From the Cornell Assemblies
After consultation with members of the university community, and to effect more extensive involvement in campus governance through a University Assembly and constituent assemblies representatives of faculty, students, and employees, the President, through the authority granted him by the Board of Trustees, hereby establishes this Charter for the University Assembly of Cornell University.
The name of this organization is the University Assembly of Cornell University, hereinafter referred to as the Assembly or the UA.
The object of the Assembly is to improve and sustain the involvement of the campus community, consisting of the students, staff and faculty of the Ithaca and Geneva campuses, in the governance of campus affairs affecting the broad university community by establishing open, effective, and efficient channels of communication between and amongst the community and university administration.
The Assembly, by delegation from the President has the following authority and responsibilities:
The Assembly reviews current and proposed administrative policies affecting the wider university community, including but not necessarily limited to the following subjects:
Responsible administrative units must consult with the Assembly as they review and revise such policies, allowing the Assembly an opportunity to offer recommendations on behalf of the university community. To assure effective and informed fulfillment of its role, the Assembly may:
The Assembly may propose specific changes to policies of other units of the University within the scope of its authority through legislative actions. In preparing such actions, the Assembly must make a reasonable effort to identify and consult with stakeholders, including the management of units that maintain or carry out such policies.
The Assembly must report each legislative action to the President of the University. The President must respond in writing within one calendar month, taking one or more of the following actions:
The response must include an explanation for the actions taken. If the President remands the proposal or any portion, the Assembly must reconsider such proposals or portions in light of the President’s response, before reporting them again. If action is deferred, the President must specify the date by which he or she will respond. Unless the President responds before the prescribed date or the deferred response date, the proposal is presumed to be approved.
Pursuant to New York State Education Law � 6430, also known as the Henderson Act, the Board of Trustees must additionally approve proposed changes to those sections of the Campus Code of Conduct where its approval is required, including the Rules for Maintenance of Public Order.
The Assembly must approve each appointment or reappointment by the President of the University to the following offices: the Judicial Administrator, the University Ombudsman, and the Judicial Codes Counselor. In the event of a vacancy in any of these positions, the President or a designee will appoint a search committee to which the Assembly may appoint a representative. Incumbent occupants of each office may serve any number of consecutive terms; however, no single term may exceed two years in duration.
The Assembly may appoint members to and remove members from service on the University Hearing and Review Boards convened under the Campus Code of Conduct as needed to assure the effective operation of those panels.
The Assembly has authority in matters concerning its internal operation and maintenance, including provisions for the creation of bylaws, procedures and amendments to this charter.
The Assembly establishes standing committees and ad hoc committees as needed to perform its duties.
The Student Assembly, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, Employee Assembly, and Faculty Senate (the constituent assemblies) may respectively appoint four, two, four, and four members from their constituencies to serve staggered terms as voting members of the Assembly concurrent with two consecutive sessions of the Assembly. Additionally, the presiding officer of each constituent assembly serves as a voting member of the Assembly concurrent with his or her term of office.
The Assembly may provide in its bylaws for appointment of additional non-voting members to serve ex officio.
A voting member of the Assembly may not serve concurrently as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University.
Any member may be removed by affirmative vote of two-thirds of seated members of the assembly and consent of the constituent assembly responsible for his or her appointment.
The officers of the Assembly are the Chair, the Executive Vice Chair, and the Vice Chair for Operations, who must be of different constituencies. Additionally, a ranking member must be appointed for each constituency not otherwise represented by the officers of the Assembly.
The term for each office is concurrent with a session of the Assembly.
At the organizational meeting of the Assembly or at the first meeting after a vacancy arises, the Assembly must elect officers from its membership by secret ballot in closed session. Until a candidate receives a majority of votes cast, the candidates receiving the fewest votes must be eliminated and another round of ballots cast.
As soon as possible after the officers have been elected, seated members of any constituency not represented by the officers must caucus and elect, following the same procedure as provided for the election of officers, a ranking member to represent their constituency.
The Chair:
The Executive Vice Chair:
The Vice Chair for Operations:
Each ranking member:
The Assembly may remove any of its officers upon an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the seated membership of the Assembly. Immediately thereafter, a new officer must be elected from among the voting members of the Assembly for the balance of the term of office.
The Assembly has an Executive Board (the Board) to manage its daily operation and to provide continuity of operation outside of the academic year.
The Board consists of the officers and the ranking members of the Assembly.
The Board:
During periods between academic semesters and during university holidays, the Board may additionally:
In taking any such actions, the Board must make a reasonable effort to involve all of its members, including those absent from campus, and to consult the chairs of any committees that the Assembly would ordinarily consult. The Chair must report such actions, including the results of any votes, at the first meeting of the Assembly that occurs after the actions are taken.
An affirmative vote of a majority of the seated members of the Assembly is required to amend the Bylaws of the Assembly, and an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the seated membership is required to amend the Charter.
Proposed amendments to the Bylaws or the Charter of the Assembly must be publicized at least one week before any meeting where they are discussed or adopted. The Assembly may not adopt amendments to the Charter at the same meeting where they are introduced or modified, and the President of the University must approve such amendments before they may be implemented.
Copyright © 2005–2019, Cornell University.
Retrieved from /UA/20101027CharterDraft
Page last modified on October 28, 2010, at 04:32 PM