Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.91
Liaison Natalie Hayes
Submission Date July 9, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Bentley University
PA-3: Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Amanda King
Executive Director of Sustainability
Office of Sustainability
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Do all enrolled students, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
Yes

A brief description of the mechanisms through which students have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) strives to create a unified and exciting community by strengthening the bonds between all residents in every residence hall. We create a forum of discussion for all the residents to address concerns through their individual building's Hall Council. RHA recommends, reviews, formulates and develops rules/regulations and policies relating to the residence halls to University administration. The organization promotes social welfare by the means of social, awareness and sustainable events in individual residence halls, as well as campus-wide events.

The Bentley Student Government Association (SGA) is a governing body that tries to better the university environment for all students. This is achieved through a collaborative effort between the students and university administration. Members of SGA seek out the interests and opinions of the student body as a whole and make recommendations to university officials based on their findings.


Is there at least one student representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative student body or organization?:
Yes

A brief description of student representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:

Both of the organization discussed above are collaborative student governments which work closely with the institution (Residence Life and Student Affairs in particular) to change policies.


Do students have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following?:
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals Yes
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning Yes
Existing or prospective physical resources Yes
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning No
Communications processes and transparency practices Yes
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

A brief description of the formal student role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

Students are engaged in most large institutional decisions on campus.

Frequently faculty and staff bring new policies, programs and initiatives to the Student Government Association for approval including decisions to charge for parking on campus, to change the cable TV service provider and scheduling of campus shuttles.

Students were included in decisions about an upcoming expansion to the Student Center, on everything from the ideal use and flow of the space, to furniture, and layout plans.

During the 2012-2013 academic year, Student Government Association (SGA) passed a bill stating that 30% recycled content paper must be mandatory for the entire insitution.

Two years prior, the SGA passed a bill to ban Styrofoam from all venues on campus. This ban was successfully put in to place with the assistance of Sodexo, Bentley's dining services provider.


Do all staff, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
Yes

A brief description of the mechanisms through which all staff have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

Staff representatives are are always included on ad-hoc committees for example: search and executive search committees. Staff are also included on standing committees for example: The Diversity Council and Crisis Planning and Management Committee. All staff have an avenue to participate in these governance bodies.


Is there at least one non-supervisory staff representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative staff body or organization?:
No

A brief description of non-supervisory staff representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:

N/A


Do non-supervisory staff have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following? :
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals No
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning Yes
Existing or prospective physical resources Yes
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning Yes
Communications processes and transparency practices Yes
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

A brief description of the formal staff role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

Staff representatives are always included on committees to asses new policies programs and initiatives, for example the graduate school held an open forum to pitch a new MBA program. All faculty and staff were invited to join in the discussion and provide opinions about the prospect of starting this new program. Staff are engaged in strategic and long-term planning at the university, for example: each division and office had to re-align individual missions with the new mission for the university (established in 2013). Staff are included in discussions and decision-making about existing and prospective physical resources, most recently the planned additions to our Student Center and the Morison office building. Staff are involved in budgeting, staffing and financial planning within each division. Staff are included in communications processes and transparency practices. Staff are included in the prioritization of programs and projects both within divisions and at an institutional level.


Do all faculty, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
Yes

A brief description of the mechanisms through which all faculty (including adjunct faculty) have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

All faculty (including adjuncts) are able to participate in Faculty Senate.


Is there at least one teaching or research faculty representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative faculty body or organization?:
No

A brief description of faculty representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:

N/A


Do faculty have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following?:
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals Yes
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning Yes
Existing or prospective physical resources Yes
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning Yes
Communications processes and transparency practices Yes
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

A brief description of the formal faculty role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

All faculty have the chance to serve on Faculty Senate. Faculty Senate is a governance body that covers a wide range of institutional and academic issues including participating in the development of the institution's mission and vision (as recently as 2012/2013), establishing new academic policies and programs (new majors, new courses and new degree programs), strategic and long-term planning for the academics of the institution (including the recent push to increase arts & sciences offerings), existing or prospective physical resources (like the recent proposal to add an addition to the Morison building), budgeting, staff and financial planning within the Academic Affairs division, communications processes and transparency practices throughout the university and the prioritization of programs and projects (like assessing the current usability of our faculty database and profile system).


The website URL where information about the institution’s governance structure is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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