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Fall Planning 2007 Agenda

Updated Topics for University Faculty Senate Governance Committee

2007-8

Carry Over items

• Resolution on campus self-proclamation
• The committee has been working on this topic for a number of years.  It has become an even more relevant topic with the approval (by the Board of Trustees) of a fee that corresponds to the development of honors programs.
• The shaping of the resolution, with recommended action, has been the responsibility of Erik D’Aquino. 
• The Executive Committee would like to see this work completed, with the incorporation of the discussion of the fee.
• Timeline: 
• Present updated document for discussion at the
  Sept. Planning meeting
• Present for vote at the October 2007 or January 2008 Plenary
  
  
• CGL/Council Participation Survey
• A preliminary survey has been distributed in hard copy at two Plenaries, for completion by CGLs
• Suggestions from the Executive Committee related to the survey development were the following:
• Consider the 2006-7 survey as a pilot.
• Pursue additional participation by CGLs, and eliminate the “anonymous” feature.
• Work with the Committee members to modify the survey so as to include the language from the Board of Trustees By-Laws (Article VIII) in the survey, to clarify the impetus of this.
• Explore the role of the President in involving the CGL in the College council
• Use an electronic survey format, and send to the CGLs via their listserv
• Suggestions from the Executive Committee related to resolutions, based on the survey, were the following:
• Recommend that the CGL be the designated  “representative of the faculty” in the Council By-Laws for each campus
• Recommend that the CGL have a spot on the agenda
• Recommend that the Governance Committee work toward a recommendation to the Chancellor, and eventually to the Board of Trustees, to have the CGL be a non-voting member of each College Council
• Timeline:
• Committee members discuss ideas for an on-line survey at the Sept. planning meeting (draft to be discussed on Thursday, and shared/revised/finalized on Friday, assuming internet access available in Friday meeting room)
• Send out the revised on-line survey to CGLs by early Oct., with a request for completion by mid-October.
• Discuss results of the survey with the CGLs at the meeting in October
• Develop the report and relevant resolutions for either the January or April Plenary.
  
  
• Completion of the Governance Handbook
• To be finalized:  UFS Campus Visitation Protocol:  explicit display of the difference between the old version of the protocol and the proposed one was requested at the April 2007 Plenary.
• Completed:  Bibliography on Faculty/Administration Governance issues, completed by Joe Petrick
• Completed, to be presented for review by the Committee in Sept.:  Recommendations for components of campus governance unit web site and sample URLs
• Timeline: 
• Committee members review components for URL in Sept.
• Present Campus Visitation Protocol for approval at the Oct. Plenary
• Work with Carol Donato to publish the updated Governance Handbook
• Solicit introduction from Carl Wiezalis
• Make sure that the handbook is updated in any other way needed
• Committee members review handbook in order to present finalized and updated document at April 2008 Plenary

New item

• Identify best and promising practices for engaging campus members in governance
• Gather information about the topic
• Look at Norm Goodman’s recent Bulletin article
• Look at relevant documents (e.g., Salend’s Commission on Faculty Development, as well as Rethinking SUNY, Leadership in Governance)
• Discuss topic at the September Planning meeting
• Survey campuses
• Quantitative: 
• Get metrics on campus member involvement in governance committees and UFS Standing/Ad Hoc Committees (note:  this will focus very specifically on governance, and not on all committee participation.  Discuss specifics with the Committee members, as well as the campus target person to gather these metrics.
• Consider gathering parallel information from student governance units.
• Qualitative: 
• Get examples of strategies that have worked for campuses to engage people in governance, including what takes place within the administration to support/recognize/reward/reinforce participation in governance
• Get samples of recognition of governance leaders at the campus level, as well as highlight the recognition at the SUNY level (e.g., Chugh/University Faculty Senate Outstanding Service Award)
• Explore successful ways that campuses share information and get people engaged with the UFS
• Consider gathering parallel information from student governance units
• Collect and disseminate results
• Develop a document that illustrates a continuum of governance service, puts the service in the context of campus climates, and best/promising practices
• Timeline:
• Up through January 2008 Plenary, develop more specific proposal for collecting information.  Share plans at the January Plenary
• Collect information during Spring 2008 and present preliminary findings at April Plenary.
• Develop final report for Sept. 2008 Planning meeting, and presentation at October 2008 Plenary

Moved out of the responsibility area of the Governance Committee and into the responsibility of an Ad Hoc Committee, headed by Runi Mukherji

• Leadership Development topic
• The topic relates to a long-standing interest of the UFS in leadership development for those involved in governance.
• Last year, two events took place:  one was a presentation as part of the January 2007 Plenary, and the second was a workshop that took place prior to the April 2007 Plenary.  Feedback collected after the April event (via a survey developed by Runi Mukherji, with input from members of the Governance committee) was positive.