7.02.01 - Governance - Creation, revision, or elimination of College Policy or Procedure

Policy Title: Governance - Creation, revision, or elimination of College Policy and Procedure

Impact: Board of Trustees

Responsibility: Administration

Effective Date: 5/28/2008

Revised Date: 6/26/2019

Reviewed Date:

Relates to Procedure(s): 7.02.01

Legal Citation(s): Title 33, Chapter 2, Idaho Code

I. Policy Narrative

The North Idaho College Board of Trustees is committed to timely and meaningful participation of the college constituent groups, including faculty, staff, and students in the decision-making process.  The Board recognizes that such participation enhances the quality of college decision making and will improve the communication between the Board of Trustees, the administration, the students, staff and faculty. The College Senate, as principal vehicle for participatory governance, shall provide timely input on policy and procedural initiation, changes, or deletions. This input will generally take place from August through May.  

II. Definitions of Policy and Procedure

1. Policy: A policy is a statement of principles and/or values that mandate or constrain the performance of activities used in achieving institutional goals.
2. Procedure: A procedure is developed to describe the methods of implementing policy.

III. Policies/Procedures

Policies are adopted by the Board of Trustees and are intended to address the internal governance of the college. The principal vehicle for participation from college faculty, staff and students is through the College Senate.

The adoption, deletion, or revision of policies and procedures affecting the internal administration of the Board of Trustees and/or its relationship with the Office of the President is not subject to comment by either the Office of the President or the College Senate. The adoption, deletion, and revision of these policies and procedures is reserved exclusively to the Board of Trustees.

Subject to the authority of the president and the general supervision and ultimate authority of the Board of Trustees:

1. Each constituent group, the Associated Students of North Idaho College (ASNIC), Faculty Assembly, and Staff Assembly, is charged to act for and to represent its members in matters of college policy and procedure to those members via the College Senate.
2. The constitution and bylaws of each constituent group define the process of determining that group's representatives to the College Senate.
3. The College Senate guided by its constitution and by-laws is charged to act for and to represent its constituent groups in matters of college policy and procedures.

Proposals to create, revise, or eliminate policy and/or procedure may be initiated by the Board of Trustees, the President, the College Senate or a recognized constituent group defined as ASNIC, Faculty Assembly, and Staff Assembly.

IV. Review of Policies/Procedure

North Idaho College recognizes the importance of creating, maintaining and following policies and procedures that set the institution on the best course to honor its core values and missions. As such, a standing committee will facilitate review of all institutional policies and procedures with their authors on a staggered and regular basis. Upon completion of any revisions, the committee will ensure the policy author submits their recommendations to the President and College Senate chair to begin the participatory governance approval process.

Policy Title: Board and College Governance in Relation to Creation, Revision, or Elimination of College Policy and Procedure

Impact: Employees, Staff, Faculty, Students

Responsibility: College President

Effective Date: 02/27/2002

Revised Date: 01/30/2020

Reviewed Date:

Relates to Policy: 7.02.01

Legal Citation(s): None

I. Procedure Narrative

The approval of policies shall be a process involving the College Senate, the President and the Board of Trustees. The approval of procedures shall be a process involving the College Senate and the President.

Policies and procedures should include the following: policy number, policies superseded (if any), related procedures, effective date, general and specific subject areas, originating department or office as author, legal citations (if any), and impact.

II. Submission of Policy and Procedure

1. Proposals to create, revise, or eliminate policy and/or procedure may be initiated by the Board of Trustees, the President, the College Senate or a recognized constituent group defined as ASNIC, Faculty Assembly, and Staff Assembly. Committees charged by a recognized constituent group will work with policy authors to initiate proposals.
2. Policy authors must be included throughout the proposal process to create, revise, or eliminate policy and/or procedure.
3. Proposals must be submitted to the Senate Chair for review and consideration at least ten (10) working days before the next scheduled Senate meeting to be added to the agenda. The Senate Chair will inform all relevant parties of existing policies and procedures related to the proposal.
4. During Senate meetings, proposals for policies and procedures that are under consideration shall be brought up for discussion as agenda items. The Senate Chair will distribute copies of the proposals to all senators for study before discussion. All policies and procedures shall have a first reading, second reading and then be brought to a vote. The College Senate shall have sixty (60) calendar days to act, and will inform all relevant parties if additional time is needed.
5. If Senate approves the proposal, the Chair will forward all comments and revisions to the proposing party and the President. If Senate does not approve the proposal, it will be returned to the proposing party with all comments.

III. Decisions Involving Policy:

1. Upon receipt of a proposal from Senate, the president shall have sixty (60) calendar days to act, and will inform Senate if additional time is needed.
2. In cases where the Senate and President have reached agreement on a proposed policy, the President shall forward it to the Board of Trustees for consideration at the next regularly scheduled meeting. If the Board of Trustees approves the policy, it will be forwarded to the Executive Assistant to the President to be dated, numbered, and included in the North Idaho College policy manual.
3. Should there be a substantive difference between the Senate’s proposal and the President’s proposal, the President shall strive to resolve the differences with Senate. If an agreement is reached, the President will forward the proposed policy to the Board of Trustees for consideration and approval as stated above.
4. If the President and the Senate cannot reach an agreement regarding the proposed policy, the President shall place both the Senate’s proposal and the President’s proposal on the Board of Trustees' meeting agenda and invite a senator selected by the Senate to the meeting to present the Senate's point of view. The President or President’s representative will similarly present his/her proposed policy for the Board’s consideration. The Board of Trustees may accept, modify or reject any proposal before it and retains the discretion to table any action on proposed policy for further review and consideration.

IV. Decisions Involving Procedure

1. Upon receipt of a proposal from Senate, the president shall have sixty (60) calendar days to act, and will inform Senate if additional time is needed.
2. In cases where the Senate and President have reached agreement on a proposed procedure, the President will forward it to the Executive Assistant to the President to be dated, numbered, and included in the North Idaho College policy manual. The President has the final say in adopting procedure for the implementation of policy and in coordinating the daily administration of the college.

V. Review Schedule

1. A standing committee, parented by College Senate, will facilitate review of all institutional policies and procedures with their authors according to a seven year staggered review cycle. At the beginning of the applicable year, the standing committee will notify the policy authors to review and submit possible recommendations. Upon completion of any revisions, the policy authors will submit their recommendations to the Senate to begin the participatory governance approval process.
   
   In the event the policy authors have no recommendations, the standing committee may work with the policy authors to suggest recommendations when needed to improve verbiage, remove obsolete passages or align language with current institutional practice.
   
   
2. The standing committee will be chaired by the Senate Past Chair and consist of:
   
   1 PC member
   1 ASNIC representative
   2 Staff representatives
   2 Faculty representatives
   Senior Executive Assistant to the President (Administrative Support)
   
   
3. Review schedule to align with NIC’s accreditation cycle:
   
   Year 1: Section 2
   Year 2: Section 3: 3.01 through 3.02.17
   Year 3: Section 3: 3.02.19 through 3.02.34
   Year 4: Section 3 C & D
   Year 5: Section 3 E through J
   Year 6: Section 4 & 5
   Year 7: Section 6 & 7
   
   
4. When new policies are created and fall outside the review schedule, the standing committee will adjust the review schedule and route the proposed procedure to College Senate and the President for review and approval.