Faculty and Student Senate | University of Illinois Archives

Name: Faculty and Student Senate

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Historical Note:

On March 11, 1869 the Board of Trustees entrusted the day to day governance of the Illinois Industrial University to an appointed Regent and the faculty.<a href='#ftn1'>1</a> In 1877 the Board clarified the duties of this group by charging it with the "immediate control of the discipline and studies" of the University. The Board further stated that its members should consist of professors, assistants, and instructors and that it should meet once a month.<a href='#ftn2'>2</a> The Faculty Senate was created in 1901 when the Board decided to restrict membership to administrators (president, vice president) and to deans, ranking professors, chairmen or heads of each of the departments. The name of the group changed from "General Faculty" to "University Senate".<a href='#ftn3'>3</a> In 1906 membership requirements were changed to include only full professors.<a href='#ftn4'>4</a> In 1908, the purpose of the senate was restated as exercising "general legislative functions" concerning "the educational policy of the University".<a href='#ftn5'>5</a>

Due to the increase in the size of the University, the Faculty Senate was split into three groups--a senate for each campus: Urbana-Champaign, Chicago Professional Colleges, and Chicago Undergraduate Division.<a href='#ftn6'>6</a> In 1967 the membership requirements were changed to allow associate and assistant professors to elect one member for each ten of their number per department.<a href='#ftn7'>7</a> In 1968 students, as members of committees were given the right to vote on matters of concern of those committees.<a href='#ftn8'>8</a> In 1971, the Board voted to abolish the membership requrements of the constitution of the Senate and to allow each campus unit to establish its own, separate senate which would, in turn, set its own membership requirements. In 1971 the Board accepted the constitution of the Urbana-Champaign Senate.<a href='#ftn9'>9</a> It accepted Chicago Medical Center's in 1973,<a href='#ftn10'>10</a> and Chicago Circle's in 1974.<a href='#ftn11'>11</a>

<a name='ftn1'>1. Board of Trustees Transactions, 2nd Report, March 11, 1869, p. 90.</a>

<a name='ftn2'>2. Board of Trustees Transactions, 9th Report, September 11, 1877, pp. 45-46.</a>

<a name='ftn3'>3. Board of Trustees Transactions, 21st Report, June 11, 1901, p. 86.</a>

<a name='ftn4'>4. Board of Trustees Transactions, 23rd Report, March 13, 1906, p. 328.</a>

<a name='ftn5'>5. Board of Trustees Transactions, 25th Report, December 28, 1908, p. 54.</a>

<a name='ftn6'>6. Board of Trustees Transactions, 49th Report, February 14, 1951, p. 261.</a>

<a name='ftn7'>7. Board of Trustees Transactions, 54th Report, April 19, 1967, p. 490.</a>

<a name='ftn8'>8. Board of Trustees Transactions, 55th Report, April 9, 1969, p. 367.</a>

<a name='ftn9'>9. Board of Trustees Transactions, 56th Report, March 17, 1971, pp. 251-54.</a>

<a name='ftn10'>10. Board of Trustees Transactions, 57th Report, June 20, 1973, p. 296.</a>

<a name='ftn11'>11. Board of Trustees Transactions, 57th Report, March 20, 1974, p. 517.</a>