Bucknell University
PA-3: Governance

Students have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies at the University. Bucknell Student Government (BSG) is a body of elected undergraduate students charged representing the general student body in University affairs. In addition to serving on Class Congresses, each BSG representative also serves on a Congressional Committee. Each of these committees serves a unique function in improving different facets of University life. These committees include academic affairs, community affairs, fiscal affairs, internal affairs, committee on diversity, public affairs, student affairs, and student engagement.

Student representation is outlined in the BSG Constitution available at this url: https://getinvolved.bucknell.edu/organization/bsg/.../View/138713

Students have roles in all of the above via Bucknell Student Government and affiliated committees.

The University provides opportunities for staff members to participate in the exchange of information concerning all aspects of the campus community. Listed are several of those opportunities. There are two personnel committees, that regular members of the staff can participate in, the APC and the SSPC. The Administrative Personnel Committee (APC) is a standing committee established to assist in the development or revision of personnel policies for the administrative staff. The Administrative Personnel Committee shall assist in promoting effective communication and discussion about personnel matters among administrative staff and the Office of the President. The six-member Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the President and the Operations and Management Group. The Support Staff Personnel Committee (SSPC) is a standing committee established to assist in the development or revision of personnel policies for all regular full-time and regular part-time members of the support staff, and to promote effective communication and discussion about personnel matters among the hourly staff. The six-member Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the President and the Operations and Management Group. p. 15 under information sharing -- administrative personnel committee, and support staff personnel committee. Each committee is made up of six staff members. Administrative staff are salary individuals. Support staff are the hourly individuals. Elections are held for those who serve in those roles, an advisory body. They can propose policies and make suggestions for changes, bring forward new ideas. Mechanisms are the APC, the university staff forum, the coming together to get information about the university.

There are two members of the support staff that were elected to serve on the University's planning and budgeting committee. There are two hourly people and one salary person serving on the committee. Reps are selected via nomination and then regular election.

In fiscal year 13 - 14 the APC and SSPC proposed two new paid leave policies for the staff. the Community service policy (provides one day paid leave in a persons home area) and Building Bridges policy ( allows bucknell sponsers to do work with building bridges). Bucknell University encourages staff members to partner with communities, both nearby and around the world, as part of the 4th pillar in The Plan for Bucknell, Build Bridges. As part of this commitment, and to foster a more active and intentional staff role in contributing to a campus community that is student-centered and service-oriented, eligible staff members can request paid Building Bridges leaves to participate in University- sponsored student excursions, projects or trips. Furthermore, The community service leave is intended to promote staff member involvement in the community, consistent with the University’s commitment to partnering with communities, both nearby and around the world, as part of the 4th pillar in the Plan for Bucknell, Build Bridges. With supervisory approval, benefits-eligible members of the exempt and non-exempt staff can designate one work day per calendar year as community service leave in order to volunteer during normal working hours. This benefit is available for regular benefits-eligible full-time and part-time staff members on the hourly and salaried staff. It does not apply to weekend or evening activities unless those hours are part of the staff member’s normal working hours. (pp. 49, 50, 52)

The faculty of the University participates in University Governance by formulating and recommending policies and procedures through faculty meetings, standing committees, the University Council and the Faculty Council.

The Bucknell University Board of Trustees, a self-perpetuating body elected to represent the University as a whole, has full authority and responsibility for the conduct of the University. The current Trustee bylaws call for seven standing committees of the Board of Trustees: Executive Committee; Academic Affairs and Campus Life Committee; Audit, Compliance and Risk Management Committee; Development and External Relations Committee; Finance Committee; Investments Committee; Trusteeship Committee. Faculty may serve as representatives to the following committees of the Board of Trustees (Academic Affairs and Campus Life Committee; Development and External Relations Committee; Finance Committee.) These representatives, as well as the Chair of the Faculty and the Secretary of the Faculty, are invited to attend the fall, winter, and spring meetings of the Board of Trustees. Faculty representatives to Trustee committees will be determined in the following way: To the Committee on Academic Affairs and Student Life: The chairs of Committee on Instruction, Committee on Campus and Student Life, and Committee on Athletics. If the chair of any of these designated committees is not a non-administrator faculty member, the faculty members of that committee will elect a faculty member of the committee as the representative. To the Committee on Finance: The chairs of Committee on Planning and Budget and Committee on Faculty and Academic Personnel. If the chair of either of these committees is not a non-administrator faculty member, the faculty members of that committee will elect a faculty member of the committee as the representative. To the Committee on Development and External Relations: Two members selected by and from the Faculty Council. If any of the designated trustee committees work through subcommittees, the chairs may invite the faculty representatives from their committees to participate in the subcommittees. No faculty members are voting members of any trustee committees.

The Faculty Council is charged with the operation of a responsive and inclusive faculty governance system. In addition, Faculty Council helps to set the long-term agenda of the faculty and facilitates communication between the faculty and the administration. The Faculty Council consists of the Faculty Chair, the Faculty Secretary, one elected faculty representative from each of the academic divisions (engineering, humanities, natural sciences and mathematics, and social sciences), and one elected, at-large untenured faculty member. The Faculty Council meets on a monthly basis with members of the senior administration (Operations & Management Group).

No single responsible party could be identified for this survey. Answers were collected by a student intern from various contributors as follows: Student governance information was provided by Kari Conrad, Associate Dean of Students and BSG Advisor. Staff governance information was provided by Marcia Hoffman, Executive Director, Human Resources. Faculty governance information was provided by Kim Daubman, Chair of the Faculty Council.