Highline Community College
Process
for the Development of new Policies
In keeping with
Board Resolution No. 35-85, the following outlines the procedure for developing
new Board or College policies or changing existing policies. It provides for involvement in identifying
matters to be addressed through policy and for the formal review of the policy
by major campus organizations before policy statements are presented to the
President. Organizations included are
Administrative Cabinet, Faculty Senate, Highline College Student Government,
Instruction Cabinet, Student Affairs Council, and the Washington Public
Employees Association. Final action on
Board policies is by the Board of Trustees, for College policies by the
President.
A general principle
which serves as a guideline; a fundamental, philosophical basis for operation;
a statement against which practices, procedures, and programs can be tested for
general consistency with the institutional mission statement.
Board policies are
usually few in number, broad in scope, and are usually unchanged by alterations
of operational practices and procedures.
Board policies include items specifically required by law such as
delegation to the President, check cashing, commercial operations, etc or those
items like the College Strategic Plan that are broad statements of purpose and
direction.
Statements
governing college wide operations, that do not require Board approval, and
express the intent of the college community concerning the work of
administrators, faculty and staff who have the daily responsibility for
operating the College. College policies
are adopted through the Policy Development Process as described in this
document.
Procedure:
An ordered
statement of actions, steps, processes to be followed in carrying out the work,
assignments, or functions, of an organization or institution. Procedures must be consistent and in harmony
with the policies that govern the organization or institution and approved and
disseminated by the appropriate Vice President, posted on the College web site,
and when affecting more than one area, approved by the College’s executive
staff.
The Policy
Development Council shall be composed of the chairs, or their representatives,
of the organizations listed above. The
purpose of this organization shall be to define all proposals as a Board or
College policy or college procedure and to track the proposal through the
various Councils in a timely fashion.
Since the President presides over the Administrative Cabinet, it is
suggested that the President appoint a Cabinet member to the Policy Development
Council. The President will appoint the Administrative Cabinet representative
who will coordinate the meetings and agendas.
The Council will elect its own chair on an annual basis.
1. Any of the above listed organizations may
submit a proposed Board or college wide policy to the Policy Development Council
with the exception of those covered by Section 901 of the negotiated agreement
of the College and the Highline College Education Association. Within two weeks, the Council will then send
it to the other organizations for their approval, disapproval, or recommended
changes. All responses will be forwarded to the Policy Development Council no
later than two weeks following the receipt of the policy. If the organization
fails to respond, it will be assumed they concur with the proposal. The council may determine that the proposal
does not meet the definition of a College wide policy and refer it back to the
sponsoring council. The Policy
Development Council will act within two weeks of receiving any revisions back.
2. The Policy Development Council will then consider the original
proposal and any submitted modifications.
The Policy Development Council may send the revised proposal back to the
organizations for their consideration or send the original and the revised
proposal on to the President with its recommendation. If the revised proposal is sent back to the organizations, their
written response about the new, revised proposal must be submitted by the new
deadline.
3. Any staff member or student or groups of
either may submit a policy proposal to the Policy Development Council. The Council will then try to find a
sponsoring organization from one of the organizations listed above. If there is an organization that will
sponsor the proposal, then the Council will follow the same procedure as stated
in #1 and #2. If there is no sponsoring
organization, the proposal dies.
4. Within two weeks of receiving the proposal the President will take
action and communicate this action.
These actions could include but are not limited to:
a.
Accept or
reject the College policy.
b.
For Board
policies:
1.
Present the
Policy Development Council endorsed proposal to the Board of Trustees
with
recommendation.
2.
Present the
Policy Development Council endorsed proposal to the Board of Trustees
without
recommendation.
3.
Return the
proposal to the Policy Development Council requesting consideration of
the presidential
revisions.
4.
Present a
presidentially revised proposal to the Board of Trustees along with the
proposal forwarded by the Policy Development Council.
ORIGINAL SIGNED ON
OCTOBER 10, 2002
Michael J. Allan, Chair
Highline Community College
Board of Trustees
_______________________________________________________
APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OCTOBER
10, 2002