L&S Senate Information

The L&S Faculty Senate is the main legislative body of the College, meeting once per semester. Senate members are elected to represent disciplinary districts (often, a department's University senators also serve as College senators). The Senate receives annual reports of the L&S Academic Planning Council, Curriculum Committee, and Faculty Honors Committee, as well as for other reports and questions forwarded at the discretion of the Chair, the APC, the CC, or upon recommendation of members.

What is the L&S Senate?

The L&S Faculty Senate is the main governance body of the College, receiving reports of the L&S Academic Planning Council, Curriculum Committee, Faculty Honors Committee, and Equity and Diversity Committee.  The dean of the College of Letters and Science presides over the L&S Senate 

Who serves on the L&S Senate?

The same senators who serve in the university Faculty Senate usually also serve as senators in the L&S Faculty Senate. According to L&S Faculty Senate Bylaws, the members of the L&S Senate are "elected from the College of Letters and Science to the Faculty Senate under section 2.04 of Chapter 2 of Faculty Policies and Procedures; their designated alternatives to the Faculty Senate shall serve as their alternatives to the L&S Senate. Any senate district which wishes to do so may, in an election conducted in accord with the provisions of section 2.04 of Faculty Policies and Procedures, elect L&S Senators equal in number to but not necessarily the same as their faculty senators to serve in their place; each L&S Senator so elected shall designate an alternate as specified in section 2.04 of Faculty Policies and Procedures. Any department of the College without a faculty senator shall elect one senator to the L&S Senate." (1.02 Letters and Science Faculty Senate Bylaws)  The dean of the College of Letters and Science, and the academic associate deans are ex officio members of the senate.

Who may speak at the L&S Senate?  Who may vote?

All faculty members and full-time members of the academic staff of the College of Letters and Science  of the University of Wisconsin-Madison may attend and speak.  Only L&S senators in attendance may offer motions, second motions, and vote.  The chair of a faculty committee of the College may make motions relevant to the report of the committee.

When does the Senate meet?

The L&S Faculty Senate meetings are held twice each year, usually from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. on a Monday.   The meeting schedule is set at the beginning of the academic year, and is provided to Department Chairs and Directors.  Notice of meetings is provided at least 15 days prior to the meeting.

If there is no significant business to be transacted, the Dean may ask the L&S Academic Planning Council to recommend cancellation of an upcoming L&S Senate meeting.  (Every effort is made to provide notice of meeting cancellation well in advance of the scheduled meeting, to afford members of the Senate to express desire to hold the meeting.)  Per L&S Senate bylaws, special meetings of the L&S Senate may be held at the call of the dean or on the written petition to the dean of any five L&S Senators.

Reference:  LSFacultySenateBylaws.pdf

Contact:  Associate Dean Elaine M. Klein, elaine.klein@wisc.edu


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