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Organization of the Ventura County Community College District

The Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) includes four sites: Ventura College, Moorpark College , Oxnard College , and a District Service Center . The boundaries of the district are the boundaries of Ventura County . The three colleges are located in the primary population centers of this agricultural county, and the district office is located at a central site independent of the three college campuses. The four sites of the district form an interdependent network that includes both assigned functional responsibilities and shared governance groups formed to develop recommendations that are then forwarded to the chancellor.

This description of this network is presented in five sections:

VCCCD Organization of Administrative Roles
      Board of Trustees
      Chancellor
      Deputy Chancellor
      College Presidents
      Vice Chancellor of Human Resources
      Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources
      Associate Vice Chancellor of Business and Fiscal Affairs
      Associate Vice Chancellor of Information Technology
College and District Functions
      Policy development and administrative oversight
      Operational responsibility
      Instruction and student services
      Academic and professional matters
      Human resources
      Fiscal affairs
      Technology
      Facilities maintenance and capital construction
Management Teams
      District Executive Team
      District Administrative Team
      District Management Team
Shared Governance Processes
      District Council on Student Learning
      District Council on Administrative Services
      District Council on Human Resources
      District Safety Committee
      Chancellor's Cabinet
Relationship of VCCCD Organizational Structure to Standards

1. VCCCD Organization of Administrative Roles

Board of Trustees

The Ventura County Community College District is governed by a five-member, locally elected board of trustees and a student board member. This board is responsible for adopting policies and administrative regulations that govern all activities relating to conducting the business of the district and its colleges.

The trustees represent the interests of their respective electoral areas as well as the district as a whole. The student trustee is elected annually in elections held at the three campuses. The role of the student trustee is to provide advisory votes on board items and communicate board decisions and information to the students at the three colleges.

As the district's chief executive officer, the chancellor oversees district programs and services involving student learning, human resources, business services, and fiscal affairs. The chancellor provides visionary educational leadership, represents the board, and supports district policies in relations with state and local constituencies. In each of the past two years, an interim chancellor has held this position. A permanent chancellor, appointed by the board in June 2004, will assume this role beginning August 23, 2004 .

The deputy chancellor reports to the chancellor, provides leadership and accountability for information technology systems, facility planning, operations, and construction, including overseeing of new construction projects funded by the recent bond issue, budget, business and administrative services, police and safety, legal and risk management, and serves as a member of the chancellor's district executive team. Although the incumbent has held this position since 1996, he is temporarily serving as the interim president of Ventura College .

The college president at each of the three colleges in the district reports to the chancellor and serve as a member of the chancellor's district team. The college presidents provide leadership and advocacy for his/her college, is responsible and directly accountable for his/her college's programs, services, and operations. Additionally, the college presidents represent his/her college in the communities served by the college. The presidents for Oxnard and Moorpark Colleges have held their respective presidential positions since July 2002. In spring 2004 the president of Ventura College resigned and the deputy chancellor assumed the role of interim president of this college until a permanent college president is identified.

The vice chancellor of human resources reports to the chancellor, provides leadership and accountability for the human resources functions districtwide, and serves as a member of the chancellor's district team. The responsibilities of this position include the development of personnel policies, negotiations, contract management, hiring procedures, workers' compensation, fringe benefits, and employee records. The vice chancellor of human resources also serves as the director of the Personnel Commission. The Personnel Commission prescribes, amends, and interprets rules and regulations under the Merit System to ensure (1) the efficiency of the classified service, (2) recruitment of employees from all segments of society, and (3) advancement on the basis of relative ability, knowledge, and skill. The Personnel Commission maintains a classification plan that groups positions into classes on the basis of duties and responsibilities. The incumbent in this position is temporarily serving as the interim chancellor; he will return to this role in late August, 2004.

The associate vice chancellor of human resources/personnel reports to the vice chancellor of human resources and the Personnel Commission, and serves as secretary to the Personnel Commission. The responsibilities of this position include the planning, directing, and administering a variety of human resources, personnel, labor relations, employee relations, staff diversity, and staff development functions for academic and classified employees. Examples of these tasks are to plan and direct the Human Resources record storage and retrieval system and to monitor compliance with Merit System law. The incumbent in this position is temporarily serving as the interim vice chancellor of human resources; she will return to this role when the vice chancellor of human resources returns to his permanent position in late August, 2004.

The associate vice chancellor of business services and financial management reports to the deputy chancellor and provides leadership and accountability for fiscal and business operations including budget administration, fiscal and accounting services, facilities, and directly supervises staff responsible for the district's purchasing, accounting, contract management, payroll, and insurance coverage. During the period that the deputy chancellor serves as the interim president of Ventura College , the associate vice chancellor of business services and financial management reports directly to the chancellor.

The associate vice chancellor of information technology reports to the deputy chancellor and provides leadership and accountability for the district-wide system of administrative computing, phone system, district web page, and intranet network. These responsibilities include planning and directing information services functions such as the analysis, design programming and maintenance of applications systems, the installation and maintenance of district computer and voice mail communications resources and the operations for the district's information systems department. During the period that the deputy chancellor serves as the interim president of Ventura College , the associate vice chancellor of information technology reports directly to the chancellor.

2. College and District Functions

The board of trustees conducts the policy development and administrative oversight work of the district through three processes: (a) public board meetings, (b) board sub-committee meetings, and (c) delegation of operational responsibilities to the chancellor.

(a) The board of trustees conducts a monthly public meeting to consider approval of policy items and expenditures, including capital funding and hiring. Members of the public and constituent groups of the district may speak to agenda items or introduce other topics at the public meetings of the governing board.

(b) The board also establishes sub-committees for (i) auditing, budgeting, and the foundations; (ii) legislative programs; (iii) construction projects; and, (iv) the Personnel Commission. These subcommittees, comprised of two trustees and appropriate staff, review issues and formulate recommendations, which are then forwarded to the full board. Board ad hoc committees are created as needed, such as the Chancellor's Search Committee.

(c) The board of trustees delegates operational responsibility for the district to the chancellor, who in turn assigns specific roles of authority and responsibilities to district and college personnel. The philosophy driving this division of responsibilities is the value of college autonomy in instruction and student services coupled with centralized services for human resources, fiscal affairs, and technology. The centralization of specific functions in these three areas is designed to maintain communication and accountability, and to increase efficiency. College and district functions are carried out through operational groups at the four sites. The college-specific processes are described in each college's self-study; the district functions are described in this section.

The colleges are primarily responsible for instruction and student services. Each college's senior management team consists of a college president, an executive vice president, and a vice president of business services. Although the colleges have somewhat unique organizational structures for mid-level administration, all are dedicated to the efficient delivery of instruction and student services to the citizens of Ventura County . Each college's self-study describes the administrative and committee structure unique to that institution. College recommendations in the functional areas for which the district has primary responsibility (human resources, fiscal matters, and technology) are forwarded for district review through the appropriate district team or shared governance council.

For policies and regulations that affect academic and professional matters, the board consults collegially with the Academic Senates of the three colleges and formulates its policies and regulations via written mutual agreement, as derived through the conventions of shared governance. On matters defined as being within the scope of bargaining interests, the board follows the requirements and conventions of collective bargaining.

The district is primarily responsible for human resources. The district provides services related to personnel policies, negotiations, contract management, hiring procedures, workers' compensation, risk management, fringe benefits, and employee records. Legal services related to personnel issues are coordinated through this vice chancellor. Campus administrators, faculty, and staff participate in hiring, staff evaluation, and contract administration. To accomplish these tasks, the vice chancellor of human resources supervises staff at the District Service Center as well as at each campus, works closely with college personnel, and chairs the District Council on Human Resources to formulate policy recommendations and solve emergent operational issues.

The district is primarily responsible for fiscal affairs. The district provides services in purchasing, accounting, contract management, payroll, and insurance coverage. It also provides leadership and training in the implementation of integrated software programs. The district implements recommendations from fiscal audits and works with the colleges to ensure that revenue and expenditures will meet audit, accounting, and fiscal requirements. To accomplish these tasks, the associate vice chancellor of business and fiscal services supervises staff at the District Service Center, works closely with college vice presidents of business services, and chairs the District Council on Administrative Services to formulate policy and budget recommendations.

The colleges and district share responsibilities for technology. The District Information Technology Department supports a districtwide system of administrative computing, phone services, district Web page, and an intranet network. This work is accomplished in cooperation with college information technology staff members; the college personnel are responsible for the purchase and maintenance of computer equipment in campus instructional laboratories.

The colleges and the district similarly share responsibilities for facilities maintenance and capital construction. Throughout most of the district's history, a Director of Facilities and Planning coordinated with campus staff to address specific campus needs related to the planning, construction, and maintenance of facilities as well as completion of annual district five year plans for construction and scheduled maintenance. The position of director of facilities and planning has been vacant since December 2003, and will be filled during 2004-2005.

In March 2002, the citizens of Ventura County approved a general obligation bond initiative for $356.3 million to (1) construct and rehabilitate facilities on the three community college campuses, off-campus sites, and the district's Camarillo Airport site, and (2) eliminate the outstanding balance on Certificates of Participation obtained by the district in 1996. An office of Capital Planning, Design and Construction, staffed by consultants, was assigned oversight responsibility for managing this bond program.

3. Management Teams

To fulfill the far-reaching responsibilities of the district chief executive officer, the chancellor relies on managers organized in three district teams to formulate recommendations and implement decisions. Membership on these teams is determined by the positions held at the district and colleges.

The District Executive Team (DET), comprised of the chancellor, deputy chancellor, three college presidents, and vice chancellor of human resources, meets weekly to facilitate and implement decisions that ensure quality educational, student, and administrative services throughout the district. DET's goals are to:

ensure that students receive high quality instruction and support services
foster a positive and healthy institutional climate where the diversity of people's ideas, innovation and creativity are respected and appreciated
provide leadership and vision to the district
act as a sounding board for, and make recommendations to, the chancellor
discuss and resolve district issues candidly and confidentially, including personnel and contract matters
respond proactively and effectively to change
encourage and maintain effective communication throughout the district
recommend budget priorities to the chancellor.

The District Administrative Team (DAT) expands DET to include campus senior managers (executive vice presidents and vice presidents of business services) and district senior managers (associate vice chancellors of information technology and business/fiscal services). This team advises the chancellor by gathering data, providing feedback, sharing information, and making recommendations. This team was initially designed to meet monthly as a way to review agendas and recommendations from the district councils and committees. However, neither this focus nor this schedule has been implemented; DAT meetings have been scheduled on an as-needed basis during 2002-2004 to address specific issues, such as budget and enrollment management.

The District Management Team (DMT), comprised of all academic and classified managers in the district, meets at the beginning of each semester. The charge for this group is to:

share information on district events
provide input to the chancellor on district-wide issues
assist the chancellor in communicating with others on district issues
provide a forum for management professional development.

4. Shared Governance Processes

To ensure collaborative decision-making, district councils are charged with making recommendations for issues with districtwide impact. Membership on these councils is by position or appointment. Individuals represent college or district groups and report proceedings back to the group(s) they represent.

The District Council on Student Learning (DCSL), a shared governance council, is the deliberative and recommending group for districtwide student learning issues in educational planning and program development, policies and procedures, new courses and programs, and federal and state compliance. Responsibility for chairing the council is rotated among the three colleges, with the executive vice president and college Curriculum Committee co-chair serving as co-chairs of this council. Although everyone is invited to attend DCSL, formal membership from each college includes the executive vice president and representatives from the Academic Senate, classified staff, student government, classified supervisors, and the American Federation of Teachers. Changes and additions in curriculum approved by this body are forwarded to the board of trustees for approval following review at the Chancellor's Cabinet. Changes and additions to policies and procedures approved by this body are forwarded to the board of trustees for approval following review at DET and the Chancellor's Cabinet.

The District Council on Administrative Services (DCAS), a shared governance council, serves as the districtwide deliberative and recommending group for the district's fiscal affairs, including budget development and the process for budget allocation to each site. Once funds are distributed, colleges have autonomy for the expenditure of funds within the constraints of district policies, state regulations, and federal statutes. This council's members includes the deputy chancellor, the associate vice chancellor for business and fiscal services, the district budget officer, the district supervisor of special funds, the three campus vice presidents of business services, three Academic Senate presidents, and representatives from the American Federation of Teachers, Associated Students, and classified staff. Budget recommendations and changes in fiscal policies approved by this body are forwarded to the board of trustees for approval following reviews at DET and the Chancellor's Cabinet.

The District Council on Human Resources (DCHR), a shared governance council, serves as a deliberative and recommending group for districtwide personnel-related policies and procedures. The charges of this council include the establishment, review, and modification of all procedures and processes related to hiring; review of personnel district-wide statistics; and staff development related to implementation of board policy. Members of DCHR include the vice chancellor of human resources, the three campus executive vice presidents, and representatives from each college's Academic Senate, classified staff, faculty and classified unions, classified supervisors, and the College Management Association. Changes in human resources policies approved by this body are forwarded to the board of trustees for approval following feedback from DET and the Chancellor's Cabinet.

The District Safety Committee is chaired by the district risk management officer and includes representatives from each Campus Safety Committee and each maintenance and operations department as well as the chief of police and a representative from the classified union. The District Safety Committee reviews the safety programs and the district's emergency plans, develops safety policies, makes recommendations on safety complaints that are not settled on the campuses, and reviews completed safety projects. Changes in safety policies approved by this body are forwarded to the board of trustees for approval following feedback from DET and the Chancellor's Cabinet.

The Chancellor's Cabinet meets monthly to review the upcoming board agenda and discuss issues related to agenda items. This group includes the chancellor, the deputy chancellor, the three college presidents, the vice chancellor of human resources, the associate vice chancellors, and the Academic Senate presidents.

5. Relationship of VCCCD Organizational Structure to Standards

Standard One: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness

The Ventura County Community College District is a multi-college district that strives to provide autonomy for each of its three colleges while still providing broad, practical oversight of institutional responsibilities within the scope of applicable statute and regulatory parameters. The board of trustees has the responsibility for establishing and regularly reviewing the institutional mission of the colleges to ensure compliance with its stated purposes.

IA. Mission

District - Through action by the board of trustees, the district approves the mission statements of each college. The review of the colleges' mission statements is the responsibility of the chancellor, through consultation with campus constituencies.

Colleges - Each college develops its mission statement through consultation with various campus constituencies and forwards the final document to the board of trustees for review and approval. The college president is responsible for coordinating, reviewing, and forwarding to the board any changes in a college's mission statement.

IB. Improving Institutional Effectiveness

District - The District maintains and coordinates the data information system and the software used to store student data, financial data, employee data, and other information needed to carry out institutional research for the district. The district is involved in institutional research in three primary ways: (1) coordinates state reporting requirements following work with the colleges to ensure the accuracy of the data, (2) produces a variety of local reports on a myriad of topics in support of district and campus informational and operational needs, and (3) administers annual surveys and reports to inform the board about institutional effectiveness.

Colleges - The colleges are charged with interpreting and expanding upon the goals of the district and those of their own mission statements to ensure that their respective educational master plans reflect the interests and needs of the county's students. The board requires the colleges to monitor the achievement of their annual goals through regular planning processes and institutional assessments using appropriate campus committee structures that include, but are not limited to:

Collegial Consultative Committees - Each college has a structure of consultative and shared governance committees to ensure the necessary communication and oversight of appropriate responsibilities.

College Educational Master Plans - Each college defines and implements a planning process to develop and maintain an educational master plan. Guidelines for various academic decisions are developed from these plans.

Budget Committees - Each college maintains an organizational structure for budget development and oversight. Although these structures vary from college to college, processes are in place to ensure that campus constituencies have a voice in establishing budget priorities and monitoring expenditures.

Institutional Research - Most of the district's centralized research and data gathering are focused on meeting districtwide reporting requirements and providing limited, but critical, research support to the colleges for planning and operational purposes. Beyond this centralized service, the colleges vary in how they address their institutional research needs.

Standard Two: Student Learning Programs and Services

The board of trustees is responsible for reviewing and approving each college's courses and programs. Within this centralized approval structure, however, the district supports college autonomy for instructional management whereby each campus retains primary responsibility for designing and developing its course and program inventory.

IIA. Instructional Programs: Regular Courses

District - The District Council on Student Learning, a shared governance council, facilitates course and program approval and promotes consistency of course content and instructional and student support services among the three colleges. Paramount among this council's responsibilities is the requirement to receive, review, and forward all course and program proposals that are deemed satisfactory to the board for approval.

Colleges - Each college Curriculum Committee reviews the structure, aims, and instructional content of course and program proposals, recommending modifications where appropriate or necessary prior to forwarding the proposals to the District Council on Student Learning for review. Curriculum Committees are part of each college's shared governance structure.

IIA. Instructional Programs: Vocational & Technical Education Act (VTEA) Programs

District - The district coordinates the development of the annual plan and grant proposal to qualify for these categorical funds as well as assisting in submitting mandated state and federal reports and filing the associated funding claims.

Colleges - The colleges develop, manage, and evaluate the occupational programs at each site and assist district personnel in preparing the necessary reports. Vocational course and program approval processes are both a campus and a regional responsibility.

IIA. Instructional Programs: Distance Education

District - The District Council on Student Learning retains general oversight responsibilities for monitoring the development of distance education courses and programs as part of its general curriculum review processes.

Colleges - The colleges develop, maintain, and evaluate their distance education offerings. New courses or program offerings are routed through the District Council on Student Learning for review prior to being considered by the board of trustees.

IIA. Instructional Programs: Economic Development

District - The district, working in conjunction with college grant writers and other campus staff, provides support for coordinating, processing, and overseeing grants and contracts associated with economic development initiatives and categorically funded operations.

Colleges - Beyond the requirements of a legally mandated service, each college is free to determine the extent to which it wishes to engage in economic development outreach activities and to participate in categorically funded programming. Similarly, each campus may choose to operate credit and noncredit programs that are identified as supporting economic development activities or to offer workforce development classes or programs within the college's regular credit classes to support the employment needs of the community.

IIB. Student Support Services

District - The district supports student services by developing administrative policies and procedures necessary to operate student support services at each college, such as student financial aid. The district also provides general oversight of these policies and procedures to ensure compliance. It supports processing and reporting requirements associated with student support services, such as student data in the district's Banner and Management Information Systems. The collegial consultation committees of the district and the colleges are vehicles for initiating and monitoring the policies and procedures associated with student support services. These include the District Council on Student Learning, the district and campuses' Student Success Committees, the deans' councils, and the campus administrative councils, all of which bear different names by college.

Colleges - The colleges implement the policies and procedures associated with providing student support services. They also establish local planning and review processes to ensure quality in the delivery of these services. For example, although the district's Fiscal Services Office is responsible for coordinating student payments for the three college's financial aid programs, as well as for coordinating the audit functions associated with these programs, the colleges have direct responsibility for day-to-day operations. Similarly, the district is responsible for the central coordination of the student records and state reporting through Management Information

Systems. The colleges, however, are responsible for accuracy in entering student information into the data system.

IIC. Library and Learning Support Services

District - The district has no direct responsibility for library and learning support services, other than those associated with coordinating purchasing and maintaining centralized fiscal, database, information technology, and management information systems. In terms of the information technology and management information systems, the district information technology department maintains and operates the system, provides in-service training, and maintains licenses to operate the system. All of these are central to providing a smoothly functioning learning support system.

Colleges - The colleges develop library programs and learning support services that meet the instructional needs of their students, as well as the intellectual, aesthetic, and cultural activities of the campus. These include but are not limited to library services, tutoring services, learning resource centers, computer laboratories, and learning technology development and training. The colleges manage the daily operations of the learning support systems that interface with their instructional programs.

Publications addressing college programs, such as the class schedules and college catalogs are developed on each campus. The marketing and public relations activities for the campus are a function of the presidents' offices and are carried out by the campus public information officers.

Standard Three: Resources

The board of trustees is responsible for establishing policy and administrative regulations related to human, physical, technology, and financial resources. It delegates the responsibility for managing those policies and procedures to district and college administrators.

IIIA. Human Resources

District - The district and the board of trustees have the primary responsibility for collective bargaining activities with the two units that represent employees. The district's office of human resources manages these functions, led by the vice chancellor of human resources. The specific tasks are to:

provide campus and district managers with guidance, training, and leadership in implementing the collective bargaining agreements.

interpret and oversee compliance with the contract language associated with evaluating bargaining unit members. District personnel work with college staff to resolve grievances, guide actions related to employee discipline, and assist in effecting terminations when necessary.

maintain employee records.

coordinate litigation.

establish policies and procedures related to the recruitment, selection, classification, and hiring of personnel.

The board of trustees' policy on academic freedom is consistent with the ACCJC Standards as well as with state and local academic faculty standards. The district maintains the policy and is responsible for processing complaints about the policy.

Colleges - The colleges oversee on-campus contract compliance and assist the district office of human resources in meeting the contract requirements as well as other administrative requirements associated with personnel policies and procedures.

The colleges determine staffing needs via effective, integrated planning processes, initiate hiring requests through the district office of human resources, and conduct screening and interview processes before forwarding recommendations for hire to the chancellor and the board of trustees. The district hiring policy as approved by the board of trustees provides for adequate and appropriate staff participation in all steps of the selection process.

Faculty and staff evaluation schedules are determined by contract language, but the day-to-day management of staff evaluation falls to the academic and classified management at each site. The colleges also perform staff development functions within the guidelines and resources provided by the state and the district for this purpose.

The colleges are responsible for creating an open environment for academic freedom.

IIIB. Physical Resources

District - The district develops, maintains, and operates all district facilities, with oversight for these functions provided by the director of facilities and planning. The district coordinates scheduled maintenance with the campuses and the State Chancellor's Office. The district is also responsible for securing, maintaining, and reviewing facilities contracts as appropriate, within the guidelines and resources provided for this purpose by the state and the district.

A district Facilities Master Plan is developed and comprised of plans created at each of the four sites: the three colleges and the District Service Center located at the Camarillo Airport . In coordination with the college vice presidents and directors of maintenance and operations, the district prepares for board approval the annual space inventories, the five-year capital construction plan and the scheduled maintenance plan, and individual project proposals for each site.

With the passage of Measure S in 2002, the amount of activity related to facilities planning, design, and construction has increased dramatically. To assist with this process, consultants have been hired and housed at the district's Camarillo Airport site to oversee and facilitate the definitions, designs, and cost estimating of bond projects at all locations, as well as the identification of architects for each project, review of infrastructure needs, and coordination of environmental impact reports for each site.

Colleges - Each campus supervises its facilities maintenance needs. When contract services are needed to handle a maintenance problem, the colleges coordinate this need with the district office of facilities and planning. Once the board of trustees or the state approves new construction or scheduled maintenance, the campus administration oversees the coordination of these capital projects.

IIIC. Technology Resources

District - The district develops a districtwide strategic technology plan, installs and supports all district administrative computing applications, and coordinates core district network facilities. These functions fall under the associate vice chancellor of information technology. In all areas of information technology, the district uses the collegial consultation process on the campuses to ensure that campus input is considered in the planning and implementation of technology systems and applications.

The district supports the following components of network facilities and applications:

SCT Banner Administrative System, including online self-service modules for students, faculty, and staff, a student-support module, and human resources, payroll and finance modules, as well as technical programming services, hardware maintenance, and operating system administration;
Email and district intranet systems, including email administration, Internet email services, remote access, and a central district Web site;
Centralized databases, including the design, support, and maintenance of a centralized district data center with data backups, off-site data storage, and a data center disaster recovery system;
Network design, implementation, coordination, and support for intercampus wide area network (WAN) facilities including a high-speed microwave system and network facilities supplied by telecommunications vendors;
Coordination of Internet connectivity districtwide;
Campus network standards, design, implementation, coordination, and support including network routing and security.

Colleges - Each campus supervises and supports its technology requirements, including local applications for instructional, student support services, and administrative computing needs. Each campus also supplies local technology support staff that report to college management staff, but also work closely with the district through the associate vice chancellor of information technology on matters related to central applications and network coordination and support.

IIID. Financial Resources

Fiscal stability is the responsibility of the board of trustees, and the board retains its fiduciary responsibility for fiscal oversight. All required reports to carry out this responsibility are included in the monthly board meeting agenda. The board delegates responsibility for budget development to district and college administrators, who consult with college and district faculty and staff in this process. The district, under the authority of the board of trustees, determines the formula for the distribution of funds to the colleges and district central service entities through a consultative process involving the District Council for Administrative Services. Once funds are distributed, the colleges are given autonomy for the expenditure of funds, within established fiscal guidelines and the parameters of state and federal statutes.

District - The district manages the process of fiscal planning and provides for the development of policies and procedures, administrative regulations, and the formula for allocating funds to the colleges. The District Council on Administrative Services provides the means for collegial consultation regarding budget development and management. Establishing, maintaining, and operating the administrative Management Information System is also a district responsibility, as is all fiscal reporting to the board and the state. District administrators manage audit functions of programs and services and arrange for an annual fiscal audit by an external audit firm.

Colleges - The colleges have the autonomy to develop a college budget, once the formula for funding distribution has been determined for a specific year. The campuses complete their budget planning process based on their missions, goals, and program review procedures. The internal process for completing this function varies among the three colleges. The college presidents are responsible for overseeing the campus budgets and assisting the district in ensuring financial stability. While the district has responsibility for maintaining the financial MIS database, the colleges are responsible for accurate data input related to college operations. Each college also is responsible for maintaining campus records as needed for internal or external audit processes.

Standard Four: Leadership and Governance

IVA. Decision-Making Roles and Processes

District - The functions and responsibilities related to policy setting, the quality of the district's educational programs, and overall fiscal responsibilities belong to the board of trustees. The board delegates the daily management of these functions to the chancellor, who in turn delegates specific responsibilities to administrators and administrative groups as identified in this document. The board of trustees expects the administration to employ collegial consultation in carrying out these functions. The district administration regularly reviews implementation of board policies and procedures. As part of this monitoring process, the administration solicits input from appropriate campus and community constituent groups. The district administration considers the board's goals and concerns when implementing administrative procedures. Any changes are carefully reviewed prior to being forwarded to the board of trustees for review and consideration.

Colleges - The colleges recommend policy or administrative regulation changes through appropriate shared governance processes. These recommendations are presented, reviewed, and discussed in the appropriate district committee prior to review by the Chancellor's Cabinet. The colleges also regularly consider the goals of the district and their own mission statements when developing an educational master plan for each institution. The colleges complete this process through the campus consultative committee structures. Though the structures may differ across sites, a universal aim is to ensure that the campus constituencies have a voice in the planning, budget development, and implementation across the district and the college.

IVB. Board and Administrative Organization

The board of trustees adopts policies and administrative regulations to govern all activities related to conducting the business of the district and its colleges. The board itself has primary responsibility for reviewing the institutional impact of its policies and administrative regulations. The general public may comment on any policy consideration before the board at public meetings.

For policies and regulations that affect academic and professional matters, the board consults collegially with the colleges' Academic Senates through the conventions of shared governance. On matters within the scope of bargaining interests, the board follows the requirements and conventions of negotiations.

The board sets standards for institutional effectiveness for the district by establishing policies and procedures and by assigning the chancellor and campus administration the responsibility for adhering to these policies and procedures. The board reviews institutional effectiveness as part of its annual planning process. The board retains primary responsibility for establishing leadership goals for itself.

Last Updated 12/7/07