Governance
Governance is the processes and practices through which an entity organizes itself to achieve its mandate. It is concerned with the structures and procedures for decision-making, accountability, control and codes of conduct. It is expressed through legislation, policies and by-laws, and informal norms. The goal of effective governance is a robust organization that achieves peak performance and is accountable to the people it serves.
St Stephen’s governs itself with a joint governance structure, as set out in the Alberta Post-Secondary Learning Act. The Board of Governors has authority for business governance and the Academic Senate has authority for academic governance.
The governance model used by St Stephen’s is that of Shared Governance thus, while senior authority rests with the Board of Governors, they and the Academic Senate rely on effective structures, and inclusive dialogue to ensure that the College honours its mission, values and vision while complying with legislative requirements.