Standards:

STANDARD THREE

Organization and Governance

3 Description
	As a publicly supported institution of higher education, Eastern Connecticut 
State University is organized and governed by a well-established set of policies 
and regulations that interlock state statutes, regulations of the Board of 
Trustees for the Connecticut State University and the State Board of Higher 
Education, and various local policies and procedures affecting the way in which 
the university fulfills its mission. Collective bargaining agreements also 
affect academic and administrative policy.
	Within the state system for higher education, the Board of Governors is charged 
with establishing statewide policy and guidelines for the public colleges and 
universities.The board selects and employs the commissioner of higher education 
to implement its policies and directives. The Department of Higher Education was 
created in 1982 as the administrative arm of the board. The department conducts 
licensure and accreditation reviews of all programs and institutions of higher 
learning (public and independent); prepares systemwide operating and capital 
budget requests for public colleges and universities; operates state and federal 
student financial aid and minority recruitment programs; maintains a statewide 
data base for budgeting and policy studies; prepares legislative proposals on 
issues of concern to higher education; monitors enrollment and graduation 
trends; and  oversees the operations of Connecticut's private occupational (or 
trade) schools.
	The Board of Trustees for the Connecticut State University System is charged by 
statute with maintaining four universities within its jurisdiction: Central in 
New Britain, Eastern in Windham-Mansfield, Southern in New Haven, and Western in 
Danbury.  The board has eighteen members, fourteen of whom are appointed by the 
governor. It is headed by a chair, also a gubernatorial appointee. Four of its 
members are students, one from each university in the system.
	The board maintains an independent system staff headed by the chancellor. The 
chancellor is the system's chief executive officer and implements board policy 
as it relates to the system as a whole. The chancellor is appointed by and 
reports to the board and is responsible for the successful operation of the 
system. The presidents of each of the four universities report to the 
chancellor.  Frequent meetings between staff of the CSU System Office and campus 
administrators enable a two-way flow of communication that promotes consensus on 
major administrative decisions.
	The president of Eastern Connecticut State University is David G. Carter, who 
was appointed in April of 1988. The president is appointed by and derives all 
authority directly from the Board of Trustees. According to the CSU System 
Personnel Policies for Management and Confidential Professional Personnel, the 
president is responsible for "the proper functioning of the campus within 
approved Board policy and the welfare of all students and employees, classified 
and unclassified, who are assigned to it." 
	The president develops internal policies and guidelines after consultation with 
the University Senate and collective bargaining units as required by the 
University Senate constitution and by instructional and administrative faculty 
collective bargaining agreements. The president also consults with his senior 
staff, the president's staff, the administrative council and the Student 
Government Association. 
	The university senate and the university administration share a joint 
responsibility and authority for the development of university policies in such 
areas as curriculum, degree requirements, scholastic standards, admission 
policies, academic freedom, promotion, tenure and continuing appointments, and 
university organizational structure. They also cooperate in the selection of the 
president, vice presidents, deans, in budget and planning, and in other matters 
affecting the educational quality and mission of the university. 
	President Carter fulfills the responsibilities of his office with the assistance 
of key administrative officers who constitute the senior staff of his 
administration. These officers consist of the Executive Vice President, Vice 
President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Finance and Administration, 
Vice President for Student Affairs, and Vice President for Institutional 
Advancement.  The president also employs a larger group, known as the 
president's staff, which consists of the three academic deans, Associate Vice 
President for Academic Affairs, Associate Vice President for Finance and 
Administration, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Executive 
Assistant to the President and Director of Equity and Diversity, Director of 
Athletics, and Director of Planning and Institutional Research.  These officers 
provide advice to the president, recommend policies and guidelines, and 
translate approved policy to subordinate administrative personnel.
	The regulation of personnel matters is governed by seven collective bargaining 
agreements affecting both unclassified and classified personnel. Where 
collective bargaining agreements have not addressed particular areas, 
established university policies and guidelines   affect working conditions, 
benefits, and responsibilities. Contracts for faculty and administrators, 
bargained between the Board of Trustees and CSU-AAUP and SUOAF, provide 
extensive employee input into appointments, promotion and reclassification, 
tenure and continuing appointment, reassigned time, leaves, grievances, 
retrenchment, and other aspects of professional life.
	Eastern is organized academically into three schools: Arts and Sciences, 
Education and Professional Studies, and Continuing Education. A dean heads each 
school. Within the first two schools, academic departments are represented by a 
chair.  According to the CSU-AAUP Collective Bargaining Agreement, the chair 
"has the dual responsibility of leading the department in fulfilling its 
responsibilities in academic and personnel areas and of facilitating the 
functioning of the department." The chair is the normal channel of communication 
between the department and other areas of the university. See the present 
Collective Bargaining Agreement in the document room/index. 
	Academic departments are not lodged within the School of Continuing Education 
(SCE). The SCE is integrated into the governance system through the academic 
departments. The SCE dean  works closely with the other two academic deans and 
with department chairs regarding the development of new courses and majors, and 
other academic policy matters. Initiatives and modification of existing programs 
are woven into the governance fabric using the same procedure as that of the 
other two schools.
	Eastern's governance involves both the president and the University Senate. The 
senate consists of membership from instructional faculty, administrative 
faculty, the Student Government Association and the administration.  There is 
one representative from each academic department (including the library, 
counseling, and athletics), three senior administrative officers, the president 
(nonvoting), five representatives from the administrative faculty, four at-large 
members from among the instructional and administrative faculty, and three 
students selected by the student government. The senate accomplishes its work 
through a number of standing committees, each of which studies issues and 
problems and proposes policies, guidelines, and recommendations.
	The senate presents its decisions in the form of bills and resolutions. Although 
both bills and resolutions are reported to the president, resolutions reflect 
the sentiment of the senate and are not binding on the institution. Bills 
require the approval of the president to become official university policy.
Basic control over the curriculum at Eastern and throughout the CSU System is 
lodged with the faculty, subject to approval for new degree programs by the 
president, trustees, and board of governors.
	The Student Government Association (SGA) is the organization that represents 
students. Its duties consist of providing for student participation in 
university affairs affecting students, providing a forum for student complaints 
and problems, providing an official voice of student opinion, fostering an 
awareness of student rights and responsibilities, and enacting legislation 
concerning the finances of student organizations.  The SGA draws its elected 
representatives from residence hall students, non-resident students, the School 
of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Education and Professional Studies, 
special student interest groups, and newly enrolled students. In addition, the 
SGA names delegates to various system and university advisory bodies in addition 
to its three voting members of the University Senate.

3 Appraisal
	Eastern Connecticut State University, guided by its existing organizational 
structure has functioned well over the past ten years. Many of the proposals and 
other initiatives have generated healthy debate throughout the institution 
because reorganization often challenges existing customs and viewpoints.
It is important to note that the various changes in the collective bargaining 
agreements (AAUP and SUOAF) negotiated directly by the CSU Board of Trustees 
have impacted the governance process primarily through the role played by the 
University Senate.  At times and when certain issues are on the floor, ambiguity 
arises concerning the primacy of the unions or senate in these matters. 
Additional experience with the collective bargaining process has helped to 
clarify this issue. The fact that Eastern's senate is university-wide in its 
membership encourages broad-based participation in addressing these issues in 
the most positive fashion.
	The university has not undertaken a comprehensive evaluation of the 
effectiveness of the interactions among its various constituencies. Many of 
these groups have special purposes and interests. The effectiveness of Eastern's 
organizational structure stems from the collective output of these groups. 
Eastern exists in a larger system, CSU, that relies on its Board of Trustees for 
the development of broad policy direction. Because broad discretion is given to 
the presidents for the management of campus affairs, it is vital that the 
various groups that provide counsel to the president function well together. The 
university benefits when the prerogatives of each are recognized and honored by 
all and when all work for mutual benefit. This collective effort that has not 
been formally evaluated.
	The Planning and Priorities Council has not yet developed the linkages between 
the university's planning process and its budget process. The council was formed 
by President Carter in 1997 and was charged to review the planning and budgeting 
process, among other responsibilities. The council is discussed in Standard Two. 

3 Projection
	Eastern expects to maintain its areas of organizational excellence and improve 
those that need modification. Although the basic structure is sound and provides 
for decision making after careful and comprehensive consultation, continued 
observation and review will be carried out to effect the changes necessary to 
provide the best possible climate for Eastern's organization and governance 
structures.
	The University Senate and administration will evaluate the effectiveness of the 
interactions between the various university constituencies. This includes the 
areas in which the administration and the University Senate have joint 
responsibility and authority. This evaluation will be conducted through the 
Planning and Priorities Council or some other body consisting of representatives 
from the senate and the administration.
	The Planning and Priorities Council will develop linkages between the 
university's planning process and the budget process. These linkages will be 
used to improve the relationship between the university mission as defined 
through the planning process and how university resources are allocated.
The Quality Improvement Team will develop a plan to use the results of the 
annual administrative survey to improve support services to the university 
community. This procedure will be followed in subsequent surveys to ensure that 
support services are responding to the needs of the various university 
constituents. 
	Organizational structures will be periodically examined and adjusted in order to 
improve  administrative effectiveness and efficiency. Greater emphasis will be 
placed on assigning increased authority and accountability to individuals and 
administrative units. Eastern will work to improve processes and reduce 
duplication of effort between administrative units. We expect to make a greater 
use of interdepartmental teams to achieve institutional goals.
	The new BANNER information system with its integrated database will allow units 
to view the information they need to expedite administrative processes. Improved 
information flow should enable the university to align its administrative 
structures and its allocation of its human, financial, and material resources to 
better serve the needs of the faculty and students. In addition, Eastern looks 
forward to improving vertical and horizontal methods of communication to improve 
decision making. The competitive higher education environment dictates that our 
governance systems become increasingly flexible and responsive while being 
accountable. Eastern's goal is to strengthen the its governance and management 
systems while improving the quality of education.