Faculty senates across the seven Texas State University system institutions will dissolve Sept. 1, but the system’s Board of Regents plans to approve new ones, a system spokesperson says.

Under a new Texas law, only a public college or university’s governing board, such as the Board of Regents, can create a faculty council or senate. If a board keeps one, Senate Bill 37 further says the university president gets to pick the “presiding officer, associate presiding officer, and secretary” and prescribe how the senate conducts meetings.

Also, unless the board decides otherwise, faculty senates must shrink to no more than 60 members. Those 60 must include at least two representatives from each of the colleges and schools that comprise the university—including what the law describes vaguely as “one member appointed by the president or chief executive officer of the institution,” with the rest elected by the faculty of the particular school or college. This could mean half of a senate would be chosen by the president, barring an exemption by the board.

The law also limits terms for senate members. The presidential appointees can serve six consecutive years before having to take two off, while the elected members can only serve two years before a mandatory two-year break.

SB 37 abolishes current senates Sept. 1 unless the board has approved changes to ensure a senate conforms with the new law. Since the board hasn’t yet made the necessary changes, the Texas State University system senates will dissolve. However, all its institution presidents intend “to move as quickly as possible in reconstituting these groups,” said Mike Wintemute, a system spokesperson. He said he’d be surprised if the board didn’t vote before November to form new ones.

“Our leadership and our faculty communicate all the time on a regular basis about issues of importance to the university and to the faculty,” Wintemute said. “And just because formal faculty advisory groups may not be in place for a couple of weeks or months doesn’t mean that those conversations won’t continue.”