About Us

The first Faculty Senate Chair, Gustav Carlson, served from 1958-1960. Since that time, thirty-six Senate Chairs have led the Faculty Senate in advising adminstrators, working with various constituents across the university, and speaking on behalf of faculty on a wide variety of initiatives and topics.

Faculty bring issues forward for consideration individually, on behalf of their departments or units, as well as through their Senators, for action or more in-depth consideration. Because our representatives are from all campuses and represent all tracks and ranks of faculty, including part-time and emerita faculty, we are an effective "first-stop" for both faculty members as well as students, staff, and administrators due both to the breadth of our knowledge and the rich history our faculty represent from scores of department and discplinaries. Our governance activities respond both to current needs and to plan for long-term growth and development, in service of the teaching, research, and service mission of our urban R1 University.

Once issues are brought to our Cabinet, we consider how best to address these. Often, it is through the work of one of our Committees or, if necessary, through the service of an ad hoc committee we help to form. Recommendations from those groups then return to Cabinet for review and to Senate for final consideration. Senators can bring such issues back to their colleges, academic units, and faculty groups to consider and to offer further input or to bring forward questions for improvement.

Transparency and communication are key to helping us work with varied individuals for multiple purposes, and we can best do so with the active engagement of faculty from across the university.

• Consider matters affecting the university;
• Counsel the President, Provost, and Board of Trustees;
• Work with and for faculty; and
• Act upon those matters as neccessary, and on matters relating to the mission and operations of the University.