Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.64
Liaison Rachael Wein
Submission Date March 3, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Smith College
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.25 / 3.00 Emma Kerr
Campus Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Campus Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1

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

If yes to either of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which students are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
The Student Government Association is charged with the responsibility for overseeing student organizations and acting as a means for students to govern their non-academic lives and academic interests. The purpose of the Student Government Association is to listen to the student body, to create and maintain relations between the student body and the greater Smith community, and to advocate for student needs. Elections are held annually. There are two trustee voting members of the Board from the Student Government Association. Each head of the Student Government Association, upon completing her year of service as head of the Student Government Association and having graduated from the College, is elected by a majority vote of the members of the Board then in office to serve as a trustee. In the event the head of the Student Government Association does not graduate from the College or is unable to serve, the Chair of the Board may select another officer of the Student Government Association who has graduated from the College and was in the same class as the head of the Student Government Association who has not graduated from the College or is unable to serve, and such other officer shall be elected by a majority vote of the members of the Board then in office to serve as a trustee. In summary, the student body elects the head of the SGA each year. When this student graduates, they become a trustee on the Board, which is the institutions highest governing body.

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

If yes to either of the above, provide:

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

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

If yes to either of the above, provide:

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

Part 2

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

If yes to one or more of the above, provide:

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):
The Smith College Council on Community Policy is a broadly representative, deliberative group that meets to consider matters that concern the campus community. In its deliberations, and working in concert with others on campus as appropriate, the "College Council" addresses issues of common concern. Its mission concerns the well-being of the community — its capacity for collegiality and the pursuit of the commonwealth while providing an excellent education to women. The Council includes Smith administration, faculty, staff, students, and alum, and two city councilors from the city of Northampton.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://www.smith.edu/about_governance.php

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.