8.2.1 Paying all staff and faculty at least the living wage
8.2.2 Unions & labor rights for all
8.2.3 Policy on discrimination in the workplace
8.2.4 Policy commitment to no forced labor, no modern slavery and no human trafficking
8.2.5 Policy on guaranteeing equivalent rights of workers
8.2.6 Policy on pay scale equity
8.2.7 Pay scale gender equity
8.2.8 Process for employees to appeal on employee rights
8.2.9 Employment practice labor rights
Faculty Senate Charter and Bylaws
Charter of the Faculty Senate of Gulf University for Science & Technology
1. Objectives and Functions
- The Faculty Senate, also known as the Senate, at Gulf University for Science & Technology, will be the voice of all faculty at GUST.
- The Faculty Senate shall consider, articulate, and present recommendations from the faculty to administration.
- The Faculty Senate shall make recommendations that emphasize improving teaching and learning conditions at GUST, especially as they affect faculty and other matters of university-wise importance. The Faculty Senate can also make recommendations on issues that affect the general welfare of the faculty.
2. Organization
- The Faculty Senate shall have a President and Secretary and other such officers as determined by need. They will collect the notes at the commencement of the Fall semester each year.
3. Operations
- The Faculty Senate shall adopt its own bylaws.
- The Bylaws of the Faculty Senate shall provide for regular stated meetings of the Faculty Senate.
- Special meetings of the Faculty Senate may be called by the Faculty Senate President in accordance to procedure to be stabled in the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate.
- Records of the minutes of the Faculty Senate shall be kept and transmitted electronically to the faculty.
- The Faculty Senate shall be provided by Gulf University for Science & Technology with necessary secretarial assistance and other related services and resources.
4. Ratification and Amendment of the Charter
- The Charter shall be amended by a quorum consisting of 25% (1/4) of the members of the Faculty Senate. Note: The quorum will consist of 25% because of the small size of the Senate. Further consideration can be given to the Bylaws as the University grows.
Bylaws of the Faculty Senate of Gulf University for Science & Technology
Membership
- The voting members of the Senate shall consist of the President; elected voting representatives of the full-time regular faculty.
- For the purposes of Senate membership, the term “eligible faculty” includes all those with full-time regular appointments.
- Members of the eligible faculty so defined will have the right to vote on Senate membership, to be nominated for Faculty Senate membership, and to serve in the Senate and on Senate committees.
- The President of the Faculty Senate and Secretary shall serve a one year term (one year as a Senator and one year as President/Secretary, unless re-elected by seated Senators for a second term). Elected faculty members of the Faculty Senate shall serve a two-year term. The term of office for all Senators shall begin in September.
- The Senate rosters shall be posted on the web.
Officers
- The elected officers of the Senate shall be the Senate President, who must be a voting faculty Senator, and the Secretary of the Senate, who must be a voting faculty Senator.
- The elected President shall serve for one year though s/he serves two years (one year as a Senator and one year as President, unless re-elected by seated Senators for a second term), and the officers of the Senate shall serve for two years, beginning in September.
- The elected officers may be re-elected.
- The Senate President, or in the President’s absence, a voting member of the Senate designated by the President, shall be the presiding officer at each meeting of the Senate.
- The Senate Secretary shall also maintain the official roster of the Senate, and shall collect annual reports on committee activities, which shall be submitted in written form by the committee chairperson.
Meetings and Agendas
- The Senate shall meet regularly each month during the academic year or in special meetings as called by the Senate President. The Senate President shall call a special meeting of the Senate on request of the President or of any five members of the Senate.
- Proceedings in Senate meetings shall be in accordance with the rules set forth in the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the elected faculty Senators. All Senate members are strongly encouraged to attend scheduled meetings.
- The Secretary of the Senate shall submit the agenda to all members of the Senate at least three working days in advance of each meeting, shall keep minutes of each meeting of the Senate, and shall distribute a copy of the minutes of each meeting to all faculty.
- Agendas and minutes of the Senate meetings shall be posted on the web no later than a week after their meeting. Minutes of the Senate meetings should include motions as presented, with a summary of the main points of the discussion.
- The Vice President for Academic Affairs, or his designated representative, shall present at each meeting of the Senate. The presentation shall include information on what is happening with the University, students, answer questions, as well as to inform the Senate on actions taken as a result of Faculty Senate proposals and resolutions.
- Committee reports should:
- be filed with Senate Secretary in advance of or at the meeting where actions are presented;
- includes the names of committee members;
- present motions as a part of the report.
ELECTIONS: Faculty Senate
- Each department of the College of Arts and Sciences & College of Business Administration will elect representatives by mail ballot distributed and tallied by the Faculty Senate. The Foundation Preparation Unit shall elect three representatives by mail ballot distributed and tallied by the Faculty Senate.
- Each College’s eligible faculty will vote for its College representatives.
- Elections will occur every year in each academic department in the month of March but at no specific date, leaving flexibility for each department’s demands.
- A subcommittee of the Senate shall be established to supervise the election of faculty members to the Senate and distribute and tally the ballots. The subcommittee shall consist of the Senate President, the Senate Secretary, who shall maintain a complete record of the votes received by all candidates and one Senator.
- If a departmental representative should resign from the University or from the Senate, the department will elect a replacement by mail ballot. If a Senator should take a leave of absence for half or full academic year, an alternate shall be selected in the same manner to serve only during the duration of the leave of absence.
- When the Senate President’s completion of term comes to an end, the Senate President will serve as ex-officio (non-voting) Senator for one year.
- Only voting members of the Senate may vote at their respective meetings. Proxy voting is prohibited.
- Nominations for Senate shall be submitted to the Senate Secretary no later than one week prior to the March meeting of the Faculty Senate to allow dissemination of names of nominees to the voting members of the Senate.
Amendments
- The Bylaws may be amended by the vote of 25% of the quorum of those voting members present at any meeting of the Senate, provided the substance of the proposed amendment has been circulated in print by electronic means in time to be received by all members at least one week prior to the meeting at which action is proposed.
- All senators unanimously voted against adjunct faculty being given voting power within GUST faculty assembly (April 25, 2012).
Faculty senate at GUST as the voice of all faculty at GUST, regardless of gender and nationality. The Faculty Senate shall consider, articulate, and present recommendations from the faculty to administration. The Faculty Senate shall make recommendations that emphasize improving teaching and learning conditions at GUST, especially as they affect faculty and other matters of university-wide importance. The Faculty Senate can also make recommendations on issues that affect the general welfare of the faculty.
Employment Policy
1. Policy
The Gulf University of Science & Technology (GUST) conducts its employment process to the upmost level of professionalism and ensures to follow the following rules:
- Manpower Planning
During the yearly budget exercise, all unit heads must prepare a manpower plan which highlights the estimated needs of new workforce requirements for the next year; this manpower must be approved by the appropriate body and then submitted to the Human Resources Department.
- Recruitment
- The concerned Department Head/Dean is responsible for filling out an Employment Requisition Form approved by the appropriate Vice President.
- All cost incurred during the recruitment process will be charged to the requesting department.
- All positions will be posted on GUST website.
- Current GUST Employees, who are interested to transfer to another department, should apply for the posting.
- Employment Conditions
For all the candidates considered to be hired at GUST, the following conditions must be met:
- Candidates must be at least 18 years of age and not been convicted of any serious crime or offences and should be of good conduct and behavior.
- Preference in employment will be given to Kuwaiti candidates when possible.
- Previous employees of GUST who were terminated due to poor performance or a violation of work rules and regulations will not be rehired at GUST.
- Candidates must possess the necessary qualifications, skills and experience required by the Job.
- An equivalency by the Ministry of Higher Education in Kuwait is essential for candidates of academic positions.
- An authenticated degree by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait is required for candidates of administrative positions.
- Candidates for all academic positions must be approved by the academic advisor.
- Re-hiring
- A former employee may be re-hired provided that he/she has a satisfactory record and a vacancy is available inside GUST. It is at the discretion of the GUST Senior Management to approve or disapprove such re-engagement.
- Previous employees of GUST who were terminated due to poor performance or a violation of work rules and regulations will not be rehired at GUST.
- Employment of Relatives
- Recruitment of immediate relatives of existing employees is not encouraged at GUST, it is recognized that this may occur on occasion where it is in the best interest of GUST.
- In no circumstances shall an employee report indirectly or directly to a relative.
- New hires are required to identify and disclose any immediate relationship to an existing employee or any potential conflict of interest during the recruitment process and before any offer is extended.
- An employee’s relative is his/her first and second degree relative, in addition to his/her niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, cousins, step-related members and/or in-laws.
- Reference Check
- A reference check will be conducted for any applicant considered for a position at GUST, this will be carried out by the Human Resources Department; the reference check will take place after the final interview prior to the offer.
- If the result of the reference check was not satisfactory, the applicant will be removed from consideration for the position.
- GUST has the right to maintain the result of the reference check confidential and not to share it with the applicant or/and the hiring department.
- Any external request for a reference check about GUST ex-employee will be provided by the Human Resources Department only.
- Probation Period
- All new employees will be subject to 100 days’ probation period from their first working day at the University at the end of which, employment will be confirmed if the employee’s performance is satisfactory.
- The Direct Supervisor will prepare a probation period report for the new employee at least two weeks prior to the end of the 100 days’ probation period. The report should be discussed with the concerned employee.
- Employees may be terminated by GUST at any time during the probation period.
2. Application:
This policy shall apply to all new recruits of GUST.
Human Resources
Human Resources Department is the organizational function that deals with issues related to Employees and faculty Members, such as, Hiring, Organization Development, Safety, Wellness, Benefits, Employee Motivation, Communication, Administration and Trainings. At Gust the Human Resources Department strives to improve the organizational system by increasing inspiration to our Employees and Faculty members to create a better working environment and create a better reputation for GUST.
