Congratulations!

In case you haven’t heard already, you have been elected to the Faculty Senate. The work of our Senate is crucial to the University community, and I am proud to serve with you as we advance shared governance at the University of Tennessee. Though your term does not begin until August 1, 2021, I have three items for your consideration now.  

First, all Senators are assigned to one or two Senate committees. The following link takes you to a survey that will enable you to indicate your committee preferences:
https://utk.questionpro.com/t/AOhpNZnYfU

In order that we can effectively assign Committees, establish their membership following the Senate Bylaws guidelines, and take your preferences into account please respond to this survey by Monday July 12. The full description of the roles of the committees are described in the Senate Bylaws, noted below. If you have any difficulty with completing the survey, please contact the Senate Graduate Assistant, Brooke Killion (jkillio1@vols.utk.edu).

Second, please bookmark the Faculty Senate website: https://senate.utk.edu
Answers to many of your questions about the Senate can be found there but I also encourage you to read through the Senate Bylaws to obtain a more complete perspective on the Senate's role, structure and functioning in supporting shared governance at UTK. 

Third, the Faculty Senate Retreat will be held via Zoom on Friday August 27. This will begin with a session specially designed for new Senators starting at 9AM. The Retreat will continue though most of the day, featuring discussions with campus leaders and initial meetings of all Senate Committees. I encourage you to attend as much of the Retreat as your schedule allows, as it is our primary means to establish priorities for the academic year.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns.

Congratulations once again—and welcome to the Senate!

Stay well,
       Lou
Faculty Senate President, 2021-2022