Stevens Institute of Technology
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

Students have representation and involvement through the Student Government Association and the Honor Board, and both are very active bodies. Students do not sit on the Board of Trustees, but are able to share input through the SGA and the graduate student equivalent organization with the Board’s Academic Affairs Committee. In addition, each year, a member of the graduating class is selected to serve on the Board of Trustees as the “recent alumni trustee.” This election is held on a rotating basis so that, at any one point in time, there are two recent alumni trustees serving on the Board.

The faculty function as a body and are governed by the Faculty Handbook. There is a Faculty Senate and an array of faculty committees which address various topics. All amendments to the Faculty Handbook are approved by the full faculty in addition to the Board of Trustees.

Since 2010, the Board of Trustees has elected 2 faculty trustees to serve on the Board. In addition, the Board elects 2 faculty participants to serve on most Board committees. There are 10 committees and, of these, faculty participants serve on 7 of them. Faculty participants are not trustees but for all practical purposes behave like trustees and attend meetings, review materials and vote. The experience of our faculty trustees and participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with many seeking renewal terms. The Board experience has been similarly positive and welcoming.

The Board of Trustees also includes Principal Officers that represent a majority of the university's non-academic staff departments. (See attached roster for list of department VPs involved.)

A staff council was slated to be created in Fall 2020, but that may face delays due to COVID-19.

The President’s Leadership Council, a distinguished cadre of extremely accomplished thought leaders from academe, industry, and the non-profit sectors, has been established to complement and propel the work of the Board of Trustees. Members of this Council will lend their varied perspectives and broad and deep expertise to provide guidance to the President and the Board as they navigate the abundant opportunities and ongoing challenges that lie ahead for the university.
https://www.stevens.edu/about-stevens/leadership/presidents-leadership-council

Stevens Parents Council comprises a select group of committed parents who serve as ambassadors to the Stevens community and provide volunteer support for the university. Through meetings and activities, members are educated about Stevens’ initiatives and put in a position to share this information with the broader Stevens community and its associates.
https://www.stevens.edu/directory/development-and-alumni-engagement/get-involved/parents-council

The Stevens Alumni Association, as well as the individual alumni class year groups regularly meet with the Division of Development and Student Affairs to gather feedback on certain Stevens initiatives.
https://www.stevens.edu/directory/development-and-alumni-engagement/stevens-alumni-association/committees

There are also various mechanisms to engage with the community, e.g., via the Stevens Connects web page; via outreach and input from neighbors, City Council representatives, and the Mayor and members of his administration. We also have two social gatherings each year with the Hoboken community, and over the last year, held at least 20 outreach/input meetings with various constituencies in Hoboken on matters related to campus. Although these are not formalized committees, there is a great deal of input.