Shared Governance

Section: I. CADM-141
Approved By: Dr. Ivan Harrell, 6/25/19
Last Review:
Last Revision: 6/25/19
Prior Revisions: 3/18/04, 2/10/12, 2/25/14, 12/1/15, 9/1/16, 10/21/16
Initial Adoption: unknown

Policy

Tacoma Community College’s Shared Governance process shall ensure:

  • Effective college-wide policy creation, review, revision and implementation.
  • Decision-making that incorporates the views of those with relevant information, expertise and of those impacted by decisions.
  • Opportunities to address concerns common to all constituencies as well as to issues unique to representative groups.
  • Appropriate and timely communication of information to all representative groups.
  • Efficient and effective management ofresources.
  • Accountability at all levels and in all phases of decision-making process.

Representative Councils: Representative Councils are assigned a Leadership Team member to assist with facilitation and guidance of the work of each council. The assigned Leadership Team member will serve as a non-voting member, and can serve as co-chair.

College-Wide Committee: The Leadership Team member assigned to each committee may serve on the committee as a non-voting member, but may not serve as chair, or co-chair.

College Council shall be the representative shared governance body of the college. College Council has the responsibility of recommending final policy, and other needed actions, to the college president for final action. The Council shall be composed of three representatives from each of the representative councils, as well as three faculty appointed by the TCC Federation of Teachers. The Council shall be led by co-chairs, elected by College Council representatives yearly. The co-chairs shall serve two-year, staggered terms. The college president shall serve as a non-voting member of the Council, and cannot serve as chair, or co-chair.

The representative councils shall be (See Exhibit C):

  • Instructional Council
  • Classified Staff Council
  • Student Affairs Council
  • Administrative Services Council
  • Exempt Staff Council

College Council,and each representative council, is responsible for developing and implementing needed by-laws, and procedures. By-laws and procedures must be approved by College Council. This policy shall be reviewed annually by the College Council.

Purpose

Shared Governance provides a system of decision-making processes in which trustees, administrators, faculty, staff and students advance the mission, goals and values of the college through appropriate collaboration. Shared Governance requires open communication among stakeholders in an environment of mutual respect, collegiality, and accountability.

To Whom Does This Policy Apply

All employees and students.

References

Board of Trustees Policy Manual – Chapter I

Definitions

Shared Governance
A shared responsibility among the different components of the institution that incorporates all stakeholders with areas of responsibilities to include board of trustees, administrators, faculty, staff and students.

Representative Council
A representative council is a group that represents the varying views of major divisions of the College, and the various types of college employees. Representative Councils provide recommendations to the College Council.

Council
A council is an advisory group that meets regularly to discuss and advise or make recommendations to the President on matters affecting the general welfare of the College. Council responsibilities are specific to the council charge. (See Appendix A for a list of councils.)

College-Wide Committee
A committee is a recommending body to the appropriate Leadership Team member with specific responsibility to the committee charge. (See Appendix B for a list of committees.)

Taskforce
A taskforce is a recommending body to the President, Leadership Team, a Leadership Team member, appropriate council or committee for a specific purpose. Taskforces are not permanent, and should in most instances complete their work within one year.

Procedure

Councils, committees, and taskforces are established following the shared governance policy. College councils and committees serve as recommending bodies reflective of and accountable to relevant stakeholders to ensure appropriate representation. Councils and committees will review and update their published purpose statements annually. For councils and committees the following must be posted in a central location that can be accessed by everyone in the college community: purpose statement, member list, and meeting schedule, agendas and minutes. Taskforces are identified as needed by the appropriate council or committee and provide recommendations based upon their purpose.

On an annual basis members from faculty, classified staff, exempt staff and students will be reviewed and seated per the guidelines of each group.

Members on councils, committees or taskforces have an obligation to ensure accurate and timely communication of information between the members of their groups during the discussion, review, and recommendation period and to provide feedback prior to approval by respective council or committee and recommendation to the Leadership Team. Councils, committees and taskforces (when appropriate), shall produce an annual report outlining yearly accomplishments.

The Leadership Team will review and update the published list of councils and committees annually.

 

Exhibit A

List of College Councils (This list is not complete, and will need to be updated.)

  • Multicultural Advisory Council
  • Equity & Diversity Council
  • Legislative Council

Exhibit B

List of College-Wide Committees (This list is not complete, and will need to be updated.)

  • Budget Committee
  • Academic Technology Committee
  • Curriculum Committee
  • eLearning Advisory Committee
  • Enrollment Management Committee
  • Facilities Master Planning Committee
  • Instructional Assessment Steering Committee
  • Sustainability Action Committee
  • Academic Calendar committee
  • Emergency Preparedness & SafetyCommittee
  • Faculty Professional Development Committee
  • Wellness Committee
 

Exhibit C

Shared Governance Chart