| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.85 |
| Liaison | Jennifer Goree |
| Submission Date | Nov. 26, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Clemson University
PA-3: Participatory Governance
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.50 / 3.00 |
Vic
Shelburne Fellow, Clemson University Commission on Sustainbility Forestry and Environmental Conservation |
Do the institution’s students have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a student council)? :
Do the institution’s students have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which students are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
The Academic Advisory Committee shall be comprised of senators who serve on, or as a liaison to, the existing college advisory boards and facilitate collaboration with and awareness of those bodies’ initiatives. Should a college not have a college advisory board, the members of the committee shall meet regularly with the Dean, Associate Dean, or other relevant administrators of their respective colleges and shall work to develop a college advisory board. They shall be responsible for submitting three reports to the Chairman of the Academic Advisory Committee each semester, who will communicate that information to the Senate Body. The Committee shall be comprised of those senators serving as representatives on their respective college advisory boards. These senatorial appointments shall be offered to those senators elected to represent their college, with preference going to those who received the largest number of votes in the relevant election cycles and who are not standing committee chairmen, if at all practicable. These appointments shall be offered and confirmed by the Steering Committee. The President Pro Tempore shall act as the Chair of the Academic Advisory Board Committee and the Secretary shall act as the Vice-Chair.
Below are election rules:
IV. Presidential and Vice-Presidental Elections
Qualifications
Candidates for office must currently be enrolled as Clemson University undergraduate students and have a minimum GPR of 2.3.
Candidates for the office of President must have completed a minimum of 60 semester hours prior to petitioning. Candidates for Vice President must have completed a minimum of 45 Semester hours prior to petitioning. If the President is removed or has resigned, the Vice President does not have to have the required number of semester hours to assume the office of President.
Candidates for all offices must be enrolled as Clemson University undergraduate students during their entire term. All candidates must agree to serve the entire term.
No President or Vice President may hold an additional executive office, court position, or Student Senate position.
Nominations
Nominations for office will be made by petition of seventy-five students, filed with the Elections Department, no later than 5:00 PM on the last Friday of January.
Election Procedures
Candidates for the offices of President and Vice President shall campaign on a joint ticket and shall be elected upon their ticket receiving a majority of ballots cast.
Online elections shall be held the fourth Thursday and Friday of February. Runoff elections, if required, shall be held the following Monday.
Online polls shall open at 12:01 AM on Thursday and close at 12:01 AM on Saturday. Online polls for runoff elections, if required, shall open at 12:01 AM on Monday and close at 12:01 AM on Tuesday. All Undergraduate Clemson University students, regardless of credit hours currently in progress, may vote at any poll in campus-wide elections.
Write-ins and Abstaining
The Elections Department shall allow for write-in candidates by way of online ballots, provided that the candidate receives fifty write-in votes and is eligible to serve. The Elections Department shall allow for a no vote (abstention) in both manual and online ballots.
In the case of a runoff election, the number of candidates included shall be twice the number of positions in dispute.
https://www.clemson.edu/studentaffairs/student-handbook/student-governments/cusg/elections.html
Do the institution’s staff members have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a staff council)?:
Do the institution’s non-supervisory staff members have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which staff are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
Staff Senate was formed in 1984 based on the need for establishing a two-way forum between the University community and classified staff at Clemson University. Operating much like the Faculty Senate, the Senate was the recognized voice for all classified University employees. In 2007, the name changed to Staff Senate, incorporating all permanent unclassified staff into the organization. Now, the Senate represents full-time permanent, Time-Limited, and Temporary Grant employees.
Purpose
The Senate is charged with communicating ideas and concerns which specifically relate to or affect staff employees and the University mission.
The Senate is composed of elected representatives and ex-officio members representing 3100 staff employees of Clemson University. The Senate membership represents a 1:75 ratio among Budget Centers.
Communication
Senators are elected to represent staff. The goal is to be the link between staff and decision-making University administrators. Senate meeting summaries are the primary means of communicating Senate issues and actions to the staff.
In addition, the Senate conducts surveys, distributes information, such as how to obtain a Staff Senate Scholarship, provides tips on communicating with elected officials and participates in the annual University Benefits Fair sponsored by the Office of Human Resources. President - shall be responsible for scheduling and conducting all Senate meetings and shall serve as a member of other University wide committees as directed by the President of the University or until the committee is terminated, as well as serve as liaison to the Board of Trustees for the one (1) year term of their presidency. The President has the right to appoint current members as her/his representative to sit on any committee as approved by the Executive Committee. The President will select a current Senator to chair the Scholarship Committee, Membership Committee, Communications Committee, Policy and Welfare Committee, Activities Committee, and any ad hoc committees. The President’s selections shall be presented to the elected officers for confirmation. If the committee chair is unable to fulfill his/her responsibilities, the President may select a replacement.
Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a faculty senate)?:
Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body? :
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 Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees, a position established in 1998 with a three-year term, is celebrated because of the opportunity it provides to heighten and strengthen communications between the Clemson faculty and the Board. All tenured regular Clemson University faculty are eligible for this position.
The Faculty Representative to the Board is recognized as the official representative of the faculty and is granted privileges beyond those accorded to visitors to the Board’s meetings including receipt of minutes, agendas, and attachments of all Board and committee meetings and an opportunity to be included on the agenda upon approval. As the primary conduit between the Board and faculty, this representative will communicate with and gather information from faculty, and consult with the Faculty Senate on Board-related matters.
The Board meets quarterly, in October, February, April and July of each year. The Faculty Representative provides a written report to the Board's Educational Policy Committee and an oral report at the public meeting of the Board. Additionally, this representative is an ex-officio member of the Faculty Senate’s Advisory Committee. The representative also provides reports at several of the General Faculty Meetings, which are held in December, May, and in conjunction with the August Convocation.
A call for nominations (self-nominations are welcome) is sent July 1st every third year or upon the resignation of a representative, via the Faculty Senate Office on behalf of the selection committee chair. The selection committee of two previous Board Representatives, two Distinguished Alumni Professors, the Faculty Senate President and VP/President-Elect, and the lead Faculty Senators from all Colleges not otherwise represented make their final decision based on the application materials. These materials include a complete curriculum vitae, a statement of interest from the nominee, and a statement from the nominee detailing experience in faculty governance.
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?:
A copy of the written policies and procedures:
The policies and procedures:
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 | No |
| Civil society (e.g. NGOs, NPOs) | No |
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):
The JCUAB was successfully created in 1985 for the purpose of improving the quality of life in the Clemson community. It is the expressed desire of both Clemson University and the City of Clemson to build on the positive relationship historically present between the parties.
The JCUAB shall be the official body of representatives responsible for:
· strengthening the relationship between the City of Clemson and Clemson University
· strengthening relationships for the Clemson area and University communities
· initiating solutions in implementing partnership initiatives
· preparing an annual budget with expenses shared equally between the City of Clemson and Clemson University
The JCUAB is an advisory board. Its mission shall be to identify issues of mutual concern while maintaining open and transparent communications with all relevant parties and departments within both the City and the University. The issues will typically involve but are not limited to:
Planning and land use
Student housing
Growth in enrollment and its impact on the community at large
Area transportation and parking
Security and public safety
Public works and utilities
Fiscal responsibility and impact
Once identified and agreed upon by the JCUAB, in consultation with the Mayor and President of the University, the issues shall be researched jointly with any proposed solutions presented to the respective governing or administrative officials. The consideration of any proposed solution will always be in the context of mutual benefit. Proposed solutions are not binding on either party but must be approved separately as appropriate.
The JCUAB exists to create the highest degree of collaboration between the City of Clemson and Clemson University. This will always involve open, honest and cooperative communications between all parties, The JCUAB shall always be an organization striving to support each other in our individual and mutual goals and objectives.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.