Resolution # 2020-11
On September 16, 2020, pursuant to the emergency provisions of Article VII, section 1 of the UH West Oʻahu Faculty Senate Charter, the UHWO Faculty Senate Executive Committee adopted the following Resolution:
Resolved, That Article V of the UH West O‘ahu Faculty Senate Charter be amended to add the following new section:
“SECTION 3 Electronic Meetings. When ordered by the Chair in the call of the meeting, any regular or special Unit meeting shall be conducted by means of teleconference, videoconference, or any means of a communication technology by which all persons participating in the meeting can speak to and hear each other at the same time. Participation by such means shall constitute attendance at the meeting as long as such simultaneous communication is active and enabled.“; and be it
Resolved, That Rule 2 of the UH West Oʻahu Faculty Senate Special Rules of Order be amended to add the following new paragraph:
“C. In any electronic meeting, the Chair may order voting be conducted by polling (counted) or roll call (names & votes recorded in the minutes) if not by general consent.“; and be it
Resolved, That the UH West Oʻahu Faculty Senate Special Rules of Order be amended to add the following new rules:
“Rule 4 In teleconferenced meetings attendees/participants must sign in with their first and last real names; phone numbers or fictional names are not permitted. The host or presiding officer is authorized to rename participants to comply with this rule.
Rule 5 In a teleconferenced meeting, with features comparable to ZOOM, voting members are expected to open and maintain the “participants” window open throughout the meeting and will use the features and icons there available as directed by the Chair.“
Effective date: Immediately upon approval of the Chancellor.
Intended Purpose or Rationale
As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, face to face meetings of the senate were cancelled after March 2020. No campus facilities are now or likely to be available in the foreseeable future for face to face meetings of the Faculty Senate; therefore, as required by the UHWO Faculty Senate’s adopted parliamentary authority, electronic meetings must be authorized in the senate’s principal governing document, which is the UHWO Faculty Senate Charter. Likewise, as provided in the parliamentary authority, special rules order are necessary to specify participants responsibilities with respect to log-in, debate and voting.
Submitted by Faculty Senate Chair, Tom Hirsbrunner, September 16, 2020
Recommended by UH-West Oʻahu, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jeffrey Moniz, September 16, 2020
Approved by UH-West Oʻahu, Chancellor Maenette Benham, September 17, 2020
Ratified by UHWO Faculty Senate, September 18, 2020