Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 57.39
Liaison Tina Woolston
Submission Date Nov. 12, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Tufts University
PA-3: Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.20 / 3.00 Patricia Campbell
Executive VP
Office of the Executive VP
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Do all enrolled students, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
Yes

A brief description of the mechanisms through which students have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

All schools have student councils or governments.


Is there at least one student representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative student body or organization?:
No

A brief description of student representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:

Undergraduate and graduate schools send one elected representative to standing committees of the board to act as non-voting members. The committees with student representation are (1) Academic Affairs, (2) Administration and Finance, and (3) Advancement.

Both graduate and undergraduate representatives have the opportunity each year to present topics of their choice to the full board.


Do students have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following?:
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals Yes
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning No
Existing or prospective physical resources Yes
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning No
Communications processes and transparency practices No
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

A brief description of the formal student role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

- Students were encouraged to participate in revision of the vision and mission during the creation of the new strategic plan (T10) in 2013.
- Students are regularly included in working groups to consider policy and programs, and often students initiate suggestions for policy and programs. For example, the Tufts Labor Coalition worked with the administration to have the university join the Worker's Rights Consortium in 2014. The Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) is an independent labor rights monitoring organization, conducting investigations of working conditions in factories around the globe. http://www.workersrights.org/about/as.asp
Students have also successfully advocated for the creation of majors in Africana Studies and Community Health.

- Students are on the Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Facilities Committee and often present to faculty committees making decisions about programs and priorities
- Strategic planning is also done at the school level and student input is encouraged.
- Student input is also solicited through the 'senior survey' - a very extensive survey that all graduating seniors are required to complete in order to graduate.


Do all staff, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
No

A brief description of the mechanisms through which all staff have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

Schools have a variety of administrative feedback groups to advise leadership.


Is there at least one non-supervisory staff representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative staff body or organization?:
No

A brief description of non-supervisory staff representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:
---

Do non-supervisory staff have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following? :
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals Yes
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning Yes
Existing or prospective physical resources No
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning ---
Communications processes and transparency practices No
Prioritization of programs and projects No

A brief description of the formal staff role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

Non-supervisory staff are encouraged to contribute to the organizational mission and strategic planning through open meetings, on-line feedback mechanisms and office hours with senior administrators. Some non-supervisory staff participate in working groups for new policies, programs, or initiatives or provide input to their supervisors.


Do all faculty, regardless of type or status, have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies (through direct participation or the election of representatives)?:
Yes

A brief description of the mechanisms through which all faculty (including adjunct faculty) have an avenue to participate in one or more governance bodies:

See below.


Is there at least one teaching or research faculty representative on the institution’s governing body who was elected by peers or appointed by a representative faculty body or organization?:
No

A brief description of faculty representation on the governing body, including how the representatives are selected:

Faculty select representatives to standing committees of the board to act as non-voting members. The committees with faculty representation are (1) Academic Affairs, (2) Administration and Finance, and (3) Advancement. The faculty representation rotates among the school faculties.


Do faculty have a formal role in decision-making in regard to the following?:
Yes or No
Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals Yes
Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives Yes
Strategic and long-term planning Yes
Existing or prospective physical resources Yes
Budgeting, staffing and financial planning Yes
Communications processes and transparency practices ---
Prioritization of programs and projects Yes

A brief description of the formal faculty role in regard to each area indicated, including examples from the previous three years:

Faculty discuss, deliberate and vote at school faculty bodies regarding school policy and resources. For example decisions about credit for on-line courses were made by the faculty in Arts Sciences and Engineering at their joint faculty meeting. Planning and decisions about new facilities on the Medford campus are made through the capital budget process reflecting the needs expressed by faculty and approved by the University Executive Capital Committee. For example currently faculty are the primary members of working groups convened to determine the program for the design of a new science and engineering center.


The website URL where information about the institution’s governance structure is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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