Shared Governance - Administration Policy - 10230

Shared governance provides checks and balances necessary to create the ideal educational atmosphere supporting the over-all purpose of the College. The principles of shared governance should permeate the College, reaching every level of decision-making.  Whenever possible, those who will be affected by a decision on policy or procedures are entitled to be informed in a timely manner and have opportunities to influence the discussion in a collegial and transparent way.

Germanna Community College is committed to shared governance, a formal partnership between the administration and constituencies of faculty, support staff and students.  Germanna’s shared governance system is based on the core values of:

• Informed and inclusive decision-making;
• Transparency and clarity of operations and decision-making;
• Open lines of communication between and among all components and members of the College community;
• Accountability; and
• Mutual respect and trust.

The governance principles of this system are intended to ensure all members of the Germanna community a decision-making process based on an open flow of information, diverse involvement, mutual respect, and collective deliberations to advance the interests of the College as a whole.

The mechanism for sharing governance involves seven College standing committees or associations:

1. College Council;
2. Curriculum Committee;
3. Diversity and Inclusion Council;
4. Faculty Senate;
5. Learning Centered College Committee;
6. President’s Council; and
7. Student Government Association.

It is understood by administration, faculty, staff, and students that shared governance relies upon mutual respect and consistent, trustworthy communication that is multidirectional.  It is further understood that all members of the College community hold themselves and each other accountable to living up to this ideal and to the values expressed in the Mission, Vision, and Values.

While decisions by the College administration, College Board and/or the State Board, and the administration of the Virginia Community College System are final, such decisions should be informed by collegial discussion, creative disagreement, and timely but thorough recommendation by appropriate constituencies and bodies within the College.

College Council: The purpose of the College Council is to foster effective communication and create channels of communication throughout the College community.  It serves as an advisory council to the College President and staff for advisement, decision, and/or recommendation on matters of college-wide concern.

Curriculum Committee: Composed of elected faculty and staff representatives the Curriculum Committee reviews requests to change college curriculum.  Such requests include adding to or eliminating academic programs, adding to or removing courses from the transfer list, and approving advanced placement or standing options.  The Curriculum Committee serves as an advisory committee to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Diversity and Inclusion Council: The mission of the Diversity and Inclusion Council is to assess and monitor the current demography of employees, students and their retention and success rates, research and identify best practices to ensure equal opportunity for diverse populations served by the College, including employees and students, develop and monitor a five-year rolling plan with timelines, responsibilities, resource and budget, goals and tactics to be incorporated into the College’s Strategic Plan and evaluate the results through appropriate measures of success.  The Diversity and Inclusion Council serves as an advisory council for the College President.

Faculty Senate: Composed of elected teaching faculty representatives, the Faculty Senate recommends changes to College policies, practices and procedures that affect the roles of teaching faculty.  The Faculty Senate serves as an advisory council to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Learning Centered College Committee: The Learning Centered College Committee, an advisory committee to the President, explores ways to identify College strengths and weaknesses, identifies strengths to build on and weaknesses to ameliorate, and to prioritize those recommendations for the betterment of the College.

President’s Council: The President’s Council is composed of the executive leadership team, a representative of the College Council, a representative of the Learning Centered College, and a representative of the Diversity and Inclusion Council.  The President’s Council advises the President on all policies, personnel and budget matters related to the College.

Shared Governance:  a formal partnership between the administration and constituencies of faculty, support staff and students.

Student Government Association: The mission of the Student Government Association (SGA) is to provide students with representation, services and advocacy within the College structure.  The SGA provides leadership and accountability to its constituency by recognizing that strength arises from diversity, engagement, and dialogue.

President's Office

Faculty Senate: August 16, 2016
College Council: October 28, 2016
President’s Council: December 6, 2016
College Board: January 12, 2017