Elms Collegeâs Statement on Shared Governance
The concept of shared governance is an important principle for American higher education. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) first stated guidelines for shared governance in higher education in 1920 and has updated those principles and guidelines on an ongoing basis. They generally frame the conversation on shared governance at most American institutions, though the application of shared governance across colleges is as different as the institutions themselves.
Elms College believes in the principles of shared governance and has traditionally incorporated that spirit in the institutionâs governing structure. It has become very relevant to reaffirm our commitment to shared governance, in light of our recent efforts to ensure that Elms College is a desirable workplace for all employees and that all College constituents are united in addressing the challenges that the College faces. This statement outlines how this commitment to shared governance manifests itself through structure, policies, and procedures. First it provides a definition of shared governance. Second, it delineates how shared governance is practiced at Elms College through the board, the administration, the faculty, the staff, and the students.
Definition
Shared governance refers to the processes and structures that the key stakeholders in higher education use to develop policies and make decisions in a participatory approach. According to the Association of Governing Board (AGB), the principle âacknowledges the final institutional authority of governing boards and distributed authority to the administration and faculty.1â
Like AGB, the Association of American University Professors (AAUP) has traditionally viewed the board, the administration, and the faculty as the three key partners in the shared governance triad. The AAUP website indicates that the AAUP âcalls for shared responsibility among the different components of institutional government and specifies areas of primary responsibility for governing boards, administrations, and faculties.â2
Increasingly, campuses are looking to expand the key participants and to include students and non-professional staff into the shared governance model. The next section reflects how Elms College incorporates the various campus constituents in shared governance, with the guidance and best practices provided by NECHE, the AAUP, and AGB. In addition to the usual triad of board, president, and faculty, it also includes staff and students as key campus stakeholders.
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1 https://agb.org/knowledge-center/board-fundamentals/shared-governance/
2 https://www.aaup.org/our-programs/shared-governance
Roles and responsibilities
The roles and responsibilities outlined below reflect the importance of collaboration and unity of efforts in the AAUPâs Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities. The spirit of the AAUP guidelines is that âa college or university in which all the components are aware of their interdependence, of the usefulness of communication among themselves, and of the force of joint action will enjoy increased capacity to solve educational problems.3â
The board. The board is legally the ultimate fiduciary body for the organization and also, according to the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) standard for accreditation 3.3 âthe legally constituted body ultimately responsible for the institutionâs quality and integrity.â Moreover, the board has a special responsibility for ensuring that the history and mission of the College serve as institutional anchors and sources of inspiration. However, the board does not perform any of these functions directly. According to the AAUP, âwhile maintaining general overview, the board entrusts the conduct of administration to the administrative officers -the president and deans- and the conduct of teaching and research to the faculty.4â In practice, at Elms College, the board delegates the administration of the College to the president who is assisted by the presidentâs cabinet and ensures that the faculty, through the principles of faculty governance, have determination over matters related to teaching and research.
The president and the administration. The AAUP Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities includes sections for three key stakeholders: the governing board, the president, and the faculty. This recognizes that the role of leading the administration is generally delegated by the Board to the president. This is also the case at Elms College, per the bylaws of the institution. The president is responsible to the Board for planning; setting and achieving institutional goals; overseeing the setting and applications of standards, policies, and procedures; marshaling and stewarding human, financial, and capital resources; and representing the institution to various constituencies. The president is assisted in these functions by the administration, starting with the Cabinet and extending to various levels of the organization. The current practice at Elms College is that major administrative policies are set and key decisions are made generally in Cabinet meetings. All employees of the College report to a Cabinet member who represents their unitâs views in Cabinet decision-making. Academic policies are proposed by the administration or faculty, then approved by the faculty, and then submitted to the Cabinet, the President, and the Board for final approval.
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3 American Association of University Professors (2006). AAUP Policy Documents & Reports Tenth Edition. John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, MD.
4 American Association of University Professors (2006). AAUP Policy Documents & Reports Tenth Edition. John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, MD (p.138)
The faculty. According to Board Effect âfaculty shared governance in colleges and universities was originally intended to vest in the faculty oversight and responsibility for all academic matters, making clear that administrations, government, or even the Church could not unreasonably interfere with or otherwise influence academic matters such as curricula, degree programs, instructional policies, academic calendar, and the conferring of degrees. This evolved, quite sensibly, to further affirm that the faculty had a primary (though not necessarily final) decision-making role in faculty appointment, reappointment, promotion, and (where applicable) tenure.â5 In American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century, Phil Altbach et al. reinforced this historical view of the role of faculty in the shared governance model, with âprimary responsibility for curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, research, faculty status, and those aspects of student life which relate to the educational process.6â (p.344). At Elms College, the facultyâs primary responsibility for these aspects of academic life is well delineated in the Faculty Handbook, which is written by the faculty and ultimately approved by the Board. Moreover, the handbook outlines how faculty members participate in the direction of other administrative matters such as budget, salary and benefits, etc. Faculty representatives on the Board of Trustees provide the faculty visibility into the deliberation and decisions of the board.
The staff. Though the staff is represented in decision-making by the Cabinet member who leads their unit, and despite the fact that staff are not included in the AAUPâs definition of shared governance, Elms College recognizes that it is helpful for administrative and support staff beyond the Cabinet to feel that they have input in decision-making. The Elms Leadership Council is an opportunity for Director-level staff to provide input to the administration in policies, processes, and other decisions that are being considered. Moreover, the newly revitalized Staff Council aims to provide staff representatives from throughout the organization an opportunity and a forum to voice staffâs views, suggestions, and concerns to the administration.
Students. The AAUP does not provide guidelines for involving students in shared governance but indicates that â[w]hen students in American colleges and universities desire to participate responsibly in the government of the institution they attend, their wish should be recognized⌠both for education experience and for involvement in the affairs of their college or university7.â Students at Elms College participate in the affairs of the college through various means. Student committees, such as the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) provide student structured ways to interact with the organization and express studentsâ views. Student representatives on the Board of Trustees provide students visibility into boardâs deliberations and decisions.
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5 Rosowsky, D. (2022) Shared Governance at Americaâs Universities: Reaffirming Higher Educationâs Cornerstone in the Post-Pandemic Era. Forbes. Retrieved 1/0/20233 from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrosowsky/2022/09/23/shared-governance-at-americas-universities-reaffirming-higher-educations-cornerstone-in-the-post-pandemic-era/?sh=706529e45852
6 Altbach, P. G. et al. eds (2005). American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century. Social, Political, and Economic Challenges. . John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, MD.
7 American Association of University Professors (2006). AAUP Policy Documents & Reports Tenth Edition. John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, MD (p.140)
Conclusion
Elms College believes in the principles of shared governance and has traditionally included those principles in the institutionâs governing structure. Increased efforts have been made recently to provide clarity to the way shared governance happens in practice. Dissemination of policies and procedures such as the faculty handbook and revision of the staff handbook will help to ensure that all employees are aware of the decision-making structures already in existence to ensure appropriate stakeholdersâ input in the life of the College. Efforts to introduce new channels of communication (such as the Monthly Newsletter and the Employee Town Hall) and to refine existing channels of communication (for example, revisiting the purpose and structure of the faculty meeting) are aimed at ensuring that relevant information is disseminated up and down the organization on a regular basis.
Shared governance at Elms College affirms our binding belief that our collective work as board, administration, faculty, and staff serves to advance the founding mission of the College. This âcommunity of interestâ motivates our âjoint effortâ to always strive to better serve our students and support one another.