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OM 2.7.0 Operational Procedures for the Administrative Council

About This Policy

Effective Date: May 1967
Last Updated: April 2012
Responsible University Office: President's Office
Responsible University Administrator: President

Policy Contact:

Office of the President
president@clarkson.edu

Administrative Council Membership

The members of the Council shall be:

  1. The president, the provost, the vice presidents, and representative principal administrators/supervisors as designated by the president; 
  2. Academic deans or their associates; 
  3. Representative department chairs, division heads, area coordinators, directors, or executive officers as approved by the president with a minimum of three individuals per school, and 
  4. The chair of the Faculty Senate.

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Purpose

The Administrative Council shall provide cross-departmental and cross-functional review of new policies as well as rules, regulations, standards, curricular changes, and like matters within the framework of existing policies, including all additions to, deletions from, and revisions of the Operations Manual and the Clarkson Regulations. Recommendations based on these reviews shall be made to the president of the University. The minutes of the Council will be distributed to the members as soon as practical after each meeting. The wording of actions taken by the Council shall be reviewed by the executive committee of the Administrative Council and then sent promptly to the president of the University. Actions approved by the president shall be released to the entire faculty and staff by the president and shall, at that time, become part of the rules and regulations of the University.

Items for the proposed agenda shall normally be presented by council members to the secretary of the Council who shall bring them to the attention of the other members of the executive committee. Faculty and staff who are not members of the Council may request any council member (i.e., normally one of their representative administrators or the chair of the Faculty Senate) to place an item on the agenda. Items not placed on the agenda may be added as "other business" at the discretion of the chair of the Council and/or the membership at any meeting.

Editorial note: Since two members of the executive committee, including the chair of each, shall be common members of the Faculty Senate, the Council, and the executive committee of each, it is expected that agreement can be reached readily on any matter that could be within the interest and province of each full group. The executive committees will be able to determine whether an item belongs on both agendas or on the agenda of one body to be followed by action and/or recommendation of the other body. Minor items on the agenda may be voted for possible action the same day on which they are considered. Major items presented for consideration of the membership shall be voted upon at the next regular meeting unless further postponed by vote of the Council membership. Items shall be indicated as major or minor by the executive committee. The category may be changed as follows: minor to major, or major to minor by a two-thirds vote of council members present.

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Officers

The officers of the Administrative Council shall be a chair, a vice chair, and a secretary. The function of the vice chair is to conduct meetings in the absence of the chair.

  1. Eligibility. Each member of the Administrative Council shall be eligible to hold office except the president of the University and the chair of the Faculty Senate. 
  2. Election. Election of officers for the subsequent academic year shall be conducted at the April meeting of the Administrative Council each year. Normally, officers shall be elected for one year; however, if a resignation occurs during an academic year, the vacancy or vacancies shall be filled for the balance of the academic year. Vacancies occurring during the academic year will be filled by nomination and election in the same manner as full term elections and as described below. 

Candidates for offices shall be chosen by preferential ballot from a list of nominees who shall be selected by a majority of those attending and voting in the manner described below.

On or about April 1 of each year, the secretary to the president of the University shall distribute to each administrative council member a list of all administrative council members eligible to hold office. Each member may nominate one candidate for chair, one for vice chair, and one for secretary and submit these three names to the secretary to the president who shall tabulate the results.

The three names receiving the most nominations for each of the three offices (more than three if ties occur) shall be presented to the full membership for election at the April meeting of the Council. The chair of the Faculty Senate shall preside over these elections.

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Executive Committee

A committee of four members of the Administrative Council shall be formed at the April meeting each year, and its membership shall consist of the following individuals:

  1. The chair of the Administrative Council (who shall act as chair of the executive committee); 
  2. The chair of the Faculty Senate; 
  3. The vice chair of the Administrative Council; and 
  4. The secretary of the Administrative Council. 

(The first two names are also members of the executive committee of the Senate.)

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Duties of the Executive Committee

The executive committee shall:

  1. Act as the nominating committee for all committees of the Council, and all members of each committee shall be administrative council members; 
  2. Prepare the agenda and instruct the council secretary to distribute it one week prior to each regular meeting; 
  3. Declare each item on the agenda as major or minor; 
  4. Review for possible editing all actions of the Council prior to the to the president; and 
  5. Refer, when appropriate and desirable, items to the Senate for its consideration, advice, and possible action prior to, or after, consideration by the Council.

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General Procedures

The Administrative Council shall meet regularly once each month during the academic year. Special meetings may be held by majority vote or be called by the executive committee.

A quorum for a meeting of Administrative Council shall be a simple majority of the membership.

For voting purposes, a majority will refer to the number of members voting, not including abstentions. In the event that a member of the Administrative Council cannot attend a meeting, he or she may designate an appropriate replacement representative for the meeting who may vote on any matter coming before the Council at that meeting.

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History

Accepted by unanimous vote of the Administrative Council May 1967

Revised May 1969

Section III Revised by the Administrative Council September 1974

Section I-B Revised August 1981

Editorial Revision December 1986

Editorial Revision July 1987

Revised October 1995

Revised October 2005

Revised April 2012

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