A few words from
Nicholas "Nick" Allen, Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Nick Allen

Shared governance: a new vision

If you are a student, faculty, or staff member (who among us is not in at least one of these roles?), then you need to be aware of UMUC's plans for a new governance structure and the opportunities for you to participate, wherever you are in the world.

Last August, the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland (USM) amended its policy on shared governance (BOR Policy I-6.0) for the 13 institutions that comprise the USM. The Regents reaffirmed that final authority and responsibility for effective management of USM institutions rests with the system chancellor, and member institution presidents and administrators. However, the Regents recognized the need for more "informed participation and collaboration" in the affairs of the University by students, faculty, and staff. Some of the areas of particular interest to these stakeholder groups are those related to mission/budget, curriculum/instruction, research, the appointment, rank, and promotion of faculty, human resource issues, and searches for key university officers. Thus the Regents directed that each institution review existing governance policies, and develop plans for implementation of the new policy during FY 2002.

In response, UMUC President Gerald Heeger asked me to convene a small working group last winter to develop a plan for a shared governance structure at UMUC. This task was not a simple one. The new structure will not only have to meet the revised Regents' policy, but also will have to encompass UMUC's unique organizational culture and our geographically dispersed stakeholder groups. For example: a worldwide student governance body should represent students from the state of Maryland, other states and countries, and UMUC-Europe, Asia, and Schwäbisch Gmünd, as well as graduate and undergraduate students. Our faculty is similarly dispersed, plus we must ensure both adjunct and full-time faculty is represented. Our staff, of course, are no less distributed around the world.

This spring our working group proposed the framework for a governance structure that President Heeger sent to the Regents for approval by their Education Policy Committee in May before going to the full Board this July. Under our proposed framework, each stakeholder group will have its own elected governance body known as an "Advisory Council." Each of these councils will be self-governed with elected officers representing its constituents worldwide. Each governance body will hold its own elections, set its own agenda of issues it wishes to bring to the attention of the University leadership, and meet with and advise the appropriate UMUC officers. For example, the Student Advisory Council will advise the provost, deans, and the University registrar on matters of importance to UMUC students. Each Advisory Council will also send representatives to a University-wide governance body known as the "University Advisory Council." This latter group will meet periodically with the president, executive vice president, and provost in much the same way that the University's Board of Visitors does.

The implementation plan is to establish a broad framework within which each of the three representative groups will operate. An interim working group has been appointed for each council to draft charters and operating guidelines, and help organize elections for council officers during fall 2001. Once this preliminary work is done, the stakeholders themselves will lead the groups through their elected officers. The ambitious timetable is that all of this work will be completed to enable assembly of the first University Advisory Council in December 2001 for its opening meeting with the president.

UMUC will provide financial support where necessary for travel and other expenses. But, appropriate to a university that prides itself on the use of technology, we expect each of the stakeholder groups to use telecommunications technology whenever possible to conduct much of their business and communicate with constituents.

You will hear more about the development of the various advisory councils throughout the summer and fall as the process gains momentum. I hope everyone will become interested and vote in your elections, and that many of you will get involved with your representative group and participate in this process. Although this was a change that was initiated externally to UMUC, we see this as a great opportunity to keep everyone better informed, and more involved, and help bring us together quicker as one worldwide university. See you at the elections!