UW Faculty Senate
Purpose
The UW faculty senate is the legislative arm of the faculty governance system that shares responsibility with the president to formulate regulations and procedures on all university matters (Faculty Code Section 13-23). The faculty senate is made up of around 131 elected senators from across all three campuses. The role of the faculty senate is to provide a forum for faculty to discuss and deliberate proposed regulations (drafted in the senate’s faculty councils) and procedures. Faculty senators are elected to represent the will of the faculty at senate meetings. The Senate Executive Committee (SEC) sets Faculty Senate agendas, helps the senate conduct business per the Faculty Code, and facilitates communication between the president and the faculty. Two senate faculty legislative representatives represent the faculty at the state legislature and appear before legislative committees on our behalf. UW Bothell faculty considering serving as a Senator can refer to the Faculty Senate Structure & Responsibilities summary for further information.
VIDEO CONTENT UPDATE: This video references 6 at-large UW Bothell senators. As of Spring 2025, UW Bothell has 8 senators apportioned among its five schools
Senators are responsible to the university, faculty, and academic unit they represent. With respect to the latter, senators are expected to maintain regular contact with the faculty of their academic unit and with the General Faculty Organization (GFO). Dedicated time is reserved on each GFO Executive Council agenda for senators to provide Faculty Senate updates and seek feedback from faculty governance representatives as needed.
If you are an elected senator or other voting member and are unable to attend a Faculty Senate meeting, you are required to notify the secretary of the faculty prior to the meeting in order to be excused. According to the Faculty Code, members with three unexcused absences will be removed.
A video orientation for new and returning Senators and PowerPoint (not created by GFO office) were designed by Faculty Senate leadership to create a common understanding of:
- How the various facets of the Faculty Senate work
- The kinds of legislation considered by the Senate Executive Committee and Faculty Senate
- Guidelines for Faculty Council Chairs
- Basics of parliamentary procedure
UW Bothell Faculty Senators
| Senator Name & School | Elected Term | Email Address |
|---|---|---|
| Heather Galindo – GFO Chair | 2026-27 (ex-officio as GFO Chair) | hgalindo@uw.edu |
| Sunita Iyer – SNHS | 2026-28 | sunitai@uw.edu |
| Tyson Marsh – SES | 2026-28 | tysonm@uw.edu |
| Alejandro Francetich – BUS | 2026-28 | aletich@uw.edu |
| Lauren Lichty – IAS | 2026-28 | lflichty@uw.edu |
| Alka Kurian – IAS | 2026-28 | alkak@uw.edu |
| Mia Champion – STEM | 2026-28 | miachamp@uw.edu |
| Rejoice Akapame – STEM | 2026-28 | rejoicem@uw.edu |
| Paola Rodríguez Hidalgo – STEM | 2026-28 | paola@uw.edu |
All faculty are welcome to attend Senate meetings; however, only elected members may vote.
UW Bothell Reps on Senate Executive Committee
- Heather Galindo, GFO Chair – hgalindo@uw.edu
Senate Executive Committee meetings are closed meetings.