University Senate Bylaws and Governing Concepts Committee Report

     given to the University Senate on September 25, 2006

Submitted by Dr. Lee Gillis

If you were on a University Senate standing committee last year and/or attended the University Senate retreat last May, you have had the opportunity to hear about the seven Governing Concepts developed by the University Senate Bylaws and Governing Concepts Committee [USBGCC] during 2005-2006.  While they may read like a social psychology experiment where you could have predicted the outcome by only knowing the question, the back story is that a group composed of all current and former ECUS members, spent weeks, if not months, reading relevant literature and engaging in academic discussion to determine what concepts should guide our shared governance process. The end results were the following ideals:  :

1.   Shared Sense of Purpose,

2.   Collegial Leadership

3.   Transparent Decision Making

4.   Investment in Shared Governance

5.   Shared Information

6.   Positive Motivators

7.   Adequate Resources

Collectively they provide a means by which shared governance can be periodically evaluated. As formative evaluation, they are filters, process checks if you will, to assess “How are we doing?” As summative evaluation, these ideals serve as the basis of formal assessments, lenses if you will, for us to keep clearly in focus “What we are doing.”  In theory, every standing committee, ad hoc committee, administrative committee - indeed every governing body in the university community committed to shared governance would use these seven ideals as filters to see if their actions measure up. 

I respectfully submit these governing concepts for formal adoption

TEXT OF MOTION 0607.EC.001.O: To adopt the supporting document as the official specification of the Governing Concepts of the University Senate including the preface that articulates their purpose.