Welcome to the Faculty Senate
The Senate meets on alternate Mondays at 4 p.m. in the Board of Trustees Room (Old Main 340) with remote access via Zoom.
The next Senate meeting is scheduled on Monday, February 27th. A livestream link and post-meeting recording will be available. Due to limited room capacity and the need for social distancing, guests who are not presenters are asked to connect remotely, either by viewing the livestream or by contacting the Senate Office to request Zoom access.
The most recent Senate meeting took place on Monday, February 13th. A recording of the liverstream is available.
The most recent Senate meeting took place on Monday, January 30th. A recording of the livestream is available.
The first Senate meeting of Winter quarter took place on Monday, January 23rd. A recording of the livestream is available.
The Senate meeting planned on Monday, November 28th, was cancelled, and the Senate meeting scheduled for Monday, January 9th was postponed until Monday, January 23rd.
The most recent Senate meeting took place on Monday, November 14th. A recording of the livestream is available. Guests may connect remotely, either by viewing the livestream or by contacting the Senate Office to request Zoom access.
The previous Senate meeting took place on Monday, October 31st. A recording of the livestream is available.
A livestream recording is available of the Senate meeting that took place on Monday, October 17th.
The first Senate meeting of 2022-23 academic year took place on Monday, October 3rd. A recording of the livestream is available.
Lysa Rivera, 2022-23 Faculty Senate President, x2517
Faculty Senate President's Blog
Faculty Senate Motion Form
What is the Faculty Senate?
It is the policy of Western Washington University that there shall be meaningful participation by the faculty, through the Faculty Senate or other recognized faculty bodies, in matters relating to university academics, budget, planning and policy at all levels of internal university governance. This is consistent with the University's policy of open participation in governance. (Faculty Handbook, II.B.1)
The Faculty Senate is empowered to speak and act for the Faculty with responsibility in the areas of curriculum, academic programs, scholarly activities, the education of students, the mission of the university, and institutional and administrative effectiveness. These matters are not covered by the contract between WWU and the United Faculty of Western Washington (UFWW).
Who serves on the Senate?
Each Senator at Western represents a specific constituent group, usually in his or her discipline, and works to apprise constituents of current Senate action and discussions.
What committee work does the Senate oversee?
The Academic Coordinating Commission (ACC), the University Planning and Resources Council (UPRC), the Senate Equity, Inclusion and Diveristy Committee (SEIDC), and the Senate Extended Education Committee (SEEC) are standing committees of the Faculty Senate that extend it's capacity and help it to fulfill its mission. Sub-committees of major standing committees include the Academic Technology Committee (ATC) and the Senate Library Committee (SLC), which report to the UPRC, and the Committee on Undergraduate Education (CUE), which reports to the ACC.
The Faculty Legislative Representative (FLR) appointed by the Senate is a member of the Council of Faculty, an organization of faculty from every public baccalaureate college and university in Washington State. Western's FLR helps to coordinate and formulate recommendations to guide legislative efforts on behalf of higher education.