General Faculty
About the General Faculty
The General Faculty is the foundation of shared governance at North Carolina State University. Comprising tenured, tenure-track, and eligible non-tenure-track faculty, as well as emeritus and phased-retirement educators, this body is dedicated to fostering academic excellence, advocating for faculty welfare, and shaping the strategic direction of our institution. Through a rich history of collaboration, the General Faculty ensures that those who drive NC State’s research, teaching, and extension missions have a direct stake in its governance.
To ensure agile and effective leadership, the General Faculty vests representative power in the Faculty Senate, which acts on its behalf to participate in university governance. Operating across four distinct pathways—Consultative, Advisory, Shared Responsibility, and Delegated Authority—the Senate collaborates directly with university administration on critical matters. It holds shared responsibility and delegated authority over academic operations, and serves an advisory or consultative role on broader issues impacting the university’s mission and welfare.
While the Senate executes day-to-day operations and its decisions are immediately binding, it is not an autonomous body; the General Faculty retains ultimate authority. Through established constitutional mechanisms, the General Faculty preserves the right to initiate independent action, review the structure of faculty government, and—when necessary—convene to modify or revoke Senate actions. Guided by transparency and inclusivity, the General Faculty remains committed to a robust partnership with university leadership to steer NC State toward a bright, collaborative future.