Georgia Institute of Technology
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

Students: Student Government Association Faculty: Faculty Senate Staff: Staff Council Student Government Association The Student Government Association (SGA) is the main governing body for students at Georgia Tech comprised of an Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branch for both undergraduate and graduate student representatives. All students at Tech may participate by voting in the election of representatives and the SGA President and Vice President. If they wish to become further involved, the Legislative branch holds open meetings that all students can attend. A student cannot directly author a bill to be presented to the Legislature, but they can easily collaborate with a formal student representative to accomplish this goal. Also, students can run for and hold office in SGA. The numerous committees are also available through an application process. SGA’s executive governance structure mimics Georgia Tech’s executive leadership structure. Corresponding student executives have regular meetings with their peer executive at the institution. For example, the student body president meets with the president, the student VP of Campus Services meets with the VP of Campus Services, etc. The Undergraduate House of Representatives and Graduate Student Senate make up SGA’s Legislative Branch. These bodies work together to pass legislation, approve resolutions, and complete budget items. The Graduate Judiciary Cabinet (GJC) and Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet (UJC) is the Judicial Branch of Georgia Tech’s Graduate and Undergraduate Student Government Association (SGA), respectively. The primary purpose of the judiciary cabinets is to hear cases of non-academic misconduct that involve Institute students. https://sga.gatech.edu/ Staff Council There is an elected Georgia Tech Staff Council that consists of 24 members who proportionally represent the five job classifications as defined by Georgia Tech’s Job Classification and Compensation System. All staff members may participate in elections and all can be nominated to run as well. There are also five committees for the Council, including the Campus Physical Environment Commitment that has a focus on sustainability. https://staffcouncil.gatech.edu/ Faculty Governance The Institute is governed by the Faculty Executive Board, the Academic Faculty Senate, and the Research Faculty Senate. The Academic Faculty and Research Faculty as a whole also meet. All faculty have the opportunity to participate in both of the larger meetings and can be nominated to be elected to the Senate. The Faculty Executive Board is nominated and elected by both Senate bodies. Per the Georgia Board of Regents policy manual, “Persons holding adjunct appointments or other honorary titles shall not be considered to be members of the faculty.” Per the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook, “The Faculty of the Institute comprises the Academic Faculty, the Research Faculty, and designated Administrative Officers as defined below. The Faculty is granted the right and responsibility of its own governance; the governance of Students; the creation of such committees as may be required; the prescribing of regulations regarding admission, suspension, expulsion, discipline, scholarship, classes, courses of study, and requirements for graduation; and the creation of such other regulations as may be necessary or proper for the maintenance of high educational standards.” “To fulfill these responsibilities, the Faculty establishes the following bodies: the Faculty Executive Board, the Academic Faculty, the Research Faculty, the Academic Faculty Senate, and the Research Faculty Senate. Some matters will require the Academic Faculty Senate and Research Faculty Senate to meet in joint session which will be termed a meeting of the Faculty Senate. Some matters will require a meeting of the whole Faculty comprising the Academic Faculty, Research Faculty, and designated Administrative Officers.” The Academic Faculty Senate may act for the Academic Faculty in all matters and the Research Faculty Senate may act for all the Research Faculty in all matters except where the President has expressed a veto. The distribution of the Research Faculty Senate and Academic Faculty Senate are representative of each college and school: There shall be one (1) elected representative for each twenty (20) members (rounded) of the Academic Faculty for each School, the Colleges without Schools, and components of Services and Central Administration (which includes the Libraries and other components). Aggregates of units with fewer than ten (10) members of the Academic Faculty shall be formed as required by the Faculty Executive Board. Unit representation for terms beginning in the Fall semester shall be based on data compiled from the preceding Spring semester. There shall be one (1) elected representative for each twenty (20) members (rounded) of the Research Faculty for each School, the Colleges without Schools, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), and components of Services and Central Administration (which includes the Enterprise Innovation Institute, Libraries, and other components). Aggregates of units with fewer than ten (10) members of the Research Faculty shall be formed as required by the Faculty Executive Board. Unit representation for terms beginning in the Fall semester shall be based on data compiled from the preceding Spring semester. Two non-voting student delegates are also on both the Academic Faculty Senate and Research Faculty Senate. USG Board of Regents Policy Manual: http://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section3/policy/C337/#p3.2.1.1_corps_of_instruction Georgia Tech Faculty Governance Policy Manual: http://policylibrary.gatech.edu/faculty-handbook/2.-faculty-governance http://www.policylibrary.gatech.edu/faculty_handbook http://facultygovernance.gatech.edu/ http://policylibrary.gatech.edu/faculty-handbook/2.2.3-academic-faculty-senate

As Georgia Tech is a massive institution, we offer multiple avenues for community members, organizations, and individuals to join in the efforts. The President of Georgia Tech has an advisory board called the Georgia Tech Advisory Board (GTAB). It is composed of approximately sixty regional, national, and international members with diverse leadership roles in business, government, and academia. They meet twice per year in Atlanta to discuss institutional decisions, strategies, and programs and provide input to the president. They do not have a formal governing role, but instead provide advice and direction to the president and his/her leadership team on a variety of issues. https://president.gatech.edu/about/advisory-board There are a number of departments within the Anchor Institution Coordinating Council that operate or participate community- university councils. One example is the Greater Atlanta Community Science Collaboratory, and it's typically hosted at West Atlanta Watershed Alliance's Outdoor Activity Center. It brings universities, CBOs, and learners to discussion community based research implications. https://atlsciencecollaboratory.org/ Out of our Commercialization ISP A new task force of local universities, called Atlanta Collegiate Entrepreneurship Syndicate (ACES), which will help the city define the metrics that are most important to indicate a healthy entrepreneurial (technology and innovation) ecosystem. The task force will include Georgia Tech, Clark Atlanta University, Emory University, Georgia State University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College. The group serves as a central hub in the greater Atlanta entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem, with a student-focused approach. It supports tech entrepreneurship while ensuring inclusion across all industries relevant to Atlanta students. Its initiatives aim to address student needs, elevate member institution profiles, and enhance the overall entrepreneurial ecosystem in Atlanta. The group is actively cataloging ecosystem resources from member institutions, creating a toolkit for effective collaboration among institutions and students. Additionally, it conducts crucial student-focused ecosystem research, producing an annual report that identifies vital metrics and data beneficial for higher education institutions and the City of Atlanta.