Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.96
Liaison Olivia Herron
Submission Date March 1, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Miami University
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 3.00 Susan Meikle
University News writer and editor
University Communications
"---" 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?:
Yes

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

Two undergraduate students are appointed to Miami's board of trustees by the Ohio governor; students are also appointed to other governing bodies at Miami including the University Senate (the primary governance body where students, faculty, staff, and administrators debate university issues), which has about 6 undergraduates in membership.

The University Senate Executive Committee includes a student member, who is the president of the Associated Student Government, elected by peers;

Students are also appointed to advisory committees of Senate, including the Academic Policy Committee; the Athletic Policy Committee (3 students, one who is elected by peers); the Campus Planning Committee (2 undergraduates and 1 graduate student); the Council on Diversity and Inclusion (2 undergraduates, 2 graduate students); the Fiscal Priorities Committee; the Governance Committee; Student Affairs Council and many other committees or councils.

Undergraduate students are appointed to committees through nomination and election by the Associated Student Government. Graduate students are nominated by their academic departments.

The Miami University Senate membership includes a standing member who is the Associated Student Government President and is elected by student peers.
The two student members of the board of trustees are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.


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:

All staff can vote directly or indirectly for members of the University Senate: Senate membership includes 1 member of the Classified Personnel Advisory Committee - whose members are elected by classified staff

Senate includes 1 member of the Unclassified Personnel Advisory Committee - whose members are elected by unclassified staff; Faculty members of Senate include those whose departments vote for them and others appointed at large by the President.


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? :
No

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:

Members of Faculty Assembly are elected by majority vote of their representational units. 34 seats on University Senate are for members of Faculty Assembly.

Other faculty seats on University Senate are appointed by the president.
Membership on Faculty Assembly is for those who hold tenured, tenure-track, lecturer or clinical faculty positions.
Faculty are elected or appointed to numerous other governance bodies, but the Senate and Faculty Assembly are the highest level.

Faculty are elected or appointed to numerous other governance bodies, but Senate and Faculty Assembly are the highest level.


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:

The City of Oxford and Miami University have a Student/Community Relations Commission. The Student/Community Relations Commission (SCRC) identifies and explores all matters that the Commission determines are related to student/community relations and serve in an advisory capacity to the City Council. The Commission shall report and recommend to the City Council as the Commission or City Council deems necessary. The Commission is expressly authorized and directed to make such recommendations to Council relative to legislation or policy matters as the Commission determines to be in the interest of student/community relations.

Composition and appointment
Voting members
Six residents of the City of Oxford, at least one of whom shall reside in the Mile Square to be appointed by the Oxford City Council. Appointments shall initially be staggered as to the length of the term with two members for one year, two members for two years, and two members for three years. Commission members shall thereafter serve for a term of three years without compensation.

Five Miami University students, appointed by the Associated Student Government, one of whom shall be the Secretary for Off-Campus Affairs and two of whom shall serve a two-year term.
Ex-officio members
The Commission shall also have 12 ex-officio members as follows:

The City Manager or the City Manager’s design
The Miami University Dean of Students or the Dean’s designee
The Miami University Coordinator of Off-Campus Affairs
One representative of the Oxford Chamber of Commerce
One member of the Oxford Police Department
One member of the Miami University Police Department
One representative of the Talawanda School District
One member of the Oxford City Council
One representative from each of the following Miami University recognized organizations:
Interfraternity Council
Panhellenic Association
Graduate Student Association
International Student Association
Each of the above ex-officio members shall be appointed to serve a one (1) year term.


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 No
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):
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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.