Members of the General Faculty (as defined in Article III, Section 1.0 of the Constitution have the right to vote in University elections. Refer to the Constitution of the General Faculty.pdf.

Voting rights in colleges and departments are determined by each entity, with some rights provided to all faculty via the collective bargaining agreement.

You are a member of the General Faculty if

  • you are a full-time faculty member (either tenured, probationary, or contingent [lecturer]); this includes librarians, counselors, and other employees with academic rank,
    or
  • you are a part-time lecturer, librarian, or counselor and you satisfy both these conditions:
    • you have served the university for at least two consecutive academic years, and
    • your current contract includes at least 12 WTU’s (or the equivalent for librarians, counselors)

NOTE:  There are exceptions to this rule for faculty on leave or participating in an early retirement or pre-retirement program.  Please see #5-7 below.

  1. As a member of the General Faculty, you can vote for the following positions:
    • Speaker Elect
    • Clerk of the Faculty
    • Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee (FAC)
    • Members of the Faculty Affairs Committee (FAC)
    • Members of the Committee on Committees (CoC)
    • Chair of the University Educational Policy Committee (UEPC)
    • Members of the University Educational Policy Committee (UEPC)
    • Amendments to the University and appropriate School/College Constitutions
    • Chair of the Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Policy Committee (RSCAP)
    • Members of the Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Policy Committee (RSCAP
    • Department Academic Senate Representatives
    • Chair of the Graduate Council (GC)
    • Graduate Council Representatives from departments with graduate programs
    • Chair of the Faculty Budget Advisory Committee (FBAC)
    • Members of the Faculty Budget Advisory Committee (FBAC)
    • Statewide Academic Senators (representatives to the Academic Senate of the CSU)
    • Members of the Faculty Development Committee (FDC)
  2. Within departments, participation in decision making is decided by each department.  Please check with your chair or the department by-laws, as appropriate.  The collective bargaining agreement specifies that all faculty members, regardless of rank or full-time/part-time status, are members of the department.  The CBA further requires that all members of a department be granted a role in the following decisions:
    • Recommendations for department chair (CBA 2014-18, 20.30)
    • Department search committees for recommending the appointment of probationary faculty (CBA 2014-18, 12.22)

      ​Other voting rights and procedures for decision making within departments and college are determined by each department or college.
  3. For the following, you may participate in voting only if you are probationary or tenured faculty:
    • Department retention, promotion, and tenure committees for the department of which you are a member (CBA 2014-18 15.41)
    • College-level retention, promotion, and tenure committees for the College of which you are a member (if any) (CBA 2014-18 15.41)
    • The University Retention, Promotion and Tenure Committee (CBA 2014-2018 15.41)
    • Leaves and Awards Committee (CBA 2014-18 27.5)
    • Changes in Retention, Promotion, and Tenure Procedures
    • Department Post-Tenure Review Committee (CBA 2014-18 15.2 and 15.41)
  4. All contingent faculty may vote for the Lecturer Representative on the Academic Senate even if you are not a member of the general faculty.
  5. Faculty members on sabbatical leave, difference of pay leave, maternity/paternity leave, family care and medical leave, sick leave, emergency leave, absent as a witness, leave to vote, jury duty leave, paid bereavement leave, temporary military leave, or professional leaves of absence without pay retain their voting rights.  (CBA 2014-18 Sections 22-25, 27-28)
  6. Faculty members on personal leave of absence without pay are not eligible to vote while on leave. (CBA 2014-18 22.8)
  7. Faculty members participating in the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP) and Pre-Retirement Reduction in Time Base Program (PRTBP) retain their voting rights during semesters when they are on active duty but are not eligible to vote during periods when they are not on duty. (CBA 2014-18 29.19 and 30.13)

Download: Voting Rights.docx

Updated: March 06, 2023