Faculty Association Constitution and By Laws

Revised April 2020

Preamble

The Cape Fear Community College Faculty Association is a body of faculty that exists for the purpose of supporting and encouraging the faculty membership in their endeavor to achieve excellence in education through instruction, professional and personal growth, reflection, and discussion.

Introduction

The official rule of this organization shall be the Cape Fear Community College Faculty Association. For the purpose of this Constitution, Bylaws, and general usage, the name Faculty Association and/or FA Members may be used in this document. The Constitution will supersede any bylaw.

Article I: Membership

Section 1. This membership of Faculty Association shall consist of full-time faculty (voting) and Adjunct faculty (non-voting).

Article II: Purposes and Objectives

Section 1. To serve as an organization through which members may discuss and interpret matters concerning the faculty, while advocating for the faculty body, not majority or individual, when discussing those concerns or questions.

Section 2. To maintain working relationships between the Cape Fear Community College Administration (Executive Team), supporting the vision of the institution in order to enhance the effectiveness and quality of the College.

Section 3. To effectively communicate all pertinent information between faculty members, officers, and the executive team in a respectful and constructive manner in line with the faculty mission and handbook.

Section 4. To participate in planning the educational programs and in developing educational policy.

Section 5. To provide support, encouragement, and advice to other members in the best interest of the college mission and goals.

Article III: Officers

Section 1. The Faculty Association will be governed by four officers: past president, president, vice president, secretary.

Section 2.Elections of Officers

Section a. Officers are full time faculty members

Section b. Terms of Service:
President, 2-year term, elected odd year
Vice President, 2-year term, elected even year
Secretary, 2-year term, elected even year (includes parliament role)
Past President, 1-year term

Section c. Officers will be nominated and voted by full time faculty. If only one nominee for an office, they are elected by default.

Section 3. Vacancies in elected officers shall be filled by the association president; those officers so appointed will serve until the next bi-annual election. Before resigning, the association president may appoint their replacement.

Section 4. Duties and Responsibilities, defined by officer role in the bylaws of the association

Article IV: Representatives

Section 1. The Faculty Association will have one Representative for each division of Academic Affairs. There are five divisions defined: (1) General Education & Sciences, (2) Arts & Humanities, (3) Career & Technical Education, (4) Health Sciences, (5) Associate Dean of Instructors/Cont. Ed

Section 2. Representatives are not considered Faculty Association Officers Section 3. Representatives are nominated and elected by their own division annually

Article V: Meeting

Section 1. Membership Meetings.

Section a. Three regular membership meetings shall be held each semester during fall and spring semester, alternating one meeting at each location: Downtown and North and Virtual.

Section b. Regularly scheduled times will be announced the beginning of semester. May be cancelled with 24-hour notice by majority vote of executive committee. Special guests may attend by request or invitation, closed session reserved for faculty members only. President can call special meeting.

Section c. Agendas and minutes will be made available for all official meetings.

Section 2. Quorum will be considered for officer meetings, and /or Faculty Association meetings. Other gatherings are not applicable. During meeting, Quorum is considered 2/3 of those attending for approval of minutes and motions.

Section 3. Officer Meeting will consist of the four officers of the Faculty Association

Article VI – Code of Conduct

Section 1. Members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that always reflects on the faculty association and the college in a positive manner.

Section 2. Members are role models for the membership, college, students, community, and profession

Section 3. All Statements on behalf of Faculty Association will be only made by the Faculty Association president and will reflect the majority opinion of the faculty.

Section 4. Faculty will support the mission of the Faculty Association while having an invested interest in the college mission and goals first and foremost.

Article VII– General Voting

Section 1. Each full-time faculty member will have one vote

Section 2. Voting will occur using CFCC email. One electronic vote per full time member, affirmative vote of a simple majority of the Membership voting to be effective, unless otherwise noted.

Section 3. Specific Circumstances may warrant anonymous voting

Article VIII: Association Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees

Section a. Executive Committee. Comprised of Faculty Association officers and representatives of association.

Section b. The Constitution and Bylaws Committee. Association president nominates chair. Chair solicits five members from each division. Meets once a semester or by special circumstance.

Section c. Adjunct Faculty Committee. Comprised of adjunct/part time faculty. Reports directly to the VP of the Faculty Association.

Section d. Staff Committee. Representatives by various areas of college as committee members directly involved in Student Services. VP of Faculty Association is chair.

Section e. Adhoc committees may be established and abolished by 2/3 vote of Executive Committee.

Article IX– Fiscal Management

Section 1. Controls and Procedures when applicable

Section 2. Faculty Scholarship are part of Foundation Scholarships

Article X: Amendments

Section 1. Controls and Procedures established for proposals by members

Section 2. Proposed Amendments shall go to a Standing Bylaws/Constitution Committee for consideration and when applicable voted by membership

Article XI: Miscellaneous

Section 1. This Constitution shall have been presented to the Membership of the Faculty Association and shall be ratified by a majority vote thereof those voting.

Section 2. Any amendment to this Constitution shall be attached hereto and made part hereof for all purposes.

Section 3. This Constitution and any amendments and changes hereto shall be kept on record and be available to any Member.

Section 4. Bylaws may be used to support this Constitution.

ARTICLE I Duties of the Officers

Section 1. The President

Preside at all meetings and call meetings to order
President assumes responsibility to make all announcements to faculty regarding faculty association or college business related to the association. Including Meeting notices, agendas, minutes, changes to association, and any other pertinent information.
Serve as Chairman of the Executive Committee
Call for revote in event of a tie, if continues, president shall cast the deciding vote
Execute or sign documents or reports in the name of the Faculty Association
Public comments on behalf of faculty require a unanimous vote by executive committee to comment and approval of CFCC Administration Marketing Department
Attend monthly meetings with Administration including but not limited to the Cape Fear Community College Executive Team.
Provide a written report to be included in the Board of Trustees meeting packet and Report at the Board of Trustee meetings throughout the calendar year.
Attend all graduation ceremonies
Attend College Council meetings throughout the calendar year
Serve on College Standing Committees as deemed necessary by the College or appoint another Faculty Association officer in their place if they are not already a member of said committee.
Communicate accurate voting results provided by the secretary
Holds responsibility for Faculty Blackboard, announcements to faculty. Can assign another faculty member to add content to maintain the page.
Appoints Chairperson for standing committees and adhoc committees
Perform such other duties as may be deemed necessary as provided for in the Constitution and By-Laws.
If temporarily unable to fulfill duty or assignment, President may appoint another officer in their place if necessary.

Section 2. The Past-President

Serve as a member of the Executive Committee
Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President
Perform such other duties as may be deemed necessary as provided for in the Constitution and By-Laws

Section 3. The Vice President

Serve in the absence of the President, and shall call scheduled meetings to order if the president is not in attendance
Serve as a member of the Executive Committee
Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President
Serve as Chairperson of the adjunct faculty committee and the staff committee and perform and communicate duties and actionable items to the President of the association
Fiscal Management when applicable
Shall solicit input from division representatives prior to faculty association meetings or meetings with the executive team. In the event that a division representative vacancy, they shall solicit input from department chairs of divisions not represented.
Perform such other duties as may be deemed necessary as provided for in the Constitution and By-Laws

Section 4. The Secretary

Ensure transparency by keeping and disseminating an accurate record of the meetings of the Faculty Association, Executive Committee, and any meetings between Faculty Association officers and the Executive Team. Secretary will make these minutes readily available to faculty members via blackboard within 10 business days.
Maintain custody of all official records and documents of the Faculty Association electronically
Issue notice of all meetings of the Faculty Association to be announced by the President and prepare an agenda for those meetings. Provide the President the information to publish for meeting dates at the beginning of each semester and any meeting cancellation with 24-hour notice by vote of the executive committee.
Ensure the Faculty Association website, within the College website, is up to date with all documents, information, and minutes by communicating and providing documents to the assigned CFCC personnel
Provide and execute voting portals and auditable results to the President in response for Officer and Representative Positions in the Faculty Association, Surveys, and any other voting deemed necessary
Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President
Perform such other duties as may be deemed necessary as provided for in the Constitution and By-Laws

Section 5. Officers should avoid conflicts of interest when performing duties on behalf of the faculty association.

Section 6. Officers should be diverse and ready to represent all areas of the college and divisions. To aid in this goal, a faculty climate survey must be conducted at least every odd year. The survey will be designed and administered by the adhoc Survey Committee.

Section 7. Media Statements – Officers shall be prohibited from responding to requests from media outlets for the purpose of making a statement on behalf of faculty.

ARTICLE II Duties of Representatives

Full Time Faculty Member. Represents only the division they are employed
Meets with chairs of division when necessary to obtain information about division with the guidance from the faculty president or vice president.
Reports to Vice President to communicate information pertinent to their divisional concerns or questions and obtains requested information from the Vice President to report back to division faculty when necessary.
Representatives will stay cognizant of faculty climate within their divisions through personal interaction, conversation, and departmental meetings.
Representatives will attend FA meetings and express the needs and opinions of their divisions at FA meetings. If unable to attend meeting, they will communicate any concerns to Vice President.

ARTICLE III Membership

Members are expected to maintain a sincere and active interest in the concerns of the College and the Faculty Association.
It is highly encouraged to attend faculty association meetings whenever possible when not in conflict with course schedules
Members are expected to actively support the Faculty Association Constitution and Bylaws when interacting on behalf of the Faculty Association
Members are considered to have Academic Freedom and Responsibility

ARTICLE IV Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees

Executive Committee will meet a minimum of once a semester and other times upon request or necessity. Minutes and agendas will be published for all meetings. This committee will perform other duties as may be deemed necessary as provided for in the Constitution and Bylaws
The Constitution and Bylaws Committee will review the constitution and bylaws annually to ensure no changes necessary based on necessity or college reorganization or changes. This committee will perform other duties as may be deemed necessary and as provided for in the Constitution and Bylaws. The chairperson will report directly to the President. A member must excuse themselves if conflict of interest. Division representatives and Officers of the association cannot serve on this committee. The committee will be responsible to be the body that polices the actions of all elected bodies and all members.

ARTICLE V Meetings

Section 1. Items to be included in the agenda shall be submitted in writing by voting or non-voting members to the Secretary of the Faculty Association within 72 business hours ahead of meetings.

Section 2. Parliament

Robert’s Rules of Order shall be followed in the conduct of all meetings of the Faculty Association and the Executive Committee
The Secretary will act as parliamentarian and provided necessary guidance from the President
Behavior of members in meetings will be directed by Robert’s Rules of Order. Members will be called upon for comment, stating your name and department before speaking. Speaking time will be limited.

Section 3. Meetings can be in person or virtually

Section 4. Removal during a meeting

Any member can call for a closed meeting, at which time, all non-members must leave the meeting.
Presiding officers, representatives, committee members, or association members may be removed from association or executive meetings for failing to follow proper order or disrupting business.
If any member fails to follow proper order, another member may make a point of order.
If the presiding officer’s decision is not satisfactory, then any member may call for an appeal. The appeal allows for the majority of the members attending to ensure enforcement of proper procedure by presiding officers. If a majority votes to appeal the presiding officer’s decision, and the officer fails to abide by that appeal, they can be temporarily removed from their position during said meeting. If another officer is not in attendance, the meeting will be rescheduled to be announced within 10 days.
If a member is disruptive, then the presiding officer must declare that the member is out of order. If the member fails to follow proper procedure, then the presiding officer shall name the offender and may call for an assembly vote to have the member removed by a majority vote of members in attendance or suspend the meeting to be rescheduled. Such removal only applies to the meeting in which the vote has been held. In a repeated offense, the member is suspended for the remainder of the semester during future association interactions both in physical meetings and discussions. Reference Section VII for further actions necessary.

ARTICLE VI Amendments

Section 1. Controls and Procedures

Any voting member, officer, or the executive committee may propose amendments or revisions to these By-Laws by presenting in writing using Constitution and Bylaws as guidance for cause and purpose of proposal.
The proposed must be submitted to the Faculty Association secretary. A copy of the proposed amendment will be maintained by the secretary for the record.
The Faculty Association Secretary will forward the proposal to the Standing Constitution and Bylaws Committee within 10 business days.
The Constitution and Bylaws Committee will have 30 business days to meet and make a recommendation to the Executive Committee. The Constitution and Bylaws Committee will provide summary of proposals and recommendations on Faculty Blackboard along with the final decision and outcomes.
If the recommendation to the Executive Committee is supportive of the proposal, the Executive Committee will then bring the proposal forward to the general membership for discussion and a 2/3 majority of the voting membership will decide.
If the recommendation to the Executive Committee is non-supportive of the proposal, the amendment will die in committee.
The originator of the proposal may ask for an appeal of decision whereas the process will start over.

Section 2. Recommended Updates or Changes

Any recommended changes, updates, or amendments to the Constitution or Bylaws recommended by the Constitution and Bylaws committee will be discussed by membership and then a 2/3 majority vote of voting membership will decide.

Article VII Disciplinary Actions

Any officer, representative, or member may be found guilty of conduct tending to injure the good name of the organization, disturb its well-being, or hamper it in its work.Depending on the official role of the individual and the circumstances and severity of the
conduct, that individual may be subject to formal disciplinary procedures, including the
following:
- Censure – found guilty but not deemed serious enough for removal or suspension
- Removal from a committee or position
- Suspension from association for stated period of time
Disciplinary actions involving censure or removal or suspension, shall be tried by the Standing Committee on Constitution and Bylaws and set as law on that decision by full committee agreement using guidance from Roberts Rules of Order and other pertinent sources.
Any Member can propose due process for censure, suspension, or removal of representative or officer position with written documentation, cause, and proof.
Officers or representatives may be removed for gross negligence or neglect of duty. Officers duties are set forth in the association bylaws. Abuse of authority or any misconduct calling into question their fitness for their position can be also be cause for consideration. They may only be subject to removal if their behavior is intentionally injurious to the association or intentionally neglectful of their duties as defined in the constitution and bylaws.
Standing Committee for Constitution and Bylaws will review removal submissions and submit their decision and recommendations to the membership to remove, suspend, or no action to be taken.
When recommended, officer or representative will be removed or suspended, for specified period of time, by 2/3 Majority Vote of voting Membership meeting all other conditions. If vote confirms removal or suspension, a special nomination and election will occur within 10 business days for said position to replace or substitute.