Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.23
Liaison Rachael Wein
Submission Date July 11, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Smith College
PA-3: Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Ruth Constantine
Vice President
Finance and Administration
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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:
Student Government Association annual elections

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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:
Immediately following her graduation, the elected president of the Student Government Association serves a two-year term on the college's Board of Trustees. Thus, the Board includes two members who were directly elected by the student body, one serving the first year of her term and the other serving for her second year.

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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 No
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:
Students have a formal role in decision-making in regard to establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals due to two students serving on the college's Committee on Mission and Priorities, which recommends mission, vision and goals to the President (who chairs the committee) and Board. Students have a formal role in decision-making in regard to establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities. Students have a formal role in decision-making in regard to strategic and long-term planning through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities. Students have a formal role in decision-making in regard to existing or prospective physical resources through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities. Students have a formal role in decision-making in regard to budgeting, staffing and financial planning through the elected president of the Student Government Association serves on the college's budget planning committee, the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation. Students have a formal role in decision-making in regard to prioritization of programs and projects through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities.

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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:
Staff may be directly elected to the Staff Council. In turn, the Staff Council recommends staff members to the President for service on major college committees.

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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:
The only college employee who is a member of the Board is the President.

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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 No
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

None
A brief description of the formal staff role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:
Non-supervisory staff have a formal role in decision-making in regard to establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities. Non-supervisory staff have a formal role in decision-making in regard to establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities. Non-supervisory staff have a formal role in decision-making in regard to strategic and long-term planning through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities. Non-supervisory staff have a formal role in decision-making in regard to existing or prospective physical resources through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities. Non-supervisory staff have a formal role in decision-making in regard to budgeting, staffing Non-supervisory staff have a formal role in decision-making in regard to prioritization of programs and projects through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities and the Adivsory Committee on Resource Allocation.

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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:
Faculty may be directly elected to the Faculty Council or to service on all major committees.

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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?:
No

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A brief description of faculty representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:
The Board of Trustees includes two faculty members of other institutions. The only college employee who is a member of the Board is the President.

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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 No
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:
Faculty have a formal role in decision-making in regard to establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities. Faculty have a formal role in decision-making in regard to establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives through service on the above-described Committee on Mission and Priorities. In addition, the faculty is responsible for the curriculum. Faculty have a formal role in decision-making in regard to strategic and long-term planning through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities. Faculty have a formal role in decision-making in regard to existing or prospective physical resources through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities. Faculty have a formal role in decision-making in regard to budgeting, staffing and financial planning through the elected members of Faculty Council serve on the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation. Faculty have a formal role in decision-making in regard to prioritization of programs and projects through service on the Committee on Mission and Priorities.

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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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