Budget and Planning Committee
The committee collaborates with administrative offices to ensure that University planning processes align with academic values and faculty interests.
Standing Committees
Faculty Senate members are expected to participate in one of the following standing committees. Each year, the committees are responsible for identifying their primary objectives and reporting their accomplishments.
Visit the committee pages below for information on community members and access to past reports.
Committee on Cause
The committee investigates appeals by faculty members in cases where the administration has imposed a sanction or is pursuing suspension or termination for Cause.Community Affairs Committee
The committee communicates and forges connections within the university community and with the broader community. It periodically creates and assesses surveys, communicates about senate priorities within and beyond the university, and facilitates opportunities for faculty to provide expertise on matters of interest to the community..
Educational Affairs Committee
The committee shapes the Northwestern educational experience by recommending best practices in academic organization, research and teaching.
Facilities and Sustainability Committee
The committee addresses facilities issues and sustainability and works with the administration to provide faculty input on these topics.
Faculty Rights and Handbook Committee
The committee attends to policies regarding academic freedom, teaching, research, interpersonal conduct, terms of appointment, promotion, tenure and related matters, and as needed proposes revisions to the Northwestern University Faculty Handbook, which constitutes the contract between the faculty and the University.
Governance and Policy Committee
The committee works on issues of shared governance and university policy, and proposes changes to senate and assembly by-laws as necessary.
Information Technology Committee
The committee works on issues of technology facilities and policy, data security, and AI in research, teaching, and learning. May call on expertise of members of other committees (such as Educational Affairs, Facilities, Research, Social Responsibility) as needed.
Non-Tenure Eligible Committee
The committee identifies issues and advises on best practices related to non-tenure eligible faculty.
Research Affairs Committee
The committee addresses issues that impact research-related activities conducted by the faculty.
Salary and Benefits Committee
The committee examines matters related to salary and benefits, including health, education and child care.
Social Responsibility Committee
The committee reviews University policies and practices with regard to fairness, decency, and other community values and responsibilities.
Student Affairs Committee
The committee collaborates with Northwestern student governance associations on issues involving faculty-student interaction and considers University-wide policies related to students.