	About NOVA
	Academics
	Admissions
	Academic Calendar
	Class Schedules & Catalog
	Financial Aid
	Libraries & Resources
	NOVA Campuses
	Offices & Directories
	Student Services
	Workforce Development & Continuing Education
	____________
	For:
	STUDENTS FACULTY BUSINESS ALUMNI
	____________
	text only version

NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS of the COLLEGE FORUM

Preamble
Article I: Name
Article II: Nature, Functions, and Responsiblities
Article III: Memberships
Article IV: Officers
Article V: Meetings
Article VI: Committees
Article VII: Amendments and By-Laws
Article VIII: Ratification
Article IX: Parliamentary Authority

Ratified:
Faculty and Staff	4/25/74
Alexandria Student Government	4/26/74
Annandale Student Government	4/26/74
Approved:
President	4/29/74
Amended:
	12/7/77 2/16/78 3/17/78 6/01/79 8/15/84 4/22/88 4/11/89 3/20/90 4/21/92 11/10/92 5/2/95

NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CONSTITUTION OF THE COLLEGE FORUM

PREAMBLE

In order to promote the philosophy and objectives of Northern Virginia Community College and to apprise the president as to the thinking of the faculty, staff, and student body on any matter pertaining to the affairs of the College through a system of representative participation, the teaching faculty, administrative faculty, classified staff, and student body do hereby ordain and establish this constitution.

ARTICLE I

NAME

The structure for the exercise of the aforementioned purposes shall be entitled the College Forum.

The College Forum shall be representative of teaching faculty, administrative faculty, students, and classified staff and shall be composed of a College Senate, a Campus Council on each campus, and the standing committees of the College Forum.

ARTICLE II

NATURE, FUNCTIONS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. College Forum Section 1. The College Forum in its entirety shall function during the organizational year from May 1 through the subsequent April 30. All terms of membership and terms of office on the Campus Councils, College Senate and College Forum committees shall be for this period, except that incoming Councils, Senate, Forum Committees, and their duly elected officers are empowered to meet and act prior to May 1 for purposes of organization only, in accordance with specific provisions of this Constitution. B. College Senate Section 1. The College Senate shall serve as an instrument for the formulation and expression of faculty, student, and staff points of view, generally reserving its deliberations for major questions that are important to the faculty, the student body, the staff, and the institution as a whole.

Section 2. The College Senate shall formulate its opinions on any subject germane to the interests of the College and make suggestions or recommendations thereon to the appropriate College committee, officer, or Campus Council for further consideration.

Section 3. The College Senate shall have the privilege and duty to advise and seek advice from the president of the College and to initiate recommendations on policy in all areas of College activity.

Section 4. The College Senate shall provide an alternative channel to all constituencies for appeal, influence, and recommendation to the president.

Section 5. The College Senate shall, as the appropriate constituent group of the College, be empowered to submit advice, counsel, and recommendations to the Northern Virginia Community College Board, the Virginia Department of Community Colleges, such service to be rendered through and by the president of the College.

Section 6. The College Senate shall encourage the development and maintenance of a beneficial climate for excellence in teaching and learning within a framework of academic freedom and professional responsibility and ethics.

Section 7. The College Senate may establish standing and special committees to deal with specific substantive areas through study of particular problems and issues and the making of recommendations to the entire Senate and to Campus Councils for action. In addition to establishing its own operational committees, the Senate shall annually require its Committee on Committees to nominate representatives for appointment to the standing committees of the College. Such nominations shall be subject to approval by majority vote of the Senate, whereas appointments may be made only by the president of the College. The Senate shall also elect members to Forum Committees in accordance with procedures specified herein.

C. Campus Councils Section 1. The Campus Councils shall serve as instruments for the formulation and expression of faculty, student, and staff points of view on each campus, generally reserving its deliberations for questions of campus level responsibility which are germane to that particular campus or any of its constituencies.

Section 2. The Campus Councils shall have the privilege and duty to advise and seek advice from the provost of the campus and to make recommendations to the provost on issues germane to that campus; and to make recommendations to or communicate with (a) campus committees, (b) College committees, and (c) the College Senate regarding all pertinent topics.

Section 3. The Campus Councils shall, as the appropriate constituent group of each campus, be empowered to submit advice, counsel, and recommendations to the president of the College, such service to be rendered through and by the provost of the campus.

Section 4. The Campus Councils shall have the duty of receiving recommendations from the two College Forum committees (namely, Instructional and Student Services and Personnel Services) for deliberation and action in the form of approval, disapproval, or counter recommendation. The action of the Campus Councils on these recommendations shall be forwarded to the chair of the appropriate College Forum committee.

Section 5. Campus Councils shall have the duties of assisting in the selection of members for the College Senate and for the two College Forum committees according to the processes described herein, participating with the College Senate in the nomination of representatives to standing committees of the College, and nominating to the respective provosts representatives for appointment to campus standing committees.

Section 6. Campus Councils shall encourage the development and maintenance of a beneficial climate for excellence in teaching and learning within a framework of academic freedom and professional responsibility and ethics.

Section 7. Campus Councils may establish such standing or special committees as each deems necessary to fulfill its responsibilities.

D. College Forum Committees The committees of the College Forum shall be (1) Instructional and Student Services Committee and (2) Personnel Services Committee. These committees are described in all of their particulars in Article VI.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIPS

Section 1. Definitions a. Administrative faculty shall be defined as provosts, deans, directors, division chairs, and coordinators.

b. Teaching faculty shall be defined as all College personnel who hold both P-3 status and faculty rank, with the exception of administrative faculty as defined herein.

c. Classified staff shall be defined as all College personnel covered by the Virginia Retirement System, and not holding faculty rank.

d. Students shall be defined as all persons registered for a course or courses of instruction leading to academic credit at the College.

e. Adjunct faculty shall be defined as temporary (P-14) part-time teaching faculty who are appointed on a semester basis to teach in the day, evening, or weekend.

f. Ex officio shall be defined as "by virtue of office and without vote."

Section 2. Composition a. Campus Councils

Voting membership of each Campus Council shall be based upon a ratio of two students to one classified staff to one administrative faculty to three teaching faculty. By March 15th of each year, each campus provost will, in consultation with the incumbent Campus Council, determine and announce the number of memberships of which that Campus Council will consist for the following organizational year. Such number must include no less than six teaching faculty representatives, four students, and no less than two each administrative faculty, classified staff, and student representatives.

b. College Senate

(1) Voting membership of the College Senate shall consist of two students, one classified staff, one administrative faculty, and three teaching faculty, elected from each campus, plus one classified staff and one administrative faculty elected from the college staff, plus one classified staff and one teaching faculty elected from the Extended Learning Institute, plus presidential appointees from among all those eligible at large, in number equal to one third the total number of elected teaching faculty members.

(2) Alternate membership of the College Senate shall consist of one alternate member for each student, classified staff, teaching faculty, and administrative faculty voting member from each campus, each classified staff and administrative faculty voting member from the college staff, and each classified staff and teaching faculty voting member from the Extended Learning Institute.

c. College Forum Committees

The composition of College Forum Committees is described in Article VI.

d. College Forum

Membership on a Campus Council, the College Senate, or a Forum Committee constitutes membership in the College Forum. All Campus Council members not elected voting or alternate members of the College Senate are ex-officio members of the College Senate.

Section 3. Eligibility a. All administrative faculty assigned to campuses, except provosts, are eligible for membership on their respective Campus Councils, and are eligible for membership on the College Senate through campus election or presidential appointment. Provosts are ex-officio members of their respective Campus Councils and are eligible for membership on the College Senate through presidential appointment only.

b. All college staff and Extended Learning Institute administrative faculty and teaching faculty are eligible for membership on the College Senate through presidential appointment. All college staff administrative faculty are eligible for membership on the College Senate through election. All Extended Learning Institute teaching faculty are eligible for membership on the College Senate through election.

c. All teaching faculty assigned to campuses are eligible for membership on their respective Campus Councils, and are eligible for membership on the College Senate through campus election or presidential appointment.

d. All classified staff assigned to campuses are eligible for membership on their respective Campus Councils, and are eligible for membership on the College Senate through campus election or presidential appointment.

e. All college staff and Extended Learning Institute classified staff are eligible for membership on the College Senate through election or presidential appointment. College staff classified staff assigned to campuses are eligible for membership on their respective Campus Councils, and are eligible for membership on the College Senate through campus election or presidential appointment, but are not eligible for direct election to the Senate by the college staff classified staff constituency.

f. All students in good standing and not on probation, as defined in the current College Catalog, are eligible for membership on their respective Campus Councils, and are eligible for membership on the College Senate through campus election or presidential appointment, after successful completion of one semester's resident study and upon meeting the standards of selection for membership as adopted by the recognized campus student governments, where one exists.

g. All administrative faculty, teaching faculty, and classified staff not elected to a Campus Council or to the College Senate or holding presidential appointment to the College Senate are eligible for membership on College Forum committees.

h. All students in good standing, not on probation as defined in the current College Catalog, and not elected to a Campus Council or holding presidential appointment to the College Senate, are eligible for membership on College Forum committees after successful completion of one semester's resident study.

i. All administrative faculty, teaching faculty, and classified staff, and all students in good standing and not on probation as defined in the current College Catalog, are eligible for membership on the Senate Constituency Committee.

j. The president of the College is an ex-officio member of the College Senate.

Section 4. Selection a. Campus Councils (1) Administrative Faculty Representatives (a) Administrative faculty representatives to the Campus Councils shall be elected at large for one organizational year by and from among those administrative faculty eligible for membership, and shall be eligible for reelection, except that no administrative faculty representative shall serve more than three consecutive terms, not including terms of less than a full organizational year. Prior to March 15th of each year, the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee shall submit to the secretary of the College Senate a list of administrative faculty on each campus who are eligible for election to each Campus Council, such list to be made public in advance of the election proceedings of each campus.

(b) Regular elections shall be held by March 31 and shall be conducted by the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee. Special elections may be held at other times to fill unexpired terms and shall be authorized and supervised by the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee. All elections shall be conducted by secret ballot at the respective campuses.

(2) Teaching Faculty Representatives (a) Teaching faculty representatives to the Campus Councils shall be elected for a term of one organizational year, by and from those teaching faculty eligible for membership, and shall be eligible for reelection, except that no teaching faculty representative shall serve more than three consecutive terms. Teaching faculty representatives to the Campus Councils shall be elected in accordance with the constitutional provisions of the recognized Campus Faculty Senates when and if such bodies are constituted; until such bodies are constituted, the following procedures will be followed: Prior to March 15th of each year, the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee shall submit to the secretary of the College Senate a list of teaching faculty on each campus who are eligible for election to each Campus Council, such list to be made public in advance of the election proceedings of each campus. Regular elections shall be held by March 31 and shall be conducted by the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee. Special elections may be held at other times to fill unexpired terms and shall be authorized and supervised by the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee. All elections shall be conducted by secret ballot at the respective campuses. (3) Classified Staff Representatives (a) Classified staff representatives to the Campus Councils shall be elected at large for a term of one organizational year, by and from among those classified staff eligible for membership, and shall be eligible for reelection, except that no classified staff representative shall serve more than three consecutive terms. Prior to March 15th of each year, the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee shall submit to the secretary of the College Senate a list of classified staff who are eligible for election to each Campus Council, such list to be made public in advance of the election proceedings of each campus.

(4) Student Representatives (a) Selection of student representatives shall be in accordance with constitutional provisions of the recognized campus student government where one exists; otherwise, by student general election held under cognizance of the campus dean of Student Development. (5) Upon completion of elections of representatives to the Campus Councils, the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee shall announce, not later than April 8, the members of the Campus Councils for that organizational year.

(6) Each Campus Council shall be the judge of the conduct of its members, and for any cause deemed sufficient, may remove an elected representative or officer upon concurrence of three-fourths of the total membership of the Campus Council. Such removal constitutes removal from membership in the College Forum and the College Senate held by virtue of election to a Campus Council.

b. College Senate (1) Elected Representatives from Campuses (a) Administrative Faculty. The administrative faculty representative receiving the greatest number of votes in election to each Campus Council shall also serve as a voting member of the College Senate. The administrative faculty representative receiving the next greatest number of votes in election to each Campus Council shall also serve as an alternate member of the College Senate.

(b) Teaching Faculty. The teaching faculty representatives receiving the greatest, second greatest, and third greatest number of votes in election to each Campus Council shall also serve as voting members of the College Senate. The teaching faculty representatives receiving the fourth, fifth, and sixth greatest number of votes in election to each Campus Council shall also serve as alternate members of the College Senate.

(c) Classified Staff. The classified staff representative receiving the greatest number of votes in election to each Campus Council shall also serve as a voting member of the College Senate. The classified staff representative receiving the second greatest number of votes in election to each Campus Council shall also serve as an alternate member of the College Senate.

(d) Students. Selection of student voting and alternate members of the College Senate shall be in accordance with constitutional provisions of the recognized campus student government where one exists; otherwise, by general election by students, held under cognizance of the campus dean of Student Development. Senate members must be selected from among Campus Council members.

(2) Elected Representative from the College Staff and Extended Learning Institute

The administrative faculty and classified staff representatives from the college staff and the teaching faculty and classified staff representatives from the Extended Learning Institute shall be elected at large for a term of one organizational year, by and from among those eligible for the respective memberships, and shall be eligible for reelection except that no representative shall serve more than three consecutive terms, not including terms of less than a full organizational year. Prior to March 15 of each year, the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee shall submit to the secretary of the College Senate lists of administrative faculty, teaching faculty, and classified staff who are eligible for election, such lists to be made public in advance of the election proceedings. Regular elections shall be held by March 31 and shall be conducted by the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee. Special elections may be held at other times to fill unexpired terms and shall be authorized and supervised by the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee. All elections shall be conducted by secret ballot. The representative receiving the second greatest number of votes in each instance shall serve as alternate member of the College Senate.

(3) Presidential Appointees

By April 10 of each year, the president of the College shall announce their appointments to the College Senate for the organizational year beginning May 1. Each presidential appointment is for a one-year term, and such members are eligible for reappointment, except that no appointee shall serve more than three consecutive terms. Appointment and removal of presidential appointees to the College Senate shall be by letter with a copy provided to the secretary of the College Senate, who shall inform the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee accordingly.

(4) Upon completion of elections and appointments to the College Senate, the Senate Elections and Credentials Committee shall announce, not later than April 12, the members of the College Senate for that organizational year.

(5) Membership Succession

(a) Teaching Faculty. In the event of a campus teaching faculty voting membership vacancy in the College Senate during the organizational year, the affected Campus Council shall elect a replacement from among the alternate Senate members from that campus. A teaching faculty member elected to fill a Campus Council vacancy during the organizational year shall also serve as a voting Senate member where no incumbent alternate member is available; otherwise, as an alternate Senate member where such vacancy exists. In the event of an Extended Learning Institute teaching faculty voting membership vacancy during the organizational year, the alternate Senate member shall become the voting member.

(b) Administrative Faculty and Classified Staff. In the event of an administrative faculty or classified staff voting membership vacancy in the College Senate during the organizational year, the alternate Senate member shall become the voting member. An administrative faculty or classified staff member elected to fill a Campus Council vacancy during the organizational year shall also serve as voting Senate member where no incumbent alternate member is available; otherwise, as alternate Senate member where such vacancy exists.

(c) Students. In the event of a student voting membership vacancy in the College Senate during the organizational year, replacement shall be selected in accordance with constitutional provisions of the recognized campus student government where one exists; otherwise, by student general election, held under cognizance of the campus dean of Student Development.

(d) Waiver of Senate Membership. A Campus Council member who is also a voting Senate member may petition the Campus Council for waiver of Senate membership. Such waiver may be granted by two-thirds vote of the Council membership.

(e) Alternate Membership to College Senate. A Campus Council may select an alternate to the College Senate from among its membership, if no regularly elected alternate is able to attend a College Senate meeting.

c. College Forum Committees (1) Nominations for College Forum Committees, in accordance with the specified composition of these committees, will be sent by each Campus Council to the Senate Committee on Committees. These nominations will be in accordance with such numbers and procedures as are set by the Committee on Committees, will give consideration to candidates to be recommended by the outgoing Council, and must be sent within five days following the organizational meeting of the incoming Council.

(2) Any Campus Council may at its own option decline to tender nominations for specific memberships, by notification in writing to the Senate Committee on Committees. In such instance, nominations shall be solicited and selections made from other campuses at large.

(3) Nominations for committee memberships from the college staff or Extended Learning Institute shall be developed under auspices of the Committee on Committees.

(4) The Committee on Committees will then select names from among these nominations according to the specified composition and recommend to the Senate for election at its organizational meeting a slate of nominees for Committee memberships. Nominations may be made from the Senate floor at that meeting.

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

The president of the College is the chair of the College Forum.

The officers of the College Senate and Campus Councils shall, in each case, consist of a chair, vice chair, and secretary.

A. College Senate Section 1. Election to Office. At its last session preceding the regular election of Senate members, the Senate will elect a nominating committee consisting of three teaching faculty representatives, one administrative faculty representative, one classified staff representative, one student representative, and one additional member from the Senate membership at large, which will present at the first meeting after the regular election a slate of candidates for the offices of chair, vice chair, and secretary. The nominating committee shall present a minimum of two candidates for each office. Additional nominations, with the previous permission of the person so nominated, will be accepted from the floor when the slate is presented. Candidates who receive by secret ballot a majority vote of the members present shall be declared elected.

Section 2. Eligibility for Office. Any College Senate representative, with the exception of the ex-officio representative, shall be eligible for office.

Section 3. Tenure of Office. All officers shall have terms of one organizational year. No person may serve more than two consecutive organizational years in the same office.

Section 4. Vacancies in Office.

a. When the office of the chair becomes vacant, the vice chair shall assume the chair and serve the remainder of the unexpired term of their predecessor.

b. Vacancies in the office of vice chair and secretary shall be filled according to the following procedure. Candidates shall be nominated from the floor. When the nominations cease, the Senate shall vote by secret ballot. The candidate who receives a majority vote of the members present shall be declared elected. A vice chair or secretary so elected shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term of their predecessor.

Section 5. Duties of the Office. a. The chair of the College Senate will preside at Senate meetings; call special meetings as provided in Article V, Section 2; have the prerogative of attending meetings of Forum and Senate committees; and shall be on call for consultation by all College committees. The chair shall also transmit directly to the president all College Forum committee recommendations which have been approved by the appropriate number of Campus Councils.

b. The vice chair of the College Senate shall preside at Senate meetings in the absence of the chair and shall perform such other duties as delegated by the chair.

c. The secretary of the College Senate shall keep minutes of all regular and special meetings; distribute copies of minutes to members, appropriate individuals, and groups; conduct necessary correspondence; keep an accurate list of the membership of the Senate; keep an accurate record of attendance; and perform such other duties as may be delegated by the chair.

Section 6. Parliamentarian. The parliamentarian shall be appointed by the chair of the Senate for a term of one organizational year, shall be selected upon the basis of knowledge of parliamentary procedure, and need not be a member of the Senate. B. Campus Councils Section 1. Election to Office. The officers of the Campus Councils shall be elected from the membership of the Council by secret ballot of the council members at the organizational meeting, such meeting to be held at the call of the provost no later than April 20.

Section 2. Eligibility for Office. Any Campus Council member with the exception of the ex-officio member, shall be eligible for office.

Section 3. Tenure of Office. All officers shall have terms of one organizational year. No person shall serve more than two consecutive organizational years in the same office.

Section 4. Vacancies in Office.

a. When the office of chair becomes vacant, the vice chair shall assume the chair and serve the remainder of the unexpired term.

b. Vacancies in the office of vice chair and secretary shall be filled by secret ballot vote by the Council membership.

Section 5. Duties of the Office. a. The chair of the Campus Council will preside at Council meetings and shall be on call for consultation by the College Senate.

b. The vice chair of the Campus Council shall preside at Council meetings in the absence of the chair and shall perform such other duties as delegated by the chair.

c. The secretary of the Campus Council shall keep minutes of all regular and special meetings; distribute copies of minutes to members, appropriate individuals, and groups; conduct necessary correspondence; keep an accurate list of the membership of the Council; keep an accurate record of attendance; and perform such other duties as may be delegated by the chair.

ARTICLE V

MEETINGS

A. College Forum Section 1. The College Forum in its entirety (College Senate, Campus Councils, and College Forum Committees) may meet in general assembly on call of the president of the College. B. College Senate Section 1. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the College Senate shall be held on the third Thursday in September, the first Thursday in December, the third Thursday in February, and the fourth Thursday in April. Additionally, a meeting for organizational purposes only shall be held by the incoming Senate on the fourth Thursday in April.

Section 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the College Senate shall be held at the call of the chair of the College Senate at the initiative of the chair, upon the request of the president of the College, in response to a petition signed by one-half of the members of the College Senate, or upon request of a majority of the Steering Committee of the College Senate.

Section 3. Quorum. A majority of the voting members of the College Senate shall constitute a quorum at any regular or special meeting.

Section 4. Visitors. All visitors shall be seated apart from the College Senate body. Any member of the faculty, staff, or student body shall have the right to attend meetings of the College Senate but shall not be entitled to have the floor unless they are reporting at the request of the Senate, or unless their petition has been granted prior approval by the Steering Committee. Requests to address the College Senate shall be presented by interested parties to the chair of the College Senate or the Steering Committee.

Section 5. Notice. Written notice of the time, place, and purpose of all meetings shall be given to members of the College Senate by the secretary five days or more in advance of each meeting.

C. Campus Council Section 1. The Campus Councils will meet in April of each organizational year prior to the April meeting of the incoming College Senate, for purposes of Forum organization only, and at that time will establish a schedule of subsequent meetings.

Section 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Campus Council shall be held at the call of the chair of the Campus Council on initiative of the chair, upon request of the provost of the campus, or in response to a petition signed by one-half of the members of the Campus Council.

Section 3. Quorum. A majority of the voting members of the Campus Council shall constitute a quorum at any regular or special meeting.

Section 4. Visitors. All visitors shall be seated apart from the Campus Council body. Any member of the faculty, staff, or student body shall have the right to attend meetings of the Campus Council but shall not be entitled to have the floor unless he/she is reporting at the request of the Council, or his/her petition has been granted prior approval by the chair of the Campus Council.

Section 5. Notice. Written notice of the time, place and purpose of all meetings shall be given to members of the Campus Council by the secretary three days or more in advance of each meeting.

ARTICLE VI

COMMITTEES

Section 1. College Forum Committees

The College Forum Committees shall be (1) the Instructional and Student Services Committee and (2) the Personnel Services Committee. Subcommittees of these committees may be formed at the discretion of these committees and the membership of these subcommittees may be drawn by the committee from those eligible for membership on College Forum Committees. The president of the College shall be an ex-officio member of all College Forum Committees. A quorum for any College Forum Committee shall consist of a simple majority of its voting members. Selection procedures are covered in Article III, Section 4.c.

Section 1:a Instructional and Student Services

(1) The Instructional and Student Services Committee shall have the following duties:

(a) To receive proposals from the College Senate, Campus Councils, working groups, and the College community and to make recommendations concerning matters pertaining to the quality of education in the College.

(b) To receive proposals from the College community and to make recommendations concerning matters pertaining to student life and the welfare of the student body of the College.

(c) To study, gather information, conduct discussions, and otherwise survey the intellectual and/or student environment, academic standards, and teaching-learning conditions in the College.

(d) To discharge such other duties as may be assigned to it by the College.

(2) Recommendations will be sent to the Campus Councils for approval. Recommendations which are approved with no more than one Council dissenting shall be forwarded by the chair of the Committee to the chair of the College Senate for immediate and direct transmission to the president of the College. At the discretion of the Committee, recommendations which are not approved by the required number of Campus Councils may be forwarded to the College Senate for further consideration.

(3) The Instructional and Student Services Committee shall consist of the following:

(a) Eleven teaching faculty -- at least two from each campus, and at most three from each campus, and two counselors.

(b) Five administrative faculty -- at least one from each campus, to include one provost and one dean of Student Development.

(d) Five students -- one from each campus.

(e) One member from a Learning Resource Center and at least one member from the Extended Learning Institute.

(4) Elected faculty and classified staff members of the committee shall hold office for a term of two years. Student members shall hold office for a term of one year. Six members of the teaching faculty membership, one member of the classified staff membership, three members of the administrative faculty membership, and one counselor shall be elected in odd numbered years. Five members of the teaching faculty membership, two members of the classified staff membership, two members of the administrative faculty membership, and one counselor shall be elected in even numbered years. Elected members may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms, not including terms of less than a full organizational year.

(5) The dean of Academic and Student Services shall serve as an ex-officio member of the committee.

(6) The Instructional and Student Services Committee shall elect its own chair and vice chair. The dean of Academic and Student Services shall serve as ex-officio executive secretary of the Committee.

Section 1:b Personnel Services

(1) The Personnel Services Committee shall have the following duties:

(a) To receive proposals from the College Senate, Campus Councils, working groups, and the College community and to make recommendations concerning matters pertaining to the welfare of the faculty (both instructional and administrative) and classified staff of the College.

(b) To study, gather information, conduct discussions, and otherwise survey the environment relating to this charge.

(3) The Personnel Services Committee shall consist of the following:

(a) Nine teaching faculty -- one from the Extended Learning Institute, at least one from each campus, and at most three from any one campus.

(b) Seven classified staff -- one from each campus, one from the College Human Resources Office and one additional from the college staff or from the Extended Learning Institute.

(4) Elected members of the committee shall hold office for a term of two years. Five members of the teaching faculty membership, four members of the classified membership and two of the administrative faculty membership shall be elected in odd-numbered years. Four members of the teaching faculty membership, three members of the classified staff membership, and one member of the administrative faculty membership shall be elected in even-numbered years. Elected membership may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms, not including terms of less than one full year. In the event of a vacancy of an unexpired two-year term, the Committee on Committees will hold an election to fill the remainder of the term.

(5) The dean of Financial and Administrative Services shall serve as an ex-officio member of the committee.

(6) The Personnel Services Committee shall elect its own chair and vice chair. The dean of Financial and Administrative Services shall serve as ex-officio executive secretary of the Committee.

Section 2. College Senate Committees

The committees of the College Senate shall consist of (1) the Steering Committee, (2) the Elections and Credentials Committee, (3) the Committee on Committees, and (4) the Constituency Committee. Special committees may be formed by the College Senate as needed. Subcommittees of the College Senate committees may be formed at the discretion of these committees and the members of these subcommittees may be drawn by the committee from the College. The president of the College shall be an ex-officio member of all College Senate committees. A quorum for any committee of the College Senate shall consist of a simple majority of its voting members.

Section 2:a Steering Committee

(1) The Steering Committee of the College Senate shall have the following duties:

(a) To plan the agenda for Senate meetings.

(b) To assign matters to Senate Committees, College Forum Committees, or Campus Councils for study or appropriate action.

(d) To design procedures whereby the policy-recommending activities of the Senate, its committees, and Campus Councils may be expedited.

(e) To discharge such other duties as may be delegated to it by the Senate.

(2) The Steering Committee shall consist of five (5) members: the chair of the College Senate, the vice chair of the College Senate, the secretary of the College Senate, and two (2) additional members elected from among the College Senate representatives at the organizational meeting of the Senate each year.

(3) Members of the Steering Committee shall hold office for a term of one organizational year. Members may succeed themselves.

(4) The chair of the College Senate shall serve as chair of the Steering Committee. The vice chair of the College Senate shall serve as vice chair of the Steering Committee. The secretary of the College Senate shall serve as secretary of the Steering Committee.

Section 2:b Elections and Credentials Committee

(1) The Elections and Credentials Committee shall have the following duties:

(a) To conduct all elections of the College Senate which require secret ballot, such elections to include elected representatives of the Senate and Campus Councils, Senate officers, and elected members of the College Senate Committees and College Forum Committees.

(b) To conduct all elections requiring the participation of the faculty at large.

(c) To examine the credentials, to rule on the eligibility, and to recommend the seating of all College Senate representatives, Campus Council representatives, and College Forum Committee members.

(d) To establish criteria and guidelines for campus representatives to follow in conducting elections.

(e) Each member of the committee shall be responsible for conducting Campus Council elections on their own campus, in accordance with established guidelines, and with assistance of persons selected by them.

(f) To discharge such other duties as may be delegated to it by the Senate.

(2) The Elections and Credentials Committee shall consist of six (6) members elected from the Senate membership at the organizational meeting of the Senate each year. There shall be included within the membership of the Elections and Credentials Committee at least one representative from each campus.

(3) Members of the Elections and Credentials Committee shall hold office for a term of one year. Members may succeed themselves.

(4) The Elections and Credentials Committee shall elect its own chair, vice chair, and secretary.

Section 2:c Committee on Committees

(1) The Committee on Committees shall have the following duties:

(a) To recommend to the Senate nominations to be made to the president of the College for appointment to the Standing Committees of the College which have teaching faculty representatives for the subsequent year.

(b) To recommend to the College Senate nominations for election to the two College Forum committees for the subsequent year. These nominees are to be selected from among the nominees proposed by each Campus Council.

(c) To recommend to the Senate nominations for election to Standing Senate Committees for the subsequent year with a recommendation as to the desirable number of Constituency Committee memberships.

(d) To recommend to the chair of the Senate, on Committee on Committee's request, nominations for appointment or election to special Senate committees.

(e) To make a continuous study of the distribution of College and Senate committee assignments to assure equitable distribution among campuses, divisions, and other areas of the College.

(f) To attempt always to call for the best expertise and talents of the College available for the purpose of the work of the given committee.

(g) To establish means and procedures to discover special interests and abilities of individuals willing to serve on College committees.

(h) To recommend the formation or abolition of College or Senate committees.

(i) To discharge such other duties as may be delegated to it by the Senate.

The Committee on Committees shall consist of nine (9) members, at least one from each campus and at least one from each constituency. The committee membership shall be elected from the Senate membership at the organizational meeting of the Senate each year.

(3) Members of the Committee on Committees shall hold office for a term of one year. Members may succeed themselves.

(4) The Committee on Committees shall prepare its recommendation for Forum committee membership and Senate committee membership subsequent to the Senate elections and shall present them at the April organizational meeting of the College Senate.

(5) The Committee on Committees shall elect its own chair, vice chair, and secretary.

Section 2:d Constituency Committee

(1) The Constituency Committee shall have the following duties:

(a) To provide a communication link between the College community and the community it serves, to keep the College community informed of local and state proposals and actions that will have an impact upon the College, and to assist the president in informing community and state groups of positions taken by the College.

(b) To discharge such other duties as may be delegated to it by the Senate.

(2) The Constituency Committee shall consist of eighteen members. Members shall be elected by the College Senate at its organizational meeting each year. Exactly six (6) members of the Constituency Committee must be voting members of the College Senate.

(3) The six Constituency Committee members who are College Senate members shall serve for a term of one year. The twelve Constituency Committee members who are not members of the College Senate shall serve for a term of two years

(4) The Constituency Committee shall elect its own chair, vice chair, secretary, and Senate liaison. The Senate liaison shall be a voting member of the College Senate.

(5) The coordinator of Public Information and Publications is an ex-officio member of the Constituency Committee.

Section 3. Campus Council Committees

Special committees of the various Campus Councils may be formed by the Campus Councils as needed and the membership of these special committees may be drawn by the Campus Councils from the campus. The provost of the campus shall be an ex-officio member of all Campus Council committees. A quorum for any Campus Council committee shall consist of a simple majority of its voting members.

ARTICLE VII

AMENDMENTS AND BY-LAWS

Section 1. Amendments a. Amendments to this constitution shall become effective when (1) recommended by a two-thirds vote of the membership of each of at least four Campus Councils, and (2) approved by the president of the College.

b. Proposed amendments shall be simultaneously tendered to all Campus Councils by the College Senate during the regular academic year.

c. Proposed amendments shall be presented at a meeting of each Campus Council no later than thirty (30) days after receipt from the College Senate and at least fourteen (14) days prior to Council vote.

d. Each Campus Council shall vote on proposed amendments during the regular academic year, no later than sixty (60) days after receipt from the College Senate, and shall notify the chair of the College Senate of the outcome within five (5) days after the vote.

e. The chair of the College Senate shall present to the president of the College proposed amendments which are recommended by a two-thirds vote of the membership of at least four Campus Councils. Such presentation shall be made within fourteen (14) days of notification of results of Council votes, and in any case, no later than April 10 of the current organizational year.

Section 2. By-laws

The authority to adopt by-laws for the College Senate in conformity with this constitution is vested in the College Senate. Proposed by-laws or changes thereto shall be published in the call for any College Senate meeting at which such by-laws or changes thereto are to be considered, and may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members present.

ARTICLE VIII

RATIFICATION

This Constitution shall be ratified by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the administrative faculty and staff and teaching faculty, an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Associated Student Senate and approval of the president of the College.

Upon such ratification and approval, this Constitution shall become the effective governing instrument for the College Forum of the Northern Virginia Community College.

ARTICLE IX

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Roberts Rules of Order (Revised) shall be the controlling authority on all procedural matters before the College Forum and its committees except where inconsistent with this Constitution and standing rules pursuant thereto.

BY-LAWS FOR THE FORUM/SENATE

When a voting senator who is elected from one campus moves to a temporary or permanent position on a different campus, the senator must resign. The alternate becomes the voting delegate. When an alternate to the Senate who is selected from one campus moves to a temporary or permanent position at a different campus, the alternate must resign. The Elections and Credentials Committee must fill the vacancy by consulting the records of the election and award the seat to the person who received the next highest number of votes from the constituency or call a special election if that data or the person with the next highest number of votes is unavailable.