The Faculty Senate consists of the 30 elected faculty members
of the University Council; one member elected by and from each
academic department or school in the degree-granting colleges
of the university, with two elected from each academic department
or school of over 50 faculty members; and one member each from
the College of Law and the University Libraries.
Among the ex officio nonvoting members is any faculty member of
the University Advisory Committee (UAC) to the Board of Trustees
and of the Faculty Advisory Committee to the Illinois Board of
Higher Education who is not a voting member of the senate, the
faculty serving as assistant chairs of the Academic Planning Council
(APC), the Graduate Council (GC), and the Undergraduate Coordinating
Council (UCC) if they are not otherwise voting members of the
senate, and the supportive professional staff member of the University
Council.
The faculty members of the University Council shall be elected
by the faculty members of the colleges, excluding the president's
staff and the provost's staff, members of the Council of Deans,
associate deans, assistant deans, assistants to deans and members
of the supportive professional staff. The remaining faculty members
shall be elected directly by each of the academic departments
or schools in the degree-granting colleges of the university,
the College of Law, and the University Libraries.
The Faculty Senate shall serve as the official voice of the university faculty of Northern Illinois University and as the authoritative representative liaison body between the faculty and the University Council, the president of the university, the executive vice president and provost, other vice presidents with respect to their responsibilities affecting the faculty, and the Board of Trustees.