Faculty should be consulted in the development of the educational component of the budget.
Faculty have three constituent groups where their voice is included in shared governance: faculty senate, United Faculty of Central, and the Academic Department Chairs Organization. Which group would participate in a shared governance decision depends upon the area in question. For instance, in issues involving collective bargaining agreements, faculty senate would not be consulted; we would work with the union. In issues involving curriculum, faculty senate is charged with oversight in this area and so they would participate, not the union. Historically, staff and students are not included in shared governance, and the group could not find any meaningful discussions of their inclusion in the shared governance literature that was read. However, because of their significant role in higher education, the group intentionally included sections on their involvement in shared governance and agreed that they must be involved in major university initiatives, such as the development of the Vision, Mission, Values, and Strategic Plan. There is work to do in this area that can more meaningfully include their voices in decision- making at the university, and this shared governance document will be used to determine how we might do that work. Finally, a set of commitments were developed that the group agreed to in order to develop healthier shared governance at Central Washington University. These include: • Engagement and Institutional-Thinking – Committing to a culture of meaningful engagement that is based on understanding and honoring the various roles, authority, and responsibility of the shared governance groups and balancing support for our own constituencies and areas with institutional thinking. • Mutual Trust and Respect – Operating through an ethos of mutual trust and respect, recognizing that shared governance depends on collaboration rather than competition among faculty, staff, students, administrators, and trustees. • Communication – Establishing open and regular channels of communication so that decision-making processes are clear, with accessible documentation that ensures inclusivity and accountability. • Academic Freedom – Maintaining a strong commitment to academic freedom as a cornerstone to the teaching and learning experience that faculty provide for students and to the scholarly endeavors of faculty as they seek to expand the boundaries of knowledge.
6 Board of Trustees Minutes May 15-16, 2025
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