Chaparral 2017-2018: 26.2 Governance TidBits

Governance TidBits

by Frankie Strong
Governance Office Coordinator

Election of Committee Chair

The middle of the semester is in full swing and that means Governance committees have been meeting. Committees have discussions, make decisions and take action on items that help to drive GCC forward as the premier community college choice.

With participatory governance, we have procedures and practices that assist us in continuing the good work. Today I would like to share an important procedural item.

The election of a governance committee chair should be on the agenda of the first meeting in the fall semester. 

The election must be recorded in the minutes. This may seem superfluous; however, it is necessary to follow the regulation. Therefore, the above step should be completed each fall semester or at the first meeting of the committee. Why? Because this is a way to document that we have consistent practices here at GCC and that our processes are transparent. Such documentation can be used as evidence for accreditation. More importantly, we follow policy, which for governance is Administrative Regulation 2511: Governance Document. The document is available on the Board of Trustees page. For convenience, here is the link: http://www.glendale.edu/home/showdocument?id=5773

Here is the language regarding election of governance committee chairs:

“PARTICIPATION & ATTENDANCE (pg. 10 of the online document)

Governance committee chairs shall be selected each fall semester by internal elections, with the exception of the standing committees (College Executive, Institutional Planning Coordination, Academic Affairs, Administrative Affairs, and Student Affairs), whose chairs are specified by the administrative position.”

Our shared governance system works best when we follow the established procedures. The fruit of our efforts result in providing the best opportunities for our community of students.

To view the entire Administrative Regulation 2511: Governance Document, it is available on the Board of Trustees page. For convenience, here is the link: http://www.glendale.edu/home/showdocument?id=5773