About

The University Faculty Senate represents all faculty at Penn State through the process of shared governance. The Senate is comprised of faculty senators who are elected from each college and campus. In 2011, the Senate legislated a fixed-size of 200 elected faculty seats. Senate seats are allocated proportionately by unit, based on the ratio of full-time unit faculty to the total number of full-time University faculty. Undergraduate and graduate students are represented on the Senate, as are University administrators. The Senate seeks ways to improve communication and collaborative decision making across the University.

Members of the University community are welcome to attend Senate meetings and, with prior approval of the Chair, may speak regarding a matter before the body. Further information about the Faculty Senate is available in the Constitution, Bylaws, and Standing Rules of the University Faculty Senate, the Faculty Senate website, or by contacting the Office of the University Faculty Senate, (814) 863-0221, 101 Kern Graduate Building.

Meetings

The senate meets seven times a year and meetings are public (meeting dates: senate.psu.edu/senators/important-dates). Approximately one week before the plenary meeting, you will receive the agenda and meeting information from the University Senate Office. That email will include a link to join our meetings by Zoom.

Members

The Senate represents more than 5,600 full-time faculty at 23 Penn State campuses. The Senate is comprised of faculty senators who are elected from each college and campus. In 2011, the Senate legislated a fixed-size of 200 elected faculty seats. Senate seats are allocated proportionately by unit, based on the ratio of full-time unit faculty to the total number of full-time University faculty. Other Senate representation includes undergraduate/graduate student senators, ex officio, and members appointed by the President. Senate committee chairs invite other members of the University community to participate in the work of the committees as resources.

You can find the names and email addresses of your senators here: senate.psu.edu/senators/membership. If you sort this list by Unit Name, you will be able to scroll through to find your campus, college, or unit and find your elected senators. Your senators are elected to represent YOU. We encourage you to reach out to your senators if you have a concern or issue you think the senate should address.