1. to assist in the governance of the Institute and to advise the Board of Trustees, the president, the provost, and the deans — as appropriate — in the creation of policy and/or its implementation; and
2. to speak as the primary voice of the faculty of the Schools of Architecture, Art and Design, Information and Library Science, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Library.

• recommending and approving academic policies and procedures which have an impact on academic quality and integrity;
  
• reviewing structures of programs, curricula, and schools;
  
• providing for appropriate review of course additions and changes;
  
• facilitating the process of the development and implementation of academic initiatives;
  
• reviewing academic services;
  
• establishing committees on appropriate issues;
  
• interviewing prospective deans, vice-presidents, provosts, and presidents;
  
• appointing faculty members to the Board of Trustees’ standing committees;
  
• nominating a faculty trustee;
  
• appointing faculty and chair membership to Institute search committees as requested.

• Full-time faculty: at least one full-time faculty member from the Library and each of the schools of the Institute: Architecture, Art and Design, Information and Library Science, and Liberal Arts and Sciences. In schools with more than twelve full-time faculty, there will be one representative for each twelve or major fraction thereof.
  
• Part-time faculty: four part-time faculty members elected from the School of Art and Design; two part-time faculty members elected from School of Architecture; and one part-time faculty member elected from the remainder of the part-time faculty (the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the School of Information and Library Science, and the Library). These numbers represent a proportional representation at the ratio of approximately 1 to 70.
  
• Chairs: one chair from each of these undergraduate and graduate units of the Institute: Undergraduate Art and Design, Graduate Art and Design, Undergraduate Architecture, Graduate Architecture; and one chair representing the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the School of Information and Library Science, and the Library combined.
  
• Alternate member: in the event that a senate position becomes vacant, the person receiving the next highest number of votes for that position will become the representative, provided that the voting body and the pool of potential nominees remains the same. An interim election will be held if either the voting body or the pool of potential nominees has changed significantly as determined by the executive committee of the academic senate.

• Faculty: full-time, adjunct, and visiting faculty;
• Chairs: Those who teach regularly scheduled classes in their subject areas.

• These officers (who serve three-year terms) constitute the executive committee of the academic senate. The executive committee is elected by secret ballot of the newly constituted senate. Passage of actions may be by majority of the executive committee.
  
• The executive committee will verify the standing committees, and create and coordinate a master schedule of senate and standing committee meetings for each academic year.
  
• The executive committee has the authority to act when the senate is not in regular session; however, reasonable effort to poll senate members is expected.
  
• If the president is chosen from among the members of the senate (as opposed to the faculty-at-large), the replacement shall be the alternate member.
  
• The president of the academic senate will preside over all senate meetings and supervise any senate staff. In addition, the academic senate president will represent the academic senate at the Institute president’s senior staff meetings and at meetings of the board of trustees.

The following key positions shall receive an annual stipend (or appropriate prorated portion for partial terms served), based upon the minimum starting salary in effect for full time professors as defined in the CBA as follows:

President – 24% of minimum starting salary;
Vice-President – 12%;
Secretary – 12%;
Treasurer – 12%;
Chairperson, Academic Programs and Policies Committee – 12%;
Chairperson, Academic Initiatives Committee – 12%; and
Chairperson, Academic Concerns and Support Committee – 12%

An annual stipend (or appropriate prorated portion for partial terms served) shall also be provided for the following Senate designation:

Distinguished Teacher – 4%

Compensation shall be paid semiannually; on the second part-time pay date of each semester. Persons holding more than one compensated position within the academic senate (with the exception of Distinguished Teacher) shall receive compensation for only the highest paid position.

• The president of the Institute, the provost, and other administrative officers shall be invited, at appropriate times, to meet with the senate.
  
• Relevant administrators may not stand for election as senators or vote in senate elections, but depending on their area of expertise will be asked to serve on ad hoc or standing committees as ex-officio (non-voting) members according to procedures outlined below.

• The academic senate may review courses and programs at Pratt Institute and may recommend that courses and programs be introduced, accepted, rejected or discontinued. It also makes recommendations in the composition of major search committees and task forces established by the administration.
  
• The senate may request from the president of the Institute, or the provost, as appropriate, a formal response to any study, recommendation, or action sent forward for special consideration by the administration.
  
• The senate may establish ad hoc committees and may also recommend issues to be taken up by the standing committees.
  
• Additional standing and ad hoc committees of the academic senate will be established as needed, to be determined by the academic senate. Committees other than the executive committee may have non-senate members serving in an ex-officio capacity.
  
• It is expected that senators will report to colleagues on the major issues discussed or being considered by the senate. A news bulletin will be published campus-wide each semester noting the actions taken by the senate.

Regular meetings will be held biweekly during the fall and spring semesters, or as often as deemed necessary by the executive committee.

The academic senate will convene at least once, after the eighth week of each of the fall and spring semesters, a meeting of the faculty and chairs, presided over by the president of the academic senate. Presentations on issues regarding the Institute and academic governance will be made by the president of Pratt Institute and the president of the academic senate. It is the responsibility of the senate to set the agenda for this meeting.

The rules contained in the Modern Edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the academic senate in all cases where they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the senate may adopt.

The following standing committees report to the senate:

• Academic Programs and Policies, which examines educational goals and policies, including but not limited to the following: curriculum study and development; proposals for all course additions, course changes, and degree programs (passing on its recommendations to the senate for its consideration); and academic policies and procedures relating to instruction. Membership of the committee consists of five senators. The committee consults with appropriate student, staff, and administrative representatives.
  
• Academic Initiatives, which engages in the exploration of academic ideas, examines their desirability and their institutional impact, and seeks to ensure the academic integrity of newly approved initiatives.
  
• Academic Support, which reviews and makes recommendations on all non-instructional aspects of academic services and activities, including coordination of the nominations for the annual Distinguished Teacher award, and advisory assistance with policies and procedures included in this handbook, admissions standards, scholarships, student honors and awards, and honorary degrees.
  
• Nominations and Elections, which appoints nominees for senate standing and ad hoc committees and for committees of the board of trustees. It conducts the elections for officers and senators of the academic senate.

Proposals for course and curriculum changes are normally prepared and presented to the dean by the academic departments. Proposals for changes must be submitted with syllabi, course descriptions, grading and evaluation requirements, and other appropriate documentation, including impact on existing credit distribution and requirements, needs and changes in faculty staffing and departmental equipment, and budget implications.

Faculty proposals for course and curriculum changes should be submitted using the standard form issued jointly by the provost and by the senate Academic Programs and Policies committee, and available in the dean’s office. To ensure a timely review, proposals should be submitted to the dean’s office for review no later than October 15 of the year prior to the academic year in which they are proposed to be implemented.

Following approval by the dean, these curricular proposals are forwarded to the provost’s office for simultaneous reviews by the deans council and the academic senate.

• Develop criteria of eligibility, fitness, and evaluation of their peers;
• Set up procedures to assure that these criteria are followed;
• Review and recommend faculty in the first stage of the process for appointment, reappointment, promotion and tenure.