UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

Faculty Senate

Elections

Divisional Election

According to the Constitution, elections are held during spring semester for divisional slots first, and then for at-large seats. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls has five divisions: the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Education and Professional Studies (the first three colleges), the Fourth Division, and the College of Business and Economics (the newest "division"). All tenure-track faculty and academic staff have "faculty status." Thus, the "faculty" of a college includes tenure-track faculty and academic staff within the college. The Fourth Division acquired its current name when there were only three colleges, and currently consists of academic staff outside the four colleges (i.e. student personnel, university services, and library academic staff), all of whom also have faculty status. 

The Elections Chair, as the agent of the Faculty Senate, shall conduct and validate elections. The procedure for electing senators shall be initiated by March 1 in the spring semester.  

Divisional Election – Senate Seats 

A) During spring semester, the Elections Chair shall inform the faculty members of the number of Senators to be elected from their respective divisions. A list of those eligible shall also be provided. Any faculty member may be placed on the ballot by written petition signed by no fewer than five eligible voters from within the division within seven business days of the announcement of the call for candidates. 

B) The Elections Chair shall see that all voters receive ballots in good time and shall do whatever else is necessary for an effective election process. Upon completion of the slate of candidates for the Faculty Senate seat(s) within each voting division, an election by secret ballot shall be conducted. Faculty may cast one vote per vacancy on the ballot. 

C) Candidates receiving the most votes will be elected. Ties in the division elections shall be broken by lot supervised by the Elections Chair. The names of the individuals elected to the Senate shall be reported in the Faculty Senate minutes. Upon request, the vote totals shall be available from the Elections Chair of the Senate. 

After divisional elections are completed, a similar process begins to select at-large faculty senators: junior (i.e. assistant professors, instructors, and academic staff) and senior (i.e. associate and full professors). The Constitution and additional details about the election processes are located in Chapter III of the Handbook.

 

 

 

At-Large Election

Following the completion of divisional elections, junior at-large senators (i.e. assistant professors, instructors, and academic staff) and senior at-large senators (i.e. associate and full professors) are elected.

  1. During spring semester and following the election of division senators, the Elections Chair shall furnish each faculty voter a list of those eligible for nomination and election to the Senate from the senior ranks (i.e., associate and full professors) and a similar list of those eligible from the junior ranks (i.e., assistant professors and academic staff). The Elections Chair shall identify the number of vacancies at the senior and junior levels.
  2. Any faculty member may be placed on the ballot by written petition signed by no fewer than 10 eligible voters of the same rank of the petitioner within seven (7) business days of the announcement of the call for candidates. Candidates must also have been employed at UW-River Falls for a minimum of one (1) semester to be eligible to run. The Elections Chair shall see that all voters receive ballots in good time and shall do whatever else is necessary for an effective election process.
  3. Upon completion of the slate of candidates, the Elections Chair shall conduct a University-wide election by secret ballot. The winners of the election shall be those receiving the most votes. Ties shall be broken by lot supervised by the Elections Chair.
  4. The names of the individuals elected to the Senate shall be reported in the Faculty Senate minutes. Upon request, the vote totals shall be available from the Elections Chair of the Senate.

 

Termination Committee Election

 

The Termination Committee is established by the faculty, in response to the requirements of UWS 4.03 and UWS 5.11 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, as a standing committee of nine tenured, full-time faculty members, nominated and elected by the faculty. (Academic staff shall not participate in the election of this committee.) Members serve three-year terms, with one-third (three members) being elected each year. 

According to the Faculty Senate's By-Laws, all faculty members (but not Academic Staff) shall be eligible to nominate and vote for members of the Committee on Termination. Each faculty member may nominate one person for each vacancy that exists on the Committee (i.e. each person can nominate one tenured faculty member). Two people will be nominated for each vacancy, and those nominated will be faculty members receiving the largest number of votes. The Vice Chair for Elections of the Faculty Senate will contact the nominees and obtain their consent before placing their names on the election ballot. If any nominee declines, the person having the next largest number of votes shall have his or her name placed on the ballot once it is determined by the Vice Chair for Elections that he or she accepts the nomination. Election shall be by secret ballot. The persons receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected and the vote will be published. Ties will be broken by lot.