“Shared governance is a cornerstone of a thriving university, founded on relationships, respect, responsibility, and transparency. Though sometimes misunderstood as requiring unanimous consensus, full access to all information, or full participation in all decisions, its true strength lies in honoring the expertise of others, joining in collaboration around important issues, and operating through trust.” The definition focuses interactions on the system level and the way in which different groups participate in decision-making, acknowledging that each group participates in different ways depending on their authority, expertise, and scope of responsibility. It concludes by stating that healthy shared governance allows us to work together to align our priorities, communicate transparently, and foster innovation—all to advance our vision, mission, values, and goals. A significant part of the group’s discussion was centered on who would be included in various shared governance decisions at CWU. It is imperative to note that not all constituencies would be involved in every decision because of the scope of their responsibilities, authority, and expertise. One of the major misunderstandings of shared governance is the belief that if you are not at the table when the decision is made, then shared governance was not followed. Somehow, we need to learn to trust others who have the roles, expertise, and authority to make various decisions. Significantly, the Trustees have final authority over the entire university and delegate that authority to the president, and through the president to other leaders and groups. But the Trustees maintain their final authority in several areas, and they decide how the university community will be involved in these areas; this includes: • hiring and evaluating the president, as well as • approving the budget, • new degree programs and majors, • the vision, mission, values, and strategic plan, and • this shared governance document. In all these cases, the Board decides how to involve the university community and maintains its authority over these areas. Faculty have primary authority over curriculum, research and creative activity, and faculty status. It is essential to note that if the Board disagrees with faculty decisions in these areas, the Board should exercise their authority to overturn these decisions with caution and communicate their reasoning. Faculty have joint authority with the administration over the scholarly and educational mission of the university, which includes the development of new degree programs and the termination of existing programs.
5 Board of Trustees Minutes May 15-16, 2025
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