OPINION: Student Senators Must Understand 'Shared Governance' Model

(Source: "Meeting" by TLC Johnson via Flickr)

In 2016, three student government members successfully lobbied the university to adopt a “tobacco free” policy. How did they do it? Rather than work independently, they persuaded student government to take up their cause. In this respect, it was not really these three members who were successful, but student government itself, with its incredible advocacy power, who helped sway the institution to adopt the policy. 

So why did it work this way instead of these three members being successful outside of student government?

The answer is because of the university’s commitment to a governance system called “shared governance”. As a result, three student government members leveraged student government’s massive advocacy power for their cause. They changed university policy and UT-Tyler is still tobacco-free today.

This situation illustrates that student senators who wish to advocate for their constituencies successfully must leverage the power of the university’s representative institutions to gain both attention and positive change for their constituency’s interests. 

Therefore, a successful student senator must both understand and know how to operate within the shared governance system. If he does, then he will know how to successfully cooperate with other stakeholders, how to gain the governing board’s attention and ultimately how to yield incredible advocacy power for his constituency’s priorities. 

So given its importance, let us explore the university’s shared governance system. 

What Is Shared Governance?

Shared governance is the concept of internal governance in which the governing board of a university appointed by the State (The “Board of Regents”) governs the university but relies heavily upon the recommendations of other stakeholder groups within the university. Specifically, these three representative stakeholder groups are: the administration, faculty and student body.

The governing board provides special recognition to each constituency on certain matters and regularly defers to them when it comes to decision about matters that are within their area of expertise. 

So for example, in the shared governance model, the governing board generally recognizes the faculty as the best equipped to determine matters regarding academics, such as student curriculum, standards for faculty tenure and evaluation of their faculty peers departmental positions. Generally speaking, the governing board typically defers to the faculty to for decisions in the areas of academics. 

Likewise, the board also recognizes that not the faculty, but the student body is most competent to speak for the students experience at the university. . Therefore, generally speaking, the governing board typically defers to the student body on matters of student morale and on the broad topic of student experience.  

So through deferential treatment, as a king relies on his counselors' advice, the governing board defers relies upon invested constituency groups' recommendations to govern the university. Though it does not surrender its authority, the board recognize areas of expertise where they exist and confers special status upon those bodies to help it make the best decisions for the university’s success with their counsel. 

This collaborative arrangement is characteristic of the shared governance model.
It aims to make university governance a collaborative effort between the governing board and the natural stakeholder groups within the higher education university environment.

Who Represent Whom? 

Now, the representative bodies that speak for these three constituencies are: faculty senate, staff advisory council (or “staff senate”) and the student government association. The university president exists as the board's representative on the university level. He has the executive power to act on the board's behalf for nearly every concern not already spoken to by law and by UT-System policy.

Therefore, knowing that the governing board will recognize these three entities and their actions over the private or independent actions of individuals, then an effective student senator will endeavor to work through these entities rather than go around them for success, just as the previous student members did for the tobacco-free policy. 

He will understand shared governance and harness is power to bring attention to and support for his constituency’s priorities. He will represent his constituency effectively when he understands the “shared governance” model that exists in higher education governance.  

*For more information about the shared governance model, read the 1966 “Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities” by The American Association of University Professors.  

Twitter: @Jhescock12

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Feature Image: "Meeting" by TLC Johnson via Flickr