Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.65
Liaison Laura Bain
Submission Date Jan. 19, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Furman University
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.25 / 3.00 Laura Bain
Associate Director of Sustainability Assessment
David E. Shi Center for Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Do the institution’s students have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a student council)? :
Yes

Do the institution’s students have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
No

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which students are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:

The mission of the Furman Student Government Association (SGA) is to be a proactive governing body that represents Furman's diverse student population and contributes to the positive development of the university community. All traditional students have the opportunity to run for SGA office and vote in officer elections. SGA class officers are elected by their class and SGA executive officers are elected by the student body in a voting process. SGA meetings are also open to the entire student body if students wish to sit in and observe.


Do the institution’s staff members have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a staff council)?:
Yes

Do the institution’s non-supervisory staff members have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
No

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which staff are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:

The Staff Advisory Council (SAC) is a representative (elected and appointed) group for the Furman University Staff. The SAC can provide suggestions to the administration, and staff members have the opportunity to share opinions, concerns, and ideas through their representatives on the SAC.


Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a faculty senate)?:
Yes

Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body? :
Yes

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:

Furman University has a strong tradition of shared governance, with clearly defined roles for faculty, administration, and trustees. Members of the faculty are expected to serve on committees and to attend and cast votes at faculty meetings, held 6-8 times per academic year. University faculty meetings function as a “committee of the whole,” meaning that there is no faculty senate, and every faculty member may vote. All motions, course proposals, policies, etc., must be approved by individual faculty committees. There are 19 faculty committees specified by the Faculty Constitution such as Curriculum, Faculty Status, Policies and Procedures, Due process, Appeals, May X, etc.

The Faculty Chair is elected by the full faculty at the April faculty meeting. There must be a quorum present. The Nominating Committee (a standing faculty committee) prepares the slate of candidates for Faculty Officers (Chair, Vice Chair, Recorder) and all Faculty Standing Committees and this slate is voted on by the faculty. Nominations for any of the positions can also be made from the floor at the April meeting when the slate of candidates is voted upon. The Chair of Faculty attends Board of Trustee meetings as well as meetings with the Provost's Council, the Department Chairs, the Strategic Vision Advisory Council, etc. Each trustee committee also has an appointed faculty observer who makes a report to trustees about issues related to each committee and writes an explanation for the entire faculty body about what transpired at the trustee meetings. The Chair of Faculty also meets with the Dean of Faculty and Furman's President about mutual matters of concern. Faculty are free to bring either individual issues or those affecting the greater faculty body to the Chair of Faculty.


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?:
No

A copy of the written policies and procedures:
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The policies and procedures:
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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):

Bridges to a Brighter Future has an advisory council which consists of community members, school counselors, and educational leaders.

The College Advising Corps involves high school personnel in the search committee for the CAC advisors.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

We did bring in community leaders for our faculty fellows program to get input on pressing local issues. See the list below. It’s not an official advisory council but acted (somewhat) as one.
Community-Engaged Learning Faculty Fellows

Andrea Tartaro – Computer Science
Cecilia Kang – Music
Meghan Slining – Health Sciences
Amy Jonason – Sociology
Ken Kolb - Sociology
Matt Cohen – Earth and Environmental Sciences
Tom Smythe – Business and Accounting
Casey Hawthorne – Mathematics
Maria Rippon – Modern Languages and Literature
Jeanie Stratton – Business and Accounting
Shaniece Criss – Health Sciences
Melissa Fair – Institute for the Advancement of Community Health
Geoffrey Habron – Earth and Environmental Sciences

Community Panelists

Tuesday Panel

Braxton Ballew, Education Director, Greenville Symphony Orchestra
Ansel Sanders, President and CEO, Public Education Partners
Carrie Silver, Director, Bridges to a Brighter Future
Gage Weekes, Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Hollingsworth Funds, Network for Southern Economic Mobility

Wednesday Panel

Jennifer Harrill, VP of Strategy and Investment, United Way of Greenville County
Tony McDade – Executive Director, United Ministries
Katy Smith - Executive Director, Piedmont Health Foundation, Facilitator, Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy

Thursday Panel

Hank Hyatt, Vice President, Economic Competitiveness, Greenville Chamber of Commerce
Scott Park, Land Conservation Director, Upstate Forever
Dan Weidenbenner, Executive Director, Mill Village Farms
Sally Wills, Executive Director, LiveWell Greenville


We did bring in community leaders for our faculty fellows program to get input on pressing local issues. See the list below. It’s not an official advisory council but acted (somewhat) as one.
Community-Engaged Learning Faculty Fellows

Andrea Tartaro – Computer Science
Cecilia Kang – Music
Meghan Slining – Health Sciences
Amy Jonason – Sociology
Ken Kolb - Sociology
Matt Cohen – Earth and Environmental Sciences
Tom Smythe – Business and Accounting
Casey Hawthorne – Mathematics
Maria Rippon – Modern Languages and Literature
Jeanie Stratton – Business and Accounting
Shaniece Criss – Health Sciences
Melissa Fair – Institute for the Advancement of Community Health
Geoffrey Habron – Earth and Environmental Sciences

Community Panelists

Tuesday Panel

Braxton Ballew, Education Director, Greenville Symphony Orchestra
Ansel Sanders, President and CEO, Public Education Partners
Carrie Silver, Director, Bridges to a Brighter Future
Gage Weekes, Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Hollingsworth Funds, Network for Southern Economic Mobility

Wednesday Panel

Jennifer Harrill, VP of Strategy and Investment, United Way of Greenville County
Tony McDade – Executive Director, United Ministries
Katy Smith - Executive Director, Piedmont Health Foundation, Facilitator, Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy

Thursday Panel

Hank Hyatt, Vice President, Economic Competitiveness, Greenville Chamber of Commerce
Scott Park, Land Conservation Director, Upstate Forever
Dan Weidenbenner, Executive Director, Mill Village Farms
Sally Wills, Executive Director, LiveWell Greenville

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.