Robert's Rules of Order at Assembly Meetings
The Academic Staff Assembly (ASA) uses Robert’s Rules of Order as its parliamentary authority, which is the oldest and most commonly used guide to parliamentary procedure. Parliamentary procedure is defined as a set of rules for conduct at meetings and gatherings, and its purpose is to allow everyone to be heard and to make decisions without confusion.
Procedure for presenting a motion/resolution at an Assembly meeting:
- Obtaining the floor
- A member rises when no one else has the floor and addresses the chair
- To address the chair during an ASA meeting, members should use one of the two stationary microphones on either side of the room, or the hand-held microphone as needed
- The member will wait until recognized by the chair
- Once recognized, the member gives both name and district number
- A member rises when no one else has the floor and addresses the chair
- Bringing the motion before the Assembly
- The member makes the motion by saying, "I move that/to..." and is seated
- Another member, without rising, seconds the motion (e.g., "I second the motion," "I second it," or "Second")
- Note: seconding a motion means only that the subject should be brought to the Assembly for discussion and does not necessarily indicate agreement with the motion itself
- If there is no second, the motion will not be considered and the chair will proceed to the next order of business
- If seconded, the chair will state the question on the motion by saying, "It is moved and seconded that/to..." and will then ask for discussion from the Assembly
- Consideration of the motion
- Members of the Assembly debate the motion
- Before speaking in debate, members obtain the floor as stated in 1. above
- The maker of the motion has the first right to the floor if claimed
- All remarks must be addressed to the chair
- Debate must be confined to the merits of the pending motion
- Debate can be closed only by order of the Assembly (with a 2/3 vote) or by the chair is no one seeks the floor for further debate
- The chair puts the question (i.e., puts the motion to a vote)
- The chair asks if there is any further discussion
- If no one rises to claim the floor, the chair proceeds to take the vote and says, "The question is on the adoption of the motion that/to (motion). Those in favor of the motion, say aye." (Pause for response). "Those opposed, say nay." (Pause for response).
- The chair announces the result of the vote
- Reports which side is more numerous ("The ayes/nays have it.")
- Declares the result ("The motion is adopted/lost.")
- States the effect of the vote or orders its execution
- Members of the Assembly debate the motion
Frequently asked questions:
What is quorum?
A key element of any meeting conducted according to parliamentary procedure is quorum, which must be present to conduct business. If a quorum is not present, an assembly can only fix the time to which to adjourn (set another meeting), adjourn, recess, or take measures to obtain a quorum. Quorum for the Assembly is 50% plus 1 of the representatives in the Assembly.
What is a motion?
Motions are formal proposals by Assembly members, in meetings, that the Assembly take certain action. Motions can bring business before the Assembly for a vote, or they can involve procedural steps relating to a motion that is being considered.
For more important or complex questions, or when greater formality is desired, motions are presented in the form of a resolution. Resolutions have the same effect as a motion, and are drafted in advance of the meeting. For more information about resolutions, see this page.
The main motion is the most basic type of motion, and the only motion that brings business before an assembly. A main motion cannot be made when any other motion is on the floor.
There are other types of motions as well, including subsidiary motions (e.g. amend, lay on the table, postpone definitely/indefinitely), privileged motions, and incidental motions. For more information on these, please refer Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised (12th Ed.).
To whom should I address my remarks when discussing/debating a motion?
Always address the presiding officer (usually the provost), who chairs the meeting. While you may refer to colleagues’ statements, it is improper to address them directly.
What if I don’t understand why a motion/resolution is being brought to the floor?
Go to the microphone and ask, or if you are participating remotely, use the raise hand function to be recognized. More often than not, those bringing motions/resolutions forward will explain the background behind them. The cover sheets supplied by the Secretary of the Academic Staff Office also assist in this regard. If you are still unclear on a particular aspect of the motion/resolution, or if you need more background to understand what is being voted on, it is incumbent on you to get the information you need to vote in a way you feel is consistent with the wishes of your district. Chances are several of your fellow representatives may have the same question.
What if I want to move to amend a motion/resolution but I don’t know exactly how I want to word the amendment?
Specific wording is needed when making a motion to amend. One strategy might be to move for a brief recess (e.g. 5 minutes) in order to consult with colleagues or figure out the exact wording you want. When the recess ends, go to the microphone (or ask via chat if participating remotely) and make your motion to amend.
Can I make a friendly amendment?
There is no such thing as a friendly amendment. If you think an amendment will be noncontroversial (i.e. something simple like a slight word change), you can ask the presiding officer if your amendment can be handled by unanimous consent of the Assembly. The presiding officer will ask if anyone has any objections to your amendment. If there are no objections, then your amendment is adopted.
How can I postpone an item of business?
There are two different motions to postpone. The motion to postpone definitely means that you want to delay further debate on the motion until a specific time. You must give the time in your motion (e.g. “I move to postpone this resolution until the next Assembly meeting.”). The motion to postpone indefinitely is a way to gently kill a motion without voting the motion down.
Can an item of business be sent to a committee?
Yes, an Assembly member could make a motion to refer the resolution/motion under consideration to committee. For example, it could be referred to ASEC or one of the 7 standing committees.
Can a motion be withdrawn?
Yes, the maker of the original motion can ask for it to be withdrawn from the floor. The presiding officer would first ask if there was any objection by the Assembly to the withdrawal. If not, then the motion would be withdrawn. If there was an objection, then a vote could be taken on whether to withdraw it.
What if I want to end discussion on a motion and call for a vote?
You can move the previous question. This is often referred to as “calling the question.” A positive vote on this motion only applies to the current motion on the table unless otherwise specified. It needs a second and a 2/3 vote of those present and voting. Please note that discussion also often wraps up naturally and that calling the question when there is no obvious sign of others wanting to talk can lead to unnecessary delay in the meeting.
What if I disagree with the presiding officer’s ruling on how a voice vote went (e.g. the presiding officer says that the “ayes” have it, but I think more people voted “nay”)?
If Assembly representatives disagree with the ruling on a vote, they can call for a vote by hand count. The Secretary and the Deputy Secretary will take a count of the hands and convey that information to the presiding officer to make a follow-up ruling. If the hand count is unsatisfactory, a roll call vote can be requested.
Can I change the agenda during the meeting?
You cannot add new items to the agenda, as that would violate open meetings laws. If you want to change the order of business (e.g. you think a resolution is important enough to be debated before others), you can make a motion to suspend the orders of the day and take up the item of business at a certain time. This motion would require a 2/3 vote of those present and voting.