Faculty Senate

According to its Constitution, the Faculty Senate of Southern Methodist University bears the responsibility of speaking and acting for the General Faculty in matters affecting the University as a whole.

The Senate possesses and exercises the powers of the General Faculty of the University in all matters that are not reserved by the Bylaws of the University to the faculty of a single school. The Senate seeks to further the University's dedication to the pursuit of truth and the preservation, dissemination, and extension of knowledge.

To that end, the Senate has among its principal concerns the preservation of academic freedom in the University community, the promotion of creative and responsible inquiry, thought, and expression in an atmosphere of scholarly excellence, and the protection of a vital balance among the various programs of the University, free of prejudice or undue partiality.

The Senate is responsible for fostering the professional development and economic well-being of the faculty. The Senate exercises its power through legislative, investigative, and advisory functions appropriate to this Constitution.