College Governance Structure

Cascadia Community College will operate through a system of shared governance by which there will be collaboration with all College constituents to participate in organizational decision making. This collegial advisory process will include, but not be limited to, decision making for determining performance measures of the institution, recommending policy to the President, and participating in organizational strategic planning, including making recommendations for the setting of priorities related to the allocation of College resources.

The College governance system is to be advisory to the President of the College in an environment of open dialogue. Administrative procedures will be developed to define the College's governance structures. The President retains the authority for the final decision on any issues related to the management and operation of the College. The Board of Trustees in collaboration with the College President, and after any constituent group(s) has presented its position, retains the authority for the final decision on any policy related issues.

Governance Structure - Teams, Assemblies, and Other Organizations

President's Executive Team | President's Cabinet | Administrative Council
The All College Assembly | The Learning Outcomes Team | Student Learning Council
Faculty Assembly | Classified Association Team

The governance system of the College will operate through a formal system of appointed and/or approved self-organized teams. By definition, a team will constitute a group of individuals organized to work together toward a common institutional goal or outcome. As a team is formed to complete a particular task, it will be provided with, or it will define a clear goal(s) and a distinct set of task(s).

Recommendations from a team will be formulated and put forward through a process of consensus. Team(s) may be appointed as standing or ad hoc or, when appropriate, self-forming, in order to dialogue institutional issues related to student learning, student success or institutional learning. Recommendations resulting from team dialogue, including minutes of team meetings, will be forwarded through the appropriate organizational governance process or to appropriate administrators for further dialogue or to be considered as an agenda item for another team(s) whose responsibility is to deal with such issues.

As part of the College governance model the following teams are established and will operate in keeping with the College mission, vision and values. Recommendations and actions will at all times be in the best interest of the institution and its community of learners.

A. President's Executive Team

Membership

The President's Executive Team consists of:

• The President
• The Vice President for Student Learning
• The Vice President for Student Success
• The Vice President of Finance and Information Technology

The Executive Director of Human Resources periodically joins the Executive Team to discuss personnel matter, or personnel policies and procedures.

The President chairs these meetings.

Responsibilities

The President's Executive Team is responsible for the management of institutional affairs and serves as advisory to the President. The Executive Team deals with, but is not limited to, College governance, student learning and success, fiscal strategies and related matters, personnel, community relations, public information and information systems, policy and procedures development and adoption, strategic planning etc. Outcomes/recommendations of these meetings can be placed on the agenda for the Cabinet and/or other appropriate teams/committees, or can be forwarded directly to the President for action. Final decisions are communicated to the Cascadia Team through established routes such as established teams/committees, area and team briefings, electronic mail, the internal web site (Intranet), the shared drive folders, etc.

Meeting times and days

The Executive Team meets twice each month and/or as needed.

B. President's Cabinet

Membership

The President's Cabinet consists of the President, the Director of Information Systems, the Director of the Campus Library, four LOT Facilitators, and those administrators who directly report to the President.

Cabinet membership:

• The Executive Assistant to the President
• The Vice President for Student Success
• The Vice President for Student Learning
• The Vice President of Finance and Information Technology
• The Director of Information Systems and Technology
• The Executive Director of Human Resources
• The Director of Fund Development
• The Director of Communications
• The Director of the Campus Library
• Learning Outcome Team (LOT) Facilitators

Responsibilities

The President's Cabinet is responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations of the College. The Cabinet deals with, everyday operations and other matters such as budget, facilities, policies and procedures etc. The Cabinet does not consider personnel matters, or personnel policies and/or procedures. The Cabinet's primary function is to address current and pending institutional issues in order to advise the President on appropriate course(s) of action(s). A summary of the team meetings (excluding any confidential discussions and actions) is published as part of the general College communication and information system (Intranet) and the shared drive.

The members of the Cabinet rotate chairing the meetings.

Meeting times and days

The Cabinet meets twice each month and/or as needed.

C. Administrative Council

Membership

The Administrative Council consists of the President and all administrative exempt employees.

Responsibilities

The Administrative Council is responsible for the oversight of the day-to-day operations of the College. The Council deals with, everyday operations. The Council does not consider personnel matters, or personnel policies and/or procedures. The Council's primary function is to address current and pending institutional issues in order to advise the President on appropriate course(s) of action(s). A summary of the team meetings (excluding any confidential discussions and actions) is published as part of the general College communication and information system (Intranet) and the shared drive.

The members of the Council rotate chairing the meetings.

Meeting times and days

The Council meets once each month and/or as needed.

D. The All College Assembly (ACA)

The All College Assembly (ACA) advises the College President with institutional governance matters. The ACA acts within Cascadia's Operational Model as a unified voice for the college's constituent members.

Membership and Principles

• The ACA is an open system of governance with college-wide participation
• Open to all college employees and to the elected representatives of the Student Government
• Any college employee can forward a matter to the Assembly for consideration
• All college students can forward matters for consideration through their elected officers who will prioritize and then bring to the Assembly for consideration
• Matters before the Assembly are processed and facilitated by a team of ten (10) navigators
• Eight (8) navigators are nominated by the Learning Outcome Teams (LOT) - two (2) diverse appointments per LOT
• Two (2) navigators are nominated by the Student Government
• The President appoints the navigators to serve for one academic year
• All matters will be sorted by the Navigators and forwarded to be considered and addressed by the appropriate college body
• The goal of the Assembly is to maintain open communication and insure college-wide knowledge of the resolution of all matters presented and addressed
• As a learning organization, knowledge and accurate information are highly valued thus full participation is critical and strongly encouraged
• ACA Members will be well informed and reflect behavior that exemplifies understanding of all matters, good listening skills and respect for each other

Responsibilities and Process

• Anyone wishing to have an idea/issue/policy/recommendation, etc. addressed, can bring it forward to the navigators at least two weeks prior to the meeting.
• The Navigators help determine where a given matter is best handled/resolved. If it is not appropriate for the Assembly to consider the matter it will be referred to another body with a specific timeline for completion and report back to the All College Assembly

Areas within the purview of the ACA

• College policies
• College-wide budget
• Strategic planning
• Institutional assessment
• Program evaluation
• Institutional/programmatic course of study
• Calendar

Areas not in the purview of the ACA

• Curriculum
• Individual course offerings
• Operational, procedural and logistical matters
• Personnel matters and/or policies or procedures

Meeting times and days

The All College Assembly will meet on a monthly basis

E. The Learning Outcome Teams (LOTs)

Responsibilities and Membership

The Learning Outcome Teams (LOTs) are organized around the college's four learning outcomes and have two basic responsibilities and two distinct memberships.

1. Institutional - serving as vehicles for communication of college-wide matters, and as leaders in the research and development of their particular outcome and all of its related assessment practices.
2. Instructional - serving as vehicles for interdisciplinary communication, planning and implementation of instructional matters for the faculty.

Institutional Membership and Leadership

• The work of the institutional LOTs is facilitated by a LOT Facilitator appointed on an annual basis by the President.
• The LOTs are open systems of governance with college-wide participation and open to all college employees.

Instructional Membership and Leadership

• A LOT Lead appointed on an annual basis by the Vice President for Student Learning facilitates the work of the instructional LOTs.
• All college faculty are members of the instructional LOTs.

Meeting times and dates

The LOTs meet every other week, each LOT meeting twice a month.

F. The Student Learning Council (SLC)

Membership

• Membership reflects breadth of curriculum and diversity of instructional experience.
• Membership is for one academic year, fall quarter through spring quarter. Appointments will be made by the end of spring quarter for the subsequent academic year.
• Faculty at-large are nominated by Faculty Assembly. The Vice President for Student Learning will make the final appointments.
• The Vice President for Student Learning and the Curriculum Support Specialist may attend all meetings in a non-voting ex-officio capacity and serve as resources to the Council.
• Two students, one from the Professional/Technical area and one from an academic program will be voting members of the Council. Each student must have a minimum of 15 credits from Cascadia at the time of his/her appointment and intend to stay through the following academic year. The students are selected and appointed by the ASCCC.
• Membership includes:
• Associate Deans for Student Learning (3)
• Associate Dean for Student Success
• Faculty Teaching and Learning LOT Leads (4)
• Faculty at-large members (4)
• Student Representatives (2)
• Vice President for Student Learning (ex-officio)
• Curriculum Support Specialist (ex-officio)

Responsibilities

The Student Learning Council (SLC) provides the College with a central forum in which major student learning issues are addressed, including class schedule design, curriculum development, program development, and degree/certificate requirements, etc. The Council will support the Cascadia mission, strategic plan, and learning outcomes by providing leadership to the College regarding instructional issues. This will include promotion of curricular innovation, collaboration, and the central focus on student learning. The Council meets regularly and provides faculty and the LOTs with expeditious curriculum review processes.

Co-chairs are selected by the Council at the first meeting of the academic year. Co-chairs alternate from meeting to meeting in leading the meetings and work with the Vice President for Student Learning in developing the agenda and seeing that materials are prepared and distributed prior to and following meetings. The Co-Chairs are elected by the SLC for a period of one year (fall quarter through spring quarter of the same academic year).

Subcommittees will be established as needed.

Meeting times and dates

Meetings may be called by the Co-Chair(s) or by the Vice President for Student Learning.

Normally, the Committee will meet every other week beginning the second week of Fall Quarter. However, if the work of the committee requires more or less frequent meetings, the frequency of meetings will be adjusted. The length of meetings will normally be one to one and a half hours in duration.

The SLC meetings are open to anyone in the college.

G. The Faculty Assembly (FA)

Based on last year's assessment the following procedures are being reviewed by the faculty and the administration. The newly revised procedures will be in place by November 1, 2002.

The Faculty Assembly (FA) provides support for faculty in the practice and scholarship of teaching and advises the Vice President for Student Learning on matters pertaining to employment conditions such as faculty contracts, workload and instructional support.

Principles

• Open to all faculty, full-time and associate.
• Any college faculty member can forward a matter to the FA for consideration.
• Matters before the FA are coordinated by a facilitator elected each quarter.
• The goal of the FA is to provide support and a representative voice for all faculty.
• As a learning organization, knowledge and accurate information are highly valued, thus full participation is critical and strongly encouraged.
• Faculty have a principal role, fundamental obligation and primary expertise regarding curricular matters.

Process

The FA will meet at least once a month to address matters in the purview of the FA.

Meeting Guidelines

• Professional Responsibilities To Our Students could include mutual support in the practice and scholarship of teaching, learning, assessment, and curricular development. (These meetings could coincide with scheduled offerings of the Teaching & Learning Academy).
• Business Meetings: could be used to address other issues in the purview of the FA regarding instructional support (pertaining to employment conditions), working conditions, tenure process and employment contract issues. The FA makes recommendations only at the business meetings.

Quorum and Voting

• In order for a particular business meeting of the FA to be considered a recommending body, 60% of the full-time faculty & 5% of the associate faculty must be in attendance.
• All faculty in attendance at a business meeting, whether full-time or associate, have equal voting rights.

Business Meeting Process and Recommendations

• The FA will make decisions on any proposal items discussed that day at the end of the meeting, following the final reflective time.
• The FA will aim for consensus in all decisions. If consensus is not reached on a proposal at a meeting, the Assembly will table the issue until the next meeting. If at the next meeting consensus cannot be reached, a 2/3 vote of faculty will pass the proposal.
• Recommendations passed by the FA will be forwarded with the meeting minutes to the Vice President for Student Learning.

Recommendation Routing

• The Vice President for Student Learning will, in writing, issue his/her determination on all matters forwarded by the FA. If the Vice President does not accept the matter, the rationale for declining the recommendation should be stated. (The goal is to reconsider the item and reach consensus with the FA.)
• In the event that the Vice President declines to accept a matter forwarded by the Assembly, the facilitator shall bring back the matter to the Faculty Assembly for reconsideration along with the Vice President's rationale for declining the matter. (The goal is to reconsider the item and reach consensus with the Vice President.)
• In the event that the Vice President and the FA cannot reach consensus, the FA and/or the Vice President may choose to present the FA recommendation to the President for consideration.
• In the event the President and the FA cannot reach consensus, the FA may choose to present the FA's recommendations to the Board of Trustees for their consideration. The Board's decision shall be final.
• The FA recognizes that the College, acting through the Board of Trustees and the President, has the responsibility and authority to manage and direct all operations and activities of Cascadia Community College to the full extent authorized by law. The exercise of these powers, rights, authorities and public responsibilities by the College through the adoption of such regulations and policies as it may deem necessary shall not be limited by the procedures of the FA.

Representative Board

The FA empowers a six-member Representative Board to work on its behalf in crafting employment contract addendum proposals to be presented to the Vice President for Student Learning. The Representative Board is made up of three full-time faculty, two associate faculty and one full-time faculty alternate elected annually by a simple majority of the FA. All proposals created by the Representative Board would require ratification using the FA regular business meeting voting process.

Relationship with the Student Learning Council

The Student Learning Council (SLC) is the campus wide governance body that reviews and approves curricular matters for Cascadia Community College. Faculty members are encouraged to participate in both the LOT meetings and the Student Learning Council's open dialogue regarding curriculum development and redesign, evaluation of Course Outcome Guides, and creation of assessment tools. Student Learning Council meetings are open so that all faculty are welcome to attend and participate in the discussion of topics on the agenda.

Consistent with its recommendation routing processes, the Faculty Assembly will select the SLC's Faculty At-Large members for a one-year term. In making the recommendation, the Faculty Assembly will bear in mind the demanding nature of SLC membership and the need for a balance of discipline and employee type (full time and associate) among the SLC members.

The Vice President for Student Learning will review the recommendations in light of each selected faculty member's Individual Development Plan (IDP). If a selection does not seem consistent with a particular faculty member's IDP, the Vice President will meet individually with the faculty member to discuss the matter. The faculty member may revise the IDP and/or the Vice President may decide to decline a selection. In the latter case, communication with the Faculty Assembly regarding the rationale for declining the recommendation will balance the need for confidentiality in personnel matters with the operational values of transparency and open communication.

Areas in the Purview of the Faculty Assembly

• Instructional support issues, pertaining to faculty employment conditions
• Faculty working conditions
• Tenure rules and procedures
• Faculty employment contract issues

Areas NOT in the Purview of the Faculty Assembly

• Operational, procedural and logistical matters
• Personnel matters, including tenure recommendations
• Matters pertaining to the All College Assembly
• The FA, while created to provide a voice for the faculty as a group, is not a collective bargaining unit.
• While the Cascadia Community College Administration will consider all recommendations from the FA, all parties recognize that the Administration may not impair contractual obligations of the College.
• Contract education
• Community Education/life long learning

Operational and Ethical Values of the Faculty Assembly

• Focus on student learning
• Open minded (risk and experience is good)
• Accessible and understandable
• Provide for multiple perspectives and multiple points for entry
• All ideas, opinions, comments, etc. will be acknowledged & valued
• Transparent - nothing to hide
• Effective, efficient and productive
• Outcome based
• Flexible
• Continual assessment of effectiveness - not static
• Communicate clearly and quickly to the organization
• Broad based participation
• Incorporates learning organization philosophy and principles/ a learning community
• Embraces fairness, honesty & equality
• Incorporates systematic approach to decision making
• Transformative and innovative
• A fun environment providing opportunity for growth and learning
• Incorporates best practices

H. The Classified Association Team (CAT)

Mission

Classified Association Team will create an awareness for Classified employees of the specific laws, rules and regulations that govern Civil Service positions. We will become leaders in our community and be included in Cascadia's governance structure. We will share information about training opportunities, support (pertaining to employment conditions) and working conditions.

About Classified Association Team

The Classified Association Team provides the College with a central forum in which Classified employees issues are addressed. Classified Association Team will support Cascadia's vision, mission and core values by providing accurate information to all Classified employees, the College, and community.

Principles

Classified Association Team is open to all Classified employees. Classified employees are those employees -whose classifications are listed in and are governed under the Civil Service rules and regulations of the state of Washington. Any Classified employee can forward a matter to the Classified Association Team for consideration. The goal of the Classified Association Team is to provide support and a representative voice for all employees. The Classified Association Team, while created to provide a voice for Classified employees as a group, is not a collective bargaining unit. As a learning organization, knowledge and accurate information are highly valued, thus full participation is critical and strongly encourage.

Process

Leadership

Co-Chairs are selected by the Committee at the first meeting of each academic year. Co-Chairs alternate from month-to-month in leading the meeting, establishing the agenda, sending a meeting reminder and distributing the meeting minutes.

Meeting Times and Dates

The Committee will meet monthly and provide all Classified employees with meeting notes and other documents from prior meetings that facilitate learning and awareness about employment, campus and governance issues. The committee meets on the last Thursday of each month from With prior approval from supervisor, classified employees are allowed to attend these monthly meetings. 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

SPECIFICS:

Meeting Guidelines

Meetings are used to address issues in the purview of the Classified Association Team regarding Classified employee training, support (pertaining to employment conditions) and working conditions.

Quorum and Voting

In order for a particular meeting of the Classified Association Team to be considered able to make decisions for all Classified employees, 60% of the Classified employees must be in attendance. All decisions made by the CAT are done through voting, a simple majority (51%) is required.

Recommendations for action should be forwarded to the Executive Director of Human Resources.

Establishing Meeting Agendas

Meeting agenda items are limited to issues that need discussion and thought from all Classified employees.

Classified employees will e-mail agenda items to the co-chairs, with a time estimate attached to each item.

The co-chairs will set the agenda with proposed time limits for each agenda item.

RECOMMENDATION ROUTING

• The Executive Director of Human Resources will, in writing, issue his/her determination on all matters forwarded by the Classified Association Team. If the Executive Director does not accept the matter, the rationale for declining the recommendation should be stated. (The goal is to reconsider the item and reach consensus with the Classified Association Team.)
• In the event that the Executive Director declines to accept a matter forwarded by the Classified Association Team, the facilitator shall bring back the matter to the Classified Association Team for reconsideration along with the Executive Director rationale for declining the matter. (The goal is to reconsider the item and reach consensus with the Executive Director.)
• In the event that the Executive Director and the Classified Association Team can not reach consensus, the Classified Association Team and/or the Executive Director may choose to present the Classified Association Team's recommendation to the President for consideration.
• In the event the President and the Classified Association Team cannot reach consensus, the Classified Association Team may choose to present the Classified Association Team's recommendations to the Board of Trustees for their consideration. The Board's decision shall be final.

The Classified Association Team recognizes that the College, acting through the Board of Trustees and the President, has the responsibility and authority to manage and direct all operations and activities of Cascadia Community College to the full extent authorized by law. The exercise of these powers, rights, authorities and public responsibilities by the College through the adoption of such regulations and policies as it may deem necessary shall not be limited by the procedures of the Classified Association Team.

Areas in the Purview of the Classified Connections Committee

1. Classified employees support, training and development issues.
2. Classified employees working conditions.

Areas not in the Purview of the Classified Connections Committee

1. Personnel matters, including permanent status recommendations
2. Matters pertaining to the All College Assembly
3. The Classified Association Team, while created to provide a voice for all Classified employees, is not a collective bargaining unit.
4. While the Cascadia Community College Administration will consider all recommendations from the Classified Association Team, all parties recognize that the Administration may not impair contractual obligations of the College.

Operational Values and Ethics of [Classified Association Team]

Open minded (risk and experience is good)
Accessible and understandable
Provide multiple perspectives and multiple points for entry
All ideas, opinions, comments, etc. will be acknowledged and valued
Transparent - nothing to hide
Effective, efficient and productive
Flexible, fun and innovative
Incorporates learning organization philosophy and principles
Embraces fairness, honesty and equality

Other Values to Consider:

Conducting business with honesty, integrity, and ethics
Achieving results valued by our students, the college, and community
Providing an open, supporting, and challenging work place
Taking initiative based on shared strategies and values
Provide a stimulating environment for Classified employees by providing high levels of motivation, empowerment, and recognition.

View these and other exciting initiatives by clicking on the options to the left.