Representative Bodies

 

Delta State University provides various venues for input from faculty and staff through established organizations listed below.

 

None

 

 

The Faculty Senate serves and acts as a voice for the faculty. It is a representative body elected by the faculty from those eligible for senatorship. Each division/department with eligible faculty is represented by at least one senator. The primary function of the Senate is to explore faculty concerns and make recommendations to the Administration (President, Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Council) on policies affecting the University in general and the faculty specifically. In this role, the Senate recommends membership to a variety of academic committees, manages enrollment or sign-up by faculty members for university committees, and serves to encourage the activities of such committees. 

 

The Administrative Staff Council shall serve as a liaison between the administration and the staff of Delta State University to provide a formal process for staff to discuss issues involving University policies and procedures and to forward ideas, recommendations, and opinions to the President. Composed of non-academic employees of Delta State University, membership in the Council includes department heads/directors and at-large members elected from secretarial/clerical, paraprofessional, and support personnel. The Council works closely with other Mississippi public universities on projects of common interest.

 

Committees are appointed to study policies and organizations related to university functioning and to make recommendations to the Administration. Most faculty and certain staff members are selected to serve on one or more standing or special committees. Student representatives are also appointed to serve on most committees. Faculty members are given the opportunity to designate their first, second, and third choices regarding committees on which they prefer to serve. At the beginning of each school year, a special memorandum is distributed listing committee assignments. Returning faculty members are usually placed on a committee of their choosing. Ad hoc committees are appointed based on need. Selection of committee membership is defined in the Faculty Senate and Staff Council By-Laws.

 

Below is a summary statement of the duties and responsibilities for the various standing faculty committees.

 

1.                The designated chair of each committee is responsible for:

a.       Organization of the committee

b.      Designation of time and place of committee meetings outside regularly scheduled class periods

c.       Filing of TWO COPIES of the minutes of each meeting in the Office of the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs (within one week after meeting), one of which will be passed on to the President. Please note in the minutes those members present and those absent.

 

2.                The President of the University is ex officio member of all committees and may be represented by the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for University Advancement, or other designated representative.

 

3.                  Recommendations from a committee shall be communicated in writing by the chair to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs for academic matters and to the President of the University for all other Matters.

 

4.                  The process of an appeal of an academic-oriented committee decision shall be completed through the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs to the President. Appeals of all other committee decisions shall be made directly to the President.

 

5.                  Student committee members are entitled to voting privileges.