Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.24
Liaison Rob Andrejewski
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of Richmond
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 3.00 Rob Andrejewski
Director of Sustainability
Office for Sustainability
"---" 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:
Student Governments:
Richmond College Student Government Association: Student self-governance at the University of Richmond can be traced to 1915 with the establishment of the Richmond College Student Council, which later became known as the Richmond College Student Government Association. The RCSGA is the overarching body of student governance for Richmond College. The Association includes the Richmond College Senate, the Honor Council, and the Student Conduct Council.

The Richmond College Senate: The members of the Richmond College Senate are charged with representing their fellow students’ concerns and opinions and serving as liaisons between students and the administration, faculty, and staff. The RCSGA President, who is elected by the entire Richmond College student body, leads the Senate. Each class elects seven senators and a class chair to represent them. The members of the Senate are assigned to one of five standing committees, each led by a Vice President: Administration, Finance, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and External Affairs. Ad hoc committees and task forces are created as needed to address specific concerns brought forward by the student body through their elected senators.

Westhampton College Government Association: The Westhampton College Government Association (WCGA) was established in 1914 by students of Westhampton College. WCGA seeks to help students confidently pursue their passions. We represent student opinions, provide support for students and student organizations, help develop university-wide programming, are a part of Westhampton celebrations, and give students leadership opportunities.

WCGA members value leadership, integrity, tradition, and progress as a way to make an impact in the campus community through their participation on the Executive Board, Senate, Class Cabinets, Honor Council, or Student Conduct Council. WCGA strives to help make the campus a thriving and inclusive community for all.

Faculty Senate: The University Faculty Senate provides a collective voice for the faculty of the University of Richmond and exercises those responsibilities assigned to it by the Board of Trustees and the university faculty as stated in the Faculty Senate Charter. The policy for University Faculty Committees and Appointment of Faculty to University Administrative Committees declares which University Faculty Committees shall exist, the membership and responsibility of those committees, and other matters related to their operation.

University Staff Advisory Council: The University Staff Advisory Council consists of 22 representatives elected by staff members within major divisions and departments of the University. Representation for each division or department is based upon the number of staff and a roughly 1:60 ratio. Nominations are solicited from all staff. Division or department staff directly elect the members who represent their campus unit at the Council. The Associate Vice President for Human Resources; Manager, Events and Property Services; and the immediate past USAC chair serve as non-voting ex officio members of the Council. USAC is not vested with binding authority, but serves to provide input and recommendations to the administration regarding staff interests and concerns as they bear upon the life and operation of the institution. USAC is represented on Planning and Priorities and on some hiring committees, as well as acting as a sounding board for various events like SpringFest, Winter Celebration, etc.

Part 2. Campus stakeholder representation in governance

Total number of individuals on the institution’s highest governing body:
26

Number of students representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
0

Number of academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
0

Number of non-academic staff representing their peers as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
0

Part 3. Gender equity in governance

Number of women serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body:
11

Percentage of official members of the highest governing body that are women:
42.31

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:
---

Optional Fields 

Number of people from underrepresented groups serving as official members of the institution’s highest governing body.:
4

Website URL where information about the institution’s governance structure is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
http://president.richmond.edu/board-of-trustees/index.html
https://facultysenate.richmond.edu/charter/Faculty-Senate-Charter%20v2.pdf
https://rc.richmond.edu/programs/leadership.html
https://wc.richmond.edu/student-opportunities/wcga.html
https://usac.richmond.edu/

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.