Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 79.37
Liaison Jillian Leach
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

California State University, Chico
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.75 / 3.00 Jennifer Rotnem
Director of Energy and Sustainability
FMS
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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 Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal participatory or shared governance bodies:

Chico State shared governance bodies are the Student Academic Senate, Academic Senate, and Staff Council.

The Academic Senate is a deliberative body comprised of faculty, staff, administrators, and students that is guided by the principles of shared governance. Originally known as the Faculty Senate, the Academic Senate has existed on the CSU, Chico campus since 1955. Shared decision-making combined with collegiality among various university constituencies are essential for the success of the institution. (https://www.csuchico.edu/sen/)

Staff Council at California State University, Chico, champions for staff and serves the local community through service projects. We plan events to create a positive impact on staff culture and morale, seek out and respond to ideas and suggestions, and help the University administration recognize staff. We work to promote open communication and create a cohesive campus community, ensuring that staff members' voices are heard. (https://www.csuchico.edu/stac/)

The Student Academic Senate (SAS) represents the voice of the student body on academic affairs. SAS is chaired by the AS Director of University Affairs and is comprised of seven elected student senators representing each of the seven colleges within the University. Additionally, several students at large as well as faculty and staff advisors are invited to serve as voting or non-voting members. The Senate is responsible for representing the student voice on issues related to the curricular experience and creates a true link between the Associated Students and the seven University Colleges. Senators also serve on campus-wide committees and act as a liaison between students and college administrators to increase communication, interaction, and cooperation between administration, faculty, and the Associated Students.

There are several other options for students to participate in shared governance of the Associated Students. The councils and committees are listed on the AS website (https://as.csuchico.edu/government-affairs/councils-committees)

The CSU system has the CSU Board of Trustees: The CSU Board of Trustees is a 23-member governance board that adopts regulations and policies governing the entire CSU system. This group governs the CSU system as a whole and is the highest governing board for the system, but may not routinely have representative members from California State University, Chico specifically. Board committees have authority over educational policy, finance, campus planning, and facilities, among other areas.

Membership of the board of trustees is composed of four (4) ex-officio Trustees (including the governor of CA, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the assembly, the state superintendent of public instruction), and nineteen (19) trustees who are generally appointed by the Governor.
Of the nineteen (19) governor-appointed trustees, two (2) are students, one (1) is an alumni from the CSU Statewide Alumni Council, one (1) is faculty from the Statewide Academic Senate, and the others represent diverse stakeholder groups from across the state.
(For more information on the CSU Board of Trustees, please visit: https://www2.calstate.edu/csu-system/board-of-trustees/Pages/default.aspx )

The CA Faculty Association is the exclusive collective bargaining representative for the CA State University faculty, including tenure-track faculty, lecturers, librarians, counselors, and coaches. According to CFA Bylaws, the CFA is established to strengthen the cause of higher education for the public good; to promote and maintain the standards and ideals of the profession; to provide a democratic voice for employees in higher education; to provide legislative advocacy; and to maintain collective bargaining agreements covering salaries, working conditions, and other items and conditions of employment. (https://www.calfac.org/item/cfa-mission-statement)

Collective Bargaining Units represent CSU employees in labor relations and negotiate with the employer regarding the scope of the employment relationship which sometimes relates to governance matters. Current bargaining agreements for the CSU are organized as follows: Unit 1 Union of American Physicians and Dentists; Units 2, 5, 7, and 9 CSU Employees Union; Unit 3, CA Faculty Association, Unit 4 Academic Professionals of CA, Unit 6 Teamsters Local 2010, Unit 8 Statewide University Police Association, Unit 10 International Union of Operating Engineers, Unit 11 Academic Student Employees, Unit 13 CSUEU English Language Program Instructors Cal State LA, and Unit 14 CSUEU English Language Program Instructors, CSU Monterey Bay. Employees are elected to leadership positions within each bargaining unit. (https://www2.calstate.edu/csu-system/faculty-staff/labor-and-employee-relations)


Total number of individuals on the institution’s highest governing body:
25

Number of students representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
2

Number of academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
1

Number of non-academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
0

Number of women serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
10

Percentage of official members of the highest governing body that are women:
40

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the campus-community council or equivalent body that gives external stakeholders a regular voice in institutional decisions that affect them:

CSU, Chico participates in programs that give community members a voice in institutional decisions that affect them. The City of Chico hosts a “town and gown” that includes members from the City of Chico, CSU, Chico, and the local community. (Here’s a link to a May 29, 2020 meeting video and transcript: https://www.csuchico.edu/pres/announcements/town-and-gown.shtml) The committee typically meets once a year and is open to any community member to provide feedback. CSU, Chico also hosted forums for campus and community input on the University Police Department Task Force. (https://www.csuchico.edu/pres/upd-task-force.shtml).

CSU Chico has an office and Director of Off-Campus Student Services. Part of their role is to build lasting relationships with key community stakeholders and maintain an effective “town and gown” environment. Critical to this mission is fostering strong and healthy community relationships with city officials, law enforcement, civic leaders, property owners, and employers. (Off Campus Student Services: https://www.csuchico.edu/offcampus/index.shtml)


Number of people from underrepresented groups serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body.:
12

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:

Chico State shared governance bodies are the Student Council, Academic Senate, and Staff Council.
-https://as.csuchico.edu/government-affairs/councils-committees
-https://www.csuchico.edu/sen/
-https://www.csuchico.edu/stac/

Other sources of data:
https://www.csuchico.edu/pres/em/2003/03-001.shtml
https://www.csuchico.edu/foundation/board.shtml
https://www.csuchico.edu/cse/bod/index.shtml
https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/board-of-trustees
https://www.csuchico.edu/offcampus/index.shtml


Chico State shared governance bodies are the Student Council, Academic Senate, and Staff Council.
-https://as.csuchico.edu/government-affairs/councils-committees
-https://www.csuchico.edu/sen/
-https://www.csuchico.edu/stac/

Other sources of data:
https://www.csuchico.edu/pres/em/2003/03-001.shtml
https://www.csuchico.edu/foundation/board.shtml
https://www.csuchico.edu/cse/bod/index.shtml
https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/board-of-trustees
https://www.csuchico.edu/offcampus/index.shtml

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.