Sponsoring Constituent:

Faculty Senate

Statement of the Issue:

It has been over 6 years (Fall 2010) since the introduction of the current shared governance process. Originally the writing group responsible for creating the shared governance process elected to place the document within the Faculty Handbook to be housed and under the direction of the Provost office within Academic Affairs. After six plus years it seems prudent to revisit the shared governance process, where it resides within the current structure of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro campus and whether or not the process should remain within the Faculty Handbook. This proposal seeks to remove the shared governance process from the Faculty Handbook and have it become a freestanding document. Further this proposal seeks to have the shared governance document and process be placed under the direction of and within the ASU-Jonesboro Chancellor’s Office. Finally, this proposal seeks to maintain the existing protection whereby the shared governance process can only be altered by a thorough campus-wide vetting and an action by the ASU Board of Trustees. In accordance with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) 1966 Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities it is clear …”that the faculty has a collective expertise that gives it “primary responsibility” in such areas of academic governance as curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, research, faculty status, and those aspects of student life which relate to the educational process.”

Rational for Proposal:

The rational for removing the shared governance process from the Faculty Handbook is simple. The shared governance process includes all constituency groups and to have the process and document within the Faculty Handbook is not fair and projects an unacceptable impression that the current process is myopic and intended only for the faculty. The rational for having the shared governance process placed within and under the direction of Chancellor’s Office is twofold. First, the Chancellor is the chancellor for all constituency groups currently delineated within the shared governance process and not just the faculty. Secondly, by having the process under the direction of the Chancellor’s Office it sends a clear signal to future chancellors of the importance of shared governance to the culture of the university community. Finally, as shared governance continues to be infused into the culture of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro its importance will be underscored by having a freestanding document dedicated in its entirety to shared governance and the shared governance process.

For the immediate, the current shared governance process and description will be lifted from the Faculty Handbook and copied to a New Shared Governance Handbook the original of which will be housed and preserved within the Chancellor’s Office. It is anticipated that further amendments to the process and the Shared Governance Handbook will be forthcoming which may impact the membership of the Shared Governance Oversight Committee. Those future proposals will be vetted under the same shared governance process until such time as the process is amended.

Type of Review:

As you see fit.

Disposition:

Shared Governance Proposal Review Process
Proposal: Proposal to remove shared governance to it's on handbook
Date Received: 1/18/2017 / Full (64 Business Days)
Is Proposal a SGOC Issue? / SGOC Establish Disposition / 3 Days
_X__ Yes ___ No / Due By:
Responsible Assigned Committee: / 23-Jan
SGOC / SGOC Forward to Responsible Committees and SGCs / 3 Days
Due By:
Type of Review: / 26-Jan
Expedited / SGCs Send Comments to Responsible Committee / 14 Days
Full / x / Due By:
Extended / 17-Feb
Responsible Committee Prepare Final Draft Send to SGOC / 14 Days
Handbook Issue: __x__ Yes __ No / Due By:
Constituency Groups: / 3/3/2017
Faculty Senate / x / SGOC Sends Final Draft to Constituency Groups for Final Up/Down Vote / 3 Days
Staff Senate / x / Due By:
Dean’s Council / x / 3/8/2017
Chair’s Council / x / Consistency Groups Vote & Notify SGOC / 14 Days
SGA / x / Due By:
GSC / x
Vice Chancellor(s) / x / SGOC Tally Votes & Sends Final Report / 3 Days
Notes: / Due By:
Chancellor Review & Response / 10 Days
Due By: