Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 46.71
Liaison Matthew Harmin
Submission Date May 14, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Goucher College
PA-3: Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 William Lederer
Special Assistant to the President; Chair of Goucher Environmental Sustainability Advisory Council
President's Office
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Do all enrolled students, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
Yes

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A brief description of the mechanisms through which students have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:
Goucher students are able to participate in governing bodies in a variety of way. Perhaps the most obvious is student government, a body that recently underwent an overhaul, with a new constitution being written that allows more inclusive governance. Students can also serve on subcommittees of Goucher's Board of Trustees, as well as within judiciary boards,and Goucher's College Council, which is made up of leaders from the student body and administration.

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Is there at least one student representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative student body or organization?:
Yes

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A brief description of student representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:
The College Council is the best example of such representation. College Council, made up of the Senior Staff and student members, serves as an advisory council to the president. http://www.goucher.edu/about/office-of-the-president/college-council

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Do students have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following?:
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals Yes
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning Yes
Existing or prospective physical resources Yes
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning Yes
Communications processes and transparency practices Yes
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

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A brief description of the formal student role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:
All of the above examples are areas in which students can play a role in governance, largely through subcommittees of the Board of Trustees. For example, this year, a student played a major role as a member of the Search Committee for Goucher's next president. Student members of the Student Life Committee (another subcommittee of the Board) are able to weigh in and give the students' perspective on a variety of issues concerning living and learning at Goucher.

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Do all staff, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
Yes

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A brief description of the mechanisms through which all staff have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:
Similarly to students, all staff members may be elected as members of Board of Trustees subcommittees.

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Is there at least one non-supervisory staff representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative staff body or organization?:
No

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A brief description of non-supervisory staff representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:
Representatives may apply to the Board of Trustees subcommittees and will then be elected by the respective chairs of those committees. They may also serve on College Council.

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Do non-supervisory staff have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following? :
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals Yes
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning Yes
Existing or prospective physical resources Yes
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning Yes
Communications processes and transparency practices Yes
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

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A brief description of the formal staff role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:
Again, by serving on any of the possible governing bodies, staff members may quite easily find opportunities to play roles in all of these areas.

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Do all faculty, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
Yes

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A brief description of the mechanisms through which all faculty (including adjunct faculty) have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:
See above. Faculty members may also serve on internal faculty governance bodies, as well as Board of Trustees subcommittees and College Council.

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Is there at least one teaching or research faculty representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative faculty body or organization?:
Yes

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A brief description of faculty representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:
Representatives may apply to the Board of Trustees subcommittees and will then be elected by the respective chairs of those committees. They may also serve on College Council.

None
Do faculty have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following?:
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals Yes
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning Yes
Existing or prospective physical resources Yes
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning Yes
Communications processes and transparency practices Yes
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

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A brief description of the formal faculty role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:
Please see above. Faculty members are significantly involved in most major decisions made by the college, even if not directly, then by communication through the provost.

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The website URL where information about the institution’s governance structure is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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