Faculty Senate Secretary Internal Procedures

The Secretary is responsible for scheduling interpreter services, if needed, for the Senate meetings. Use the online form to submit a request for the next academic year in May or June. (If interpreter services are needed for committees, it is the responsibility of the committee chairs to schedule those.)

• Disseminating the Agenda
• Disseminating the Agenda Materials
• After the Senate Meeting
• Before the January Meeting
• Before the May Meeting
• May Meeting
• After the May Meeting
• In August
• After the September Meeting

Disseminating the Agenda   (top)

Although the Senate Chair prepares the Agenda, it is the responsibility of the Secretary to electronically distribute the Agenda and attachments each month the Senate is in session (September through May).

Disseminating Agenda materials   (top)

The agenda, previous month’s minutes, and agenda attachments are emailed to the Senators the Wednesday before the Senate meeting.

The Senate Chair should give the Secretary any Agenda materials needed for electronic distribution to the Senators. On occasion, a Senate committee chair may give Agenda materials to the Secretary. Call the Provost's Office at least two weeks before the next Senate meeting and see if there are any materials coming from the Council on Academic Affairs. If so, materials should be electronically sent to the Secretary.

Make a list of all senators who call, write, or email that they are unable to attend the meeting and duly note on the roster provided to the Senate Chair. Make sure that the lectern with a microphone and a long extension cord is at the head table where the Chair presides. The custodians set up the lectern the morning of the scheduled meeting.

The Secretary is responsible for recording the Senate meeting. The recording is the official record of the meeting. The Secretary should arrive at the meeting about 30 minutes early to check that the room is set up properly. Put out the name place cards according to the seating chart and set up external microphones and the digital recorder. 

Bring extra copies of the Agenda for senators or visitors to pick up if necessary. Bring some ballots (blank sheets of paper) in case they are needed.

Check off senators on the seating chart as they enter. Note any senators who have previously notified that they will not be at the meeting. Pick up name place cards and clean up the room after the meeting is completed.

After the Senate Meeting   (top)

Before transcribing the Minutes of the meeting, at the Chair’s request, send any approved policy or action to the Chair to pass on to the President and others.

Minutes are posted on the Senate website, and links are provided therein to any Agenda materials referenced in the minutes. Usually any materials which are circulated either with the Agenda or with the Agenda materials are not included with the Minutes unless they have been amended; they are just referenced in the text of the Minutes.  Amended materials are to be included in their entirety, including the changes noted. If the Senate Chair tells the Secretary that something is to go with the Minutes, even if it has been previously circulated, include it.

All Senate committees are required to provide the Secretary with a written or an electronic copy of their reports, and a link will be provided in the online Minutes to those reports. Usually, the Secretary will reference reports in the text. For example, "Senator Jones gave the report on the Committee of the Budget. See attachment III." If the report is very short, such as, "Senator Jones reported that the Committee on the Budget met on October 7, and he was elected chair of the committee for 1995 to 1996," the Secretary may type it in the online Minutes.

Senators who notified the Secretary or Senate Chair of their absence prior to the Senate meeting are designated by an asterisk (*) in the listing of members absent. Bring to the attention of the Chair any senators who miss successive meetings.

Proofread the Minutes carefully. Allow the Senate Chair to review the entirety of the Minutes so that he/she may make any corrections. Include the completed Minutes along with the Agenda and attachments for the next month’s meeting. Once the Minutes are approved by the Senate, place the Minutes on the Senate website.

Keep files for each month including the Agenda, Agenda materials, the Minutes, and any other documentation associated with the meeting. Also, keep files of all committee reports and actions, any correspondence with the University administration, roster of members, seating charts, and committee lists. This may be accomplished through electronic means.

Before the January Meeting   (top)

The new Secretary will inherit the previous Secretary's files. It is the new Secretary's responsibility to confer with the Chair for any assignment that may be necessary. Changes to the seating chart, roster of members, and committee lists may be needed. Make any new name place cards. 

Before the May Meeting   (top)

The Secretary is responsible for seeing that Certificates of Appreciation are completed for any retiring Senate member. (Check with the Chair of the Elections and University Nominations Committee to determine who is retiring at the May meeting or consult the senators list on the Senate website.) The Secretary is also responsible for purchasing a gavel on which is engraved the name of the outgoing Senate Chair, title of position, Eastern Kentucky University, and year(s) as Chair. (The gavel can be purchased online through Crown Trophy in Lexington. Send the bill to the Chair.) Prepare a new roster of Senate members and a seating chart for the organizational meeting, which the newly elected Chair will use.

May Meeting   (top)

The Chair will give out the certificates individually at the beginning of the regular meeting. The gavel will be presented to the outgoing chair by either the Parliamentarian or the University President. Make sure all newly elected Senators have name place cards (check with the Chair of the Elections and University Nominations Committee for the names and departments of the new Senators or consult the Senator list on the Senate website). At the organizational meeting which follows the May meeting, the name place cards will be rearranged to remove out-going Senators and insert in-coming Senators.

After the May Meeting   (top)

As soon as possible, post the new Senate roster and the newly elected committee members for the next academic year on the Senate website.

When the Senate meeting dates for the new academic year are known, contact Conferencing and Events in Perkins to reserve the South Room of the Keen Johnson Building for the eight Senate meetings and post the meeting dates on the Senate website.

In May, provide a list of next year’s Senate meeting dates and a table arrangement diagram to the Keen Johnson custodians.

In August   (top)

The Secretary is responsible for preparing an up-to-date roster of Senate members, including the name of the Parliamentarian. Make a new alphabetically arranged seating chart (except for the Secretary, Chair, and Parliamentarian [who sit at head table] and the President, Provost, and Regent) for use by the Secretary and Chair.

Check with the President’s Office to see if they will cover the cost of refreshments for meetings. If so, provide a schedule of meetings so they can coordinate with catering.

After the September Meeting   (top)

Be vigilant for any changes in Senate membership, especially senators who are on sabbatical, leave, or have a conflict which prevents them from attending Senate meetings or committee assignments. Report any changes to the Senate Chair.

Send all digital audio and data files from the previous year on a disk or CD to the University Archives (Library 126) for preservation.