The legislative powers of the College Park campus system of governance are vested in the College Park Campus Senate. This body is an integral part of the system of governance on the College Park campus, which is composed of the Senate, the Board of Regents, the President, and the Chancellor. Senate membership is composed of elected representatives from all four segments of the campus community: administration, faculty, staff, and students.
The role of the Campus Senate is to consider any matter of concern to the campus, including education, budget, personnel, campus-community relations, long-range plans, facilities, faculty, staff and student affairs. The Senate then advises the other three governing bodies as necessary.
The primary forerunner of the College Park Campus Senate was the University Senate, which operated from September 23, 1955 until November 12, 1970. The University Senate began meeting as early as 1919, but was not officially recognized until 1955. The University Senate worked in conjunction with various administrative bodies, such as the General Administrative Board, the University Council, the General Council, and the Council of Administration.
In the fall of 1970, efforts were made to improve the system of campus government, resulting in the reorganization of every campus of the University of Maryland system. On October 29, 1970, the University Senate passed an amendment to the existing Plan of Organization which established an Interim Senate to function until a permanent governing body was created. The Interim Senate functioned from November 19, 1970 throughout the summer of 1971 when the revised Plan of Organization mandated the creation of the College Park Campus Senate. This body first met on September 23, 1971 and continued in operation until September 1993 when its name changed to the College Park Senate.
From the guide to the College Park Campus Senate records, 1971-1993, null, (University of Maryland)
