Role of Senate

The Faculty Senate represents the faculty of Baylor University in a variety of contexts and to a variety of constituents.

To that end, the Faculty Senate:

• contributes to and promotes an academic environment in a Christian context in which the intellectual, ethical, and professional life of the faculty flourishes.
• provides a forum for the full and free discussion of all matters affecting Baylor University.
• discovers the collective judgment of the faculty on matters it deems significant, and, as appropriate, passes resolutions giving the faculty position on issues crucial to faculty, student and university well-being.
• ensures faculty participation in the formation of University policy, especially as that policy bears on academic governance of the University.
• establishes standing and ad hoc committees to deal with issues affecting the faculty as needed.
• appoints faculty members to standing and ad hoc university committees and reviews committee appointments made by the university’s executive leadership. The Committee on Committees works under the Faculty Senate’s aegis.
• provides faculty expertise to enrich university governance and to communicate issues of faculty concern to the executive officers, including the President and Provost of the University.
• annually elects new senators that represent all units of the university.