SDSU Archives & Special Collections: UA 4 University Committees

South Dakota State University has an important history of faculty governance. In 1946, the faculty formed a Faculty Association to promote faculty interests and faculty welfare. Although it was not a decision making body, the association had some influence on university policy and decision-making. By the mid-1960's, however, faculty had begun to request a more official role in campus politics. After much discussion, they voted to form an Academic Senate, to be implemented in 1970. The Faculty Association assisted in the transition, and then disbanded in 1972.

The Senate was created to be a representative voice for faculty, researchers, campus-based extension specialists, and non-teaching professional staff. Other institutions have governance bodies, but the Academic Senate at South Dakota State University is unique in composition, authority and focus.

The Academic Senate is an elected body through which the faculty expresses its concerns for the welfare of the university community, develops and disseminates ideas for university improvement, stimulates communication, contributes to the formation of general university policy, and performs those duties and functions especially allocated to or assumed by the faculty, subject to the limitation imposed by the laws of the State of South Dakota and the rules of the Board of Regents. Constitutional authority is granted for policy formulation and approval of academic affairs, faculty affairs, student affairs and senate affairs.

Return to Table of Contents

Administrative Committees
Collection Number: UA 4.1
Dates: 1964-current
Physical Description: 1 linear foot—1 container
Abstract: Collection consists mainly of minutes from various administrative committees. Also included may be correspondence, research, and publications directly related to each committee.

Academic Senate Committees
Collection Number: UA 4.2
Dates: 1964-current
Physical Description: 17.81 linear feet—22 containers, 1 audio cassette, 4 computer disks
Abstract: Collection consists mainly of minutes from various Academic Senate committees. Also included may be agendas, secretary working papers, correspondence, research, membership files, reports, handbooks , subject files and publications directly related to each committee.

Committee on Committees
Collection Number: UA 4.3
Dates: 1971-1986
Physical Description: .42 linear feet—1 container
Abstract: Collection consists mainly of minutes from the Committee on Committees. Also included may be correspondence, research and publications.

Other University-related Boards and Committees
Collection Number: UA 4.4
Dates: 1963-1964, 1971-current
Physical Description: 2.42 linear feet—3 containers
Abstract: Collection consists of material collected by the Academic Senate related to the South Dakota Board of Regents. Included are correspondence, minutes, newsletters, budget requests, curricular requests, clippings, reports and studies.

South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, South Dakota State College faculty committees, Brookings S.D., South Dakota State College, 19-- - 1964. S537.S6 A2

South Dakota State University, South Dakota State University faculty and faculty-student committees, Brookings, S.D., South Dakota State University, 1964-. S537.S6 A2

Return to Table of Contents

University Committees, South Dakota State University Archives, South1984 Dakota State University, Brookings, S. D.

This collection was received as records transfers from Academic Senate representatives in 1998 and 2000. This is an on-going collection with material arriving through departmental records transfers, the university campus mail, or random donation by various individuals.