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Evaluation of Shared Governance

Please note: This is not an online survey. Please download it or print it. Introduction The following list of questions is designed to allow for the immediate evaluation of the state of shared government at institutions of higher education. It is hoped that an institution will use these questions to prepare assessment reports for external reviews as well as to evaluate and enhance the institutional system of shared governance. The questions are largely drawn from a short monograph by Keetjie Ramo entitled Assessing the Faculty's Role in Shared Governance: Implications of AAUP Standards(1998). Each question can be answered with a "yes" or "no." When areas for concern are identified by a preponderance of "no" answers, Ramo (1998) and the Redbook (2001) should be consulted extensively as a means of improving the practice of shared governance Ramo identified seven areas that are key indicators of the state of shared governance at institutions of higher education: Climate for Governance Institutional Communication Board's Role President's Role Faculty's Role Joint Decision Making Assessing Structural Arrangements for Governance She developed a separate section for each indicator. Within each section, she identifies and summarizes the relevant governance principles located throughout the AAUP Policy Documents and Reports ("Redbook"). She also considers pertinent governance literature and discusses the implications of the factors discussed in the literature for the implementation of AAUP principles. Each section includes a set of questions requiring a rather detailed analysis of an institution's governance system. A consideration of those questions, along with the references and AAUP principles that Ramo cites, can provide a useful framework for building and improving shared governance in colleges and universities.
Climate for Governance
Do the trustees, the administration, and the faculty model collegiality, respect, tolerance and civility towards other members of the campus community and each other?		Yes No
Are negotiations and communications among university constituents open and carried out in good faith and in an atmosphere of trust?		Yes No
Institutional Communication
Does consultation by the administration with faculty leadership allow time and a mechanism for leadership to consult with their constituents before offering recommendations?		Yes No
Does the faculty as a whole, in addition to faculty representatives, have timely access to information necessary for faculty members to give input into governance processes?		Yes No
The Board's Role
Do members of the governing board have appropriate individual qualifications with regard to education and experience?		Yes No
Is the board inappropriately involved in the day-to-day operations of the institution?		Yes No
Do board members inform themselves on governance issues by keeping up with the literature and participating in training opportunities and meetings of the Association of Governing Boards or the AAUP?		Yes No
Does the board respect and support the faculty's traditional role in institutional governance?		Yes No
The President's Role
Does the president have adequate academic as well as administrative credentials to serve as the chief academic officer of the institution?		Yes No
Does the president on more than rare occasions overturn faculty decisions and recommendations in areas in which the faculty has primary responsibility (e.g., curriculum, tenure and promotion decisions)?		Yes No
Does the president seek meaningful faculty input on those issues (such as budgeting) in which the faculty has an appropriate interest but not primary responsibility?		Yes No
Does the president effectively advocate the principles of shared governance to the governing board?		Yes No
The Faculty's Role
Is the faculty afforded an appropriate degree of autonomy with regard to its areas of responsibility by the administration and governing board?		Yes No
Does the faculty appropriately exercise its capacity for both adverse and positive decisions in faculty personnel matters?		Yes No
Do resources for faculty development, reward structures, and workloads support the development of faculty expertise in areas of faculty primacy?		Yes No
Joint Decision-Making
Does the institution recognize joint responsibility for decision making in the area of long range planning?		Yes No
Does the institution recognize joint responsibility for decision making regarding existing or prospective physical resources?		Yes No
Does the institution recognize joint responsibility for decision making in the area of budgeting?		Yes No
Does the institution recognize joint responsibility for decision making in the selection of a new president?		Yes No
Does the institution recognize joint responsibility for decision making in staff selection and promotion and the granting of tenure?		Yes No
Are the structures and processes that allow for faculty collaboration clearly defined in the governance documents?		Yes No
Are these structures and processes functioning in an effective manner?		Yes No
Assessing Structural Arrangements for Governance
Is there a faculty senate or other institution-wide governance body that meets on a regular basis?		Yes No
Do faculty determine how their own representatives are selected?		Yes No
For joint committees on which the faculty is represented, does the representation appropriately reflect the degree of the faculty's stake in the issue or area the committee is charged with addressing?		Yes No
Has the faculty as a whole had an opportunity to meet and comment on "short-listed" academic administrative candidates before hiring decisions are made?		Yes No