| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 85.50 |
| Liaison | Breeana Sylvas |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2022 |
University of California, Merced
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Breeana
Sylvas Assistant Director Sustainability |
Does the institution have formal participatory or shared governance bodies through which the following stakeholders can regularly participate in the governance of the institution?:
| Yes or No | |
| Students | Yes |
| Academic staff | Yes |
| Non-academic staff | Yes |
A brief description of the institution’s formal participatory or shared governance bodies:
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BOARD OF REGENTS
The University of California is governed by the 26-member Board of Regents, which exercises approval over university policies, financial affairs, tuition and fees. The board appoints the university president and its principal officers. Eighteen regents, appointed by the governor, serve 12-year terms. Seven serve as ex officio members, including the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the assembly and state superintendent of public instruction. The board also appoints a student regent to a one-year term. In addition, two staff advisors serve two-year terms as non-voting advisors to three Regents' Committees.
Student Representation
The student Regent is a voting member of The Regents of the University of California, attending all meetings of the Board and its Committees and serving a one-year term. The appointee holds the title Regents-designate for a year prior to the role as a Regent. As a Regents-designate, the appointee is invited to participate in all meetings of the Board and of its Committees but without a vote.
Faculty Representation
The members of the faculty of the University of California who are Chair of the Academic Assembly and Academic Council and the Vice Chair of the Academic Assembly and Academic Council attend all meetings of the Board and of its committees with full participation in discussion and debate. The Faculty Representatives serve as non-voting advisory members of committees of the Regents, as specified in Committee Charters.
Staff Advisor Representation
The staff advisor allows for two staff or non-Senate academic employees to participate in open sessions of the Board of Regents as well as designated committees of the board. The staff advisors bring the voice and perspective of staff and non-Senate academic employees to board deliberations.
https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/about/members-and-advisors/index.html
UC Merced Academic Senate
The Merced Division of the Academic Senate is the conduit through which the UC Merced faculty, as per the powers delegated to them by the Board of Regents, share in the governance, operation and management of the University. Through the Academic Senate’s deliberative committee structure, the faculty are empowered to determine academic policy, set conditions for admission and the granting of degrees, authorize and supervise courses and curricula, and advise the administration on faculty personnel actions, academic space and resource allocation, and budgets.
Associated Students of University of California Merced
The students of the University of California, Merced, are an independent body, and have established a constitution to provide efficient and equal representation for the expression of students’ views, clarity of opinions, and interests in recognition of the rights of the students at the university community.
Staff Assembly
UC Merced Staff Assembly is an organization for staff dedicated to promoting the interests and well-being of all staff members. Staff Assembly supports the University’s mission by providing forums for staff at all levels to communicate on issues of mutual concern, helping create educational opportunities and offering exciting activities for interaction among staff employees.
Total number of individuals on the institution’s highest governing body:
Number of students representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
Number of academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
Number of non-academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
Number of women serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
Percentage of official members of the highest governing body that are women:
Website URL where information about the institution’s highest governing body may be found:
Does the institution host or support one or more formal bodies through which external stakeholders have a regular voice in institutional decisions that affect them?:
A brief description of the campus-community council or equivalent body that gives external stakeholders a regular voice in institutional decisions that affect them:
UC Merced has established effective relationships with the local community.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analysis for the university’s Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) goes through a public review process. The public can review and provide comment on the CEQA analysis of the LRDP. The comments and responses are reviewed to ensure the university produces the best possible document that is sensitive to local concerns.
Additionally, UC Board of Regents holds a public comment during open session where members of the general public can sign up and address any University-related matter. When signed up to speak individuals will identify the matter they wish to address. Speakers may choose to attend in person or address the Regents via telephone during the public comment session. Written comments and materials are also welcome and made available to the Regents.
Number of people from underrepresented groups serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body.:
Website URL where information about the institution’s governance structure is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The STARS Technical Manual does not provide methodology on how to report for this credit in the absence of formal self-identification of gender or underrepresented groups status.
The Board of Regents’ office stated that it would be inappropriate to survey board members regarding gender identities or other identification regarding under-represented groups because of privacy. With input from the AASHE STARS Team, UC Office of the President and campuses devised a count based on the pronouns used on the Regents’ website biographies.
The pronouns used in the public biographies of the 31 people listed on the Board of Regents Members and Advisors web page were used as the proxy to determine the number that are women and/or individuals who do not self-identify as men. These data form the basis for our response regarding gender.
Because there is no clear methodology or guidance for how to ascertain underrepresented groups status of individual members of the Board of Regents, in the absence of self-identification, the UC campuses have chosen not to respond to the optional question about underrepresented groups. In the future, the UC will continue to work with the system-wide Diversity and Engagement office, who also seek more official Board demographics data, in an attempt to get official public reporting of gender data, and, as appropriate, underrepresented groups status.
https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/about/members-and-advisors/index.html
The STARS Technical Manual does not provide methodology on how to report for this credit in the absence of formal self-identification of gender or underrepresented groups status.
The Board of Regents’ office stated that it would be inappropriate to survey board members regarding gender identities or other identification regarding under-represented groups because of privacy. With input from the AASHE STARS Team, UC Office of the President and campuses devised a count based on the pronouns used on the Regents’ website biographies.
The pronouns used in the public biographies of the 31 people listed on the Board of Regents Members and Advisors web page were used as the proxy to determine the number that are women and/or individuals who do not self-identify as men. These data form the basis for our response regarding gender.
Because there is no clear methodology or guidance for how to ascertain underrepresented groups status of individual members of the Board of Regents, in the absence of self-identification, the UC campuses have chosen not to respond to the optional question about underrepresented groups. In the future, the UC will continue to work with the system-wide Diversity and Engagement office, who also seek more official Board demographics data, in an attempt to get official public reporting of gender data, and, as appropriate, underrepresented groups status.
https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/about/members-and-advisors/index.html
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.