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Faculty Senate

Overview

The Faculty Senate works with the Deans' Council in representing faculty members concerning the creation of university-wide policies. It has responsibility and critical interest in a variety of education-related topics, and submits recommendation for policy to the governing officers and boards who are vested with power to ratify or deny such proposals: the administration, Board of Trustees, Board of Regents, and State Legislature. Department-specific policy matters are addressed by the faculty of the specific department, namely through the Deans' Council.

Background

According to the "Statement on Governing of Colleges and Universities," issued by the American Association of University Professors, the American Council on Education, and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, the faculty "has primary responsibility for such fundamental areas as curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, research, faculty status, and those aspects of student life which relate to the educational process." While final decisions of such matters are vested in the provost, university president, Board of Trustees, or Board of Regents, the legitimacy of the Faculty Senate as a legislative body, representative of the university's core members, includes that any disapproval of Faculty Senate advisement be explained by the respective governing body along with the Faculty Senate's opportunity to further consider and share views with the provost, president, or board.

The Faculty Senate's areas of fundamental responsibility include curriculum, which covers both subject matter and instruction methods; requirements for academic degrees, certificates, or awards; promotion, tenure, academic freedom, and professional responsibility; program admission and retention standards; and student classroom conduct and classroom activities. The Faculty Senate also has fundamental interest in a number of other areas, including faculty teaching loads; procedure for addressing grievances; representation on committees selecting, reviewing, or retaining academic administrators; consulting on use of funds to improve and construct buildings, including building design; and budget allocations concerning instruction and research.

The Faculty Senate meets every month of the school year, and is made up of senators elected from the recognized colleges and schools at SUU. Each college is allotted two senator positions, plus an additional seat for every fourteen faculty members. There is one at-large senator from among the academically ranked faculty members not assigned to a specific college or school, such as library faculty, plus an additional at-large senator for every fourteen of said unassigned faculty members. Senators serve for three years.

The senate is headed by an Executive Committee consisting of the senate president, vice president (president-elect), secretary, treasurer, and parliamentarian. All five are voting members of the senate and serve for a period of one year. The secretary and treasurer may be reelected and the president-elect becomes president after a year as vice president. The parliamentarian is the presiding officer in the senate in the absence of both the president and vice president.

The groundwork of the Faculty Senate is performed by a number of standing committees, which includes the Academic Affairs Committee, Distinguished Faculty Lecture Committee, Distinguished Educator Award Committee, Outstanding Faculty Scholar/Faculty Achievement Committee, Student Scholarship Committee, Faculty Development and Evaluation Committee, Faculty Recruitment and Retention Committee, and the Policy/Procedure Arbitration Committee. The Constitution and By-Laws Revision Committee meets ad-hoc, or when the situation requires. Faculty Senate decisions must be approved by a vote of the entire senate and may face a referendum by all faculty members.

Links/Contact

- Faculty Senate Website
- Faculty Senate Constitution
- Policies Under Consideration

- Contact the Faculty Senate

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