Faculty Senate

Seminole State College's Faculty Senate represents members of its full-time and adjunct faculty, providing faculty recommendations to the Seminole State administration on issues of importance, such as faculty load, salary and contract concerns and campus re-organization plans. Members are involved in several campuswide committees as faculty representatives.

Purposes

The Faculty Senate is mandated to:

• Represent the faculty in matters concerning College policies and programs.
• Serve as a channel of communication for the faculty in its relations with the Board of Trustees, administration and student body.
• Act for the faculty in matters pertaining to faculty standards and welfare, professional ethics and public relations.
• Exercise initiative and leadership in fostering the professional growth of the faculty and to encourage cooperative efforts toward that end.
• Promote the continued development of the educational programs of the College.

Officers

Officers are elected by senate members for one-year terms. The immediate past president serves as a non-voting member of the executive committee and the Senate. Officers who are elected in the spring take office at the first general faculty meeting of Term I. In the event the president of the senate relinquishes his/her duties, the first vice president will assume that office for the remainder of the term.

Click Here to Learn More about the Faculty Senate Elections Process.

Duties of the Faculty Senate President

• Recommends to the president of the College and/or the Vice Presidents' Council at least one senate member to be appointed to each of the standing collegewide committees.
• Serves as a member of the Deans' Council and other College committees, as requested by the administration.
• Attends meetings of the District Board of Trustees.
• Represents the senate on appropriate occasions.
• Coordinates with the College president to provide for a recording secretary with the consent of the senate.

Duties of the Faculty Senate Vice Presidents

• The senate president may delegate appropriate duties to either vice president, as needed.
• The second vice president is responsible for the distribution of meeting minutes to the faculty.

Executive Committee

The executive committee is composed of senate officers. The president, first vice president and second vice president are voting members of the executive committee while the president-elect and the immediate past president are non-voting members.

Duties of the Executive Committee

• The executive committee will meet at the call of any of its members or by vote of the senate.
• The executive committee will sit as an appeal body for any member suspended by the president for absenteeism or tardiness.

Click Here to Learn More about the Faculty Senate Bylaws.

Membership

The Faculty Senate consists of elected faculty members who meet any of the following classifications:

• Full-time teaching faculty, including department chairs
• Certified library personnel, with no administrative duties
• Counselors with no administrative duties

One Faculty Senate representative is elected by members within each of the following departments:

The term of office on the Faculty Senate is two years and until successors take office. Department representatives are elected in odd years and members-at-large in even years.

Committees

• Benefits Committee: This committee is composed of senate members who are appointed by the senate president. At least one member will also sit on the collegewide Staff Benefits Committee. The Benefits Committee considers and recommends to the senate various forms of compensation and benefits that may be recommended to the collegewide Staff Benefits Committee and/or the College's administration.
• College Issues Committee: This committee is composed of senate members who are appointed by the senate president. As directed by the senate, the committee reviews or studies issues that are brought to the senate's attention; makes recommendations to the senate; and will act only as charged by the senate.
• Elections Committee: This committee is composed of elected senate members. It supervises and conducts the elections of committee members-at-large and officers.

Special committees, as deemed necessary or useful to carry out the work of the senate, can be appointed by the president or the executive committee.

Meetings

Regular senate meetings are held each month in room V-105 on the Sanford/Lake Mary Campus. Additional meetings may be called at the request of any one senate member. Anyone may attend open senate meetings.

Upcoming Meetings: TBA

Minutes

The second vice president is responsible for the distribution of meeting minutes to the faculty.

Did you know?

Seminole State's healthcare and paralegal programs are nationally accredited.