| 2006-2007 ECUS Annual Report Recommendations | Relevant Actions from 2007-2008 ECUS | Point Person | |
| 1 | A formal resignation process be developed for departure from both committees and/or the University Senate. |
Feb 7, 2008 In consultation with the elected faculty on ECUS, language was drafted articulating a resignation process. This language is part of the bundle of University Senate Bylaws to be considered by the University Senate Feb 2008 and Mar 2008. |
Kendra Russell |
| 2 | The newly accepted by-laws be monitored to assess their effectiveness as well as their adherence as they go through the implementation process. |
Feb 7, 2008 Elected Faculty reviewed proposed bylaws revisions, some of which were glitches discovered in the bylaws |
Elected Faculty |
| 3 | Attention be given to the bylaws language regarding presidential appointees as presently there are six presidential appointees to the senate, each of which is to have a committee assignment, yet only five positions on committees for presidential appointees. One possibility would be to consider a presidential appointee to ECUS. Another possibility would be to have only five presidential appointees and reassign the sixth presidential appointee position to another category – possibly to the Presiding Officer Elect position that should be considered. |
Feb 7, 2008 In consultation with the standing committee chairs and full membership of ECUS, a recommendation to reduce from six to five the number of Presidential Appointees by identifying the five Presidential Appointees to the standing committees as the Presidential Appointees to the University Senate. The sixth Presidential Appointee position is proposed to become an at-large elected faculty position increasing the number of at-large positions from two to three and the number of elected faculty senators from thirty-six to thirty-seven. These recommendations are part of the bundle of bylaws revisions to be considered by University Senate in Feb 2008 and Mar 2008. |
Elected Faculty |
| 4 | Before new senators are elected a process be developed for staggering the terms of Staff Council Senators. |
Feb 7, 2008 In consultation with Staff Council and the elected faculty of ECUS, a recommendation that the four staff positions on the University Senate be changed from elected three year terms to selected one year terms. This recommendation is part of the bundle of bylaws revisions to be considered by University Senate in Feb 2008 and Mar 2008. April 16, 2008 The bylaws were approved and it now makes no sense to stagger the terms of Staff Senators as these terms of service are now only one year in length. |
Craig Turner |
| 5 | A standing committee or individual responsible for public relations functions be developed. | Mar 6, 2008 Donna Fuller, 2007-2008 graduate assistant, offered to draft a University Senate brochure to partially address the public relations functions. This offer was accepted by the elected faculty of Executive Committee. | |
| 6 | A handbook/job description be developed to guide the work of the graduate assistant (should one be assigned). |
Feb 7, 2008 Donna Fuller, 2007-2008 graduate assistant, will draft for review by elected faculty of ECUS, and then more broadly. Mar 6, 2008 Suggestions were made regarding the draft reviewed which Donna agreed to address in a revised draft to be presented at a future meeting of Executive Committee. |
Donna Fuller |
| 7 | The work of developing operational definitions of governance terms including: procedure, resolution, practice, guideline, concern, information, and exhibit. Our most current draft of these operational definitions, which was reviewed for five minutes at one meeting of ECUS and Standing Committee Chairs, is available at http://info.gcsu.edu/intranet/univ_senate/ECUS/OperDefns03-13-07.doc |
Feb 7, 2008 Different elected faculty are drafting operational definitions for review by the elected faculty of ECUS and then by the full ECUS and standing committee chairs. For the Feb 21 elected faculty workshop, Chris - concern, Kendra - practice, Craig - procedure Doug - guideline, Bill - Exhibit Feb 21, 2008 Reviewed drafts culminating with a first committee draft which will be reviewed at the Feb 28 meeting Mar 6, 2008 Reviewed drafts with some revisions offered. Craig agreed to incorporate the revisions into the drafts and there was consensus to share these drafts for review at the March 20, 2008 joint meeting of standing committee chairs and executive committee. Mar 20, 2008 The draft was endorsed by Standing Committee Chairs and ECUS at this joint meeting. The suggestion was to provide these definitions as a handout at the Governance Retreat to assist with the steering activities within the sessions at the retreat and to provide these draft definitions to the 2008-2009 Executive Committee requesting them to continue the discussion. |
Elected Faculty |
| 8 | There be follow-up on transparency for administrative committees so that members of the University Community can access the committees that produce policy, which are active on campus, including the composition and charge of said committees. |
Feb 7, 2008 Companion Resolution for March 2008 University Senate meeting. Whereas the primary goals are to support the governing concepts of transparent decision-making and shared information, specifically the information deemed relevant to the deliberations within the decision-making process, therefore be it resolved by the University Senate of Georgia College & State University that the University President identify an appropriate university official to maintain a university-wide committee registry or master committee list that provides appropriate information such as membership rosters, committee charge, and committee meeting minutes and is accessible to those members of the university community affected by the work of the respective committee. Feb 14, 2008 Updated draft informed by discussion at the February 14, 2008 joint meeting of standing committee chairs and executive committee and this update will be reviewed at the March 20 joint meeting of standing committee chairs and executive committee. March 12, 2008 The most current draft of this resolution was entered into the online motion database with the understanding that the wording is subject to review at the March 20 joint meeting of standing committee chairs and executive committee. March 20, 2008 The draft was endorsed after correction of minor typos by those present at this joint meeting of Standing Committee Chairs and ECUS. This final draft was submitted as motion 0708.EC.003.R for consideration by the University Senate in March 2008. April 16, 2008 The resolution was approved by the University Senate on March 31, 2008, and as this resolution is implemented and a university wide committee registry is created. As a faculty advisory group, the Executive Committee might periodically be consulted or periodically offer suggestions and recommendation regarding the implementation of the university-wide committee registry. |
Elected Faculty |
| 9 | Recommend proactivity for developing a plan for overflow meeting provisions for Senate (ECUS) and Standing Committees (committee operating procedures) should there be a need for more time to fully and properly consider an issue. |
Feb 7, 2008 Mentioned at the Sept 2007 Standing Committee Officer Orientation for consideration as committee operating procedures were drafted. |
Elected Faculty |
| 10 | An intentional plan to backup/archive "precious" senate information such as (i) the online motion and online senator databases (ii) the University Senate webpage (iii) the Senate Bylaws and Institutional Statutes (iv) the Official Statement (Mission, Vision, Beliefs, Governing Concepts) |
March 2008 Craig Turner confirmed with Barbara Monnett that the University Senate website is routinely backed up and Barbara recommended the good practice of backing up local copies. Bill Richards clarified the practices of the University Senate Archivist confirming that published minutes of the University Senate and its committees are routinely archived. Craig Turner confirmed with Bryan Marshall that the University Senate Databases (online senator and online motion) currently housed on a server maintained in the School of Business are routinely backed up. Bryan Marshall is the System Administrator for the server hosting these databases. |
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| 11 | Consider adding a checklist for organizational meetings of incoming committees (typically scheduled in late April or early May) | April 16, 2008. For the last two years, the guidance offered to the meeting facilitators has been archived on the University Senate webpage. In particular, see the guidance offered in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. | |
| 12 | Consider adding a checklist for senator preference and non-senator preference surveys and subcommittee on nominations work. | Mar 6, 2008 Doug Goings agreed to draft this checklist. | |
| 13 | Collect election information from staff and selection information from students on December 1 (procedure) and February 1 (results) along with the faculty election information collected. |
Feb 7, 2008 These deadlines have in effect been deferred to March 1, 2008 given the spirit of the proposed revisions to the bylaws regarding selected student university senators and elected/selected staff senators. March 2008 This information was collected and posted to the University Senate elections website and the results were circulated by email via the official list for both student and staff senators and SGA and Staff Council nominees to committees. |
Craig Turner |
| 14 | Implement the school elections suggestions from our checklist |
Feb 7, 2008 Deans were contacted in Nov/Dec by respected elected faculty on ECUS, the last of the election results came in on Feb 6 at which point all election results were posted to the elections webpage on the University Senate page and announced via email to the University Community via the official list March 1, 2008 Election results were posted and an email announcement sent to the official list. |
Elected Faculty |
| 15 | Consider creating a senator guidance document of expectations, rights and responsibilities such as “seek governance issues”, "communicate with constituency", and "read motions and supporting documents prior to meetings". | ||
| 16 | Consider recommending an annual theme for senate and toward which each committee would focus its work in order to promote a shared sense of purpose | ||
| 17 | Create a mechanism for tracking non-motion items that become known at the senate meeting such as an “on the radar” parking lot. This will require periodic oversight and reduce the likelihood of such items “slipping through the cracks” thus working toward the goals of shared governance. |
Feb 7, 2008 To this point, no matters of this kind have arisen during 2007-08. Periodically reviewing the 2006-2007 list seeking updates. President's and Dean's List from Council of Deans to APC (This item did receive attention by the APC during 2007-2008) One other item is the University holiday selection process (ECUS 03-06-07, from Senate 02-26-07) which is on the tentative agenda of the March 20, 2008 joint meeting to seek an update on the status of this item.
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Craig Turner |
| 18 | Due to the volume of surveys that are utilized by the University Senate, explore options for survey tools beyond those available on campus. One possibility is e-listen from the makers of Scan-tron while another is Survey Monkey, an on-line service that has a membership fee for access to the survey tools and environment. | ||
| 19 | Promulgate the vision that while respecting rules is critical, governance participants should work to amend policies and procedures that are "broken" or "dated" or "difficult to implement" or "getting in the way of progress" rather than view them as obstacles that prevent actions or progress. If the rules are "broken", FIX them and don't let them get in the way of doing the right thing! | ||
| 20 | The items housed in the “Parking Lots” be periodically reviewed and addressed, accessible at http://info.gcsu.edu/intranet/univ_senate/ECUS/Parking_Lot.htm. |
Feb 7, 2008 Periodically review the 2006-2007 parking lot and place relevant items on the agenda of ECUS meetings. March 6, 2008 Reviewed the parking lots together at a meeting of the elected faculty of the Executive Committee. March 2008 ECUS parking lots for 2007-2008 are accessible at http://info.gcsu.edu/intranet/univ_senate/ECUS_2007-2008/Parking_Lots/index.htm |
Craig Turner |