​​Shared Governance - image faculty clapping at Commencement​​
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Board of Governors Commission
on Faculty Shared Govern​​ance​
​

​
Commission ​Charge  

The Commission seeks to strengthen faculty shared governance for Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education by recommending consistent, high-level expectations for its universities and the design and operationalization of a body that works at the system level to enable effective consultation in regard to system-level strategy planning, budgeting, policies and other matters as may be deemed appropriate. (The Commission is specifically not asked to make recommendations about the practice of shared governance at the university level.) 
 
The Commission will:  

  • actively engage faculty, union leadership, administrators, trustees, and Board members in a dialogue to develop a shared understanding of the purpose and scope of shared governance in the context of the State System 
  • learn from the current state of faculty shared governance as it is practiced both at system and university levels 
  • learn from the current state of faculty shared governance at other university and college systems, focusing especially on those where faculty are organized by collective bargaining units—engaging external expertise where appropriate 
  • maintain a commitment to transparency and frequent communications among stakeholders and  offer quarterly reports to the Board leading to recommendations. ​

Process Over​view
  • The Commission will have a kick-off meeting/call to outline and approve the scope of its work. 
  • Early phases of work will focus on fact-finding, knowledge-building, and developing a shared understanding of the purpose, scope, practice, and outcomes of shared governance at system and university levels. 
  • The Commission will hear testimony from stakeholders, experts, and leaders from other systems to inform its work. 
  • The Commission will create a draft structure and other recommendation and socialize/pressure test them with stakeholders across the State System—gathering public comment from all parties. 
  • The Commission will revise the structure and recommendations as needed—gathering further public comment if needed—before submitting them to the Board of Governors for consideration. 


Commission Memb​ers 

Members will be appointed by the chairperson of the Board of Governors, except for the faculty members who will be elected by the faculty (see section on Interim Faculty Council​). ​​The Commission will consist of 11 members that include:  
  ​

Commission Chair

Don Houser, BOG Leadership and Governance Committee Chair

BOG Member-at-large

Noe Ortega, PA Deputy Secretary of Education

Faculty (IFC Member)

Francisco Alarcón, Professor and Dept. Chair, IUP

Faculty (IFC member)

Nancy VanArsdale, Professor, East Stroudsburg

Faculty (IFC Member)

Matt Girton, Professor and Dept. Chair, Lock Haven

Faculty (APSCUF Rep.)

Jamie Martin, Statewide APSCUF Vice President

University Trustee

Bobbi Kilmer, Mansfield University COT Chair

Administrator 

Guiyou Huang, President, Edinboro 

Administrator 

Tom Ormond, Provost, Shippensburg 

Administrator 

Sharon Picus, Interim A&F Vice President, Kutztown 

Administrator 

Laura Delbrugge, Dean, Clarion ​

​​​​​

​Commission Members'
Roles and Responsibilities


  • Actively engage in dialogue to develop a shared understanding of shared governance in the context of the State System 
  • Provide intellectual capital from a stakeholder's perspective while focusing on the shared purpose rather than on personal interests 
  • Assess the current state of faculty shared governance and develop recommendations to enhance it, particularly at the system level 
  • Review best practices at other university and college systems where faculty are organized by collective bargaining units in order to develop a shared understanding of how to balance the roles of a faculty shared governance body and the faculty union 
  • Craft guiding principles for developing recommendations and a draft structure 
  • Deliver recommendations for future system-level shared faculty governance   
  • Participate in all commission meetings 
  • Serve as a voice for and conduit to their respective stakeholder groups—working to socialize the discussions around shared governance as appropriate   
  • Strengthen the communication and transparency among stakeholders—facilitating shared governance discussions as appropriate 
  • Have an appreciation for shared governance and ability to contemplate the role of faculty governance at a system level by blending different voices, ideas, and expertise 

Profe​​ssional & Personal Qualifications
for Commissioners

  • Be familiar with and share a commitment to the State System's educational vision and mission 
  • Understand, support, and articulate the State System's strategic priorities of 1) ensuring student success, 2) leveraging university strengths, and 3) transforming governance 
  • Possess an orientation towards innovation with an appreciation for shared governance 
  • Bring knowledge and experience to bear on system governance challenges, opportunities, and deliberations 
  • Maintain a commitment to transparency and frequent communication among stakeholders 
  • Have an ability to engage collaboratively and work across disciplines with multiple stakeholders 
  • Personify integrity and follow practices of mutual respect and civil discourse ​​