Welcome to the new academic year! As we embark on the fall semester, the Academic Senate resumes its full-scale activities. Throughout the upcoming sessions, the senate will delve into various matters that directly impact our university and its community. We encourage you to consider joining these meetings whenever your schedule permits. While your senate representatives will make efforts to engage with their constituents, please feel free to reach out directly to them or any member of the Senate Leadership Team with your thoughts, concerns and ideas. The senate not only facilitates discussions on academic policies but also offers a platform where your voice matters and can drive positive change. In addition to our deliberations, the senate provides a unique opportunity to hear directly from university leaders.
Meeting schedule for 2023-24
The Academic Senate has arranged nine meetings for the academic year 2023-24. These monthly senate sessions are set for Mondays from 3-5:30 p.m. and will take place via Zoom, with open access to the public. The schedule and more information on attending Academic Senate meetings can be found here. Please note that senate meeting agendas are published in advance on BoardDocs.
Shared governance updates
Senate Leadership Team 2023-24
Shanti Deemyad, president
Harriet Hopf, president-elect
Sonia Salari, past-president
Paul Mogren, parliamentarian
Allyson Mower, policy liaison
Jane Laird, senate secretary
Mike Braak, Academic Senate operations coordinator
First Utah Asia Campus senator
The Academic Senate is delighted to welcome the first senator from the Utah Asia Campus, Sejin Kim!
A busy summer
Numerous senate committees including senate leadership and the Executive Committee have been diligently engaged in maintaining our role in shared governance. The Executive Committee held three summer sessions, during which they reviewed and evaluated reports and proposals for full senate consideration. Several senate committees intervened to address urgent concerns impacting the faculty or our university.
The senate president and past president visited the Utah Asia Campus and attended the grand opening of the Herriman Campus. Additionally, the senate hosted the first post-pandemic gathering of the Utah Council of Faculty Senate Leaders. The university's leadership team organized a gathering of former senate presidents from whom valuable insights and advice were gathered for charting our path forward.
Get involved
The Academic Senate thrives on the active participation of its members. We highly value your input. Your voice plays a pivotal role in shaping our academic landscape. All faculty members are eligible to run for a seat in the senate or one of its committees. If you wish to learn more about the Academic Senate and ways that you can contribute to the shared governance, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Thank you for your continued commitment to our academic community.
About the Academic Senate
The Academic Senate at the University of Utah is a vital institution in our shared governance framework. It serves as the representative body for the University of Utah faculty, playing a central role in matters of educational policy, faculty advocacy and informed decision-making. The voting body of the senate is composed of 104 faculty members, proportionally elected by their respective colleges, along with 20 students (one per college), the ASUU president and vice president, and two deans elected by academic deans. Leading the senate are the seven officers of the Senate Leadership Team, including the president, president-elect, past president, appointed parliamentarian, policy liaison, senate secretary and the Academic Senate operations coordinator. Additionally, there are nine standing committees addressing a wide range of university-related issues. Learn more about the Academic Senate here.