Carleton University
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

The Carleton University Academic Staff Association is the certified trade union and collective bargaining unit that represents over 900 faculty, professional librarians and Instructor employees at Carleton University. The primary purposes of the Association are to promote the well-being of the academic community, to defend academic freedom and to promote the individual interests of its members, as well as to maintain the quality and integrity of the University as an academic institution. The affairs of CUASA are managed by the President (elected by the membership) and a Steering Committee, whose members are appointed for two year terms by the Council of Representatives. Council members are elected for three-year terms from academic sub-units defined in the CUASA Constitution.

Carleton also has a number of additional collective bargaining units that addresses the needs of staff at all levels (including Clerical, Technical and Administrative Staff; Central Heating Plant Staff; Operational and Maintenance Staff: and Safety Staff). The units have regular staff participation which helps to inform the governance of the university through agreed collective bargaining agreements.

The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) is an incorporated, not-for-profit, student-run organization that exists to enhance the student experience at Carleton University. All undergraduate students are members of CUSA and are encouraged to take advantage of the services, events, and programming that we offer. We act as the student voice on campus and advocate for the issues that matter to you. We are your undergraduate student government, your service centres, your clubs and societies, your events & programming, your community campaigns, your students’ association.

Carleton University provides external stakeholders and community members at large, a number of opportunities to participate in council, groups or meetings.

Carleton hosts an annual Community Engagement Even, which looks to expand community-campus partnerships and aims to connect members of the community with Carleton. By making connections, community-based organizations and Carleton are able to collaborate, providing meaningful outcomes that are tangible, relevant, and contribute to the community’s well-being. (https://carleton.ca/communityengagement/event/) The event is open to all community-based organizations, community members, independent scholars, public servants, as well as Carleton Staff, Faculty and Students.

Carleton also allows external stakeholders the opportunity to engage in specific advisory committees that allows feedback about the universities decision making. A key example is the Equity and Inclusive Communities Advisory Group, which is a body of students, staff, faculty and external community members dedicated to the strategic integration of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) planning into the work of the university.

An additional example is specific to the Carleton Dominion Chalmers Centre (CDCC) and their Community Advisory Board. CDCC's dynamic community advisory board members include 12 community members who advice and provide input towards the evolving Arts, Performance and Learning Centre.

At a senior level, the President and Vice-Chancellor Advisory Committee has a composition which includes a 13-person advisory committee with members of the Carleton community and at least three community-at-large members.

Finally the Carleton University’s Board of Governors are a diverse group of 32 members, 18 of them being community members, with a unique understanding of higher education and its force for good. As the corporate body of the university, the Board provides oversight of budgetary and infrastructure decisions as well as appoints the school’s president and vice-chancellor and other key senior executives.