Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 59.34
Liaison Elizabeth MacKenzie
Submission Date July 24, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Iowa
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.75 / 3.00 Sara Maples
Interim Director
The UI Office of 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?:
No

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 University of Iowa has a shared governance model: Shared Governance is a collaborative decision process between University administration, faculty, staff, and students, all working together to advance the mission of the University as a community dedicated to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. The intention of shared governance is to promote the best policies that meet the needs of our University community. Shared Governance affects all University stakeholders - including the administration, faculty, staff, and students. Issues ranging from compensation and classification, to input on leadership searches, to benefit changes are discussed and debated within the Shared Governance system. Becoming involved with Shared Governance allows you to introduce your ideas or policy proposals, voice your opinion on proposed or existing policies, and to become more informed about policies that impact your work at the University. The University of Iowa Student Government (UISG) is the representative body through which students can participate in governance. The Body consists of Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The Executive branch is composed of an elected student body president and vice president, and their appointed executive cabinet (17 members and a communications team). The Legislative branch is composed of 50 senators (some of which represent specific constituencies e.g. Native American, LGBTQ+, etc.) who draft and pass legislation. The Judicial branch is a body that interprets the UISG Constitution and UISG Bylaws when disputes arise, rules on the constitutionality of UISG's actions, and hears complaints submitted by the Student Elections Board and the Student Parking Appeals Review Committee. On the Iowa Board of Regents, there is a spot reserved for one undergraduate or graduate student, who must be a full time student at one of the regent universities at the time of appointment, but this student is not elected by the student bodies of the regent institutions. The most direct representation, however, for the student body of a regent institution occurs through the interaction of the elected student body president and vice president of that University. The University of Iowa Student body president and vice president meet bi-monthly with the Board for an hour, and can be in constant communication with Board members as they wish. Student Body Presidents and Vice Presidents regularly discuss the their work and issues relevant to the students at their institutions, with the Board of Regents. The Student Body Presidents and Vice Presidents are able to express concerns and communicate on the issues, but do not have a formal seat on the Board of Regents.

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 Council Mission The Council supports the University mission. In pursuing that mission, the Council seeks to advance such endeavors through visibly active staff participation/involvement both campus-wide and community-wide in a spirit of unity and open communication with other shared governance organizations on campus. The goals of the Council are to: 1) Advocate on behalf of represented staff 2) Advise the University Administration on policies 3) Inform the University community of the activities of the Council 4) Promote University relations within the community of Iowa City and the State of Iowa 5) Collaborate with shared governance organizations on campus, notably the Faculty Senate, Student Government and organizational shared governance groups 6) Promote staff learning through professional development and awards 7) Promote communication and shared governance among staff, central administration, Faculty Senate and Student Government

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:
The University of Iowa Faculty Senate, composed of eighty representatives of all academic units of the University, serves as the principal channel of communication between faculty members and the central administration of the University. The Senate may discuss and take a position on any subject of University concern, and may recommend policies on these matters to the President. The Senate also appoints faculty members to serve on Charter and University committees as well as Faculty Senate committees; these committees carry out much of the work of the Senate. Faculty members are afforded an opportunity each year to volunteer for committee service. The Senate also consults with the Board of Regents regarding appointment of central academic officials, and with the President on the periodic performance reviews of such officials. The twenty-member Faculty Council, composed of elected Faculty Senators, meets frequently to discuss issues of current importance, and to prepare action suggestions for submission to the Faculty Senate.

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 No
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):
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Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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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.