The University Senate is an advisory council to the President of Auburn University. The primary concern of the Senate is overseeing the general academic policies of Auburn University. These include curricula, programs, core values, faculty appointments, evaluations, development, student academic affairs and libraries. The Senate is also concerned with issues that affect all members of the University community such as budgets, employee welfare programs, school calendar, and facilities. Policies and actions of the Senate are governed by the Auburn University Faculty Handbook. In addition, the Faculty Forum at Auburn University (formly Alabama Polytechnic Institute) was established in 1938 to bring about cooperation between the various schools and departments, for administrators to provide recreation, instruction, and fellowship among faculty memebers. In 1948, the Forum was restructred to act more in an adivsory role to the adminstration and renamed the Faculty Council. The present faculty senate was reorganized in 1968 to serve as the representative body of the faculty and to advise the university president on matters of general academic policy.