Chapter Threee: Shared Governance Model
Chapter 3. Shared Governance Model
Shared governance at Gordon State College operates within the framework outlined below, and it recognizes that all faculty, staff (inclusive of administrators), and students that compose the college community deserve respect. Moreover, the college believes in transparency as a guiding principle for the building of trust among all constituents. Within this framework, input is provided to the President of the institution through a Faculty Senate, a Staff Council, a Student Government Association, and college-wide committees.
As stipulated by sections 2.6.1 and 2.6.2 of the Board of Regents' Policy Manual, “The President of each University System of Georgia (USG) institution shall be the executive head of the institution and all its departments and shall exercise supervision and direction to promote the efficient operation of the institution. The President is responsible to the Chancellor for the operation and management of the institution and for the execution of all directives of the Board of Regents and the Chancellor."
Moreover, "The President shall be the ex-officio chair of the faculty and a member of all faculties and other academic bodies within the institution. The President may preside at faculty meetings. The President may call meetings of any council, senate, assembly, committee, or governance body at his or her institution at any time, may chair the governance body, and may preside at the meetings. The President shall decide all questions of jurisdiction, not otherwise defined by the Chancellor, of the several councils, faculties, and officers. The President may veto any act of any council, faculty, or committee of his or her institution but, in doing so, shall transmit to the proper officer a written statement of the reason for such veto. A copy of each veto statement shall be transmitted to the Chancellor. The President shall be the official medium of communication between the faculty and the Chancellor and between the council, senate, assembly, committee, or governance body and the Chancellor.”
The purpose of the Faculty Senate shall be to provide a systematic means of recommending policy and any changes in policy, except those mandated by the Board of Regents, to the president of the college and to the faculty. The Faculty Senate shall serve as the mechanism for shared governance at the college and shall be responsible for approving and amending the Gordon State College Statutes.
As stipulated by section 3.2.3 of the Board of Regents' Policy Manual, the Faculty Senate "shall, subject to the approval of the president of the institution:
- Make statutes, rules, and regulations for its governance;
- Provide committees as may be required;
- Make statutes, rules, and regulations for students regarding admission, suspension, expulsion, classes, courses of study, the learning environment, and requirements for graduation; and,
- Make regulations necessary or proper for the maintenance of high educational standards.
A copy of each institution’s statutes, rules, and regulations made by the faculty shall be filed with the Chancellor.” Moreover, “The faculty shall have primary responsibility for those aspects of student life that relate to the educational process, subject to the approval of the President of the institution.”
As the staff and students of Gordon State College also have vital knowledge and expertise relevant to maintaining an effective institution, elected representatives from the Staff Council and Student Government Association will also serve on Standing Committees of the College where that expertise may be of benefit and is appropriate as stipulated in the college statutes.