I - 6.00  POLICY ON SHARED GOVERNANCE IN THE UNIVERSITY
          SYSTEM OF MARYLAND
          
  (Approved by the Board of Regents October 4, 1996; Amended on
   August 25, 2000)
                                
I.   PURPOSE

The University System of Maryland (USM) consists of 13
institutions with distinct but complementary missions.  The Board
of Regents recognizes the distinct and complementary roles that
the Regents, the Chancellor, the Presidents, other
administrators, the faculty, the staff, and students have in
governing the USM institutions.

Moreover, the Board also recognizes that as higher education
changes and evolves, implementation of the fundamental principles
of shared governance set forth below must also continue to
evolve.

This policy affirms the Board's commitment to these fundamental
principles, which shall guide the development of institution-
specific shared governance practices consistent with this policy.

II.  PRINCIPLES

A.   Final authority and responsibility for the welfare of the
     USM and its institutions rests with the Board of Regents.
     The Board may delegate to the Chancellor and the Presidents
     portions of that authority for the purpose of assuring the
     effective management of the System and its institutions.

B.   Shared governance procedures and principles apply at all
     levels within the USM.

C.   Shared governance requires informed participation and
     collaboration by faculty, students, staff, and
     administrators.

D.   Faculty, staff, and students shall have opportunities to
     participate, appropriate to their special knowledge and
     expertise, in decisions that relate to:

     1.   Mission and budget priorities for the University System of
          Maryland and its constituent institutions;
     
     2.   Curriculum, course content, and instruction;
     
     3.   Research;

     4.   Appointment, promotion, and tenure of all faculty members
          and the development of policies that affect faculty
          welfare generally;
       
     5.   Development of human resources policies and procedures for
          exempt and non-exempt staff;
     
     6.   Selection and appointment of administrators;
     
     7.   Issues that affect the ability of students to complete their
          education; and
     
     8.   Other issues that arise from time to time that affect the
          overall welfare of the USM and/or its institutions.

E.   While some members of shared governance bodies may be
     appointed, the substantial majority should be elected by
     their constituencies.  Such bodies should elect their own
     presiding officers.


III. PRACTICE

A.   Each USM institution shall have in place written procedures
     and formal structures that provide for appropriate
     collaboration and communication between and among
     administration, faculty, staff, and students.  The
     structures and procedures shall be developed cooperatively,
     disseminated widely prior to adoption, and reviewed
     periodically according to procedures and timelines
     established in the documents governing institutional
     practice.

B.   Each constituent institution within the USM shall have
     either a single shared governance body for the institution
     as a whole, or separate bodies for faculty, staff, and
     students.  At least 75% of the voting members shall be
     elected by their constituencies.  This percentage shall not
     apply to paragraph G. below.  These bodies shall have
     written bylaws and shall meet regularly.

C.   Each institution shall define the subject matter appropriate
     for faculty, staff, and/or student participation in the
     shared governance process.

     The definitions shall recognize:
     
     1.   The responsibility of administrators for forming and
          articulating a vision for the institution, for
          providing strategic leadership, and for managing its
          human resources, finances, and operations;
          
     2.   The central role of the faculty in the institution's
          teaching, research, and outreach programs, including
          the assessment of the quality of these activities
          through peer review;
          
     3.   The essential support provided by staff in facilitating
          the institution's operations and the legitimate
          interest of the staff in participating in the
          development of policies and procedures that affect them
          and the welfare of their institutions;

     4.   That students are the institution's main academic
          educational focus and that they have a legitimate
          interest in matters affecting their ability to complete
          their education, including but not limited to costs,
          grading, and housing; and
     
     5.   That there is a role for each group in the search for
          and selection of key institutional administrators.

D.   Institutional structures and procedures for shared
     governance shall address the role of non-tenured and non-
     tenure track, part-time, adjunct, and other faculty ranks as
     established by Regents' policy, as well as other employees
     on long-term contracts.

E.   The Presidents and other institution-wide administrators
     shall consult regularly with the institution's elected
     representative body or bodies. This consultation will be in
     accordance with accountability plans developed
     collaboratively by the participants.  These accountability
     plans shall be subject to the approval of the Board of
     Regents.  The Presidents shall report annually to the
     Chancellor on the implementation of these accountability
     plans, and the Chancellor in turn shall report to the Board.

F.   The Chancellor and other System administrators shall consult
     regularly with the legislatively-mandated, System-wide
     representative bodies.  The Chancellor shall report annually
     to the Board on the status of these consultations.
     
G.   The Presidents shall assure that shared governance, based
     upon the principles and practices in this policy, is
     appropriately implemented in all sub-units, and are
     accountable for assuring that other administrators follow
     them in unit-level deliberations.

H.   Effective implementation of shared governance shall be a
     component of evaluations of the Chancellor, the Presidents,
     and other administrators as designated by the Chancellor for
     the USM Office, and by the President for the institutions.

I.   In keeping with Principle II.C., all participants share with
     their Presidents and the USM leadership responsibility for:

     1.   Being informed on issues that confront higher
          education, the USM, and the institutions;
                                
     2.   Acting within time constraints that are imposed by external
          agencies and influences, sometimes with little or no notice;
     
     3.   Sharing appropriate information and providing timely
          feedback;
     
     4.   Recognizing the specific goals and needs of the
          institution, and being accountable to the
          constituencies represented; and
     
     5.   Distinguishing the roles played by various units and
          individuals in decision making and administration.
     
J.   Given the dynamic nature of institutional governance, it is
     understood

     1.   That there may be occasions when institutional leaders
          must act in the best interest of the institution on
          major issues affecting the institutional constituencies
          without full benefit of the shared governance process.
          In such cases the representative bodies shall be
          informed in a timely manner and have an opportunity to
          comment on the issues.
     
     2.   That administrators shall inform important
          constituencies in a timely manner if they choose to
          disregard, in whole or in part, the advice and
          recommendation of constituencies, and they should
          provide the reasons for their decision.  In these
          cases, the shared governance body may, if it so
          chooses, present a written statement of its position
          and/or any objections to the decision as part of the
          institution's or unit's record on the issue.

K.   Faculty and staff who do not hold administrative
     appointments, and all students, may express their opinions
     freely on all shared governance matters without retaliation.
     Administrators, including faculty holding administrative
     appointments, may also express their opinions freely during
     policy discussions, without retaliation, but once a decision
     is reached they are expected to support and implement policy
     as determined by the institutional leadership.

L.   Shared governance requires a commitment of resources and
     time from the USM institutions.  Each institution shall
     provide a proper level of resources, as determined by the
     President, to faculty, staff, and students to allow them to
     carry out their shared governance responsibilities
     effectively.

M.   While participation in governance by faculty, staff, and
     students is necessary and important for the well-being of
     the USM and its institutions, the final responsibility for
     decision-making rests with institutional Presidents, the
     Chancellor, or the Board of Regents, who are ultimately held
     accountable by the public and its elected leaders.