The USNA Faculty Senate serves as the voice of all Naval Academy instructors, both civilian and military, in providing advice to the Academic Dean and Provost, the Superintendent, and the Naval Academy Board of Visitors on all matters concerning the pedagogical mission of the Academy, including curriculum, methods of instruction, faculty status, academic standards, and those aspects of midshipmen life that relate to the educational process.

The Faculty Senate is a representative body, with Senators elected from the Academy's eighteen departments and each of its divisions. Senators serve two year terms, and from their number they annually elect officers (President, Vice President, and Secretary). In addition, four other Senators also are annually elected to combine with the officers in forming the Senate's Executive Committee. Every division is represented, and no department has more than one member, on the Senate's Executive Committee, which is empowered to set the agenda for Senate meetings and to act with the authority of the full Senate in between meetings, subject to approval by the membership at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Senate.

Much of the Senate's business is conducted through a committee structure. With a variety of committees (Curriculum, Promotion and Tenure, Finance, Assessment, and more), faculty input is assured for major aspects of the academic program and Academy life. Each committee is chaired by a Senator and staffed by other faculty members; the various subcommittees of these larger groups do not necessarily have Senators as their chairs but are comprised of members of the faculty. The Senate also provides faculty representation to the Board of Visitors, the Strategic Plan Core Planning and Mission Implementation Teams, and the Academic Assembly.

The Senate provides many opportunities for faculty members to work with their colleagues from all across the Academy. All faculty are encouraged to share their views with the Senators representing them, to serve on a Senate committee, or to stand for election.