Evaluation of Sound Governance

Introduction

Shared Governance is a deeply held concept by the members of the Ohio Faculty Counsel. To aid in keeping track of the health of shared governance on our respective campuses, OFC asks that you take this opportunity to complete the survey below. The questionnaire was designed by Prof. Keetjie Ramo, drawn from her monograph entitled Assessing the Faculty's Role in Shared Governance: Implications of AAUP Standards (1998), which is available from the AAUP national office. The idea behind the survey is to allow for the immediate evaluation of the state of shared government at institutions of higher education. Each question can be answered with a "yes" or "no."

The survey author identified seven areas that are key indicators of the state of shared governance at institutions of higher education:

Select “2” if the statement is True of governance practices or climate at your institution with rare exceptions.
Select “1” if the statement is More True than False of governance practices or climate at your institution.
Select “ –1” if the statement is More False than True of governance practices or climate at your institution.
Select “ –2” if the statement is False with regard to governance practices or climate at your institution with rare exceptions.


Part I: Indicators of Sound Governance Select the appropriate number.	True	More True Than False	More False than True	True
1. The governing board verbally acknowledges the importance of shared governance.	2	1	-1	-2
2. The president verbally acknowledges the importance of shared governance.	2	1	-1	-2
3. Faculty members view participation in shared governance as a worthwhile faculty responsibility.	2	1	-1	-2
4. The institution fosters shared governance by maintaining reasonable workloads, supporting faculty development of governance skills, and rewarding participation in governance work.	2	1	-1	-2
5. Faculty members can express dissenting views on governance without reprisal.	2	1	-1	-2
6. The campus climate supports a diversity of opinions, schools of thought, perspectives, and personal styles.	2	1	-1	-2
7. Relationships between the faculty, academic administrators, and governing board are cooperative.	2	1	-1	-2
8. Structures, policies, and procedures for disciplinary and dismissal hearings, grievances, appeals, and allegations of sexual harassment are consistent with AAUP standards for due process.	2	1	-1	-2
9. Negotiations and communication between and among the faculty, president, and governing board are carried out in good faith.	2	1	-1	-2
10. The campus community fosters participation and leadership by women, persons of color, part-time faculty, and members of other underrepresented	2	1	-1	-2
11. Given reasonable time, the faculty responds expeditiously to requests from the administration or governing board for recommendations and action on institutional decisions.	2	1	-1	-2
12. Faculty leaders look to national standards (e.g., AAUP Policy Documents and Reports) for the faculty’s appropriate role in the governance of the institution.	2	1	-1	-2
13. Given reasonable time, the governing board responds expeditiously to faculty concerns and to the need for action on institutional issues.	2	1	-1	-2
14. Faculty committees determine educational policy, curriculum design, curriculum review, and standards and procedures for evaluating teaching and scholarly production.	2	1	-1	-2
15. Faculty committees largely determine policies and decisions concerning those aspects of student life that relate to the educational process.	2	1	-1	-2
16. Faculty committees largely determine standards and criteria for retention, promotion, and tenure.	2	1	-1	-2
17. Recommendations of faculty committees largely determine the nature of decisions regarding the faculty status of individuals.	2	1	-1	-2
18. There are formal procedures at the departmental level to give peers a voice in decisions on the appointment, retention, tenure, dismissal, and promotion of departmental colleagues.	2	1	-1	-2
19. The faculty responsibly renders both positive and adverse recommendations in faculty personnel matters through established procedures.	2	1	-1	-2
20. The faculty determines criteria and procedures for conferring faculty status on administrators, librarians, coaches, and other professionals.	2	1	-1	-2
21. The president and governing board avoid overturning faculty judgments in those areas in which the faculty has primacy (i.e., curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, research, faculty status, and those aspects of student life that relate to the educational process).	2	1	-1	-2
22. The faculty sets agendas, chooses representatives and leadership, and establishes procedures for committees that oversee those areas in which the faculty has primacy.	2	1	-1	-2
23. The faculty periodically reviews and, when appropriate, proposes changes to the faculty handbook, senate by-laws, and similar documents.	2	1	-1	-2
24. Since they may administratively overturn or override decisions and judgments of the faculty, academic officers do not have votes on faculty committees and legislative bodies.	2	1	-1	-2
25. Formal arrangements exist for regularly and accurately communicating faculty positions and concerns to the governing board, and for regularly and accurately communicating the views of the governing board to the faculty.	2	1	-1	-2
26. Faculty members have timely access to the information they need to make informed decisions or recommendations on institutional matters.	2	1	-1	-2
27. The president and board use established mechanisms to ensure a faculty voice in matters of shared concern, consulting either the faculty as a whole or representatives who have been selected or approved by the faculty.	2	1	-1	-2
28. Faculty representatives to institutional committees, advisory boards, and the governing board have adequate time to consult with their constituents before voting or making recommendations on important issues.	2	1	-1	-2
29. Faculty members who represent the faculty on the governing board, institutional committees, and advisory groups, or who represent the institution to outside agencies such as athletic conferences, are selected by the faculty or are selected by others from a list provided by the faculty.	2	1	-1	-2
30. The faculty has a voice regarding the nature and goals of relationships with outside entities such as accrediting bodies, athletic conferences, etc.	2	1	-1	-2
31. The faculty has an influential role in developing the institutional budget.	2	1	-1	-2
32. a. (For collective bargaining campuses): Where collective bargaining arrangements exist for the faculty, collective bargaining reinforces but does not replace sound policies and structures for shared governance. b. (For campuses without collective bargaining for faculty): The faculty’s participation in governance can improve and has improved working conditions for the faculty.	2	1	-1	-2
33. The faculty shares with the governing board the primary responsibility for selecting a president.	2	1	-1	-2
34. The faculty has a strong influence on the selection of academic administrators.	2	1	-1	-2
35. Faculty participation influences the evaluation of academic administrators.	2	1	-1	-2
36. Faculty representatives to the senate, institutional committees, and other representative bodies keep their constituents informed of the agendas of those bodies and solicit constituents’ views whenever appropriate.	2	1	-1	-2
Part II: Satisfaction with the Faculty’s Role in Shared Governance
In general, how satisfied is the faculty with its role in shared governance? (Select the appropriate response.)	Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied

Finally, some background information, to be used only for separating responses by campus.

Please enter the name of your campus:

Choose your status: Staff Faculty Administrator

My years of service to my institution: Select one option less than 5 years 5-10 years more than 10 years servicer