Shared Governance

Western New England University
Approved by the Board of Trustees and the University Faculty Senate (2024)

Introduction

Western New England University is dedicated to delivering an education that optimizes students’ personal exploration and growth. Governance of the University is a shared endeavor involving faculty, staff, administration, and the Board of Trustees. Shared governance rests upon the mission and values of our University and depends upon fundamental principles of inclusion and consultation to inform key areas of institutional responsibility and decision-making.

“Shared governance,” according to the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities, refers to “the responsibility shared among the different components of the institution—governing boards, administrations, and faculties—for its governance, and specifies areas of primary responsibility for each component” (AAUP statement). 

Roles and Responsibilities 

The role of the board of trustees is defined by the bylaws of Western New England University. The role is multifaceted including but not limited to:

• To select, advise, and evaluate the President
• To approve the University’s mission and strategic initiatives
• To ensure effective planning and budgeting
• To consider major new programs and monitor their performance
• To act as fiduciaries in the management of the University’s assets
• To seek, identify, and contribute financial resources to support the University
• To assess its own performance as the governing body.

In summary, the role of the board of trustees has many aspects, but at its core, it is about stewardship. As responsible stewards of the university, the board ensures that the university is well managed, financially sustainable, and delivering on its mission to provide its students with a high-quality education while promoting the well-being of its stakeholders.

“The role of the president is to be the chief executive officer of the institution, to ensure that the operation of the institution conforms to the policies set forth by the governing board and to sound academic practice, to provide institutional leadership, to make sure there is effective communication between components of the institution, and to represent the institution to its many external stakeholders.

“The president is largely responsible for the maintenance of existing institutional resources and the creation of new resources; has ultimate managerial responsibility for a large area of nonacademic activities; is responsible for public understanding; and by the nature of the office is the chief person who speaks for the institution. In these and other areas the president’s work is to plan, to organize, to direct, and to represent.” (AAUP Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities) It is incumbent on the provost and the governing board’s Committee on Academic Affairs to ensure that faculty views, including dissenting views, are presented to the board in those areas and on those issues where responsibilities are shared. Under the leadership of the provost, the university’s deans and department chairs, as administrators, are responsible for working with the faculty to promote and implement sound academic practices, and for striving to ensure that new and existing programs have sufficient resources.

“The faculty has primary responsibility for such fundamental areas as curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, research, faculty status, and those aspects of student life which relate to the educational process.” (AAUP Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities) On all these matters, the power of review or final decision is lodged in the governing board or delegated by it to the president, and should be exercised adversely only in exceptional circumstances, with reasons for such review or adverse decision communicated to the faculty. (Paraphrased from the AAUP Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities.) Budgets, personnel limitations, the time element, and policies of other groups, bodies, and agencies having jurisdiction over the institution may set limits to realization of faculty decisions on these matters. (Paraphrased from the AAUP Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities.) The faculty should, following any such communication, have opportunity for further consideration and further transmittal of its views to the president or board.

“The faculty sets the requirements for the degrees offered in course, determines when the requirements have been met, and authorizes the president and board to grant the degrees thus achieved.” (AAUP Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities)

The faculty have joint responsibility with the administration with regard to appointment, review, reappointment, and promotion of full-time faculty, whether tenured, tenure-track, professional educator or clinical status.

In the spirit of accreditation standard 3.2 of the New England Commission of Higher Education, all constituencies committed to shared governance ensure that there is regular and direct communication among the Board of Trustees, the administration, and the faculty.