Criterion 1d
Webster’s governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership and support collaborative processes that enable the organization to fulfill its mission.

Webster University has a long tradition of shared governance facilitating effective leadership. In the 1960s as many liberal arts institutions struggled to survive — and many failed — the Sisters of Loretto transferred ownership of the institution to a self-perpetuating lay board realizing that their continued ownership of the school would inhibit its ability to thrive. The meeting of the first lay board occurred in November 1967.

The assumption of shared responsibility over the years has enabled the University to be entrepreneurial and creative. The Board of Trustees has heard regular reports from the Faculty Senate president since 1994, and the Board Chair regularly attends events such as the Fall Faculty Institute. The President and Executive Vice President have been nonvoting members of the Faculty Assembly since its founding in 1996. The faculty’s elected leader has been a member of the President’s Administrative Council since 1994. All full-time faculty participate in University governance as part of their service expectations.

The Board of Trustees

Article II of the current bylaws stipulates the General Powers of the Board:

The management and the control of the affairs, business and property of the Corporation shall be vested in and exercised by the Board of Trustees (sometimes referred to herein as the “Board”), which shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority necessary or expedient for the conduct and operation of the Corporation, including the establishment of educational policies upon the recommendation of the President (Section 1).

The current board (2006-07) has 37 Active and Life members, 27 male and 9 female. Four of the 37 are African American, and seven are alumni. Members range in age from 40 years to 78. Two members (including the eldest) hold Life Trustee status, bestowed on those Trustees who retire from the Board having served the maximum number of three terms and deemed by the Board worthy by virtue of their extraordinary past performance and/or contribution to the University of special recognition and status.

The Board has seven standing committees with an average of 10 trustees on each: the Academic Affairs Committee; the Student Life Committee; the Advancement Committee, the Audit Committee, the Finance, Facilities and Technology Committee, the Governance Committee, and the Executive Committee, consisting of the chairs of the standing committees and other vice presidents as designated by the Chair.

With the exception of the Executive Committee which is staffed by the President, a University vice president staffs each committee.

Upon the recommendation of the Governance Committee, the Board elects its own officers: Chair, one or more Vice Chairs, the President, Executive Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs serves as the Board’s Executive Vice President, the Vice President and Executive Assistant to the President serves as Corporate Secretary and the Vice President for Finance serves as the Corporate Treasurer. The Corporate officers attend each Board and Executive Committee meeting. The Chair of the Faculty Senate attends each Board meeting. The Bylaws specify the duties of each officer of the Corporation.

The Board delegates to the President the direct administration of the Corporation and the execution of all institutional policies as well as the performance of “all duties which are customarily performed by the principal executive officer of a university” (Article III, Section 5). Additionally, the President serves as “liaison officer between the Corporation and the Board” and is “responsible only to the Board for the administration of the Corporation in all its respects (Article III, Section 5).

The Governance Committee recommends new trustees to the Executive Committee which recommends them to the Board of Trustees for approval. The Board has four Trustee designations: emeritus trustee (no longer an active designation), Life Trustee, Honorary Trustee and Active Trustee.

The Board meets three times a year and committees meet at least three times a year.

The board participated in the development of and approved the University’s Strategic Plan 2003-08, and it is participating in the current strategic planning process, as well.

[EXHIBIT: HLC0.24 Board of Trustees Bylaws]

Administration

Richard S. Meyers became University president in 1994 and holds a doctoral degree (University of Southern California). Dr. Meyers resigned in 2008. See note at end of chapter.

The University has six (6) vice presidents:

	Neil George, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs (PhD, Case Western Reserve University) with responsibilities for all academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, academic affairs administration, academic advising, the Academic Resource Center, and distance learning.
	Karen Luebert, Vice President and Executive Assistant to the President (PhD, St. Louis University) with responsibilities for Institutional Research, the Office of Public Affairs and Special Events.
	Faith D. Maddy, Vice President for Development and Alumni Programs (MA, Indiana University) oversees all activities of the the development office including alumni programs; annual, major, and planned gifts; corporate, foundation, and government relations, and advancement services.
	Deborah Dey, Vice President for Students and Enrollment Management (PhD, St. Louis University) with responsibility for the Registrar’s Office, Academic Advising, the Academic Resource Center, admissions, international recruitment and international services, marketing and student affairs.
	David Garafola, Vice President for Finance and Administration (MBA, University of Baltimore) with responsibilities for finance activities including payroll and accounts payable/receivable, purchasing, human resources, facilities.
	Lawrence Haffner, Vice President for Information Technology (MA, Western Kentucky University) with responsibilities for administrative information systems, user services, media center and networking and technical services.

The President, Vice Presidents and Chair of the Faculty Senate meet weekly as the Administrative Council to review academic and non-academic matters and to approve policy statements that emanate from the various University committees.

Faculty Assembly

The Faculty Assembly is made up of all full-time academic faculty members and part-time faculty who have contracts that are at least half time. In addition, the President of the University and the Vice President for Academic Affairs are ex-officio, non-voting members. The Assembly regularly meets twice per semester for the purpose of faculty discussion and decision-making. It has the “final authority to approve the report of the Salary and Fringe Benefit Committee; approve creation or elimination of an academic department or school; approve major changes in the undergraduate university-wide degree requirements and approve major changes in the faculty governance structure.”

[EXHIBIT: University Handbook]

In addition, it may make the final determination on proposals referred to it by the Faculty Senate. Members of the Administration such as the President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Finance, Vice President of Enrollment Management, and Vice President of Information Technology periodically are invited to address the Assembly for the purposes of sharing information, discussing policies, and engaging in dialogue with the faculty.

Faculty Senate

The Faculty Senate is the primary organ of faculty governance, meeting twice a month to consider, discuss, and frequently determine a wide variety of issues and policies concerning the faculty. The Senate’s many duties include conducting faculty elections, recommending changes in the university handbook, considering major revisions in the curriculum, and representing the voice of the faculty to the administration and to students.

Each school and college elects two representatives to the Senate, and six representatives are elected by the faculty at large. Meetings are led by the President of the Senate, a full-time faculty member who is elected by the faculty as a whole.

To ensure ongoing communication and dialogue within the university community, the President is a member of the Administrative Council, attends meetings of the Board of Trustees, and has regular meetings with various members of the administration and faculty. In addition, members of the Administration are periodically invited to attend Senate meetings to discuss issues of faculty interest.

Faculty Committees

There are a wide variety of faculty committees, many of which deal with issues relevant to the mission of the university. For example, the Multicultural Studies Committee “is responsible for encouraging and enabling greater cultural awareness, interaction, and understanding along the lines of race, ethnicity, religion, class age, sexual orientation, and other aspects of cultural diversity.”

[EXHIBIT: HLC0 University Handbook]

The International Studies Committee and the Advisory Committee for Women’s Studies both seek to promote curricula and university events advancing, respectively, internationalism and gender awareness.

Oversight of Curriculum

Webster University’s Mission Statement includes a number of references to the overall project of education. Obviously, the primary vehicle for education within a university is through its curriculum. The academic departments at Webster are the “first line” of curricular development and oversight. However, all new courses and programs must be approved by one of two university committees.

Departments submit their proposals to either the Curriculum Committee (for undergraduate courses) or the Graduate Council (for graduate programs) for review and approval.

These committees meet regularly and are comprised of full-time faculty (some elected by schools and colleges, some elected at-large), the academic deans, and relevant administrators. This system preserves the appropriate level of autonomy for academic departments while ensuring curricular coherence and adherence to mission across the university.

[EXHIBIT: HLC0 University Handbook]

Continuing Faculty Status

In the interests of attracting and retaining quality faculty, preserving academic freedom, and maintaining a vibrant and flexible educational environment, Webster University offers two options for continuing employment status for faculty. Faculty on probationary status are reviewed yearly by their departments.

In the sixth year, each faculty member must apply for continuing status: either (1) tenure, or (2) faculty development leave (FDL) status. Under both options, the faculty member undergoes a rigorous University-wide review in which his/her department, his/her dean, and the University Committee to Review Faculty make recommendations as to whether to grant the form of status requested.

If tenure is granted, the faculty member is assured continuous employment by the university and may apply for sabbaticals every seven years. If FDL status is granted, the faculty member receives a departmental review in the fifth year. In return for submitting to more frequent review, faculty with FDL status may receive professional development leaves every five years, rather than seven.

In the 2006-7 academic year, 134 faculty hold either tenure or FDL status. Ninety-eight of those faculty (72%) have chosen FDL status; 36 faculty (28%) hold tenure.

The preference for FDL status over tenure is a result of faculty choice, demonstrating that Webster’s alternative to tenure is a successful policy that is widely supported by the faculty.

Extended Campus Governance

Faculty governance at extended-campus locations usually depends on the interests and intentions of faculty at each site. In the main, faculty input occurs through the normal reporting channels of Academic Affairs administration, academic departments, and the Deans of the five schools and colleges. Those faculty with coordinator or mentor responsibilities meet with campus directors, as well as communicating with department chairpersons, to discuss topics of faculty interest. (The Extended Campus Advisory Council is described in Criterion Five.)

Webster Staff Alliance

Employees who are neither administrators nor faculty are represented by the Webster Staff Alliance (WSA). The WSA represents staff in matters of compensation and benefits, and provides resources and support for professional development. General WSA meetings are held five to six times a year. The WSA board members are elected to 2-year terms, and are responsible for conducting surveys on compensation issues, negotiating compensation packages, planning professional development events, and providing a forum for other areas of concern to the university staff.

The Student Government Association

Students also participate in University governance through the Student Government Association, University-wide committees (including the Curriculum Committee), and through various school and student organizations.

[EXHIBIT: HLC0ii Student Handbook, HLC0.25 Student Life Policies and Procedures]

The Student Government Association (SGA) consists of all students (undergraduate and graduate) at the main campus. The Executive Committee of the SGA (President, Vice President, Comptroller, Recording Secretary and a Sergeant-at-Arms) is elected by the student body, as are members of the SGA Senate (two for each school or college, two representing undergraduates who have not declared majors, and two representing graduate students).

The SGA has its own standing committees, and appoints students to serve on University committees, including Library, Food Service, Curriculum, Athletic Advisory Board, Publications Board, University Center Board, and Multicultural Studies.

The student governance system has been an effective means for students to communicate concerns to the faculty and administration, to allocate funds for student activities, and otherwise to share appropriately in the governance of the University.

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