Faculty Senate Iowa Now Update Fall 2026

Some quick facts about Faculty Senate 

  • The University Faculty Senate is the representative and deliberative body for the faculty of the University of Iowa. It includes approximately 80 faculty members representing the ten academic colleges and all faculty tracks. Senators serve three-year terms and are elected by colleagues from their respective colleges.  

  • Faculty Senate is an advisory body that provides faculty input on University decisions and policies that affect faculty. 

  • Faculty Council is the executive body of Faculty Senate and is comprised of approximately 20 Senators.  

  • There are four Faculty Senate officers: President Roxanna Curto, Vice President Sarah Vigmostad, Secretary Dawn Anderson, and Past President Craig Just. 

  • Faculty do not need to be Senators to participate in shared governance. Faculty from all ranks and tracks serve on a wide range of university and Faculty Senate committees. 

Recent Highlights

  • During 2025-2026, faculty worked collaboratively with university administration to revise the Professional Ethics and Academic Responsibility Policy in the Policy Manual. Faculty Senate approved the revisions in spring 2026.  

  • Also in spring 2026, a committee of faculty members and one external reviewer completed a comprehensive review of the Office of the Provost. 

  • The Faculty Senate officers met with Regents Robert Cramer and Kurt Tjaden during the Iowa Board of Regents meeting held in Iowa City in June. Curriculum and other issues impacting shared governance were discussed. 

  • On August 20, 2026, Faculty Council and university administrators held a retreat focused on the past, present, and future of shared governance at the university and collegiate levels.  

Goals for the 2026-27 Academic Year

  • Complete the review of the Division of Student Life (DSL), as part of the cycle of central administrative reviews required by the Policy Manual. As part of the process, the review committee, chaired by Past President Craig Just, is requesting feedback from faculty regarding the DSL. Email craig-just@uiowa.edu by October 15 to share your feedback.  

  • Revise the Faculty Senate constitution and bylaws.  

  • Create more opportunities for faculty perspectives from across campus to inform university-wide discussions and decision-making.  

  • Engage faculty in robust deliberations of key campus issues and emerging concerns, including academic freedom, the Center for Intellectual Freedom, federal actions affecting higher education, campus privacy and surveillance, budget, public engagement, the use of AI in research and teaching, and more. 

 

September 2026