The Black Hills State University Faculty Senate is an elected body through which the faculty expresses its concern for the welfare of the university and university improvement, stimulates communication, contributes to the formation of general university policy, and performs those duties and functions especially allocated to or assumed by the faculty, subject to the limitations imposed by the laws of the state of South Dakota, the president of the university, and the Council of Higher Education (COHE)-Board of Regent (BOR) Contract.

The Board of Regents charges the president of the university with full responsibility for the operation of the university. It is only through her willingness to delegate certain authority that the faculty can enter into administrative areas. For this reason, the faculty and the Faculty Senate recognize that she must necessarily retain veto powers over faculty and Faculty Senate jurisdiction in order to carry out her responsibilities to the Board of Regents of the State of South Dakota.

The Faculty Senate operates under a constitution which has been ratified by the faculty as a whole. A copy of the Faculty Senate Constitution is available on the university website.