CHARTER FOR THE GOVERNANCE OF HUNTER COLLEGE

September 1970 (Amended in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1992, 1998, 2006, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2023)

ARTICLE  I

Section 1

The Hunter College Senate was established as the legislative body of the College with authority to determine College policy on all matters not reserved now or hereafter by Education Law or Board of Trustees Bylaws to the President of Hunter College, to other officers or duly constituted bodies of the College or The City University, or the Board of Trustees.

Section 2  (Initial Meeting)

Effective as of the first meeting of the Senate, the present Hunter College Faculty Council was considered dissolved and its powers assumed by the College Senate under terms of this Charter.

ARTICLE  II

Section 1

As the College legislative agency, the Senate shall have policy-making powers in the following areas:

A. Curriculum and related education matters.
B. Academic requirements and standards of academic standing.
C. College development, review and forward planning of facilities, staff, and fiscal requirements.
D. Instruction and the evaluation of teaching.
E. Safeguarding the academic freedom of ALL members of the Hunter community.
F. Other matters which may be subsequently assigned to the legislative prerogatives of Hunter College.

Section 2

In addition to its legislative powers, the Senate shall have the right to express itself formally as an advisory body in any area it considers important, and to transmit its recommendations to the appropriate authorities.

ARTICLE III

Section 1

The Hunter College Senate shall have 100 Senators and Alternates sufficient in number to provide two faculty alternates for each department, being composed of 57% faculty members, 38% students and 5% representatives of the administration, with seats reserved in the following proportions:
44% Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Instructors on full-time appointments, and Lecturers on full-time appointments.   13% Lecturers (part-time), Adjunct faculty, and all other part-time members of the teaching faculty who are not also serving in full-time appointments, Clinical Professors, Distinguished Lecturers, and non-faculty department members in the title series Col¬lege Laboratory Technician and Higher Education Officer. 14% Full-time Undergraduate students, other than students in the SEEK Program.  11% Part-time Undergraduate students.    2% Undergraduate students - SEEK Program.  11% Graduate students. 5% Administration.

Section 2 

Senators shall have full voting rights in the Senate.  Alternates may vote and be counted as part of the quorum only when properly seated according to Senate procedures.

Section 3 

Ex officio nonvoting membership shall be extended to:

a. the Presidents of the Hunter College Undergraduate Student Government and the Graduate Student Association;
b. the President of the Hunter College Alumni Association;
c. the Presidents of the Hunter College HEO Forum and the College Laboratory Technician Council;
or designee of any of the preceding.
These members shall have full floor rights but no voting rights; they shall not be eligible to become officers of the Senate (Article V).

Section 4

The College Senate shall schedule regular nominations and elections once a year during the last four weeks of classes in the spring semester; and it shall convene following such elections no later than June 1.  The faculty and the student bodies shall be responsible, through duly constituted organizations, for conducting the elections of their respective representatives in accordance with the terms of this Charter.

ARTICLE IV

Section 1

A. Hunter College is an institution organized into schools, divisions, and departments, the structure and titles of which may change as the needs of its students change.  It also has an administrative structure and administrative officers which change in title and function as the college develops.  Therefore, wherever the Charter refers to a specific administrative officer (e.g. Dean, Registrar, etc.), or academic unit (e.g. department, school, divisions, etc.), or academic position (e.g. instructor, lecturer, etc.), such language should be construed to include any equivalent officer, academic unit, or academic position regardless of the particular language that is currently in use.  In all such instances not fixed by the Charter, the equivalencies shall be determined by the Administrative Committee of the Senate and approved by the Senate.

B. For the purposes of the Charter, the fol¬lowing equivalencies shall apply:

(i)  The word "department" shall mean any unit of the college that elects members to its Personnel & Budget Committee, and shall include as well the School of Nursing, School of Urban Public Health, School of Social Work and the Library.  In addi¬tion, for the purposes of Article IV, Student Services shall be included as a department.

(ii) The word "division" shall mean any unit of the college that has a P & B Committee consisting of representatives of more than one department but fewer than all the departments. They include Humanities and the Arts, Sciences and Mathematics, and Social Sciences (which form the School of Arts and Sciences), School of Education. Together, the Schools of Nursing, Health Professions, and Urban Public Health comprise a division.

Section 2

A. The 44 Senate seats reserved for representatives in the ranks of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Instructors on full-time appointments, and Lecturers on full-time appointments shall be filled as follows:

(i) All departments shall be rank-ordered by the number of such faculty in the department.  Each department shall be allocated 1 seat, and the remaining seats shall be allocated by assigning one additional seat to each department from the top of the list down, until the available number is exhausted.

(ii) Each department will fill its allo-cated seats by nominations from and elections by its faculty members in the ranks of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Instructor on full-time appointment, and Lecturer on full-time appointment.

B. The 13 Senate seats reserved for representatives in the ranks of Lecturer (part-time), Adjunct faculty, any other part-time members of the teaching faculty who are not also serving in full-time appointments, Clinical Professor, Distinguished Lecturer, and department members in the title series College Laboratory Technician and Higher Education Officer shall be filled as follows:  (i) One seat shall be reserved for Student Services, and shall be filled by nomination and election among the department members in these ranks.

(ii) Each of the departments that include members in these ranks may elect from among their number one nominee for one of the 12 remaining Senate seats.

(iii) The remaining 12 seats shall then be filled by an at-large election from among the nominees selected according to paragraph B (ii) above.   In this election, votes shall be cast only by the members of the departments to which B (ii) applies who are in the ranks of Lecturer (part-time), Adjunct faculty, any other part-time members of the teaching faculty who are not also serving in full-time appointments, or department members in the title series College Laboratory Technician and Higher Education Officer.

C. The 14 Senate seats reserved for Full-time undergraduate students, other than students in the SEEK Program, shall be filled as follows:

(i) Of these seats, 9 shall be reserved for Full-time department majors.  Toward their election, each department will elect, from nominations made within its own ranks, 1 nominee for these seats.  All Full-time Seniors, Juniors, and Sophomores who have declared their major will elect the required number of representatives by an at-large vote among these nominees.

(ii) The remaining 5 Senate seats shall be reserved for Full-time Freshmen and Sophomores who have not as yet declared their major.  Candidacy at-large shall be declared by filing a petition meeting the requirements established by the Senate.  From the pool of such candidates, the Full-time Freshmen and non-major Sophomores will elect the required number of representatives by an at-large election.

D. The 11 Senate seats reserved for Part-time under¬gradu¬ate students shall be filled as follows:
Candidacy at-large shall be declared by filing a petition meeting the requirements established by the Senate.  From the pool of such candidates, the Part-time undergraduate students will elect the required number of representatives by an at-large election.

E. All graduate student positions shall be filled by the Graduate Student Association of Hunter College (GSA) according to the representational requirements outlined below and in Article III.1 and Article IV.4.B.   In the event that the GSA decides not to put forth a sufficient number of students to fulfill the representational requirements outlined in Article III.1 and Article IV, Section 2.E of the College Charter, or fails to do so by the first regularly scheduled meeting of a new Senate (at the end of the spring semester), nominations can be made by the Senate Administrative Committee or any seated Senator during a regular Senate meeting.  In addition, candidacy at-large can be declared by filing a petition meeting the requirements established by the Senate. From the pool of such candidates, graduate student representatives shall be elected by a vote of the full Senate during a regular meeting.

The 11 Senate seats reserved for graduate students shall be filled as follows:
(i) 6 seats shall be filled by graduate students matriculated in programs offered in the various divisions (as defined in Article IV.1.B.ii) and the School of Social Work; one seat to each division and the School of Social Work.

(ii) There shall be 4 representatives who are matriculated graduate students and are elected by the matriculated graduate students in an at-large election.

(iii) There shall also be 1 non-matriculated graduate student representa¬tive.  

F. Two Senate seats shall be filled by nominations and elections from among and by the students in the SEEK Program.

G. 5 representatives of the administration, one of whom shall be in the title series HEO or CLT, shall be appointed by the President of Hunter College.
H.
(i) A Senate seat reserved for faculty members with specific rank, or other qualifications (as outlined in Article IV, Sections 2A and B), that remains vacant after the elections scheduled for such seats, shall be filled for the remainder of the regu¬lar term by a faculty election conducted by a process approved by the Senate.

(ii) A Senate seat reserved for students with specific major-non-major, graduate-undergraduate or other qualifications (as out-lined in Article IV, Sections C, D, E, and F) that remains vacant after the elections scheduled for such seats, shall be filled for the remainder of the regu¬lar term by a student election con¬ducted by a process approved by the Senate.

Section 3 

Each department shall be allocated two seats for faculty alternates.  The faculty alternates shall be elected in accordance with the specified nomination and election procedures of Article IV.  The student alternates shall be elected by a process approved by the Senate.  The administration alternates shall be appointed by the President.

Section 4 

For each of the constituencies, defined by the election procedures of Article IV, Section 2, the eligibility to serve and the right to vote shall be based on the same qualifications:

A. For every such category, eligibility to be nominated or elected to the Senate, or to vote in Senate elections, shall require one full semester of service in the specified rank, position, and/or status preceding the semester in which such nominations are made or the elections take place.

B. Students shall be in good standing. Graduate students shall have completed at least 3 hours of credit.  Part-time Undergraduate students shall have completed at least 6 hours of credit.  

C. Those holding appointment to the instructional staff while enrolled in a graduate program at Hunter College under conditions that make them eligible to stand for election to the Senate and to vote in Senate elections as graduate students shall not be eligible for nominations or election to the senate or to vote in Senate elections as faculty members.  If ineligible as graduate students, enrollment in graduate courses shall not affect eligibility as faculty members.

Section 5  

In College-wide referenda and other votes conducted among all members of the instructional staff combined, a ballot cast by a faculty member in the rank of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Instructor, or Lecturer (full-time) on full-time annual appointment, or cast by department members in the title series College Laboratory Technician and Higher Education Officer, shall be tallied as a full vote.  A ballot cast by a faculty member in the ranks of Lecturer (part-time), Adjunct Lecturer, or any other part-time member of the teaching faculty not also serving on a full-time appointment shall be tallied as a half vote.

Section   6 

Certification as to class, status, and standing of students shall be made by the Registrar.  Certification as to rank, position, and status of faculty shall be made by the Chief Academic Officer.  Appointed representatives of the administration shall be certified to the Senate by name and administrative title.

ARTICLE  V

Section 1

At each of its first annual meetings following the new elections, the Senate shall elect from among its elected voting members a Chair, a Vice-Chair, a Secretary, and such other officers as it deems necessary.  The Chair shall be a full-time faculty with tenure or CCE. The Vice Chair shall be a matriculated full-time student. Their term of office shall be one year, and the Chair and Vice-Chair shall not serve in their respective offices for more than four consecutive terms.

Section 2

The Chair may, if he or she so desires, appoint a recording secretary with the responsibility for preparing the minutes and keeping the papers of the Senate in order.

Section 3

The Administrative Committee of the Senate shall consist of the Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary of the Senate, together with four at-large members elected from its voting members. The election for the at-large seats on the Administrative Committee shall follow immediately after the elections of the Officers of the Senate (Article V. Section 1). The Administrative Committee shall reflect a diversity of representation. There shall be no more than one faculty member from one department and not more than two from a division as defined in Article IV, 1B.  The Chair of the Senate shall be the Chair of this Committee which will:

A. Prepare the agenda for regular and special meetings, causing it to be published in the College no less than 10 days before the meeting.

B. Be responsible for having prepared an Administrative Report, presenting the recommendations of the various Senate Committees that are considered routine, this report to be distributed to the representatives 10 days in advance of the meeting.  Unless exceptions are taken, this Report will be handled as a single item on the Agenda.

C. Assure continuity of the Senate's business between meetings.

ARTICLE VI

Section 1

The regular term of office for representatives shall be 2 years, extending from May of the first year to just prior to the first meeting of the new Senate the following year, in keeping with the calendar approved by the Senate. From the members, elected in the initial election, however, one-half shall be selected by lot in each category to serve a single year only. Hence, in the future, one-half of the Senate seats will be filled by the annual elections. Unexpired terms shall be filled at the next scheduled elections.

Section 2

A vote for recall of a representative may be petitioned either by one-half or by 20 members of the representative's constituency, whichever is smaller.  For this purpose, the constituency shall be defined as consisting of no less than the number of votes cast in the election of the representative.  Seats vacated by recall shall be filled at the time of the next election for whatever portion may remain of the unexpired term.

ARTICLE VII

Section 1

The Senate shall be empowered to regulate the conduct of its business, including the establishment of a schedule for regular meetings and procedures for calling special meetings.  The calendar of regular meetings shall be established sufficiently far in advance to permit its publication in the Registrar's annual College Calendar.  The Senate shall develop practical election provisions with a view towards keeping itself as nearly as possible at full strength.  It shall have the right to extend the mandated committee structure (Article VIII) by establishing additional standing, special or ad-hoc Committees; and it shall set its own rules of procedure and operation, being governed until it does so by Robert's Rules of Order, latest edition.

Section 2

The regular meetings of the Senate shall be open to all members of the Hunter College community, and all of such members shall have the right to be recognized under procedures to be established by the Senate.

Section 3

A quorum of the Senate and its Committees shall consist of no less than one-half of their voting membership plus one, unless otherwise prescribed in this Charter or specified under procedures established by the Senate.

ARTICLE VIII

Section 1

A. All committees of the Senate shall preserve the spirit of equity regarding sessional, divisional, and other representation of students and faculty, and in the scheduling of meetings.  Committee membership shall be open to all members of the faculty and to all students who are eligible for membership on the Senate.  They shall be elected by the Senate from among nominations made by a Nominating Committee (Article IX) and/or nominations from the floor. 

B. When a committee vacancy cannot be filled with a faculty member or student with specified qualifications that vacancy shall be first reported to the Senate and then may be filled by a faculty member or student, respectively, without regard to the qualification specified.

C. Senate committees report to the Senate

D. Alternate members on committees may only vote and be counted in the quorum when regular members are absent.

E. Each committee has two faculty alternates.  

Section 2

In reorganizations of the Hunter College administration, Academic Administrators desig¬nated to serve ex-officio on standing com-mittees of the Senate shall have responsibility, as nearly as possible, for the same functions as those who are currently designated to serve in such capac¬ity.

Section 3

In the exercise of its responsibility for the design and modification of Hunter College curricula the Senate shall establish two Committees on Course of Study, one graduate and one undergraduate.  These committees shall be constituted as follows:

A. The Graduate Course of Study and Academic Requirements Committee
Six faculty members who teach in the graduate program, at least one faculty member from each of the divisions (as defined in Article IV.1.B.ii); a faculty member from the School of Social Work; 2 graduate students and 2 graduate student alternates; and serving without vote the Registrar, the Deans of the divisions and/or schools or designees, the Chief Academic Officer or designee, and the Chief Librarian or designee.

B. The Undergraduate Course of Study Committee
One faculty representative from each of the divisions (as defined in Article IV.1.B.ii), a faculty member from the School of Social Work, and two from the divi¬sions serving at-large; 3 students and 3 student alternates; and, serving without vote, the Chief Academic Officer or designee, the Deans of the divi¬sions and/or schools or designees, the Director of Student Services, and the Chief Librarian or designee.

C. Both of these Committees shall be chaired by faculty members elected by the voting members of the Com¬mittee.

D. Both of these Committees shall have Deputy Chairs elected by the voting members of the Committee.  

E. There shall also be Committees on Cur¬riculum in the School of Arts and Sci¬ences, the Division of the School of Health Profes-sions, the School of Education, and the School of Social Work.  These commit¬tees shall be com¬posed of the dean (with vote) and one faculty member from each department in the school or division, elected by the department as it may decree in its By-laws (see Arti¬cle XI), and 3 students and 3 student alternates.  The School of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Com¬mittee shall also include one faculty and one student representative from two of the inter-disciplinary programs.  These Committees shall review proposals initiated by departments or programs or may initiate their own pro¬posals for programs or curriculum changes, submitting such proposals for consideration to the appropriate Senate Committee on Course of Study.

The Curriculum Committees shall have the right to act on curriculum proposals, in accordance with the Procedures for Preparing and Submitting Curriculum Proposals for College Approval approved by the Hunter College Senate.  Decisions by these Committees may be appealed by the departments or programs to the relevant Senate Committee on Course of Study. Matters on which appeals are pending shall not be forwarded to the Senate, and a two-thirds majority of the Senate Committee members present and voting shall be required to override such divisional decisions.

Section 4

A. The Undergraduate Course of Study Committee shall have oversight authority on all undergraduate curricular matters. It shall also concern itself through study and research with policies relating to the undergraduate curricular organizations.  All proposals pertaining to:

(i) General Education Requirements.
(ii) New Majors.
(iii) New Minors.
(iv) Credit and Major or Minor concentrations.
(v) Degree Requirements.
(vi) Interdisciplinary Program.
(vii)  Experimental courses

shall be submitted to the Undergraduate Course of Study Committee for action.

Final decision on all curricular matters is to be made by the College Senate, except in cases where final authority is vested in the Undergraduate Course of Study Committee by the Senate.

B. The Graduate Course of Study and Academic Requirements Committee shall review all Master's and Doctoral Programs and graduate courses to be listed in the Hunter College Bulletin on graduate studies, whether on the Master's or the Doctoral level.  Its functions shall also include the review and coordination of graduate academic requirements, the formulation of policy, for adoption by the Senate, regarding the methods of grading, admissions, attendance, withdrawal, maintenance of academic standards, accreditation of work done at other institutions. The Director of Admissions, Vice President for Student Affairs (or designee), and other resource persons as deemed necessary, are requested to attend all meetings of the committee concerning graduate academic requirements as non-voting members.

Section 5

There shall be a Committee on Undergraduate Academic Requirements consisting of one faculty member from each of the divisions (as defined in IV.1.B.ii), a faculty member from the School of Social Work, and two faculty members from the divisions serving at-large; 3 students and 3 student alternates. The Dean of Students, the Chief Academic Officer or designee, a Director of Advising, a representative of Student Services, and the Registrar shall serve without vote.  The Chair shall be a faculty member elected by the voting membership of the Committee.  Its functions shall include the formulation of policy regarding methods of grading, requirements of student attendance, regulations relating to withdrawal from courses, and admissions not specified by Board of Trustees By-laws.

Section 6

There shall be a Committee on Student Standing, consisting of5 faculty members including a representative from the SEEK Program.  The Dean of Students or designee, the Director of Advising and a representative of Student Services shall serve without vote. The Chair of the Committee shall be elected by its voting membership.  The Committee shall be responsible for the evaluation of student records, for recommending to the Senate the award of degrees to qualified students, and for formulating policy, for adoption by the Senate, on the retention of students and the maintenance of academic standards.

Section 7

In order to insure effectiveness, compatible procedures and comparable standards in the evaluation of teaching and teachers by the students throughout the departments (Article XI), and to assure the formal consideration of the results of such appraisals in the pro-fessional evaluation of members of the teaching faculty, the Senate shall establish a Committee on Evaluation of Teaching.  This Committee will, among other things, be responsible for: the preparation of standard guides for an evaluation questionnaire to provide opportunities, under its supervision, for some departmental variation in the details of the evaluation procedure; continuing review of the scope, validity, content, and efficacy of the questionnaires actually utilized; and the compilation, analysis, and publication of the data produced by such questionnaires in order to facilitate widespread understanding of the purposes and results of the evaluation procedure.

The Senate Committee on Evaluation of Teaching will consist of 12 members, all with vote: 7 students and 5 faculty members.  If a student has been elected to the Administrative Committee of the Senate, that student will serve as a committee member, and chair the committee.

Section 8

There shall be established a Master Plan Committee of the Senate, consisting of one faculty member from each division (as defined in IV.1.B.ii), and the School of Social Work; 3 students and 3 student alternates, and a Chair, elected by the Senate without constraint as to category.  In addition, the Chief Academic Officer and the Vice President for Administra¬tion or their designees shall serve as non-voting members.  This Committee will be the general College development planning group, concerning itself with the priorities that affect long term projections as regards programs and facilities.  It will make policy recom¬mendations on these matters for adoption by the Senate, and it will be responsible for drafting the annual revision of the Hunter College portion in the CUNY Master Plan, submit¬ting such draft for approval to the Senate.

Section 9

There shall be a Committee on the Budget, consisting of one faculty member from each division (as defined in IV.1.B.ii) and the School of Social Work; the Director of SEEK; 2 students and 2 student alternates; and a Chair elected by the Senate without constraint as to category. The Chief Academic Officer, the Vice President for Administration and designee will serve ex-officio without vote.
The Committee on the Budget shall annually develop the guidelines which, on review by the Senate and approved by the President of Hunter College, will be followed by the departments in the preparation of their projected budgets.  It will review the resulting con-solidated annual budget of the College and report on it to the Senate.

In addition, it will advise the President, at the latter's discretion, on the apportionment of instructional resources, budget, and space allocated to the College.

Section 10

The Senate shall establish a Committee on Grade Appeals, consisting of 4 faculty members, and 3 students and 3 student alternates.  The Committee on Grade Appeals will consider grade appeals in which the student or faculty member involved takes exception to the decision of the Departmental Grade Appeals Committee.  The Committee on Grade Appeals shall establish guidelines for procedures to be followed in its review of grade appeals and will report its decisions in each case to the parties concerned, the Department Chair, and to the Registrar.  The decision of the Grade Appeals Committee is final.

The Committee shall also make an annual statistical report to the Senate.

Section 11

There shall be a Committee on the Calendar, consisting of one faculty member from each of the divisions (as defined in IV.1.B.ii), a faculty member from School of Social Work, and 2 students and 2 student alternates.  The Dean of Students or designee, the Director of Advising, the Registrar, and the Director of Financial Aid shall serve without vote.  The Committee on the Calendar will make recommendations on the College Calendar, and, in consultation with the Faculty Personnel & Budget Committee, on the Bell Schedule.  The Committee will also evaluate existing registration procedures and make recommendations regarding changes in registration proce¬dures.

Section 12

There shall be a Committee on Governance, consisting of one faculty member from each division (as defined in IV.1.B.ii), 2 students and 2 student alternates, one HEO representative from an academic unit, and one member of the administration (all with vote).  The Committee on Governance shall:

(a) make recommendations to the Senate on standards for By-laws for divisions, schools, departments, and all degree and/or certificate granting programs;
(b) review By-laws and Amendments approved by divisions, schools, departments, and all degree and/or certificate granting programs, and make recommendations for Senate action;
(c) make recommendations to the Senate on alleged infractions of By-laws of divisions, schools, departments, or degree and/or certificate granting programs.

Section 13

Administrative Search Committees shall be constituted for all administrators (full deans and above) who, because of the nature of their policy making, have a significant impact on academic affairs and on the rights and welfare of the students and the faculty.  The proceedings of search committees shall be confidential.

Different search committee staffing procedures may be appropriate for administrators who have college-wide impact and those who affect primarily only their divisions (as defined in IV.1.B.ii).  In any procedure adopted, the Senate shall be responsible for nominating the panel of search committee candidates and search committee Chairs from whom the College President or the CUNY Board of Trustees, as appropriate, will select the search committee and the search committee Chair.  This section shall be read consistent with applicable CUNY Board of Trustees policy on presidential search committees.

The search committee shall have the responsibility of nominating candidates for administrative positions to the College President who shall have the final authority to make recommendations to the CUNY Board of Trustees.

Section 14

There shall be a Committee on Charter Review, consisting of one faculty member from each division (as defined in IV.1.B.ii); a faculty member from the School of Social Work; 3 students and 3 student alternates; one member of the Administration to be designated by the President who shall serve ex-officio; and a Chair elected by the Senate.

The Committee shall be empowered to review the composition, structure and functions of the Hunter College Senate and to propose to the Senate amendments to the Governance Plan in accordance with the provisions of Article XIII, Section 2.

Section 15

The Senate shall establish a Committee on Computing and Tech¬nology, consisting of one faculty member from each of the divisions (as defined in IV.1.B.ii), the School of Social Work, the Library, and one faculty member at-large who conducts research that depends on computers and who complements and diversifies the knowledge base of the committee; and 2 students and 2 student alternates.  Two members of the staff, the Director of ICIT, and the Provost (or designee) shall serve without vote.  

The committee shall both propose and review computing technology plans and strategies as they impact on the instructional, research, and administrative functions at the College.  The committee will consult with all affected communities before issuing proposals or review documents.  Goals of this committee would include using technology to improve all aspects of the College functioning in a manner which enhances productivity for all members of the College community and spreads both the benefits and costs of these technologies equitably among the members of the community.  
Specifically, this committee shall be asked to address strategies to assure appropriate hard¬ware and software access for students, faculty, and staff including part-time faculty and staff both on campus and remote locations; the use of computing to enhance the instructional mission of the College; the means to provide computer-based student services and administrative functions; allocations and expenditures of college resources intended for computing and technology; college efforts to obtain external resources for enhancing the college's capabilities in the area.

Section 16

The Senate shall establish a Committee on the Library, consisting of one faculty member from each of the divi¬sions (as defined in Article IV. 1. B. ii), the School of Social Work, Main Library, Branch Library, 2 students and two student alternates, and the Chief Librarian who shall serve ex-officio without vote.
The Committee shall function in an advisory capacity to the Chief Librarian and as a liaison between the Library and the College community.  It shall encourage periodic review of immediate and long-term needs of the Library and library needs of individual departments and disciplines.  The committee shall review an annual summary of the status of library resources and services to be provided by the Chief Librarian, and report on it to the Senate in the Fall semester.

Section 17

There shall be a Committee on Academic Freedom consisting of one faculty member from each of the divisions (as defined in the Charter IV.1.B.ii), the School of Social Work, the Library, and one faculty member at-large, one member of the HEO staff, two students, and two faculty alternates, one HEO alternate, and two student alternates. The Provost (or designee) shall serve ex-officio without vote.  The chair shall be a faculty member elected by the voting membership of the committee.
The charge of the committee shall include:  to monitor, examine and report annually to the Senate on the status of academic freedom at the college; to make appropriate recommendations regarding academic freedom policies and practices to the college's governance bodies and, as appropriate, through those bodies to the University Faculty Senate; to investigate possible violations of academic freedom.  

In order to ensure a secure and protected environment for individuals who wish to bring cases of abridgement of academic freedom before the committee, such charges will be examined by a subcommittee of two members chosen by the committee chair in consultation with the rest of the committee.  In addition, the committee chair shall be recused from serving on the subcommittee.  

Section 18

There shall be a Standing Committee on Academic Assessment and Evaluation, consisting of one full-time faculty from each division of the School of Arts and Sciences, three full-time faculty members at-large from the School of Arts and Sciences, one faculty from each of the Schools of Education, Social Work, Nursing and Health Professions, two students-at-large from the School of Arts and Sciences, the Director of Assessment, a HEO representative and a HEO Alternate, and, serving ex-officio without vote the Deans of the schools of  Arts and Sciences, Social Work, Nursing  and Health Professions, Education (or their respective designees); the Chief Academic Officer and the Vice President of Student Affairs (or their respective designees); and the Director of Institutional Research. The Chair shall be a faculty member elected by the voting membership of the Committee, the Deputy Chair shall be a voting member elected by the voting membership of the Committee.  

The specific charges to the committee shall include to develop, implement, review, and approve all college policies and procedures related to academic assessment; to seek necessary support (logistical and otherwise) for the proper implementation of approved college assessment processes and policies; to coordinate with other Senate committees to ensure that all policies and procedures related to academic assessment are faculty-driven; to serve as an assessment advisory committee for academic departments and programs, and work with all relevant constituencies as needed; to inform the academic community about accreditation standards as presented by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; and to deliver regular reports to the Hunter Senate.

Section 19

There shall be a Committee on General Education, consisting of one full-time faculty member from each division of the School of Arts and Sciences, three full-time faculty members at-large from the School of Arts and Sciences, one full-time faculty member from each of the professional schools with undergraduate degree programs, two students-at-large, the Chair, who shall be a full-time faculty member elected by the voting membership of the Senate, and, serving ex-officio without vote:  Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences (or designee), the Provost (or designee), the Director of Assessment, the Chair of the Undergraduate Course of Study Committee (or designee), the Chair of the Committee on Academic Assessment and Evaluation (or designee), the Registrar (or designee), and the Director of Advising Services (or designee).

The specific charges to the committee shall include:  Develop, review, and approve all college policies and procedures pertaining to the general education program (including related graduation requirements) and curriculum; determine course approval guidelines for courses to be included in general education; review and make recommendations about such proposals; lead and coordinate periodic review of courses in general education; devise programmatic assessment for general education; receive and review programmatic assessment data and make recommendations on the basis thereof; encourage and facilitate faculty participation in general education curriculum develop¬ment and teaching; advise the administration on matters of implementation of general education requirements as passed by the Senate; collaborate with other Senate committees, especially Undergraduate Course of Study and the Committee on Academic Assessment and Evaluation, to ensure that all policies and procedures related to general education are faculty-driven; and deliver regular reports to the Hunter Senate.

Section 20

There shall be a Committee on Food Services and Facilities, consisting of three faculty members, three students, one staff member represented by the HEO Forum and one staff member not represented by the HEO Forum, and the College Business Manager to serve as a Chairperson ex-officio, all Committee members to have a vote. The Committee will meet at least once per semester, and report to the Senate at least once per year. The Committee shall be responsible for advising the administration concerning all food services at the College, including the quality, variety, prices, and presentation of the food, as well as dining facilities.  An annual review of all contracted food services shall be part of the Committee's responsibility. The Committee shall also be responsible for making recommendations to the Administration on the college facilities, including but not limited to the state of classrooms and other teaching facilities, common areas, and access (including but not limited to corridors, doorways, elevators, and escalators), particularly in regard to the teaching/learning activities of the College.  

ARTICLE  IX The Founding of the Hunter College Senate in 1970

Section 1

It shall be the responsibility of the President of Hunter College to set the place and time of the first election within thirty days of the ratification (Article XIV) of this Charter, to convene the newly elected Senate for its first meeting, and to function as its Chair until the first slate of officers has been elected.

Section 2  

The next order of business shall be the review and adoption of the Evening Session Council By-laws and the seating of the student representatives at-large, elected by the electoral college of Evening Session Council student members, provided such elections are found to have taken place in consonance with the approved By-laws.

Section 3

The Senate shall then proceed with the election of a Nominating Committee, so that nominations for membership on the standing committees can be made.  This committee shall be composed of 4 faculty representatives, 4 student representatives, and one Chair without vote.  Ties shall be reported to the Senate.

ARTICLE  X

Nothing in the terms of this Charter shall be construed to prevent the continuation, or the establishment in the future, of student government and faculty organizations under instruments of governance which do not arrogate onto such bodies the exercise of functions properly mandated by this Charter to the College Senate, or any body or committee thereof.

ARTICLE  XI

Section 1

It shall be the responsibility of individual departments to devise, to change as required, and - after approval by the Senate - to publish their own Bylaws, providing for a departmental policy committee or committees, a Committee on the Evaluation of Teaching, and such other committees as College and Board of Trustee By-laws may require or departmental preference may indicate.

Section 2
It is the intent that departments, given the differences in their size and variations in their programs, shall have and exercise substantial latitude in devising their policy making structures, provided that they assure by representation and schedule opportunity for partici-pation of day, evening, and graduate students and faculty.  Large departments may find it expedient to have separate departmental policy committees for undergraduate and graduate sessions, capped by an appropriate arrangement for coordination between them.  Departmental policy bodies shall include equal numbers of voting faculty and student members, and there shall be one among them whose duties include that of reviewing the adequacy of departmental governance and to initiate proposals for change if deemed necessary.

Departmental By-laws shall also provide for the review of curriculum proposals.  In small departments, this may be assigned as one of its duties to the Departmental Policy Committee.  In larger departments, a distinct curriculum committee, or even separate committees on the graduate and the undergraduate curriculum, may be specified.

Section 3

An important departmental function is the evaluation of faculty course work, to be governed by the following basic considerations:

A. Student evaluation of faculty teaching and course handling is to be a significant factor in the professional appraisal of faculty performance for purposes of reappointment, promotion, and tenure.

B. Student evaluations of faculty should be made routinely each semester in all college courses.

C. A standing Departmental Committee on the Evaluation of Teaching, composed almost entirely of student majors in the Department but including a single faculty member with an alternate to insure faculty/student liaison within the Department, shall be responsible for the distribution of the questionnaire and the management of the evaluation in each department.  Its purview is to extend to all matters of administration and interpretation of the adopted teacher evaluation procedures.

D. Each semester's questionnaire results are to be submitted to the Department Chair by the Chair of the Committee on Evaluation of Teachers for use in the duly constituted procedures of professional appraisal.

E. There is also to be a faculty evaluation of course handling, based on observation and interview of all faculty members in the Department.

F. As to non-tenured faculty:

(i) A strongly negative student questionnaire response for a faculty member for a semester is to be the basis for discus-sion of the results by the Chair of the department or a designee with the faculty member before reappointment for a second year.

(ii) Strongly negative student questionnaire responses for a faculty member for 5 successive semesters are to be a strongly presumptive basis for a departmental recommendation of non-reappointment of this faculty member.  Such a questionnaire response record shall be the basis for a detailed review of a faculty member's prospect for further appointment by the department after consultation with the department Teaching Evaluation Committee and the faculty member.
If after such consultation the Department Personnel & Budget Committee concludes that the questionnaire responses are a valid reflection of the level of classroom competence of the faculty member, it will not recommend reappointment.  If a department decides to recommend the reappointment of a faculty member with such a negative response record, the department Student Evaluation Committee shall have the right immediately to appeal this recommendation to the appropriate Dean and if necessary to the President.  Pending the outcome of such appeals, any action to reappoint will be held in abeyance.

(iii) The same procedures are to be applied to untenured faculty who are being considered for reappointment with tenure.

(iv) Strongly positive questionnaire responses for a faculty member during the time periods indicated in F. (i) and (ii) above,  shall be a strongly presumptive basis for reappointment of the faculty member; such reappointment may be denied by the department if it concludes that the faculty member is not demonstrating prospects of achieving professional growth within the discipline.

(v) Reappointment with tenure shall also be based on other required and significant criteria of professional accomplish-ments and standing.

G. As to tenured faculty:
Strongly negative student question-naire responses for a faculty member for 5 successive semesters can be assumed to have given ample opportunity for the kind of reviews, spelled out in the preceding paragraphs of this Article.

They shall therefore be taken as a strongly presumptive basis for a departmental recommendation that the faculty member: (1) either be assigned to non-teaching duties he or she is demonstrably competent to perform; or (2) be brought up on charges of incompetence, with due recognition of all rights under law under applicable collectively negotiated contracts.

Section 4

1. The Procedure for Promotion to Full Professor will begin with nominations and requests for consideration for promotion to full professor being directed to the President of Hunter College by the date announced by the President's Office.  This date will be included in the Schedule of Promotions for Full Professors disseminated each year by the Provost's office to deans and department chairs.  Nominations may be made by the Department Chair, the Department P&B, or any Full Professor.  Copies of the nomination or request for consideration will be directed also to the Provost, the Dean of the candidate's respective school or division, and the Chairperson of his or her respective department.

2. When the chair of a department is a can-didate for promotion to full professor, all of the chair's duties in the promotion process for all candidates for promotion to full professor shall be assumed by a chair pro tem.  This includes having voice and vote on the departmental P&B, the appropriate divisional or school P&B, and the college-wide Committee on Faculty Personnel and Budget (FP&B) when such bodies consider the issue of promotion to full professor.  For the purposes of this section, the Ancillary Units (including the Library), shall be regarded as a division, the FP&B Subcommittee on Personnel in Ancillary Units as the divisional P&B, and the chair of the Subcommittee on Personnel in Ancillary Units as the divisional dean.  The chair will have neither voice nor vote on any P&B when it considers any aspect of the process for promotion to full professor.  The chair pro tem shall be elected at the first departmental meeting after the deadline date announced by the President for receiving nominations and requests for consideration for promotion to full professor.  The chair pro tem will be elected by the full time faculty of the department who would ordinarily be eligible to vote for department chair, and will need a majority vote of all such members of the department for election.  Hereafter references to the chair will be understood to apply either to the department chair, if that person is not a candidate for promotion to full professor, or to the chair pro tem.

3. The departmental P&B committee will be responsible for reviewing the files, scholarship materials, and letters of outside evaluation for all the candidates for promotion to full professor within the department and to make a recommendation as to whether the candidate should be endorsed for promotion.

4. The departmental P&B committee shall compile the list of external evaluators.  Although the candidate shall be invited to submit names for this list, the final determination of who shall be con¬tacted is the responsibility of the departmental P&B committee and the department Chair.

5. The Chair of the candidate's department shall on behalf of the departmental P&B committee perform such administrative tasks as contacting outside evaluators, sending them the candidates' appropriate materials, receiving the evaluations, and transmitting them to the departmental P&B committee.  The Chair shall write the Chair's report summarizing the candidate's record.

6. The departmental P&B committee shall make its recommendation to the respective school or divisional Personnel and Budget Committee via the office of the respective Dean.  The candidate will be informed of the recom¬mendation and, if negative, may elect to withdraw or to continue in the process. 

7. The responsibilities of the Dean shall include, but not be limited to, scheduling meetings of the respective personnel and budget committee; scheduling interviews with candidates and the respective personnel and budget committee; duplicating the candidates' curriculum vitae, external evaluations, and any other pertinent materials; maintaining the files on the candidate; and placing candidates' publications in the Archives.  

8. The appropriate divisional or school personnel and budget committee shall review all supporting documents for the candidate's promotion.  An interview before this committee may be requested by the candidate or the committee.  Refusal to meet with the committee shall not be prejudicial to the candidate.  However, the committee shall not refuse to meet with the candidate once such a meeting is requested in writing by the candidate.  The committee may ask any member of the full-time faculty to serve as a resource in gathering pertinent informa¬tion on the candidate's relevant discipline, including members from the candidate's department and/or school or division.

9. The appropriate divisional or school per¬sonnel and budget committee will judge whether to recommend or not recommend each candidate falling within its purview.  The committee will vote by secret ballot and minutes of the meeting shall be kept pursuant to Robert's Rules, newly revised.  All affirmative recommendations must be by a majority of the committee.  The Dean shall transmit a report of the committee's recommendations to the President and Provost's Offices indicating those candidates recommended and those candidates not recommended.  Each candidate will be informed of the recommendation and, if negative, may elect to withdraw or to continue in the process.

10.  The Deans of each School or Division shall transmit to the President, Provost, and the Office of Personnel for duplication and distribution the curriculum vitae, chair's report, teaching evaluations, and external evaluations for each candidate.  All members of the FP&B shall receive copies of the curriculum vitae, chair's report, and teaching evaluations.  The Deans shall receive copies of the external evaluations for all candidates and shall make them available to members of the FP&B for review.  The Deans shall place all other documents, including publications, in the Archives.

11. The President shall send a report of the recommendations to all members of the FP&B prior to the meeting designated to consider promotions to full professor.  At that meeting, members of the FP&B shall deliberate and vote on the FP&B recommendation to the President concerning which candidates should be recommended to the Board of Trustees for promotion.

12. The President shall review the recommendations of the FP&B and notify the candidates, in writing, who the President will recommend to the CUNY Board of Trustees for promotion to full professor.  The President also has the authority to make an independent recommendation for promotion after consultation with the appropriate departmental P&B Committee and with the FP&B. 

13. The President shall notify in writing those candidates who will not be recommended to the Board of Trustees for promotion.  After receipt of this notification, candidates not recommended for promotion to full professor may appeal, writing directly to the President.

ARTICLE  XII

Section 1

The College shall establish the office of Hunter College Ombuds Officer, providing a full-time secretary and such assistants as the incumbent may choose to staff the operation.

Section 2

Any member of the College community eligible to serve on the Senate may be nominated or may nominate herself or himself for the position of Hunter College Ombuds Officer. Such nominations shall be addressed to the Nominations Committee of the Senate which may make its own nominations as well as soliciting them from the floor of the Senate.  Each candidate shall be voted on individually by a for-or-against vote, the appointment going to the candidate with the highest plurality of "for" votes, provided their number exceeds two-thirds of the number of representatives present and voting.

Section 3

The appointment shall be for a term of three years, removal from office to occur only as the result of demonstrated inability to perform the duties of the office.

Section 4

The Hunter College Ombuds Officer shall consider complaints and grievances that are brought by any member of the Hunter College community, concerning a condition or problem in the College, may investigate the conditions giving rise to such complaints and may refer cases to others when the usual appeals procedures seem adequate.  The Ombuds Officer will undertake independent investigations, in general, only if the usual procedures have proved inadequate or have been exhausted, and shall be empowered to recommend action to any officer or to any committee or organization of the College.  The Ombuds Officer shall from time to time report on his or her work to the Hunter College Senate; and may otherwise publicize the results of investigations.

Section 5

The Ombuds Officer shall be responsible for caus¬ing an impartial review to be conducted of the structure and the functioning of the College Senate at the end of two years of operation, with a view to recommending such changes in structure, functions, operations, by-laws and the like as this review of Senate experience may indicate.  

ARTICLE  XIII

Section 1

Amendments to the Charter may be proposed for referendum by a three-fourth majority of the Senate members pre¬sent and voting at any meeting, regular or special, provided that the text of the proposed amendment has been submitted in writing to the Senate mem-bership no less than ten days prior to such meeting.  To be approved, amendments shall require a majority vote in each constituency, faculty and students, with no less than 30% of each voting.
Petition for amendment may be filed either by 20% of the Senate membership or by 10% of either the student or the faculty voting constituency.

Section 2

This section is an amendment to Section 1 of Article XIII and, preserving the spirit of equity regarding sessional representation of students and faculty, governs the possible amendment of all articles of the Charter except the total percentages of the faculty, student, and administra¬tion representation as set forth in Article III, Section 1.

A. An amendment may be proposed by the Charter Review Committee or by written petition to the Administrative Committee bearing the signatures of not less than 20% of the Senate members or 200 members of the Hunter College community.

B. Upon receipt, the Administrative Committee will schedule as the first order of business, a First Reading of the proposed amendment, not later than the second regular meeting following its submission date, for discussion without vote.

C. A Second Reading will take place at the next Senate meeting, at least 27 days later, the complete text having been mailed to all Senate members and to the chief officer of the faculty organizations and the student governments.  At such meeting, the pro¬posed Amendment shall be subject to amendment from the floor by a 3/4 vote of those present and voting.  After debate on the proposed Amendment as submitted and amended, the Amendment will be formally proposed if it receives a 3/4 vote of all those present.

D. A Third Reading will be the first order of business after the election of Senate Officers at the first meeting of the new Senate (Article VI. Section 1).  Approval by written ballot by 3/4 of all those present shall constitute adoption, which shall be certified by the Chairperson to the President.

ARTICLE  XIV

Ratification of this Charter will be completed when it has been:

A. Accepted by a majority of all students and a majority of the instructional staff of Hunter College; provided that at least 30% of each constituency votes.

B. Recommended by the President of Hunter College to the CUNY Board of Trustees.

C. Approved by the CUNY Board of Trustees

************
AMENDMENTS:

1979: ARTICLE XIV Section 2

1980: ARTICLE VIII Sections 10, 11

1981: ARTICLE III Section 1; ARTICLE IV Section 1. C (ii), E (i), H (i), (ii); ARTICLE VIII Section 8. A, B, Section 12

1985 ARTICLE VIII Section 5;  Elimi¬nation of Sexist Language: AR¬TICLE IV Section 1. (iii), Sec¬tion 2. C; ARTICLE V Sections 1, 2, 3; ARTICLE VIII Sections 3, 4, 6, 7, 10;  ARTICLE X Sections 1, 3; ARTICLE XII Section 3. D, F (i), F (ii), F (iv), 3. G;  ARTI¬CLE XIII Sections 2, 4.

1987: ARTICLE I Section 1; ARTICLE II Section 3; ARTICLE XII Section 1; ARTICLE III Sec¬tion2; ARTI¬CLE IV Sec¬tion 1. A, B,  Section 2. A (i), (ii), B (i), (ii), C (i), D (i), E (i), H (i); Sections 3, 4, 5;  AR¬TICLE VIII Sections 1. B, Section 2,  Section 3, A, B, D; Sections 4,5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13.

1992: ARTICLE VIII Section 14; AR¬TICLE XIV Section 2. A.

1998: ARTICLE III, Section 1, new Sec¬tion 2; ARTICLE IV Section 1 A, B, Section 2 A, B, C, D, F, G, H(ii); Section 3 B, Section 4; AR¬TICLE V, Sections 1 and 3; AR¬TICLE VII Section 2; ARTICLE VIII Section 3 A, B, D, Section 4 A, Sections 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, new Sections 15 and 16; ARTICLE XI (XII)Section 2, new Section 4.

2006: ARTICLE III, Section 1, new Section 2; ARTICLE IV, Section 2 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, new Section 3; ARTICLE VIII, Section 1, new paragraph C and D, Section 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, new Section 17.

2015: ARTICLE IV, Section 1 B (i), (ii), Section 2. C; ARTICLE VIII, Section 3 D; ARTICLE V, Section 1; ARTICLE VI, Section 1; ARTICLE XIII, Section 2 D.  
2017: Title; ARTICLE I; ARTICLE II Section 3; ARTICLE III Section 1, 3, 4; ARTICLE IV Section 2 A, B, C, E, F, G; ARTICLE VIII Section 1, 3 4 A, 4 B, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21; ARTICLE XI Section 4; ARTICLE XII; ARTICLE XIV.  

2018:     ARTICLE VIII.12 and ARTICLE VIII.21.  

2023: ARTICLE IV Section 3, ARTICLE V.SECTION 1, ARTICLE V Section 3, and ARTICLE VIII Section 16.   [Approved by BoT on 15 February 2023]