Governing Concepts

Presentation and Discussion with

US Standing Chairs/ECUS

Draft Notes

03-02-06

Why do you spend so much time on shared governance?

The standing committees are the heart of shared governance.  Your leadership and the leadership provided by your committee members contribute to a highly effective organization; one that is recognized as such.

Question:  Would it be helpful for the standing committees to have research-proven ideas available for them to use that correlate with what leaders in highly effective organizations do?   The research proven ideas could serve as “Pillars of a Desired Culture;” not hard and fast rules.

Dr. Leland appointed an administrative committee, University Senate Governing Concepts and Bylaws (USBGCC) to study this question and research the ideas for governing concepts.

USBGCC has been working on your behalf to research the ideas since last spring.  Weekly meetings began Fall semester 2005.

1.     Agreed last summer to use the book Good to Great (GtG) and Cheryl Reynolds’ dissertation on Dimensions of Capacity in Shared Decision Making to establish a framework of concepts that would guide everything we do in shared governance.

a.      GtG:  What separates companies with superior results for 15 years from companies in the same industry that have ‘ok’ results?

2.     Established a framework for studying the research concerning what makes organizations effective on these areas:

a.      What works?

b.     What does not work?

c.     What are the implications for Bylaws?

d.     What is the point?  How does the research in this area help us be a highly effective organization?

3.     Developed a three- or four-page document of ideas which we then pulled under each dimension that we studied.

a.      Next step:  Boiled the concept statements down to answer “What is the point?”

b.     Developed seven statements that we feel will help you as leaders and the leadership work of your committees

c.     Presented USB&GCC-adopted Governing Concepts to President Leland

4.     Informational forum scheduled for March 22, 1:00 – 1:45 pm with an announcement going out shortly; confirmed for Peabody Hall Auditorium

a.      Documents are available on the USB&GCC website for your review and will be noted in the announcement

http://info.gcsu.edu/intranet/univ_senate/USBGCC/

b.     Please attend for additional information as you are able to do so and appreciate your support in asking your committee members to attend if possible.

c.     Also will be glad to talk with you or your committees as appropriate

5.     What will Governing Concepts be used for?  With your leadership we see these seven areas as the conceptual basis for our highly effective organization and ones that contribute in no small way to our path to distinction and distinctiveness

a.      Guidelines for the development of Bylaws

b.     Guidelines for formative and summative evaluation: 

                                                              i.      Formative process checks with your committee on “How are we doing?” and

                        ii.  Summative, serving as the basis of formal assessments with the US and the university community