ARTICLE V. THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL

SECTION 1. Name. The name of the body hereby constituted shall be the University Council.

SECTION 2. Powers and Jurisdiction.

1. General Educational Policy. The University Council shall exercise legislative power on matters of general educational policy and, consistent with Policies[8] of the Board of Regents, shall make such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or proper for the promotion of the educational interests of the University. Recommendations made by any school or college regarding the establishment, major modification, or discontinuance of any degree or program must be approved by the Council before being submitted to the President for transmission to the Chancellor and the Board of Regents for approval.[9]
   
   
2. Welfare of Entire University. The University Council shall exercise legislative power on matters dealing with the general welfare of the entire University and, consistent with the Policies of the Board of Regents,[10a and 10b] shall make such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or proper for the promotion of the general welfare of the University. 
   
   The University Council shall not adopt regulations affecting the internal action of any school, college or any institutionally-related entity (e.g., the UGA Athletic Association, the UGA Research Foundation, the UGA Foundation) except insofar as such action may be necessary to protect the interest of the University as a whole or the interests of another school or college. However, any action of a school, college or division thereof or institutionally-related entity that in the judgment of the Council seriously affects the interests of another school or college, or adversely affects the general interests of the University, may be set aside by the University Council. Each school or college faculty concerned shall be given an opportunity to be heard by the University Council, through representatives from that school or college appointed for that purpose, before final action is taken.
   
   Since the creation, abolition, or major restructuring of a school or college necessarily affects the educational interests and the welfare of the entire University, any proposal for the creation, abolition, or major restructuring of a school or college shall be presented to the University Council for its recommendation to the President.
   
   
3. Regulation of Student Conduct and Activities. The University Council shall have power to make general regulations regarding student conduct and other phases of student life and activities. It shall also have power to establish rules governing all forms of student organizations, including sororities and fraternities, insofar as they are properly subject to the jurisdiction of the University.
   
   
4. Faculty Conference. The Faculty Conference shall provide a forum for the discussion of issues of concern to the University Faculty. It is composed of all elected University Council faculty members and those faculty members of the University Council who are appointed by the Executive Committee. It shall elect a chair and a secretary. Meetings shall be called by the chair or upon petition of 10 members of the Conference. 
   
   
5. Faculty Grievance. The University Council shall elect a Faculty Grievance Committee from the University Faculty. This committee shall be a standing committee. Any member of the University Faculty or any group of members of the faculty shall have a right of access to this committee prior to final rulings by the President. The committee and its delegates shall have authority to conduct inquiries into faculty grievances, to attempt the resolution of those grievances by mediation, to hold hearings, to hear appeals of cases heard by grievance committees in the schools or colleges and to present to the President its recommendations for appropriate responses to the grievances it has considered.
   
   The President, prior to rendering a final decision on the matter, may refer to the committee for review and recommendation the complaint of any faculty member. However, final rulings by the President may be appealed only to the Board of Regents.[11]
   
   
6. Creation of Committees. The University Council shall have power to create such committees as may be needed for the orderly and efficient handling of its business, and on matters of urgency it may vest authority in an executive committee (or such other committee as it may designate) to take immediate action which shall be binding until reversed or modified at a subsequent meeting of the University Council. It shall elect or provide for the appointment of the members of the Executive Committee and of such other committees as it creates. The number of those serving on each standing committee, the manner of their election, the duties of each committee, and the term of service of each member of a committee shall be set forth in the Bylaws of the Council which shall be available to all members of the University Faculty and to the students of the University. Members of the University Faculty other than members of the Council may be appointed or elected to standing or special committees of the Council.
   
   
7. Rules of Procedure. The University Council shall have power to establish rules of procedure and to determine all matters pertaining to its own meetings. Such general regulations as may be established regarding procedure shall be clearly set forth in its Bylaws.
   
   
8. The Secretary of the University Council shall publish promptly to all University Faculty members a record of all actions taken at each meeting of the Council and shall forward to the Chancellor a copy of the actions of each meeting within three days of such meetings.

SECTION 3. Ex Officio and Appointed Members. Ex officio members of the University Council shall be as follows:

The President of the University (who shall be the chair and presiding officer of the Council),
The Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents, as designated in Article III,
The Deans of the Schools and Colleges,
The Associate Provost and University Librarian,
The Registrar (who shall be the Secretary of the Council),
The President and Vice President of the Student Government Association,
The President of the UGA Staff Council, and
The President of the UGA Alumni Association. 

Ex officio members of the Council together shall not exceed 30 of the total membership. The Executive Committee may appoint a maximum of six additional members to staggered three-year terms to help rectify imbalances regarding race, ethnicity or gender.

SECTION 4. Elected Members. The remainder of the University Council shall consist of members of the faculty with academic rank[12] elected by such faculty, staff elected by the staff, and of students elected by the students.

SECTION 5. Eligibility. 

1. Faculty. Any member of the faculty with academic rank shall be eligible for election to the University Council.
   
   
2. Students. Any student shall be eligible for election to the University Council if he/she is a regularly enrolled full-time student of sophomore level or above in one of the schools or colleges of the University and is in good academic and disciplinary standing as defined by the Council and the individual schools and colleges.
   
   
3. Staff. Any staff from the classified personnel [13] or other regular non-faculty status employees shall be eligible for election to the University Council as outlined in the University Council Bylaws.
   

SECTION 6. Ratio of Membership. 

1. Faculty. There shall be one member elected by the faculty with academic rank of each of the several schools and colleges. Faculty members holding academic rank shall vote in the school or college in which they hold academic rank. A number of extra members shall be elected by the faculties of each of the schools and colleges. The number of the extra elected members shall be determined by electing one member for each twenty faculty members holding academic rank, with the number of elected members being rounded to the nearest whole number. The number of the extra members from each school and college under this formula shall be determined annually by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. For each of the offices of Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Vice President for Instruction, Vice President for Research, Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, and Vice President for Student Affairs the members of the corps of instruction who do not hold academic rank (e.g., public service, research associate and librarians) shall elect two council members. 
   
   
2. Students. Student members of the Council shall be students elected by students from their respective schools or colleges as outlined in the Bylaws.
   
   
3. Staff.  Staff members of the Council will be elected by staff serving on the UGA Staff Council as outlined in the University Council Bylaws.
   

SECTION 7. Time of Elections. The elected members of the University Council shall be elected in the Spring before their term of service on the Council begins.

SECTION 8. Term of Elected Members. Student members of the University Council shall serve for a term of one year. Elected faculty and staff members shall normally serve a term of three years. In order to maintain the system of overlapping terms established in 1959, the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall continue to classify the elected faculty members in respect to the time for which they shall severally hold office into three classes, each consisting of one-third of the elected representatives of each school or college, with the term of one class of representatives expiring each year. In assigning additional representatives to any school or college, the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall place them into the appropriate class with a term of one, two, or three years in order to maintain the system of overlapping terms. The term of a faculty member elected for three years shall not be cut off by reason of a diminution in the total number of representatives assigned to the school or college.

SECTION 9. Vacancies. Vacancies upon the University Council shall be filled by special election held during the academic year after 10 days notice in the school or college affected. The dean of the school or college concerned shall be responsible for the conduct of the election. Staff vacancies upon the University Council shall be filled by special election held by the Staff Council during the academic year after 10 days notice.

SECTION 10. Regular Meetings. The Council shall meet at least three times each semester of the regular academic year. The time and place of the regular meetings shall be determined by the presiding officer.

SECTION 11. Special Meetings. The presiding officer or the Executive Committee of the Council shall have authority to call a special meeting, or a special meeting shall be held upon written petition, addressed to the Executive Committee and signed by twenty members of the Council.

SECTION 12. Quorum. A majority of the Council shall constitute a quorum.
 
SECTION 13. Notice of Meeting. 

1. Notice of a regular or special meeting shall be sent by the Secretary to each member of the University Council, Directors, and Department Heads 10 days in advance of the meeting, but delay in delivery of such notice shall not invalidate any action at the meeting.
   
   
2.  All notices pertaining to special meetings shall specify the matters to be discussed and acted upon at such meeting, and no other business shall be transacted.
   

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[8] Policies, § 301.
[9] Policies, § 303.
[10a] Policies, § 204
[10b] Policies, § 302.05.
[11] Bylaws, Art. VIII.
[12] University Statues Article X, Section 2.
[13] Policies of the Board of Regents (801.02)