Representing Constituents
Explore Further: How to Communicate with and Represent a Constituency of the Faculty
Explore Your Process
Before you consider the following "effective practices" for connecting with colleagues in your constituent group, consider what your colleagues' needs are and what your goals are as their representative:
do your constituents read every Senate meeting agenda and minutes throughout the semester?
if you were to highlight key issues and questions the Senate is facing in each meeting, what would you share and how would that benefit your constituents?
when will you benefit from feedback from your constituents?
at what point during a week the Senate meets will you take notes and write your correspondence: as you read the agenda or during the meeting or after the meeting?
will you coordinate with other Senators to collaborate on a summary of Senate business you all might contribute to and share with constituents?
when will you send your correspondence email: before each meeting or after each meeting?
Know Your Constituents
An updated list of constituent groups can be found at the top of the Academic Senate Members website
Communicate with Constituents
One important duty assigned to Academic Senate members is to network and communicate with faculty groups or committees on behalf of the Academic Senate. Each Academic Senate Member with a constituent group shall:
Keep constituents informed of Academic Senate issues and decisions
Solicit input from constituents when instructed by the Academic Senate or President
Accept input from constituents without regard to medium (e.g., voice mail, phone conversation, face-to-face discussion, email, letter), and act as a representative to constituents by relaying such input at Academic Senate meetings.
When requested, maintain the confidentiality of constituents providing input.
Inform a constituent immediately that an item will not be taken to the Academic Senate if a constituent’s identity cannot be protected if confidentiality was requested, or if an item a constituent asks to be presented to the Academic Senate is inappropriate for Academic
Explore Further: check out a few email templates that are also embedded below
