Shared Governance
Collaborative Decision-Making at UNA
Shared Governance at the University of North Alabama is a means of university management in which each chief group in the university community participates in decision-making.
Through shared governance, faculty, staff, students, and administration contribute to planning, policy review, recommendations, and institutional improvement. This process supports transparency, collaboration, and broad participation in decisions that shape the University.
Shared Governance Resources
UNA’s Shared Governance structure includes the Shared Governance Executive Committee, Strategic Committees, Task Committees, and related councils and committees that support University planning, policy, academic programs, institutional effectiveness, and campus operations.
Resources may include:
UNA COMMENT: Add links to the Master List of Committees, Steps for Making Changes at UNA, meeting minutes, and annual report archives. Confirm whether these should appear as buttons, an accordion, or a committee resource directory.
- Shared Governance Executive Committee
- Strategic Committees
- Task Committees
- Graduate Council
- Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
- Master List of Committees
- Steps for Making Changes at UNA
- Meeting minutes and annual committee reports
Executive Committee
The Shared Governance Executive Committee helps coordinate and support the shared governance process at UNA. The committee receives, reviews, and routes items through the appropriate shared governance channels and helps ensure that recommendations move through the correct review process.
The Executive Committee serves as a central point of coordination between the University’s shared governance bodies and helps maintain the structure, flow, and documentation of shared governance work.
[View Executive Committee Resources]
UNA COMMENT: Confirm whether the current Executive Committee membership should be listed directly on this page or maintained through the Master List of Committees so the page does not require frequent updates.
Strategic Committees
Strategic Committees support ongoing areas of University planning, policy, effectiveness, academic affairs, student affairs, faculty and staff welfare, budgeting, and campus infrastructure.
UNA’s Strategic Committees include:
- Academic and Student Affairs Committee
- Faculty/Staff Welfare Committee
- Graduate Council
- Facilities and Infrastructure Development Committee
- Institutional Effectiveness Committee
- Strategic Planning and Budget Study Committee
- Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
[View Strategic Committees]
UNA COMMENT: Confirm whether each Strategic Committee should have a short charge/description on this page or remain as a linked committee detail page
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
The Academic and Student Affairs Committee supports shared governance review related to academic and student affairs matters. This committee may review items connected to academic policies, student-focused processes, and initiatives that affect the student academic experience.
[View Academic and Student Affairs Committee]
Faculty/Staff Welfare Committee
The Faculty/Staff Welfare Committee supports shared governance review related to faculty and staff workplace matters, welfare, and policy considerations.
[View Faculty/Staff Welfare Committee]
Institutional Effectiveness Committee
The Institutional Effectiveness Committee supports institutional improvement by reviewing matters connected to assessment, planning, effectiveness, and processes that help UNA document and improve institutional performance.
[View Institutional Effectiveness Committee]
Strategic Planning and Budget Study Committee
The Strategic Planning and Budget Study Committee supports shared governance work related to strategic planning, budget study, and recommendations that help inform institutional priorities and resource planning.
[View Strategic Planning and Budget Study Committee]
Graduate Council
The charge of the Graduate Council is to make recommendations concerning graduate program policies, procedures, curricula, and student matters.
The Graduate Council functions administratively outside of the shared governance structure and reports to the President through the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Because of its connection to graduate program policies and curricula, it is included among the committee resources students, faculty, and staff may need to access.
[View Graduate Council]
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee supports the curriculum review and approval process for undergraduate academic programs and courses.
Because curriculum changes are an important part of academic planning and shared institutional review, the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee is included with the Strategic Committee resources.
[View Undergraduate Curriculum Committee]
Task Committees
Task Committees support specific operational, advisory, compliance, and campus community needs. These committees help the University address focused areas of work that contribute to campus safety, student support, policy review, academic support, technology, research, and campus operations.
Task Committees include:
- Animal Care and Use Committee
- Artificial Intelligence Committee
- Athletic Committee
- Food Services Committee
- Institutional Review Board
- International Programs/Offerings Committee
- Multicultural Advisory Committee
- Parking and Traffic Committee
- Research Committee
- Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee
- Student Financial Services Committee
- Technologies Advisory Committee
- Undergraduate Readmissions Committee
[View Task Committees]
UNA COMMENT: Confirm whether Task Committee descriptions, membership, meeting minutes, and annual reports should be listed on this page or maintained in linked committee pages/resources.
Making Changes at UNA
Shared Governance provides a pathway for campus community members to submit, review, and recommend changes through the appropriate University channels.
Faculty, staff, and administrators should review the shared governance process before submitting policy, procedural, or committee-related changes to ensure the proposal is routed to the correct group for review.
[View Steps for Making Changes at UNA]
Contact Information
Shared Governance
University of North Alabama
Florence, AL 35632
UNA COMMENT: Add the appropriate Shared Governance contact person, office, email, and phone number. Confirm whether contact information should point to the Shared Governance Executive Committee chair, Academic Affairs, or another administrative office.