B2005 Participation in Local Decision-Making

Policy Statement

The Board, through the Illinois Community College Act, has the responsibility to govern the College.  In the Board’s Governance Commitment policy (B4000, Section 1), the Board expresses commitment to govern the College using the principles outlined in the Carver Policy Governance model.  Consistent with HLC expectations and the Carver model, the Board delegates administrative and operational authority to the President through the Delegation to the President policy (B2001) while retaining fiduciary oversight. 

The Board expects the President to delegate administrative and operational authority to the College’s administration, which will employ a collaborative decision-making system (i.e., shared governance structure) that allows employee input into decisions that influence strategic priorities, administrative policy, rules, guidelines, operating standards, and plans through established roles and responsibilities.  The President, however, will retain final authority and responsibility for all administrative and operational decisions.  In developing a collaborative decision-making system, the Board recognizes that “collaborative” does not mean that every constituency has an opportunity to contribute at every stage; nor does it mean that any single constituency exercises complete control over the process.

As it relates to the administration and operation of the College, the Board recognizes that institutional change is necessary, constant, and inevitable.  In order to ensure the College remains relevant to a dynamically changing external environment, the Board expects all stakeholders to be open to working differently when circumstances require.

As such, the Board values forms of decision-making that promote transparency, communication, and accountability.  Furthermore, the Board recognizes that focusing the talent, creativity, engagement, and collective intelligence of employees will contribute to effective decisions that lead to positive outcomes for students and the community.  Additionally, the Board believes that a culture of collaborative decision-making with defined roles and responsibilities, that also integrates cooperative approaches for the development and implementation of ideas, plans, and operational decisions, will enhance organizational unity, improve employee morale, nurture trust, encourage respect, foster feelings of inclusion, and create a culture of continuous improvement.  Finally, the Board believes these principles provide the foundation for an effective collaborative decision-making system. 

Accordingly, the Board directs the President to develop and implement a collaborative decision-making system for College administrative and operational practices that:

1. Focuses on the achievement of the Board’s Strategic Outcomes.
2. Establishes clear roles and responsibilities in the decision-making process.
3. Promotes a collegial and transparent work environment that builds trust and respect.
4. Provides for key employee input into decisions that influence strategic priorities, administrative policy, rules, guidelines, operating standards, and plans.
5. Provides faculty with a central role and responsibility in the oversight of academic policy, rules, guidelines, and operating standards that directly influence academic matters and in ways that holds faculty accountable for the continuous improvement of academic quality.
6. Allows for flexible roles based on the uniqueness of situation, the rights and interests of individuals impacted, and the particular expertise required;
7. Communicates clear lines of accountability.
8. Provides leadership development opportunities for employees at all levels.
9. Endeavors to balance the need for timely decisions with the need to provide adequate time for meaningful collaboration.
10. Ensures access to appropriate and relevant information needed to have effective input.
11. Clearly defines participant roles within the decision-making process.

Finally, the President’s adherence to this policy will be demonstrated through two practices – shared governance manual updates (on an annual basis) and presenting the results of shared governance committee work at regular Board Meetings.