Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 75.27
Liaison Lori Collins-Hall
Submission Date Jan. 28, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Sterling College (VT)
PA-3: Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Matthew Derr
President
Administrative
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

A brief description of the mechanisms through which students have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

All students have access and ability to participate on at least one of the shared governance bodies of the institution. These include the Community Council, the Academic Council, and the Work Council. In addition, there are various committees that students may serve on including the Equity Committee and the Lands & Energy Committee and the Risk Management Committee


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

A brief description of student representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:

The Work Council appoints certain members of its governing body. These are general Community Advisors, Work Program Supervisors, or others higher up in the Federal Work Program.


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 No
Communications processes and transparency practices Yes
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

A brief description of the formal student role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

Students who participate in the shared bodies of governance have the ability to participate in decision making in all of the above with the exception of financial planning, which falls under the Board of Trustees and the Administrative Council. Students who participate on bodies of governance may help to allocate resources, such as a Lands & Energy Committee member would do, or they could vote on new community guidelines in the dorms, such as a Community Council member could do.

In the process of forming a new Strategic Plan in 2013, members of the student body participated in the drafting and passing of the document.


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

A brief description of the mechanisms through which all staff have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

Many staff participate in a body of governance. Facilities and maintenance crews serve on the Lands & Energy committee, for example. The Dean of Community is the facilitator of the Community Council.


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

A brief description of non-supervisory staff representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:
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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 No
Communications processes and transparency practices Yes
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

A brief description of the formal staff role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

Just as students, non-supervisory staff have the option to serve on any of the above committees in the same positions and roles as students do. For instance, Laura Lea Berry, Registrar, is part of the Enrollment Committee.


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

A brief description of the mechanisms through which all faculty (including adjunct faculty) have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

Just like students, faculty also participate and usually facilitate one of the governing bodies. Adrian Owens, Faculty in Outdoor Education, for example, is a member of the Lands & Energy Committee.


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

A brief description of faculty representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:
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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 Yes
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

A brief description of the formal faculty role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

Faculty have the exact same access as listed above; however, a few members of faculty serve on the Administrative Council, which also guides financial planning. All others are the same access and roles as students and staff. Faculty generally, however, facilitate or serve as more of a leadership role in the governing bodies.


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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