Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 72.58
Liaison Tom Twist
Submission Date June 12, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Bates College
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 3.00 Tom Twist
Sustainability Manager
Facilities
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Part 1

Do the institution’s students have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a student council)? :
Yes

Do the institution’s students have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
Yes

If yes to either of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which students are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
Bates College Student Government (BCSG) exists to provide voice and resources to student concerns. BCSG members are elected by their peers to serve on the Board of Trustees Committee. Students elected to the executive board of the Bates Student Government also sit on the President's Council. The Board of Trustees and the President's Council function as the two highest governing bodies at the college. As part of their charge, they oversee, in conjunction with the support of the Office of Campus Life, all student clubs at Bates. BCSG works to further student interests at Bates to ensure an open, equitable, and accessible campus for all community members. The Student Government Reps offer reports on student-related issues at the college, and to act as a conduit of information between the students and our highest governing body at the college. https://www.bates.edu/bcsg/

Do the institution’s staff members have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a staff council)?:
Yes

Do the institution’s non-supervisory staff members have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
No

If yes to either of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which staff are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
Staff sit on our highest governing bodies - the Board of Trustees, as well as the President's Council. They also have participation in our highest sustainability committee, our Committee for Environmental Responsibility, which crafts and implements sustainable policy for the college. We do not have elected staff sitting on our highest governing bodies, however - they are hired to the position.

Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a faculty senate)?:
Yes

Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body? :
Yes

If yes to either of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which teaching and research faculty are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
The more than 200 members on the Bates faculty play an important role in the governance of the College. Elected members to the Committee for Faculty Governance share governance with the President's Council, and send a representative to sit on the Board of Trustees Committee. As stated above, these are the two highest governing bodies at the college. The Committee for Faculty Governance is tasked with shaping the decisions of the college with respect to developing the academic program, the curriculum, degree requirements, and faculty evaluation processes. The faculty is governed by division, department, and program chairs, and divides its work among standing and ad hoc committees of faculty from across the ranks and disciplines. http://www.bates.edu/dof/governance-and-policies/

Part 2

Does the institution have written policies and procedures to identify and engage external stakeholders (i.e. local residents) in land use planning, capital investment projects, and other institutional decisions that affect the community?:
Yes

A copy of the written policies and procedures:
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The policies and procedures:
Our Standard Operating Procedure for all Capital Project Management, drawn up by our Director of Capital Planning and our Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer includes several mandates to engage external stakeholders in planning processes: "be sure to identify and engage external stakeholders such as our neighbors, school system, hospitals etc. to inform and provide opportunity for input on projects that will affect them, typical for all phases of design." Additional language is included below - Peer Review: Large Capital Projects typically involve Bates retaining a General Contractor for an Estimate Peer Review and an A/E firm for a Design Peer Review. Ensure the A/E’s estimate and the GC’s estimates are reconciled and within the project budget prior to moving to the next phase of the project. All Design Peer Review comments shall be compiled in a spread sheet format a written response from the A/E is obtained and distributed to in-house plan reviewers. These responses shall be made available to our in-house staff and resolved if there are disagreements prior to moving to the next phase of the project. Regulatory approvals: Ensure the project is reviewed with the local Planning, Code, Public Works and Fire Departments. Also, be sure to identify and engage external stakeholders such as our neighbors, school system, hospitals etc. to inform and provide opportunity for input on projects that will affect them, typical for all phases of design. Communication and collaboration are critical components of the Project Managers responsibilities. Project Managers are encouraged to have a second set of eyes review your draft materials related to project correspondence including but not limited to: consultant fee proposals, contracts, legal and insurance issues, correspondence with the State and Local authorities, the Bates community, neighbors, etc.

Does the institution have formal participatory or shared governance bodies through which community members representing the interests of the following stakeholder groups can regularly participate in institutional governance?:
Yes or No
Local government and/or educational organizations No
Private sector organizations No
Civil society (e.g. NGOs, NPOs) No

If yes to one or more of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which external stakeholders are engaged in institutional governance (including information about each stakeholder group selected above):
We have local law enforcement and other members of the Lewiston government sit on our various land use committees such as building and construction and parking and transportation committees. We have a Bates garden which was a committee peopled by local nonprofits and nearby farms.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://www.bates.edu/dof/governance-and-policies/

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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