Shared Governance

“Collin College is a student and community-centered institution committed to developing skills, strengthening character, and challenging the intellect.”

 

See Board Policy AD(Local)

 

The College’s mission statement was established through a College-wide collaborative process that culminated in approval by the Board of Trustees in May 2001. The mission statement has served as the philosophical foundation for policy and program decisions in the years since its adoption by the Trustees. At the same time, the Trustees approved a recommendation to establish a set of institutional Core Values. These were also developed through a collaborative discussion among the faculty, staff, and administrators and are as follows:

 

We have a passion for:

• Learning
• Service and Involvement
• Creativity and Innovation
• Academic Excellence
• Dignity and Respect
• Integrity

In May 2016, the Board of Trustees approved a Vision Statement for the College, “Delivering a Brighter Future for our Students and Communities.”

The College is governed by a nine-member, elected Board of Trustees that has final authority to determine and interpret the policies that govern the College and, within the limits imposed by other legal authorities, has complete and full control of the College.

 

See Board Policy BBE(Local)

 

The District President serves as chief executive officer of the College with sole vresponsibility to the Board for ensuring that the College’s strategic direction and operations are consistent with its mission, purpose, core values, and vision statement, as well as, operate in a manner that is in compliance with state and federal laws and
regulations and accreditation guidelines. The District President is charged by the Board of Trustees with effectively implementing policies and regulations established by the Board related to

1. academics and curriculum development;
2. investments, budgeting,
   and funding;
3. student services;
4. community relations; and
5. personnel.

See Board Policy BFA(Local)

 

Faculty members serve the College in academic, governance, and strategic planning matters through membership and involvement in, but not limited to, College-recognized committees and task forces.

 

See Board Policy BGC(Local)

Collin College policies and policy amendments may be initiated by the District President, Board members, College personnel, students, or community citizens, but generally shall be recommended for the Board’s consideration by the  Collin College District President. The Board shall have the sole right to adopt policies. Proposed local policies or amendments introduced and recommended to the Board at one meeting shall not be adopted until a subsequent meeting. Emergency adoption, however, may occur in one meeting if special circumstances demand an immediate response.

 

Local policies become effective upon Board adoption or at a future date designated by the Board at the time of adoption.

 

See Board Policy BE(Local)

 

Except in the case of an emergency as noted above, faculty and staff are provided an opportunity to comment and have their ideas, suggestions, and input considered prior to final adoption of policies being presented to the Board of Trustees.

BGC(Local) was adopted on June 28, 2022 by the Board of Trustees. It states as follows:

 

College District faculty, staff, students, and administrators serve the College District and participate in governance through membership and involvement in College Districtrecognized academic, governance, and strategic planning committees and task forces.

 

Shared governance in higher education refers to the structures and processes through which stakeholders have regular opportunities to include their voices in the discussion of important issues, policies, and major decisions. Shared governance at Collin College encourages the good-faith commitment and engaged participation of stakeholder groups in a structured approach to initiating and considering issues that further the college’s mission and leads the college toward achieving strategic goals and master plan priorities. Such a model of governance requires the trust of all parties and can furtherbuild that trust through collaborative engagement.

 

Stakeholders include, but are not limited to, the college’s Board of Trustees, faculty from a cross-section of disciplines, administrators, staff, and students. Differences in the influence of each voice in in-forming the decision-making process should be determined by the responsibility of the matter at hand. For example, faculty are primarily responsible for determining curriculum, while students have stronger influence with regard to student activity fees.

 

Collin College leadership acknowledges the importance of shared governance and recognizes the threshold conditions for high-functioning shared governance presented in the Association of Governing Boards Board of Directors’ Statement on Shared Governance. The shared governance process will be reviewed periodically with the Board to ensure the effectiveness of the process and the engagement of stakeholder groups through the Academic, Governance, and Strategic Planning Council (AGS) or the appropriate council, committee, or task force.

As the College adds new campuses, new programs, and new faculty, staff, and administrators, the shared governance councils, membership, organization, and representation are continually evaluated to ensure the shared governance structures are representative of the district as a whole, that meaningful dialogue and collaboration are enhanced, and that the mission and vision of the College remain at the foundation of shared governance efforts.

 

View the Councils, Committees and Task Forces CougarWeb Page

 

Councils:
Collin College defines Councils as those groups whose primary charge is to consider and make recommendations regarding broad policy issues in their respective areas of focus.

• Academic, Governance, and Strategic Planning Council
• Council on Excellence (COE)
• Curriculum Advisory Board (CAB)
• Faculty Council
• Staff Council

 

Executive Leadership Team:
The Collin College Executive Leadership Team is comprised of members of the District President’s Cabinet; the Campus Provosts; and the Chief Student Success Officer. This group generally meets monthly to discuss and consider college-wide strategic planning, organizational, and policy matters.

 

Standing Committees:
Standing Committees are either elected or appointed groups charged with considering topics such as appeals, functional applications, and College-wide operational issues and tasks.

• Academic Progress Appeals Committee
• Appreciative Education (AE) Committee
• Banner Maintenance Committee
• Calendar Committee
• Clery Committee
• Core Objectives Assessment Team (COAT)
• Cougar Wellness Committee
• Data Standards and Quality Assurance Committee
• Disciplinary Appeals Committee
• Emergency Management Working Group (EMWG)
• Faculty Development Advisory Committee
• Financial Aid Appeals Committee
• General Education Steering Committee
• Grade Appeals Board (GAB)
• I Got Your Back (IGYB) Bystander Awareness and Intervention Committee
• Institutional Review Board
• Know Now Committee
• Online Advisory Board
• Program Review Steering Committee
• Refund Petition Appeals Committee
• Research Request Review Committee
• Safety Committee
• Scholarship Review Committee
• Strategies of Behavioral Intervention (SOBI)
• Student Activity Fee Advisory Committee (SAFAC)
• Technology Advisory Committee
• Title IX Committee
• Workforce Education Steering Committee

 

Ad hoc Committees and Task Forces:
Ad hoc Committees and Task Forces are charged with carrying out a specific task, project, or initiative. These groups do not generally extend beyond completion of the assigned task or charter. Ad hoc committees and task forces establish a purpose statement and receive administrative approval before conducting activities toward their purpose. Some recently active Ad hoc Committees and Task Forces include:

• Health and Safety Fair Committee
• Health Sciences Symposium Committee
• Quality Enhancement Plan Team
• Sabbatical Leave Committee 

Search Committees:
Search Committees are generally comprised of faculty and staff responsible for interviewing and providing substantive input on hiring recommendations for open faculty and administrative positions. Responsibility for the final employment recommendation rests with the hiring supervisor, Executive Leadership Team member(s), and District President.

 

Discipline Leads:
Discipline Leads are full-time faculty members who coordinate College-wide curriculum development for their respective program areas, as well as program review, continuous program improvement processes, and input into assessment of student learning outcomes.

Accreditation Processes for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

Collin’s accreditation activities are collaborative processes that involve broad participation and active input from faculty, staff, and administrators. Compliance and QEP teams are responsible for internally assessing and documenting the College’s compliance with the standards identified by SACSCOC.

 

Program Accreditation

In addition, many of the College’s individual program areas are involved with program accreditations. The faculty members and administrators in these areas are actively involved, on an ongoing basis, in ensuring that requirements are met to maintain each program’s accreditation.

Budget Development Process

Collin’s budget development process is a collaborative process that involves input by faculty and staff on departmental needs for the upcoming year and a budget review with each organization leader. Final budget allocation recommendations are presented by the District President to the Board of Trustees for consideration and approval in August.

 

View the Financial Transparency Information

 

Strategic and Master Planning

The development of the Master & Strategic Plan is a collaborative process that drives key decision-making for the college over a seven-year period. From the beginning, the planning process incorporates stakeholder input to develop a plan that adequately reflects the pressing needs of the college’s dynamic service area. This concerted approach allows the college to serve more students, build stronger partnerships, and make more of a lasting impact on the communities served.

 

Stakeholders involved throughout the planning process include students, employees, the college’s Academic Governance Strategic (AGS) Planning Council, industry experts, community leaders, and elected officials. Through combined stakeholder input and a variety of extensive market studies, college leadership developed a comprehensive plan that represents the college’s vibrant and fast-growing community, while incorporating key elements to ensure relevance and competitiveness as a higher education institution. 

 

View the current Master & Strategic Plan

The complexity of an institution of Collin College’s size and stature in the region we serve necessitates the input of countless members of the Collin community to successfully meet the needs of the citizens of our service area. Collin College encourages and values the active participation by its faculty and staff in the fabric of the institution, including participation in the many committees, councils, task forces, and other planning and policy recommendation processes of the College.