Resolution Process

Ideal Process

All resolutions must be submitted to the Vice President/Secretary and the Senate Office three weeks before the plenary begins. The Vice President/Secretary communicates the specific deadlines in advance of each plenary.

Typical Timeline

  • 21 days before plenary – Committees and individuals with standing (see BylawsGuidelines VIII.2.a. below) send proposed resolutions to the Vice President/Secretary and Senate Office.
  • Proposed resolutions are distributed to the Executive Committee (EC), which meets to review them.
  • 12 days before plenary – Feedback from EC is delivered to resolution authors to give authors, especially committees, time to address the feedback.
  • 8 days before plenary – Committees and individuals send final resolutions to the VicePresident/Secretary and Senate Office.
  • 7 days before plenary – Resolutions are distributed to senators with the proposed agenda, allowing them to get feedback from their campuses.

Why this matters

The SUNY University Faculty Senate (UFS) respects both the work of committees, and individuals, who wish to bring resolutions forward to the body. Both the Executive Committee and relevant committees read and carefully consider many aspects of language, and intent of a resolution, before bringing it to the body. At the same time, UFS wants to give senators time to work with their constituents in advance of votes on resolutions. Ultimately, resolutions are more successful when they have the opportunity to be vetted by multiple groups ahead of the plenary meeting. Senators and other interested parties should have access to all resolutions 7 days before the plenary, allowing them to get feedback from their campuses.

Relevant Bylaws

VII.1.c. Floor Resolutions. Resolutions arising out of discussion during the normal course of business shall require a majority vote to be considered.

VIII.2.a. Resolutions may be brought to the Senate by committees, by sectors and the Campus Governance Leaders, by individuals with parliamentary privileges, and by senators on behalf oftheir campuses provided that the resolution has been passed by the campus governance body.

VIII.2.b. Proposed resolutions shall be reviewed by the Executive Committee with sufficient time to allow the author(s) to react to the review, not less than five (5) days before the proposed plenary meeting agenda is published.

VIII.2.c. Author(s) shall provide resolutions to the Senate Office for publication in the proposed plenary meeting agenda. Changes to published resolution(s) may be made by amendments on the Senate floor.

Standing Rules

VIII.2.a. The Vice President/Secretary shall set the deadline for submission of proposed resolutions for Executive Committee review.

Guidelines

VIII.2.a. Timeline for Resolutions. Well in advance of each plenary meeting, the Vice President/Secretary, in consultation with the President, selects deadlines which allow full consideration of resolutions, in accordance with the Bylaws and Standing Rules. The necessary steps include the following:

  • (i) A deadline for submission of proposed resolutions to the Senate office, roughly three (3) weeks before the plenary meeting opens. Submissions must be independent of any other report or communication. This deadline applies to all resolutions except those coming from a campus governance body.
  • (ii) Distribution of proposed resolutions to the Executive Committee in advance of the meeting of the Executive Committee to review submitted resolutions.
  • (iii) A meeting of the Executive Committee, typically by videoconference, to review submitted resolutions and to provide feedback and recommendations, at least five (5) days before the publication of the proposed agenda.
  • (iv) A deadline for submission of final resolutions from committees, sectors, and campus governance bodies in order to be included in the proposed agenda. (v) The publication of the proposed agenda and distribution to senators, at least seven (7) days before the plenary meeting.
  • (vi) Time on the agenda for the Executive Committee meeting immediately preceding the plenary, to consider establishing an Executive Committee position on each resolution, or to prepare amendments to the published resolutions.