Charter of Shared Governance at Fairleigh Dickinson University

Approved by the FDU Board of Trustees, March 2024

This charter for shared governance at Fairleigh Dickinson University was approved by the Board of Trustees at its March 2024 meeting.  The charter went into effect as of the Fall 2024 semester.

Structure of Shared Governance at FDU

In accordance with the spirit of the core values and the purposes with which we come to the together in Shared Governance, our Shared Governance Structure features the following:  

Governance Steering Council (GSC)

The GSC coordinates and monitors issues that engage all constituents of the university and can send those issues to other committees and councils for their review.

Membership, Leadership, and Terms of Office in the GSC

The GSC comprises six faculty members selected by the Faculty Senate, representing the three degree-granting campuses, one individual selected by the Professional Administrative Senate (PAS), one individual selected by the Office & Professional Employees International Union (Union), one individual selected by the Student Leadership Council (a new leadership structure, see below), the University’s Provost, the Chief Financial Officer (currently, the Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration), and Chief Student Affairs Officer (currently, the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students) or their respective designees. All the individuals named above are voting members of the GSC.  In addition to the voting members of the GSC, two non-voting individuals participate in the GSC: one representative of the Vancouver Campus’s Alumni Association and one representative of the NJ Campuses’ Alumni Association. Non-voting alumni representatives are selected by the relevant Board of Governors.

The Provost, representing the President’s Cabinet, and a faculty member serve as co-chairs of the GSC. The faculty co-chair is selected by the faculty delegation on the GSC.

Faculty members, administrators representing the PAS, and staff representing the Union, on the GSC serve a term of two years each, renewable. The faculty members have staggered terms. Students serve a term of one year, renewable. The Provost, Chief Financial Officer (or their designee), and Chief Students Affairs Officer (or their designee) are permanent members. The faculty co-chair of the GSC should have one year of prior experience as a GSC member whenever possible.

The home campus of the non-faculty members will be designated as follows, with the same pattern of rotation in succeeding years:

• Professional Administrator (selected by PAS): NJ (Florham or Metro) for 2024-2026, Vancouver 2026-2028, NJ 2028-2030
• Union Member (selected by the Union): Florham 2024-2026, Metro 2026-2028
• Student (selected by the Student Leadership Council): Metro 2024-2026, Florham, Vancouver 2028-2030

The GSC is supported by a staff member responsible for organizing meetings of the GSC, taking minutes at meetings of the GSC, communicating on behalf of the GSC to stakeholder governance bodies (defined below) as well as committees and councils, and tracking the progress of the review of proposed new policies or revision of existing policies on a University-wide website. Posting GSC’s progress and activities on a website also helps FDU document its efforts to foster and operationalize a culture of transparent and continuous improvement.

Purpose of the GSC

The purpose of the GSC is to examine suggestions – from any member of the FDU community – for changes to existing policies or practices and suggestions for the creation of new policies or practices at Fairleigh Dickinson University, to determine whether they are appropriate for further consideration, to develop charges to the relevant committee, advisory council, to review the proposals from those committees or councils, and, as appropriate, to recommend those proposals to the relevant decision-making authority of the University, be it the President, a Vice President, or through the President, to the Board of Trustees.

The GSC may choose to invite any university community members to participate in the discussion of any particular agenda item; individuals thus invited to one or another meeting do not have voting rights on the GSC. Individual community members may request to come to a GSC meeting to address a particular issue, and the GSC may choose to extend or not to extend such an invitation as it sees fit.

Members of the GSC are expected to discuss matters raised in the GSC as appropriate with their respective governance stakeholder bodies.

The GSC does not address issues within the authority of the faculty as specified by the Faculty Handbook.  

The Work of the GSC

If there is a question if a matter is an issue within the authority of the faculty, the faculty representatives on the GSC will consult the Faculty Handbook and the Faculty Senate and report their conclusions to the GSC for discussion that will lead to a solution agreeable to all parties.

Once the GSC has sent a charge to a committee, council, or ad hoc task force and has received the response from that body, the GSC responds with one of these options:

1. Approved and recommended to the relevant decision-making authority
2. Returned to the relevant lower-level body for clarification or consideration of additional questions
3. Referred to another lower-level body for additional work
4. Rejected (with justification and, if appropriate, direction for further work)*

*The GSC does not have the authority to reject a decision of the Faculty Senate on an academic matter as per the provisions of the Faculty Handbook.

The GSC strives to come to consensus on all matters brought to its attention.  When it fails to come to consensus, the GSC members vote on the given matter and when the GSC is not unanimous in its recommendation to the relevant decision-making authority on any matter, the GSC must provide majority and minority opinions so that the decision- making authority can see all the perspectives discussed by the GSC.

Some matters brought to the GSC’s attention may require a prompt response and the GSC will have to consider that in its work and how it works with the University-wide committees, advisory councils, and stakeholder bodies.  As one example only, changes to federal, state/provincial, or local laws may require changes to University policies on an urgent basis. In such cases, the University’s General Counsel will notify the GSC of those changes and the GSC may request a discussion with the General Counsel and other relevant University officers to discuss the implications of these changes.

How Community Members Make Suggestions to Improve Policies or Practices at FDU

Any community member may suggest an idea for consideration by the University’s Shared Governance Structure by choosing one of the following options:

• Submit a suggestion or question to the GSC through an email to the GSC (an email account will be established for this purpose) or to either of the co-chairs of the GSC (the Provost and a faculty member)
• Submit a suggestion or question to the leadership or designated group in the individual’s Stakeholder Governance Body

Stakeholder Governance Bodies (defined below) may refer a suggestion or question they have received from a stakeholder to the GSC if they deem it relevant to the scope of the GSC’s function (e.g., a university-wide question affecting more than one group of stakeholders) or may take it up themselves within the purview of their authority (e.g., a suggestion from a faculty member to change the University’s grading system, which is a topic completely within the authority of the Faculty as per the Faculty Handbook). Not every suggestion or question directed to a Stakeholder Governance Body need be submitted to the GSC.

Levels of Analysis in Shared Governance

When the GSC refers a matter for review to a committee or council (see description of University-Wide Committees and Councils, below), it includes in the charge its deadline for a response and the instruction that the given review be conducted in one of the three levels of analysis as follows:

• Level 1 (lowest level): Members of the committee or council discuss and report back to the GSC
• Level 2 (mid-level): Members of the committee or council discuss and develop a preliminary response, present it to the relevant governance stakeholder bodies (defined below) for feedback (as specified in the charge from GSC), revise the response accordingly, and submit to the GSC; The governance stakeholder bodies are: for the faculty, the Faculty Senate; for the non-Union staff – the Professional Administrative Senate; for the Union employees – the Union; for the students – Student Government; for alumni – the Alumni Advisory Councils.
• Level 3 (highest level): Members of the committee or council discuss, research relevant policies and practices at some other institutions and/or consider best practices as documented in the research literature, develop a preliminary response, present to the relevant governance stakeholder bodies as specified in the charge from GSC for feedback, revise the response if deemed appropriate, and submit to the GSC; The governance stakeholder bodies are: for the faculty, the Faculty Senate; for the non-Union staff – the Professional Administrative Senate ; for the Union employees – the Union; for the students – Student Government; for alumni – the Alumni Advisory Councils.

Stakeholders and Governance Stakeholder Bodies

The Stakeholders of the University are the University’s faculty, non-faculty employees (both union members and individuals who are not union members), students, alumni, and members of the Board of Trustees.

The Stakeholders of the University are represented in the following Governance Stakeholder Bodies as follows:

The Board of Trustees is the highest-level governance body at Fairleigh Dickinson University. It is governed by its own By-Laws.

The President of the University, who is a member of the Board of Trustees, acts in accordance with the Board’s By-Laws, and is the chief executive officer of the University.

The President’s Cabinet consists of those individuals who report directly to the President, including the Provost, General Counsel, and others, as per the decision of the President.

The Senior Leadership of the University consists of the President’s Cabinet and of those individuals who report directly to them, including Deans of Colleges, Directors of Independent Schools, Associate Vice Presidents, and Associate Provosts.

The University-Wide Faculty Senate is a stakeholder body that represents all full-time faculty, as defined in the Faculty Handbook, on all FDU campuses with some non-voting representation of part-time faculty on all FDU campuses, as determined by the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate does not represent instructors who are primarily administrative or staff employees, who are represented by the Professional Administrative Senate.

The University-Wide Professional Administrative Senate –represents all full-time and regular part-time non-faculty employees on all FDU campuses, except those individuals who are members of the Union (see below) or members of the University’s Senior Leadership. This is currently a body that reflects only NJ-based administrators and will expand to include all non-Union employees on all FDU campuses.  Furthermore, the Professional Administrative Senate (PAS) may invite contracted employees to share feedback with the PAS through non-voting attendance at PAS town halls or in surveys as deemed appropriate.

The Office & Professional Employees International Union, Local 153, consists of all regular full-time and part-time office, clerical, and secretarial employees at the Florham and Metropolitan campuses, including athletic department employees and technical employees, but does not include individuals whose primary role is that of student, administrative staff to the President, clerical positions that report to the Controller, Faculty Information Specialist, Computer Center Shift Supervisors, all employees in the University Human Resources Department, Payroll Department,  professional employees, part-time employees employed less than 16 hours per week, confidential employees, managerial employees, uniformed public safety employees (except secretaries and clerks), and all supervisors as defined in the National Labor Relations Act, (29 U.S.C. Sec. 151-169) and all other employees represented by the Union.

The Alumni Advisory Councils consist of the FDU-NJ Alumni Board of Governors, which represents FDU alumni of either New Jersey campus, and the FDUV Alumni Board of Governors which represents alumni of the FDU Vancouver campus.

Student Government Associations – representing all full-time and part-time students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, on each degree-granting campus and on-line, excluding students who are primarily employees of the University and represented by another stakeholder body. The student government associations may invite learners at off-campus locations to provide feedback on matters as they (the student government associations) deem appropriate. Student Government Associations currently exist on both New Jersey campuses, and one would be created at Vancouver.

University-Wide Student Leadership Council – consists of the members of the executive boards of each campus-based student government association, including a Student Government Association to be established at the Vancouver Campus.

The Governance Stakeholder Bodies elect or appoint individuals, in processes they design to represent them, on the GSC and all other University-Wide Committees and Councils identified in this Charter of Shared Governance:  Faculty Senate, Professional Administrative Senate, Union, Student Governments, and Alumni Advisory Councils. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of each Stakeholder and Governance Stakeholder Body to determine how individuals are represented within their Governance Body (e.g., the Faculty Senate determines how faculty elect faculty senators).

The committees and advisory councils are listed here.

Scope of Responsibility

Committees, Councils, Stakeholder Bodies (Faculty Senate, Professional Administrative Senate, Union,  and the Student Government), Senior Leadership (as defined above), the members of the President’s Cabinet, the President, and the Board of Trustees of the University all play distinctive roles in a broad range of governance issues, including the development and approval of policies and practices, the development and implementation of new academic and co-curricular programs, the hiring of senior leaders, and the development and approval of budgets. For each governance issue, each group or upper- level administrator is specified as having a particular responsibility: consult (lowest level), recommend, decide, approve a decision, consider an appeal of that decision. Appendix I to this document outlines some of the key roles and responsibilities for stakeholder groups, committees, and councils in the shared governance process.

The function of the GSC is defined above in this document.

Process for Amending This Charter

At any time, any member of the FDU community may propose to the GSC a change to this Charter. If the suggested change is minor, the GSC may use its discretion to recommend the change to the President and General Counsel.

If the GSC deems the proposed change to be major, the GSC will consider that proposed change and determine if it warrants further investigation. If so, the GSC will appoint an ad hoc task force to review and respond to the request for a change, possibly proposing a change to the GSC which might require broad consultation with the stakeholder groups.

Every six years, the GSC will charge an ad hoc task force with the review of the entire structure of shared governance with the charge to consult with the stakeholders of the entire community and propose any revisions the task force deems necessary. This revision process must include adequate consultation with all stakeholder groups.

Ultimately, any change to this charter must be approved by the President and the Board of Trustees of Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Legal Disclaimer

While this Charter addresses the University community’s desire for and commitment to representation, inclusion, transparency, and consultation in formulating policies and processes, nothing in this Charter or any associated statements, materials, and documentation establishes contractual or other legally enforceable rights, in whole or in part, between the University and any faculty, staff, student or other member of the University community, and a failure to follow the processes outlined in this Charter will not give rise to any legal claim.

Appendix I. Roles and Responsibilities in Shared Governance

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 (2^nd 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  (Vancouver and 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 described below, the role of the GSC, when asked, is to facilitate or 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 ore 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 decided 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.

Appendix II: Priority of the Faculty Handbook

As per the information provided in the history of this document and the President’s Charge to the Shared Governance Task Force, the Faculty Handbook takes precedence for any matter listed in it.  Accordingly, the topics and issues listed below, while either constituting academic decisions themselves or related to academic decisions, are defined and described in the Faculty Handbook and are not subject to the shared governance processes described in this Charter. The University’s faculty may choose to review these topics and issues in the Faculty Senate and propose changes to the Faculty Handbook as per the practices, processes, and policies of the Faculty Senate:

[Topics listed here appear in the order of their appearance in the Table of Contents of the Faculty Handbook]

• Definition of the University Faculty
• Composition, Purposes, Functions, Jurisdiction of the Faculty Senate, Selection of Its Officers, Meetings, Bylaws, and Committees
• Organization, Structures, Bylaws of the Colleges, Schools, Academic Departments, Academic Programs
• The Hiring of Faculty
• Faculty Status Review (reappointment, tenure, and promotion)
• Faculty Dismissal
• Faculty Grievance Procedures
• Dismissal of Faculty for Cause
• Imposition of Sanctions Other Than Dismissal
• Termination Due to Discontinuance of a Program or Department
• Faculty Workload
• Faculty Research and Travel
• Faculty Rights and Responsibilities
• Non-University Employment of Faculty Members
• Faculty Personnel Files
• Leaves of Absence
• Faculty Benefits
• Evaluation of Academic Administrators
• Financial Exigency

Other academic matters such as those stipulated in the Faculty Handbook for the scope of work of the APR Committee (e.g., academic policies of broad university scope, general academic standards, learning outcomes assessment, admissions, requirements for degrees, continuing education, independent study, credit by examination, credit for work or life experience, internships, final examinations, the Honors Program, global education, distance learning, and the core curriculum)

Other issues or topics that may be added to the Faculty Handbook in the future

Other academic matters not mentioned in the Faculty Handbook per se but included in the notion of “academic matters” as defined generally by the scope of authority of the Faculty Senate.

Appendix III: Charge to the Shared Governance Task Force

Members listed alphabetically by campus and alphabetically by last name on each campus

Florham Campus

• Patricia (“Trish”) Melloy, Professor of Biology, Becton College, Incoming President of the Faculty Senate (Faculty) pmelloy@fdu.edu (blue for faculty)
• Natalie Van, Junior Majoring in Criminology, Member of Student Government at Florham (Student) n.van@student.fdu.edu (purple for student)
• Karen Stecher, Specialist in Learning Disabilities (Staff) kstecher@fdu.edu (red for staff)

Metro Campus

• Alexander (“Alex”) Casti, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Gildart Haase School (Faculty) casti@fdu.edu
• Suleima Mestanza, Student majoring in Biology, President of Student Government at Teaneck (Student) smestanza360@student.fdu.edu
• Anita Rivers, Executive Director for Community Relations (Staff) arivers@fdu.edu

Vancouver Campus

• Constance (“Connie”) Bygrave, Associate Professor of Administrative Science, School of Public and Global Affairs (Faculty) bygrave@fdu.edu
• Arlette Hernandez Pulido, Director of Enrollment Services (Staff) arlette@fdu.edu
• Parsa Mokari, Undergraduate student studying business administration (Student) p.mokarizadehasil@student.fdu.edu

Ex Officio

• Benjamin (“Ben”) Rifkin, Interim University Provost & Senior VP for Academic Affairs (Admin) b.rifkin@fdu.edu
• Vanessa Perez, Director of Academic Affairs (Admin) vanessa.perez@fdu.edu

Administrative Support

• Isabel Comp (Staff) i.comp@fdu.edu

Background

As part of the periodic reaccreditation process that Fairleigh Dickinson University undergoes as an institutional member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the University examines its own processes, practices, policies, systems, structures, and student learning outcomes. As part of that self-examination in 2023-2024, FDU will review its shared governance structure, a structure last reviewed and updated in 1999.  The Interim University Provost, leading this effort, reached out to the leadership of the Faculty Senate, the Professional and Administrative Staff Senate, and the Student Governments of each campus, where they exist. Each of these organizations named individuals to participate in this task force.  All three faculty members of the Task Force were named by the Faculty Senate. The NJ-based staff members were named by the Professional and Administrative Staff Senate.  The NJ-based students were named by the two campuses’ student organizations.  The staff member and student from Vancouver were nominated by administrators in Vancouver.  All the members of the task force have agreed to serve.

The Charge

The Shared Governance Task Force, convened by the Interim University Provost, will review the existing structures and systems of shared governance at Fairleigh Dickinson University and compare analogous structures and systems at other institutions and in the research literature on shared governance in higher education to answer the following questions:

1. Does FDU’s existing shared governance provide faculty, students, and staff opportunities to contribute to the creation and implementation of new policies and practices and the revision of existing policies and practices? In other words, does FDU’s existing shared governance allow the voices of individuals in all three stakeholder groups to be heard?
2. Does FDU’s existing shared governance meet the needs of our University community in the 21^st century?
3. Does FDU’s existing shared governance reflect the latest research and best practices in shared governance in higher education?
4. If the answer to one or more of the above three questions is “no,” then the Shared Governance Task Force is charged with developing and proposing a new model of shared governance to be proposed to faculty, staff, students, and administration at all three degree-granting campuses for stakeholders of each group and on each campus prior to proposing the new model of shared governance to the President and his cabinet and to the University’s Board of Trustees. Such a model must have an explicit statement of the principles and values on which it is built (for instance, Inclusiveness, Transparency, Consultation, and any other ideas).

Not to Be Considered in This Process

The following topics and issues are defined in the Faculty Handbook and are not up for discussion in the work of the Shared Governance Task Force.  The University’s faculty may choose to review these topics and issues in the Faculty Senate, but they are not relevant to the larger shared governance discussion to be undertaken by this task force.

• Definition of the University Faculty
• Composition, Purposes, Functions, Jurisdiction of the Faculty Senate, Selection of Its Officers, Meetings, Bylaws, and Committees
• Organization, Structures, Bylaws of the Colleges, Schools, Academic Departments, Academic Programs
• The Hiring of Faculty
• Faculty Status Review (reappointment, tenure, and promotion)
• Faculty Dismissal
• Faculty Grievance Procedures
• Faculty Workload
• Faculty Research and Travel
• Faculty Rights and Responsibilities
• Faculty Benefits
• Evaluation of Academic Administrators

All the bulleted items above are described in the Faculty Handbook.

Our Process

The Shared Governance Task Force will receive its charge (this document) at a meeting in late July and will begin meeting regularly (once every two or three weeks) in the fall semester at a regularly scheduled time, with a draft list of agenda topics appended below.

Our discussions are strictly confidential.  However, you are encouraged to ask questions of the people (faculty, staff, students) with whom they interact on their respective campuses if doing so will be helpful to inform you about questions we are considering. If the Task Force decides to propose a new model of shared governance, task force members will be expected to participate in presenting the new model on their respective campuses, to answer questions of community members about the new model, and to participate in Task Force discussions of feedback provided by the community.

If the Shared Governance Task Force decides to develop and propose a new model of shared governance, our goal is to have community-wide meetings about the model in the period from December 1, 2023 through February 15, 2024, then to review and revise the model and propose it to President Avaltroni by February 29, 2024 so that he may discuss with the Board of Trustees.  If the new model is approved at the Board’s March 2024 meeting, any elections or appointments of faculty, staff, and students to newly created governance bodies can happen in April 2024 so that the newly created governance bodies can be convened in September 2024.

The University Community will receive a survey in the Fall 2023 semester with the following questions:

Respond to these questions on the scale of 

A = Strongly Disagree

B = Disagree

C = Neither Agree nor Disagree

D = Agree

E = Strongly Agree

1. I understand how new policies are created at FDU.
2. I understand how existing policies are revised at FDU.
3. I am consulted on the creation of new policies at FDU that are relevant to my work or studies.
4. I am consulted on the revision of existing policies at FDU that are relevant to my work or studies.
5. People in my FDU group (faculty, students, or staff) have a voice in the shaping of policies at FDU.

The Task Force will receive data on the responses to these questions, broken down by stakeholder group (faculty, students, staff) and campus.

Tentative List of Topics to Be Discussed at Meetings

(Numbered in Sequence, not by Date)

1. Goals and Core Principles of Shared Governance, Assessment of Shared Governance at FDU, Best Practices of Shared Governance (Discussion of Readings)
2. Do we recommend revision of Shared Governance at FDU? If yes, commence to following topics.  If no, the Task Force formalizes its recommendation not to revise FDU’s Shared Governance in a memo to the President and the leadership of Faculty Senate, PAS Senate, and Student Governments, and disbands.

Following Topics and Meetings only if the Task Force decides to propose a revised structure of shared governance:

3. Distribution of Functions in Each Category of Decision-Making (Decide, Recommend, Consult, etc.: Consider Exhibit 9 on p. 93 of Bahls, the book you’ve been sent
4. Inter-Constituency Collaboration As an Embedded Feature of Shared Governance
5. Aligning Councils or Committees with Topic Areas
6. Amendment Process and Periodic Review
7. Plan for Consultation with Stakeholders about the Proposed Model
8. Completion and Submission of Proposal

Readings about Shared Governance

A folder on OneDrive for the Task Force has been created and members of the Shared Governance Task Force will receive an email link to the folder. If you discover anything you think should be shared with the Task Force, please send it to Isabel Comp who will post it to the folder.

For our first meeting in the fall, please read the following (all in the SGTF Folder):

• AAUP (American Association of University Professors) “Statement on Shared Governance” from 1966
• “Neglected Links in Shared Governance” (article from “HigherEdJobs”)
• “Report on the (FDU) President’s Task Force on Institutional Governance (TFIG) Report” from 1999

Please also review the shared governance websites of these institutions, both of which won awards for excellence in Shared Governance from the AAUP:

• The College of New Jersey: https://governance.tcnj.edu
• Santa Clara University: https://www.scu.edu/governance and https://www.scu.edu/governance/resources-charter/

You may wish to look at other universities’ shared governance websites, including those listed in a document in our reading folder.  If you find a university’s shared governance website that is not already on the list of award recipients and think it would be useful to share with the Task Force, please notify Isabel Comp who will add the site to the list and alert all SGTF members accordingly.

Last, but not least, each member of our Task Force will receive a copy of this book: Shared Governance for Agile Institutions by Steven C. Bahls, published by the Association of Governing Boards

In that book, please read the following sections before our first meeting in the fall:

1. 5-17 (Chapter 1)
2. 79-105 (Chapter 6), especially Exhibit 9 on p. 93