Our Structure

The Faculty Council is elected by the Faculty Assembly. Members of the Faculty Council also serve on the University Council, and individual members serve on different Faculty Council committees. However, any member of the Faculty Assembly (even those not part of the Faculty Council) may serve on a committee.

Faculty Assembly

If you are:

• a Boston University faculty member of professorial, lecturer, or instructor rank (excluding adjunct, visiting, and emeritus faculty) with at least half-time appointment; and
• appointed to a school, college, or designated academic unit,

you are a member of the Faculty Assembly. The Faculty Assembly meets at least twice during the academic year, with the University president presiding over an agenda jointly agreed upon by the Faculty Council and the President’s Office.

View past recordings of Faculty Assembly meetings.

Faculty Council

The Faculty Council is the representative body of the Faculty Assembly elected by the individual schools, colleges, and designated academic units of the University. There is at least one member and one alternate representing each school and college.

Electing New Members

The Officers are elected by the Faculty Assembly. The Committee Chairs of the Faculty Council are elected by the Faculty Council. The Officers and Committee Chairs comprise the Executive Committee.

Each school or college is responsible for holding its own annual elections for representatives and alternates.

Find more information in our Elections section.

Responsibilities

As a member of the Faculty Council, you can participate in an open forum to learn about, question, and voice your school/college’s opinion about the policies and activities of the University. The Faculty Council reviews new proposals for academic programs, evaluates and provides feedback to the administration on new initiatives and policy changes, and forms its own initiatives or projects based on recommendations made by individual Council members, committees, or the full Council. In addition, the Faculty Council fosters an open, continuous dialogue with the University by inviting members of the senior administration to attend and/or present new policies or projects at Faculty Council meetings.

Both representatives and alternates are expected to attend Faculty Council meetings. Moreover, it is the duty of the Council members to report back to their colleagues about the activities of the Faculty Council and to poll their colleagues and present their questions and concerns to the Faculty Council.

Faculty Council Meetings

The Faculty Council meets once per month during the academic year, usually on the first Tuesday of the month, from 3:30 to 5 pm.

View minutes and summaries from past meetings of the Faculty Council.

University Council

The Officers, Committee Chairs, and the School/College Representatives of the Faculty Council also serve on the University Council, which additionally includes the president, provosts, deans, and senior academic administrators. Subsets of certain Faculty Council committees also serve with administrators on University Council committees, where the substantive topics of the University Council are formulated. Faculty probably have their greatest input to important legislation in this setting, as the Council considers and recommends action on academic matters including degree requirements, the creation and discontinuation of academic programs, and the development of policies that impact faculty or students. The University Council meets one Tuesday afternoon per month, September through June.

Committees

Any member of the Faculty Assembly can volunteer to serve on one of the standing committees of the Faculty Council.

The committees work by email or meet in person at arranged times, as needed. Send your expression of interest to fafc@bu.edu.