Faculty Senate

The purpose of the Life University Faculty Senate is to provide a formal, collaborative organization to advance the education of LIFE’s students into transformational leaders in an increasingly diverse, global and dynamic world. The Faculty Senate strives to foster and encourage effective communication among faculty and between faculty and administration; to promote unity and coherence among faculty; to provide a forum for raising, discussing and promoting resolution of faculty issues; to foster and encourage a learning environment based on the University’s values of Vitalism, Lasting Purpose and the Eight Core Proficiencies; and to promote instructional and service excellence and success in the classroom, University and community.

The Faculty Senate derives its authority from its constitution, which is endorsed and approved by the faculty as a whole, the President of the University, and the Board of Trustees. It is authorized to speak for the whole faculty concerning matters on which it has deliberated and made recommendations. It recognizes its role as advisory to the President and the Board of Trustees, in accordance with the provisions and spirit of the Statement on Shared Governance (approved by the Board of Trustees on January 23, 2009, and signed into effect in April 2009), and the Delineation of Roles in Shared Governance document.

The Faculty Senate is a representative body of the faculty as a whole, consisting of twelve faculty representatives elected by the sub-divisions of the faculty they represent (see below), and the three-member executive committee, composed of the President, Vice President and the Secretary/Treasurer, elected by the faculty as a whole. The Faculty Senate meets monthly throughout the quarter, usually during Weeks 2, 5 and 9, to conduct business. A full faculty meeting is held during week zero of every other quarter (twice annually) during the Faculty Staff Development Programs. During which the Executive Committee and Committee Chairs address the full faculty to deliver activity reports, and full faculty votes will be conducted as needed. Other committees and task forces meet and discuss business as needed, on varying schedules as outlined in the Faculty Senate Constitution and Bylaws.

More specific details can be found in the most current Constitution and Bylaws posted in the Faculty Handbook on this website, or by contacting an officer or representative of the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate also maintains a work site on Blackboard called “FS101.”

Mr. Greg Ware
President
Liberal Studies

Dr. Michael Tomasello
Vice President
C-HOP

Dr. Kathryn Bruce
Secretary/Treasurer
Health Sciences

Dr. Paul Donaldson
Outreach Clinics

Dr. Steve Bloomingdale
CC-HOP

Dr. Maria Michelin
Clinical Science

Dr. Timothy Conroy
C-HOP

Dr. Rick Sherkel
Chiropractic Sciences

Dr. Eric Partin
Basic Sciences

Dr. Jason Shepard
Social Science

Dr. Kelley Ceccato
Liberal Studies

Ms. Tamisa Ridley
Libraries

Dr. Richard Shook
Distance Education