Furman University
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

Student Government Association
Mission Statement
The mission of Furman Student Government Association (SGA) is to be a proactive governing body that represents Furman’s diverse student population and contributes to the positive development of the university community. We are students serving students.
Values Statement:
As an organization, we recognize the importance of values such as transparency, credibility, integrity, and civic engagement in the Furman and Greenville communities. We seek to embody these values in our efforts to better both SGA and the Furman community.
Vision Statement
As an organization that represents the student body, SGA seeks to become a group that students understand and value. SGA will work collaboratively with the various entities of the university, including students, administrators, faculty, and trustees. SGA will propose solutions that address broad student problems while also performing the operational duties that allow it to function.

STAFF ADVISORY COUNCIL
The Staff Advisory Council (Staff AC) was formed in 1998 and is a permanent council comprised of staff representing all major areas of the university. The main focus is to foster open communication between the staff and administration. This council meets monthly to discuss matters of importance to staff and develop strategies for improvement.
Mission Statement
The Staff AC is a group of staff leaders and advocates who promote the University’s Mission by fostering a sense of campus community, creating strategies to enhance staff morale, and advising campus leadership on matters relating to and affecting the staff of Furman. The Staff AC uses Furman’s Character and Values Statement as guiding principles.
Purpose
The purpose of the Staff AC is to advise the senior administration in matters of interest to the staff and to develop workplace relationships within this group. The Staff AC provides the Furman staff a voice in campus issues.

Academic Staff
Furman University has a strong tradition of shared governance, with clearly defined roles for faculty, administration, and trustees. Members of the faculty are expected to serve on committees and to attend and cast votes at faculty meetings, held 6-8 times per academic year. University faculty meetings function as a “committee of the whole,” meaning that there is no faculty senate, and every faculty member may vote. All motions, course proposals, policies, etc., must be approved by individual faculty committees. There are 19 faculty committees specified by the Faculty Constitution such as Curriculum, Faculty Status, Policies and Procedures, Due process, Appeals, May X, etc.

The Faculty Chair is elected by the full faculty at the April faculty meeting. There must be a quorum present. The Nominating Committee (a standing faculty committee) prepares the slate of candidates for Faculty Officers (Chair, Vice Chair, Recorder) and all Faculty Standing Committees and this slate is voted on by the faculty. Nominations for any of the positions can also be made from the floor at the April meeting when the slate of candidates is voted upon. The Chair of Faculty attends Board of Trustee meetings as well as meetings with the Provost's Council, the Department Chairs, the Strategic Vision Advisory Council, etc. Each trustee committee also has an appointed faculty observer who makes a report to trustees about issues related to each committee and writes an explanation for the entire faculty body about what transpired at the trustee meetings. The Chair of Faculty also meets with the Dean of Faculty and Furman's President about mutual matters of concern. Faculty are free to bring either individual issues or those affecting the greater faculty body to the Chair of Faculty.

We did bring in community leaders for our faculty fellows program to get input on pressing local issues. See the list below. It’s not an official advisory council but acted (somewhat) as one.
Community-Engaged Learning Faculty Fellows

Andrea Tartaro – Computer Science
Cecilia Kang – Music
Meghan Slining – Health Sciences
Amy Jonason – Sociology
Ken Kolb - Sociology
Matt Cohen – Earth and Environmental Sciences
Tom Smythe – Business and Accounting
Casey Hawthorne – Mathematics
Maria Rippon – Modern Languages and Literature
Jeanie Stratton – Business and Accounting
Shaniece Criss – Health Sciences
Melissa Fair – Institute for the Advancement of Community Health
Geoffrey Habron – Earth and Environmental Sciences

Community Panelists

Tuesday Panel

Braxton Ballew, Education Director, Greenville Symphony Orchestra
Ansel Sanders, President and CEO, Public Education Partners
Carrie Silver, Director, Bridges to a Brighter Future
Gage Weekes, Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Hollingsworth Funds, Network for Southern Economic Mobility

Wednesday Panel

Jennifer Harrill, VP of Strategy and Investment, United Way of Greenville County
Tony McDade – Executive Director, United Ministries
Katy Smith - Executive Director, Piedmont Health Foundation, Facilitator, Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy

Thursday Panel

Hank Hyatt, Vice President, Economic Competitiveness, Greenville Chamber of Commerce
Scott Park, Land Conservation Director, Upstate Forever
Dan Weidenbenner, Executive Director, Mill Village Farms
Sally Wills, Executive Director, LiveWell Greenville