Senate Self-Study Committee

Charge

The Special Committee is charged as follows:

This self-study will focus on the following question.  What are the main missions and functions of the University Faculty Senate and how are our own structures and procedures fulfilling those mandates?  Any questions of efficiency are at the service of the answers that we may provide to this fundamental question.

Rather than attempt to answer such an open-ended meta-question as the one posed above directly, a more structured approach is called for, where the answers to several related but more directed questions could be used to build up an answer to the main question.  It should be noted that there are many different possible ways to break this big question down and that what is presented here is but one possible way to do so.  Furthermore, whatever list of questions is arrived at should not be regarded as a straight jacket but should rather be viewed as suggestions that might indicate the possible scope of the committee’s work.

1. What kind of organization are we and how does this govern our priorities and functions.
2. Given the main functions of the University Faculty Senate, how does its committee structure enable the Senate to fulfill these missions?
3. Is the Senate of an adequate size and is its composition appropriate for fulfilling its mission?
4. How is delegation of authority by the Senate to, for example unit governance organizations aiding the mission of the Senate?
5. What are the appropriate roles for and structure of the Senate Office in fulfilling the mission of the Senate?
6. How best to keep the Senate governance documents up to date with the needs of the Senate and the university?

This list should not be considered exhaustive, nor should it be considered ordered by priority.  The primary goal is to provide a sustainable answer to the main question posed above that will allow for the Senate to promote the work of the faculty and the University for the 21st century.

Membership: