Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.60
Liaison Mary Lucus
Submission Date Feb. 26, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Belmont University
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.25 / 3.00 Mary Lucus
Director, IR
Provost
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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?:
No

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which students are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:

The Belmont University Student Government Association is the body elected by fellow students that allows students to be engaged in governance. The Belmont SGA president, vice president, and representatives are elected by the vote of all currently enrolled full-time students. The SGA cabinet, as well as the SGA congress, meets regularly to propose, vote on, and execute student legislation.


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

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which staff are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:

The staff of Belmont University elect their own leadership (President, Vice President, and officers) who lead the University Staff Advisory Council. The USAC leaders meet regularly as a group to formulate and advance a range of initiatives. In addition, the USAC leadership convenes campuswide meetings of the entire staff to present information and solicit input.


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? :
No

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 full-time faculty of Belmont University elect the leaders of the Faculty Senate, as well as the representatives that comprise the Faculty Senate. The Senate meets monthly as part of their shared governance of Belmont University. In addition, the various standing committees of the Senate both propose, and carry out, a wide range of initiatives that the full Senate votes on.


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:
The policies and procedures:

Belmont facilitated the creation of the Neighborhood Advisory Group as a formal mechanism to solicit the input of neighbors as part of the university's process of engaging in land use planning, capital projects, and other institutional decisions that affect the community. In addition, Belmont created the Office of Community Relations to facilitate regular collaboration with neighbors and neighborhood organizations to enable their input on institutional initiatives that affect the community.

The Belmont University Neighborhood Advisory Group was formally established by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County in 2005 as part of the passage of BL 2005-555, an ordinance establishing the Belmont University Institutional Overlay Zoning.The advisory group works with the neighborhood, Belmont University, and Metropolitan Planning staff on issues associated with implementing the institutional overlay and its’ associated Master Development Plan. The membership of the Advisory Group was expanded in 2007 by action of Metro Government to further inform the operation and oversight of the Lease Agreement between Belmont University and the Metropolitan Department of Parks and Recreation.


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 Yes
Private sector organizations Yes
Civil society (e.g. NGOs, NPOs) Yes

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):

Board of Trustees members are involved in the following:

Local government and/or educational organizations: Janet Ayers, Board of Regents for the University of Tennessee System

Private sector organizations: R. Milton Johnson, Hospital Corporation of America

Civil society (e.g. NGOs, NPOs): Bruce Maxwell, Lake Providence Missionary Baptist Church


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.