An Overview of the University of Utah Academic Senate

The academic senate’s legislative process can be complicated. The Daily Utah Chronicle sat down with Senate Policy Liaison Allyson Mower and academic senate President Harriet Hopf to help explain the process.

Marco Lozzi

The John R. Park Building at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on June 29, 2023. (Photo by Marco Lozzi | The Daily Utah Chronicle)

By Emerson Hagy, News Writer

September 24, 2024

Since 1915, the academic senate at the University of Utah has been a staple of university governance. It is the only governing body on campus allowing all “major stakeholders” at the U to be represented.

The academic senate governs matters like admissions requirements, curriculum and the creation of academics. It also influences budget decisions and administrative appointments.

“I’m a true believer in shared governance and the idea that having a voice is important,” said academic senate President Harriet Hopf. “[I also believe] that the administration needs collaboration and input from faculty, staff and students to be effective.”

Legislative Process

The legislative process of the academic senate has two main categories: curriculum and policy. Curriculum proposals involve new majors, minors or certificates. Policy proposals address faculty matters that are not college-specific.

The academic senate’s legislative process can be complicated. The Daily Utah Chronicle sat down with Hopf and Senate Policy Liaison Allyson Mower to help explain it.

Curriculum proposals begin within the college proposing the change. After discussions and a formal vote among faculty in the proposing college, the proposal is forwarded to the senate executive committee. If approved, it is then presented to the full senate for a vote. Finally, after senate approval, the proposal is sent to the board of trustees and ultimately to the Utah Board of Higher Education for final approval.

“The process for curriculum involves pre-discussions with different colleges,” Mower said. “Proposals are then formally voted on by the faculty in the proposing college before moving to the senate.”

Meanwhile, policy proposals begin with a submission to one of eight academic senate committees. These committees assess the proposal’s impact and offer support or suggest revisions. Once a policy gains committee approval, it moves to the executive committee for further review. Finally, it moves to the senate for a final vote.

“The senate doesn’t just write and approve policies directly. Instead, it identifies the need for a policy, sends it to the appropriate committees for drafting and then the proposal goes through a thorough review process,” Hopf said. “It often returns to the senate for a final vote after about six months.”

Membership Overview

For the 2024-25 academic year, the academic senate at the U comprises 105 faculty members. Each college, including the libraries, has a varying number of representatives based on factors such as total courses, majors and overall enrollment. For instance, the School of Medicine holds the most seats with 15 faculty members, while the College of Social Work has three due to its smaller size. The University of Utah Asia Campus holds one seat.

Library representation corresponds to a formula that relates to average number of student credits within each college and the number of tenure-line faculty in the library.

Faculty senators are elected by their respective colleges and serve three-year terms. Student representatives, who occupy 19 seats, are elected every spring, with two additional seats reserved for the ASUU president and an ASUU representative. The remaining seven seats are held by administrative members, including the president of the U.

“Each college runs its own elections for senators. Students elect students through ASUU, and faculty elect faculty,” Mower said. “Representation is based on the size of the college, such as student credit hours, courses and enrollment.”

Additionally, the senate has six officer positions: the president, president-elect, past-president, parliamentarian, senate policy liaison and secretary.

Staff at the University of Utah do not hold a representative seat on the academic senate. However, Hopf aims to make their voice heard in this years’ sessions.

“One of the things that we’re looking at this year is, how do we kind of bring staff in more?” Hopf said. “Because if I think about faculty, staff and student perspectives together, that’s a really important role.”

The academic senate holds meetings on the first Monday of every month at 3 p.m. These meetings take place on Zoom.

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About the Contributors

Emerson Hagy, News Writer

News Writer

Marco Lozzi, Photographer

(he/him) Born in Texas and raised by Italian parents, Marco Lozzi grew up with two vastly different cultures. Now at the U, he is majoring in communication with an emphasis in journalism while also minoring in photography and Italian. He works as a photojournalist covering everything from protests on campus to scientific research in the Arctic. When he's not taking or editing photos, he can be found hitting the slopes, napping or making pasta.