Senate Responsibilities
The Faculty Senate communicates the faculty’s views to the administration and others and either takes action in support of those views or encourages others to act.
Specific responsibilities of the Senate (Handbook VI.B.2):
- initiate discussion on relevant topics
- consider topics brought to its attention by others
- conduct an annual survey of the faculty; conveys its findings to the faculty and administration
- propose revisions to the Faculty Handbook and reviews some Handbook revisions proposed by others
- nominate faculty members to represent faculty interests on Handbook committees
- review final candidates for positions of academic leadership at the level of dean or above
- help faculty resolve disputes about matters from from salary to promotions to workplace bullying.
To carry out these responsibilities, the Senate:
- convenes focus groups
- takes surveys of the faculty
- makes formal requests of the Administration
- issues statements of Senate support or disapproval for important positions.
Some Senate responsibilities are reserved for the Senate’s executive committee, the Senate Council:
- meet regularly with senior administrators, including the President, the Provost and the Dean of Arts and Sciences
- provide informal mediation of disputes involving faculty (HB VI.B.2.e.iii)
- collaborate with the Provost to establish agendas for Faculty Meetings (VI.A.3.a)
- organize and preside at Faculty Meetings meetings (HB VI.A.2.a).