Below are the questions the Shared Governance Task Force is asked about most often. Questions about Shared Governance at Detroit Mercy may be sent to sharedgovernance@udmercy.edu.
Q. Where are Committee/Team meeting minutes and other related documents submitted?
A. Please submit documents to sharedgovernance@udmercy.edu.
Q. I submitted a proposal for approval to the MFA. How do I know where it is in the approval process?
A. Please check the Proposal Tracking document under the Proposals tab. If your proposal does not appear there, please contact Jennifer Bowen, MFA President
Q. What are the term limits for Committee and Team members?
A. Committee and Team Members are limited to two consecutive two year terms. Exceptions are for ex officio members, i.e. members who are on the Committee or Team by virtue of their position in the University. In this case there is no term limit. Exceptions are also made for members of the MFA Executive Committee.
Q. How many Committees and Teams can an individual be on at the same time?
A. Service is limited to two shared governance bodies at the same time.
SGMP, p.24
Q. Can an invited participant be chair of a Committee or Team?
A. While the Shared Governance Modification Structure does not specifically address this, the Shared Governance Task Force has been clear that since an invited participant has no voting rights, the invited participant can't be responsible for setting the agenda or the direction of a Committee or Team.
Q. For how long can an invited participant serve?
A. The term for service is not to exceed two years and are not eligible for re-appointment.
Q. How many invited participants may a Committee or Team have?
A. A Committee or Team may not exceed three invited participants.
SGMP, p. 14
Q. When do the newly elected members of the Committees and Teams take their seats?
A. Though Committee and Team members are elected in the spring, they begin their participation with the first convened meeting after August 16. Outgoing Committee and Team members remain working members until the first meeting convened in the Fall.
Q. When are the Committees and Teams convened in the Fall?
A. All Committees and Teams should have had their first meeting by October 1.
Q. Who convenes the first meeting of a Committee or Team in the fall?
A. The previous year's chair convenes the first meeting in the Fall. If the previous year's chair is no longer on the committee or team, then it is the responsibility of the MFA Representative to the Committee or Team to convene the first meeting.
SGMP, pp. 21-22
Q. Can the Chair of a Committee or Team also be the secretary?
A. No. While the Shared Governance Modification Structure does not address this question, the Shared Governance Task Force has indicated that it is not a best practice for the Chair to also be the Secretary. It is logistically difficulty for one person to fulfill the responsibilities of both positions.
Q. Can a Committee or Team have rolling secretaries?
A. While the Shared Governance Modification Structure does not address this question, the Shared Governance Task Force believes this is not a best practice. In the interest of accountability and ensuring that committee and team minutes are sent to the Shared Governance Web Manager for posting, it is best to have one individual serve as secretary for the year.