Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
- South Dakota State University. Academic Senate
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
South Dakota State University has an important history of faculty governance. In 1946, the faculty formed a Faculty Association to promote faculty interests and faculty welfare. Although it was not a decision-making body, the association had some influence on university policy and decision-making. By the mid-1960's, however, faculty had begun to request a more official role in campus politics. After much discussion, they voted to form an Academic Senate, to be implemented in 1970. The Faculty Association assisted in the transition, and then disbanded in 1972.
The Senate was created to be a representative voice for faculty, researchers, campus-based extension specialists, and non-teaching professional staff. Other institutions have governance bodies, but the Academic Senate at South Dakota State University is unique in composition, authority and focus.
The Academic Senate is an elected body through which the faculty expresses its concerns for the welfare of the university community, develops and disseminates ideas for university improvement, stimulates communication, contributes to the formation of general university policy, and performs those duties and functions especially allocated to or assumed by the faculty, subject to the limitation imposed by the laws of the State of South Dakota and the rules of the Board of Regents. Constitutional authority is granted for policy formulation and approval of academic affairs, faculty affairs, student affairs and senate affairs.