The Faculty Senate, which operates under its own constitution and bylaws, considers and makes recommendations to the President of the University of Houston on matters of interest to the faculty.  The President and the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the chief academic officer of the University, attend the regular meetings of the Faculty Senate. 

          The Faculty Senate is composed of 52 members elected for three-year terms by the faculties of their respective colleges and the Library.  Leadership is provided by the Executive Committee which includes the elected officers:  President, President-elect, Secretary, and two Members-at-large; and the appointed Chairs of the five Faculty Senate standing committees.

          The work of the Faculty Senate is accomplished through regular meetings of the Senate, the Executive Committee, the Executive Committee with the President, the Provost, and the Vice President for Administration and Finance and the Senate’s five standing committees:

     Budget and Facilities Committee

--is charged to conduct a continuing review of the University's financial and physical resources including the ways in which such resources are actually spent;

     Committee on Committees

--is elected by the full Senate and chaired by the immediate past president of the Faculty Senate.  It is charged to review campus standing committees and to nominate appropriate faculty to serve on them and to prepare the slates of candidates for the annual election of the Faculty Grievance Committee and Faculty Senate officers;

     Educational Policies and Student Affairs Committee

--is charged to review and recommend policy concerning the substance and presentation of undergraduate and graduate education, and to review the operations of the appropriate administrative offices with respect to the implementation of existing policy and the promulgation of policy changes, and it is charged to create and maintain more effective coordination and cooperation with student organizations at the University of Houston, to be concerned with the improvement of campus life, and to review the operations of the administrative offices responsible for the promulgation of policies concerning student and campus life.  The committee has also reviewed the core curriculum, faculty workload, and distance/on-line education;

     Faculty Affairs Committee

--is charged to review and recommend policy concerning the conditions of faculty employment, and to review the operations of the appropriate administrative officials with respect to the implementation of existing policy and the promulgation of policy changes.  The committee has also reviewed research related issues;

     Scholarship and Community Committee

--is charged with the responsibility to serve as liaison between the Faculty Senate and both the internal university community and the various external-local and regional-communities that the University serves.  The committee shall assist faculty in three areas:  promoting scholarly activities; conducting scholarly activities; and communicating scholarly activities.