Policy Details
Date of Last Update
4/29/2022
- Board of Trustees
Responsible Office
Office of General Counsel
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Academic Governance
BOT 3.1.4
Policy
3.1.4 Academic Governance
3.1.4.1 The University Academic Senate (UAS) is the highest faculty governance body. It has the authority to deal with any academic issue or faculty concern. It makes recommendations to the Provost and/or the President. Senate membership consists of faculty members elected from and by the faculty of each College and the University Libraries, and students selected by the Student Senate, including the President of the Student Senate. The Provost and designees and the Deans (of any rank) are members ex officio, non-voting.
UAS Faculty Membership: Faculty membership for each college and the library will be determined by the following formula:
1-19 faculty = 1 member
20-39 faculty = 2
members
40-59 faculty = 3 members
60-79 faculty = 4
members
80-99 faculty = 5 members, and so forth
Terms of office are three years, staggered for
the University Libraries and Colleges with more than one member.
Representatives must have tenure/tenure-track faculty status and will
only represent one College. Formal joint appointment equivalency can
be counted toward tenure/tenure-track representation totals.
Tenure/tenure-track faculty will be counted on the first class day of
the winter semester of the preceding academic year.
UAS Student Membership: The Student Senate selects
five members, including the Student Senate President and four
representatives, one of which shall be a graduate student, in
accordance with written Student Senate constitution and bylaws.
Student members serve one-year terms.
UAS Administrative Membership: The Provost and
designees, and the Deans (of any rank) are members ex officio, non-voting.
The Executive Committee of the Senate (ECS)
serves as the clearing house for matters to be presented to the UAS.
Such matters are discussed by ECS before its recommendations are made
to the Senate. ECS membership consists of faculty senators from
academic colleges and the library, the Student Senate President or
designee, and the Provost and designees, ex officio, non-voting.
ECS Faculty Membership: Faculty membership of the ECS
consists of seven members from the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, two from the Seidman College of Business, two from the
College of Education and Community Innovations, one from each of the
remaining Colleges, and one from the University libraries. The term of
office is three years beginning at the end of the winter semester. ECS
members will also serve as UAS senators for their elected term. Terms
of those from colleges with two or more members are staggered.
ECS Student Membership: The President of the Student
Senate or designee serves on ECS during his/her term of office.
ECS Administration Membership: The Provost and
designees are members ex officio, non-voting.
ECS Additional Criteria: If the number of
representatives from professional colleges increase, the number of
representatives from CLAS will increase to match this number, based on
a 50% principle (CoIS representative is counted in CLAS membership).
Standing committees that report to the Senate via ECS include the
Academic Policies and Standards Committee, Faculty Facilities Planning
Advisory Committee, Faculty Personnel Policy Committee, Faculty Salary
and Budget Committee, Pew Faculty Teaching Learning Center Advisory
Committee, General Education Committee, Graduate Council, Equity and
Inclusion Committee; Online Education and Microcredential Council,
University Assessment Committee, and University Curriculum Committee.
The composition of each committee is described in the UAS Bylaws and
always includes elected college and library representatives.
Copies of agendas and approved minutes of all meetings are posted
on the Faculty Governance website. Agendas are sent out electronically
to committee members one week prior to meetings, and minutes are
usually posted and distributed electronically within two weeks
following a meeting. Faculty members may petition for a referendum if
there is strong opposition to an action taken by UAS.
Details regarding membership, responsibilities, and rules of
procedures are given in the UAS By-laws which are incorporated into
the Faculty Handbook.