| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 74.80 |
| Liaison | Gioia Thompson |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2020 |
University of Vermont
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.38 / 3.00 |
Gioia
Thompson Sustainability Strategist UVM Office of Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Part 1. Shared governance bodies
| 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:
There are six governance bodies at UVM:
1. The Board of Trustees
2. Faculty Senate
3. Student Government Association
4. Graduate Student Senate
5. Staff Council
6. Associated Directors For The Appointment of UVM Student Trustees, Inc.
The Board of Trustees has full legal responsibility and authority for the University of Vermont, including entire management and control of property and affairs of the university. The Board of Trustees sets and approves policies, budgets and strategic planning. The Board also appoints the president of the university. The Board of Trustees at the University of Vermont consists of 25 members (9 legislative, 9 self-perpetuating, 3 gubernatorial, and 2 students; the Governor and the President of the University of Vermont serve as ex-officio members during their terms of office). Each member serves a 6-year term, with the exception of the student members who serve 2 year terms. All terms begin on March 1. The two student trustees must be full-time students at UVM and be 18 years of age. They are elected by the Associated Directors for Appointment of the University of Vermont and State Agriculture College Student Trustees, Inc. One student is appointed annually in February for a two-year term.
Faculty Senate
The administration and the Faculty Senate of the University of Vermont share responsibility for the effective management of the academic affairs of the University. Authority in matters related to the academic mission of the University is vested in the faculty by the Board of Trustees. This authority is exercised in the Faculty Senate by elected senators with voting privileges and by committees authorized to act on their behalf. Meetings of the Faculty Senate are presided over by a Senate President and Vice-President and follow a town-meeting format at which all University faculty members have a voice.
Senators are the elected representatives of their academic units to the Faculty Senate. Senators are responsible for communicating with the faculty in their units about all Faculty Senate actions, as well as bringing information from their academic units to the attention of the Senate and Senate Committees.
Representatives from Student Government Association and the Graduate Student Senate have seats as voting members on all of the Faculty Senate's standing Committees, except the Professional Standards Committee - where student participation would be inappropriate.
Student Government Association
The Student Government Association (SGA) represents the opinions, ideas and beliefs of the undergraduate student body, with an executive council and a senate. Weekly meetings during the academic year include an open forum. SGA supports a Peer mentoring and Peer Advising Program in collaboration with the University Advising Center. SGA also recognizes and provides support to about 170 student clubs. More than 80% of University of Vermont undergraduate students are involved in a club. The Student Government Association has a Committee on the Environment.
Graduate Student Senate
The Graduate Student Senate (GSS) promotes the wellbeing of graduate students and encourages a stronger, more unified voice for the graduate student body. Its purpose is to cultivate both the academic and nonacademic activities of the graduate student body and enhance all aspects of graduate school life at the University of Vermont. The GSS consists of an executive council and senators representing the many graduate programs in the Graduate College. Graduate students have two non-voting representatives on the UVM Board of Trustees committees. These representatives are selected by their peers in the Graduate Student Senate.
Staff Council
Under the authority of the President of the University of Vermont, the Staff Council is a governance body that serves in an advisory capacity to the Office of the President. The Staff Council’s primary responsibilities include: A. To listen to, pursue and respond to the ideas and opinions of staff employees; B. To convey these ideas and opinions to the University administration; C. To advise the President of the University (or the President’s representatives) on all subjects that affect staff employees; D. To inform staff employees of issues and policies affecting them.
1. The Board of Trustees
2. Faculty Senate
3. Student Government Association
4. Graduate Student Senate
5. Staff Council
6. Associated Directors For The Appointment of UVM Student Trustees, Inc.
The Board of Trustees has full legal responsibility and authority for the University of Vermont, including entire management and control of property and affairs of the university. The Board of Trustees sets and approves policies, budgets and strategic planning. The Board also appoints the president of the university. The Board of Trustees at the University of Vermont consists of 25 members (9 legislative, 9 self-perpetuating, 3 gubernatorial, and 2 students; the Governor and the President of the University of Vermont serve as ex-officio members during their terms of office). Each member serves a 6-year term, with the exception of the student members who serve 2 year terms. All terms begin on March 1. The two student trustees must be full-time students at UVM and be 18 years of age. They are elected by the Associated Directors for Appointment of the University of Vermont and State Agriculture College Student Trustees, Inc. One student is appointed annually in February for a two-year term.
Faculty Senate
The administration and the Faculty Senate of the University of Vermont share responsibility for the effective management of the academic affairs of the University. Authority in matters related to the academic mission of the University is vested in the faculty by the Board of Trustees. This authority is exercised in the Faculty Senate by elected senators with voting privileges and by committees authorized to act on their behalf. Meetings of the Faculty Senate are presided over by a Senate President and Vice-President and follow a town-meeting format at which all University faculty members have a voice.
Senators are the elected representatives of their academic units to the Faculty Senate. Senators are responsible for communicating with the faculty in their units about all Faculty Senate actions, as well as bringing information from their academic units to the attention of the Senate and Senate Committees.
Representatives from Student Government Association and the Graduate Student Senate have seats as voting members on all of the Faculty Senate's standing Committees, except the Professional Standards Committee - where student participation would be inappropriate.
Student Government Association
The Student Government Association (SGA) represents the opinions, ideas and beliefs of the undergraduate student body, with an executive council and a senate. Weekly meetings during the academic year include an open forum. SGA supports a Peer mentoring and Peer Advising Program in collaboration with the University Advising Center. SGA also recognizes and provides support to about 170 student clubs. More than 80% of University of Vermont undergraduate students are involved in a club. The Student Government Association has a Committee on the Environment.
Graduate Student Senate
The Graduate Student Senate (GSS) promotes the wellbeing of graduate students and encourages a stronger, more unified voice for the graduate student body. Its purpose is to cultivate both the academic and nonacademic activities of the graduate student body and enhance all aspects of graduate school life at the University of Vermont. The GSS consists of an executive council and senators representing the many graduate programs in the Graduate College. Graduate students have two non-voting representatives on the UVM Board of Trustees committees. These representatives are selected by their peers in the Graduate Student Senate.
Staff Council
Under the authority of the President of the University of Vermont, the Staff Council is a governance body that serves in an advisory capacity to the Office of the President. The Staff Council’s primary responsibilities include: A. To listen to, pursue and respond to the ideas and opinions of staff employees; B. To convey these ideas and opinions to the University administration; C. To advise the President of the University (or the President’s representatives) on all subjects that affect staff employees; D. To inform staff employees of issues and policies affecting them.
Part 2. Campus stakeholder representation in governance
25
Number of students representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
2
Number of academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
0
Number of non-academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
0
Part 3. Gender equity in governance
6
Percentage of official members of the highest governing body that are women:
24
Website URL where information about the institution’s highest governing body may be found:
Part 4. Community engagement bodies
No
A brief description of the campus-community council or equivalent body that gives external stakeholders a regular voice in institutional decisions that affect them:
---
Optional Fields
---
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:
Student Government Association https://www.uvm.edu/~uvmsga/
Graduate Student Senate https://www.uvm.edu/gss
Faculty Senate https://www.uvm.edu/faculty_senate
Staff Council http://www.uvm.edu/staffcouncil/
Graduate Student Senate https://www.uvm.edu/gss
Faculty Senate https://www.uvm.edu/faculty_senate
Staff Council http://www.uvm.edu/staffcouncil/
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.