In 1988, the General Faculty and the Iowa Board of Regents approved of the creation of the Faculty Senate and the dissolution of the Faculty Council. The Senate was created to take a more proactive role in the governance of the university versus the advisory role performed by the Council. The Faculty Senate is to act as the representative body of the General Faculty and to conduct the business of the General Faculty. According to the Senate's 2000 constitution, the purpose of the Senate is to "have legislative responsibility for general academic and educational policy for the university; conduct studies and advise the faculty, the staff, the student body, the administration, and the Board of Regents on matters within the purview of the General Faculty; and facilitate communication among faculty, staff, students, and the administration and assist in the resolution of conflicts."



Members of the Senate are elected by the faculties of the Colleges to represent all staff ranks on the basis of one representative for each one hundred people, or portion thereof, in each academic rank. Terms are for three years and no member may be elected for more than two consecutive terms. The Senate is required to meet once a month during the academic year.



As of 2004, the Faculty Senate consists of five councils each of which oversees various committees. The councils include the Academic Affairs Council, the Faculty Development and Administrative Relations Council, the Governance Council, the Judiciary and Appeals Council, and the University Resource Policies and Allocations Council. The Academic Affairs Council directs the Academic Standards and Admissions Committee, the Curriculum Committee, and the Honorary Degree Committee. The Faculty Development and Administration Relations Council governs the Facilities and Educational Resources Committee, the Recognition and Development Committee, and the Women and Minorities Committee. The Governance Council administers the Committee on Committees and the Governance and Documents Committee. The Judiciary and Appeals Council oversees the Appeals Committee. The University Resource Policies and Allocations Council governs the Committee on University Planning and Budget and the Faculty Welfare and Benefits Committee.



The Faculty Council was established in 1953 by the General Faculty to facilitate communication between the faculty and the General Faculty, the President, the Provosts, Deans and other administrative officers of the University. Concerned with the general welfare of the faculty and the educational policies of the University, the Council, only an advisory body, conducted studies and made recommendations on a variety of topics, including promotion and tenure, curriculum, salaries, and the status of women faculty.