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Campus Governance Leaders Toolkit
What are my first steps as a CGL?
Congratulations on becoming a CGL! To help you get started, here are a few suggestions:
- Read and become familiar with your constitution and by-laws. It's important that you know the rules of your campus governance body. They will help you discern what you should and should not do. As CGL, you become the recognized authority on your by-laws/constitution, so a working knowledge is crucial.
- Have a vision for campus governance. Think about what campus governance means to you and how it can advance the mission of your institution. Determine the core values and principles that will guide your actions and negotiations and help you respond proactively. Vision can mean the difference in being a campus leader rather than a campus manager.
- Know the players and meet with them. You probably know the faces but it's time to make sure that they know yours. Arrange an introductory meeting with your Administration, especially the President, to get a feel of his/her thoughts on Shared Governance. You should also arrange to meet the Board of Trustees, Academic Leadership Teams, and Student Governance Leadership. You may want to ask what they see as the key issues facing the institution and how the shared governance system might engage in addressing those as a starting point for working with your campus governance body on its goals for the future. This approach also begins establishing a collaborative relationship with administration.
- Build relationships - More than just shaking hands, get out and about on campus. It's important that your faculty and constituents see you in their own environment; you may learn more concerns there than you will in a meeting of the whole campus governance body. Continue to build relationships with institutional leadership so that you can readily approach them with concerns.
- Know your team - You can't do it all alone. Meet with your Executive Committee or campus governance leadership team and listen. Find out what they think the issues are, how well they see governance functioning, and what they see as the purpose of shared governance. This group should be a team, so identify what each member’s strengths and passions are in order to use your team effectively.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help – You may want to consult with past CGLs for your college; often they are well-versed in the history and the constitution and by-laws, thus making them valuable resources in learning why or how things have been done. In addition, the Faculty Council of Community Colleges is here for support. As well as providing resources regarding shared governance on the FCCC website, the FCCC also maintains a CGL listserv to facilitate communications with other CGLs across the state as well as with the FCCC. The FCCC president and your own campus delegates are all valuable resources you should feel free to contact by e-mail or phone. The FCCC also hosts CGL meetings during each semester and encourages CGLs to attend its Fall and Spring Plenaries as well as the SUNY Voices Campus Governance Leadership Institute held in June.
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