Bates College
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.25 / 3.00 |
Tom
Twist Sustainability Manager Facilities |
Does the institution have formal participatory or shared governance bodies through which the following stakeholders can regularly participate in the governance of the institution?:
| Yes or No | |
| Students | Yes |
| Academic staff | Yes |
| Non-academic staff | No |
A brief description of the institution’s formal participatory or shared governance bodies:
Bates students sit on the President's Advisory Committee. This committee is responsible for acting as a liaison between the student body and the President of Bates College. Responsibilities include meeting with the President on a regular basis, as well as, hosting events between the President and the student body in the interest of facilitating a dialogue concerning issues relevant to the Bates community.
I. Each academic year, each class will elect a new member to serve on the committee through the student election process. Each member of this committee once selected will serve on the committee until their departure from Bates.
II. The members of the committee will select one chair of the committee each year. The chair will be decided on by a majority vote among the committee members.
i. Responsibilities for the chair include running meetings, as well as, meeting with other advisory committee chairs on a monthly basis to discuss issues pertinent to the Advisory Committee as a greater body.
ii. The chair must be ratified by the Representative Assembly.
III. One representative from the committee will act as a liaison between the Representative Assembly and the committee. Responsibilities for this position include attending Representative Assembly meetings and vocalizing the interests of the committee at these meetings.
IV. The committee will be responsible for organizing at least one public forum between the student body and the President a semester. This public forum can be in partnership with other advisory committee forums where a Dean and a member of the Trustees would be present. The purpose of each public forum will be to alert Bates students of matters relevant to the school and to facilitate Bates student participation in such matters.
V. The committee will meet with the President at least one time every semester to discuss matters relevant to the Bates community and to prepare for public forums.
https://www.bates.edu/bcsg/committees/presidents-advisory-committee-constitution/
The Bates Student Government serves to 1) serve as a representative body of all students of Bates College; 2) be attentive to, advocate for, and address student needs including but not limited to curricular needs, campus life, developing safe spaces, and being responsive to the needs of the overall community 3) support the functioning and organization of student clubs, acquisition of funding, approval of new initiatives, and training of club leadership; and 4) create and execute programs that materially contribute to Bates College culture and improve the quality of life for all students.
https://www.bates.edu/bcsg/committees/
https://www.bates.edu/bcsg/constitution/#article-i-purpose
The Committee for Faculty Governance serves to 1) Appoint faculty to all non-elected faculty committee seats for standing committees designated in Article V.
2) Designate the chairs of all faculty committees appointed by the Committee on Faculty Governance, except the Academic Affairs Council, which shall be chaired by the dean of the faculty.
3) Prepare the slate of candidates for elected faculty committees and boards for action by the faculty. Slates shall be prepared in accordance with the rules for eligibility defined in Article V. The dean of the faculty and president may take on advisory roles by invitation from the committee.
4) Review all legislation proposed by committees or other faculty members and determine disposition of the proposal in accord with Article IV, Sections 2, 3, and 4. Meet at least twice each year with the designated committee of the Board of Trustees to discuss matters of mutual concern.
5) Consult with and advise the president on any matters of concern to the faculty, and on matters of short- and long-range planning. The committee may also respond to questions or ideas raised by the president, and to proposed policies before they are adopted.
6) Consult with the dean of the faculty on matters of concern to faculty.
7) Consult with the division chairs on matters of concern to faculty.
8) Respond to questions and concerns from faculty about matters of governance generally. The committee may designate such subcommittees as appropriate in fulfilling its responsibilities.
https://www.bates.edu/dof/committee-on-faculty-governance-cfg/
Non-academic staff sit on, and advise the Board of Trustees, our highest governing body.
Total number of individuals on the institution’s highest governing body:
Number of students representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
Number of academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
Number of non-academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
Number of women serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
Percentage of official members of the highest governing body that are women:
Website URL where information about the institution’s highest governing body may be found:
Does the institution host or support one or more formal bodies through which external stakeholders have a regular voice in institutional decisions that affect them?:
A brief description of the campus-community council or equivalent body that gives external stakeholders a regular voice in institutional decisions that affect them:
Our Transportation Committee meets quarterly and has representation from the local law officials and the city council. This committee deals with a variety of issues that affect the local community, including proposed and existing public transit routes, parking, electric vehcile charging, and ride sharing programs.
Number of people from underrepresented groups serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body.:
Website URL where information about the institution’s governance structure is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.