In an effort to make its processes more transparent, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate altered its bylaws earlier this month to require office hours for all members and to reduce the number of permitted unexcused absences.
TCU members will now risk expulsion if they exceed three unexcused absences per year. According to the new bylaw, "the third unexcused absence of a member in a given academic year will constitute that member's resignation. Excused absences will be at the discretion of the Historian."
Additionally, every TCU member, including senators, community representatives, and trustee representatives, is required to hold office hours for at least one hour per week.
All committee chairs must be in the Senate office for an additional 30 minutes per week, and Executive Board members must be in the office for at least one additional hour per week.
Before this bylaw was passed, the office hours system was not codified and conducted more informally.
The changes to the bylaws reflect the Executive Board's desire to improve the Senate's reliability and transparency, Senate Historian and sophomore Neil DiBiase said.
"One of the big initiatives of Senate this year is an openness and better communication so because of that we want to be holding [the] Senate more accountable and make them more accessible," DiBiase said.
According to Senate Parliamentarian and senior Andrew Caplan, the changes were also made to further improve the Senate's efficiency and do not reflect a correction to an existing problem.
"While we have not had any serious attendance issues in the past, it makes sure that representatives are at the majority of the meetings because attendance is really critical for Senate," he said.
Senators can still miss an indeterminate number of meetings if a reasonable explanation is provided in advance of the absence.
"There are also excused absences, so if there is a legitimate reason for missing the meeting, you won't be penalized," DiBiase said.
As Senate Historian, he decides what constitutes an excused absence.
The bylaws were passed by the Senate with the necessary two-thirds approval, but the vote was not unanimous. Several Senators felt that the means for deciding unexcused absences could be more explicitly stated in the bylaws.
"The opposition was not to change the attendance," DiBiase said. "The opposition was unhappy that the unexcused absences were decided by the Historian."
TCU Education Chair and junior Amanda Richardson said that the bylaws should not have placed power solely in the Historian's hands and should have clarified what constitutes an unexcused absence.
"Although I have complete confidence in the Historian's ability to com plete this task fairly, I wish that the bylaws had included more specific details as to what constitutes an excused absence," she said.
"I also would have liked to include the provision that the Historian's decision would be approved by the Executive Board of the Senate."
Bylaw alterations occur nearly every year as part of each new Senate's early agenda items.
This year's changes, which occurred on Oct. 1, are for the 2006-2007 academic year.
"It is very simple. We pass bylaws every year and when there are any updates or revisions the Parliamentarian presents them to the Senate and they are deliberated upon in the Senate," Caplan said. "Pending no alterations, they are usually approved."
