NYU School of Professional Studies Faculty Council Charter

At the NYU School of Professional Studies, our mission is to provide a pathway to professional advancement. SPS offers students access to an NYU education which is characterized by both an active learning environment and a global focus. Our unique educational model is faculty-driven, student-focused, theoretically-founded, and centered around applied practice. Upon completion of their studies, our graduates are prepared to enter the workforce as practitioners and leaders in their fields.

The role of the faculty in shaping educational policies, procedures, and the overall direction of SPS is essential. Faculty expertise provides a breadth of knowledge in making decisions to guide the academic life of the school. The complexity, size, and diversity of SPS require that faculty voice be heard through an elected representative body. The Faculty Council serves to promote the common interest of faculty by participating in dialogue with and making recommendations to the Dean of SPS and the Dean’s Leadership Council in matters that include but are not limited to:

• Rank for initial faculty appointments, faculty promotions, responsibilities, rights, grievances and privileges
• Relations and representation within the University
• Curricular changes, academic standards, and student learning outcomes
• Review and evaluation of faculty performance
• Student academic performance and classroom conduct

To promote transparency and provide additional feedback to the SPS Dean, the Faculty Council:

• Reviews the Dean’s annual strategic plan and budget report
• Provides the Dean with an annual, year-end report that summarizes the work of the Council andreviews the progress, direction, and leadership of SPS
• Conducts an annual meeting with the Dean to discuss the Council’s year-end report

The Bylaws of the Faculty Council are designed to assure faculty representation across departments and programs in SPS. They also serve to provide public knowledge of the responsibilities and operating procedures of the Council and its committees.

• One full-time faculty representative from each SPS department or program that employs five to 10 full-time faculty
• Two full-time faculty representatives from each SPS department or program that employs 11-20 full-time faculty
• Three full-time faculty representatives from each SPS department or program that employs more than 20 full-time faculty
• Full-time faculty representative(s) from a combination of SPS departments and programs that separately do not meet the minimum number of full-time faculty (5) to qualify for a representative to the Faculty Council will be determined by applying the same ratios that appear above. For example, if there are nine full-time faculty employed collectively by these departments and programs, one is elected to the Faculty Council
• Two adjunct faculty members from SPS. To decrease the likelihood of a lapse in adjunct representation, two alternates are also named. The first alternate and the second alternate are determined by vote tallies during each election cycle.
• Assistant Director of Academic Affairs from the SPS Dean’s Office serves as an ex-officio (non-voting) member. The Faculty Council reserves the right to excuse the Assistant Director of Academic Affairs from any meeting when it determines that sensitive information is being discussed

1.1.1 Any time the number of full-time faculty within a department or program increases and results in the need for an additional full-time faculty representative to be added to the Faculty Council based on the ratios described in Section 1.1, the addition is determined during the next election cycle.

1.1.2 Any time the number of full-time faculty within a department or program decreases and results in the need for a full-time faculty representative to be eliminated from the Faculty Council based on the ratios outlined in Section 1.1, the current representative is permitted to complete his or her term on the Council. In a case where there are multiple representatives from the same department or program, the position occupied by the first full-time faculty representative due to complete his or her term is the position eliminated from the Faculty Council.

1.1.3 Any time a full-time faculty representative departs from the Faculty Council before the conclusion of his or her term, a replacement is determined during the next election. The replacement serves through the conclusion of the initial term.

1.1.4 Any time an adjunct faculty representative departs from the Faculty Council before the conclusion of his or her term, the alternate who is next in line replaces him or her through the conclusion of the initial term.

1.2.1 Full-time faculty must have taught at SPS for a minimum of two academic years to qualify for membership on the Faculty Council. Full-time faculty members who have administrative titles of Academic Director/Chair or above are not eligible for Faculty Council membership.

1.2.2 Adjunct faculty members must have taught at least five courses over the past five years to qualify for membership on the Faculty Council. Additionally, the following two conditions apply: 1) all courses taught must have included a minimum of 24 contact hours; 2) the adjunct must have taught at least one course in the academic year of election.

1.3.1 All voting members of the Faculty Council are elected by the SPS faculty. Full-time faculty members who have administrative titles of Academic Director/Chair or above are eligible to vote for Faculty Council representatives.

1.3.2 Full-time faculty candidates who represent specific departments or programs are elected by the full-time faculty employed by those departments or programs. Full-time faculty candidates who represent a combination of departments or programs are elected by the full-time faculty who are collectively employed by those departments or programs.

1.3.3 Each program or department is permitted to put forward one adjunct for election to the Faculty Council. If there is more than one adjunct faculty member nominated from a single program or department, two elections take place. In the first election, adjuncts who have taught at least one course over the past four semesters vote for the candidates within their own department or program. The candidate with the highest number of votes advances to the election for Council membership. In the second election, all adjuncts across SPS who have taught at least one course over the past four semesters vote for the two adjunct Faculty Council representatives. The two candidates receiving the third and fourth highest number of votes are automatically appointed as the first and second alternate.

1.3.4 All elections are administered by the Office of Faculty Affairs. Full-time faculty candidates for election may self-nominate or may be nominated by a member of the full-time faculty who does not have an administrative title of Academic Director/Chair or above. Eligible adjunct faculty may self-nominate or may be nominated by another member of the adjunct faculty.

1.3.5 Elections are conducted each Spring semester according to the following schedule:

• February 1: Office of Faculty Affairs reviews Faculty Council membership to determine the number of candidates needed to replace outgoing members

• March 1: The Office of Faculty Affairs sends an e-mail to eligible faculty announcing the call for nominations

• April 1: Deadline for candidates to submit a current curriculum vitae and a letter (no more than 250 words) describing why he or she is qualified to serve. These documents will be posted on a shared drive by the Office of Faculty Affairs and accessible only to those faculty members who are eligible to vote for each specific candidate.

• April 10: If needed, the last day for adjunct faculty at the department or program level tocast votes in the first round of elections to determine which candidate from eachdepartment or program will be put forward for the school wide election of two adjunct faculty members and two alternates.

• April 23: Last day for faculty to cast votes for all members of the Faculty Council. In the case of a tie, a re-vote will be administered within one week

• May 1: SPS Dean announces candidates who have been elected for service commencing on September 1

1.4.1 All terms of service begin on September 1. The staggered terms of service for voting Faculty Council members are three years. To create the staggered system, initial elected positions will have terms of service from two to four years determined by preference of Faculty Council members. If consensus cannot be reached, initial term assignments will be determined randomly taking into consideration the need for equitable member representation across departments.

1.4.2 Voting members of the Faculty Council may not be elected for two consecutive terms of service. An exception to this bylaw is made for a member who replaced a representative on the Council and served less than two years.

1.4.3 Any Faculty Council member who departs from service before the conclusion of his or her term is not eligible to serve during the next consecutive term.

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Council consists of three officers: Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. The terms of service for all officers are one year. Officers are elected annually by the Faculty Council, and these elections are administered by the Office of Faculty Affairs. Officers may be elected for three consecutive terms. Members of the Faculty Council may self-nominate or may nominate another Council member for each position. Council members who know they will be away from New York for an extended period of time should refrain from self-nominating or accepting a nomination for an officer position. All elections will be implemented each Spring semester according to the following schedule:

• April 30: The Office of Faculty Affairs sends an e-mail to all Faculty Council members announcing the call for nominations

• May 10: Deadline for each candidate to submit a current curriculum vitae and a letter (no more than 250 words) describing why he or she feels qualified to serve. These documentsare posted on a shared drive by the Office of Faculty Affairs and are accessible to Faculty Council members

• May 20: Last day for Faculty Council members to cast votes. In the case of a tie, a re-vote will be administered within one week

• May 30: SPS Dean announces officers who have been elected for service commencing onSeptember 1

2.1.1 Chair of the Faculty Council - The Chair of the Faculty Council serves as an ex-officio member of the SPS Dean’s Leadership Council and communicates with the SPS Dean on all matters relevant to the Council. The SPS Dean reserves the right to excuse the Chair of the Faculty Council from any Dean’s Leadership Council meeting if s/he determines that sensitive information is being discussed. The Chair has the right and responsibility to continually update Council members on important information shared at Leadership Council meetings and obtained through other communications with the Dean. The Chair collaborates with the other officers to determine the agendas for all Faculty Council meetings and SPS faculty meetings administered by the Faculty Council. The Chair presides over all meetings. If the Chair vacates the position during the term of service, the Vice-Chair automatically becomes the Chair. If necessary, the Chair may be called upon to appoint Council members to Faculty Council ad-hoc committees or standing committees that report to the Council. With feedback from the Council, the Chair is responsible for writing the annual year-end report that summarizes the work of the Council and reviews the progress, direction, and leadership of SPS. By majority vote, the Faculty Council must approve the year-end report before the Chair submits it to the SPS Dean.

2.1.2 Vice-Chair of the Faculty Council - The Vice-Chair of the Faculty Council collaborates with the other officers to determine the agendas for all Faculty Council meetings and SPS faculty meetings administered by the Faculty Council. If at any time the Chair is unable to fulfill his or her responsibilities, the Vice-Chair acts as the Chair until the Chair is able to resume his or her duties. If the Vice-Chair vacates the position during the term of service, the Chair polls the Council for volunteers and selects a replacement to complete the term of service.

2.1.3 Secretary of the Faculty Council - The Secretary of the Faculty Council collaborates with the other officers to determine the agendas for all Faculty Council meetings and SPS faculty meetings administered by the Faculty Council. The Secretary sends the agendas to the Office of Faculty Affairs for distribution to the appropriate faculty group. The Secretary records minutes at all Council and SPS faculty meetings and upon Faculty Council approval of the minutes, sends them to the Office of Faculty Affairs for posting on the Faculty Affairs website. If the Secretary vacates the position during the term of service, the Chair polls the Council for volunteers and selects a replacement to complete the term of service.

The Faculty Council meets three times per semester. The dates, times, and locations of the fall semester meetings are distributed to the Council by May 15 of the preceding year. The dates, times, and locations of the spring semester meetings are distributed to the Council by January 15. A draft agenda and a request for additional agenda items are distributed to the Faculty Council two weeks prior to any meeting. Council members have five days to submit additional agenda items. A final agenda is distributed one week prior to the Faculty Council meeting. Voting shall be limited to those items listed on the final written agenda.

2.2.1 Special Faculty Council Meetings – When circumstances dictate immediate decision-making, the Chair of the Faculty Council can call a special Faculty Council meeting. Special Faculty Council meetings may also be called by written request of at least one-third of Council members. Called meetings shall require at least three working days’ prior notice and the circulation of a written agenda with such notice, or agreement of a majority of elected members to dispense with such requirements. Voting is limited to those items listed on the final written agenda.

2.2.2 Voting Procedures – On-site voting may only take place if at least two-thirds of Council members (a quorum) are present. At least two-thirds of Council members must cast votes in any on-line voting process in order for a decision to be reached in this manner. All on-site votes are conducted in a confidential manner as determined by the Chair. On-line voting is conducted by the Office of Faculty Affairs. A simple majority (50 percent of all Council members voting plus one) is needed for any motion to be ratified.

The SPS faculty, including all full-time and adjunct faculty, meet two times per semester. The dates, times, and locations of the Fall semester meetings are distributed to the faculty by September 1. The dates, times, and locations of the Spring semester meetings are distributed to the faculty by January 15. A draft agenda and a request for additional agenda items are distributed to the faculty two weeks prior to any meeting. Faculty members have five days to submit additional agenda items. A final agenda is distributed one week prior to any faculty meeting. Voting is limited to those items listed on the final written agenda.

2.3.1 Special SPS Faculty Meetings - When circumstances dictate immediate decision-making, the Chair of the Faculty Council can call a special SPS faculty meeting. Special SPS faculty meetings may also be called by written request of at least one-third of full-time faculty. Called meetings shall require at least three working days’ prior notice and the circulation of a written agenda with such notice. Voting is limited to those items listed on the written agenda.

2.3.2 Order – The Chair of the Faculty Council presides over all SPS faculty meetings. If the Chair is absent from a meeting, the Vice-Chair presides. If both the Chair and Vice-Chair are absent, the Chair may select a substitute chair from the Council. The order of business follows the written agenda, and on-site voting may only take place if 50 percent of SPS full-time faculty (a quorum) is present. On-line voting also requires at least 50 percent of full-time faculty casting votes and is conducted by the Office of Faculty Affairs. A simple majority vote is needed for a motion to be ratified. Robert’s Rules of Order shall be used to decide all questions of order not otherwise covered in these bylaws or in the bylaws of the University. Robert’s Rules of Order can be accessed at http://www.robertsrules.org/rror--00.htm

Faculty Council responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• To serve on ad hoc and standing committees of the Faculty Council (2.5.1, 2.5.2, 2.5.3) and as ex-officio of SPS standing and ad hoc committees (3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.2)
• To review work being performed by all standing and ad-hoc committees (2.5.1, 2.5.2, 2.5.3 and 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.2)
• To receive and review the annual strategic plan and budget report as presented by the Dean ofSPS prior to the end of each academic year and to collaboratively address the strategic direction and progress toward the stated goals of SPS
• To serve as a conduit of information between the Faculty Council and the SPS faculty
• To respond in a timely manner to issues of faculty concern
• To deliberate on issues of concern to SPS faculty and make recommendations in its advisory role to the Dean
• To receive and review reports as presented by Faculty Council members serving on standing and ad hoc committees of the Faculty Council and by Faculty Council ex-officio members on SPS standing and ad hoc committees (2.5.1, 2.5.2, 2.5.3 and 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.2)
• To receive and review reports on the SPS Dean’s Leadership Council meetings as presented by the Faculty Council Chair who serves as an ex-officio member of the SPS Dean’s Leadership Council (2.1.1)
• To discuss and address SPS faculty concerns (2.4)
• To conduct an annual meeting with the Dean to discuss the Council’s year-end report that summarizes the work of the Council and reviews the progress, direction, and leadership of SPS

All Faculty Council members, except for the Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary, must serve on one ad-hoc committee of the Faculty Council or as an ex-officio member of one SPS standing committee. Council members have the opportunity to volunteer for the committee of their choice. If a representative distribution of Council members on committees cannot be determined through the volunteer method, the Chair of the Faculty Council appoints Council members to committees. Standing committees of the Faculty Council include: the Student Affairs Committee, the Curriculum Committee, and the Nominating Committee. Each committee consists of four to six members of the Faculty Council and the term of service is one year. Council members may volunteer for the same committee assignment throughout their entire terms. Minutes must be recorded for every meeting and upon committee members’ approval, must be sent to the Office of Faculty Affairs for posting on the Faculty Affairs website. Each committee elects its own Chair through a method determined by committee members.

2.5.1 Student Affairs Committee – The primary responsibility of the Student Affairs Committee is to work closely with the Director of Student Affairs on creating, reviewing, and revising policies related to students’ academic performance, classroom behavior, and academic experience. The current charge of the Committee can be accessed at https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics//office-of-faculty-affairs/faculty-committees-and-representatives/sps-faculty-council.html#StudentAffairs0.

2.5.2 Curriculum Revision Committee – The primary responsibility of the Curriculum Revision Committee is to review and evaluate all curriculum changes submitted by any department or program administrator to the Dean of SPS. The current charge of the Committee can be accessed at https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics//office-of-faculty-affairs/faculty-committees-and-representatives/sps-faculty-council.html#Curriculum1.

2.5.3 Nominating Committee – The primary responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to work with the Assistant Director of the Office of Faculty Affairs to implement fair and transparent procedures to fill vacancies on all SPS committees, the Faculty Council, and all NYU committees that have SPS faculty representation including the Full-Time Non-Tenure Track/Contract Faculty Senators Council. The current charge of the Nominating Committee can be accessed at https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics//office-of-faculty-affairs/faculty-committees-and-representatives/sps-faculty-council.html#NominatingandVoting2.

There are three SPS standing committees: the Faculty Grievance Committee, the Rank, Title and Privilege Committee, and the Assessment Committee. Each committee includes one Faculty Council representative who serves as a non-voting, ex-officio member. The responsibility of the Faculty Council member is to report on the committee’s work at each Faculty Council meeting. The term of service for voting committee members is two years. To create a staggered system, initial elected positions will have terms of service from two to three years determined by preference of committee members. If consensus cannot be reached, initial term assignments are determined randomly. Each committee elects its own Chair through a method determined by committee members. The term of service for the Chair is one year. The Chair may be elected for two consecutive terms of service. Minutes must be recorded for every meeting and, upon approval of committee members, are sent to the Office of Faculty Affairs for posting on the Faculty Affairs website.

3.1.1 Faculty Grievance Committee – The Faculty Grievance Committee is composed of three full-time faculty members and two alternates who do not have administrative titles of Academic Director/Chair or above and have been employed as full-time faculty at NYU for at least two years. Additionally, a representative of the Faculty Council serves as an ex-officio member. According to NYU Faculty Handbook by-laws, the voting members of the Faculty Grievance Committee are elected by all SPS full-time faculty. Candidates for election may self-nominate or may be nominated by another member of the full-time faculty. Each candidate submits a current curriculum vitae and a letter (no more than 250 words) describing why he or she is qualified to serve. These documents are posted on a shared drive by the Office of Faculty Affairs and accessible to faculty who are eligible to vote. The responsibilities of the SPS Faculty Grievance Committee are consistent with those described in the NYU Faculty Handbook, which can be accessed at https://www.nyu.edu/faculty/governance-policies-and-procedures/faculty-handbook/the-faculty/faculty-policies-applicable-to-full-time-continuing-contract-faculty/grievance-procedures.html. 

3.1.2 Rank, Title, and Privilege Committee – The Rank, Title, and Privilege Committee (RTP) is composed of seven full-time faculty members who do not have administrative titles of Academic Director/Chair or above and have been employed as full-time faculty at NYU for at least one year. Additionally, a representative of the Faculty Council serves as an ex-officio member. The members of the RTP Committee are elected by the Faculty Council. Candidates for election may self-nominate or may be nominated by another member of the full-time faculty. Each candidate submits a current curriculum vitae and a letter (no more than 250 words) describing why he or she is qualified to serve. These documents are posted on a shared drive by the Office of Faculty Affairs and accessible to Faculty Council members. The current charge of the RTP Committee can be accessed at https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics/office-of-faculty-affairs/faculty-committees-and-representatives/rtp-committee.html. 

3.1.3 Assessment Committee - The Assessment Committee is composed of five full-time faculty members and two adjunct faculty members. The members of the Assessment Committee are elected by the Faculty Council. Candidates for election may self-nominate or may be nominated by another member of the full-time faculty. Each candidate submits a current curriculum vitae and a letter (no more than 250 words) describing why he or she is qualified to serve. These documents are posted on a shared drive by the Office of Faculty Affairs and accessible to Faculty Council members. The current charge of the Assessment Committee can be accessed at https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics/office-of-faculty-affairs/faculty-committees-and-representatives/assessment-committee.html.

Any time a special issue arises that is outside the purview of a standing committee, is too complex to be handled easily by the Faculty Council, or requires specialized experience or knowledge, the SPS Dean or the Faculty Council may appoint an ad-hoc committee to investigate the issue and propose strategies or solutions. The composition of the committee and the term of service are dependent on the issue being addressed. The composition of any ad-hoc committee, the charge of the committee, and all meeting minutes must be accessible at https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics/office-of-faculty-affairs/faculty-committees-and-representatives.html.

This Charter becomes effective upon approval of the Dean of the School of Professional Studies and by a simple majority vote of SPS full-time faculty who do not have a title of Academic Director/Chair or above. At least 50 percent of full-time faculty must cast votes. The ratification ballot shall be conducted electronically by the Office of Faculty Affairs. Until such time, the current Governance Committee shall continue to meet and transact business.

The SPS Dean or the Faculty Council may introduce a motion to amend the Faculty Governance Charter. Any full-time faculty member who does not have a title of Academic Director/Chair or above may introduce a motion to amend the Faculty Governance Charter but the motion must be signed by 12 full-time faculty members before it is submitted to the Faculty Council and the Dean of SPS. Amendments and the necessary signatures must be presented to the Faculty Council and to the Dean at least 30 days before an SPS faculty meeting. Any amendment approved for presentation is presented at the next SPS faculty meeting and may be ratified by a simple majority vote of full-time faculty who do not have a title of Academic Director/Chair or above as described in 2.3.2.

When unusual circumstances prevent fulfillment of these Bylaws and limit the time available to follow the prescribed amendment process, the Faculty Council, with SPS Dean approval, has the authority to make temporary changes to the Bylaws until such time as a proper amendment process can be followed.

Last Updated: April 15, 2015
Updated Links: 6 October 2023