Faculty Association

The Faculty Association of the University of Houston Constitution and By-Laws, adopted January 20, 1947, outlined the principle purposes of the association: to foster a bond of fellowship among its members, to promote the progress of the University of Houston, to act as a service organization and open forum, and to direct the operation of the Faculty Club. Membership was limited to full-time faculty of the University of Houston, including research faculty, whose duties were primarily non-administrative.

On November 19, 1962, a faculty committee concluded that the first three parts of the Faculty Association Constitution were being served by the Faculty Senate, and that the sole purpose of the Faculty Associates seemed to be "To direct the operation of the Faculty Club." The merger Committee recommended the amalgamation of the two associations and that a committee composed of the chairmen of the two organization plus two members-at-large be appointed to rewrite the constitution and by-laws of the new organization to be named University of Houston Faculty Club.

Faculty Assembly

The Faculty Assembly consisted of almost 100 representatives from the institutional department and colleges, with the number of representatives varying from four to one, depending upon the student enrollment within the component involved. The Assembly had an elected president and secretary, a 14-person Faculty Council with its own Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and representative to the Executive Council, and an eight-person Steering Committee. Dr. T.C. Sinclair stated that the purpose of the Faculty Assembly would be to create a "real faculty community of scholars" and that the work of the Assembly would be carried on largely by committees.

Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate adopted its formal Constitution in May 1961, with the goal of providing "an instrument for cooperative action in attaining such ends as the member may select." The Faculty Senate reorganized, freely, in 1962 at the beginning of the Hoffman administration and formed several new committees including a Committee on University Committees, Student Life, Educational Policy, and Faculty Affairs. The first official faculty handbook was also completed during this period. The Faculty Senate consists of 52 permanent members elected by the faculty.

Shared governance is now a major goal of the organization and is defined by the Faculty Senate as the "collective commitment of the faculty and administration at the University of Houston to work cooperatively, together with the University Constituencies, to achieve a common vision of excellence for the University."