University of Tennessee at Knoxville
PA-3: Governance

The Student Government Association is a body comprised of students pursuing the betterment of this institution so that all members of the University community are beneficiaries of the opportunities and advantages available in an environment conducive to growth. SGA exists to provide the student body with a means to deal with the affairs of students and as a forum for the expression of student views concerning student life within the University. The Student Government Association’s Student Senate is a governing body of over seventy undergraduate students that represent the interests and well being of all students at the University of Tennessee. Each academic college and residence hall has a representative elected by his or her fellow students in the annual Student Government Association elections, which are held each Spring. SGA Senators are required to research and write at least one piece of legislation in an academic year of which are then voted on by senators. In addition to being members of other university-wide organizations, Senators are also required to serve on one of the many SGA Student Services Committees. Senate meetings are held bi-weekly and are open for all students to attend.

There are two student members of the UT Board of Trustees, both elected by their peers for a two-year term during SGA elections. The elected student must also be approved by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. The student serving their first year on the board is a non-voting member and is there to observe. The second year student has an equal vote on all board decisions. This position rotates through the UT system, so a new position is available to UTK every 5 years.

The Student Government Association (SGA) allows students to participate in decision making at UT through the writing and passing of bills that are then passed to the administration for action. Examples of bills passed in the past three years include one urging the university to hire a second physical therapist and to include better maps at bus stops on campus. The SGA also has the power to appoint student representatives to different committees on campus, such as the Calendar Committee that makes decisions about the academic calendar and class scheduling each year, the administration board for dining and have helped make decisions about meal plans, and the technology board to help make the choice of which email platform students would use. Students from the SGA have been involved in planning how money is allocated for several new construction projects, as well as design plans. Additionally, through the student representative of the board of trustees students are given a voice in establishing organizational mission, vision and goals, and transparency projects. The Vol Vision, the UTK's strategic plan, was created with the help of the Strategic Planning Committee and 18 additional sub-committees. These committees, made up of over 150 faculty, staff and students, researched and composed reports concerning: prioritization of programs and project; communications processes and transparency practices; budgeting, staffing and financial planning; existing and prospective physical resources; establishing new policies, programs and initiatives; strategic and long term planning; and establishing the organizational mission, vision and goals.

The Exempt Staff Council (ESC), counterpart to the Faculty Senate and Employee Relations Councils, is a body elected by peers to represent nearly 2,200 exempt (administrative and professional) staff at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville area. The ESC is sponsored by the Vice President for Administration and Finance. The mission of the ESC is to provide a forum for discussing issues and exchanging ideas relevant to exempt staff and to provide a mechanism for communicating with other representative bodies and administrators. Membership includes elected representatives from each of the vice president areas, the Office of the Provost, and any additional units with Knoxville area staff exempt personnel. Elections are held in March or April. Representatives take office July 1. The Employee Relations Advisory Organization (ERAO) was established in 1972 to provide for a direct channel of communication between regular, staff non-exempt employees and university officials for information and advisory purposes. The ERAO also provides university officials with an effective method of soliciting and disseminating information concerning plans and programs affecting employees. An Employee Relations Advisory Board (ERAB) exists at the university system level to serve as an advisory group to the president with respect to university policies, programs, and practices.

The Vol Vision, the UTK's strategic plan, was created with the help of the Strategic Planning Committee and 18 additional sub-committees. These committees, made up of over 150 faculty, staff and students, researched and composed reports concerning: prioritization of programs and project; communications processes and transparency practices; budgeting, staffing and financial planning; existing and prospective physical resources; establishing new policies, programs and initiatives; strategic and long term planning; and establishing the organizational mission, vision and goals.

The UTK Faculty Senate is the representative body through which the faculty participate in University affairs and shared governance. Through committees and a democratically elected legislative body it promulgates policies and regulations regarding the general educational objectives of UTK.

There is one voting faculty member and one non-voting faculty member on the Board of Trustees. These members are past faculty senate presidents from the different branches of UT on a rotational basis.

All of these areas fall under the purview of the UT Board of Trustees, which includes a voting and non-voting faculty board member. The Vol Vision, the UTK's strategic plan, was created with the help of the Strategic Planning Committee and 18 additional sub-committees. These committees, made up of over 150 faculty, staff and students, researched and composed reports concerning: prioritization of programs and project; communications processes and transparency practices; budgeting, staffing and financial planning; existing and prospective physical resources; establishing new policies, programs and initiatives; strategic and long term planning; and establishing the organizational mission, vision and goals.