University of Vermont
PA-3: Participatory Governance

The Student Government Association (SGA) represents the opinions, ideas and beliefs of the undergraduate student body, with an executive council and a senator. Weekly meetings during the academic year include open an open forum. Undergraduate students have two non-voting representatives on the UVM Board of Trustees committees that are selected by their peers in SGA. SGA supports a Peer mentoring and Peer Advising Program in collaboration with the University Advising Center. SGA also recognizes and provides support to about 170 student clubs. More than 80% of University of Vermont students are involved in a club. The Graduate Student Senate (GSS) promotes the wellbeing of graduate students and encourages a stronger, more unified voice for the graduate student body. Its purpose is to cultivate both the academic and nonacademic activities of the graduate student body and enhance all aspects of graduate school life at the University of Vermont. The GSS consists of an executive council and senators representing the many graduate programs in the Graduate College. Graduate students have two non-voting representatives on the UVM Board of Trustees committees that are selected by their peers in the Graduate Student Senate. Two students trustees are members of the UVM Board of Trustees. They must be full-time students at UVM (each of whom must be 18 years of age) and are elected by the Associated Directors for Appointment of the University of Vermont and State Agriculture College Student Trustees, Inc. One student is appointed annually in February for a two-year term. Representatives from Student Government Association and the Graduate Student Senate have seats as voting members on all of the Faculty Senate's standing Committees, except the Professional Standards Committee - where student participation would be inappropriate.

The staff have two non-voting representatives on the UVM Board of Trustees committees that are selected by the Staff Council.The Staff Council Office facilities the process for recruiting and appointing staff representatives to the Audit, EPIR and BFI Committees of the Board. Any staff member may apply to serve. Most of the current representatives are in non-supervisory roles. Staff Council serves as an advocate for staff by seeking out and responding to their ideas and concerns, representing them to the University administration, and keeping staff informed of University initiatives. See http://www.uvm.edu/staffcouncil/

The faculty have two non-voting representatives on the UVM Board of Trustees committees that are selected by their peers in the Faculty Senate. Authority in matters related to the academic mission of the University is vested in the faculty by the Board of Trustees. This authority is exercised in the Faculty Senate by behalf. Meetings of the Faculty Senate are presided over by a Senate President and elected senators with voting privileges and by committees authorized to act on their Vice-President and follow a town-meeting format at which all University faculty members have a voice. See https://www.uvm.edu/faculty_senate

The Campus Master Plan serves as the repository of knowledge for stakeholders as well as campus planners. Campus Planning Services prides itself in promoting collaborative processes to ensure diverse perspectives are considered in all of its planning efforts to ultimately meet the needs and be in the best interests of the University. Campus Planning Services includes a staff member dedicated to managing city/institutional relations related to land use and regulatory functions.

The nine Vermont State legislators on Board of Trustees represent stakeholder interests in all three arenas above. All Board meetings are open to the public and include a public comment period. The Board of Trustees consists of 25 members (9 legislative, 9 self-perpetuating, 3 gubernatorial, and 2 students; the Governor and the President of the University of Vermont serve as ex-officio members during their terms of office). Each member serves a 6-year term, with the exception of the student members who serve 2 year terms. All terms begin on March 1. In odd-numbered years, three members are elected by the Vermont General Assembly for six-year terms, and the nine trustees so chosen constitute the Board of the Vermont Agricultural College established in 1865. In even-numbered years, three members are elected to six-year terms by a self-perpetuating board of nine trustees who constitute the Board of the University of Vermont founded in 1791. Three trustees are appointed by the Governor of Vermont, one during each odd-numbered year. Each year, one of two students who serve as trustees is selected by the Associate Directors for the Appointment of The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College Student Trustees, Inc., for a two-year term. See http://www.uvm.edu/trustees/.