An Improved Governance Structure at KSU
[Prepared for the second reading of the University Senate,
This basic outline was agreed to as basis for discussions:
(1) at an
AAUP@KSU meeting
(2) with modest revisions, at an informal meeting
of University Senate leaders, AAUP leadership, and Dr. R. Rascati, Associate
VPAA, on
(3) with further
modest revisions, at the Senate Executive Council on
(4) with further
modest revisions, at the Faculty Council on
(5) with further
modest revisions, First Reading at he University Senate,
I. OVERALL STRUCTURE:
A . THE THREE “SENATES” (though the name for each body is up to
each constituency) AND THE STUDENT
GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION (SGA):
1. The Common Features
a. Common Features of the Three Senates (Faculty, Staff,
and University Administrators)
(i) Three Year Terms: Senators will be elected for three year terms, so that senators would have time to get to know the issues and the job. All officers will be elected from second and third year Senators.
(ii) President and President-Elect: Each body will elect a president and a president-elect (though titles are to be determined by each body), who, in addition to performing the duties ordinarily associated with those positions, will represent their body on the University Council (see below Section I.B.).
(iii) To facilitate communication among the various representative bodies, each body will elect a liaison to each of the other three representative bodies, and each will receive liaisons from those bodies as non-voting members.
b. Common Features and the SGA:
The SGA will be unaffected by the Common Features. The elected President and Vice President of the SGA will represent that body on the University Council.
2. Composition and Customary Roles of the Various Senates and the SGA:
An
advisory note on size: The particular
composition of each body is to be determined by the those indicated below, but
those making the decisions on the composition of each body are asked to bear in
mind that one aim of the present restructuring of KSU’s shared governance
institutions is to produce relatively smaller bodies that are more focused than
has sometimes been the case in the past.
a. Faculty Senate –advisory to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) or other Vice President as appropriate for the issue being discussed. General composition initially to be determined by the Faculty Council and the University Senate in consultation with the VPAA and the University President. Thereafter the composition can be altered by the elected representatives of the Faculty Senate in consultation with the University President and an administrator the University President designates.
b. Staff Senate –advisory to the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) or administrative officer as appropriate for the issue being discussed. General composition initially to be determined by the current Staff Council and the University Senate in consultation with the CHRO and the University President. Thereafter the composition can be altered by the elected representative of the Staff Senate in consultation with the University President and an administrator the University President designates.
c. University Administrators Senate – advisory to the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and/or the Vice President for Student Success (VPSS) or administrative officer as appropriate for the issue being discussed. Composition patterned after the above, but to be determined by the university administrators currently serving in the Senate and the University Senate as a whole in consultation with the CHRO, the VPSS, and the University President. Thereafter the composition can be altered by the elected representatives of the University Administrators Senate in consultation with the University President and an administrator the University President designates.
d. Student Government Association (Senate)– advisory to the Vice President for Student Success (VPSS) or administrative officer as appropriate for the issue being discussed. Initial composition to be determined by the current SGA and the University Senate in consultation with the VPSS and the University President. Thereafter the composition can be altered by the elected representatives of the SGA in consultation with the President and an administrator the University President designates.
B. THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL (or University
Executive Council)
University Council (UC)– usually advisory to the University President
(or Provost)
1. Membership of the UC shall consist of:
a. The president and vice-president (or the equivalents of these offices) from each of the following - the Faculty Senate, the Staff Senate, the University Administrators Senate, and the SGA.
b. One representative each from the Chairs’ Council, the Deans’ Council and the President’s Cabinet, and the University President.
2. Presiding Officer of the UC:
a. The President of the Faculty Senate will serve ex officio as Chair of the
University Council and as an ex officio member of the University President’s
Cabinet.
3. Operating Procedures of the UC:
a. Formal votes will not be part of the UC’s regular operating procedure. The purpose of the UC is to advise the President of the points of view of the different constituencies represented, and, where there are differences, to seek consensus.
b. The UC will hold a formal meeting at least two (2) times each semester. Meetings will be scheduled by the UC Chair in consultation with members.
c. A UC Executive Committee, composed of the presidents of the three senates and the President of the SGA, will handle routine administrative matters between formal meetings of the UC.
4. Reassign-time for officer-members of the UC:
a. The presidents and president-elects of the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate and the
University Administrators Senate will have reassign time from their ordinary
duties to enable them to provide effective leadership for their respective shared
governance bodies and to represent those bodies in the University Council.
5. Key Responsibilities: The University Council would
a. Assign issues to the most appropriate governance body (or bodies), but with the
understanding that other bodies may also comment if they wish;
b. Assure that the appropriate governance bodies are consulted in the creation of
any ad hoc committee or task force addressing issues of general importance,
and, if desired, will have the opportunity a nominate members to such ad hoc
committees or task forces;
c. Assure that the appropriate governance bodies are given the opportunity to
consider and offer formal comment on the final reports of any such ad hoc
committee or task force;
d. Report to the President and other UC members the results of deliberations in
various bodies when issues or reports are considered by multiple bodies; and
e. Seek to reconcile conflicting advisory opinions when different bodies have
conflicting views.
6. Important Prerogatives of the UC: The University Council may, at its discretion,
a. Call a Joint Session of all the representative bodies of the university’s
governance structure;
b. Call a Town Hall Meeting of the entire campus community.
C.
UNIVERSITY (STANDING) COMMITTEES
1. Assignment to a Senate or the University
Council: Standing committees to be
assigned to the appropriate senate or to the University Council. The assignments to be made by the University
Council. See Appendix A below for an
initial attempt at standing committee assignments.
2.
Regular Reports or Hearings: The
appropriate senate or the University Council would receive regular reports
and/or hold regular hearings to assure that standing committees are active and
accountable. Inactive, unnecessary
standing committees should be abolished.
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Appendix A
An Initial Proposal for Assignment of University
(Standing) Committees
Below the current University Committees are listed under the body to which they would be primarily, but not necessarily exclusively, assigned. The University Council would have the authority to expand or change these assignments depending on the issue under consideration.
To
be assigned primarily to the University Council:
IAC - Athletics –
advisory to Athletics Director
Library -
advisory to Chief Librarian
ECC - Environmental
- advisory to VP Admin
ITAC - Information
Tech - advisory to VP IT
PSAC - Public
Safety - advisory to VP Admin
UBPC - Budget -
advisory to VP Admin
To be
assigned primarily to the Faculty Senate:
UPCC - Undergrad
Curricula – advisory to Dean, University College
GPCC - Graduate
Curricula - advisory to Dean, Graduate
GEC - General
Education - advisory to Dean, University College
T&P Review -
advisory to VPAA
FDAC - Faculty
Development & Awards - advisory to Director of CETL
ASC - Academic
Standing - advisory to Registrar
IRB - Institutional
Review - advisory to VPAA
TEC - Teaching
Education - advisory to Dean, Education
GOC - Grievance
Oversight - advisory to VPAA
Faculty Handbook -
advisory to VPAA
II. A TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION
Stage One – to Feb. 1: Discussions with all constituencies aiming toward a proposal to present to the University Senate in late January or early February.
Stage Two – Feb. 1- 28: A formal proposal for a new overall governance structure considered and approved by the University Senate. Only the overall structure would be agreed to during this period, except that the composition and general operation procedures of the University Council would also be agreed to. The particulars of the make-up of each “senate” would be left for later and to the various constituencies.
Stage Three –March 1 to April 10:
Various constituencies decide on the composition and operating principles
of their “senates” and submit to the current University Senate for
approval. At this point the entire
package would be submitted to the University President (whether Dr. Siegel or
her successor) for approval. That
is, each constituency would decide for itself how large a body to have, whether
to have proportional representation, how long terms would be, whether there
would be term limits, etc. Then the
entire package, the overall structure as well as the composition of the various
bodies, would be submitted to the University President.
Stage