Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.90
Liaison Cody Friend
Submission Date March 19, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Nebraska at Omaha
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Sarah Burke
Sustainability Coordinator
Student Affairs
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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?:
Yes

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:
Student Government at UNO (SG-UNO) is the official student governing body that represents students to administration, faculty, and staff, as well as the University of Nebraska Board of Regents and the community. Elections for student senators and the President occur every Spring. One of the tasks of the elected President is to represent UNO students on the Nebraska Board of Regents. http://www.unomaha.edu/student-life/involvement/student-government/index.php

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?:
Yes

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:
The Staff Advisory Council was established to promote and facilitate communication between Managerial/Professional and Office/Service employees of UNO and the Chancellor. The Council acts only in an advisory capacity to the Chancellor and other University administrators. Council members can serve for 3 years with elections occurring every Spring. The President of the Council serves 13 months with the election of the new President occurring every Spring. The President of the Council attends the University of Nebraska Board of Regents meetings. http://www.unomaha.edu/staff-advisory-council/index.php

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? :
Yes

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 faculty of the University has significant responsibilities in matters relating to formulation of University policies. To provide the discharge of these responsibilities, delegated to the faculty by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, the faculty designates the senate to serve as its representative agency. Senate members can serve for 3 years with elections occurring every Spring. The President of the Senate serves a regular one-year term with elections held in the Fall. The President of the Senate attends the Board of Regents meetings. http://www.unomaha.edu/faculty-senate/index.php

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?:
Yes

A copy of the written policies and procedures:
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The policies and procedures:
UNO's Strategic Planning Forums are designed to help the campus chart a course of action for achieving its three over-arching goals: student-centered, academic excellence, and community engagement. Input from students, staff, faculty, and community members is an integral part of the advances. The University uses this input to refine the goals and objectives of the strategic plan and to gauge the new direction of the University. These forums are held twice a year; one for internal UNO community; the second of which is extended to include community members and partners. https://www.unomaha.edu/faculty-senate/involvement/strategic-planning-steering.php

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 Yes
Private sector organizations Yes
Civil society (e.g. NGOs, NPOs) Yes

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):
The University of Nebraska is one university, governed by a Board of Regents whose members are elected by Nebraska voters. The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska, a body corporate created by the people of Nebraska through the Constitution, has constitutional and statutory power for general supervision over all elements of the University, control and direction of all expenditures, and for general operating policies of the University. The Board of Regents consists of eight elected members, who are elected for six-year terms. In accordance with provisions of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-1412, the public shall have the right to attend meetings of the Board and to speak on matters related to Board and university business. Any person may appear before and address the Board concerning any item on the agenda for that meeting. Further, any person may appear before and address the Board at any annual or scheduled meeting on any matter concerning the Board or the university not on the agenda by notifying the Corporation Secretary at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the meeting at which the person desires to address the Board; provided, however, the Board will not hear or consider those matters listed in Section 5.2 of these Rules. A reasonable time limit [usually five (5) minutes] shall be placed upon each individual appearance before the Board, and no more than thirty (30) minutes shall be allowed for public comment, unless a majority of the quorum present shall extend such time limit. The Chairperson shall have the right to prohibit multiple appearances by persons presenting needlessly repetitious or redundant testimony.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://nebraska.edu/

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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