Standard(s):

Standard 4: Leadership and Governance
The institution’s system of governance clearly defines the roles of institutional constituencies in policy development and decision-making. The governance structure includes an active governing body with sufficient autonomy to assure institutional integrity and to fulfill its responsibilities of policy and resource development, consistent with the mission of the institution.

Standard 6: Integrity
In the conduct of its programs and activities involving the public and the constituencies it serves, the institution demonstrates adherence to ethical standards and its own stated policies, providing support to academic and intellectual freedom.

Leadership, Governance, and Integrity

1. Describe UMUC’s governing body, the Board of Regents, and its written policies. Include a description of the BoR’s governance policies for the institutions within the University System of Maryland (USM) with particular emphasis on the policies concerning the governance policies for UMUC.

2. How do the BoR’s documents (such as a constitution, by-laws, enabling legislation, charter or similar documents): a) provide for each USM’s institution’s governance structures including the duties, powers, and responsibilities of the administration and faculty; b) assign authority and accountability for policy development and decision making, including a process for the involvement of appropriate institutional constituencies in policy development and decision making; and c) provide for the selection process for the collegial governing entities at each USM institution?

3. How does the USM Board of Regents reflect constituent and public interest? Who determines how public interest is to be represented? Is the BoR of a size appropriate to fulfill all its responsibilities? Does it include members with sufficient expertise to assure that the body’s fiduciary responsibilities can be fulfilled?

4. Is the Board of Regents chaired by someone other than UMUC’s President? Similarly, are UMUC’s internal collegial governing entities (i.e., the BOV, UAC, FAC, STAC, GSAC) chaired by someone other than UMUC’s President?

5. How does the USM BoR demonstrate that UMUC is in compliance with the eligibility requirements, accreditation standards and policies of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; describes itself in similar terms to all its accrediting agencies; communicates any changes in its accredited status; and agrees to disclose information required by the Commission to carry out its accrediting responsibilities?

6. How do the USM Board of Regents policies on conflict of interest address matters such as remuneration, contractual relationships, employment, family, financial or other interests. In view of that fact that these policies could pose conflicts of interest, how does the BoR ensure these policies are implemented in a manner that assures that they do not interfere with the impartiality of governing bodies’ members or outweigh the greater duty to secure and ensure the academic and fiscal integrity of UMUC?

7. Is the manner in which the USM Board of Regents assists in generating resources needed to sustain and improve UMUC effective and productive? Is it appropriate?

8. What information about UMUC and its institutional developments is regularly presented to and discussed with members of the USM Board of Regents? Are there opportunities for the BoR to raise issues or questions for broader discussion and consideration?

9. What procedure is in place for the periodic objective assessment of the BoR in meeting their stated objectives? How are these objectives defined? Are external consultants or groups involved in the assessment process?

10. Does UMUC have a President, appointed by the BoR with primary responsibility for leading UMUC? How are his or her responsibilities and powers defined and updated?

11. How are UMUC’s internal collegial governance entities’ (i.e., the BOV, UAC, FAC, STAC, GSAC) documents and policies shared with the UMUC community? What opportunity exists for student input regarding decisions that affect them?

12. By what means are UMUC’s internal collegial governing entities (i.e., the Board of Visitors, UAC, FAC, STAC, and GSAC) members appointed or elected? Do these appointments occur on a regular/predictable schedule? What materials are sent to new collegial governing entity members? How are the members of UMUC’s collegial governing entities personally briefed about UMUC, its mission, organization, programs and plans? Do these briefings take place at UMUC itself? What persons from UMUC participate in these briefings?

13. What procedure is in place for the periodic assessment of UMUC’s internal collegial governance entities? What is the role of the internal collegial governing bodies within the University community and what are the roles of internal campus constituencies in assessing the internal collegial governing entities performance?

1. Provide evidence of fair and impartial processes, published and widely available, to address student concerns or alleged violations of institutional policies. How are concerns promptly, appropriately, and equitably addressed?

2. In what institutional documents are students informed about: (a) institutional policies which affect them and (b) the procedures for them to bring possible violations to the attention of the institution? What office is principally responsible for assisting students who have concerns? What are the procedures for resolving concerns? Do students understand the processes available to them to resolve concerns? Are students satisfied with these procedures? Does the institution maintain and use records of student complaints to improve UMUC’s approach to student concerns? Do students participate in assessing and improving institutional procedures? Are records analyzed for patterns of complaints that can lead to improvements?

3. Are institutional practices in the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of employees fair and impartial? Who determines what practices are appropriate, and who assesses the effectiveness of these practices? Could the practices better promote community morale and/or performance?

4. How does UMUC provide sound ethical practices and respect for individuals through its teaching, scholarship/research, service, and administrative practice, including the avoidance of conflict of interest or the appearance of such conflict in all its activities and among all its constituents?

5. Are there areas within UMUC which are likely to raise issues of equitable and consistent treatment (e.g., student discipline, student evaluation, grievance procedures, faculty promotion, tenure, retention and compensation, administrative review, curricular improvement, and institutional governance and management)? How have complaints been addressed?

6. How does UMUC foster a climate of academic inquiry and engagement supported by widely disseminated policies regarding academic and intellectual freedom? How does it know that its efforts are successful? How are lapses handled?

7. How does UMUC define and protect intellectual property rights? Is this treatment accepted by its constituents as fair?

8. How does UMUC’s climate foster respect among students, faculty, staff, and administration for a range of backgrounds, ideas, and perspectives? How should UMUC update its efforts as demographics and issues change?

9. How does UMUC ensure that it behaves with honesty and truthfulness in public relations announcements, advertisements, and recruiting and admissions materials? Are there internal and/or external review procedures for announcements, advertisements, and other materials? How is compliance monitored? How are breaches addressed?

10. Is there reasonable, continuing student access to paper or electronic catalogs? When catalogs are available only electronically, does UMUC’s web page provide a guide or index to catalog information for each catalog available electronically? When catalogs are available only electronically, how does UMUC archive copies of the catalogs as sections or policies are updated?

11. How does UMUC decide what information about itself should be shared, and with whom? For example, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education annual data reporting, the self-study or periodic review report, the team report, and the Commission’s action should be accurately reported and made publicly available to UMUC’s community.

12. Can sharing of institutional information be improved to ensure student and public access, by print, electronic, or video presentation?

13. Does UMUC have processes to ensure that it fulfills all applicable standards and reporting and other requirements of the Commission?

14. What is the assessment process for the periodic review of the integrity evidenced in institutional policies, processes, practices, and the manner in which these are implemented?

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