Governance
SIT follows a system of shared governance with multiple bodies serving in a governing role or advisory capacity to the president. The governing bodies have the requisite authority to act within their purview to fulfill their responsibilities and represent their constituents. SIT’s goal is to maintain a transparent and equitable system of shared governance with clear communication channels and inclusive opportunities for providing feedback and otherwise engaging with the decision-making process.
Board of Trustees
SIT is the accredited institution of higher education of World Learning, a nongovernmental organization dedicated to making the world more peaceful, sustainable, and just through education, development, and exchange programs. Because of this relationship, SIT is governed by the Board of Trustees of World Learning, which holds fiduciary and corporate responsibility.
Through active oversight and delegation, the Board monitors and advances the mission, policies, and activities of SIT. The Academic Affairs Committee of the Board has general responsibility for advising the Board on matters relating to SIT. The Board has also delegated decision-making responsibility on key matters associated with SIT (e.g. approval of SIT specific policies) to the Academic Affairs Committee.
World Learning Amended and Restated Bylaws
Chief Executive Officer of World Learning
The chief executive officer (CEO) of World Learning has general and active management authority over the business and academic affairs of World Learning Inc, which encompasses three distinct units: School for International Training (SIT); The Experiment in International Living; and the nonprofit global development and exchange unit World Learning. The CEO of World Learning serves as an ex-officio, voting member of the Board and of every committee (except the Audit & Risk Committee).
President of SIT
The president of SIT directly reports to the CEO of World Learning and serves on the CEO’s Senior Executive Team. The president has broad authority to operate the academic enterprise and supporting administrative units of SIT. In areas where administrative units are shared across World Learning, the president has sufficient authority to ensure SIT has adequate resources and support to meet its mission, objectives, and strategic priorities.
Provost and Dean of Faculty
The provost and dean of faculty is responsible for providing the overall strategic leadership of SIT’s academic structure, overseeing the management of all academic matters, with an emphasis on curriculum, teaching, and faculty affairs. In alignment with the president’s vision, the incumbent establishes strategic priorities of academic program design and structure, teaching and learning, and research and partnerships, and undertakes initiatives to enhance SIT’s reputation for academic excellence. The dean of faculty may also serve as the chief academic officer (provost), with additional responsibilities pertaining to academic policies, financial sustainability, and student success.
Faculty Senate
The Faculty Senate is the primary and highest representative body of the general faculty consisting of elected and ex-officio members. The Faculty Senate and its standing committees work with the dean of faculty and president to maintain academic standards, support students in their academic progress, facilitate faculty professional growth, provide advice to the senior administration on a range of topics including long range planning and as otherwise requested, and ensure a respectful working environment with transparent expectations for all faculty associated with SIT’s academic programs.
Staff Senate
The Staff Senate is a representative body drawn from the professional staff of SIT from all locations in which SIT programs are administered, as well as central administrative staff who support multiple programs and regions. The Staff Senate and its committees collaborate with the Faculty Senate; build staff agency and voice on matters related to community building and shared governance; human resource policies, compensation, benefits, and professional development; program infrastructure and resources; and communication, synergy, proactive problem-solving, and transparency across units.
SIT Student Association (SITSA)
Student participation in institutional priorities, policies, and decision-making is essential to a system of equitable and inclusive shared governance. To that end, the SIT Student Association (SITSA) is the formal organization designed to advance student voice through: 1) fostering dialogue and exchange with senior leadership; 2) building community and organizing across degree programs, locations and modalities; and 3) providing representation on institutional committees and initiatives.