Administration and governance

"Shared governance engenders an institutional culture of collective ownership and accountability for the institution’s present and future". `AGB

West Virginia State University governs through a system of legislative procedures, and administrative structures designed for participation and consultation within the University in the development of institutional policies and procedures for shared governance. Governance of the University is indispensable and interdependent shared among the Board of Governors, the administration, faculty, staff, and students.

Shared governance gives representation to faculty, staff, and students, who are encouraged to participate in making significant decisions concerning the University. Shared governance is a unique and essential aspect of life at West Virginia State University as a consultative process comprised of constituencies empowered to fulfill a distinct role for ensuring participation throughout the University in the formulation of University policies and procedures. The shared process embraces the governance principles of collegiality, disclosure, responsiveness, and accountability accomplished through broad consultation and timely decision making.

West Virginia State University is a public University, a tax-exempt entity under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, with oversight by an institutional Board of Governors. The University Board of Governors guides according to the West Virginia Code (WV§18B-2A-1). Consisting of nine members appointed by the Governor of West Virginia and three elected representatives by students, faculty, and staff, the Board sets the annual budget and determines policies for operation and control of the University. Among the powers given to the Board of Governors is the power to appoint a President. The Board delegates broad authority to the President to operate the University.

Reporting to the Board of Governors, President Ericke Cage, leads the Cabinet to direct the academic and administrative activities and offices at the University. The President and the senior leadership team plan for the future growth of WVSU while staying true to its mission to meet the higher education and economic development needs of the state and region through innovative teaching and applied research.

The University is a distinctive living laboratory of human relations cultivating its diverse and inclusive campus community. As a 21st century, master’ s-level University, WVSU has attained national prominence as a historically black, 1890 land-grant university, committed to access and opportunity for students to obtain the knowledge, skills, and leadership capabilities to compete in a global marketplace.

Principles of Shared Governance

The following principles underlie and guide the development of all structures for shared governance at West Virginia State University:

Interdependence: Governance of the university is shared among the Board of Governors, the administration, faculty, staff and students.
Inclusiveness: Governance includes participation by administrators, faculty members at all ranks, staff and all classification and student types.
Transparency and communication: Governance requires transparency, which is best achieved through a reliable system of regular two-way communication between representatives and their constituents.
Accountability: Representatives who serve in governance roles are both directly accountable to their constituents and responsible for the welfare of the institution as a whole.
Democratic: Whenever possible, direct election is preferred to appointment in the assignment of representatives to governance roles.
Deliberative: Governance proceeds by the free exchange of ideas in fair, candid, and reasoned discussion, with the goal of efficiently arriving at a course of action.
Consistent: As far as practicable, the structures of governance across the institution will be approximately congruent.
Collegial: Participants in governance engage in respectful, constructive dialogue that promotes a climate of trust and cooperation.
Fairness: Governance exhibits fair treatment of all members of the campus community by incorporating in its work adequate notice, grievance procedures, clear, appropriate and accessible channels to appeal, and adjudication by peers.
Recognition: Governance is a recognized and valued form of service at the university, school and unit level.
Plurality: Although these principles of governance are applicable throughout the university, the forms of governance may vary among units.

Shared governance is the process by which various constituents contribute to decision making related to university policies and procedures to affect institutional challenges, to strengthen the quality of stakeholder performance, accountability, whereby demonstrating stakeholder's best thinking for decision making, to enhance the ability to achieve its mission and strategic goals.

Administration and governance

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