BYLAWS
COLUMBIA COLLEGE FACULTY ORGANIZATION

Recent changes ratified 8/24/05

These bylaws are also available for download in .doc or .rtf format.

Proposed changes are indicated in color: red for additions, blue strikethrough for deletions. These changes will be voted on at our Fall annual meeting. Please note: renumbered (but otherwise unaltered) list items have not been marked as changed. (2006 07 31)

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of the organization shall be the COLUMBIA COLLEGE FACULTY ORGANIZATION (CCFO).

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

The purpose of the organization shall be

1) To foster cooperation and communication among all Columbia faculty, and to encourage pedagogical, philosophical, and collegial alliances through the promotion of creative activity, interdisciplinary thinking, and recognition of achievement.

2) To provide a forum for addressing the concerns and needs of all the faculty, which will include, but not be limited to a.) issues related to compensation and workload, and b.) issues related to intellectual, pedagogical, and creative activity, and c.) the promotion of academic freedom and shared governance.

3) To represent those concerns and needs to all other sectors of the college, which will include, but not be limited to a.) regular communication with Deans, Provost, and President of the college, and b.) maintaining an active working relationship with the college’s Board of Trustees.

4) To advance the educational mission and vision of Columbia College by encouraging the highest standards and ideals of the teaching profession.

ARTICLE III: OFFICERS

A. No two CCFO offices may be held by the same person. An officer of the CCFO may hold another elected college office or committee post. No one person can hold two positions on any one committee or college council.

1. Nominations. Nominations for officers shall be opened no later than the Monday of the fourth week of the Spring semester and shall be closed with the adjournment of the annual Spring meeting.

2. Re-elections. Members may be re-elected to the same office or another CCFO office not to exceed two consecutive terms of service.

3. Vacancies. A vacancy in any office other than President shall be filled by presidential appointment. A) If the president is unable to complete the term, the vice president will assume the presidency and an election for vice presidency should be held in accordance with Article VI. B)If the offices of the president and vice president both become vacant, a special election by ballot shall be held within six weeks of the vacancies.

B. The term of each office shall be two years, beginning on July 1 and ending June 30. The President and Treasurer shall be elected in even years, and the vice President and Secretary shall be elected in odd years.

C. The Offices.

1. President. The President shall be the principal executive officer of the Organization and shall supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Organization. The President may sign, with any other proper officer of the Organization, deeds, bonds, contracts, except in cases where the doing of such is expressly delegated to some other officer by these Bylaws.

2. Vice President. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the President and, when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President. The Vice President shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him/her by the President.

3. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the members and of the officers. The Secretary shall be responsible for the current membership roster and verify that a quorum is present at all meetings.

4. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have charge and custody of, and be responsible for, all funds and securities of the Organization, receive and give receipts for monies sent and payable to the Organization, and deposit all such monies in the name of the Organization in such banks, trust companies, or other depositories as shall be selected in accordance with these Bylaws, and perform all duties incident to the office of Treasurer and such duties assigned to the Treasurer by the President.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP

A . Eligibility. All full-time faculty members, artists-in-residence, and academic directors of Columbia College shall have the right to be members of CCFO. Department chairpersons, part-time faculty, and staff are not eligible. Any faculty member who is a member of the Chairs Council cannot be a member of the CCFO. If there is a question as to the eligibility of a member for the CCFO membership, it shall be referred first to the officers of the Organization. If they cannot reasonably determine eligibility, the matter shall be referred to the membership at the next Regular Meeting.

B. Dues/Time of payment. Members are expected to pay dues to the Treasurer of CCFO in the fall semester of each year. It is urged that all members pay their dues, which will ensure an independent CCFO voice.

C. Reinstatement. No member applying for reinstatement in the Organization may be refused membership unless that member has been expelled. In the case of expulsion, reinstatement will be the decision of the membership in attendance at a General Meeting, as stated in the Charter.

ARTICLE V: MEETINGS

A. Regular Meetings. There shall be two annual Regular Meetings of the full-membership of the CCFO. One such meeting shall take place in the Fall semester of each academic year, and the other meeting will take place in the Spring semester of each academic year. Announcement of Regular Meetings by the CCFO President shall be via college-wide announcement.

B. Special Meetings. Special Meetings shall be announced via college-wide announcement, stating purpose of meeting, time, date, and meeting room, at least 5 weekdays in advance. When called by the CCFO President or by a majority vote of its Officers, the announcement of the meeting must state who has called it. When called by members of the Organization, a written petition stating the purpose of the meeting and containing the signatures of at least 1/5 of the current members must be filed with the CCFO Secretary before the meeting can be called.

C. Quorum. It shall be the responsibility of the Secretary to verify that a quorum of at least one-third of the membership for that year is in attendance at all times during meetings. If at any time there is not a quorum in attendance, it shall be the responsibility of the Secretary to call this to the attention of the President; and, until a quorum is present, no votes shall take place.

ARTICLE VI: VOTING

A. Voting Rights.

1. Each member shall retain the full rights of a voting member until removed from the membership rolls in accordance with proper procedures.

2. Any member removed from the membership rolls shall, upon reinstatement in accordance with proper procedures, regain the full rights of a voting member.

B. Voting Regulations: Meetings.

1. Officers and representatives to college-wide councils and committees shall be elected by ballot, according to established procedures for a ballot by the full membership.

2. The President of the CCFO shall determine whether voting at meetings shall be by voice, by rising, by show of hands, or by ballot, except when any member of the Organization requests a ballot vote or when the members are electing representatives to the Election Committee, at which times all voting shall be by ballot.

3. No vote shall be called at any meeting unless a quorum is present.

4. Unless otherwise specified in the Bylaws, all motions submitted to the members at a meeting shall be decided by a simple majority vote.

5 A majority vote of the members at any meeting may require that any issue before the Organization be submitted to a vote of the full membership by ballot. Unless otherwise specified in the bylaws, such issues shall be decided by a simple majority vote of all members voting.

6. The President shall designate two officers or members to distribute, collect, and count ballots for any ballot vote in a meeting.

C. Voting Regulations: Elections.

1. CCFO Officers.

a. Nomination of officers shall be opened no later than the Monday of the fourth week of the Spring semester and shall be closed with the adjournment of the annual Spring meeting.

b. The election of officers shall be by ballot.

c. Officers shall be elected by a plurality vote.

d. Any member elected to more than one CCFO office shall resign immediately his/her right to any but the highest office to which he/she has been elected. Any CCFO office so vacated shall be filled by the candidate receiving the next highest number of votes for that office.

e. CCFO officers shall retain their right to serve as elected representatives to all college-wide councils and committees.

2. College-Wide Councils and Committees.

a. Every effort shall be made to ensure full faculty participation and broad representation on all college-wide councils and committees.

b. Faculty representatives to all college-wide councils and committees

shall be elected by a plurality vote of the full membership by ballot.

c. When all seats have been filled for representatives on any council or committee, the member receiving the next highest number of votes for that seat to which he/she has been nominated shall be declared the Alternate and shall serve as representative in the event that an elected faculty representative cannot complete his/her term of office.  

d. In the event of vacancies of CCFO representation on any College councils and committees, the President, in consultation with the CCFO officers, shall appoint replacements until the next general election.

e. In the event CCFO is asked to provide new representation, the officers are empowered to appoint representatives to such committees. If elected representatives are specifically required, appointees will be supplanted by elected representatives as soon as elections can be conducted. 

f. CCFO shall administer elections of representatives to college-wide positions, councils and committees in adherence to the rules governing those councils and committees. Membership of College Council and its Standing Committees shall comply with the Bylaws and Standing Rules of the College Council. Membership of the All College Tenure Committee shall comply with the “College Statement of Policy on Faculty Status, Tenure, and Due Process.” Membership of the Elected Representative of the College shall comply with the “Faculty Handbook.”

3. Election Committee.

a. The Election Committee shall consist of three members.

b. Every effort shall be made to ensure broad, non-partisan representation on the CCFO Election Committee.

c. Members of the Election Committee shall be elected by a plurality vote of all members present at the Spring General Meeting.

d. No nominee for any CCFO office or for any seat on college-wide councils or committees shall serve as a member of the Election Committee.

e. Nominations and voting for the Election Committee shall follow all other nominations for CCFO offices and faculty representatives for college-wide councils and committees in the Spring General Meeting.

f. While more than one faculty member from any academic department may be nominated, no more than one member from any department shall serve on the Election Committee during any single term. In the event that more than one member of any department is elected, only that member receiving the highest number of votes shall be seated.

g. When all seats on the Election Committee are filled, that person receiving the next-highest number of votes shall be declared an Alternate and shall serve in the event that an elected member cannot complete his/her term of office.

h. In the event of a tie for the final seat on the Election Committee, a run-off election between the tied candidates shall be held immediately after the results are announced in the General Meeting. The person receiving the highest number of votes in the run-off election shall be seated. The person receiving the next-highest number of votes shall be declared the Alternate.

D. Nominations.

1. Only members in good standing shall be nominated. Members who have not paid their annual dues before the end of the Fall Semester will not be considered to be in good standing.

2. Only members in good standing shall nominate.

3. The intent to take nominations for all CCFO offices, for all seats on college-wide councils and committees, and for all seats on the CCFO Election Committee shall be announced to the full membership at least four weeks in advance of the Spring General Meeting.

4. Nominations may come from the floor during the meeting or be presented in writing to the CCFO Secretary before the meeting in which nominations are to be entertained.

5. The time for nominations in a General Meeting shall be designated by the presiding officer. During the time designated in the meeting for nominations for any particular office or seat, the Secretary shall announce the names of all members nominated in writing.

6. At the close of nominations, the Secretary shall announce the full list of nominees for each office and seat to all members present at the meeting.

7. Any member may decline nomination without explanation.

8. Members may not be nominated for more than a total of two committees or CCFO Offices in any one election. Members may be nominated for more than one CCFO office in any given election, but no member shall hold more than one office in any single term.

E. Tied Elections.

1. In the event of a tie for any CCFO office or for any final seat on college-wide councils or committees, a run-off election between the persons tied shall be held at the earliest possible time, following the established procedures for a ballot by the full membership.

2. The person receiving the highest number of votes in the run-off election shall be seated. In the case of elections for college-wide councils or committees, the person receiving the next-highest number of votes shall be declared the Alternate and shall serve in the event that an elected faculty member cannot complete his/her term of office.

F. Disputed and Challenged Elections.

1. The Election Committee shall interpret the rules and procedures for elections and shall attempt to resolve all disputes and challenges related to elections expeditiously and honestly.

2 . A challenge to an election may be initiated in three ways: (a) by the President of the CCFO, (b) by at least ten percent of the CCFO members in a signed petition, or (c) by a candidate for office in that election.

a. Challenge by the President. The President shall submit a written statement to the Secretary of the CCFO stating the specific nature of the challenge and shall direct the Secretary to summon the members of the Election Committee who shall give the matter a full hearing and attempt a swift and honest resolution of the challenge.

b. Challenge by the Members. A petition challenging the results or procedures of any election shall state the specific nature of the challenge and shall be signed by no less than 10 percent of the full membership of the CCFO. Such petition shall be presented to the Secretary of the CCFO who shall notify the CCFO President that a challenge has been raised and summon the members of the Election Committee who shall give the matter a full hearing and attempt a swift and honest resolution of the challenge.

c. Challenge by a Candidate. A challenge to the results or procedures of any election may be raised by any candidate in that election. The candidate shall submit a written statement to the Secretary of the CCFO stating the specific nature of the challenge. The Secretary shall notify the CCFO President that a challenge has been raised and summon the members of the Election Committee who shall give the matter a full hearing and attempt a swift and honest resolution of the challenge.

3. A challenge to any election must be filed no later than 10 days after the official announcement of election results to the full membership.

4. A challenge to any election may take two forms: (a) a challenge to the results of any particular contest or (b) a challenge to the election procedures.

a. Challenge to the Results. A challenge to the results of an election may be initiated when any contest is tied or when the difference in vote total between the winning and next highest candidate is 10% or less. In the case of a tied election, the Election Committee shall initiate a run-off election, following proper procedures for such an election. In the case of a very close election, the Election Committee shall recount the votes and verify the correctness of procedures and results.

b. Challenge to the Election Procedures. A challenge to the procedures of an election may be initiated if there is good reason to believe that any of the Bylaws pertaining to voting procedures have been violated and have raised a reasonable doubt about the honesty or validity of that election. If the Election Committee is unable to reach a consensus in attempting to resolve the dispute, they shall confer with the outgoing Officers of the CCFO. If the dispute is still unresolved, the CCFO President shall call a Special Meeting of the full membership for the purpose of resolving the challenge; or, if at least 1/5 of the members object to the decision of the Election Committee, those members may call for a Special Meeting for the purpose of resolving the challenge, following established procedures for calling such a meeting. In either case, a majority vote of the members present at the Special Meeting, provided that a quorum exists, shall constitute the final settlement of the dispute.

G. Procedures for Balloting

1. The Election Committee and CCFO Secretary shall ensure that all balloting is performed expeditiously and honestly.

2. All voting upon amendments and other important issues submitted to a vote of the full membership shall be conducted in a manner consistent with the procedures established for elections by ballot.

3. The Election Committee and CCFO Secretary shall adhere to the following procedures on conducting elections by ballot:

a. No member of the Election Committee shall take any action on behalf of the Election Committee without the consent of all members of the committee.

b. All candidates shall be listed alphabetically with their departmental affiliation appearing after their names.

c. Incumbents shall be listed as such on the ballot.

d. The Election Committee shall determine a reasonable date for closing the polls. Such date shall be not less than ten days after the beginning of voting.

e. The Election Committee shall arrange a clear emergency procedure to be put into effect in case of unforeseen problems or delays in delivery.

f. No ballot time-stamped after midnight on the last day designated by the Election Committee for voting shall be opened or counted.

g. Voting results shall be collected by the Secretary of the CCFO and kept confidential until the election committee certifies the results.

h. Before election results are certified, the Election Committee shall examine the results to insure that no two members of the same department serve on the same committee and that each committee has at least one member representing each of the three schools (LAS, FP &A, MA).

i. The CCFO Secretary shall present the election results, verified by the Election Committee, to the CCFO President. The President shall verify the results and election procedures. The Secretary shall then announce the results to the full membership as soon as possible.

ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES

A. Advisory Body

1. CCFO House of Representatives. The CCFO shall caucus with departmental and CCFO elected at-large faculty representatives to the College Council. This body, in addition to periodic meetings before or after the College Council meetings, will also meet at least once per semester to advice CCFO officers of concerns regarding their constiuencies.

2. The CCFO shall elect two members who, along with the CCFO President, will represent the faculty on the Faculty Liaison to the Board of Trustees Committee, as defined by the Faculty Handbook. This body will advise the Faculty Representative to the Board and faculty representatives on Board of Trustee committees.

B. Research/Fact-Finding Committee (non-governing). Research/ Fact-Finding committees comprised of CCFO members may be appointed by the President of the CCFO at the regularly scheduled meetings of the Organization or any time that the need for such committees arises. Such committees may be terminated by the CCFO executive committee.

1. The CCFO shall elect members to the following permanent, standing committees of the CCFO: a.) Faculty Salary and Rank Committee, b.) Faculty Workload Committee, and c.) Faculty Handbook Review Committee

1. CCFO committees of this type include Salary and Rank, Academic Freedom, Workload, and Faculty Hiring.

2. The CCFO shall caucus with departmental and elected at-large faculty representatives to the College Council. This shall be known as the Faculty Caucus.

3. The CCFO shall elect two members, who, along with the CCFO President, will be the non-chair component of the Faculty Liaison to the Board of Trustees, as defined by the Faculty Handbook.

C. Standing Committees of the College (Governing). CCFO will elect representatives to the standing committees of the college as reflected in applicable portions of the College Council Bylaws. Such elections shall follow the committee mandates and adhere to applicable guidelines for school representation and tenure status.

D. Other Committees

1. Elected Representatives to the College (ERC). This committee, which hears faculty disputes and/or grievances, will consist of four elected, tenured full-time faculty and three tenured department chairs.

2. Retirement Plan Administrative Committee (RPAC). This committee will include two faculty who have been recommended by the CCFO President and selected by the President of the college.

E. Accountability. All committees of the to which CCFO members are elected shall be accountable to the full membership of the Organization, except the All College Tenure (ACT), Elected Representatives to the College (ERC), Sabbattical, and Excellence in Teaching committees. All materials and reports generated by said committees are to be available to the full membership of the Organization.

F. Size. Committee size will be determined by the President.

G. Term. Specific committees shall be maintained as long as the need for their existence continues and terminated when the specific charge has been completed.

H. Membership on committees. Committee members shall continue as such until:

1 the conclusion of the committee's work,

2. voluntary withdrawal from the committee,

3 loss of CCFO membership,

4. removal by the President for non-attendance.

A portion of a committee's membership may remain on a continuing committee if it is determined that such retention would maintain continuity in the committee's work.

I. Vacancies. Vacancies in the membership of any committee may be filled by appointments made in the same manner as provided in the case of the original appointments.

J. Chairpersons. One member of each committee shall be elected chairperson by the membership of the committee.

K. Rules. Each committee may adopt rules for its own government consistent with the Bylaws and Charter of the CCFO.

ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS

A. Amendment of Charter. The procedure for amending the CCFO Charter shall be as follows: A proposed amendment may be initiated by a petition signed by a minimum of 25% of the members of the Organization. The proposed amendment shall be reviewed, discussed, and revised at a full meeting of the CCFO membership. The proposed amendment shall then be approved for mail balloting by a simple majority vote of members in attendance. The voting procedure for amendments shall be consistent with election procedures adopted above.

B. Amendment of Bylaws. The procedure for amending the CCFO Bylaws shall be as follows: These Bylaws may be amended, either in whole or in part, by a 2/3 majority of members present at any full meeting of the CCFO. An amendment may be initiated by petition signed by a minimum of 25% of the members of the Organization. The amendment shall be reviewed, discussed, and revised at a full meeting of the CCFO. The amendment shall be approved by a 2/3 majority of members in attendance at a meeting.