The Fisher Review seems to overlook the many positive results of shared governance occurring on our campus. The Presidential Search Committee is a fine example of faculty, staff, students, and Board members working together to select our next president. The President's Select Committee on Shared Governance and the Academic Senate's Committee on Shared Governance represent the efforts of all constituencies working to address governance issues and concerns. Over the years, several campus committees have functioned effectively with membership that included faculty, students, Civil Service staff, and Administrative Professional staff. Just a few examples are the Parking and Traffic Committee which assists in developing and monitoring the University's parking rules and regulations, the Facilities Naming Committee which reviews and recommends the naming of University facilities, the Founder's Day Steering Committee which plans the annual Founders Day celebration, and the Sick Leave Bank Appeals Committee which reviews appeals for sick leave bank benefits.
And certainly President Strand has had a positive impact on shared governance by his emphasis on community. His efforts to include all constituency groups in the decision making process have done much to strengthen and unite our campus. Numerous other committees have included broader campus representation during the past three years. The team excellence award presented each year on Founders Day was established to recognize the collaborative efforts of a group which most often includes faculty, staff, and students demonstrating teamwork.
The message we need to emphasize to our future president and one which was missing from the Fisher Review is that we are a campus working together as advocates to advance the mission of Illinois State University.
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