About the Senate

The Rutgers University Senate is a university-wide deliberative body consisting of representatives of Rutgers faculty, students, staff, administrators, and alumni. The Senate meets eight or nine times during the academic year to consider matters of general University interest, and to make recommendations to the University administration on those matters.

The Rutgers University Senate exercises its powers through the following four functions:

Legislative Function

The Senate shall regularly review, revise and otherwise regulate and legislate those matters specifically assigned to Senate jurisdiction by the Board of Governors in University Regulation 2.2.2.A., which include:

• establishing minimum standards respecting admission, scholarship and honors
• regulating formal relationships among academic units within the University
• recommending norms for teaching loads
• establishing the University calendar

Advisory Function

The Senate shall study and advise on matters listed in University Regulation 2.2.2.B on its own initiative, or when these matters are brought to the Senate’s attention by the central administration, by colleges, faculties and divisions of the University, or by special-interest groups or individuals within the University.

Initiative Function

In accordance with the provision in University Regulation 2.2.2.B(1) that the Senate may, upon its own initiative, advise the president or the Board of Governors on any matter of concern to the University

Appeal Function

University Regulations prescribe two appeal functions for the Senate:

• Under University Regulation 2.2.2.C, the Senate shall consider and decide appeals filed with the Senate executive secretary by faculty or students, or any division thereof, on the ground that the faculty/students were not adequately consulted prior to making a major decision on an academic or administrative matter affecting the faculty or students made at a departmental, college or any other internal level
• Under University Regulation 2.2.2.B.(2), in matters of significant consequence to the University’s broad educational and research policies, a representative of the University Senate may appeal, on the Senate’s behalf, to the Educational Planning and Policy Committee of the Board of Governors, an action of the University president in which the representative alleges that the president has acted contrary to any of the following provisions: policy of the Board of Governors; University Regulations; state or federal law; a contract to which the University is a party, except contracts involving collective bargaining; practice well established in the absence of Board policy or University Regulation; or the University’s best interest in an action that establishes a policy in a matter not regulated by any of the foregoing. If the Educational Planning and Policy Committee finds that the decision questioned is consequential and that the issue requires interpretation under any of the provisions above, the committee will request the advice of the Senate on the issue if that has not already been offered, and will refer the question to the Board of Governors for resolution.