All Campus Elections Process & Procedures
(Ballot Statements Below)
Constitution of the Faculty: Article III, Section 3. - ALL-CAMPUS ELECTIONS (Current version, Fall 2015)
3.1 - The Vice Chair and Secretary of the Faculty, the Statewide and At-Large Academic Senators, and others who are elected to office by campus-wide ballot shall be elected first, at the beginning of each Spring semester. Election of the representative members shall follow as specified in 1.2 of this Article.
3.2 - VOTING AND SERVICE RESTRICTIONS
3.2.1 -Tenured or probationary Faculty members whose appointment or teaching assignment is interdepartmental shall vote in the school of their department or equivalent unit regardless of the distribution of their teaching assignment. Lecturers shall vote in those schools in which the major fraction of their teaching assignment is located.
3.2.2 - Members of the Faculty, as defined in Article II, Section 1, serving in any administrative or management capacity, other than as a department chair or as a part-time consultant to the administration, are not eligible to vote on any Faculty or Academic Senate business and are not eligible for election to any Faculty or Academic Senate office or committee.
3.2.3 - Only Members of the Faculty as defined in Article II, Section 1, whose appointment is at least fifty percent of the normal full-time load are eligible to vote on any Faculty or Academic Senate business, or are eligible for election to any Faculty or Academic Senate office or committee.
3.2.4 - Only Members of the Faculty as defined in Article II, Section 1.1 and 1.2 of the Constitution and Student Services Professionals – Academic Related who are tenured may serve on hiring and retention, tenure, and promotion committees. Only Members of the Faculty as defined in Article II, Section 1.1 and 1.2 of the Constitution and Student Services Professionals – Academic Related who are tenured or probationary may vote in elections for hiring and retention, tenure, and promotion committees.
3.2.5 - Participants in the Faculty Early Retirement Program are not eligible to serve on peer review committees.
3.3 - TERMS
The representatives and At-Large members of the Senate shall be elected for three-year terms with no restriction on re-election. The terms shall be staggered, either by agreement or by lot, under the supervision of the Vice Chair of the Faculty. One of the three At-Large Senatorial terms shall expire each year. Statewide Academic Senators shall be elected to three-year terms. The Secretary-Treasurer and the Student Senators shall serve one year terms. The two At-Large members of the Executive Committee elected by and from the Senate shall serve one year terms. One Statewide Senator, chosen by lot, shall serve a one year term on the Executive Committee with automatic alternating one year terms thereafter.
3.4 - RECALL OF SENATORS
Recall of At-Large representatives shall be set forth in the Senate By Laws. Recall of representative members of the Senate shall be conducted according to written procedures established within their respective electorates. Recall of student Senators shall be conducted according to written procedures established by the Associated Students.
3.5 - REFERENDA
After being approved by the Academic Senate, the Senate election process shall be made available for faculty referenda on critical issues. Referenda shall include pro and con statements and resource implications statements. Only referenda that emerge from the Senatorial process shall be recognized by the Senate as reflecting faculty opinion.
Additional guidance can be found in the Academic Senate By-Laws: Article III, Sections 1 and 3 (Current version, November 2023)
All Faculty Election Spring 2024
Published 2/12/2024 - Per the Academic Senate By-Laws: additional nominations may be made by any faculty member with the concurrence of the nominee within one week after such publication. Please submit additional nominations by 2/20/2024 via the Nomination Submission Form.
Chair of the Faculty - 1-year Term
Emily Acosta Lewis, Communication & Media Studies; Self-Nominated
I have been a Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Sonoma State University since 2013 and I would be honored to serve as Chair of the Academic Senate, alongside Suzanne Rivoire as Vice-Chair. In this time of campus transformation, Suzanne and I are prepared to work together, and with other campus stakeholders, to uphold SSU’s academic mission and our institutional values without demanding unsustainable efforts from our faculty.
During my eleven years on campus, I have served on 10 Senate committees, with leadership roles as Chair of APARC and Vice-Chair of Academic Senate. I have served on 12 additional campus committees, including the CFA faculty rights committee since 2020. I also lived on campus as faculty-in-residence for three years and am in my second term as Center for Community Engagement Faculty Fellow. During this time, I have learned a great deal about the governance structure on campus and working effectively with faculty across departments and administrators and staff across divisions. In times of uncertainty and transition, it is crucial to have leadership that is dedicated to guiding us through challenges while fostering a culture of inclusivity, innovation, and excellence. I believe that my experience and commitment uniquely qualify me to serve as your Chair during this critical period.
Throughout my time at SSU, I have demonstrated an understanding of the issues facing our academic community and have worked to promote positive changes. For the past two years, I have been a team member and co-lead of the SSU CSU Middle Leadership Academy team. This cross-divisional team of faculty, staff, and administrators is working to address equity gaps in high DFW courses and retention rates while incorporating an equity lens in everything we do as a campus. I have been actively engaged in collaborative efforts to improve strategic scheduling, enhance student support services, and advocate for the needs of faculty members through the Academic Master Plan as a member of the Executive Committee, Steering Committee, Strategic Scheduling Working Group, and co-leading the implementation efforts. These experiences have provided me with valuable insights into the complexities of SSU decision-making.
This is a challenging time for Sonoma State University, in which everyone is feeling the impact of change fatigue and the resulting workload. However, it is also an opportunity for faculty to influence the academic future of our university. The reorganization will result in revisions to University practices and policies, with new opportunities for collaboration and interdisciplinarity as well as unforeseen issues that we will need to work through with students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Suzanne and I want to engage with all faculty to ensure that their voices are being heard as we adapt to decreasing enrollment, a budget deficit, and a new organizational structure. We want to emerge from these challenges with a stronger, more sustainable University, where we are all doing work we can be proud of.
I would be honored to receive your vote for Chair and, if elected, will work hard to advocate for our academic mission, our core priorities, and for our faculty. Thanks for your consideration.
Elizabeth Burch, Communication and Media Studies; Self-Nominated
Dear Colleagues,
I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve as chair of the Senate.
After 25 years at Sonoma State, I believe it is critical to have a leader who has the institutional knowledge that comes with time. It is my turn to step up and serve in this role if you wish.
Ever since 1998 when I began at SSU as a rather tentative new faculty member, I have been witness to the ups and downs of multiple administrations. While they have come and gone, we, the faculty, live here. Our investment provides the wisdom and continuity needed to pull us through this tenuous period.
I have been teaching full-time (other than a one course release for serving as chair during the economic crisis in 2009 and most recently till this semester). Like you, I worry what will happen to the integrity of our programs if faculty are not fully compensated for their labor. Having full-time experience in the classroom is my strongest case for serving as chair of the Senate. I have also been elected to numerous leadership roles on campus committees, including chair of what used to be called the Dispute Resolution Board, Scholarship and Professional Development, the School of Arts and Humanities RTP committee, and I am currently serving for URTP. This all has given me the experience needed to lead the faculty.
I understand the constraints that our lecturer and junior faculty face on a day-to-day basis in a fight for their rights. As a union member from day one of my arrival, I have not been afraid to stand up for faculty and student rights, despite our concerns of possible retaliation. As a woman of color on campus and co-chair of the queer faculty and staff association, I understand what it’s like to be the “other“ in the face of discrimination. In kind, I have worked hard to protect the rights of our students—the most vulnerable members of our family.
In steering one of the programs on campus with the highest graduation rates, I know what it takes to promote excellence and success. I have fostered interdisciplinarity through my courses on international and environmental communications, media ethics and law, theory and research, and numerous other courses that challenge our students to develop their critical thinking skills. I’ve encouraged them to question authority and offer their skills and service as contributing members of their community.
I want to see the faculty supported to do their scholarship, which feeds our work as teachers. I intend to fight for your rights and promote respect for our values as teachers, scholars and those who provide service for the university.
My research has taken me around the world examining the role of journalism in climate change. For my Fulbright, I worked with graduate students at the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, a desperately poor country. That and many other experiences has helped me develop a sense of empathy. I’ve lived in Nepal, India, the Middle East and other parts of the world to better understand how to promote peace, diversity and environmental justice.
Currently, I am in Africa for the month (although I am still engaged in Senate business). In my travels, I have learned that there is one constant that people aspire to. They want education. They desperately crave it. It’s a privilege and it’s something that the university should always support first. Access is key and the budget should just be a tool to provide it.
To that end, I have an excellent relationship with administration and know we can work together to get us through this difficult time. The faculty have borne the brunt of the pivot to online education. We are the front line, along with the counselors, for helping our students with the emerging mental health issues they face. All of this, along with my time as senate representative, gives me the proper perspective to help steer the university through our current predicament. Moreover, whoever we choose to lead the faculty, we will stand in solidarity. I have boatloads of hope for our future.
Vice Chair of the Faculty - 1-year Term
Suzanne Rivoire, Computer Science; Self-Nominated
I have been a faculty member in the Computer Science department at SSU since 2008, and I would be honored to serve as Vice Chair of the Academic Senate, alongside Emily Acosta Lewis as Chair. In this time of transformation, Emily and I are prepared to work together, and with other campus stakeholders, to uphold SSU’s academic mission and our institutional values without demanding unsustainable efforts from our faculty. In my fifteen years at this university, I have served the University both within and outside faculty governance. Currently, I am in my second (non-consecutive) term representing the School of Science & Technology on the Academic Senate, and I have previously served as an at-large member of ExCom. I also currently serve on URTP, after having served on department-level RTP committees across five departments and three schools. I also serve as the CFA representative for the CS department and caught exactly 2 of those tiny gel pellets to the face on the picket line last month.
In other campuswide roles, I was a member of the committee that overhauled the GE program in 2019 in response to CSU executive orders and was elected chair to supervise its home stretch of drafting the full proposals, consulting with campus stakeholders, and ultimately shepherding the revisions through faculty governance. I also drafted the finance and budget chapter of our most recent WASC accreditation self-study. I have chaired the Computer Science Department, served on the Graduation Initiative Group, and held other service roles at the department, school, and university levels. I also value, and will stand up for, faculty scholarship; I was awarded the President’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship in 2015, and one of my research students recently became the second-ever CSU student to be recognized as an Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher by the Computing Research Association in 24 years of the award.
This is a challenging time for Sonoma State University, in which everyone is feeling the impact of change fatigue and the resulting workload. However, it is also an opportunity for faculty to influence the academic future of our university. The reorganization will result in revisions to University practices and policies, with new opportunities for collaboration and interdisciplinarity as well as unforeseen issues that we will need to work through with students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Emily and I want to engage with all faculty to ensure that their voices are being heard as we adapt to decreasing enrollment, a budget deficit, and a new organizational structure. We want to emerge from these challenges with a stronger, more sustainable University, where we are all doing work we can be proud of.
I would be honored to receive your vote for Vice Chair and, if elected, will work hard to advocate for our academic mission, our core priorities, and for our faculty. Thanks for your consideration.
Secretary to the Senate - 1-year Term
Samuel Cohen, History; Self-Nominated
My name is Samuel Cohen (Department of History) and I am running for Secretary of the Senate. Since joining SSU in 2015, I have actively participated in various university committees, including the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee, the Academic Freedom Subcommittee, and the University Scholarship Subcommittee. Currently, I serve as an Academic Programs Faculty Fellow, assisting faculty in using data to enhance their teaching practices and support curricular development. Additionally, I represent the School of Social Sciences on the AMP Current and New Programs working group, Academic Senate, and chair the Overlay Subcommittee.
My candidacy reflects my dedication to our academic community's welfare and my commitment to contributing to its growth and success. If elected, I will ensure that the interests and concerns of my colleagues from across our campus are represented, while also playing a pivotal role in the day-to-day operations of faculty governance. Thank you for your consideration.
Wendy St. John, Biology; Self-Nominated
As one of SSU’s current lecturer senators and an at-large member of the Executive Committee, I have been an active and vocal advocate for faculty, students, and our campus community, and have done my best to ensure that our concerns are considered at all times throughout university governance. I also currently serve on the Academic Master Plan Steering Committee, and Current and New Programs working group. I have served on the Strategic Priorities Task Force for the School of Science and Technology, and have recently been awarded an "Excellence in Service Award for Lecturer Faculty" by the School of Social Sciences. My strong commitment to Sonoma State stems not only from my experience teaching in both the Department of Biology and the Department of Geography, Environment, and Planning, but also as an alumna of this university, having earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in our Biology Department. Off campus, my community experience includes having served as a regular director for the Oakland Symphony Chorus, and on the board of directors of The Wildlife Society San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. I am also formally trained as a community mediator.
My varied experience gives me a broad perspective on the issues and concerns that impact our campus, and at all times I am focused on providing an excellent academic experience for our students that doesn’t come at the cost of working conditions for faculty and staff. I would be honored to serve our campus as Senate Secretary, and I respectfully ask you to vote for me.
Statewide Senator - 1-Semester Replacement, Fall 2024
Samuel Cohen, History; Nominated by Stephen Bittner
My name is Samuel Cohen, and I am an Associate Professor in the Department of History. Since I arrived at SSU in 2015, I have been involved in service at multiple levels of the university. I am currently a Social Science representative on the Academic Senate and the chair of the Overlay Subcommittee, where I have helped with the development and implementation of curriculum across the campus in collaboration with EPC and other stakeholders. I also serve on the AMP Current and New Programs working group and I am a faculty fellow in Academic Programs. These roles require creative problem solving, planning, collaboration, and leadership—all skills I would bring to the statewide Senate.
Moreover, my commitment to both teaching and research, despite the heavy workload, demonstrates my dedication to academic excellence. Indeed, as a historian of late ancient Rome, I am uniquely qualified to serve on statewide Senate. After all, the concept of “senate” is Roman in origin. The word senatus means something like ‘assembly of elders,’ derived from the Latin senex, meaning ‘old.’ I am not that old (more ‘well-seasoned’) – but I do believe that I am savvy enough to avoid being stabbed on the Senate floor like Julius Caesar. You can elect me with qualified confidence that I will not attempt to establish myself as dictator and hopefully, will return to SSU in good health. Thank you for your consideration!
Kevin A. Nguyen, Hutchins School of Liberal Studies; Self-Nominated
I am Kevin A. Nguyen, a junior faculty of color in the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies. I am in my 5th year here at Sonoma State. In my short time here, I had the opportunity to learn and serve on multiple faculty governance committees. I started on the University Standards subcommittee. Now, I am currently the A&H representative on the Educational Policies Committee (EPC). I have also just stepped into the Faculty Athletics Representative role for the Spring 2024 semester.
I take my role in representation very seriously. I would be honored to represent SSU at Statewide, even if it is for a short time. For myself, I think it would be a valuable opportunity to continue learning and understanding how our system works. I would continue to champion equity and represent underrepresented voices, which I am very much a part of.
I come from a design, engineering, sociology, and humanities background. As a polymath, I hope to represent all parts of the SSU campus well. Thank you for your consideration.
Karen Thompson, Business Administration; Self-Nominated
I would be honored to serve as one of Sonoma State's statewide senators during the Fall 2024 semester. The Academic Senate of the CSU is the voice of all faculty at the system level, and is critical to ensuring that systemwide CSU decisions are made with the input and perspective of faculty from all CSU campuses. With my background, I feel that I can be a strong voice for Sonoma State's faculty interests, as well as those of CSU faculty more broadly. During my 20+ years at Sonoma State, I have been actively involved in department, School, and University committees, and I've also served in various administrative roles. Committee-wise, I served on the SSU Senate's Student Affairs Committee (SAC) off and on for over 10 years, and I was the SAC Chair for 6 years. I served on the Senate's Executive Committee and the Academic Senate for 6 years. I've served on inclusive excellence, RTP, faculty development, curriculum, graduate studies, budget, assessment, accreditation, strategic planning, and student-related committees as well. In my roles as department chair, associate dean, interim dean, and graduate program director, I've been able to expand my knowledge of the processes and complexity involved in running a campus, and to take the time to think carefully about how certain decision paths could impact students, faculty, and staff. I would be grateful to have the opportunity to translate my experience to the systemwide level, representing Sonoma State as a collaborative and dedicated statewide senator.
Damien Wilson, Marketing, Operations and Wine Business; Self-Nominated
My name is Damien Wilson, and it would be my honor to take on the responsibility of replacement Statewide Senator for Fall 2024.
Having the experience of taking on the role vacated by Elaine Newman in Fall 2023, I have the experience required to step up to the responsibilities that this position requires. I also have an established history of faculty representation as a former Senator for the School of Business and Economics, and I have even being elected as Secretary in 2018-19. I also have a history of wider representation as the current Community Outreach chair of the CFA, where I have been responsible for communicating on behalf of our SSU colleagues with the local, North Bay Labor Council, and most recently culminating in the inauguration of Sonoma State’s own Labor Council in 2021-22. This labor group has created a platform for each of our campus’ labor units to communicate and organize collectively, which led to wider and more visible action among campus communities. I thus bring established credentials to represent the interests of my Sonoma State colleagues with the CSU.
If elected to the role of Statewide Senator for this coming Fall semester, I will continue to take on the challenges we face as SSU faculty members in Sonoma County. I will prioritize communicating with local faculty on the progress of our campus, and I will focus on the needs of our faculty colleagues across the CSU, supporting our actions and initiatives as they uniquely hold for our collective interests.
I have been lucky to have borne witness to the benefits in being kept informed of actions on other campuses by the wise heads of experienced representatives as Statewide Senators. Through an open dialogue, clear direction and regular updates, faculty members have been kept well-informed in years past. If elected to this role, I intend to follow the same pathway in communicating with SSU faculty.
As the CSU is one of the largest Higher Education networks in the world, it is vital to encourage and establish clear pathways of communication within campuses, and between all our institutions through effective representation. I would welcome any opportunities to collaborate as a means for our collective benefit as a Sonoma State faculty representative.
Through my history of experience, collaboration and initiative as a faculty representative, I bring established credentials to represent the interests of my Sonoma State colleagues within the CSU. Accordingly, I encourage you to vote for me, Damien Wilson, as the Statewide Senator for Fall 2024.