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Standard 3: Organization and Governance

 

Description

For the last decade, the governance and organization of CSUS and SCSU have remained relatively unchanged. However, the recently approved reorganization of public higher education in the State of Connecticut (H.B. 6651, Sections 210-286) will significantly alter the governance structure of the CSUS.  Although the reorganization officially went into effect on July 1, 2011, the Act requires the current CSUS Board of Trustees (BOT) to remain in office until December 31, 2011, to facilitate the transition of duties and responsibilities to the newly created Board of Regents (BOR), which will oversee the CSUS, the Connecticut Community College System, and Charter Oak State College. At this time, it is expected that the existing governance structure at the university level will be maintained. Since SCSU will be operating under the existing CSUS structure through December 31, 2011, a description of this governance structure follows. In addition, a summary of the new approved structure will be provided.
CSUS and SCSU have been governed by a single Board of Trustees (BOT) composed of 18 members, 14 of whom are appointed by the Governor and four of whom are students, one from each of the constituent universities, elected by their fellow students. The BOT has been subject to the policies and regulations of the Board of Governors for Higher Education and the Department of Higher Education pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes 10a-87 et. seq.

The BOT has determined the mission, role, and scope for the CSUS and each university, and has established the general policies of the system; appointed the CSUS Chancellor and the President of each university; approved new degree programs and university budget requests; participated in collective bargaining; and determined tuition and fees. The BOT has held regular meetings throughout the year and special meetings as appropriate. Meetings are rotated among the System Office and the four universities and are open to the public. The BOT functions through an Executive Committee that may conduct business between meetings and six standing committees.

The System Office, headed by the CSUS Chancellor, has been the administrative arm of the BOT. Located in Hartford, Connecticut, the System Office is run by senior staff members, each in charge of an area of expertise, including Academic and Student Affairs, Human Resources, Finance, Government Relations, Information Technology, Public Affairs, Strategic Planning and Internal Audit. These offices collaborate with personnel from each of the universities through standing councils: Presidents, Academic Affairs, Finance and Administration, Student Affairs, Employee Relations, Information Technology, and Institutional Research. The Chancellor has authority to establish other system-wide committees on a standing or ad-hoc basis and may designate the chairmen of such committees. There is currently one ad-hoc committee: Presidential Assessment. Through the standing councils and ad-hoc committees, problems are addressed and policy recommendations are made to the BOT through the Chancellor. The BOT (or designated members) evaluate the Chancellor's performance annually and priorities are set for the coming year.   Prior to the reorganization, the BOT and Chancellor's office had been in the midst of a Strategic Focusing Initiative designed to provide strategic direction to the CSUS for the coming years consistent with the individual strategic plans being implemented at each of the CSUS universities.

SCSU is led by a president, appointed and charged by the BOT with responsibility to administer the university and plan its current and future needs. The President's performance is also evaluated annually following the submission to the Chancellor of the President's annual report. The Chancellor annually issues to the President a Letter of Priority, setting forth goals and objectives for the coming year consistent with policies of the BOT. The President's performance is also evaluated in a quadrennial leadership assessment by an ad-hoc committee of no more than six BOT members appointed by the chairman. This committee works with the Chancellor on the President's quadrennial review. The quadrennial review report is widely circulated to campus constituencies, which are also invited to participate in the review through oral and written commentary on the President's performance.

The President is accountable to the BOT through the Chancellor. The President is responsible for the selection and assignment of university personnel, the quality of academic programs and initiatives, the operation of the campus, and the fiscal and business affairs of the university, consistent with established BOT goals, objectives, and policy statements. The primary institutional operations at SCSU are divided among four vice presidents, each overseeing a major division and reporting directly to the President. The four divisions are: Academic Affairs, Student and University Affairs, Finance and Administration, and Institutional Advancement. Also reporting directly to the President are the: Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Executive Assistant to the President for Diversity and Equity, Chief Information Officer, Director of Public Affairs, and Director of Athletics. (See organizational chart.)

University effectiveness and progress are reported to the BOT through the Chancellor using several means. The President's annual report to the Chancellor describes the progress of the university toward BOT priorities, accomplishments of the university and recommendations for the future. Additionally, the standing collaborative councils consisting of personnel from the System Office and the universities ensure that the BOT is informed of the developments at each campus and that, where required, policies are uniformly implemented and administered. Finally, BOT meetings are open to the public and are often attended by faculty and other SCSU administration and staff.

SCSU's governance is described in several key sources: BOT bylaws; faculty senate/documents; seven collective bargaining agreements; administrative faculty senate/documents. An employee handbook describes rights and responsibilities not otherwise covered in collective bargaining agreements.

SCSU is an institution in which communication among and between faculty, staff, administrators, and students is highly valued and expected on all major issues affecting the campus. The faculty has a substantial voice in policy, personnel, and academic matters through collective bargaining, faculty senate, and myriad committees and councils. The faculty organizations are in regular communication with the President and Cabinet members.  The faculty union, AAUP, meets monthly with the President and Associate Vice President for Human Resources; when necessary, other Cabinet members are invited. The Faculty Leadership Council, consisting of the heads of various faculty interest groups, also meets at least several times per semester directly with the President. The President holds "University Dialogue" sessions two or three times per semester to discuss any issues facing the community. These sessions do not have a set agenda, and all university personnel are invited to attend and participate. University "town hall" meetings are conducted at least twice per year to discuss budget and other issues. The university also relies on a number of communication techniques to foster transparent decision-making and to ensure inclusion of as many members of the campus community as possible.  The university's Website is updated daily with new information.  The President hosts a blog and the University Facebook page provides students and staff with information. 

Within the Division of Academic Affairs, the Provost is the chief academic officer, working with the deans to provide oversight of academic programs, policies, and standards.  There are five schools within Academic Affairs, each headed by a dean: Arts and Sciences; Business; Health and Human Services; Education; and Graduate Studies.  The individual academic departments are each led by a chairman, nominated by his or her respective faculty and selected by the appropriate dean. Several academic areas, including Women's Studies and the MBA Program, are led by program coordinators.

The faculty voices its concerns and opinions on policy matters through the Faculty Senate, its Executive Committee and its various sub-committees.  SCSU does not have a university-wide senate body, unlike our sister CSUS institutions.  The Faculty Senate is composed of only faculty members, elected proportionately from the academic departments. (Administrative faculty have a separate senate body as described below.) The Faculty Senate communicates directly and frequently with the President and Cabinet members on a variety of issues. This is done through formal proposals and meetings with the President and other members of the Cabinet. Through committee work, the Senate develops governance, policy and practice proposals for debate on the floor. The proposals are forwarded to the President for acceptance or rejection. In AY 2009 - 2010, the Senate presented 15 resolutions to the President; 11 were accepted, one was noted and three were returned with the possibility of resubmission. Of those three, one was resubmitted and approved and two are pending.

Faculty members also serve on other university committees addressing policy and practical issues of the campus, including more than 20 University-wide committees as well as eight standing committees of the Faculty Senate. Again, the university's use of its Website and other forms of e-communication allow for more and consistent participation by faculty and staff in all levels of the policy-making process.

The SCSU faculty is responsible for curriculum development. The Undergraduate Curriculum Forum (UCF) is an autonomous standing committee of the Faculty Senate charged with responsibility for devising and encouraging the improvement of the overall undergraduate curriculum.   The Graduate Council is an elected representative body of the graduate faculty responsible for developing and maintaining university policies establishing acceptable standards for graduate programs. Proposals are reviewed at the department level and school level before being presented to the UCF or the Graduate Council. These bodies review, approve, and submit proposals to the Provost.

Faculty members participate in personnel decision-making through procedures provided for in the AAUP collective bargaining agreement, search procedures established by the Offices of Diversity and Equity (ODE) and Human Resources, Board of Trustees' policies and procedures and Faculty Senate procedures. Faculty participates in selecting new faculty members through searches. They also participate in the promotion and tenure process through departmental evaluation committees and the university-wide Promotion and Tenure Committee, using procedures established in the collective bargaining agreement and Faculty Senate documents. Other committees also contribute to personnel decisions, including committees on Sabbatical Leave, Market Pay Adjustment and Minority Recruitment and Retention. Department chairmen must assist in assigning course loads, facilitating resolution to personnel issues, and supervising support staff within their departments. The Faculty Senate has a Personnel Policy Committee.

The administrative and support staff members of the university also participate in the governance of the institution through several means. Collective bargaining agreements for administrators, clerical staff, medical staff, emergency personnel, and maintenance staff provide procedures for selection of personnel and control many of the working conditions of the members. These agreements in conjunction with established university search procedures also allow for participation of university personnel in selection of new employees and promotion within the organization. (Non-teaching faculty and staff members serve on all search committees except those to select teaching faculty.) Non-faculty staff members participate on the Budget and Planning Committee and USPaRC. A separate governing body, the Administrative Faculty Senate, exists to provide a forum for administrators to express their views and make recommendations to the President.

Through the Student Government Association (SGA), the Graduate Student Affairs Committee (GSAC), and various student organizations, students have a voice in the governance and development of SCSU's academic program and mission. The SGA is responsible for allocating student fees each year. Students residing on campus also have a means of expressing their needs and concerns through the Inter-Residence Council (IRC). Students regularly communicate with the Vice President of Student and University Affairs as well as the Dean of Students on a wide variety of issues and topics. Students can be seen and heard at a variety of forums throughout the year. Students serve on many departmental and university-wide committees, including USPaRC, NEASC work groups, and strategic planning. The student representative on the BOT has been vocal and a real participant in the business of the Board in the last several years.

Appraisal

The BOT, through the Chancellor, has regularly attempted to communicate with, and respond to the interests of, SCSU. The established councils ensured a consistent line of communication with senior staff at the university and that the individual universities had a voice in the policy-making process regarding issues including academic program development, budget planning, personnel policies, and physical plant growth. The BOT has supported academic research and excellence through a variety of means and attempted to balance tuition and fees against the rising needs of the universities. However, the BOT did not have a regular system for review and comment on its own performance and effectiveness.    

The relationship between SCSU and the BOT and CSU System Office often has been cooperative and positive. The CSUS has contributed substantially to the operations of the university by communicating essential information and provided the lead in collective bargaining with the many unions representing employees at the university. In the past 18 months, however, the relationship has been strained by a change in BOT policy concerning the removal of university presidents and the role of the Chancellor. This change resulted in the retirement of SCSU's President. The BOT appointed Interim President Stanley Battle in June 2010 at the recommendation of then Chancellor Carter. Although the campus has operated very effectively during and beyond the transition, members of the SCSU faculty and staff criticized the BOT and the Chancellor during several open meetings and in the press. The change in policy was also the subject of a televised and contentious legislative hearing in summer 2010, and some attribute the subsequent legislative scrutiny of the CSUS to those events. The approved legislation to reorganize public higher education will certainly result in significant changes in the governance structure of the CSUS. Details regarding the relationship between SCSU and the new Board of Regents have not yet been finalized.    

President Cheryl J. Norton led the university as President for six years until her retirement in May 2010. Both President Norton's and Interim President Battle's leadership styles are characterized by transparency, inclusion, and a commitment to the core mission of the university. The faculty and staff of SCSU are not hesitant to express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the governance and function of the institution. Through University Dialogue, regular committee meetings and other forums, faculty members are always willing to express their opinions.  Although President Norton received criticism early in her presidency for certain changes and decisions, she retired in 2010 with a high satisfaction rating from faculty, staff, and students. The Interim President has continued the traditions of open communication and transparent decision-making. During the 2010-2011 academic year, he conducted two University Dialogues and one town hall meeting regarding the budget, initiated a blog, and regularly met with faculty leadership, union representatives, and individual members of the faculty and staff as described above. Interim President Battle has requested and received permission to add more than 50 faculty positions (a combination of tenure track and temporary) across disciplines. He has moved forward with plans to complete the Buley Library construction and renovation project, ensuring funds were reallocated for that purpose. Under his leadership, the Bond Commission approved the remaining funds to construct the new School of Business. 

The administrative structure of the university continues to serve the students and to promote the mission of the school in an effective way. The President's Cabinet meets weekly with the President, serves as the initial policy-making body and reports and seeks advice on developments in the divisions. Cabinet members serve on the System Office councils and report to each other weekly on developments. The various university divisions collaborate effectively. For example, the Provost's Office provides training in tandem with the Office of Human Resources and ODE regarding hiring practices and procedures. Similarly, the CIO has worked with all Cabinet members to develop pilot programs and prioritize the IT needs of the campus. Most recently IT has collaborated with the Registrar and Human Resources to develop paperless processes for those areas. Student Services and Academic Affairs partner effectively in the delivery of freshman orientation and the First-Year Experience. The difficult economic atmosphere of recent years has underscored the need for the Executive Vice President in charge of Finance and Administration to be involved in all aspects of governance of the university. For example, the Finance Division reviews all requests for positions before the requests are forwarded to the President for consideration to ensure adequate funding is available and appropriated. Finance and HR together maintain all vacancy reports and organizational charts.
It should be noted that Dr. Selase Williams, formerly the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, left the university in July 2011 to pursue another opportunity, and Dr. Ronald Herron, formerly the Vice President for Student and University Affairs, retired in June 2011. Both positions were filled with the interim appointments of experienced senior-level administrators. Dr. Marianne Kennedy, Associate Vice President for Assessment, Planning, and Academic Programs was appointed Interim Provost, and Dr. Peter Troiano, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs, was appointed Interim Vice President for Student and University Affairs. In addition, the position of Vice President for Institutional Advancement is currently vacant; the Director of Development, Mr. Gregg Crerar, is leading the division on an interim basis.

As the administrative heads of their schools, the five deans work as a group with the Provost to fulfill the academic mission of the university within the confines of a public institution budget. Through Deans' Council, which also includes the Associate Vice President for Assessment, Planning, and Academic Programs, the Associate Vice President for Academic Student Services as well as the Library Director, the administration's plans for academic affairs are formulated and communicated. Three of the five deans began in summer 2010 and have each developed a strong presence on the campus in that short time. Faculty and students have expressed support for each of the deans. 

Below the Cabinet and Dean levels, the administrative structure has undergone and will continue to undergo changes as consolidations and restructuring that began during President Norton's tenure continue to take shape. In the past, a common criticism of the administrative structure of the University was that mid-level administrators did not often know the parameters of their jobs or the expectations of their positions. Position descriptions and organizational structure have been thoroughly reviewed in all sectors in the past five years, resulting in more awareness of job duties and less overlap and confusion. Administrative positions have been reviewed by all the vice presidents to ensure equity in pay and responsibility as well as title.  The Administrative Faculty Senate is the voice of administrators on campus and continues to function, albeit less visibly and without the stature of the Faculty Senate. The administrators' union, SUOAF, is an effective advocate for its members and works collaboratively when appropriate with the senior administration to achieve equity and balance among administrators.     

Shared governance continues to be the cornerstone of nearly all decision-making at SCSU. As stated above, the list is long of committees and groups that contribute to the policy-making process within the university. The desire for inclusiveness in the governance of the institution has resulted in the creation of some redundancy that has been criticized by faculty and administration members. One criticism is that multiple groups can potentially damage the consistent and clear flow of information. For example, while the Faculty Senate provides the ideal forum for receiving and disseminating information to and from faculty, other entities, such as the Council of Academic Chairs and a Faculty Leadership Council , seem to sometimes compete for a role separate from the Senate. The lack of a university-wide Senate body results in strong policy advocacy on behalf of faculty while an equally strong counterpart does not exist for other members of the community.    

Under the current collective bargaining agreement, chairmen in the CSUS have unique roles in that they remain members of the faculty while being expected to provide administrative coverage, with the actual-decision making authority resting with the Dean. More effort geared towards uniformly introducing new chairmen to their duties and providing continued professional development to incumbent chairmen would enhance the effectiveness of chairmen in executing their roles as teacher-scholars and administrators. 

The quadrennial review of the President is a good opportunity for changes and initiatives of the President and Cabinet to be reviewed and assessed by the community. During that process, problems and strengths of the governance structure can be discussed. The strong collective bargaining scheme provides constant feedback at all levels of the organization regarding the roles and responsibilities of the entities and individuals on campus. This feedback involves not only supervisory and "authority" challenges, but also input from the union members on structure of the organization and potential changes. Other formal internal forms of evaluation of the organizational structure and governance of the university have occurred at times in the past but not in the last several years. There is currently no formalized manner in which the administration is critiqued by the campus community or in which comments on the structure and governance may be submitted.

As previously mentioned, the entire CSUS structure will change in the coming year, as legislation to replace the BOT with a Board of Regents was passed by the General Assembly and officially went into effect on July 1, 2011. The Governor recently appointed an Interim President of the newly created Board of Regents and made several board appointments. The CSUS Chancellor retired in March 2011 and an Interim Chancellor now leads the system. This position is expected to remain in place until December 31, 2011. The legislation calls for a Vice President to be named by the Board of Regents to oversee the CSUS. Details have not been finalized at this time.

 

Projection

As the new organizational structure is finalized and implemented, regular communication to the campus community is crucial.  The university administration will continue to provide updated information regularly and clearly through the Website; other electronic communication, such as email; town hall meetings; and other venues.     

In spring 2011, the CSUS office began a national search for a permanent SCSU president. The campus community will be very involved in that search, no matter the form of the new administrative structure at the system level. Searches for a Provost and other Cabinet-level positions that are now filled with interims will follow once a new president is appointed.    

A process and timeline for a more formal and regular means of surveying the effectiveness of the structure and function of the university will be developed during the 2011-2012 academic year. A proposal for a university-wide senate body to improve communication among all sectors of the university will be developed for campus-wide discussion. While there is a long history of separate senate bodies, there is support on campus for a single body.

Institutional Effectiveness

SCSU periodically reviews the effectiveness of its organizational structure. Over the past five years, staff position descriptions and reporting lines have been reviewed, resulting in clarification, and, in some cases, realignment of roles and responsibilities as well as reporting lines. For example, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships historically reported to the Vice President for Student and University Affairs. This reporting line was moved to the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration to take better advantage of the fiscally related resources in that area. In recognition of the important role of enrollment services in student success, a new position of Associate Vice President for Academic Student Services was created in 2008 to oversee the areas of admissions, registrar, and academic advisement.
Overall, SCSU's organizational and governance structure has worked well for the institution. Members of the SCSU community take pride in the shared governance model. Despite changes in senior leadership, severe budget challenges, and structural changes at the system and state levels, the institution continues to meet its mission.