All-Faculty & College Faculty Governance Elections
All-Faculty and At-large Faculty Governance Interest Statements
Academic Senate - At-large Senator; 2yr Term (Fall 2025 - Spring 2027) *If not filled, the size of the Academic Senate adjusts. *Per Academic Senate By-laws Article III, Section 3.3, nominations received in the original call will be published on 3/24/2025 and additional nominations will be solicited for this seat for an additional week through 3/31/2025.
Elizabeth Burch, Communication & Media Studies; nominated by Stephanie Dyer
I ask for your vote to serve in the at-large seat on the Senate at SSU. Like many of you, I am angry, saddened, and worried for the future of our campus. I am also motivated to fight! As current Senate rep, I remain steadfast in demanding transparency from the administration and working together to foster collaborative governance. If reelected, I will continue to vote to protect your rights.
I have gotten to know many of you through our committee work, interdisciplinary courses, and/or connections as friends and colleagues (including parent support groups). I hope to meet more of you now with the reorg. I know that all of us are balancing our responsibilities at work and at home. It is not easy, but the commitment of the faculty to our students and the compassion we have toward each other is what keeps us coming back to SSU. We need to protect what is right with our campus, and that means fighting for equity in this period of imposed austerity. I promise to work with and for you as Senator. Thank you for the opportunity to serve.
For a listing of my qualifications please see below.
My current service includes HSSA Senate rep, COMS Department Chair (which includes serving on the College Curriculum Committee), and member of the University RTP Subcommittee. I also actively work with CFA. I have chaired multiple committees across campus, including the Dispute Resolution Board, the Faculty Subcommittee on Scholarly Activities, the Professional Development Subcommittee, the Queer Faculty and Staff Association, and others. I have served on all levels of RTP (including School chair) and on the Scholarship committee for many years. I have taught at SSU for over 25 years (with an advising ratio of 75:1 when COMS was impacted). My subjects include journalism, film, video, environmental and international communications, and theory and research methods. My favorite class is Ethics and Law, a course that makes me uniquely qualified to serve on the Senate.
Damien Wilson, Business Administration; self-nominated
I am honored to have the opportunity to self-nominate as an at-large representative on Academic Senate. Throughout my tenure at SSU, my commitment to university service and shared governance has been extensive and unwavering. I represented my school as a senator even before securing tenure. I have now served nearly half of my years at SSU as a Senator, including a time as Senate Secretary during the pivotal General Education restructuring process. In this role I have done my best to demonstrate transparent communication, thoughtful collaboration, and inclusive decision-making between faculty needs and administrative expectations.
My role as Senate Secretary was marked by fairness in considerations, through a commitment to ensuring all voices were heard during discussions. Beyond the Senate, I have actively represented faculty interests across the university, notably serving as a CFA officer, where I advocated for faculty rights and openly communicated our shared objectives during the Spring 2024 strike through engagement on social media and direct outreach to local media sources.
I am committed to continuing this advocacy and representation, ensuring faculty voices shape the strategic direction of our institution. I humbly ask for your vote to allow me to further contribute to the Academic Senate and uphold our collective goals of academic excellence, equity, and integrity at SSU.
Thank you for your support.
*This ballot statement was drafted using AI, with every sentence then edited for clarity and accuracy of representation of the key points I wished to convey to my colleagues across campus.
Lecturer Senator; 2yr Term (Fall 2025 - Spring 2027) *Elected at-large; if not filled, the size of the Academic Senate adjusts.
*Per Academic Senate By-laws Article III, Section 3.3, nominations received in the original call will be published on 4/1/2025 and additional nominations will be solicited for this seat for an additional week through 4/9/2025.
Overlay Subcommittee (OL) - College of Science, Technology, and Business (STB) Member, at-large; 1 semester Term (Spring 2025) -To be appointed by Structure & Functions from Interest Statements Received
Structure & Functions (S&F) - At-large Member; 3yr Term (Fall2025 - Spring 2028)
Student Affairs Committee (SAC) - At-large Member; 3yr Term (Fall 2025 - Spring 2028)
University Studies Curriculum Committee - Library Member (currently seeking at-large); 1semester Term (Spring 2025) - To be appointed by Structure &Functions from Interest Statements Received
College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies Faculty Governance Representatives
Academic Senate - College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies (ECES) Senator; 2.5yr Term (Spring 2025 - Spring 2027) *If not filled, the size of the Academic Senate adjusts.
Academic Planning, Assessment, and Resources Committee(APARC) - College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies (ECES) Member; 2.5yr Term (Spring 2025 - Spring 2027)
Maureen Buckley, Counseling; self-nominated
I am honored to be considered for the Academic Planning, Assessment, and Resources Committee. As a dedicated faculty member at Sonoma State University for over 25 years, I bring a deep commitment to shared governance, thoughtful planning, and student-centered decision-making. I have served the university in multiple leadership roles, including Interim Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Chair of the Counseling Department (two terms), and Program Coordinator for the School Counseling Program.
My experience includes work with academic planning and assessment at the departmental, school, and university levels. I have been extensively involved in accreditation processes (CACREP, CCTC, and NCATE), chaired faculty searches, led and participated in RTP committees, and contributed to initiatives related to program development. My service on the School of Education’s Assessment & Accreditation Committee and the University RTP Committee, as well as experience writing evaluation reports for community partners, reflects my investment in data-informed strategies and continuous improvement.
As an educator and scholar, my work focuses on youth mental health and contextual interventions for positive youth development—issues that align with SSU’s strategic goals for inclusive excellence and student success. I bring a collaborative approach and a deep respect for faculty perspectives, fiscal realities, and academic integrity.
I would be grateful for your vote and the opportunity to support our collective work in shaping the future of Sonoma State.
Academic Technology and Instructional Spaces Subcommittee(ATISS) - College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies (ECES) Member; 1 semester Term (Fall 2025 semester)
Student Affairs Committee (SAC) - College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies (ECES) Member; 3yr Term (Fall 2025 - Spring 2028)
Scholarship Subcommittee - College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies (ECES) Member; 2yr Term (Fall 2025 - Spring 2027)
Teaching & Learning Subcommittee (TLS) - College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies (ECES) Member; 2.5yr Term (Spring 2025 - Spring 2027)
University Program Review Subcommittee (UPRS) - College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies (ECES) Member; 2.5yr Term (Spring 2025 - Spring 2027)
College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts Faculty Governance Representatives
Academic Senate - College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSSA) Senator; 1 semester Term (Spring 2026) *If not filled, the size of the Academic Senate adjusts.
Academic Technology and Instructional Spaces Subcommittee (ATISS) - College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSSA) Member; 2yr Term (Fall 2025 - Spring 2027)
General Education Subcommittee (GE) - College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSSA) Member; 1 semester Term(Spring 2025)
College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSSA) Elections Committee; 2yr Terms (Fall 2025 - Spring 2027)
Wenwen Ni, Psychology; self-nominated
During this turbulent time on our campus, I would like to assist in our elections process by serving as a member of the HSSA Elections Committee. As a member of this committee, I would do my part to ensure timely and fair elections for HSSA.
Overlay Subcommittee (OL) - College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSSA) Member; 2yr Term (Fall 2025 -Spring 2027)
Student Affairs Committee (SAC) - College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSSA) Member; 1 semester Term (Spring 2025)
University Studies Curriculum Committee - College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSSA) Member; 1 semester Term (Spring 2026)
University Program Review Subcommittee (UPRS) - College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSSA) Member; 1semester Term (Spring 2025)
College of Science, Technology, and Business Faculty Governance Representatives
Academic Planning, Assessment, and Resources Committee(APARC) - College of Science, Technology, and Business (STB) Member; 1yr Term (Fall 2025 - Spring 2026)
College of Science, Technology, and Business (STB) Elections Committee; 3yr Term (Fall 2025 - Spring 2028)
Educational Policies Committee (EPC) - College of Science, Technology, and Business (STB) Member; 1 semester Term (Spring 2025)
Educational Policies Committee (EPC) - College of Science, Technology, and Business (STB) Member; 2yr Term (Fall 2025 -Spring 2027)
Mackenzie Zippay, Biology; self-nominated
I am interested in becoming more involved in university governance by gaining a deeper understanding of curriculum development and the creation and maintenance of academic policies through the Educational Policies Committee (EPC). Having been a part of SSU for nearly a decade, I have had the opportunity to serve on both the Scholarship and Graduate Committees for several years. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to collaborative service and academic excellence. I’m now eager to expand my contributions by representing the College of Science, Technology and Business in this new capacity. I believe my institutional knowledge, committee experience, and enthusiasm for shared governance make me a strong candidate for this role.
Educational Policies Committee (EPC) - College of Science, Technology, and Business (STB) Member; 3yr Term (Fall 2025 -Spring 2028)
Overlay Subcommittee (OL) - College of Science, Technology, and Business (STB) Member; 2yr Term (Fall 2025 - Spring 2026)
Structure and Functions (S&F) - College of Science, Technology, and Business (STB) Member; 1.5yr Term (Spring 2025 - Spring 2026)
University Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion Subcommittee (URTP) - College of Science, Technology, and Business (STB) Member; 1 semester Term (Spring 2025)
University Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion Subcommittee (URTP) - College of Science, Technology, and Business (STB) Member; 2yr Term (Fall 2025 - Spring 2026)
