Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 40.97
Liaison Sherri Mason
Submission Date June 30, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 3.00 Ken Miller
Senior Director
Administration and Student Affairs
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1

Do the institution’s students have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a student council)? :
Yes

Do the institution’s students have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
Yes

If yes to either of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which students are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
There are three student government associations at Penn State: 1. University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) http://upua.org/ 2. Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) http://gpsa.psu.edu/ 3. Council of Commonwealth Student Governments http://www.psuccsg.org/ Each group elects officers who in turn represent their constituents on various Penn State governance bodies, including the Board of Trustees. A student member is elected to Penn State's Board of Trustees, beginning in May 2015 and bi-annually thereafter, following the procedures laid out in Standing Order IV: https://trustees.psu.edu/selection.html#student The Student Trustee shall be a full-time undergraduate, graduate or professional student, in good academic standing and in a degree seeking program at the University. Additional student representatives may be invited by the Chair of the Board of Trustees, or by committee chairs, to participate in committee meetings as non-voting members. The Student Sustainabiliity Advisory Council was created in 2011. Students are selected through a competitive application/interview process and are commissioned by the President to serve on the SSAC, which acts as an advisory team to the President and the University Administration on sustainability issues. http://sites.psu.edu/ssac/ There also are student representatives on other university governance bodies, such as Faculty Senate, the Alumni Associations, Student Activity Fee Board, and Facilities Fee Board.

Do the institution’s staff members have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a staff council)?:
Yes

Do the institution’s non-supervisory staff members have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
No

If yes to either of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which staff are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
Penn State encourages staff to become involved in University policy-making through a variety of committees. The broadest oversight is that of the University Staff Advisory Council (USAC), which exists to facilitate open and equitable deliberations over the policies, procedures and programming that impact Penn States staff. All full-time staff employees are eligible to serve. Appointments to USAC are made in an effort to provide a diverse representation of employees in exempt and nonexempt (including non-supervisory) positions from a variety of University units and locations. In addition, many of the University's colleges and organizations have their own advisory councils on which staff and faculty serve. For examples, visit http://ohr.psu.edu/university-staff-advisory-council/resources/

Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a faculty senate)?:
Yes

Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body? :
Yes

If yes to either of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which teaching and research faculty are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
The University Faculty Senate is the representative body of Penn State's faculty with legislative authority on all matters pertaining to the educational interests of the University and all educational matters that concern the faculties of more than one college. In addition, the Senate is recognized by the University as an advisory and consultative body to the President on all matters that may affect the attainment of the University's educational objectives. The Senate is comprised of faculty senators who are elected from each college and campus. Senate seats are allocated proportionately by unit, based on the ratio of full-time unit faculty to the total number of full-time University faculty. Other Senate representation includes undergraduate/graduate student senators, ex officio, and members appointed by the President. Senate committee chairs invite other members of the University community to participate in the work of the committees as resources. http://senate.psu.edu/ Faculty are represented on the Board of Trustees by the election of an Academic Trustee. Selection of this individual begins with a recommendation by the Faculty Senate, and follows procedures outlined in Standing Order V: https://trustees.psu.edu/selection.html#academic

Part 2

Does the institution have written policies and procedures to identify and engage external stakeholders (i.e. local residents) in land use planning, capital investment projects, and other institutional decisions that affect the community?:
No

A copy of the written policies and procedures:
---

The policies and procedures:
---

Does the institution have formal participatory or shared governance bodies through which community members representing the interests of the following stakeholder groups can regularly participate in institutional governance?:
Yes or No
Local government and/or educational organizations Yes
Private sector organizations Yes
Civil society (e.g. NGOs, NPOs) Yes

If yes to one or more of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which external stakeholders are engaged in institutional governance (including information about each stakeholder group selected above):
Penn State Behrend’s Council of Fellows serve as valued advisers to the college chancellor, as advocates for the mission, vision, and activities of the college, and as ambassadors for the college in the Erie region, across the country, and around the world. The Council is organized as a 501(c)(3) corporation comprising individuals representing a cross-section of business, industrial, service, and community organizations. Members bring professional expertise and personal insights to bear on conversations about the future direction of Penn State Behrend. Members may provide counsel on matters ranging from strategic planning and community/business relations to fundraising and alumni affairs.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://behrend.psu.edu/about-the-college/college-leadership/council-of-fellows

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.