the outgoing UA shall solicit nominees for the position of Chair and Vice Chair from members of the new UA. The names of the nominees together with short vitae shall be circulated to all members of the new UA not less than seven days before the spring organizational meeting. On June 1st, the outgoing UA shall be officially replaced by the newly-elected UA.
The agenda of the UA meetings shall be set by the Executive Committee. The President of the University or any one member of the UA may request that an item be put on the agenda. Such an item shall be placed on the agenda at the earliest possible time. The agenda shall be made public at least 24 hours prior to the next UA meeting.
It shall be the responsibility of the Chair of the UA or a designee to place on the agenda of each meeting of the UA a Leadership Meeting Forum to propose agenda items for the next Leadership Meeting; the discussion shall be based on a specific list presented by the Chair or designee. The UA may recommend items to be added, deleted, or changed. However the Chair or designee retains final judgment on matters to be presented in Leadership Meetings.
The minutes of the Assembly meetings and those of its committees shall be available to all members of the University, except for those meetings conducted in executive session.
The Assembly may establish bylaws and other procedural rules as are necessary for the exercise of its authority. The adoption of such rules shall require an affirmative vote of a majority of those voting.
The UA shall present an annual report to the President of the University. It shall contain a summary of the UA’s work during the year and in addition describe any outstanding issues that are expected to arise in the future. The report shall be available to all members of the University.
The Chair shall have the responsibility to see that the report is written following the last meeting of the UA and presented to the Executive Committee for approval in May prior to submission to the President.
Regular meetings shall occur during the academic year only. All open meetings of the Assembly and its committees shall be publicized and open to the Cornell community.
Newly elected UA members shall make every effort to attend the remaining meetings of the outgoing UA.
Attendance by voting members is required at all regular meetings of the UA. Members must:
If the Chair determines a member has failed to meet any of these requirements, he or she must call for a vote on removal of the member at the next regular meeting of the Assembly.
Presiding officers of each constituent assembly will report back to their respective constituent assemblies regarding the activities of the Assembly.
The UA may call for a Sense-of-the-Community Referendum:
No UA committee shall have fewer than three voting members.
The UA standing committees may establish such ad hoc committees as are necessary for the proper performance of their functions. If such ad hoc committees are to include one or more non-members of the standing committees, the standing committees must request the UA to establish the ad hoc committee. The standing committee may recommend a specific prescription as to the membership of the ad hoc committee.
Committees of the UA shall establish bylaws that define attendance requirements. If the attendance requirement is not fulfilled by any member, the seat will become vacant, and the committee will request that the constituent assembly responsible for staffing fill the vacancy.
Ad hoc committees shall be established and function in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order (latest edition).
There shall be three categories of standing committees of the UA: Committees of the Assembly, Associated Committees and Campus Life Committees. The Assemblies System Review Committee, Committee on Committees, Codes and Judicial Committee, Joint Assemblies Financial Aid Review Committee, and Joint Assemblies Multicultural Issues Committee shall be Committees of the Assembly. The Associated Committees shall be the Budget Planning Committee and the Campus Planning Committee. All terms shall begin June 1 unless otherwise specified. Campus Life committees are those listed in Article 10.
At least once a semester, each standing committee shall hold a well publicized meeting at which any matter of interest within its jurisdiction can be discussed by any member of the Cornell community.
Standing committees shall file minutes in the Office of the Assemblies. In addition, no later than the end of the Assembly year, standing committees shall file with the Office of the Assemblies an annual report. This report shall include a summary of all unfinished business and the attendance record of all voting members of the committee.
All standing, associated, and Campus Life committees and boards shall operate in the following manner. They shall:
Except where otherwise provided, the Vice Chair for Operations may appoint and remove members from ad hoc committees in consultation with the Executive Board.
Except where otherwise provided, constituent assemblies will staff positions of in each committee of the Assembly that are assigned to their constituency in the same manner that they staff their own standing committees.
The Vice Chair for Operations, in consultation with the appropriate officers of the the corresponding constituent assembly, may staff both standing and ad-hoc committee positions that remain or become vacant after September 1. Such appointments may not continue beyond the current session of the Assembly.
The Codes and Judicial Committee (CJC) consists of three undergraduate students, two graduate/professional students; three faculty members, and four employees, one of whom would be an active member of the CU Police. All members serve two-year terms. Terms shall be staggered. Ex-officio members may include the Judicial Administrator, Judicial Codes Counselor, and Counsel’s Office. Ex-officio members are non-voting.
The CJC shall consider the substantive and procedural rules of the Campus Code of Conduct and the Statement of Student Rights and shall make recommendations concerning changes in these rules to the UA.
The CJCrecommends a slates of qualified candidates for the Hearing and Review Boards as needed.
The CJC may review the rules and procedures established by other campus bodies with both rule-making and punitive authority (excluding the faculty procedures for dismissal and censure of faculty members and procedures for the resolution of faculty and employee grievances). If, in the course of such review, the CJC shall find apparent inequalities or inconsistencies within a body of rules or between bodies of rules, or if it shall find a body of rules whose agreement with general notions of due process is questionable, the CJC shall transmit its findings and any recommendations which it may wish to make to the appropriate rule-making body.
The Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (the Committee) shall be composed of the SA and UA with 14 voting members, consisting of five undergraduates (four of whom shall be the two SA Minority Liaisons, the SA International Student Liaison, and the SA Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/ Transgender/ Questioning Liaison), three graduate/professional students, four employees, and two members of the faculty. The Vice Provost for Diversity and Faculty Development shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Committee. All members shall be appointed as appropriate by the SA and UA for one-year terms beginning May 1 and may be reappointed. A quorum shall consist of one-half of the seated members. Co-chairs shall be one of the four SA liaisons and the UA liaison to the Committee.
The mission of the Committee is to promote the awareness of multicultural issues at Cornell, encourage cultural interaction and dialogue within the Cornell community, make recommendations to central administration on issues of concern to the Cornell community, and monitor the University’s implementation of those recommendations. JAMIC shall aim to be a collective voice of the diversity of cultures, ethnicities, genders, gender identities, lifestyles, races, religions, and sexual orientations represented at Cornell.
JAMIC shall have the authority to create subcommittees for multicultural issues of concern to the Cornell community, and will serve as an advisory board for these subcommittees.
Each subcommittee will be chaired by a member of the Committee or at least have a member of the Committee serve on the subcommittee. All interested members of the Cornell community may serve as members of a subcommittee. The SA and UA encourage subcommittees to seek nominations from the Minority Faculty/Staff Forum, Office of Minority Educational Affairs (OMEA), International Student Programming Board, Minority Greek Letter Council, and Program House governments. Subcommittees shall consult with the Committee and are responsible for reporting their activities to the Committee.
It is recommended that the Committee meet monthly throughout the academic year (September-May). the Committee will provide the SA and UA with written minutes from their meetings, as well as a summary report of all subcommittee activities at before the end of each academic year.
The Campus Planning Committee (CPC) shall consist of four presidential appointments, eight position appointments, eight additional members, and ex-officio members. The presidential appointments are made by the President of the University, and those individuals are to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis. The position appointments consist of the Chair of the Department of Architecture or a designee, the Chair of the Department of Natural Resources or a designee, the Director of Plantations or a designee, and the Vice President for Facilities and Campus Services or a designee, the Coordinator of the Landscape Architecture Program or a designee, the Chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning or a designee, the Chair of the Art Department or a designee, and the Director of the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation or a designee.
The position appointees or designees should be individuals with professional and technical expertise in a design related field. The eight at large members consist of one graduate/professional student, two undergraduate students, two employees, and two faculty members, each named by his or her respective Assembly for a two-year term, and one UA liaison. The ex-officio members are added by virtue of their administrative positions at the University and their interest in planning at the University.
The Committee’s charge is to review and make recommendations to the President regarding physical planning for the Ithaca campus including landscape planning and design, circulation and parking, and new construction and renovations as they relate to the overall planning and character of the Ithaca campus. Furthermore, it shall review in consultation with (with the consultation of) the Transportation Advisory Committee, all plans for alterations of or additions to roads and parking lots on the Ithaca campus of the University. The CPC shall seek advice and comments from non-members while discussing a specific issue or design.
The committee is charged to identify needs of non-academic staff, academic staff, graduate/professional students and undergraduate students with family responsibilities and to address issues related to work/study/life balance, to study proposals brought by members of the university community or administration to meet those needs, and to advise the assembly, Vice President of Human Resources, and other senior members of the university administration concerning such proposals.
The Committee on Family Services consists of fifteen voting members. The constituent assemblies appoint a total of eight voting members from their respective constituencies in the following number: Student Assembly may appoint one, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly may appoint two, the Employee Assembly may appoint three, one employee representative who is part of a Cornell University collective bargaining agreement, and the Faculty Senate may appoint three. The President may appoint up to five voting members who shall be community or university experts in subjects related to family issues and the charge of the committee.
The following serve as non-voting members of the committee: one liaison appointed by the assembly from its members and up to three appointed by the President of the university to serve as liaisons from related administrative units.
Student members shall serve terms of one year in duration, and all other members shall serve staggered, two-year terms.
The committee is charged to identify needs of the university community concerning childcare services, to study proposals brought by members of the university community or administration to meet those needs, and to advise the Family Services Commitee, the assembly, the Vice-President of Human Resources, and other senior members of the university administration concerning such proposals.
The subcommittee consists of thirteen voting members. The constituent assemblies appoint a total eight voting members from their respective constituencies in the following number: Student Assembly may appoint one, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly may appoint two, the Employee Assembly may appoint three, and the Faculty Senate may appoint two. The President may appoint a total of five voting members who shall be local community experts in subjects related to childcare, childhood development, and the charge of the committee.
The following serve as non-voting members of the committee: one liaison appointed by University Assembly from its members and up to three appointed by the President of the university to serve as liaisons from related administrative units.
Student members shall serve terms of one year in duration, and all other members shall serve staggered, two-year terms.
Those standing committees or boards under the policy jurisdiction of the UA shall propose to the UA policies for a specific department consistent with University policies.
The standing committee or board shall consider and propose policies of the department for which it is established. It shall consider and propose budget priorities for the programs and policies of its department, within University budget guidelines. The standing committee or board shall be kept fully informed and receive full cooperation on all matters concerning policy and budget by the head of the department.
Every reasonable attempt shall be made to ensure that members of the University affected by the committee’s or board’s decisions are informed of the agenda of the committee meetings and of committee actions. Minutes of the committee’s or board’s actions shall be reported to the UA. Each committee shall submit an annual report to the UA.
No standing committee or board may establish punitive rules or new tribunals with authority over those matters of personal conduct which are now covered by the Campus Code of Conduct or the Statement of Student Rights and adjudicated by the University Hearing and Review Boards, nor amend existing rules or procedures in these areas, without the approval of the UA.
A chair shall be elected by continuing, outgoing and incoming members of standing committees immediately upon selection of new members by the COC. The elected chair may be either a continuing or a new member of the committee. The term of office of the chair shall be one year. The chair may be reelected for additional terms.
The standing committees and boards shall be established in accordance with the following specific recommendations and shall carry out specific responsibilities appropriate to their departments, in addition to those general responsibilities specified in Article 10.6.1 through Article 10.6.4. The standing committees and boards are: Board on University Health Services, Transportation Advisory Committee, Cornell Store Administrative Board, Cornell United Religious Work Advisory Board, and the University Sustainability Committee.
The Board on University Health Services (BOUHS) shall consist of four faculty members chosen by the faculty, two employees appointed by the EA, two graduate/professional students appointed by the GPSA, five undergraduates (two of whom may be seniors) appointed by the SA, and two members of the Cornell community chosen by the professional staff of the University Health Services (UHS).
All members shall serve three-year staggered terms with the exception of the undergraduates who shall serve two-year terms and the seniors who may serve one-year terms. The non-voting ex-officio members shall be the Director of UHS, the Health Center Administrator, the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services, and their designates, and the UA liaison. In addition, three undergraduates, two graduate/professional students, one employee, one faculty member, and one Cornell community member shall serve as “alternates.” Alternates will represent their constituencies and be full voting members of the Board when the full complement of each constituency is not present at any given meeting. One-half of the voting membership, with at least two students and two non-student voting members present shall constitute a quorum for voting purposes. In the absence of a quorum, an oral vote of the seated membership will be supplemented by mail ballots to absent members to achieve the quorum when required.
The Board’s charge shall be to advise, consult, and communicate on matters related to the development and implementation of UHS policies and programs. The Board shall offer advice and counsel to the UHS administration that originate from its membership and the Cornell community at-large and shall provide consultation to the UHS when requested. The Board shall independently research and distill issues of concern and importance to the Cornell community and develop concepts for policy and program development and management for discussion with and consideration by the UHS administration. Board members will provide communication to and from their respective constituencies in fulfillment of the aforementioned obligations. Further, it shall review the UHS Program Documents, UHS budgets, and fee structure. To these ends, the Board shall be adequately informed by the UHS staff on aspects of policy, programs, and budget germane to its charge by the Director of UHS.
The Board shall maintain regular and timely communication with the UA through the Office of the Assemblies. Copies of minutes of regular meetings as well as of other working documents generated by it in fulfillment of this charge shall be filed with that office. As indicated, the Board shall report important issues within its purview to the UA for deliberation and guidance. Policies and policy changes shall be recommended to the UA for deliberation, endorsement, and transmittal to the President for approval.
Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) shall consist of thirteen voting members. Eight are community members: two undergraduates, two graduate/professional students, two employees, and two faculty members, appointed by their respective Assemblies to serve two-year terms on a staggered basis. Two presidential appointments shall be made from the following administrative departments: Cornell Police; Facilities Management; Environmental Health and Safety; Planning, Design and Construction; Student and Academic Services; and University Relations, two presidential appointments from the following academic departments: Civil and Environmental Engineering, City and Regional Planning, Natural Resources, Landscape Architecture (the academic appointees should be individuals with professional and technical expertise in transportation or a related field), and one presidential appointment from the Office of Budget and Financial Planning. Each are made by the President of the University upon recommendation from the Vice President of Facilities and Campus Services and will serve three-year terms on a staggered basis. Three ex-officio members shall be the Director of Transportation and Mail Services, a liaison from the Transportation Hearing and Appeals Board, and a liaison from the UA.
The committee’s charge is to provide a conduit for community input regarding policies and services related to safe, comprehensive, economical and efficient transportation programs. These include parking, transit, circulation, pedestrian, motorist and cyclist safety and education, and services that meet the transportation access needs for persons with disabilities. The committee shall make policy and program recommendations to the UA and the Senior Vice President. Furthermore, the committee shall review in consultation with (with the consultation of) the Campus Planning Committee all plans for alterations of or additions to roads, parking lots, pathways and walkways on the Ithaca campus of the University. The committee shall report periodically to the UA.
The committee shall have one associated hearing and appeals board and standing committees as appropriate which will work directly with Transportation and Mail Services. Each board/committee shall be charged with carrying out the current policies and procedures and will report periodically to TAC on recommended policy or program changes.
The Transportation Hearing and Appeals Board (THAB) shall review decisions that have been denied in whole or in part by Transportation and Mail Services administrative staff on matters relating to violation appeals, requests for special parking grants for those claiming financial hardship, and exceptions to parking rules and regulations and/or normal permit eligibility criteria.
Membership: THAB shall consist of twelve members nominated by their respective Assemblies and approved by those bodies and one ex-officio member representing the administrative staff of Transportation and Mail Services. Members shall be constituted as follows: four students (two graduate/professional, two undergraduate), four faculty, and four employees. No employee of Transportation and Mail Services or Cornell Police may serve on THAB. The term of membership shall be two years, except that initially, so that terms may be staggered, two faculty, two students and two employees shall serve terms of one year. THAB shall annually elect its own chairperson. Hearings shall require a quorum of three members. In case of a tie vote, the decision shall be recorded in favor of the appellant.
Responsibilities: Violation appeals must each be decisioned separately, considering all relevant facts and circumstances brought to the board’s attention. The board shall only review cases for which it is deemed an error in judgment or procedure was made in the original decision. In cases of requests for special parking grants based on financial hardship, appellants must fully explain why they are unable to use the transportation options available. In cases of requests related to exceptions to parking rules and regulations and/or normal permit eligibility criteria, the board’s decision shall be based on demonstrated need and are subject to space and other limitations.
The University Sustainability Committee (USC) at a minimum shall consist of one (non-voting) member from the University Assembly who will convene and chair the meetings, two members of the Cornell faculty, one of whom is appointed by the Cornell University Center for a Sustainable Future, the other by the Faculty Senate, one graduate and one undergraduate student (each appointed by their respective assemblies), and two staff members, one of whom is appointed by the Office of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability the other by the Employee Assembly. Each member shall serve a two year staggered term.
The USC’s charge shall be to advise, consult, and communicate on matters related to the development and implementation of community sustainability issues, policies and programs. The USC shall offer advice, counsel, and recommendations, to the UA, for its deliberation and action, on issues and topics raised by the committee.
The USC shall have the right to remain flexible and fluid in its staffing and membership to meet the needs of the Cornell community as they arise in the many important areas of sustainability at the university. The USC reserves the right to independently research and distill issues of concern and importance to the Cornell community and develop concepts for policy and program development and management for discussion with and consideration by the UA.
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