Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.94
Liaison Jane Stewart
Submission Date March 3, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Washington and Lee University
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 3.00 Kimberly Hodge
Director of Sustainability Initiatives and Education
Student Affairs
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

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-run Executive Committee exclusively handles student honor issues. The honor system is the foundation from which we start our community at Washington & Lee and its administration is overseen by the Executive Committee of the Student Body. It has defined and shaped the students, alumni and faculty of this institution for well over a century. Student Self-Governance is a key aspect of Washington & Lee and is overseen by the Executive Committee.

Students are also represented at every committee level at the institution, by serving as appointed members by the EC.

Student body president presents to the Board of Trustees at every session, but does not vote.


Do the institution’s staff members have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a staff council)?:
No

Do the institution’s non-supervisory staff members have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
No

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which staff are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
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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? :
No

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:

W&L Faculty have faculty meetings at least twice a year:

At the call of the President or Provost, the University
faculty shall meet not less often than once in the fall and
once in the spring of each academic year. The action of a
majority of the faculty members present at any meeting at
which a quorum is present shall be the action of the University
faculty. The undergraduate faculty shall meet at
the call of the President or Provost. The law faculty shall
meet at the call of the President, Provost, or the Dean of
the School of Law. The law and undergraduate faculties
shall conduct business pursuant to their established rules.

Faculty are also engaged in governing committees, such as Courses and Degrees, abnd the Faculty Executive Committee:

Faculty Executive Committee (FEC) acts ad interim for the University and Undergraduate Faculty when the faculty cannot meet; it receives student, faculty, and departmental petitions requesting exceptions to University regulations on matters not delegated to other University Committees; it originates recommendations to the university and undergraduate faculties relating to matters not delegated to other University committees; it receives a suggested one- and five-year undergraduate calendar from the Registration and Class Schedules Committee and recommends a calendar to the undergraduate faculty; it acts as the faculty's "committee on committees;" and it advises the President and Deans on matters not delegated to the Advisory Committee. The committee will be the point of contact between the undergraduate faculty and the Dean of Admissions about policy regarding undergraduate admissions and practices. The committee meets at 3:30 pm every Wednesday during the academic term.


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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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.