Coastal Carolina University
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

Student
Student Governance Association (SGA) provides Coastal Carolina University students with representation, services and advocacy within the CCU community. It serves as a voice of the students and acts as a conduit between students, administration, faculty, staff and the alumni.

As of Summer 2021, they have 38 members and have passed several motions such as the Library Hours Extensions Bill, Sexual Awareness Day Resolution, Safety Bill, and Minority Mental Health Day. They are currently in the process of approving the Zero Waste Bill for Fall 2021. They have meetings every Monday at 6 pm.
https://www.coastal.edu/osl/studentgovernmentassociation/

Faculty
The Faculty Senate is a representative body of the University faculty with legislative authority all matters pertaining to the educational interests and matters concerning the faculty, including standards of admission, orientation policy, requirements for academic degrees and graduation, curriculum and instruction, student discipline, educational policies and standards, research, promotion and tenure, faculty recruitment, and academic calendars. Proposals resulting from the exercise of the authority are subject to the review and approval of the University President and Board of Trustees. They have had multiple successful proposals such as modifying 2021-2022 Code of Student Conduct, changes to Undergraduate Programs like History B.A. and Public Health B.S. They have also added courses such as: Environmental Ethics PHIL 319, Women of Color WGST 301, Feminist Theory WGST 401, and International Human Rights POLI 438. There are currently 18 Standing Committees within Faculty Senate such as Calendar chaired by Wanda Dooley, Core Curriculum chaired by Emma Savage- Davis, Global Engagement chaired by Tripth Pallai, Student Life chaired by Tiffany Hollis and Distance Learning chaired by Sarah Lozier-Laiola.
https://www.coastal.edu/academics/facultysenate/

Staff
The Staff Senate serves to facilitate an active and participatory line of communication and engagement among university staff and to provide a forum through which Staff can raise, discuss and make direct recommendations to the University president and the administration in support of the University’s mission. Their role is to study staff concerns and create a forum for the two-way communication of ideas/concerns, which specifically relate to staff members and university mission. Staff Senate members are elected by the University Staff. There are currently 28 members within Staff Senate. Some motions that have been successful were Employee Tuition Waver, Staff Ombuds, Faculty/Staff Wellness and Mental Health Program. Their responsibilities include considering specifically the development of job and supervisory skills, compensation, benefits and welfare of staff members, not to exclude other areas of concern which are brought to the Senate’s Attention. Another responsibility is to formulate and recommend to the President’s Executive Council university-wide policies and procedures related to staff members. The last responsibility is to develop a systematics means for communicating to all staff members existing university policies, specific actions and feedback concerning all matters considered by the state. There are four committees withing the Staff Senate. The first being Executive. This consists of the Senate President, Senate Vice president, Secretary and the Parliamentarian of the Senate and chairpersons of the standing committees. The next committee is the Membership Committee. Their purpose is to conduct all Senate representative elections, officer elections, evaluate representation and make recommendations to modify the representational area groups as necessary to ensure fairness and implement new member orientation. The Communications Committee was made to develop a systematic means for communicating to all staff members. And lastly the Policy and Welfare Committee’s’ purpose is to consider the development of job and supervisory skill, compensation, benefits and the welfare of staff members.
https://www.coastal.edu/staffsenate/

Other
The Board of Trustees are responsible for overseeing the effective governance of the University. They define the mission, role and scope of the university, establishes the general policies of the university, approves the budget, and provides accountability to the public and the General Assembly. The University’s 17 members are comprised of the SC Governor or their designee, one gubernational appointee from the state at-large, and 15 members elected by the South Carolina General Assembly to represent each of the state’s Congressional Districts and the State at-large. The Board of trustees holds regular meetings four times a year. Some motions that have been passed were faculty to be awarded upon retirement, to conduct external assessment of University Advancement, approval of leases for parking lots, greenspace, Horry County Higher Education Commission, Chapin Center for Marine and Wetland Studies and the approval of budgets. The first Board of Trustees met on July 1, 1993.
https://www.coastal.edu/trustees/
https://www.coastal.edu/aboutccu/leadership/

Community Alliance is made up of University employees and external constituents to help ensure a strong connection is maintained between CCU and the community. It aids in keeping CCU well connected to what is going on in the community and involved as much as possible, as well as to ensure that the community is aware of everything going on at Coastal. It also keeps the University aware of how we may be able to best serve or provide helpful information to entities regularly serving our students in the community.

Individuals on Community Alliance has included one or more representative from the following in the past (please note this list is ever-evolving):

External:
Off-Campus Student Living Communities (Examples: Aspen Heights, The Cove, The Pier, University Suites, Walk2Campus, etc.)
City of Conway (Planning, Police Department, Conway Downtown Alive)
City of Myrtle Beach – Planning Department
Horry County (Administrator, Planning & Zoning, Police Department)
South Carolina Highway Patrol
HGTC Admissions

Internal:
Auxiliary Enterprises
Student Affairs
Student Life
Dean of Students Office (Student Conduct, Student Advocacy & Intervention
University Housing
LiveWell
Executive Initiatives
Department of Public Safety

Inaugural Town & Gown (Cancelled Event Due to COVID)

CCU had scheduled to launch its inaugural Town & Gown event for March 2020. Cancelled due to COVID-19, the Town & Gown event aimed feature the rich intellectual and creative talents that fuel innovation and excellence at CCU, while also celebrating the deep relationship between the University and its surrounding communities and neighbors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpF56jYGq5A

Board of Trustees: https://www.coastal.edu/trustees/
Student Government Association: https://www.coastal.edu/osl/studentgovernmentassociation/
Staff Senate: https://www.coastal.edu/staffsenate/
Faculty Senate: https://www.coastal.edu/academics/facultysenate/

Board of Visitors: https://www.coastal.edu/scoess/aboutus/boardofvisitors/