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University Senate

Senate Officer Guide

 

All elected Senate Officers:

  • Must be elected senators.
  • Are elected annually by a majority of senators. 
  • Meet on a weekly basis to organize and complete the business of the Senate.
  • Focus on collaborative work and meeting the needs of the Senate.
  • Champion shared governance; meet with campus community members and leadership alike, as called upon or as needed, in the interests of maintaining shared governance.
  • Work in compliance with Senate and university policies, including but not limited to, the Principles of Community and the Senate Diversity Plan.
  • Receive compensation (e.g., assigned time/course release, operating funds, stipend). Compensation type is determined on a case-by-case basis, and the amount of compensation can vary from year to year depending on approval of the Senate budget by the President.

Additionally, each officer has a specific set of responsibilities as follows:

  • Chairs the Senate, the Senate Executive Committee (SEC), and Faculty Sessions of the Senate.
  • Attends and/or serves on additional ad hoc or pro tempore councils and committees (or sends a designee) at the request of the President, A.S. President, campus programs, etc.
  • Meets with donors, politicians, and members of the broader local and regional, state, national and international communties working with SDSU.
  • Remains vigilant to ensure that shared governance and the SDSU Senate is made an integral part of important and urgent campus decisions.
  • Supervises the Senate Analyst.
  • Serves as Financial Authority Hierarchy (FAH) signatory on behalf of the Senate.
  • Meets with the President (monthly).
  • Meets with the Provost (monthly).
  • Calls and chairs regular meetings of the Senate Officer team (weekly).
  • Presides at all meetings of the Senate and may call special meetings of the Senate.
  • Appoints a COIA representativeto serve on the Intercollegiate Athletic Council (IAC) on behalf of the Senate and per the council's Senate charter.
  • Consults in the establishment of review committees for administrators.
  • Attends the organizational meetings and partiicaptes without a vote in administrative searches.
  • Manages a flexible and unqualified scope of work; which, during time of crisis or emergency, requires the Senate Chair to be on-call 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to support campus.
  • Serves on, or sends a designee to serve on, the following committees: Committee on Academic Policy and Planning (APP); Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI); Campus Fee Advisory Committee (CFAC); Honorary Degrees Advisory Committee;  Tenure-Track Planning Committee (TTPC); President's Budget Advisory Committee (PBAC); CSU Senate Chairs Council; A.S. External Affairs Board; and the A.S. University Affairs Board.
  • Presides as the Chair of the Senate, the Senate Executive Committee, or Faculty Sessions of Senate, should the Senate Chair be unable to fulfill the duties of the office. 
  • Assesses and directs the work of the Senate in maintaining and honoring the Senate Diversity Plan.
  • Manages Senate referrals. 
  • Serves on the follwing committees: Honorary Degrees Advisory Committee; Senate Executive Committee (SEC).
  • May serve as the Senate Chair's designee for the following committees: Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI); A.S. External Affairs Board; A.S. University Affairs Board.
  • Prepares and modifies as needed the annual calendar for the Senate, which includes all regularly scheduled Senate meetings, Senate Executive Committee meetings and Senate Officer Election Caucus dates, and ensures its distribtion to the campus community.
  • Prepares the agenda for all Senate and Senate Executive Committee meetings and notifies all Senators of such meetings in a timely fashion.
  • Keeps attendnace for all Senate and Senate Executive Committee meetings, and notifiies the Committee on Committees and Elections (CCE) should a seat be vacated due to absenteeism based on policy outlined in the ByLaws of the University Senate Policy File.
  • Ensures a complete record of all Senate agendas and minutes is made available to the community, in a manner prescribed by the ByLaws of the University Senate Policy File.
  • Supervises the distribution of Senate resolutions and decisions to appropriate persons, in a manner prescribed by the ByLaws of the University Senate Policy File.
  • Compile a record/log of annual Senate action.
  • Serves on the follwing committees: Committee on Committees and Elections (CCE); Constitution and Bylaws Committee (CBL); Senate Executive Committee (SEC).
  • Develops and maintains the Senate annual operating budget, ensuring required notification of the Senate body, and timely submission of such to the appropriate campus offices and per established campus procedure.
  • Oversee the financial affairs of the Senate.
  • Ensures any major modification of the Senate Budget is shared with the Senate.
  • Reports on the state of the Senate budget at Senate and Senate Executive Committee meetings, including preparing the year-to-date expenditures report for all Senate meetings.
  • Maintains a Senate Compensation Plan that directs how compensation for Senate service is allocated.
  • Manages assigned time for the Senate, which includes ensuring all required documentation and communication to other units is made in a timely fashion, and that any issues with assigned time are resolved in a timely manner.
  • Serves on the follwing committees: Senate Executive Committee (SEC); University Resources and Planning Committee (URP).
  • May serve as the Senate Chair's designee for the following committees: Campus Fee Advisory Committee (CFAC); President's Budget Advisory Committee (PBAC).
  • Appointed annually by the Senate Chair.
  • Need not be a member of the Senate, nor is confirmed by the Senate.
  • Advises the presiding officer on parliamentary issues.
  • Serves on the Constitution and Bylaws Committee (CBL) in an advisory, non-voting role.