Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 64.57
Liaison Sherri Mason
Submission Date June 14, 2023

STARS v2.2

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

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 3.00 Sherri Mason
Director of Sustainability
School of Science
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Shared governance bodies

Does the institution have formal participatory or shared governance bodies through which the following stakeholders can regularly participate in the governance of the institution?:
Yes or No
Students Yes
Academic staff Yes
Non-academic staff Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal participatory or shared governance bodies:
The Student Government Association is the governing body of The Behrend College student population. We shall strive to give voice to the student body on opinions of academic and co-curricular affairs; to support such academic and co-curricular activities that contribute to the enhancement of the social and intellectual life of students; to represent the interests of the student body to the administration, faculty and staff; and to support the rights of students in all matters.

The Faculty Senate is the sole legislative body for the faculty of the college. Among the matters within the legislative jurisdiction of the organization are:
Instructional courses and programs of study
Academic admission standards
Graduation requirements
Scholarships and honors
The Faculty Senate also acts as an advisory and consultative body to the Chancellor. The council consists of elected, ex-officio, and appointed members, and it has authority over the operations of the Faculty Senate.

The University Staff Advisory Council (USAC) is an advisory and consultative body to the Administration, through the Vice President for Human Resources, on issues, policies, and practices that relate to staff employees. It serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas among members of the University staff, suggest revisions and initiatives to improve staff policies, and advocates for staff welfare and development.
https://hr.psu.edu/university-staff-advisory-council

Part 2. Campus stakeholder representation in governance

Total number of individuals on the institution’s highest governing body:
39

Number of students representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
1

Number of academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
1

Number of non-academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
37

Part 3. Gender equity in governance

Number of women serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
7

Percentage of official members of the highest governing body that are women:
17.95

Website URL where information about the institution’s highest governing body may be found:

Part 4. Community engagement bodies

Does the institution host or support one or more formal bodies through which external stakeholders have a regular voice in institutional decisions that affect them?:
No

A brief description of the campus-community council or equivalent body that gives external stakeholders a regular voice in institutional decisions that affect them:
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 

Number of people from underrepresented groups serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body.:
3

Website URL where information about the institution’s governance structure is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.