UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON FACULTY SENATE

The Role of the Senator 

1) Attend and Participate in Senate Meetings  [Standard meeting time is 12:15 - 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays]

        Issues/Strategies:

        Provide senators with a 2-page summary and chart of basic parliamentary procedure (e.g. Robert's Rules of Order)      

         Summary of rules (Senate Constitution and Bylaws)  

         Provide organizational chart of Senate, Executive Committee and other committees to show how they interface with
        each other and the administration (give to all new faculty as well as new senators)

        Provide organizational chart of central administration (who are the players and what do they do)
 

2)   Attend and Participate in Senate Committees  [Standard meeting time is 12:15 - 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays]

        Issues/Strategies:

         Most of the work of the Senate should occur at this level  

        Select a committee and actively participate on it

3) Share Ideas and support/grow University Governance

        Issues/Strategies:

       Senate interaction with councils and other committees (i.e., Information Technology and Computing Committee/ITCC)
 

        Know about what happens with budgets

4) Communicate in several forms with faculty constituencies

        Issues/Strategies:

        Report to faculty at College and/or Departmental meetings

        Include reports in College/Department newsletters 

        ITCC and other committees

        Organize communication to improve its efficiency and accuracy

       On-line minutes/e-mail your colleagues the link (monthly) to the minutes with perhaps a sentence or two of commentary

       Structure to summarize key issues and votes 

        Comment:  This is important and valued by faculty -- even if many don't read them often because of time constraints

5) Represent constituent issues [rather than personal issues]

        Issues/Strategies:

        Speak at Senate meetings

        Encourage communication with the Faculty Senate President and Executive Committee

        Dean liaison - between senators and their own dean

6) Support responsible democratic processes

        Issues/Strategies:

        Review rules of interactions at Senate meetings (see Summary of Parliamentary Procedures)  

        "New faculty senator group" for orientation

        Emphasize the scope and responsibilities of subcommittees

7) Encourage communication with the Faculty Senate President and Executive Committee

        Issues/Strategies:

       Develop Executive Committee links

        Have Senate Secretary receive e-mail messages and communicate those messages to President and Executive Committee

        Make it a year of "Communicating Efficiently and Effectively"

        In all paper communications, list the e-mail address of the President and Executive Committee members 

8) Provide senators with outline of where to go for information

        Issues/Strategies:

       Excellent idea in conjunction with orientation
 

        See Item #1 about organizational chart with names and telephone numbers

9) Decide purpose/form of Senate minutes

        Issues/Strategies:

       Senate minutes restrict confidentiality a little?  But valuable resource       [Question:  What does this mean?]

       The Senate is a public forum, so confidentiality is not an issue.  Committee meetings can provide some confidentiality.

       Focus on key points and issues

        Comments:  Needs additional discussion and resolution

        Taping of Senate meetings may cause some concerns

10)   Senate as a Resource

        Issues/Strategies:

        What can it do?    Define the responsibilities and limitations of the Senate

        When is the Senate not an appropriate queue for issues and concerns?
 

       How do senators/faculty present problems to senators/Executive Committee?
 

        Comment:  Should be part of Senate handbook
 

11)   Senate Communicate to Departments about Role of Faculty Senator

        Issues/Strategies:

        Develop a job description for the role of a senator and send it to departments just before their elections

        Departments should be aware of what senators can and cannot achieve.

        Comment:  The utility of the Senate is being able to voice concerns to the Executive Committee to forward to the

        administration.  What is needed is improved response from the administration (more than "we will examine").
 

12)   Is the Faculty Senate more responsible and responsive than 5 years ago?

        Issues/Strategies:

        Comment:  Good question, but does not do anything to define the role of a senator

13)   Responsibility of communication

        Issues/Strategies:

            Keep Deans in Loop - give Deans and Chairs copies of Senate membership and committee lists

            Interface with/Communication to and from upper administration

        Comment:  Group all the communication items together (#13, 4, 5, and 7 all relate to this key role/function)

14)   Other

        Issues/Strategies: