Senate Executive Committee

Chair: Sarah Dammeyer (sarahd@umd.edu)

Coordinator: Victoria Fitzgerald (vfitz@umd.edu)

About This Committee

The Senate Executive Committee (SEC) is responsible for carrying into effect the actions of the Senate. When the Senate receives a new idea or proposal, the SEC is the first body to review it. The SEC will typically charge one of the Senate standing committees to research the issue further and offer a report and recommendations to the full Senate. The major responsibilities of the SEC include acting as an initiating body suggesting possible action by the Senate, reporting to the Senate on administrative implementation of policies adopted by the Senate, and serving as a channel through which any member of the campus community may introduce matters for consideration by the Senate or its committees.

Nearly all items that come before the Senate are first discussed and debated in one of the standing committees. The standing committees report back to the SEC, which considers whether the committee has met all of the required elements of its charge and whether the report and recommendations are clear and precise before placing it on the Senate agenda for consideration.

The members of the Executive Committee include the Chair and Chair-Elect of the Senate, and thirteen members elected from the voting membership of the Senate: two staff members (one exempt and one non-exempt), two undergraduate students, two graduate students and seven faculty members. Non-voting ex-officio members of the Executive Committee include the President and the Senior Vice President and Provost or their representatives, the Executive Secretary & Director of the Senate, and the Senate Parliamentarian.