Appendix 1 to Shared Governance Charter: Roles and Responsibilities

This description of shared governance roles and responsibilities clarifies for our community who is consulted on what kinds of decisions at Fairleigh Dickinson University. This narrative was developed in accordance with a grid in the book Shared Governance for Agile Institutions: A Practical Guide for Universities and Colleges (2nd edition) by Steven C. Bahls, published by the Association of Governing Boards in 2023.

The University uses the shared governance structure set forth in this Charter to facilitate structured and systematized consultation with relevant stakeholder groups on policy matters requiring such consultation.

The University President may, at their discretion, move forward on policy changes without referring such matters to the GSC for community-wide consultation including, but not limited to, those that ensure adherence to federal, state/provincial, or local laws, contractual agreements, terms and conditions of employment, and/or accreditation requirements. The University President will, however, consult with the faculty on matters relevant to the Faculty Handbook, which may not require consultation with the GSC

Definitions

Stakeholder Groups: Fairleigh Dickinson has the following stakeholder groups: Students, Staff (including Union members and public safety officers), Professional Administrators, Faculty, members of the Senior Leadership Team (employees with the title of President, Senior Vice President, Vice President, Associate Vice President, Vice Provost, Associate Provost, Dean of a College, or Director of an Independent School), members of the Board of Trustees, and Alumni.

Governance Stakeholder Bodies: Most of the Stakeholder Groups have a formally recognized governance body: The Student Government Associations, the Professional Administrative Senate, the Faculty Senate, and the Alumni Boards of Governors / Alumni Advisory Councils (one in Vancouver and one in NJ). Members of the Senior Leadership Team do not have a governance body.

Consult means to provide feedback to other individuals or groups on a matter. For instance, students, staff, professional administrators, and faculty may be invited to read the resume of a candidate for a leadership position and attend a presentation (community forum) by the job candidate. Community members from all stakeholder groups are given the opportunity to fill out a candidate feedback form and completed feedback forms are reviewed by the search committee for the position.

Recommend means to provide a recommendation to the decision maker. In the case of a search for a senior leader, the Search Committee may make a recommendation.

Decide means to decide the matter. In the case of a search for a senior leader, the decision maker is the person who selects the candidate for the job, having considered the recommendation from the recommending group or recommending individuals.

Approve the Decision means to approve the decision of the decision in those cases where such an approval is called for, e.g., certain matters require Board of Trustees approval.

Hears an Appeal means to hear the request for a decision to be reconsidered in those matters where such an appeal is provided for.

In the business and operational decisions as well as in the academic decisions, which are described and distinguished in the relevant section (links here), the role of the GSC, when asked, is to facilitate and organize the appropriate consultation.

Business and Operational Decisions

The hiring of a president for the University is a matter entrusted to the Board of Trustees, which may consult with other members of the community as it sees fit.

The articulation of the President’s goals for any period of time is a matter wholly in the hands of the Board of Trustees, which may consult with other members of the community as it sees fit.

The hiring of a vice president is a matter entrusted to the President, who consults with other members of the community, including members of the Board of Trustees, as the president sees fit. However, the hiring of a vice president for academic affairs, also known as the provost, requires the convening of a search committee as per the provisions of the Faculty Handbook, as described below in Academic Decisions.

The President is charged with the development of strategic plans and campus master plans, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, and on the basis of consultation with representatives of all stakeholder groups of the community and on the recommendation of the Senior Leadership Team.

Proposals for capital projects and for the University’s annual budget are decided by the President and approved by the Board of Trustees, on the basis of consultation with members of the Senior Leadership Team, including especially the University’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Academic Officer, and the recommendation of the University-wide Planning and Budget Committee.

The Vice President for Student Affairs recommends the development of a new Student Code of Conduct or revisions to the existing Student Code of Conduct for the consideration of the President and the Board of Trustees, on the basis of consultation with the Student Government, Faculty Senate, Professional Administrative Senate, and the members of the Union.

Changes to existing Bylaws of the University and/or any of the University’s colleges or schools or the development of new Bylaws of the University and/or any of the University’s colleges or schools are recommended to the President and the Board of Trustees by the University’s General Counsel, with consultation with the relevant Stakeholder Bodies.

Changes to Employee Handbooks or Manuals are recommended to the President and the Board of Trustees by the University’s General Counsel in consultation with the University’s Chief Human Resources Officer, with consultation with the relevant Governance Stakeholder Bodies, with the exception of the Faculty Handbook, for which changes are made in accordance with the provisions in the Faculty Handbook.

Other business or operational decisions are made in accordance with each individual’s or unit’s scope of responsibility as described in other University policies, Board of Trustees resolutions, or other formal University documentation.

Academic Decisions

The hiring of a Provost is decided by the President on the basis of recommendations of the search committee established in accordance with the provisions of the Faculty Handbook. The Search Committee is charged with gathering feedback (consultation) from community members – including faculty, professional administrators, staff, and students – with regard to the finalists for the position of Provost.

The hiring of a college dean or the director of an independent school is done in accordance with the provisions of the Faculty Handbook.

On the recommendation of the relevant college dean or school director, who has consulted with the relevant Educational Planning Committee, the Provost is entrusted with the decision of authorizing the hire of full-time faculty members in consultation with the University’s Chief Financial Officer. The President is responsible for approving the Provost’s decision.

In accordance with the Faculty Handbook, the relevant college dean or school director decides which finalist to hire for a full-time faculty position on the recommendation of the relevant search committee, which has consulted with the relevant community members (faculty, professional administrators, staff, and students) of the given academic unit, contingent on the successful candidate’s background check.

The President approves the establishment of a new degree program at the recommendation of the Provost and relevant college dean or school director and Educational Planning Committee as well as the Vice President for Enrollment Management and the director of Enrollment Services, as per the Faculty Handbook. The relevant college dean or school director must consult with members of the relevant unit’s faculty, professional administrators, and staff. The Board of Trustees approves the decision of the President. New degree programs must be approved by the State of New Jersey Department of Education or the relevant state or provincial body. A member of the Provost’s Office guides deans and directors in the process for approvals by the University and the State of New Jersey.

Curricular changes that affect more than a single college or independent school, such as the establishment or revision of a general education program or requirements for graduation for candidates for a bachelor’s degree, are subject to review and recommendation by the Academic Policies and Research Committee and approval of the Faculty Senate, as per the Faculty Handbook.

When it comes to the Board of Trustees’ exercise of their authority per Faculty Handbook VI to designate “independent Schools and Colleges of the University,” and restructuring of academic units in general, the provisions of the faculty handbook shall be followed.

Articulation Agreements for institutions whose students come to FDU as well as for institutions to which FDU students go after attending FDU, as well as curricular partnership agreements (such as those providing for FDU-credentialed instruction for employees of private sector businesses or public agencies) are matters decided by the Provost, on the recommendation of General Counsel, for the approval of the President, in consultation with the relevant college deans or school directors and Educational Planning Committees, the University’s Chief Financial Officer, and the relevant faculty, professional administrators, staff, and students. Such partnerships may be proposed by any member of the FDU community, and the relevant deans or directors can choose to investigate.

Faculty status review decisions, such as those for reappointment, tenure, and promotion, are made in accordance with the provisions of the Faculty Handbook.

Approval for students to graduate and receive their degrees is granted by the President and Board of Trustees on the recommendation of the director of Enrollment Services and, if necessary, in consultation with the relevant college dean or school director, as per the Faculty Handbook.

The selection of individuals to be given an honorary degree is a decision made by the President on the recommendation of the APRC. The Board of Trustees approves that decision, as per the Faculty Handbook.

The personnel budgets for a college or an independent school are proposed by the relevant dean or director, or the Executive Director of the Vancouver Campus or the Wroxton Campus, in consultation, as appropriate for the matter of faculty lines, with the relevant Educational Planning Committee. These budget proposals are reviewed by the Provost who then considers them for the development of a budget proposal for Academic Affairs. The proposed budget for the Division of Academic Affairs is reviewed by the UPBC. The UPBC recommends the University-wide budget to the President as described above.

The operational budgets for a college or an independent school, including the proposed operational budgets for department or program within a college or independent school, are developed and recommended by the relevant dean or director (on the recommendation of the relevant department chair or program director for their operational budgets). The Provost reviews the operational budget for inclusion in the budget proposal for the Division of Academic Affairs, which is reviewed by the UPBC. The UPBC recommends the University-wide budget to the President as described above.

Changes to the Faculty Handbook are made in accordance with the provisions of the Faculty Handbook.

Changes to the Student Code of Conduct are made at the recommendation of the Vice President for Student Affairs, in consultation with the Office of General Counsel and the University Student Affairs Committee, who will also consult, in turn, with the University’s stakeholder bodies.

Other academic-related decisions are made in accordance with each individual’s or unit’s scope of responsibility as described in other University policies, Board of Trustees resolutions, or other formal University documentation. Furthermore, as described in Appendix II, the Faculty Handbook specifies faculty responsibility for academic matters; the Shared Governance structure provides for faculty consultation with individuals from other stakeholder groups.