Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.86
Liaison Elida Erickson
Submission Date March 23, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of California, Santa Cruz
PA-3: Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Elida Erickson
Sustainability Director
Sustainability Office
"---" 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:

There is not one clear governing body of UC-Santa Cruz, there is a shared governance structure between academics and administration. Via that system there are key committees. The Committee on Planning and Budget and the two education committees - The Graduate Council and the Committee on Education Policy are housed in the academic side.

The administrative side has the Committee on Planning and Stewardship (CPS), the Dean's Advisory Council and the Administrative Leadership Team. Of these three committees CPS has two undergraduate Representatives and one graduate representative.

The shared governance structure is also in place at the UC - Systemwide. The UC Academic Senate shares governance with the Board of Regents of the University of California in that it is charged with direct control over academic matters, including authorizing, approving, and supervising courses, conditions for admissions, certificates and degrees. Each campus's Academic Senate is a Division of the UC Academic Senate. In addition to their governance role in academic matters, on the Santa Cruz campus the Academic Senate makes recommendations, advises on campus administrative decisions, and coordinates academic program development with Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor Galloway.

Student Union Assembly (SUA)- Committee on Committees - which identifies and appoints students to committees throughout campus. Each college also has representatives on SUA and all students are eligible to run for a position on SUA.

UCSC has shared governance with administration and academics. Students have varying levels of participation on these committees. Administration has authority over the budget (with input from academic committees and academics has authority over enrollment, academic planning etc.

There are two primarly committees that oversees campus operations, planning and governance. The two Committees are the Committee on Education Policy (for undergraduate education) and The Graduate Council (for graduate education) and both committees have student representatives which are appointed by SUA (2 student Reps and for the Graduate Students they work with Graduate Student Association (3 of 9 positions are students). In addition, the Committee on Planning and Budget (CPB) advises campus administration on spending and resource allocation. CPB has 1 graduate and two undergraduate.


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 internal Vice Chair of the SUA works to place undergraduate students and the GSA works with their internal vice president.


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 ---
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 have a role on the Committee on Planning and Stewardship and the two academic committees previously described (Graduate Council and Council on Educational Policy). In 2014 the campus underwent a strategic planning process. Students were formally invited to participate in the many listening sessions and to provide input on their goals and vision for the campus but students did not formally participate on the planning task force or the strategic planning committee.


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:

Staff Advisory Board - open to all staff members by nomination (including self-nominations) for a three year term.

Staff Human Resources and Employee and Labor Relations works with represented staff.


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:

There is not a formal governing body but based on the primary decision making bodies, there is not non-supervisory staff present.


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 ---
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:

In 2014 the campus underwent a strategic planning process. Staff were formally invited to participate in the many listening sessions and to provide input on their goals and vision for the campus. Staff also formally participates on the planning task force.

Staff have varying levels of involvement in the establishment of new systems, policies, programs, etc.


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:

Academic Senate is a forum for all campus faculty, instructors, adjust to participate in the direction of the campus.


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?:
Yes

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

Various members of faculty representatives on the relevant committees were appointed by Academic Senate.


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 ---
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:

In 2014 the campus underwent a strategic planning process. Faculty were formally invited to participate in the many listening sessions and to provide input on their goals and vision for the campus. Faculty also formally participates on the planning task force.

Faculty have a significant level of involvement in the establishment of new systems, policies, programs, especially those related to academic policy.


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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