“Shared governance is the bedrock of higher education in the United States”
— National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers
Governance is the name commonly given to the processes by which the faculty and staff express and exercise their governance authority and responsibilities in support of the University at Buffalo. It is most often accomplished within the context of what we called “shared governance,” a distribution of authority to various campus and system constituencies based upon law and its mandates and the degree to which each is engaged in that particular area of institutional governance.
The SUNY Governance Handbook defines shared governance as the “structures and processes through which faculty, professional staff, administration, governing boards and students participate in the development of policies and in decision making that affect the institution.” Policy is not something that “just happens,” but rather should involve those with specific areas of experience and expertise who are directly impacted.
The general membership participates in shared governance by (including but not limited to) electing senators to the PSS; serving on committees of the PSS, UB Faculty Senate and other university committees; and by consulting with faculty, administration, governing boards, and the student assembly to aid in the development of policies and decisions that affect the University.
PSS committees that regularly address this area include:
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