Faculty Senate

The purpose of the Life University Faculty Senate is to provide a formal, collaborative organization to advance the education of LIFE’s students into transformational leaders in an increasingly diverse, global and dynamic world. The Faculty Senate strives to foster and encourage effective communication among faculty and between faculty and administration; to promote unity and coherence among faculty; to provide a forum for raising, discussing and promoting resolution of faculty issues; to foster and encourage a learning environment based on the University’s values of Vitalism, Lasting Purpose and the Eight Core Proficiencies; and to promote instructional and service excellence and success in the classroom, University and community.

The Faculty Senate derives its authority from its constitution, which is endorsed and approved by the faculty as a whole, the President of the University, and the Board of Trustees. It is authorized to speak for the whole faculty concerning matters on which it has deliberated and made recommendations. It recognizes its role as advisory to the President and the Board of Trustees, in accordance with the provisions and spirit of the Statement on Shared Governance (approved by the Board of Trustees on January 23, 2009, and signed into effect in April 2009), and the Delineation of Roles in Shared Governance document.

The Faculty Senate is a representative body of the faculty as a whole, consisting of ten faculty representatives elected by the sub-divisions of the faculty they represent (see below), and the three-member executive committee, composed of the President, Vice President and the Secretary/Treasurer, elected by the faculty as a whole. The Faculty Senate meets monthly throughout the quarter, usually during Weeks 2, 5 and 9 (if needed), to conduct business. A full faculty meeting is held every other quarter (twice annually) during the Faculty Staff Development Program on Thursday of Week 0, for a report and to conduct full faculty votes/elections as needed. Other committees and task forces meet and discuss business as needed, on varying schedules as outlined in the Faculty Senate Constitution and Bylaws.

More specific details can be found in the most current Constitution and Bylaws posted in the Faculty Handbook on this website, or by contacting an officer or representative of the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate also maintains a work site on Blackboard called “FS101.”

Faculty Senate Officers and Senators: 2018-2020

Dr. Teri Stockwell / President / C-HOP/ Teri.Stockwell@LIFE.edu / (770) 792-6100 x 1652

Dr. Deidre Meiggs /Vice President / Natural Sciences / Deidre.Meiggs@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2733 x 4431

Dr. Sean Finnegan / Secretary/Treasurer / CC-HOP/ Sean.Finnegan@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2664 x 1006

Dr. Stephen Bloomingdale / Immediate Past President(ex-officio) / CC-HOP/Stephen.Bloomingdale@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2664 x 4353

Faculty Senate Standing Committee Leadership

Faculty Affairs Committee / Dr. Paul Donaldson / Paul.Donaldson@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2946

Faculty Development Committee / Dr. Sherri Ziomek / SZiomek@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2741 x 1086

College of Chiropractic Admissions Committee / Dr. Nicole Poirier / Nicole.Poirier@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2709

College of Graduate Studies Admissions Committee /Dr. Peggy Samples / Peggy.Samples@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2697 x 1194

College of Undergraduate Studies Admissions Committee/Ms. Rebekah Janiak /Rebekah.Janiak@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2697

College of Chiropractic Curriculum Committee /Dr. Kent Vanderslice / Kent.Vanderslice@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2664 x 4355

College of Graduate Studies Curriculum Committee / Mr. Mickey Parsons / Mickey.Parsons@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2697

College of Undergraduate Studies Curriculum Committee / Ms. Amanda Timberlake / AmandaT@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2771 x 1473

Committee on Committees/Dr. Gwen Gardner / Gwendolyn.Gardner@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2664

Rank and Promotion Procedural Review Committee / Dr. Susan Esposito / susan.esposito@life.edu / (770) 426-2709 x.1307

College of Chiropractic Senators

Dr. Paul Donaldson / Clinics at Large / Paul.Donaldson@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2946

Dr. Gwendolyn Gardner / CC-HOP / Gwendolyn.Gardner@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2664

Dr. Kevin Harrison / Clinical Science / Kevin.Harrison@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2741 x 1217

Dr. Melodie Mitchell-Black / C-HOP / MMitchell@LIFE.edu / (770) 792-6100

Dr. James Oppenheim / Chiropractic Sciences / JOppen@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2709 x 1317

Dr. Eric Partin / Basic Sciences / Partin@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2718 x 1214

College of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies Senators

Dr. Robin Nelson / Natural Science (2018-2020) / Robin.Sibert@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2733 x 1206

Mr. James Paul / Sport Health Science(2018-2020) / James.Paul@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2771

Ms. Heather Petty / Nutrition (2018-2020) / Heather.Petty@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2736 x 2739

Dr. Peggy Samples / PHDSC (2017-2019) / Peggy.Samples@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2697 x 1194

Mr. David Wallace/General Studies (2017-2019) / David.Wallace@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2697 x 1204

Library and Research Faculty Senators

Ms. Geetha Sridaran / Libraries/ Geetha.Sridaran@LIFE.edu / (770) 426-2691 x 2691