Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 46.90
Liaison Hannes Gerhardt
Submission Date March 30, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of West Georgia
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 3.00 Hannes Gerhardt
Sustainability Director
Department of Geosciences
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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

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which students are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
UWG has a Student Government Association with elected students representatives. Undergraduates are appointed to faculty senate committees by the Student Government Association. A graduate student is elected to the Faculty Senate Graduate Programs Committee by that committee, from a slate of nominees submitted by each college. There is also a President's Student Advisory Council Purpose: The purpose of the President’s Student Advisory Council on Diversity (PSAC) is to ensure the widest range of student voices are heard in order to promote an inclusive climate at UWG and help UWG better serve its increasingly diverse student body. PSAC members’ primary functions are to engage in conversations with the President and university administrators, solicit input from a broad range of students to inform the council's advice to university administration, and provide recommendations that will develop and sustain a campus climate of inclusiveness. On the state level there is a Student Advisory Council, which serves to represent student interests to the GA Board of Regents. Per the Board of Regents Policy Manual 4.9. "There shall be a University System Student Advisory Council, which shall provide a forum for communication and recommendation between USG students, the Chancellor, and, as appropriate, the Board of Regents, concerning problems and issues that are important in providing information and assistance in programs and activities of the member institutions." The representative from UWG is the Student Government President who is elected by his/her peers. The Student Advisory Council (SAC) is composed of Student Government representatives from the 29 colleges and universities of the University System of Georgia and its purpose is to advise the Board of Regents, through the Chancellor, on issues that are important to students.

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

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which staff are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
There is a Staff Advisory Council at UWG that offers input and provides feedback on governance issues on campus. Representatives are appointed by the VPs (and nominations for those interested in serving are solicited and sent to the VPs) and the 4 officer positions are elected by the staff as a whole. There is also a University System of Georgia Staff Council, which serves to represent staff interests to the GA Board of Regents. Per the Board of Regents Policy Manual 8.2.22, "There shall be a University System of Georgia Staff Council (USGSC), which shall provide a staff voice on all matters related to non-faculty employment within the University System." UWG's representative is the Staff Advisory Council chair who is nominated by his/her faculty peers. Mission A. At the request of the Chancellor, the USGSC will participate in the process of University System of Georgia governance by advising, recommending, and consulting with the Chancellor or the Chancellor's designee(s) concerning the establishment of policies and procedures deemed necessary or proper for the promotion of the general welfare of the University System of Georgia and its staff. IV. Membership A. Membership of the USGSC will be comprised of two non-faculty representatives (one voting member, one alternate) from each system institution participating plus the USGSC elected officers. Each representative who serves on the USGSC will be selected by the individual system institution (In the case of UWG the representative is the chair of the UWG staff council, who is voted by their peers). USGSC elected officers will have voting privileges, but are not required to be the current representatives on the USGSC for their institutions

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

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:
There is a faculty senate and numerous faculty senate committees that are in place to deal with decision making on important and mundane issues involved in running the University. There is also a Faculty Advisory Council, which serves to represent the interest of faculty to the GA Board of Regents. Per the Board of Regents Policy Manual 3.2.4.1, "There shall be a University System of Georgia Faculty Council (USGFC), which shall provide a faculty voice on academic and educational matters and BOR policies related to the profession, including but not limited to tenure and promotion, academic freedom, and post-tenure review." UWG's representative is the faculty senate chair who is nominated by his/her faculty peers. Article III. Responsibilities and Functions The USGFC will participate in the process of University System of Georgia governance by advising, recommending, and consulting with the Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee(s) concerning the establishment of rules and regulations deemed necessary or appropriate for the promotion of the general welfare of the University System of Georgia. The USGFC will formulate and recommend to the Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee(s) University System of Georgia policies and procedures related to but not exclusive to system faculty. The USGFC will develop and maintain a system-wide communications network to provide for efficient transmission of relevant information to faculty. Article IV. Membership Membership of the USGFC shall be composed of one voting representative from each USG institution and that representative must be a member of that institution’s faculty and selected by a process determined by the faculty or faculty body (council, senate, assembly, etc.) of that institution. Institutions are encouraged to send a second non-voting member to meetings, who act as a replacement is the voting member cannot attend. It is the duty of past institution delegates to inform the USGFC chair and webmaster when they are replaced, so that the correct records can be kept

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

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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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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