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Governance

Shared governance is a fundamental component of the University of Wisconsin, established by State Statute.

Shared governance means that Faculty and Academic Staff members, through their representatives, shall actively participate in the governance and policy development of the institution, and have representation in matters that affect them. These rights are established through the Wisconsin State Statutes Chapter 36.

From Chapter 36.09:

(4) FACULTY. The faculty of each institution, subject to the responsibilities and powers of the board, the president and the chancellor of such institution, shall be vested with responsibility for the immediate governance of such institution and shall actively participate in institutional policy development. As such, the faculty shall have the primary responsibility for academic and educational activities and faculty personnel matters. The faculty of each institution shall have the right to determine their own faculty organizational structure and to select representatives to participate in institutional governance.

(4m) ACADEMIC STAFF. The academic staff members of each institution, subject to the responsibilities and powers of the board, the president and the chancellor and faculty of the institution, shall be active participants in the immediate governance of and policy development for the institution. The academic staff members have the primary responsibility for the formulation and review, and shall be represented in the development, of all policies and procedures concerning academic staff members, including academic staff personnel matters. The academic staff members of each institution shall have the right to organize themselves in a manner they determine and to select their representatives to participate in institutional governance.

Governance Structure Within UW-Extension, there are approximately 290 faculty (including both tenured and tenure-track) distributed among six Academic Departments. Faculty elect a 20 member Faculty Senate that meets quarterly. Six members of the Senate serve on the University Committee, which meets monthly with the Chancellor and Provost.

UW-Extension also has about 530 Academic Staff. Academic Staff elect an 8 member Academic Staff Council, who meet monthly with the Chancellor and Provost.

The Systemwide Extension Council is composed of faculty and /or Academic Staff who represent the Extension function at each of the UW institutions. The Council meets quarterly with the Chancellor and Provost to discuss issues of interest to the Extension operations across the UW System.

UW-Extension and UW Colleges have distinctly different governance bodies. The two institutions hold a joint governance meeting once a year.

Secretary of the Faculty and Academic Staff

The Secretary of the Faculty and Academic Staff provides support for, and serves as ombudsperson and liaison for UW-Extension faculty and academic staff governance and advisory groups and the UW-Extension Chancellor's Office. Visit the Secretary website for governance group meeting schedules, membership lists and agendas and minutes: www.uwex.edu/secretary/.