Preface
History Central Washington University (CWU) faculty first created a “Faculty Code of Personnel and Policy” during the 1946-1947 academic year, which was subsequently approved by the faculty, President and BOT. This Code approved an 11-member Faculty Council that in 1962 became the Faculty Senate (Senate). With the approval of a CBA in 2006, the BOT approved an Interim Faculty Code and charged a group with equal representation from the Senate and the administration to create a new Faculty Code reflecting the conditions of the post-Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) environment. What follows is the result of that collaboration. Shared Governance Constituents: President, BOT, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. Shared governance is both an iterative planning process and a collaborative culture in which relevant constituents of CWU commit themselves to being partners in aligning their priorities to accomplish the mission of CWU. Shared governance functions through an organizational structure that fosters active collaboration, transparency, accountability, understanding, and acceptance of compromise, mutual respect, and trust. For effective shared governance, we, as a university, must strive to improve our commitment, culture, collaboration, accountability, and transparency. Commitment in shared governance consists, not only of written statements of support for shared governance, but also the creation and maintenance of mechanisms to allow for the allocation of time and resources to effectively carry out shared governance. Our informal, collective network of attitudes, behaviors, and assumptions comprise our culture. Improvements in culture come from a commitment from university constituents to jointly consider difficult issues and to jointly develop strategic directions. Faculty should be a critical part in discussions surrounding themes central to the university mission. These themes include student outcomes, university revenue models, and campus capacity. Meaningful participation by all relevant constituents during the formative stages of planning encompasses the ideal of collaboration in shared governance. Shared governance is bolstered by consensus and clarity about who makes each type of decision on campus, as well as what role they have in the decision-making process. This clarity results in greater accountability. Clear and honest communication by decision-makers to relevant constituents regarding the rationale for proposals and decisions aids transparency in shared governance. Shared governance calls for a commitment on the part of faculty, the BOT and the administration to work together to strengthen and enhance the university. Shared governance is based on the principle that the division of authority and decision-making responsibility between
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