University Life Committee

The University Life Committee (ULC) shall consider all matters relating to personnel and to student life in the university community. ULC will make recommendations on these matters to University Council (UC). Specifically, the responsibilities of the ULC are university-wide policies (such as smoking, sexual harassment, etc.); student policies; safety, health and quality of life issues.

1. Voting members of the committee shall consist of:

    

   • Faculty (6 from the Faculty Senate with at least one from each college)
   • University Computing and Telecommunications (UCT) Representative
   • Student Services Representative
   • President’s Office Representative
   • Executive Director of Human Resources
   • USA Representative
   • Student Representatives (1 Graduate and 1 Undergraduate)
   • Librarian Representative
   • Non-voting member of the committee: Police Chief or Representative, ex officio

• The secretary for the committee shall be from the office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance.

2. Election of Members. The ULC membership will elect a chair from the committee who may be from any constituent group except students. The chair of the ULC will receive release time/compensation for service. This release time will be one course release per semester for a faculty chair or compensation for a non-faculty chair. The ULC will also have an administrative vice-chair, the Executive Director of Human Resources. The elected members of the ULC will be expected to serve a two-year term.

3.  

   Responsibilities of Members. Representatives will be expected to represent the views of the constituents they represent on the committee, but should serve the best interests of the university community at large. Representatives are expected to keep their constituencies informed of ULC matters on a regular basis.

4. Resignation of members. Any member desiring to resign from ULC shall contact the Chair of ULC. The Chair will contact the principal representative of the constituent group who will follow the procedures of that represented group for filling the vacancies other than the chair.

5. Removal of members. If a committee member exceeds two absences per year, the member may be replaced at the discretion of the chair. Absence is defined as without cause and without providing an alternate.

6. Alternate Voting Members.  Each member will be allowed to designate an alternate to serve a full year.  For members that are elected or appointed, the electing or appointing body must approve the alternate designated.  The name of the alternate must be submitted to the Committee secretariat for inclusion in the membership roster in order to be recognized for voting authority.  Alternates are encouraged to attend each meeting.  If the electing or appointing body does not choose to appoint an alternate, one is not required.

1. The ULC membership will elect a chair from the committee who may be from any constituent group except students.
2. 2. The ULC will also have an administrative vice-chair, the executive director of human resources.

1. The Chair shall be elected at the first meeting of each year.
2. Committee members serve two (2) year terms, with half the members elected each year by their constituent groups, unless the represented group’s constitution dictates otherwise.
3. ULC members are elected prior to August 1.
4. The normal term of service in ULC is twenty-four (24) consecutive months, beginning September 1.

1. Frequency. Meetings are normally held at least once each month. The committee normally selects the schedule for the meetings at the beginning of each semester.
2. Specially Called Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the chair(s) or by written request of a majority of committee membership.
3. Agendas. The agenda for each meeting shall be published at least one week in advance of the meeting. Each committee member may submit to the Chair(s) items for the committee agenda, prior to its publication.
4. Support Materials. Items on the agenda for action shall be accompanied by appropriate support material at or before the time the agenda is published, unless this requirement is waived by the committee for special items.
5. Quorum. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.

1. Formation. ULC may establish relevant subcommittees (including task forces). Members of the subcommittees do not have to be members of the ULC. The ULC Chair appoints the chair(s) of subcommittees in consultation with the committee as a whole. Membership of the subcommittees will normally include a representative from each constituency involved in the task of the subcommittee.
2. Responsibility. The charge to the subcommittee will be determined by vote of ULC. Chairs of subcommittees of ULC will be expected to involve and regularly communicate with ULC by means of periodic reports.
3. The Hugh P. Avery Staff Award subcommittee. This committee shall be a standing subcommittee of ULC, chaired by the Executive Director of Human Resources/AA. It will be responsible for reviewing nominations for the president’s distinguished staff award and the honored Hugh P. Avery Prize award and forwarding recommendations for these awards to the president prior to the faculty and staff award presentation in the spring.

Any member of any constituent group or any person at UHCL may introduce a policy proposal or other item to ULC. Upon introduction of the item, the chair will place the item on the committee’s next available meeting agenda. The committee may:

• consider the item for possible action;
• return the item to the person or group with notice that the item is not a ULC concern;
• return the item to the person or group with recommendation that it be rerouted; or
• inform the person or group that the item needs further development before being introduced into the Shared      Governance System.

ULC recommendations may be forwarded to the appropriate person or committee with a vote to support, a vote not to support, or a vote of “no action.” A 60 percent majority of the ULC present and voting membership will be required to forward a recommendation. All other voting within the ULC will be by simple majority of all voting committee members.