State University of New York at New Paltz
PA-3: Governance

Any enrolled students may run for student government positions each semester. Every student has the right to vote every semester to elect student representatives who are running for student government positions, including legislative and executive bodies such as Student Council, Student Senate, and the Budget and Finance Committee.

The highest governing body at SUNY New Paltz is the President and Cabinet which includes the Vice Presidents of each division. There is no student representative on this governing body. SUNY New Paltz does have a campus-level College Council that serves as an advisory committee to the President. Many policies and decisions are reviewed by the College Council before they are put into effect. The President of the Student Association, elected by all members of the student body, serves on the College Council.

The Student Association plays an active role in establishing missions and implementing missions to improve the campus. One such project in the past year was to improve the campus perspective on rape culture and advocate for changes in legislation in the student handbook, including changes in the language used to describe the protected rights of victims of sexual assault to better address cyber sexual harassment. Other initiatives undertaken by the Student Association in the previous three years have included a change in drug policy and an increase in the number of students of color. There is an educational technologies committee which has a formal decision making role in the implementation of physical resources, such as increasing the accessibility of color printing. The Student Association's Budget and Finance Committee is charged with budget allocations for all student clubs and organizations and has a formal role in decisions regarding financial planning for student club funding. Student Association representatives advocate for transparency in all activities of the administration and in the past year has campaigned to improve open dialogue by serving as a liaison between the administration and the student body. The Student Association plays an active role in determining what programs and projects are prioritized based on current funding and the needs and goals expressed by the student body. Students often serve on hiring committees for new staff members. RHSA and the Student Association nominate two students each to serve as voting members of the Campus Auxiliary Services Board of Directors. Students have been working on a bottled water ban for a number of years and they successfully voted for this change in policy at the December 2014 CAS Board meeting.

Professional faculty (staff) may participate as elected representatives on faculty governance committees including Committees of the College Faculty, the Academic Senate, and the Committees of the Academic Senate.

The Presiding Officer of Faculty Governance at SUNY New Paltz, elected by all faculty and staff members of the United University Professions, serves on the College Council, an advisory committee to the President. The highest governing body at SUNY New Paltz is the President and Cabinet, including the Vice Presidents of each division. There is no non-supervisory staff representative on this governing body.

There are 19 non-supervisory elected staff members serving on committees of the governing body. These bodies include the Academic Senate, the Organization Committee, the Budget, Goals & Plans Committee, the Curriculum Committee, and the Sustainability Committee.

During the 2012-13 academic year, the strategic planning steering committee developed a strategic plan for the college. Non-supervisory staff members have played a formal role in the decision making process in establishing organizational mission, vision and/or goals, establishing new policies, programs, and initiatives, and strategic and long-term planning vis-a-vis their role on the strategic planning steering committee. Throughout the year-long strategic planning process, the planning consultant and the committee held numerous open meetings, focus groups, and a full day retreat involving many non-supervisory faculty, staff, and students. The steering committee included the following staff members:
- Lucy Walker, Senior Research Analysis, Office of Institutional Research and Planning
- Tegan Scism, Clerk 2, Records and Registration

The Strategic Planning process involved establishing mission, vision, and goals, establishing new programs and initiatives, strategic and long-term planning, and prioritization of programs and projects. Budgeting and financial planning decisions are made based on the strategic plan, thus non-supervisory staff are involved in this decision-making as well. Non-supervisory staff members may take the initiative to apply for one-time funding requests based on the strategic plan.

After the Strategic Plan was completed, a new committee formed to implement the Strategic Plan called the Strategic Planning Council. The following non-supervisory staff are members of the Council:
- Patricia Sullivan, Director of the Honors Center
- Lauren Bascani, Secretary 1, Student Affairs

SUNY New Paltz developed a Facilities Master Plan in 2009 and a Site and Landscape Master Plan in 2008. Non-supervisory staff members served on these planning committees and had a formal role in the decision making process of existing or prospective physical resources. Staff members of the Facilities Master Planning committee included Vika Shock (Director Graduate Admissions), Mary Beth Collier (Dean of Academic Advising), Aaron Hines (Coordinator of MBA - School of Business) and Gwen Havranek (Dir. Bus. Operations, Liberal Arts & Sciences). Staff members of the Site and Landscape planning committee included Dana Rinschler (Undergraduate Admissions), Julie Majak (Administrative Services), Alan Dunefsky (Development—Foundation), Christine DeLape (Fine and Performing Arts), and Portia Altman (Disability Resource Center). Departmental representatives also participate in decisionmaking with regards to facilities renovation and new construction projects.

Staff regularly participate on search committees for new hires as either the chair of the committee or as a member. Search committees make recommendations of the top candidates to supervisors who make the final decision on hiring.

All full-time and part-time faculty may participate as elected representatives on the Committees of the College Faculty, the Academic Senate, and the Committees of the Academic Senate.

The Presiding Officer of Faculty Governance at SUNY New Paltz, elected by all faculty and staff members of the United University Professions, serves on the College Council, an advisory committee to the President. The highest governing body at SUNY New Paltz is the President and Cabinet, including the Vice Presidents of each division. There is no faculty representative on this governing body.

During the 2012-13 academic year, the strategic planning steering committee developed a strategic plan for the college. Academic faculty members have played a formal role in the decision making process in establishing organizational mission, vision and/or goals, establishing new policies, programs, and initiatives, and strategic and long-term planning vis-a-vis their role on the strategic planning steering committee. The steering committee included the following academic faculty members:
- Co-Chair: Patricia Sullivan, Professor, Communication & Media, Director of Honors Center
- Co-Chair: Stella Turk, Instructor, Communication Disorders, Associate Dean, Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Mary Christensen, Associate Professor and Chair, Languages, Literatures & Cultures
- Peter Kaufman, Associate Professor, Sociology
- Paul Kassel, Associate Professor, Theatre Arts, and Associate Dean, Fine & Performing Arts
- Stacie Nunes, Assistant Professor and Chair, Physics & Astronomy
- Tom Meyer, Associate Professor, Secondary Education

The Strategic Planning process involved establishing mission, vision, and goals, establishing new programs and initiatives, strategic and long-term planning, and prioritization of programs and projects. Budgeting and financial planning decisions are made based on the strategic plan and faculty are involved in this decision-making process. Faculty members may take the initiative to apply for one-time funding requests based on the strategic plan.

After the plan was finalized, a new committee formed to implement the Strategic Plan called the Strategic Planning Council. The following faculty are members of the Council:
- Stacies Nunes, Chair, Physics and Astronomy

SUNY New Paltz developed a Facilities Master Plan in 2009 and a Site and Landscape Master Plan in 2008. Academic faculty members served on these planning committees and thus had a formal role in the decision making process of existing or prospective physical resources. Faculty members of the Facilities Master Planning committee included Assistant Professor Heather Hewett (English), Assistant Professor Michael Vargas (History), Associate Professor Paul Kassel (Theater), and Associate Professor Edward Lundergan (Music). Academic faculty members of the Site and Landscape planning committee included Stella Deen (English), Simin Mozayeni (Economics), Michael Vargas (History), and Peter D.G. Brown (Foreign Languages). Faculty members also participate on committees with regards to facilities renovation and new construction projects. For example, such committee members help select design teams for these major construction projects.

SUNY New Paltz formed the Sustainability Committee in 2010 to assist with the coordination and fulfillment of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment by helping to develop and implement an action plan for the College to become climate neutral.The Sustainability Committee completed its plan and President Christian signed and submitted the Campus Sustainability Plan to the ACUPCC in December of 2012. As a subcommittee of the Budget, Goals & Plans Committee, the Sustainability Committee receives and reviews budget allocations from the administration and requests from College Faculty constituencies. In addition, the committee initiates proposals to help incorporate environmental issues into the College’s curriculum, research profile, and educational outreach.

Academic faculty members are currently evaluating general education requirements and are reviewing proposals for new liberal education requirements, including a first year seminar program and major changes to courses required of all students and required course content for successful graduation.

Faculty members are responsible for hiring new faculty members and play leading roles on search committees for new departmental deans.