Orientation
Learn about the composition, role and responsibilities of the Faculty Senate and its standing committees, the primary way that the faculty of SUNY Plattsburgh participate in shared governance.
- Composition of The Faculty & Faculty Senate
The Faculty
According to the SUNY Plattsburgh Campus Handbook, “The Faculty” includes:
- The chancellor of the state university
- The chief administrative officer of the college
- All members of the academic staff, administrative staff, and professional staff, both full and part time
Composition of the Faculty Senate
The Faculty Senate includes:
- Senators representing 37 academic governance units
- Senators representing 6 professional governance units
- 13 ex-officio members
All Faculty Senate representation is organized by unit, with one senator representing each unit. Academic faculty members are organized in academic governance units, and professional faculty members are organized in professional governance units. Academic departments or programs with at least three voting faculty members are entitled to be a governance unit. Professional governance units are to be as small and cohesive as possible to ensure genuine representation. Faculty have the right to elect senators by secret ballot. Elections of senators are overseen by the supervisor of faculty elections.
- The Role of the Faculty Senate
The Faculty Senate:
- Consults and makes recommendations to the college president and the administration regarding any matter affecting the faculty or the college, except in those matters exclusive to the unions
- Participates significantly in the initiation, development, and implementation of the college's instructional, research, and service programs
- Formulates and reviews all academic policies and all major statements of philosophy of the college
- Approves changes to existing academic programs and approve new academic programs. Through senate committees, reviews and approves courses submitted for inclusion in the General Education and Writing Across the Curriculum programs
- Consults with the College Council on the appointment of the college president
- Meets once per month during the academic year
- Committee Composition & Responsibilities
Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate
Composition:
- Chair
- Vice-Chair
- Secretary
- Chairs of the six standing committees
- Two additional senators
- Presiding officer of the faculty
- University faculty senator
- Bylaws officer
- Parliamentarian
- Supervisor of faculty elections
Duties:
- Reviews general functioning of the Faculty Senate and recommends ways to improve its operation
- Prepares the agenda for meetings of the Faculty Senate and provides reports of all official actions
- Refers requested agenda items to the standing committees or forms an ad-hoc committee to review, as appropriate
- Appoints faculty to standing and ad-hoc committees and individuals for faculty representation on non-senate committees, when requested
- Acts for the Faculty Senate when the senate is not in session
- Calls emergency Faculty Senate meetings, as needed
- Meets with the president and other members of the administration
Standing Committees of the Faculty Senate
Generally:
- Committee chairs are elected annually by the Faculty Senate from its voting membership
- Committee members are appointed by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee
- Agenda items are referred to committees by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee
- All committees shall submit written reports to the Faculty Senate
Academic Policies Standing Committee
Composition: Voting members of this committee are a chair and at least six faculty members. Non-voting members of this committee include the registrar of the college or designee, and the chief academic officer or designee.
Responsibilities: Formulate, review, and make recommendations concerning academic policies of a college-wide nature, such as those concerning admissions, graduation requirements, academic standards, and institutional assessment.
Curricula and Programs Standing Committee
Composition: Voting members are a chair and at least six faculty members. Non-voting members include the registrar of the college or designee, and the chief academic officer or designee.
Responsibilities: Review and make recommendations concerning proposed changes in the substance or status (including termination) of existing programs and proposed new programs of instruction, research, and service offered by the college.
General Education Committee
Composition: Voting members are a chair and at least six faculty members. Non-voting members include the chief academic officer or designee.
Responsibilities: Develop the general education curriculum, implement general education policies, monitor the administration of the general education curriculum, and recommend policies on general education.
Resources and Planning Standing Committee
Composition: Voting members are a chair and at least nine faculty members. Non-voting members include the chief academic officer, the vice president of enrollment and student success, the vice president of administration and finance, the vice president of institutional advancement, the assistant provost, the director of budget and financial services, the director of facilities, one classified staff member, and the Student Association vice president for finance.
Responsibilities: Study the college’s budget and planning documents to become thoroughly familiar with the structure, provisions, and development of these documents, advise or consult with the college president (or their designee), and review or formulate policy for Faculty Senate consideration.
Student Life Committee
Composition: Voting members are a chair, at least six faculty members, and at least four student members. Non-voting members include the vice president for enrollment and student success or designee, and the chief academic officer or designee.
Responsibilities: Review and make recommendations concerning educational, developmental, social, cultural, and recreational policies, programs, issues, and services that affect the quality of student life and the campus environment.
Writing Across the Curriculum Standing Committee
Composition: Voting members are a chair, at least six faculty members, and one student member. Non-voting members include the chief academic officer or designee.
Responsibilities: Monitor the administration of the Writing Across the Curriculum program and recommend policies on writing across the curriculum.