LCC SHARED GOVERNANCE SYSTEM

Focus of the Governance System

​

• Focus should be at the Institutional planning and policy level
• Focus should not be operational, and Vice Chairs of Councils have a responsibility and accountability to report back to Councils on the implementation of policies and plans.
• All details outlined in the governance manual. All are encouraged to read the manual.

Policies are formal statements of principles or rules that members of LCC are expected to follow�

PROCEDURES TELL MEMBERS HOW TO CARRY OUT OR IMPLEMENT A POLICY

*DEFINITION APPROVED BY COLLEGE COUNCIL MAY, 2006

Comparison of Policy & Procedure�

Comparison of Policies and Procedures

• Policies indicate the general course of action that should be taken in response to a particular event or situation. Procedures indicate the specific steps that should be taken in response to a particular event
• Policy is the "what" and the procedure is the "how to."

Council Relations to Policies and Procedures

• "Policy decisions that are the responsibility of governance councils are indicated by the scope section of the councils' charters and their decision matrices." (Governance Charter)
• College procedures may be reviewed by councils on a consultative basis, which may result in their modification.

​

Updated DESIGN

College Council

Serves as the major planning and policy body of the college and is responsible for strategic planning, policy development, institutional effectiveness and coordinating the governance system and the councils that are part of the system

​

​

Diversity

Council

​

Infrastructure

Council

​

Faculty Council

Student

Success

Council

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

(Coming soon!)

Classified Advisory Council

​

MEETINGS�STRUCTURE

• Robert's Rules will regulate council meetings
• Consensus is a goal of the governance councils and should be the primary decision style.
• Consensus may be expressed through unanimous agreement; it may be a modified consensus where members can live with a decision even though they may not be in full support.
• Majority and minority reports may be provided to the responsible administrator if consensus is not achieved

Decision Making Protocol: https://www.lanecc.edu/sites/default/files/governance/college-council/governance-decision_making_protocol-approved_12-8-2016.pdf

Conducting the meetings

and

Consensus Decision making Model

Approved protocol for PROCESS decisions

Approved protocol for SUBSTANTIVE decisions

Re-design Approved Principles & Work Plan Action Items

1. Reaffirm commitment to shared governance.
1. Implement notice and comment process similar to legislative tracking
2. Follow updated manual & decision making process
2. Intensive governance training for Chairs/Vice-Chairs, governance PD for all council members. Identify responsible parties.
• Develop “Moodle course” for governance council stakeholders; Update & post slideshow
• Encourage College Council to deliver governance training workshops during In-service.
3. Convene Policy and Procedure team w/support to clean up the policy and procedure system (COPPS)
• Hire external consultant or make internal assignment to review COPPS to accurately designate policies and procedures. Assign or hire by December 1, 2020 for completion by March 1, 2021. Consultant work to be reviewed and approved by College Council by May 1, 2021, with policies to be distributed by College Council to appropriate councils by June 1, 2021.
• Implement 5-year policy review and evaluation cycle, and prioritize COPPS policy review to update delinquent policies by (date).
4. Support adequate compensation/release time for governance participants and other substantive work in context
1. Develop agreement with ASLCCSG to ensure stipend payment for student participation in governance work.
2. Develop agreement with LCCEA and LCCEF to ensure adequate compensation/release time for governance work.

​

Re-design Approved Principles & Work Plan Action Items (continued)

5. Provide administrative support for each council – maintain agenda/minutes, etc.

6. Maintain planning. Councils are responsible for ultimate vetting and approval of such plans and shall be engaged collaboratively throughout plan development. College Council shall determine the scope of plan development, including which plans should be developed within our governance system, in order to ensure the council system focuses on long-term, high level strategic planning for the entire college.

7. Review all college-wide committees and realign within governance where appropriate

1. College Council shall review all college-wide committees and realign within governance where appropriate. Committees that exist outside the governance system shall provide regular reports to a designated council if the work is related to the purview of the council.

Re-design Approved Principles & Work Plan Action Items (con’t)

8. Reaffirm commitment to accountability for implementation and evaluation of council work.

1. Council vice chairs shall provide regular (at least quarterly) updates on new or revised policy implementation and effectiveness, including reports on deviation from council decisions, if any. College Council shall provide criteria for reporting.

9. Create an Accreditation Steering Committee under College Council to ensure accountability to governance

10. Create a communication process for governance, including campus-wide notification of new and updated policies

1. Implement notice and comment process (similar to legislative tracking)
2. Have a permanent space in the Lane Weekly dedicated to Governance updates.
3. Create “Updates” item on the Governance web page navigation menu to include routine Council updates. Publish Council work plans, agendas, and minutes on Council webpage as indicated in the Governance Manual. Publish meeting dates, times, locations (including Zoom and other multimodal platforms as appropriate) as indicated in the Governance Manual.

​

Re-design Approved Principles & Work Plan Action Items (con’t)

11. Improve clarity around processes related to recommendations and decisions. (See diagrams.)

1. Provide PD on decision making model.
2. Keep records of these processes easily available for all LCC employees to access and post this link in the LCC weekly.
3. Ensure division deans have communication processes in place so that their division has an understanding of proposed and decided decisions and the impacts to everyone’s work.
4. Add language in Governance Manual to reflect “process” decision-making consistent with p. 1 of PDF. Clarify naming in visual aids.
5. Further clarify “process issue” voting to note that an issue only passes with a majority (that is, a tie does not pass), and note that sideways votes on process issues are abstentions.
6. Clarify that utilizing “Phase II” of “substantive issue” decision-making occurs via a “process issue” vote and production of Majority and Minority Reports must occur in a timely manner.
7. Councils shall make all reasonable efforts to make decisions in a timely manner.
8. Update and expand the Operations Manual to reflect procedural processes outlined in the Governance Manual.

​

Re-design Approved Principles & Work Plan Action Items (con’t)

12. Representation – increase by applying the Equity Lens throughout the governance system.

1. Council Chairs shall serve on College Council as members by position.
2. College Council to create a process to solicit feedback from under-represented minority groups as to strategies to remove barriers to participation.
3. College Council to report annually on demographic make-up of governance councils and to create and implement an action plan designed to increase diversity of membership, including under-represented minority groups and potentially adding members by position.

13. Reduce number of councils (see details on chart)

1. Form “Classified Advisory Council” to be a formal part of governance structure. appointments to councils (in addition to EF) serve as classified’s college-wide forum for issues other than labor relations

Changes to structure in New Design

• Recognizes Faculty Council as a formal part of the shared governance structure with purview over academic and grading policy
• Creates Classified Advisory Council with responsibility for appointments along with LCCEF to shared governance & college-wide forum for issues outside of labor relations
• Consolidates / Reduces duplication
• Combines Technology and Facilities Councils into Infrastructure Council with purview over tech and facilities policies
• Eliminates Finance Council and makes Budget Development Subcommittee formalized council with purview over finance policy and annual budget development process
• Eliminates Learning Council
• Adds Council Chairs to College Council as ex-officio members with voting rights, but without rights to block consensus.
• Increases representation of students, classified, and faculty on College Council through the inclusion of chairs.
• Increases transparency through notice and comment system to include full campus community

Structure of Each Council�lanecc.edu/governance/membership

Representation

• Each council has a charter that defines the purpose, scope of work, and membership.
• Appointments should be made by May 15 each year by the stakeholders leadership, faculty -LCCEA & Faculty Council, classified –LCCEF. Students -ASLCC, may be appointed later.
• A two-year term of membership is a goal, but cannot reasonably be mandated.
• Members by Position may be considered by each governance council as "ex-officio"*

Members’ Responsibilities

• Consulting with and reporting to their appointing bodies
• Communicating with, representing and bringing issues from their stakeholder group
• Working collaboratively with other council members, and other councils as appropriate, keeping in mind the best interests of the college as a whole
• Fully participating in council work
• Ensuring the council charter is followed

​

Chair and Vice Chair Responsibilities

CHAIR

• Facilitates meetings
• Drafts agenda with vice chair & members
• Reviews notes and documents
• Calls meetings
• Assures the council works within its charter
• Coordinates appointment of members
• Assures effective communication to college community
• Serves as College Council member by position

​

VICE CHAIR

​

• Draft agenda with chair and other council members
• Facilitate the effectiveness of the council by assembling and preparing informational materials.
• Report back to Council on implementation of policies and plans

​

MEETINGS�STRUCTURE

​

​

Meeting Agenda Process

​

​

• Chair and vice chair develop proposed agenda
• Members may suggest agenda items
• 3 days before meeting, chair emails agenda and posts to web
• Agenda may be revised at the start of a meeting; and may be added to with the support of at least two members
• Agreement on items added to the agenda fewer than 3 days before a meeting will be considered tentative and may be raised for reconsideration at the following meeting (to ensure full participation)

​

MEETINGS�STRUCTURE

​

Minutes Process

• Note taker should be provided to each Council
• Minutes will list key subjects discussed, agreements reached, and actions taken
• Chair receives minutes prior to next meeting, revises if necessary, and forwards to vice chair for agreement
• 3 days before next meeting, chair emails notes to council members
• Next meeting agenda includes invitation to revise and/or approve the notes
• Chair posts approved notes to the web

​

Each Council’s Responsibilities

​

​

• Post agenda and minutes to the governance webpage
• Forward formal recommendations to the College Council (chair)
• Report as requested to the College Council
• Request inclusion on College Council agenda as appropriate
• Seek counsel from governance coordinator or governance subcommittee as necessary on governance process questions

College Council Responsibilities

• Assign and clarify scope of council work
• Review council agenda and minutes
• Request council reports to College Council
• Ensure adherence to governance charters
• Facilitates the notice and comment process

Do you know how geese handle the responsibility of the flight formation?

​

It’s Shared, when one gets tired, it peels off and moves to the back and another takes its place!

Appendix – Additional Background

​

History

• June 2003, Board of Education decided not to be a “managing board” but “govern by policy.” The Board delegates authority to the College President, who delegates authority to college administration and the college governance system, while retaining final authority over both.

​

• Shared governance is important for compliance with accreditation standards.

​

• System redesign from 2018 - 2021, finalized by Governance Implementation Team, but many steps are yet to be implemented or in process.

​

Board Policy 325

Policy Number BP 325

Policy Category Governance and Executive Directions

Policy Name College Governance System

Lane Community College is governed by a system that is a learning-centered system and fulfills the vision, mission, core values and strategic directions of the college.

The college governance system shall recognize that the best decisions regarding policy and planning at the institutional level are made through the inclusion of many and diverse voices. The system of governance shall ensure that the authority, responsibility, accountability, and relationship among and between the board, managers, faculty, staff, and students are clearly described and communicated.

By Oregon statute, authority to govern Lane Community College is vested in the board of education. The board, in turn, delegates authority for the general supervision and control of the college to the college president. The president, to achieve the college ends, delegates authority to college administration and the college governance system, while retaining final authority over both.

The governance system recognizes the role and authority of the president of the college as being directly accountable and responsible to the board of education for the education leadership and effective management of the college's human, facilities and land and fiscal resources. Every effort will be made to reach a consensus acceptable to all stakeholders. In the event consensus is not timely reached at the governance table, the final decision will rest with the administrator with authority and responsibility for the matter under consideration. The final decision will be informed by the multiple perspectives voiced during consideration of the matter and by majority and minority reports submitted.

BP325 continued on next slide..

Board Policy 325

Policy Number BP 325

Policy Category Governance and Executive Directions

Policy Name College Governance System

Lane Community College is governed by a system that is a learning-centered system and fulfills the vision, mission, core values and strategic directions of the college.

The college governance system shall recognize that the best decisions regarding policy and planning at the institutional level are made through the inclusion of many and diverse voices. The system of governance shall ensure that the authority, responsibility, accountability, and relationship among and between the board, managers, faculty, staff, and students are clearly described and communicated.

By Oregon statute, authority to govern Lane Community College is vested in the board of education. The board, in turn, delegates authority for the general supervision and control of the college to the college president. The president, to achieve the college ends, delegates authority to college administration and the college governance system, while retaining final authority over both.

The governance system recognizes the role and authority of the president of the college as being directly accountable and responsible to the board of education for the education leadership and effective management of the college's human, facilities and land and fiscal resources. Every effort will be made to reach a consensus acceptable to all stakeholders. In the event consensus is not timely reached at the governance table, the final decision will rest with the administrator with authority and responsibility for the matter under consideration. The final decision will be informed by the multiple perspectives voiced during consideration of the matter and by majority and minority reports submitted.

​

Board Policy 325

​

BP325 continued from previous slide…

The focus of the governance system is at the institutional planning and policy level, not the operational or implementation level which are the responsibility of managers and administrators. Timelines for policy and planning work will be established by the responsible administrator. Administrators will consult with the appropriate Council on implementation of plans and policies.

The board of education shall evaluate the governance system based on its:

1. Clarity;
2. Wide and explicit communication;
3. Effectiveness;
4. Efficiency and timeliness;
5. Processes that encourage employee and student participation in problem solving and decision making;
6. Processes that assure that decisions are made at the appropriate level, by the appropriate group with the needed expertise; and
7. Recognition of the support needed for employees and students to participate and contribute meaningfully.

The president shall present a monitoring report on the work of the governance system which is responsive to these criteria on an annual basis.

MEETING STRUCTURE�Miscellaneous�

​

• Councils meetings follow the Oregon Public Meetings Law http://www.open-oregon.com/laws/oregon-public-meetings-law
• Quorum, half plus one (of the appointed members)
• One meeting each month will be a business meeting, and one additional may be a work session
• Council Work Plans, request by November
• College Council will meet at least once a term with all of the council chairs and vice-chairs to coordinate the work of the councils.

​

​

Officers �of the �Councils

​

• Two defined member roles: a chair, a vice-chair*, with chair serving as member by position on College Council.
• The chair and vice-chair are full members of the council.
• Chairs shall be faculty, classified, or students.
• The chair is elected by the full council membership for a one-year term.
• Chair may fully participate in Council discussions.  In the event the chair's participation undermines discussion, the chair will pass facilitation to the vice chair or other member.
• Chair facilitates meetings with aid from vice chair when needed.  
• Vice chair is an administrator with authority and responsibility for that area and is identified by the administration.

​

Members by position�lanecc.edu/governance/membership

• Governance councils will also include members whose participation is necessitated by their position - that is, because their job duties are so focused on the particular area that the council could not do its work unless the person is involved.
• Council Members by Position may be considered by each governance council.
• Such positions will be "ex-officio" (literally by office) and will be ongoing council members.
• Ex-officio positions will have voting rights but may not veto council consensus.

College Council Chartered Responsibilities

• Monitor the college planning system
• Develop and update the college's strategic plan
• Shepherd the accreditation process
• Develop criteria for prioritizing initiatives in plans
• Receive and review recommendations for priorities in plans
• Monitor college's program for institutional effectiveness
• Develop criteria for budget allocations
• Receive and review budget allocation recommendations

​

• Convene forums for "listening" on college-wide issues
• Steer and assess the college system of governance
• Coordinate and integrate the work of governance councils
• Assign scope of work to councils
• Review and approve adjustments to council charters
• Monitor work of councils
• Formulate policy in collaboration with the governance councils
• Discuss issues confronting the college
• Advise the president

“Old” DESIGN

College Council

Serves as the major planning and policy body of the college and is responsible for strategic planning, policy development, institutional effectiveness and coordinating the governance system and the councils that are part of the system

​

​

Diversity

Council

​

Facilities

Council

​

Finance

Council

​

Learning Council

Student

Affairs

Council

​

Technology

Council