The Academic Senate's university-wide elections at SF State ended on Monday.

The elections were held electronically, through the organization's Web site from April 25 to May 2. An online voting system replaced paper ballots last semester in an effort to boost faculty voter participation, which was about 20 percent in past elections, said Angela Sposito, executive assistant to the senate's chair.

Sposito said even fewer faculty have participated in this semester’s elections.

"It's really important that (the faculty) does vote so they're aware of what is going on in who is representing their university," said Sposito.

The Academic Senate is a governing body composed largely of faculty members who manage and oversee administrative functions of the university. Faculty members of the Academic Senate are not paid additionally for their service.

Candidates must first be nominated by fellow faculty members, and then voted for by eligible faculty only. The length of each elected term varies from position to position, but terms are generally two to four years.

SF State students are represented by the Student Affairs Committee, and representatives from Associated Students Incorporated, SF State’s student government.

According to Sposito, members of the senate get an "intimate understanding" of how administrative policy and action works, and "really get to know the university as a whole."

"Part of the university experience is service," said Sposito.
Academic Senate members have meetings on Tuesday of every week, either with their individual committees or with the senate as a whole.

The positions currently open are: at-large academic senator, academic freedom committee, honorary degree committee, university promotions committee, university search committee for associate vice president for academic planning and educational effectiveness, and university search committee for director of academic technology.

The at-large academic senators represent the university as a whole at academic senate meetings. The academic freedom committee monitors student's rights of academic freedom to make sure they are not infringed. Members of the university promotions committee.

The honorary degree committee oversees the issuance of honorary degrees, and the university search committees are in charge of finding and appointing academic senate positions that have a direct influence on the faculty.

The results should be available by no later than May 6, said Sposito. The results will be released in the campus memo, a university newsletter published by the Office of Public Affairs.