Faculty Senate & Governance

University faculty

The Faculty Code (Sec. 21-31) specifies that the university faculty consists of:

  • President.
  • Vice presidents.
  • Professors.
  • Associate professors.
  • Assistant professors.
  • Instructors.
  • Teaching and research associates.
  • Senior lecturers.
  • Senior artists in residence.
  • Professors of practice.
  • Lecturers.
  • Artists in residence.

*Whether serving under visiting, acting, research, clinical or affiliate appointment, whether serving part-time or full-time, and whether serving in an active or emeritus capacity.

The UW system of shared governance makes it a responsibility of faculty to share with the administration the day-to-day governance of the university. Hence, the role of faculty extends beyond that of conducting research and teaching, to actively participate in the stewardship of the university.

At the level of university governance (Section 13-23), faculty and the administration (the president, the chancellors and academic deans) share responsibility in such matters as:

  • Educational policy and general welfare.
  • Policy for the regulation of student conduct and activities.
  • Scholastic policy, including requirements for admission, graduation, and honors.
  • Approval of candidates for degrees.
  • Criteria for faculty tenure, appointment, and promotion.
  • Recommendations concerning campus and University budgets.
  • Formulation of procedures to carry out the policies and regulation thus established.

Roles and Responsibilities

The university faculty delegates its legislative power to the senate, but “reserved the right and power by a majority vote of the voting members of the entire faculty to rescind the delegation of legislative powers to the Faculty Senate…” (Section 21-41). Further, the faculty “reserves the power to approve or reject certain actions of the Faculty Senate…” (Section 21-41).

The voting faculty in the 18 academic units of the university (schools, colleges, UW Bothell and UW Tacoma) have the responsibility with respect to academic matters to determine requirements for admission and graduation, curriculum and academic programs, scholastic standards required of its students; to recommend to the Board of Regents whose of its students who qualify for the university degrees; and exercise additional powers necessary to provide adequate instruction and supervision of its students. Further the respective voting faculties have the responsibility, with respect to personnel matters, to make recommendations to the dean or chancellor in accord with Chapter 24 and Section 25-41. The voting faculties of UW Bothell and UW Tacoma and, where formally departmentalized, the voting faculties of the schools and colleges, are authorized to delegate these responsibilities to the voting faculties in the various academic programs at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma and to the departments schools and colleges on the Seattle campus (Section 23-43).

Through their elected faculty councils, the voting faculties of the 18 academic units of the university also bear the responsibility for advising their respective chancellors or deans “matters involving academic policy, including priorities, resource and salary allocation, and budgets (Section 23-45B).