University of Massachusetts Amherst
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

The University of Massachusetts system is governed by a 22-member Board of Trustees that represents various interests of the public at large on a non-partisan basis. Seventeen members of the board are appointed by the Governor and five members are UMass students elected by the student body on each of the five campuses. The Board of Trustees functions as a legislative body dealing mainly with general policies governing the University. The Board is not an administrative or management board. (https://www.umassp.edu/bot)

The primary governance body for students is the Student Government Association (https://www.umass.edu/sga/)

The primary governance body for academic staff is the faculty senate (https://www.umass.edu/senate/).

The primary governance bodies for staff are their unions which provide opportunities for establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives; budgeting, staffing and financial planning; and communications processes and transparency practices. https://www.umass.edu/wld/campus-unions)
Staff members are also permitted to serve on Faculty Senate Committees such as the "Health Committee."

There are multiple UMass based governance bodies that provide opportunities for stakeholder engagement on multiple town/gown issues from stakeholders from all three of the above categories including:
-UTAC - University/Town of Amherst Collaborative: http://www.umass.edu/utac/
The University-Town of Amherst Collaborative (UTAC) is a joint initiative of the Town of Amherst and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It is made up of Amherst residents, UMass Amherst town and university officials, and UMass Amherst students. UTAC is an advisory council to the town manager and chancellor which provides leadership and ideas, while building support for future joint endeavors. These include, but are not limited to, identifying sites for undergraduate mixed-use development, jointly pursuing public-private partnerships, and helping to create an anchor strategy for the university that embraces the town and fosters economic success. UTAC is a direct result of the Town Gown Steering Committee, created in 2013 with a joint commitment by Amherst and UMass to hire a consultant to aid in the development of a shared economic development and housing vision. The committee worked with U3 Advisors of Philadelphia on the UMass/Amherst Housing and Economic Development Plan upon which all future work is based.

-Campus and Community Coalition to Reduce High Risk Drinking: http://www.umass.edu/ccc/
University and community leaders, with support from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, came together to form the Campus and Community Coalition to Reduce High-Risk Drinking (CCC) in 2005. Since its inception, risky drinking at UMass Amherst is down by as much as 26% and the comprehensive strategic plan which drives the effort has garnered national recognition.