University Senate
1517. Organization and Membership--1. The University Senate is an elected body of professionals in higher education created by the General Conference to determine which schools, colleges, universities, and theological schools meet the criteria for listing as institutions affiliated with The United Methodist Church.30
2. The senate shall be composed of twenty-five voting members who, at the time of election, are actively engaged in the work of education through employment in an educational institution and are fitted by training and experience for the technical work of evaluating educational institutions. Election is for the quadrennium, except in cases where conflict of interest arises as a result of change in employment. Nine of these members shall be elected quadrennially by the National Association of Schools and Colleges of The United Methodist Church--seven of whom shall be chief executive officers of United Methodist-related educational institutions, the other two holding other positions relevant to academic or financial affairs or church relationships; four by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry--two of whom shall be chief executive officers of United Methodist-related higher educational institutions, the other two holding other positions relevant to academic or financial affairs or Church relationships; four by the General Conference--two of whom shall be chief executive officers of United Methodist-related educational institutions at the time of their election, the other two holding other positions relevant to academic or financial affairs or Church relationships; four by the senate itself, without limitation other than the general provisions of this paragraph; and four shall be appointed by the Council of Bishops--two of whom shall be chief executive officers of United Methodist-related educational institutions, the other two holding other positions relevant to academic or financial affairs or Church relationships. Each of the five electing bodies shall elect at least one woman.
Members elected by the General Conference shall be nominated and elected by the following procedure: Twelve persons shall be nominated by the Council of Bishops, six of whom shall be chief executive officers of United Methodist-related educational institutions, the other six holding other positions relevant to academic or financial affairs or Church relationships. At the same daily session at which the above nominations are announced, additional nominations may be made from the floor but at no other time. From these nominations, the General Conference shall elect without discussion, by ballot and by plurality vote, the four persons to serve on the senate, two from each of the two categories of nominees. Should a vacancy occur in the members elected by General Conference in the interim prior to the next General Conference, the Council of Bishops shall appoint a replacement taken from the remaining nominees. The election process shall be repeated at each succeeding General Conference. Care should be taken that women, racial and ethnic persons, and representatives from the United Methodist-related black colleges and graduate theological seminaries shall be members of the senate. If a member (other than the four elected by the General Conference) retires from educational work, or for any other cause a vacancy occurs during the quadrennium, it shall be filled by the agency by which the retiring member was elected at its next meeting. The general secretary of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry and the associate general secretaries of the Divisions of Higher Education, Ordained Ministry, and Diaconal Ministry of that board shall serve as ex-officio members of the senate, with voice but without vote. There shall be one staff representative, with voice but without vote, from the General Board of Global Ministries on the senate named by the general secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries.
This legislation is to be effective upon the adjournment of the General Conference.
3. The associate general secretary of the Division of Higher Education shall be the executive secretary of the senate. The general secretary of the board shall convene it for organization at the beginning of each quadrennium. The senate shall elect its own officers, including a president, a vice-president, and a recording secretary, and may appoint such committees and commissions and delegate to them such powers as are incident to its work. Thereafter, it shall meet semiannually at such time and place as it may determine. Special meetings may be called on the written request of five members or at the discretion of the president and the executive secretary.
4. After consultation with the officers of the senate, the Division of Higher Education shall provide in its annual budget for the expense of the senate as it may deem sufficient, except that expenses incurred by the senate on behalf of any other board of the Church shall be borne by that board.
30See Judicial Council Decision 589.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 1517
1996 United Methodist General Conference