Visualization of Virginia Tech’s Shared Governance Structure
Shared Governance
The following is based off a resolution to modify the shared governance structure at Virginia Tech. When this resolution is finalized, it will become the new constitution and bylaws of the University Council (UC) at Virginia Tech.
The University Council is the primary shared governance body which combines voices throughout the university. While the University Council is the main shared governance body, it is important to know that the Board of Visitors (BOV) has the final approval on all university policy. When a policy or resolution is passed by the Board of Visitors, it is up to the President and the university administration to enact it.
So, how might you be able to help influence the development of new policies through shared governance? Well, one of the easiest ways is to start by connecting with the Senate that represents you (table below). If you have a particular topic that you’re interested in, searching through the commissions and standing committees listed below are a great way to see how the university might be addressing the issue already.
| Representative Population | Senate Name (click for website) |
|---|---|
| Faculty | Faculty Senate |
| Administrative & Professional Faculty | A/P Faculty Senate |
| Staff | Staff Senate |
| Graduate & Professional Students | Graduate & Professional Student Senate |
| Undergraduate Students | Undergraduate Student Senate |
For those interested in how a potential resolution for policy might progress through shared governance, see below for a figure on how the various committees, commissions, and senates relate to each other and university council. A typical path for a resolution would start at a ‘senate’, ‘committee’ or ‘commission’ node.
While a senate might initiate discussions on a resolution, it will need to go to the associated commission to actually start the resolution and begin the resolution creation process. After the commission has approved, it then returns to the senate for comments and approval. Then it can go to university council cabinet (or university council directly with sufficient support), which is the collection of all of the senate leaders and other university council members. The university council cabinet then manages the distribution of the proposed resolution to the other senates and commissions for comment, and is then brought before the entire university council. With university council approval, the resolution is brought to the board of visitors for final approval.