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Photo of Chicago COCAL by Aaron Gang

Traits of Effective Senates

__Permanent office space, files, archives

__Annual budget(travel,telephone,computer,supplies,etc.)

__Secretarial assistance

__Adjusted workload for officers

__Regular meetings with college president

__Consulted on creation of all non-senate committees

__Senate president (faculty officer) presides at senate meetings.

__Bylaws specify areas where senate decisions are normally determinative, co-determinative, or advisory

__Meetings and activities advertised in advance and records of actions widely published

__Attracts both junior and senior faculty who are esteemed as academic leaders

__Is regarded by the campus as dealing with crucial issues

__Has effective representation on other key governance groups

__Senate leadership visible in the ceremonial and symbolic affairs of the campus

__Initiates a major portion of its agenda items

__Defends the core values of academic freedom, determines curriculum

__Provides an effective forum for controversial issues

__Is seen as an agent for necessary institutional change

__Grounds its practices in parliamentary procedure and published and endorsed principles of governance

Participants at sessions of the AAHE National Network of Faculty Senates during the past twelve years have developed and refined these traits. Please let us know of additional traits you think are essential.

"TOES" (FlyMark) AAHE/National Network of Faculty Senates
Joe Flynn, Co-director, SUNYACT, Alfred, N.Y. 14802
(607-587-4185) Email: flynnjg@alfredstate.edu