Under the authority of the faculty, the student government for the undergraduate student body is the Student Senate.
The Student Senate form of government is composed of two branches, legislative and judicial, and was established to provide creative opportunities for self-government of students in student affairs, to provide for a voice of the student body, and to serve as a liaison between the administration and the student body on matters of concern. With ratification by the Faculty-Student Senate Conference Committee and the faculty, the Student Senate determines policies pertaining to student social activities, student organizations, student residence and disciplinary procedures, and other aspects of student life.
The Student Senate operates primarily as a legislative body. The Senate is elected/selected each spring. Through its committees this body addresses each aspect of student life.
Students also participate in the formation of academic policy through their representative membership on faculty committees. With this direct voting representation (eight votes on the floor of the faculty meetings), students help to create academic regulations.
The other branch of the Student Senate is the judicial branch, the Student Senate Hearing Board. The Student Senate Hearing Board is composed of seven members, one of whom is designated by Board members as Chief Justice and appointed by the Senate. Members of the Hearing Board are chosen from those students who have filed an application with the Chief Justice, Dean of Students, or designee. An ensuing interview with a Hearing Board Selection Committee is required of each applicant. The Committee is composed of the Dean of Students or designee, the Hearing Board Chief Justice, a faculty member chosen by the Senate, and two members of the student body selected by the Senate. The Selection Committee submits its recommendations to the Senate for approval.
The Student Senate Hearing Board provides an opportunity for peer group control and feedback regarding behavior and standards within the student community. The specific purposes of the Hearing Board are
1. to make recommendations to the Dean of Students or designee regarding adjudication of student misconduct cases within the University community,
2. to involve students in the administration of University discipline so that their ideas and insights are given consideration, that they may gain a deeper understanding of the need for rules and regulations, and that order within the various living units and the wider University community may be maintained,
3. to make the disciplinary process educative and positive rather than a strictly punitive force in students’ lives, and
4. to hear appeals from lower student judicial boards.