The Senate is one of the two governing bodies of Nipissing University (the other being the Board of Governors), and is responsible for academic policy. Originally, when it was an affiliated college of Laurentian University of Sudbury, Nipissing College's academic programs were overseen by Laurentian's Senate, of which Nipissing College's Principal/President George Zytaruk was a member. In 1973, Nipissing College established a Senate of its own, which was bound by the terms of the affiliation agreement to ensure that the College's academic programs were congruent with those of Laurentian University. When Nipissing College received its university charter in 1992 and became Nipissing University, the Nipissing University Act re-established the Senate as one of the two branches of governance of the new University.
The Board of Governors and the Senate are the two bodies in Nipissing University's bicameral governance system.
The Senate is one of the two governing bodies of Nipissing University.