Section I 

1.1 WHEREAS the Senate President charged the Senate Rules Committee with reviewing the Bylaws of the University of Oregon Senate (the “Bylaws”) and proposing Bylaw amendments:  

• fixing typographical and grammatical errors,  
• correcting inaccuracies, 
• modernizing the Bylaws and making them consistent with current practice, and 
• recommending clarified and more efficient language where useful or appropriate.; and

1.2 WHEREAS, in connection with this review, the Committee has determined that it is desirable to clarify:  

• The office of the Senate Vice President and its relationship to the office of Senate President; and 
• That the Senate President cannot also simultaneously serve as Senate Vice-President in order to ensure a separate individual is available to substitute for and ascend to the office of Senate President if the current Senate President is absent, unavailable, or unable to complete their term. 

Section II 

2.1  THEREFORE BE IT MOVED that the University Senate elects to amend the Bylaws as follows: 

4.1 Senate President. The Senate President shall be the presiding officer of the Senate. The term of office for the Senate President shall be approximately one year, commencing at the end of the final Senate meeting in Spring Term and continuing through the end of the final Senate meeting in the subsequent Spring Term. The Senate President shall routinely consult with the Senate Vice President and Immediate-Past Senate President on all issues facing the Senate. 

4.1.1. Procedure when the Senate Presidency becomes vacant midterm. If the office of the Senate President becomes vacant for any reason, then the Vice President shall automatically assume the office of the President for the remainder of the term of office of the former President. A Vice President who assumes the Presidency in this manner retains the position of the President-Elect and thus shall be remain Senate President for an additional full year term as described in Article 4.2.2. 

4.2 Senate Vice President. and President-Elect. The Senate Vice President and Senate President-Elect are two separate positions that are held by one person. The person elected Senate Vice President is automatically elected to the separate office of Senate President-Elect. 

4.2.1. Senate Vice President. The Senate Vice President shall not be the same person as the Senate President. The Senate Vice President shall be elected each year by the Senate at its final Spring term meeting. The term of office for the Senate Vice President shall be approximately one year beginning at the end of the final Senate meeting in the spring term they were elected. The responsibilities of the Senate Vice President shall include but are not limited to chairing Senate meetings when the Senate President temporarily steps down or is absent, co-chairing the Committee on Committees, being a voting member of the Senate Executive Committee and Faculty Advisory Council, and assisting the Senate President in governing the Senate as requested. The Senate Vice President shall assume the Senate Presidency when the Senate President vacates or resigns from the office unexpectedly as described in Article 4.1.1. 

4.2.1.1 Procedure when the Senate Vice-Presidency becomes vacant midterm. If the position of Senate Vice-President becomes vacant for any reason, then the Senate may choose to shall elect an interim a new Senate Vice President to serve for the remainder of the term of office of the former Senate Vice President who shall not also serve as President-Elect. In the event that the Vice President resigns or leaves office for any reason, s/he shall not continue to serve as President-Elect. 

4.2.2 Senate President-Elect. The Senate President-Elect, who normally is also the Senate Vice President (see Article 4.2), serves also as the Senate President-Elect and shall automatically assume the office of the Senate Presidency at the end of the final Senate meeting in Spring term one year after his/her election to this position, except that if the current Vice President was elected mid-term pursuant to 4.2.1 because the former Vice President assumed the Senate Presidency mid-term pursuant to 4.1.1, then (i) the Senate President shall continue as Senate President for an additional full year term through the end of the final Senate meeting in the subsequent Spring Term; and (ii) the current Vice President shall continue as Vice President  for an additional full year term and assume the Senate Presidency at the end of the final Senate meeting in the subsequent Spring Term.