Elon University
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

The purpose of the Student Government Association, authorized by the Elon University Administration, shall be to represent the rights and opinions of the student body in a manner consistent with the mission and honor code of Elon University, to provide for appropriate student activities, and to join with the faculty and administrators of the university in building a stronger, more effective living and learning community. Members of SGA are elected by the undergraduate student body.

The Academic Council is the coordinating committee of the faculty and deliberates on any matter within the province of the faculty for the purpose of formulating general policy for approval or disapproval of the faculty. Those matters which are the responsibility of standing committees are referred to the appropriate committee.
The Academic Council consists of 19 elected members, the chair of the University Curriculum Committee (without vote), the President (without vote) and/or the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (without vote).
Eligibility to Serve. To serve as a voting member of Academic Council, a faculty member must be a voting member under the terms of the faculty bylaws and must have 2 years of service on the faculty. Divisional and school representatives must hold the rank of senior lecturer, associate professor, or above; at-large members must hold the rank of lecturer, assistant professor, assistant librarian, or above. No more than two members of the faculty whose principal duties are administrative may serve on Academic Council at any one time.
Eligibility to Vote for Members. All faculty members who have voting privileges under the terms of the faculty bylaws are eligible to vote for members of Academic Council. The only exception to this is for the part-time representative who is elected by part-time faculty.

The mission of the Staff Advisory Council (SAC) is to facilitate active and direct communication between staff employees and the President and to provide a forum for input and discussion of issues important to the staff and the university. To achieve this mission, the Staff Advisory Council will:
-Contribute to the university’s culture of community and recognition
-Participate in the shared governance of the university
-Review and make recommendations on appropriate issues, policies and procedures
-Promote a positive and collaborative campus environment by strengthening communication between staff, faculty, students and administration
-Serve as an advocate for staff and provide input in university initiatives and decisions
The SAC represents all non-faculty employees of Elon University. Collectively, the university describes this group as staff. The SAC consists of elected representatives from three staff classifications:
-Administrative Staff (those without faculty rank): Any staff member who receives compensation through an annual letter of agreement or “contract.”
-Office/Support Personnel: Any staff member who receives compensation through an hourly “time sheet” and reports to an area other than Facilities Management (previously Physical Plant).
-Facilities Management (previously Physical Plant): Any staff member who receives compensation through an hourly “time sheet” and reports to Facilities Management.
In addition, the President annually appoints two non-voting members from the Senior Staff to serve on the Council. The Chair of the Staff Advisory Council attends Board of Trustees meetings.

Elon University hosts the President’s Community Updates, which are an opportunity for local community members to hear about institutional initiatives and provide feedback. In these forums, President Book and other senior administrators at the university share updates on the university’s campus master plan, the Boldly Elon strategic plan and related initiatives; and they field questions about all of them or anything participants choose to bring forward. In this way, local community members are able to share their perspective with the top decision-maker at the university about all elements of these plans, including those institutional decisions that may affect them directly. Digital invitations for the Updates are sent to leaders and owners of local businesses and non-profits, churches, schools, etc., and attendance is not restricted. These are typically held twice a year, though have occurred less frequently recently due to the pandemic. There was one in 2020 and another in 2021.
In addition, President Book maintains an online and physical Suggestion Box available to the public for submission at any time. The Chief of Staff reviews and responds to the suggestions received and shares them with the appropriate on-campus faculty and/or staff.