Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 53.11
Liaison Elizabeth Malcolm
Submission Date Jan. 19, 2023

STARS v2.2

Virginia Wesleyan University
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.88 / 3.00 Kelly Cordova
Chief of Staff
Office of the President
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Shared governance bodies

Does the institution have formal participatory or shared governance bodies through which the following stakeholders can regularly participate in the governance of the institution?:
Yes or No
Students Yes
Academic staff Yes
Non-academic staff No

A brief description of the institution’s formal participatory or shared governance bodies:
The VWU Student Government Association is comprised of elected student leaders who represent the students body at meetings and in initiatives for change within the University. They act as the liaison between the student body and the University administration.
https://www.vwu.edu/campus-life/student-activities/pdfs/SGAConstitution-4-21-2017.pdf

Faculty Assembly is the voting body of the faculty which carries out the duties identified in the Bylaws of the faculty handbook and other functions necessary for the creation and implementation of the academic program. Membership includes all faculty at the rank of full-time instructor or above who are engaged in teaching, including the VWU librarians. Important responsibilities include approval of new majors, new degrees, changes in general studies requirements and other major changes to the curriculum, appointment of members to faculty commissions (including the Faculty Standards and Welfare Committee and the Faculty Hearing Committee). The meetings begin with administrative reports from the university President and Provost which include time for questions and faculty to express concerns. See the section Faculty Governance on page 9 of the Faculty Handbook for more information
https://www.vwu.edu/about/campus-offices/human-resources/pdfs/faculty-handbook/faculty-handbook-22-23.pdf

The President's Leadership Council (PLC) meets monthly in an effort to broaden discussion and participation in shared governance and to foster collaborative processes on key administrative issues. The PLC serves in an advisory capacity to the President of the University and provides a forum for exchange of information among the administrative staff members and departments and with other University constituencies. The PLC represents the views of the administrative staff in the University's decision-making process. The PLC membership includes the President's Cabinet, 21 administrative staff members and the 6 university deans (who are also faculty members). https://www.vwu.edu/about/president-and-leadership/president-leadership-council.php

The purpose of the Athletics Management Council is to place appropriate emphasis on the role of athletics for an NCAA Division III university and to promote the welfare of student-athletes. The Council is charged with strategic oversight of all academic matters related to intercollegiate athletics and all policies that impact student-athlete academic success and welfare. The Council meets monthly or more frequently at the discretion of the President of the University. Membership includes the university President, the Executive Director for Intercollegiate Athletics, two faculty members and one student representative.
https://www.vwu.edu/about/president-and-leadership/athletics-management-council.php

Part 2. Campus stakeholder representation in governance

Total number of individuals on the institution’s highest governing body:
35

Number of students representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
0

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

Number of women serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
8

Percentage of official members of the highest governing body that are women:
22.86

Website URL where information about the institution’s highest governing body may be found:

Part 4. Community engagement bodies

Does the institution host or support one or more formal bodies through which external stakeholders have a regular voice in institutional decisions that affect them?:
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 

Number of people from underrepresented groups serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body.:
---

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:
Information on President's Council provided by the President's Chief of Staff.

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.