I.          Conceptual Framework

 

Laramie County Community College shall use the concept of  a Aconsultative feedback process@ in governance of the College.  This concept recognizes that the Board of Trustees is responsible for setting the mission, vision, values, ends and broad means of the College, establishing policy, budget, strategic and facility plans, selecting, evaluating and, if necessary, terminating the President, and assuring sound management of the College.  It also recognizes that the President is responsible for establishing the means by which the Board=s ends are accomplished and for internal management of the College.  Further, it is realized that effective internal management is based upon the concept that the administration, the faculty, the staff, and the students have special competencies which should be called upon relative to planning, implementing plans, developing policies and procedures, and solving certain problems which confront the College.  It is assumed that the consultative feedback process results in better recommendations being brought to the President and the Board of Trustees than if decisions are made in a unilateral and authoritarian manner.

 

The consultative feedback process is dependent upon:  (a) cooperationBthe exchange of views and information and a view on how best to bring into action the mission of the College; (b) appeal to reason rather than to authority or emotion; (c) willingness to abide by mutually agreeable rules; and (d) compromise.

 

The process to be delineated in this procedure applies to establishing or changing policies, procedures, planning, and budget (PPPB) development, referred henceforth as PPPB.  Policy changes that only affect the Board of Trustees, or changes that convert policies to Apolicy governance@ format and do not change the intent of the policy, will not go through the consultative feedback process. 

 

The existence of the consultative feedback process does not infer that all constituent groups have a say in all day-to-day decisions which must be made by all employees in order to do their work.  In day-to-day matters, each employee has the freedom and responsibility to make decisions that are necessary to accomplish his/her duties.  These decisions must be within the bounds of his/her position description, college policy and college procedure, and within the bounds of what is legal and ethical.  It is expected that each employee also will work within the concept of a total college team and thus work with others to accomplish the College mission.

 

Even though the consultative feedback process will be the mode of decision‑making, all participants should recognize that ultimately it is the President who has the final decision authority and responsibility relative to recommendations regarding the means to accomplish the Board=s ends and regarding the internal operations of the College.  The Board has the final authority regarding mission, vision, values, college ends, broad means and college policies of the Laramie County Community College District as specified by W.S. 21-18-303 and W.S. 21-18-304.

 

II.         Consultative Feedback Process

 

The line organization of the College shall be the primary communications system used by the administration of the College to consult with employees and students regarding PPPB.  Likewise, the line organization shall be the primary communication system by which employees provide input to the administration of the College.  The line organization is described by the traditional organizational chart of the College, the chart of who reports to whom.  The President then will consult with the President=s Staff regarding any PPPB he/she is contemplating creating or changing.  Members of President=s Staff will in turn consult with their respective deans or directors.  Deans and directors then will consult with their employees in a group setting.  Feedback then comes back to the President through the line organization just described.  The President=s final decision (except in policy recommendations which are made by the Board) will be transmitted electronically with rationale to employees by the President.  This feedback loop will occur in a timely fashion.  (See Figure 1 for a graphic representation of the process.)  This process will be tracked through the completion of the Consultative Feedback Form, Figure 2.

 

Employees may propose PPPB initiations or changes.  Employees desiring to initiate or change PPPB will do so through the same line organization system. 

 

Students will be consulted through the student services line of the organization.

 

III.       Responsibilities

 

A.     President - To take all PPPB initiations or changes to President=s Staff, to monitor the consultative feedback process to assure that employees are being consulted regarding PPPB changes, to hold regular employee meetings to discuss opportunities and issues facing the College and to receive employee input.  The President is responsible for ensuring that the Consultative Feedback Form is initiated and completed for each PPPB initiation or change.

 

B.      President=s Staff - To meet regularly (recommended at least biweekly) with their deans, directors, and managers and to assure that the consultative feedback process is being utilized for each PPPB initiation or change.  For matters relating to PPPB initiations or changes, the voting members of President=s Staff are the vice presidents and the President.  Each member is responsible for bringing divisional or area feedback regarding PPPB initiations or changes back to President=s Staff.

 

C.     Deans, Directors, and Managers - To hold regular meetings (preferably at least monthly) to discuss PPPB initiations or changes in addition to divisional or area business.  After each PPPB initiation or change is discussed, the respective deans, directors, and managers are responsible for giving employee recommendations to the appropriate members of President=s Staff, following the line organization.

 

D.     Employees - To do the necessary research to understand PPPB initiations or changes, to attend divisional or area meetings, to attend meetings held by the President or appropriate members of President=s Staff, and to provide input regarding the PPPB initiations or changes under consideration.

 

IV.       Other Avenues of Input

 

A.     Individuals - Individuals or informal groups of employees or students are always welcome to attend President=s Staff to provide input regarding any PPPB initiations or changes.  (President=s Staff meetings are open to all college employees or students unless a personnel issue is being discussed.)

 

B.      Committees, Councils, and Associations - Committees, councils, and associations of the College are always welcome to provide recommendations to the President regarding PPPB initiations or changes and to attend President=s Staff meetings.  When appropriate, President=s Staff will consult certain committees regarding PPPB initiations or changes.

 

V.        College Committees, Councils, and Associations

 

A list of current College committees, councils, and associations may be obtained from the President=s office.

 

BProcedure HistoryB

1520 Draft 1 - 10/6/98

1520 Draft 2 - 11/5/98

1520 adopted - 12/10/98

1520 revised - 11/11/02