Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 52.39
Liaison Margo Margo Nottoli
Submission Date Aug. 24, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Warren Wilson College
PA-3: Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Alison Climo
Director of Institutional Effectiveness
Institutional Effectiveness
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Do all enrolled students, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
Yes

A brief description of the mechanisms through which students have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

Student Governance Association is a governance body composed entirely of students. For a policy change that affects students to be officially recommended to the president the policy must pass student caucus.


Is there at least one student representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative student body or organization?:
Yes

A brief description of student representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:

Student Governance Association is an integral part of the community governance structure. Any student can become a voting member of Student Governance Association simply by attendance.


Do students have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following?:
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals Yes
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning Yes
Existing or prospective physical resources Yes
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning No
Communications processes and transparency practices No
Prioritization of programs and projects No

A brief description of the formal student role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals: The Warren Wilson College community commitment is the mission statement for our entire community. The document was created entirely by students.

Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives: This year, when a policy was adopted to move two centralized designated smoking areas both faculty/staff forum and student caucus had to approve the change.

Strategic and long-term planning:While the Board of Trustees determines what the five year strategic plan looks like, they are currently in the process of meeting with students and receiving feedback/input on what should be prioritized.

Existing or prospective physical resources: Our physical resources (land, forest, livestock..ect) are managed by student work crews. While the work crews have non-student bosses, students are empowered to play a role in decision making. This year students on the farm made the decision to retire our only milk cow. Our hundreds of acres of wooded land are routinely managed by students.


Do all staff, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
Yes

A brief description of the mechanisms through which all staff have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

All staff and faculty have the option of running for a position on the faculty/staff forum. All employees are able to attend faculty/staff forum and share their their opinions. Also, the Board of Trustees includes one staff and one faculty ex officio trustee.


Is there at least one non-supervisory staff representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative staff body or organization?:
Yes

A brief description of non-supervisory staff representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:

All 11 members of the faculty/staff Forum are non-supervisory staff and were elected by their peers. Also, the faculty and staff ex officio trustees are nominated by their peers and approved by the Board in the same manner as all trustees.


Do non-supervisory staff have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following? :
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals Yes
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning Yes
Existing or prospective physical resources Yes
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning Yes
Communications processes and transparency practices No
Prioritization of programs and projects No

A brief description of the formal staff role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals: In 2014-15 all staff (and faculty and students) were invited to participate in identifying the topic for the college’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a 5-year project aimed to meet a focused goal, as part of the college’s decennial reaccreditation process. Warren Wilson College’s QEP is “Building Diversity: Inclusive Excellence Across the Curriculum.”

Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives: Any policy recommendation that will affect faculty or staff must be approved by Forum before it is officially recommended to the president. Example policies from recent years include: moving the designated smoking areas on campus; establishing a new policy regarding student surveys; approval of the college’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP); and establishing a new jury duty policy.

Strategic and long-term planning: Beginning in spring 2015, all staff were invited to participate in listening sessions to initiate strategic planning. Throughout the 2015-2016 year, all staff have been offered multiple opportunities to provide feedback and input to the strategic plan (priorities, goals, objectives) as it has evolved. While the Board of Trustees ultimately approves the strategic plan, there are faculty, staff and student ex-officio members of the Board of Trustees.

Existing or prospective physical resources: staff members direct the student work crews which directly manage the physical resources of the college

Budgeting, staffing and financial planning -- staff and faculty make up a budget advisory group to the president and CFO. The budget advisory group includes members of the Budget Committee of the Forum, our community governance group representing the staff and faculty. Additionally, staff members direct the student work crews, directly influencing staffing allocations in their areas.


Do all faculty, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
Yes

A brief description of the mechanisms through which all faculty (including adjunct faculty) have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

All staff and faculty have the option of running for a position on the faculty/staff forum. All employees are able to attend faculty/staff forum and share their their opinions. Also, the Board of Trustees includes one staff and one faculty ex officio trustee.


Is there at least one teaching or research faculty representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative faculty body or organization?:
Yes

A brief description of faculty representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:

All 11 members of the faculty/staff (6 faculty 5 staff) Forum are non-supervisory staff and were elected by their peers. Also, the faculty and staff ex officio trustees are nominated by their peers and approved by the Board in the same manner as all trustees.


Do faculty have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following?:
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals Yes
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning Yes
Existing or prospective physical resources Yes
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning Yes
Communications processes and transparency practices No
Prioritization of programs and projects No

A brief description of the formal faculty role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals: In 2014-15 all staff (and faculty and students) were invited to participate in identifying the topic for the college’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a 5-year project aimed to meet a focused goal, as part of the college’s decennial reaccreditation process. Warren Wilson College’s QEP is “Building Diversity: Inclusive Excellence Across the Curriculum.”

Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives: Any policy recommendation that will affect faculty or staff must be approved by Forum before it is officially recommended to the president. Example policies from recent years include: moving the designated smoking areas on campus; establishing a new policy regarding student surveys; approval of the college’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP); and establishing a new jury duty policy.

Strategic and long-term planning: Beginning in spring 2015, all staff were invited to participate in listening sessions to initiate strategic planning. Throughout the 2015-2016 year, all staff have been offered multiple opportunities to provide feedback and input to the strategic plan (priorities, goals, objectives) as it has evolved. While the Board of Trustees ultimately approves the strategic plan, there are faculty, staff and student ex-officio members of the Board of Trustees.

Existing or prospective physical resources: staff members direct the student work crews which directly manage the physical resources of the college

Budgeting, staffing and financial planning -- staff and faculty make up a budget advisory group to the president and CFO. The budget advisory group includes members of the Budget Committee of the Forum, our community governance group representing the staff and faculty. Additionally, staff members direct the student work crews, directly influencing staffing allocations in their areas.


The website URL where information about the institution’s governance structure is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

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.