USVI Public Records

Document text

DRAFT Vision 2012 Shared Governance Initiative February 7, 2007 2 Table of Contents A Proposed Model for UVI Shared Governance 3 The Model 10 Process and Structure for UVI Shared Governance Initiative 10 Timelines for Initiative 11 UVI Faculty/Staff/Student/Administration Facilitated Conversations on Governance 14 UVI Shared Governance Ad hoc Committee 15 Resources on Shared Governance 16 Appendix A 18 3 A Proposed Model for UVI Shared Governance Institutions of higher education (HE) have been in pursuit of a governance system that is amenable to the nature and characteristics of HE. The fundamental and defining character of HE, embedded in the concepts of independence in the role of the professorate, organizational development, institutional effectiveness, student success, academic freedom and tenure, dictates not a governance based on meritocracy, but rather one based upon consensus building and uninhibited free exchange of ideas, ideals and opinions. The most prevalent type of HE governance is one based on the notion of shared governance. The nature of the shared governance model used is particular to the set of circumstances, which are unique to each institution and also shared with other institutions of HE. The challenge of defining a system, which reflects the uniqueness of each institution while at the same time embodying the characteristics similar to HE, institutions is not particular to UVI alone. As stated in the 2006 Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Self Study Report, “Shared governance is one of the University’s core values, but the University has never explicitly defined the model by which it will achieve this value.” The conflicting visions and lack of clarity are often common of shared governance. The term “governance” refers to the system of management and controls exercised in the stewardship of your organization. It includes the responsibilities of your governing body (e.g. board of education, board of trustees/overseers), and the senior leaders of your organization; in some private education institutions, it also may include owners/shareholders. A combination of federal, state, and municipal regulations, charters, by-laws, and policy documents the rights and responsibilities of each of the parties and describes how your organization will be directed and controlled to ensure, 1) accountability to stakeholders, 2) transparency of operations, and 3) fair treatment of all stakeholders. The governance process may include the approval of strategic direction, policy creation and enforcement, the monitoring and evaluation of senior leaders’ performance, the establishment of senior leaders’ compensation and benefits, succession planning, financial auditing, and risk management. Ensuring effective governance is important to stakeholders’ and the larger society’s trust and to organizational effectiveness.” Education Criteria for Performance Excellence Baldridge National Quality Program. President Emeritus Robert M. Rosenzweig of the Association of American Universities states that shared governance in HE is actually preceded and based upon the US Constitution. According to President Rosenzweig, the US Constitution created a system of shared governance between the states and the federal government and among the branches of the federal government. Rosenzweig notes, “That is the only kind of system that could have worked in a society that was hostile to centralized authority, that valued 4 liberty over order, and in which efficiency in decision-making had a much lower priority than the need for institutions that would mediate among competing interests without allowing any to dominate.” Not withstanding the definition of shared governance, the principle that is articulated is etched in four of UVI’s 10 stated core values. ™ Teamwork Collegiality and shared governance Inclusiveness of ideas Principled leadership. Our Vision 2012 core values set an appropriate starting point for defining the essential features of an effective shared governance model appropriate to UVI. The University of the Virgin Islands is not alone in articulating and linking shared governance to institutional core values. Virginia State University’s Shared Governance system is similarly based on the core values of, a) informed and inclusive decision-making, b) transparency and clarity of operations and decision-making, c) open lines of communication between and among all components and members of the VSU community, d) accountability and e) mutual respect and trust. Without a doubt, these values resonate with UVI’s core values and intent. That intent is also expressed in UVI’s choice of focus areas for the next MSCHE reaffirmation of accreditation, which is scheduled for April 2007. UVI’s Self-Study Report for the MSCHE clearly identifies our successes and the advances UVI has made and also the need for continuous improvement in the area of governance. In 1995, the MSCHE identified shared governance as a priority area on which UVI needed to focus and work to improve. Institutional leadership is very important in framing and maintaining a commitment to the principles and practice of shared governance. All stakeholders must be stewards of good governance. The Baldrige National Quality Program’s Education Criteria for Performance Excellence (2006) became the basis for alternative accreditation process and Academic Quality Improvement Programs (AQIP) by North Central. One of the key areas of emphasis of an institution is Visionary Leadership. The Education Criteria for Performance Excellences defines shared governance as; “…senior leaders should be responsible to your organization’s governance body for their actions and performance. The governance body should be responsible ultimately to all your stakeholders for the ethics, actions and performance of your organizations and its senior staff.” The importance of governance cannot be underscored. The scoring system used in ranking the seven categories used to evaluate institutions ranks leadership and governance as the second top criteria, second only to the results criteria. For UVI, the need to clarify and make more effective its inclusive governance approach and the search of a model of governance that will ensure representative shared governance is consistent with the strategic vision and direction of the University. The main factors for creating an effective shared governance system for UVI will need to include: 5 A. Internal Stakeholders 1. UVI Board of Trustees 2. UVI President and administration 3. UVI Students, full-time, part-time, traditional and non-traditional 4. UVI Faculty - all part-time, full-time, research, teaching and library faculty 5. UVI Regular Staff 6. UVI Professional Staff For shared governance, the structure normally includes only the internal stakeholders. B. Model of Shared Governance for UVI — Representative Unicameral Senate Model. Though there are several models of shared governance, the proposed UVI Senate is a representative unicameral body composed of voting and non-voting representatives from all sectors of the University community. Most often universities have entities, which represent various interests of the different stakeholders. However, contrary to the prevailing sentiment, the existence of staff or faculty collective bargaining organizations or unions; faculty, staff and student senates; and administration established committees of faculty, staff and students, do not guarantee shared governance. Indeed, such established entities play a potential role in creating an effective shared governance model. These entities by their mere presence do not denote or guarantee the presence of shared governance. An effective shared governance model recognizes the difference between policy development and policy administration. In addition, the emphasis is on consensus building and success is predicated on open communication and a commitment to stakeholders. Thus, the model will allow University officers to participate in its shared responsibility through administrative structures, which administer policies and programs through components, schools/divisions, other academic areas and directorates. The UVI Representative Unicameral Senate model will provide an opportunity for faculty, staff, students, and administrators to participate in shared governance in a clearly defined manner. C. Representation on UVI Senate The primary functional units of the University’s components will be the departments/schools/centers/divisions. At UVI, faculty, staff and students will fulfill their roles shared governance through two separate but equally important pathways. The first being the ability of faculty, staff and students to exercise their shared governance obligation through departments/schools/centers/divisions, and other formally established 6 avenues of communication. This pathway also includes academic program areas through which teaching and research faculty conceptualize, design, develop and implement policies and academic programs of interest to the school/division/center and academic program area, as well as express professional opinions on personnel issues relevant to academic issues. Staff exerts similar influence through departments/centers/units and uses these to speak to issues of relevance to the University. The second pathway by which UVI teaching and research faculty, staff and students shoulder the burden of shared governance is through the faculty association, University standing committees, ad hoc committees, student government association and informal gatherings which can provide an official input into policy development. Each school/division/center may elect one (1) representative for every ten (10) full-time teaching and research faculty or majority fraction thereof per campus. Part-time faculty may elect one (1) representative per campus. Although this document addresses staff as a single group, for purposes of representation on the Senate nominations will be made from subgroups within the staff. A minimum of three (3) staff should be elected from each campus. The regular staff may elect one (1) representative for every forty (40) full-time employees and the professional staff may elect one (1) representative for every twenty (20) full-time employees. The SGA presidents or the SGA may elect undergraduate students in full session. Graduate students may elect one (1) representative per campus. All deans/chairs are ex officio voting members. The President participates as an honorary member, and Cabinet members are non-voting ex officio members. Cabinet members shall serve on an annual rotating basis. Thus the composition of the UVI Senate will be both voting and non-voting. Non-voting members 1. University Officers (President as honorary member and 3 Cabinet members) 4 Voting members 2. School/Divisional Leadership 5 3. SGA-STT (President; VP/Sec and elected senator) 3 4. SGA-STX (President, VP/Sec and all elected senator) 3 5. Faculty (HUSS, 6; DSM, 6; Bus., 4; Edu., 2; Nur., 2) 10 6. Part-Time Faculty Rep-STT 1 7. Part-Time Faculty Rep-STX 1 8. Regular Staff 7 9. Professional Staff 5 10. Graduate Students’ Rep —STT 1 11. Graduate Students’ Rep — STX 1 12.Research and other Faculty 3* Total 44 *should include one (1) library faculty Guests are allowed when their expertise is required and they will be non-voting. 7 UVI Senate Executive Committee The UVI Senate shall on an annual basis elect from its membership seven members to form the Senate Executive Committee, including the President and the President- Elect of the Senate. Other members of the UVI Senate Executive Committee may include other additional officers as deemed appropriate by the Senate such as secretary, correspondence officer, and Ombudsman. The President of the UVI Senate shall be elected from within the ranks of the elected Senate membership. Two members of the UVI Senate Executive Committee shall come from the ranks of the elected faculty membership. Two members of the UVI Senate Executive Committee shall come from the ranks of the elected staff membership. One member of the UVI Senate Executive Committee shall come from the ranks of the elected student membership. University officers cannot be members of the UVI Senate Executive Committee. The President of the UVI Senate shall serve no more than one consecutive term totaling two (2) terms. Other members of the UVI Senate Executive Committee shall not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms. [totaling three (3) terms] A quorum of the UVI Senate Executive Committee shall consist of five (5) senators. Tenure of UVI Senators Tenure on the UVI Senate will be determined by the senator’s relationship with the University. Membership as a senator requires attendance at all duly called Senate meetings. Senators who are absent for more than three (3) consecutive meetings shall have their appointment revoked and shall be replaced by another duly elected senator. 1. Faculty senators shall be elected through their academic units (research and teaching) for a two-year term, with a limit of two consecutive terms. 2. Staff senators shall be elected through their departments/sub-groups for a two- year term, with a limit of two consecutive terms. 3. Non-voting members shall have unspecified tenure status depending upon their continuing executive status with the University. 8 4. University deans and chairs shall have unspecified tenure status depending upon their continuing executive status with the University. 5. Student senators shall serve for a term of one year and shall not serve for more than four consecutive terms. 6. Part-time faculty senators shall serve for a term of one year and shall not serve for more than two consecutive terms. 7. A quorum of the UVI Senate shall consist of fifty percent plus one or twenty- three (23) senators. Senators appointed within the first two years shall be replaced on a staggered basis. Thus, fifty percent (50%) of the initial senate membership shall be randomly selected to serve for one year. This will allow for only half of the senators to be replaced each year. D. Scope of Responsibilities and Functions The UVI Senate is expected to play a pivotal role in the institution’s decision-making process. The primary functions of the UVI Senate shall be governed by, and subject to the limitations imposed by federal laws, territorial laws, and mandates from the University of the Virgin Islands Board of Trustees. The UVI Senate shall provide broad based advice to the President and Cabinet on a broad range of issues including budgets, educational programs and standards, personnel policies, University community issues, strategic plans, facilities management and operation, and policies respecting faculty, staff and student. This broad charge brings virtually all campus policy matters within the purview of the Senate. Advisory to the President, the Senate may pass recommendations on a wide range of issues. The UVI Senate will provide guidance on policies regarding: i. Academic programs and standards ii. Student codes of conduct iii. Institutional budget and strategic planning iv. Selection and appointment of administrators, staff and faculty v. Evaluation of administrators, staff and faculty vi. Assessment of institutional effectiveness vii. Assessment of student success viii. Assessment of economic and social impact of the University ix. Institutional strategic planning and priority setting x. Devising University vision and mission xi. Program review and quality xii. Accreditation xiii. Research and public service 9 E. UVI Senate Standing Committees The proposed UVI Senate shall operate through a structured committee system. The departments, divisions, and centers shall serve as the functional unit for the genesis of faculty and staff input. Student input shall be through the SGA. There shall be a number of standing committees. The chairs of Senate Standing Committees must be senators, but non-senators may serve as members of committees. UVI Senate Standing Committees shall replace all existing University standing committees. The following are a possible list of UVI Senate Standing Committees: i. Policy Committee ii. Budget Committee iii. Retention, Promotion and Tenure Committee iv. Compensation Committee v. Ethic and Academic Standards Committee vi. Technology and Library Committee vii. Collegiality Committee (grievance, complaints, discipline) viii. ACES Committee (admissions, early admissions, scholarships, outreach, and recruitment) ix. Curriculum Committee x. Graduate Committee xi. Sports, Fitness and Health Committee xii. Strategic Planning Committee xiii. Research and Public Service Committee xiv. Programs Committee (University-wide events) xv. Student Life Committee (student services, student success) F. UVI Senate Proceedings and Process The proceedings of the UVI Senate are a matter of University record and disclosure of the proceedings is subject to federal, territorial and Board of Trustees policies. Proceedings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order i. Each meeting shall be preceded with an agenda published five (5) working days ahead of the meeting time. ii. The UVI Senate shall meet a minimum of twice per semester on the third Tuesday of August and the first Tuesday of October as well as on the third Tuesday of January and the third Tuesday of April of each academic year. All meetings shall commence at 3:00 p.m. iii. The full meeting times must be announced at the beginning of each academic year. iv. Except for unpredictable events, the UVI Senate shall hold a minimum of four (4) meetings during the regular academic year. 10 v. The UVI Senate Executive Committee and the University Officers shall be jointly responsible for the agenda of the Senate meetings. vi. The Senate Executive Committee shall meet with the University Officers to discuss possible agenda items. vii. By agreement between the UVI Senate Executive Committee and the University Officers an announced meeting can be scheduled. viii. Issues or proposals shall first be discussed in the Senate Executive Committee, and then sent to a Standing Committee for discussion, review and report. The Standing Committee shall report their recommendations to the Executive Committee for placement on the agenda of the full Senate for debate, amendment, or approval. The Senate and the Administration may appoint standing committees and ad hoc committees such as task forces jointly. Standing committees shall be expected to meet throughout the year and report back to the UVI Senate. ix. The Senate President shall chair the Senate meetings. x. All minutes of the UVI Senate, UVI Senate Executive Committee, and Standing and Ad hoc Committees shall be available to all electronically and shall be posted on the UVI Senate special website (www.uvi.edu/uvisenate). xi. Cabinet shall discuss the advice and recommendations issued by the Senate in a timely manner and a response (with appropriate justification) shall be communicated to the Senate within five (5) days of the date of action on the item. The Model for UVI Shared Governance See attachment Process and Structure for UVI Shared Governance Initiative At the heart of shared governance are teamwork, transparency, open communication and inclusiveness of ideas. Therefore any beginning conversation about an institutional shared governance initiative must be based upon these ideas. Teamwork A UVI Shared Governance Ad hoc Committee (UVI-SGAC) shall be established comprising of faculty, students, staff and administration. The primary task of the Committee shall be to take feedback from the stakeholders with regard to the proposed documents and make appropriate changes in the documents to make them more applicable to UVI. Other responsibilities of UVI-SGAC are more specifically spelled out in the appointment letter. 11 Transparency Shared governance is unique in that some features are particular to one institution and others are common with other HE institutions. The uniqueness of a particular institution’s shared governance model is based upon the prevailing federal, state, territorial, and local laws as well as the charter and rules of the Board of Trustees of the institutions. Transparency requires that all documents relevant to the committee must be made available so that individual members and the committee as a whole can render independent conclusions about the significance and implications of the documents. Thus, confidentiality, and the ability of the committee members to keep designated information confidential are essential. To achieve inclusiveness, committees and members of the committee must have established lines to provide input and receive input from the various stakeholders throughout the entire period. There should be a constant flow of information, receiving input and providing feedback, which will generate new ideas to be included but will also enhance communication and establish a sense of stewardship of the process and its product. Process The draft proposal for UVI Shared Governance should be used to seed a conversation on shared governance at UVI with the intent of developing from that proposal a suitable model. The conversations should be initiated at the levels of the component, SGA, faculty association, staff association, Cabinet and with the UVI Board of Trustees. The initial internal on campus discussion shall be coordinated by the UVI-SGAC. All modifications and changes shall be forwarded to the UVI-SGAC, which will assemble, discuss and provide a modified draft document, the UVISGAC Draft Shared Governance Proposal. The UVI-SGAC Draft Shared Governance Proposal will then be widely circulated within the University for another round of discussion. This draft will also be made available to the UVI Board of Trustees through the Academic Research and Student Affairs Committee (ARSA) for input only at this point. The SGAC Committee shall provide enough time for components, SGA, faculty and staff to provide input to the draft document. The UVI-SGAC shall assemble, review and provide the Final Draft Shared Governance Proposal. This proposal will be shared with every stakeholder. The document will be presented to the Board of Trustees through the ARSA for final input and approval. The final reaction from all stakeholders will be collected and reviewed, and a UVI-Shared Governance Model will be presented to the University. Timelines for Initiative November / December 2006 Unofficial conversations on governance at UVI at UVI Cabinet. Creation of UVI faculty, staff, student and administration facilitated conversation on governance. 12 Commissioning the creation of a Model for UVI Shared Governance. January 2007 Cabinet approves draft Shared Governance Model. Establish a UVI Shared Governance Ad hoc Committee. February 2007 President addresses University staff and students regarding Shared Governance and the importance of formal/organized staff representation (Feb. 1,2). President launches UVI Shared Governance Initiative and presents charge to the UVI Shared Governance Ad hoc Committee (Feb. 7). Distribute the proposed Model to UVI Shared Governance Ad hoc Committee (Feb 7). First meeting of the UVI faculty /administration facilitated conversation on Governance Team. Establish appropriate Staff organizational structure Official meetings of the UVI Shared Governance Ad Hoc Committee begin. Components, faculty, staff, students and Cabinet begin separate discussion of process and the proposed Model for UVI Shared Governance. Feedback and input from all stakeholders on the Model for UVI Shared Governance to be sent directly to the UVI-SGAC. March 2007 The UVI-SGAC provides the UVI-SGAC Draft Shared Governance Proposal to the UVI community. Present revised Draft Shared Governance Proposal to Cabinet. The UVI-SGAC Draft Shared Governance Proposal provided to BOT as input only document. No action required. 13 UVI-SGAC shall assemble, review and provide the Final Draft Shared Governance Proposal to the entire University. Components, faculty, staff, students and Cabinet begin separate discussion of Process and the UVI- SGAC Draft Shared Governance Proposal. Feedback and input from all stakeholders on the UVI-SGAC Draft Shared Governance Proposal sent directly to the UVI-SGAC. April 2007 The UVI-SGAC shall assemble, review and provide the Final Draft Shared Governance Proposal. Convert Draft Proposal into UVI Shared Governance Policy. The Final Draft Shared Governance Policy will be made available to all stakeholders. UVI-SGAC shall officially present the Final Draft Shared Governance Policy to the President. Cabinet shall discuss, modify if necessary and adopt document as the UVI Shared Governance Model. UVI Shared Governance Model approved by the Cabinet shall be made available with the modifications by Cabinet to the University Community. The UVI Shared Governance Model shall be presented through ARSA to the BOT Executive Committee for Approval. May 2007 Members of the UVI Senate and Standing Committees shall be elected pending approval of the UVI Shared Governance Model. June 2007 ARSA shall move the UVI Shared Governance Model to full Board as “UVI Shared Governance Policy” for full Board Action. 14 If Approved by the BOT, then the UVI Shared Governance Model shall become Effective and Implementation shall begin. July 2007 UVI-SGAC shall establish operational logistics for the UVI Senate. August 2007 Official UVI Senate operations shall commence. UVI Faculty, Staff, Student and Administration facilitated Conversations on Shared Governance Faculty: Faculty: Six members of the Faculty Association Executive committee members Administration: Provost, VP for Admin and Finance, CEA STX and CEA STT Facilitators: Dr. Howard Simmons and Atty. Sam Hall Meeting: STT on 02/10/2007 at 10:00 am. Staff: Staff: Members of the Staff at a duly called staff meeting Administration: Cabinet Facilitator: President Ragster Meeting: STT/STX on 02/02/07 at 9:00 am (videoconference) Students: Students: STT/STX SGA Presidents and Student Senators Administration: Cabinet Facilitator: President Ragster Meeting: STT/STX on 02/01/07 at 12:30pm (videoconference) 15 UVI Shared Governance Ad hoc Committee Administrators: Judith Edwin Robert Godfrey Yegin Habtes Doris Battiste Rick Nemeth Nereida Washington Professional Staff: Diana Freas-Lutz Stevie Henry Zaida Castro Wesley Joyce David Capriola Verna Rivers Classified Staff: Arthur Joseph Officer Barbara Maynard Ashley “Ashanti” George Students: Rick Grant Maudiana John-Baptiste aculty: Richard Hall Denis Griffith Maxine Nunez Mary Provost David Gould Patricia Rhymer Todman Shirley Highfield 16 Resources on Shared Governance Baldrige National Quality Program Education Criteria for Performance Excellence (2006). http://www.guality.nist.gov/PDF tiles/2007 Education Criteria. PDF Ronald Ehrenberg, (Editor) 2004. Governing Academia: Who Is in Charge at the Modern University? Cornell University Press. William G. Tierney (Editor), 2004. Competing Conceptions of Academic Governance: Negotiating the Perfect Storm. John Hopkins University Press. William G. Tierney, Vincente M. Lechuga, (Editors), 2004. Restructuring Shared Governance in Higher Education: New Directions for Higher Education, No. 127. David L. Kirp, 2003. Shakespeare, Einstein, and the Bottom Line: The Marketing of Higher Education. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Robert M. Rosenzweig, 1997. “The Political University: Policy, Politics and Presidential Leadership in the American Research University,” by, Johns Hopkins University Press. Robert M. Hosenzweig, 1997. “The Political University: Policy, Politics and Presidential Leadership in the American Research University,’ by, Johns Hopkins University Press. Richard T. Ingram and Associates (Editors), 1993. Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB): Governing public colleges and universities, a handbook for Trustees, Chief Executives and Other Campus Leaders. A Jossey-Bass Publication. Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQI P). http://www.agip.org. American Association of University Professors. “Statement of Government of Colleges and Universities,” 1966. http://www.aaup.org/governance/index.htm. “Evaluation of Administrators.” (AAUP Policy documents and reports, 1984) as displayed on the Canadian Organization of Faculty Association Staff’s website. http://www.caut.ca/cuasa/cofas/Documents/aaup-admin-eval.html. Robert M. Rosenzweig, 1997. “The Political University: Policy, Politics and Presidential Leadership in the American Research University,” by, Johns Hopkins University Press. “Policies of the Board of Trustees, 2001, Article VI (University Faculty) Section 3 (Responsibilities).” http://www.suny.edu/Board_of_Trustees/PDF/Policies.pdf. University Faculty Senate Governance Committee. “Role of Faculty in Evaluation of Senior Administrators at SUNY Campuses.” Survey conducted by a subcommittee of the SUNY Faculty Senate Governance Committee 2002-3. 17 Heck, Ronald et al. “Administrative effectiveness in higher education: improving assessment procedures.” Research in Higher Education. 41.6 (2000): .663-684. Lasley, T.J and Haberman, M. “How do University administrators evaluate deans?” Journal of Teacher Education. 38.5 (1987): 13-16. Middle States Commission on Higher Education. 2006. Characteristics of Excellence. Matczinski, T. “The deanship: how faculty evaluate performance.” Journal of Teacher Education. 40.6 (1989): 10-14. Rosser, Vicki J. et al. “Academic deans and directors: assessing their effectiveness from individual and institutional perspectives.” Journal of Higher Education. 74.1 (2003): 1- 25. http://muse.jhu .edu/journaIs/journal_of_highereducation/v074/74. 1. rosser.pdf. American Association of University Professors. http://www.aaup.org/ American Association of University Professors. - Shared Governance http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/protectrights/sharedgovernance/. Virginia State University. http://www.vsu.edu/pages/125.asp. 18 Appendix A PRINCIPLES FOR UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE As recommended by the Faculty Senate, Feb. 9, 1996; As recommended by the Administrative Council, Feb. 12, 1996; As recommended by Professional and Support Staff Advisory Council, Feb. 14, 1996; As recommended by the Student Association; Approved by the General Faculty, March 5, 1996 and Amended by vote of the General Faculty, fall 1999. Preamble The triad mission of learning, research, and service of Mississippi State University can best be achieved through cooperation, collaboration, and consultation among the membership of the entire University community. Achievement of that mission requires an understanding and commitment to the formal and informal decision processes by which the University conducts its work and maintains its standards. It also requires recognition by the University community that the University must ultimately respond to legitimate external entities and forces that shape policy and render decisions. Members of the University community need to understand the University’s noble and extensive mission and the part each member plays in its achievement. They need to understand how formal authority is shared, the scope and form of their involvement in governance, and the need for those in authority to achieve balance between codification and discretion. This understanding enhances each member’s ability to sustain and strengthen the essential nature of the University and facilitates effective University governance and responsiveness to the needs of the people of Mississippi. Central to effective and efficient University governance is open consultation, communication, and participation in decisions and decision-making bodies, and understanding of the responsibilities and limitations of authority by all members of the University community. Success of the University depends on collegial relationships and mutual respect among the faculty, professional and support staff, students, administrative officers, and representatives of external entities. All members of the University community must be accountable for their roles and responsibilities. Policies and procedures to measure performance in these roles and responsibilities are essential to achieving the mission and goals of the University. Mississippi State recognizes the value of diverse opinions in decision making and pursues its mission in an atmosphere of shared governance and open communication. Faculty and staff are involved in policy formulation and in implementing the learning, research and service missions of the University. Faculty and staff also recognize their shared accountability for the performance of the University in carrying out its mission. In the spirit of promoting effective governance of the University, the following statements of policy relative to members of the University community are adopted. The 19 policies are designed to generate and promote understanding, candor, trust, accountability, and participation in the processes that accomplish the mission and goals of the University. Principles Authority Ultimate authority for governance of the University is vested by the State of Mississippi in the Board of Trustees of the Institutions of Higher Learning and delegated by the board to the president. The president exercises that authority through the vice presidents, deans, directors, and other officials of the administration in consultation, as appropriate, with units of the University and with the faculty, professional and support staff, and students. Consultation To facilitate open communication and effective University governance, the president and other administrative officers of the University will exercise due diligence in consulting with the faculty, professional and support staff, students, and external constituents on issues affecting them. Consultation is characterized by early discussions with the affected constituencies, jointly formulated procedures for consultation, reasonable deadlines within the constraints of the academic calendar, access to appropriate information, adequate feedback, and timely communication of decisions to the affected constituencies. Representation Effective University governance generally requires that the faculty, professional and support staff, students, and external constituents be represented on budgetary and decision-, policy-, and procedure-making entities. Appropriate representation of these groups is normally obtained through the University’s council and committee structure. Elected and appointed representatives should, as far as possible, be selected specifically for the roles in which they will serve. When temporary special committees, study groups, or task forces are established by the president to address matters affecting the mission of the University, a majority of the membership should be composed of elected representatives drawn from the general faculty. Professional and support staff, students, and external constituencies should be included as appropriate. The chairs of these bodies may be appointed by the president. Faculty Representation. By the Charter of Organization of the Faculty of Mississippi State University, the Robert Holland Faculty Senate is the official representative of the faculty on all matters not delegated by the general faculty to other elected faculty bodies. University-level curriculum, promotion and tenure, and grievance committees should be composed of elected representatives from the general faculty. These bodies elect their own chairs. Professional and Support Staff Representation. The Professional and Support Staff Advisory Council is the official representative body for the professional and support staff. The staff should have appropriate representation on matters affecting them. Consultation with the staff should be conducted through their elected representatives and/or the staff council, as well as through normal administrative channels. 20 Student Representation. The Student Association is the official representative of undergraduate and graduate students of the University. Undergraduate and graduate students should be represented on appropriate University councils, committees, and task forces as well as committees of external entities related to the University. Consultation with students should be conducted through their elected representatives and/or the student association. Administrative Representation. Administrative officers of the University represent entities for which they have administrative responsibilities on councils, committees, and task forces of the University. Officers who are members of the general faculty may also be represented through the faculty senate, and other officers may be represented through the staff council. External Entities Representation. To advance the mission of the University, the officers of the administration may appoint members of external entities to serve on councils, committees, and task forces. Roles and Responsibilities Administration. The president has been delegated authority to administer the University, to lead the University so that its mission and goals are achieved, and to coordinate University relations with officers of the Board of Trustees. The president recommends the appointment of appropriate administrative officers for the University to the Board of Trustees. The president exercises primary authority through members of the administration in: 1. Control and allocation of the budgeted appropriation and other funds; 2. Establishment of the administrative organization; 3. Approval of personnel appointments; 4. Administration of University programs and policies; 5. Administration of student affairs and services; 6. Administration of physical plant and fiscal affairs; 7. Administration of athletics; 8. Administration of resource development and fund-raising; and 9. Accomplishment of all other assignments to the University by the Board of Trustees. The president is required by the Board of Trustees to articulate long-range University goals and to see that high standards are maintained in all University programs. The president exerts a major influence on the specific direction of change, not only through basic judgments on budgets and staff, but also in the continuous evaluation of existing University programs and in the planning of overall program direction. Such evaluation and planning necessitates the participation of faculty, staff, students, representatives of external entities, and administrative groups and is accomplished through the offices of the vice presidents. The president is also responsible for maintaining fair employment practices, promotion procedures, and wage and salary distribution, as well as good working conditions for the benefit and safety of all personnel employed by the University. 21 Faculty. The principal responsibilities of the faculty are teaching, research, and service. Because an important additional responsibility of the faculty is to ensure that the University fulfills its educational mission, the faculty must be involved in the generation and implementation of policies that impact the University’s mission. On matters primarily affecting the academic mission of the University (curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, advising, degree requirements, faculty scholarship, faculty status, faculty service), the principal responsibility for formulating and evaluating ideas lies with the faculty. The faculty advises the administration through appropriate channels on these matters. The administration customarily follows this advice. On those extraordinary occasions when this advice is not followed, the administration will identify the reasons that render the proffered advice unwise or impracticable and so inform the faculty. A less direct but no less important role of the faculty is to advise the officers of the University about certain administrative matters that are intrinsically related to the health of the University. Among these matters are: 1. Assessment of faculty performance; 2. Selection of University officers; 3. Determination of University priorities; and 4. Establishment of principles for determining salaries. Professional and Support Staff. The staff council is an advisory organization with the primary goals of facilitating communication between the staff and the administration and providing input to the administration on University policies and procedures. The primary role of the staff is to support the faculty and the administration in fulfilling the University’s mission. The staff conducts the day-today affairs of the University, provides essential input to the faculty and administration in planning and decision-making processes, and reports on the operations of the University for internal (management) and external (accountability) purposes. On matters of University governance affecting the academic mission of the University, the staff’s role is advisory only. Students. The purpose of the Student Association is to stimulate University-wide student involvement in all areas of University life that lead to achievement of the University’s mission. The voice of students is important in all aspects of the University, and students should provide input, when appropriate, through University committees, councils, and task forces. Administrative Councils and Committees. Administrative councils and committees play important roles in the governance of the University. These councils and committees may be composed of faculty, staff, students, administrators, and representatives of external entities. The members are elected by the appropriate bodies or are appointed by the president or appropriate vice president to advise the administration in the development of institutional policy, procedure, and practice. A listing of the University’s councils and committees with the membership of each is published annually by the Committee on Committees. 22 Evaluation. Evaluation of Administrators and Faculty. The performance of faculty, staff, and administrative officers should be evaluated periodically. Students should participate in periodic evaluation of the instructional faculty, and those evaluations should be considered important sources of guidance to improve course content and overall learning and teaching effectiveness. The faculty, staff, administrative officers, and students should participate in periodic evaluations of those responsible for the units affecting their roles in the University community. The role of the various groups in such evaluations should be in accordance with their legitimate interest in the performance of the person being evaluated and the group’s competence to make evaluative judgments. Evaluations should conform to commonly accepted procedures of evaluation established in consultation with those being evaluated and those evaluating. Financial Decisions Representatives chosen by the faculty, staff, and students should be included in University level discussions of resource allocation and budgetary policy and procedures. The administration may choose additional faculty, students, and staff to participate in discussions of these issues. Participation in these issues may also occur in colleges, schools, departments, and other units. Administrative, Faculty, and Professional Staff Appointments All professional positions will be filled in consultation with the affected faculty, staff, and students, and with the appropriate external constituencies. On those extraordinary occasions when the advice of a search committee is not followed, the administrator making the appointment will inform the committee of the reasons that render the proffered advice unwise or impracticable. For the Provost and the Vice Presidents for Agriculture and Research, for deans, directors, chairs, and heads of academic, research, or service units, and for permanent faculty and staff positions, search committees will contain a majority of elected representatives of the faculty and staff, as appropriate, drawn from the affected on- and off-campus units. For the Vice Presidents of Business Affairs, External Affairs, and Student Affairs, search committees will be appointed by the President in consultation with the Holland Faculty Senate Chair. The administrator making the appointment will publicize the membership of the search committee and the process of selection. Administrators who serve primarily as advisors or assistants to executives and who do not regularly exercise independent executive and budgetary authority (for example, presidential or vice presidential assistants and some associate and assistant vice presidents, deans, or directors) may be appointed without a search committee.