Overall Rating Reporter - expired
Overall Score
Liaison Michelle Patterson
Submission Date March 6, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Washington University in St. Louis
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter Cheryl Adelstein
Director of Community Relations & Local Government Affairs
Government and Community Relations
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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:
Two non-voting student representatives participate in Board of Trustees meetings. These students apply and must have knowledge of the undergraduate experience at Washington University, be articulate, be able to present a variety of opinions, have sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and hold the respect of peers, faculty, and of others in the community.

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:
The Danforth Staff Council of Washington University consists of twenty-five representatives serving staggered terms. The mission of the council is to “serve and represent non-faculty and non-union Danforth staff members. We seek to collaborate with the senior administration (Associate Vice Chancellor/Provost level and above) and Human Resources to broaden and strengthen the lines of communication on matters that impact staff and to provide advice to the administration on policy decisions.” Their website can be found here for further information: http://staffcouncil.wustl.edu/

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 consists of voting members of all schools of the University. Senate meetings are held twice a year. The Faculty Senate Council of Washington University is the elected governing body of the Faculty Senate. Fifteen representatives serve staggered, three-year terms. Nine divisional representatives are elected by their respective schools, and five at-large representatives are elected by the whole faculty senate. The organizational structure can be found here: http://facultysenate.wustl.edu/organizational-structure/ . Faculty Senate Council member roles can be found here: http://facultysenate.wustl.edu/organizational-structure/council-member-roles/ The secretary* and the chair* of the Faculty Senate Council are faculty representatives on the Board of Trustees. The chair of the Faculty Senate Council represents the faculty on the University Council. There are also two faculty reps on the Educational Policy Committee of the Board of Trustees. *The secretary is elected by the full Faculty Senate. The chair is elected by the Faculty Senate Council.

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:
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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

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):
The University maintains a Neighbors Council, an advisory body which enables a free flow of ideas and exchange between the University’s leaders and 18 members who are selected from the neighborhoods closest to campus. Further, the University hosts the annual Chancellor’s Report to Neighbors in which senior administrators discuss current initiatives and respond to questions from the public. University representative serve on the boards of local neighborhood organizations, chambers of commerce, and special business districts. This allows for community issues and perceptions to be considered in University planning efforts. Further University representative regularly meet with local elected and appointed officials to share issues and concerns.

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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