Faculty Handbook
Board of Trustees of the Connecticut State University
Western Connecticut State University is one of the four Universities that constitute the Connecticut State University System. The Connecticut State University System is governed by a Board of Trustees established by public statute. (See Section 10a-88 of the Connecticut General Statutes.) The other three universities are Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven and Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic. The Connecticut State University System is administered by a Chancellor who is supported by an Executive Office.
The Board of Trustees for the Connecticut State University consists of eighteen members. Fourteen of the members, including five alumni trustees, are appointed by the Governor of the State for overlapping six-year terms. Four student trustees are elected for two-year terms by students of the four campuses on a rotating basis. The Governor of the State designates the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees. Other officers of the Board are elected by the members of the Board.
The Executive Office, referred to as the "system office," consists of--in addition to the Chancellor, a Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Chief of Staff, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Chief Information Officer, and support staff. It is the function of the Chancellor and his associates in the System Office to prepare agenda and keep records for the Board of Trustees. The Board holds the Chancellor of the Connecticut State University responsible for the satisfactory operation of all the institutions within the Connecticut State University. The President of Western Connecticut State University and the Presidents of the other three CSU institutions report to the Chancellor of the Connecticut State University, and he, in turn, reports to the Board of Trustees.
It is also the responsibility of the Chancellor of the Connecticut State University System to represent the total University in the appropriations process in the legislature and before other agencies of State government. Collective Bargaining with faculty and other professional staff of all four campuses is conducted under the direction of the Chancellor of the Connecticut State University System. The Chancellor sets in motion all long-range planning, including physical facilities planning, for the University system. He also proposes to the Board of Trustees the division of State appropriations among the campuses.
It has traditionally been the administrative philosophy of the Connecticut State University System to involve campus presidents and their senior staff members in the system decision-making and to leave as broad a range of autonomy to campus presidents as is consistent with legal and other commitments of the system.
Various "councils" of campus and system administrators meet on a regular basis to facilitate campus involvement in system decision-making. These are (1) the Council of Presidents, (2) the Council of Academic Vice Presidents, (3) the Council on Employee Relations, (4) the Council of Vice Presidents of Student Affairs, (5) the Council of Finance and Management Vice Presidents, (6) the Institutional Research Advisory Council, and (7) the Council of Information Technology. Numerous other groups meet on an ad hoc basis to facilitate communication in the system. These include the Academic Deans, the Directors of the Libraries, Directors of Financial Aid, Directors of Admissions and Directors of Public Safety.
