The Council of Trustees
Each State System university has a Council of Trustees, consisting of 11 members appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate. The primary responsibilities of trustees, as stipulated in Act 188, are to make recommendations to the Chancellor for the appointment and dismissal of the President and to approve the University budget, new academic programs, contracts, and fees other than tuition. Unlike boards of trustees at many other public institutions, the Council's authority is limited. Many final approvals of major significance, such as for new degree programs and the purchase of property, rest with the Board of Governors.
The trustees are nonetheless a source of active, valuable support to Millersville University. The President frequently consults with trustees on potentially controversial issues, and they assist with public relations and institutional advancement. Trustees further support the University by serving actively on the Strategic Planning and Resource Council, the campaign cabinet, and the boards of affiliated organizations. They also participate in diversity workshops and countless other university events.
To facilitate trustee communications with chief constituents, the Council of Trustees bylaws name the Faculty Senate President, Student Senate President, Alumni Association President, and President of the local chapter of APSCUF (the faculty bargaining agent) as advisors to the Council. The advisors participate in the Council's public meetings and are ex officio members of the Council's standing committees.
Collective Bargaining
All employees except managers are represented by one of six collective bargaining agents.
Representatives of each bargaining unit meet regularly with representatives of the University administration in "Meet and Discuss" conferences, at which matters of common concern are discussed and side agreements occasionally initialed.
From July 1996 to January 1997 and from July to October 1999, State System faculty worked without a contract during a period of protracted collective bargaining negotiations. It is testimony to the historical culture of collegiality and good will established at Millersville that faculty continued to fully perform all responsibilities, including those not specifically mandated by the collective bargaining agreement, thus ameliorating what was at some other universities a difficult time for students as well as employees.
Faculty Senate and Academic Governance
The Faculty Senate serves as the curriculum committee mandated by the APSCUF collective bargaining agreement. Its function is to make recommendations to the Provost and President on academic standards, curriculum, policies, and outcomes assessment.
The voting membership is composed of one representative from each of the 29 faculty departments. Non-voting members include the University President, the five Vice Presidents, the Dean of Graduate Studies and Extended Programs, the President of APSCUF-MU, five representatives of the Student Senate, and two representatives of the Graduate Student Organization. The Faculty Senate has 14 standing committees, listed in the Governance Manual. All but one are chaired by faculty, and the voting memberships of all are faculty with one or two student members.
Departments, individual faculty members, and Faculty Senate committees may all offer proposals for additions and changes to curricula, academic programs, academic standards, and other academic policies.
Proposals to create or make major changes to academic courses, curricula, and programs are reviewed and approved by multiple entities, which can include school curriculum committees, the Undergraduate or Graduate Course and Program Review Committee, Faculty Senate, the Provost, and the University President. Some proposals are also reviewed and approved by the Council of Trustees, the Office of the Chancellor, and/or the State System Board of Governors. Very rarely (only once in the last six years) has a proposal been returned to the Faculty Senate by the administration for clarification or reconsideration. Pages 77-80 of the Governance describe the process in more detail.
While the process for approving a new program or course is considerable, it allows all interested and affected parties to be consulted. Problematic proposals are either not approved or are amended before being forwarded to the next level. The process gives the curriculum and our academic policies consistency and steadiness of purpose and helps us fulfill our mission to provide strong liberal arts based programs.
Improvements have been made in the process. For the past three years Deans' Council has participated in reviewing major curricular and policy changes. This has enhanced communications among the Schools, provided administrative perspective and input, and allowed for a careful review of the resource implications of proposed changes. While new programs and courses have historically been required to stay in Faculty Senate for at least three meetings, or six weeks, they now stay only one meeting for review and decision, increasing efficiency.
Although the University process for approving curriculum changes has been streamlined, it still often takes a long time for a new academic program to be endorsed by the Chancellor's Office and approved by the Board of Governors. The time required from initial proposal to Board of Governors' approval is at least two years and sometimes as long as ten. Our reaction has been to offer, when appropriate, new certificate programs and new options within existing majors rather than completely new degree programs; these do not require external approval.
Student Senate
The Student Senate is the deliberative body for the entire student body. Its purposes are
A joint Faculty Senate/Student Senate Conference Committee makes recommendations to the President on matters of common interest. Issues that the Student Senate has brought to the attention of the administration include off-campus housing concerns and recommendations on smoking in Cafe de 'Ville.
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