Oklahoma State University,
Charter of the General Faculty and the Faculty Senate, Stillwater Campus
DRAFT COPY
(10/15/26)

Oklahoma State University,
Charter of the General Faculty and the Faculty Senate, Stillwater Campus
1953
(Subsequently Revised and Approved by the General Faculty and by the Board of Regents)
Latest Revision: September 2026
Approved by the OSU/A&M Board of Regents on XXXXXX

Preamble

As a land-grant institution, the mission of Oklahoma State University is to promote learning, advance knowledge, enrich lives, and stimulate economic development through teaching, research, extension, outreach and creative activities. These functions are performed by a community of interests comprised of the General Faculty, the Administration, and the OSU/A&M Board of Regents, each one working productively and collaboratively to enact the shared governance of the institution. To fulfill its obligation, the General Faculty must be represented equitably across its many departments, colleges, and divisions. The Faculty Senate represents the most efficient means for utilizing the competencies of the members of the General Faculty for formulating, recommending, and executing the educational policies, procedures, and mission objectives of Oklahoma State University. With the benefit of an effectively organized Faculty Senate, the General Faculty can fulfill its responsibilities in collaboration with the Administration and the OSU/A&M Board of Regents. Therefore, this Charter of the General Faculty and the Faculty Senate is adopted to promote the effectiveness of the University in the discharge of its responsibilities.

Article I
The General Faculty

Section 1: Composition. Collectively, all Tenure-Track, Tenured, and Career-Track Faculty shall hereinafter be “The General Faculty.”

Section 2: Organization. The Oklahoma State University Faculty Senate, hereinafter “the Senate,” as the elected representative body of the General Faculty, shall adopt such bylaws as it considers necessary to perform its functions. The Senate shall remain responsible to the General Faculty for all actions taken on its behalf.

Section 3: General Faculty Meetings. A Fall General Faculty Meeting shall be held annually, hosted by the President, Provost, and Senate Chair, with all members of the General Faculty invited to attend. This meeting shall be for informational purposes only. Ten percent (10%) of the General Faculty may call an unscheduled meeting of the Senate to address issues not covered by the Senate in regularly scheduled meetings (Article II, Sec. 4).

Section 4: Officers. The officers of the General Faculty shall be the officers of the Senate: the Chair, the Vice Chair, the Past Chair, and the Secretary.

Section 5: Reserved Powers of the General Faculty. The General Faculty delegates to the Senate all functions and responsibilities except those reserved to the General Faculty by this Charter.
The General Faculty shall reserve for itself the:
a. election of the members of the Senate.
b. delegation to the Senate of those functions and responsibilities which are not reserved for the entire General Faculty by this Charter.
c. right to consider matters referred to it by the President of the University, the Faculty Senate, or by the Board of Regents through the President.

Article II
The Senate

Section 1: Composition. The Senate shall consist of elected members of the General Faculty, and the Officers of the Senate: The Chair; Vice Chair; Past Chair; and Secretary. Eligibility for election to the Senate requires three or more years of service as a General Faculty member. General Faculty members holding administrative positions of assistant dean or above, whether interim or permanent, are not eligible for election to, or membership in, the Senate. Equitable representation of colleges, departments, and divisions of the University will be achieved using ten groups, hereinafter “Pillars.” Each Pillar will have Senators apportioned based on the number of faculty therein. General Faculty members shall be assigned to no more than one Pillar based on their employment assignment for the purposes of Senate membership. Tenure-Track and Tenured Faculty shall always constitute a majority of members holding Senate offices. In a Pillar where a single seat has been allotted, this requirement does not apply. The seat may be filled by a Tenure-Track, Tenured, or Career-Track Faculty member. The Bylaws shall establish the procedure for applying this requirement during nominations and elections, including the treatment of Senators continuing in office. Nomination and election of Senators shall occur within each Pillar by a vote of General Faculty members of the same Pillar. Within each Pillar, Senate seats shall be divided as equally as possible into three staggered classes and consistent with the Tenure-Track and Career-Track composition associated with that Pillar. One class shall be elected each year for a three-year term, so that approximately one-third of each Pillar's seats is filled annually, and no Pillar elects all Senators in the same year. In establishing these staggered terms, initial classes of Senators may have abbreviated office terms, as shall be established in the Bylaws.

The ten Pillars shall consist of:

1. Agriculture (FCA)
2. Arts and Humanities (CAS)
3. Business (SSB)
4. Education and Human Sciences (CEHS)
5. Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (CEAT)
6. Library
7. Math and Sciences (CAS)
8. OSU-Tulsa
9. Veterinary Medicine (CVM)
10. Social Sciences (CAS)

Section 2: Election of Senators. At least two individuals should be nominated for election for each seat associated with a Pillar. Elected Senators shall serve three-year terms and shall be eligible for a second three-year term if they are again nominated and reelected. No member may serve more than two consecutive terms. After a one-year absence, individuals may be nominated for election again. Individuals appointed or elected to fill a vacancy may choose to be nominated for election for a full three-year term. No faculty member may run in two elections at the same time, including officer seats of the Faculty Senate or any other elected positions on the Faculty Senate.

Section 3: Election of Officers. The Senate shall elect from among its sitting members, two Senators to serve as Officers of the Senate. The first elected officer shall be that of Vice Chair, who shall serve a one-year term (June 1 to May 31) followed by promotion to Chair for a one-year term (June 1 to May 31) and then to the office of Past Chair for a one-year term (June 1 to May 31). The second elected officer will be that of the Secretary, who shall serve a three-year term beginning June 1 of the year elected and ending on May 31 of the third year.

Elected officers shall not serve consecutive terms. Upon conclusion of their term of office, the Past Chair and Secretary shall no longer be members of the Senate but may be reelected to the Senate after a one-year absence.

Section 4: Meetings. The Senate shall hold monthly meetings, except during the months of June and July.

Section 5: Functions. The Faculty Senate shall participate in formulating and recommending policies and procedures concerning the whole University or those involving more than one school or division, and in matters affecting the welfare of the institution such as the following:

a. Educational policies and procedures relating to admissions, courses, curricula, academic standards, schedules, the academic calendar, degrees, undergraduate and graduate programs of instruction, the University Library, research, extension and educational procedures and innovations.
b. Policies and procedures related to student affairs and auxiliary services, including student regulations and discipline, academic freedom, extracurricular activities, intercollegiate athletics, advisement, counseling, health and welfare, and safety and security.
c. Policies and procedures that directly affect members of the General Faculty to include budgeting of funds; General Faculty and Administrative appointments; continuing education of the General Faculty; sabbatical leave; academic freedom; salaries; fringe benefits; promotions and tenure; dispute or termination proceedings; retirement; and other factors affecting General Faculty morale.
d. Long-range planning; the goals, development, and growth of the University; educational, innovative, and building programs; and allocation of resources.
e. The Senate shall represent the General Faculty in fulfilling its duties, and when appropriate and necessary, through ad hoc committees with the Senate officers advising on the appointment of General Faculty.

Section 6: Responsibility to the General Faculty. As the representative body of the General Faculty, the Faculty Senate shall:

a. carry out the functions and responsibilities assigned to it by the General Faculty.
b. keep the General Faculty fully informed of its actions and proceedings through electronic distribution of the minutes of regular meetings to all General Faculty.
c. receive and acknowledge written communications from individual General Faculty members, or other bodies of the General Faculty, and transmit them to the appropriate Senate committees for consideration.
d. initiate studies on matters of concern of the General Faculty and make recommendations to the President, or to the Board of Regents through the President on behalf of the General Faculty.
e. make recommendations to the President and/or to the Board of Regents through the President concerning matters of vital importance to the General Faculty.
f. consider matters referred to it by the Board of Regents through the President of the University, or by student organizations.

Article III
Amendments

Amendments to this Charter may be proposed by a majority vote of the Senate. Upon Senate approval, the proposed amendment shall be distributed electronically to each member of the General Faculty not less than fourteen (14) calendar days before it may be voted on. An amendment must be approved by a majority of the General Faculty. Amendments approved by the Senate and the General Faculty shall then be submitted through the President of the University to the Board of Regents for review and approval. Changes become effective after Regents’ approval.

Article IV
Ratification and Implementation

This Charter shall become effective after approval as an amendment to the Charter of Organization, which was adopted on October 9, 1953, and in compliance with the procedures of amendment of that Charter. Upon such approval, this Charter will completely supersede the Charter of Organization of October 9, 1953. The Faculty Senate shall be charged with the responsibility of taking the steps necessary to fulfill the stipulations of the articles of the new Charter.