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Faculty Senate
Texas State Faculty Senate About Us Faculty Constitution Election Information

Election Information

The Faculty Senate elections for the 65th Faculty Senate (2023-2024) have concluded. Please see below for information on the candidates who won seats on the Faculty Senate for their college.

College of Education:

Dr. Jo Beth Oestreich received a BA in Political Science and History (1983) from Texas Lutheran College, a MAG in Geography (1991) from (SWTSU)Texas State University, and earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from The University of Texas at Austin (2002). She began teaching in the College of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas State University in 2003. Jo Beth serves on the Department of C&I’s Graduate Secondary and Secondary Undergraduate committees and has served on faculty search committees, Master’s Thesis Committees, and the University Orientation Committee.  Currently, Jo Beth also serves on the Faculty Senate's Non-Tenure Line Faculty Committee. 

College of Fine Arts & Communication:

Dale Blasingame is an assistant professor of practice in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and currently the co-secretary of the Faculty Senate. Blasingame is a part of the SJMC Digital Media Innovation faculty, and he teaches courses that introduce students to different aspects of how technology is changing journalism, media and marketing. He received the 2017 Presidential Excellence Award for Teaching and the Presidential Distinction Award for Service in 2020 and 2023. Beyond the Senate, Blasingame also serves on a number of university-level committees, including the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

McCoy College of Business Administration:

Dr. William T. Chittenden is an Associate Professor of Finance in the McCoy College of Business Administration at Texas State University. He previously served as Presidential Fellow, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Department Chair. Dr. Chittenden earned a B.B.A. in Finance and an M.S. in Economics from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a Ph.D. in Finance from Texas Tech University. Dr. Chittenden has been a Texas State faculty member since 2000. For 12 years, between 2009 and 2021, he served in a full-time administrative role.

College of Liberal Arts:

William Kelemen earned a BA in Psychology from the University of California at Irvine, an MA in Neuroscience from Baylor University, and a PhD in Neuroscience from Baylor University. He worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri in St. Louis for 3 years and then at California State University, Long Beach, for 10 years, where he became Professor and Associate Chair. He returned to Texas in 2011 to become Department Chair in Psychology at Texas State University, a role he held for 10 years. Examples of his shared governance experience include the Faculty Senate Budget Committee (2022 - present), General Education Council (2021 - present), Campus Facilities Planning Committee (2018 - present), Phi Beta Kappa Application Committee (2021 - present), Faculty Qualifications Advisory Committee (2019 - present), University Distance and Extended Learning Steering Committee (2013 - present), and Campus Carry Task Force (2015 - 2017).

College of Science & Engineering:

Dr. David Donnelly has been at Texas State since August 2000, is a Professor of Physics and currently serves as Associate Chair of the Department, as well as Director of the Undergraduate Program. Dr. Donnelly has also served as Department Chair. Dr. Donnelly has served as Senate Liaison for the Physics Department and has also served on a variety of College and University committees, including the Registrar’s Academic Calendar Coordinating Committee, the College Research Enhancement Committee and the Suspension Appeals Committee.

From the Faculty Constitution:

III. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

A. No later than the first Friday of March of each year, the Senate shall offer faculty members eligible to serve on the Senate the opportunity to remove their individual names from the ballot.  The Senate will consider that those who do not remove their names have consented to be listed on the ballot and to serve if elected to the Senate.

B. The Senate will then prepare a ballot for each college to be distributed to faculty voters. These ballots shall list the names of the faculty members eligible to serve on the Senate who have consented to stand for election. A candidate receiving a majority of votes will be considered elected. If there is no majority, within five business days the election committee will distribute a second ballot listing those receiving the highest number of votes in the first round. The total number of nominees will be twice the number of vacancies. In the event of a tie for the last place, those in the tie shall be listed.

C. The Faculty Senate is empowered to make the determination for a place on the Senate should a final vote result in a tie.

D. If a person elected to the Senate is unable to serve, the candidate with the next highest number of votes shall be declared elected.

E. After the Senate's certification of the results of the elections, the Senate shall elect the Chair and Vice Chair by majority vote.  The Senate may also elect a Secretary and other officers.

F. The term of office for Senate members shall be three calendar years with the term beginning and ending in May.