Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.76
Liaison Mark Klapatch-Mathias
Submission Date Feb. 21, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Wisconsin-River Falls
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 3.00 Mark Klapatch
Sustainability and Custodial Supervisor
Facilities Management
"---" 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 Student Senate is the official student government body of UW-River Falls. Here is their mission statement: "We are students from all walks of life who have banded together to provide a voice for the student body. We actively use this voice in a variety of ways in all levels of government including on-campus, state and national issues. We advocate for problems that affects students on our campus but also for issues that are statewide. Student Senate does its best to speak on the behalf of all students but it is always better to use your own voice. If you would like to begin speaking for yourself please consider becoming part of something great! There are many different opportunities to voice your opinion such as sitting on a Student Senate or Faculty Senate committee. Another way is to run a campaign and become a representative for Senate yourself. You have a voice, use it!" Students are elected to serve on the Student Senate.

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:
Academic Staff Council Membership: A. Nine academic staff members elected through an at-large spring election B. One ranked faculty member appointed by the Chancellor upon the recommendation of the Faculty Senate Each of the ten Council members shall have voting rights, with the exception of the Chair, who shall vote only in the case of a tie. To be eligible for election to the Academic Staff Council, individuals must be academic staff who hold at least a half-time appointment and have a contract for the next academic year. 6.2.1.4 Terms of Office A. Terms for Academic Staff Council members shall be staggered so that a minimum of three members shall be elected each year to serve a three-year term. B. The ranked faculty member shall serve a two-year term. C. Terms shall begin in the summer term and end in the spring term. 6.2.1.5 General Elections A. Only academic staff members are eligible to nominate and vote in these elections. B. The Vice Chair of the Council shall oversee elections, unless he or she has less than one year remaining on his or her term If the Vice Chair is unable to conduct elections, another eligible Council member shall be appointed. C. Elections shall take place by May 1 of each academic year. D. The member in charge shall send a nomination ballot and a listing of all persons eligible to serve on the Council to all academic staff members. Instructional academic staff members who are eligible for election shall be listed by department in a column separate from the departmental listings of non-instructional academic staff. E. Upon their consent, those persons receiving the most nominations shall have their names placed on an election ballot The number of names placed on the election ballot shall not be less than twice the number of the vacancies. F. Election ballots, with space provided for write-in candidates, shall be sent to all academic staff eligible for election. G. Upon their consent, those persons receiving the most votes shall fill all available vacancies. H. In case of a tie, a run-off election shall be held by May 15 under the procedures outlined above. University Staff Senate: Created in 2011, USS promotes ongoing education, professional development activities, and communication between University Staff and the broader university community. Representation is based on the following University Staff constituency groups: •Administrative Support (2) •Blue Collar (2) •Crafts/Technical/Law Enforcement/Security (1) •Fiscal & Staff Services (1) •Supervisory/Human Resources (1) •University Staff-Temporary (1) •Member-At-Large (1) Elected members serve a three-year term beginning in June.

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 Senate is the elected legislative arm of the faculty. As such, the faculty delegates to the Senate its powers and responsibilities as affect the academic policies and programs, faculty affairs, and the general welfare of the University in accordance with the provisions of Article III. Faculty Senate is currently composed of 22 members elected by various divisions with the university. Each division is allotted representatives based on a model of one representative per thirty full-time equivalent positions within that division. All of these are directly elected by that division. In addition, there are at-large positions at the junior and senior levels affording a broad representation of faculty and academic staff on Faculty Senate. In addition the Chancellor or his designee has a voting seat on Faculty Senate. Traditionally the Chancellors at UWRF have appointed the provost to serve in that position. Currently the total representation on Faculty senate is 22. The Faculty Senate is administered by the Executive Committee which is elected by the membership of the Senate. The chair of the Executive Committee presides over the Executive Committee and 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:
https://www.wisconsin.edu/capital-planning/reference/environmental-protection/

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.