Statements on Civility and Shared Governance
Statement on Civility
Faculty create and model for their students a climate of civility by speaking and by acting with respect for one another. Civility and respect should characterize faculty interactions with all persons regardless of their role at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and regardless of characteristics including but not limited to their physical appearance, ability, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, philosophical beliefs, sexual identity, age, socio-economic status, and academic rank. An institutional culture featuring courtesy, politeness, and consideration for others fosters learning and student success. Although no set of rules or policies can wholly govern human conduct, it is important to cultivate open communication characterized by mutual respect and active listening when parties have disagreements.
*Among numerous other sources, we especially acknowledge the civility statements created by the Indiana University Bloomington Faculty Council and IUPUI.
Adopted by the Faculty Senate March 7, 2019
Statement on Shared Governance at SIUE
Shared governance is the collaborative effort of all constituents toward interpreting and achieving the university mission. The strengths of all constituents are acknowledged and respected, and all strive for a clear and common understanding of their respective contributions to decision-making. While it is understood that some decisions are the sole or ultimate responsibility of a single constituent, and that specific authority is often established by either policy or charge, both faculty and administrators remain continuously invested in shared governance, and make every effort to provide the appropriate input needed to ensure the best outcomes. Because it takes full advantage of the collective expertise and diverse experiences of all constituents, shared governance maximizes the quality of decision-making, reinforces the collective value of all members of the academic community, and encourages shared ownership of and responsibility for SIUE's mission, vision and values. Shared governance both assumes ethical conduct by all constituents and accommodates reasoned disagreement. It also supports respectful interaction and timely decision-making by all constituents vested in a given decision. When authority and responsibility for decision-making rest in separate constituencies, reasonable efforts are made to communicate across constituencies during the decision-making process. Whenever there is shared authority and responsibility for a decision, the precise nature of that sharing, whenever not already designated by policy or charge, should be negotiated in good faith and agreed upon by involved constituencies. Finally, shared governance assumes that policies will be operationalized in a manner that provides balance in the voice, responsibility, and authority of all involved in the academic mission of the university.
Adopted by the Faculty Senate April 5, 2012
Approved by the Chancellor June 14, 2012
