University of Virginia Library

Reformed Senate To Include
Hearing Panel But Not Students

Association of University
Professors (AAUP), which has
a University chapter, the
Assembly is not concerned
with educational policy.

Composed of 80 elected
members allocated among
constituent faculties, the
Faculty Senate also includes as
ex-officio members the
University president, all vice
presidents and school deans.

The number of Senate seats
allotted to a particular school
is determined by the
percentage of 80 which is the
average of the percentage of
the entire University faculty
holding appointment in that
school and the percentage of
full time University students
enrolled in that school.
Provisions are made for schools
such as the Medical School in
which the faculty may be
larger than the student body.

Three Year Terms

Members serve three-year
terms. Officers include a
president, an executive council
chairman and a secretary. The
executive council consists of
the University president and
eight elected members of the
Senate chosen annually by the
Senate, and may represent the
body in an emergency. The
Senate meets at least twice a
semester under the new
constitution. Additional
meetings may be called by the
University president, the
executive council chairman or
on written request by ten or
more Senate members.

The Senate may establish
and discharge ad hoc
committees as needed.

Establishment of a Hearing
Panel is an important facet of
the reformed Senate. The panel
will mediate disputes between
faculty members or between
faculty and administrators,
thus avoiding hastily formed
committees and unjust
settlements.

The 1970 committee study
suggested major revision of the
Senate's character, changing it
to include student members.
"The Senate at present is not
fulfilling its potentiality as a
source of advice to the
President and the Board and a
representative voice of the
faculty on important policy
questions of University wide
interests," the report said.

The study committee did not
"think it desirable...to follow
the examples of other
universities which attempt to
represent in a single body the
interests of faculty, students
and administration," although
it proposed changes to increase
contributions that
administrators and students
could make to the Senate, still
leaving the Senate as basically
the faculty's body.

The committee presented its
proposal to the General
Faculty, incurring heated
debate. The study report
included a proposed
constitution, which
recommended a Senate of 100
members, composed of 60
faculty, 20 administrative
officers and twenty students,
giving all members equal voice
and vote on issues.

The proposal to include
students was voted down.
Arguments were that a solely
faculty speaking voice was
needed at the University, and
that the functions of such a
diverse body were poorly
defined in the proposed
constitution.

The Senate approved the
current constitution Nov. 2,
1971, and the General Faculty
passed it last April.

Established by a resolution
of the General Faculty in 1925,
the Senate for many years was
a small faculty-administration
joint council.

Important Change

An important constitutional
change was made in 1954,
limiting the number of
administration members and
allowing the elected
membership to grow as faculty
increased, providing one
elective senator for each 20
faculty members. This plan
succeeded in making the group
a faculty-oriented organization
until, in the late 1960's, the
faculty became so large that
allocative provisions were
essential.

Although its powers have
necessarily decreased from the
1926 functions of "conferring
all degrees, and having
authority over legislation
affecting athletics, regulations
concerning student clubs,
creation of holidays, receiving
communications and
recommendations from the
Honor Committee,
examinations, legislation
affecting more than one or all
departments, of the
University," the Senate still
retains much authority in
specific areas.

Through regular meetings, a
more fully developed and
definite constitution, and
interest from constituents, it
may realize this authority and
become a much more vital
force than in the past. Activity
will depend only on these
factors, and perhaps the new
constitution will provide
Impetus for innovative
productivity.