The Faculty Senate
(FS Bylaws, Article 1 and 7)

Membership of Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bylaws, Article 1

1.1 Voting Members

1.1.1 Election of Voting Members

Voting members of the Faculty Senate shall be elected in the following manner:

(A) One member of the Faculty Senate shall be elected from and by the tenure-track faculty of each academic unit in the degree-granting colleges of the university, with two elected from each such academic unit of over 50 faculty members, and one faculty member each from the College of Law and the University Libraries. Such tenure-track faculty, eligible to either be elected or to elect, shall include those who hold the rank of professor, associate professor, or assistant professor, and shall exclude the president, the president's staff, the executive vice president and provost, the executive vice president and provost's staff, the deans, and the deans' staff.

Members of the University Council may not serve as the elected Faculty Senate representative of an academic unit. Alternates for elected members of the Faculty Senate shall be selected from the member’s academic unit. Alternates may attend and participate as voting members in the event the elected member is unable to attend.

In addition, 10 non-tenured instructors as defined by the Instructors collective Bargaining Agreement Article 1 shall be voting members. One instructor will be selected by each of the seven degree-granting colleges. The remaining three instructors will be selected at large.

One clinical faculty member will be selected by the Council of Deans.

Two Supportive Professional Staff members will be selected by the Supportive Professional Staff Council.

Two Operating Staff members will be selected by the Operating Staff Council. Operating Staff will serve one-year terms.

(B) When the Faculty Senate does not contain at least one elected faculty representative who is a member of a minority racial group, the elected faculty members of the Faculty Senate shall meet and elect such a representative. The person thus elected shall be chosen from among the faculty members of the university who are eligible for election as a faculty representative of the Faculty Senate. Prior to conducting such an election, the elected faculty representatives on Faculty Senate shall seek nominations from the college faculties and shall elect one of the persons thus nominated. The position thus filled shall be in addition to the number of seats otherwise apportioned. The faculty representative so elected shall serve a term of three years.

(C) Eleven students will have voting membership on the Faculty Senate. One student will be selected by the Student Advisory Committee from each of the six undergraduate degree-granting colleges. Two undergraduate students will be selected by the Student Government Association. Two graduate students will be selected by the Graduate Council. One College of Law student will be selected by the College of Law. Students will serve one-year terms. Students will not vote on faculty and staff personnel matters.

1.1.2 The terms of office for all voting members of the Faculty Senate, except students, shall be for three years and shall begin July 1 of each year.

1.2 Nonvoting Members

1.2.1 Any faculty member of the University Advisory Committee (UAC) to the Board of Trustees who is not a voting member of the Faculty Senate shall be an ex officio nonvoting member.

1.2.2 If not otherwise a member of the Faculty Senate the faculty representative to the Illinois Board of Higher Education Faculty Advisory Committee shall be an ex officio nonvoting member.

1.2.3 If they are not otherwise voting members of the Faculty Senate, the faculty serving as assistant chairs of the Academic Planning Council, the Graduate Council, and the Baccalaureate Council, shall sit as ex officio nonvoting members of the Senate during their terms of office.

1.2.4 If not otherwise a voting member of the Faculty Senate, the Faculty Athletics Representative shall be an ex officio nonvoting member.

Faculty Senate Bylaws, Article 7

7.1 The Faculty Senate shall serve as the official voice of the faculty of Northern Illinois University and as the authoritative representative liaison body between the faculty and (1) the University Council, (2) the president of the university, (3) the executive vice president and provost, (4) other vice presidents with respect to their responsibilities affecting the faculty, and (5) the chair and the Board of Trustees. The Faculty Senate is the body empowered to act as an agent for the university faculty with the power to formulate policies regarding educational functions of the university.

7.2 In accordance with the Preamble and Article 7.3 of the University Constitution and the stated commitment to university governance as a shared process, the Faculty Senate shall serve the following purposes:

7.2.1 Faculty shall predominate in all policy decisions relating to the faculty personnel system, the university curriculum, and to policy decisions concerning admissions and academic policies and standards.

7.2.2 To promote the representation of the faculty in the governance of the university;

7.2.3 To encourage active faculty participation in the development of university policies and procedures;

7.2.4 To discuss and recommend as a Faculty Senate policies affecting the university as a whole;

7.2.5 To promote the welfare of the faculty and the university.

Meets in person on Wednesdays at 3 p.m.
2026-2027 dates: Sep 2, Sep 30, Oct 28, Nov 18, Jan 20, Feb 17, Mar 24, Apr 21