ARTICLES OF GOVERNMENT
ARTICLE III. Meetings of the Academic Council

Section 1. Privileges

All persons attending meetings of the Council are free to speak and present motions whether they vote or not. There shall be no separation of voting and nonvoting members in the seating of the Council room.

Section 2. Time of Meetings

All afternoon meetings of the Academic Council shall close not later than six o'clock unless a motion to adjourn is voted down.

Section 3. Order of Business

A. Minutes

B. Reports

     1. Committees

          a. Standing

          b. Special

     2. Administrative Officers

C. Interpellation of committees and officers

D. Announcements of motions to be considered at later meetings

E. Unfinished business

F. New business

G. Announcements

H. Adjournment

Section 4. Rules of Order

A. Quorum. One third of its voting membership (excluding members on leave) shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.

B. Session. The term session, whenever used in these rules, shall be understood to mean all the meetings of the academic year.

C. Motions.

     1. Ordinary Procedure

          a. Debatable

          b. Can be amended

          c. Can be reconsidered

          d. Passed by majority of votes cast

          e. Require a second

          f. Not in order when a member has the floor

          g. May not be displaced by another motion

          h. Cannot be withdrawn after being amended or voted on

     2. Exceptions to (1)

          a. Motions which are undebatable
               Adjourn
               Appeal
               Call to order
               Close debate and proceed to vote
               Informal debate
               Lay on the table
               Limit debate
               Objection to considering a question
               Reconsideration of an undebatable motion
               Take from the table
               Withdrawal of a motion

          b. Cannot be amended
               Adjourn
               Amendment of an amendment
               Appeal
               Call to order
               Lay on the table
               Objection to consideration of a question
               Take from the table
               Withdrawal of a motion

          c. Cannot be reconsidered
               Adjourn
               Lay on the table (when an affirmative vote)
               Reconsider
               Take from the table (when an affirmative vote)

          d. Require a two thirds vote
               Amend the rules
               Close debate and proceed to vote
               Limit debate
               Objection to consideration of a question
               Special order
               Recommend granting of degrees

          e. Do not require a second
               Call to order
               Objection to consideration of a question

          f. In order when a member has the floor
               Appeal
               Call to order
               Objection to consideration of a question

     3. Amendments, of these forms

          a. Add or insert

          b. Strike out

          c. Strike out and add or insert

          d. Substitute another motion

          e. Divide the question

     4. In general, no motion (except to adjourn) that has been voted on can be brought up again during the same session, except by a motion to reconsider. But this rule does not prevent the renewal of subsidiary motions if the question has in any way changed.

Section 5. Special Rules of Order

A. An amendment to the Articles of Government shall not be voted upon at the same meeting at which it is presented. For adoption, the amendment must be approved by a majority of members present at the meeting at which the vote is taken.

B. Amendments to the rules of order require previous notice as well as a two thirds vote.

C. The Committee on Curriculum and Instruction shall, in the spring semester of each year, present to the Academic Council the curriculum for the following academic year. A two-thirds vote of members present shall be required for approval of the curriculum, and the vote on the curriculum shall not be taken on the same day in which the curriculum is presented to Academic Council.

D. The Academic Council delegates to the Committee on Curriculum and Instruction the power to approve some amendments to the curriculum that arise after the curriculum has been presented and approved. These delegated amendments include new courses, topics and descriptions, designation of courses as fulfilling specific distribution requirements, changes to directions for election and requirements for honors in the major, and lists of related courses to department and interdepartmental majors. Amendments not in these categories must be brought by the Committee on Curriculum and Instruction to the Academic Council for its approval by the voting process described above.

E. A two thirds vote of members present shall be necessary to recommend for the B.A. degree any student who has not met the full requirement for that degree.

F. Robert's Rules of Order shall be used for reference, but no change in or addition to the preceding rules shall be made except by vote of the Council.

G. The agenda, reports of committees, and minutes of the Academic Council shall be made public except in the case of executive sessions of the Council.

Section 6. Special Meetings

The Council recommends that the President occasionally call a general meeting for informal discussion of matters of broad interest to the College to which might be invited at the President's discretion, in addition to the Academic Council, such others as might be appropriate. Sense of the meeting votes may be taken if desirable.