Academic Senate
A representative body of faculty members that governs academic policies, curriculum design, degree requirements, and faculty affairs at a university.
The academic senate (or faculty senate) is the primary body through which faculty exercise shared governance over academic matters at a university. Composed of elected faculty representatives from across departments and schools, the senate typically has authority over curriculum design, degree requirements, academic standards, faculty promotion criteria, and educational policy. The principle of shared governance — where faculty control academic matters while administrators manage operations and the board provides oversight — is a cornerstone of university organization in the US, though the balance of power varies significantly across institutions.