Standard IVB: Board and Administrative Organization

View Evidence for Standard IVB: Board and Administrative Organization

Download Standard IVB: Board and Administrative Organization

In addition to the leadership of individuals and constituencies, institutions recognize the designated responsibilities of the governing board for setting policies and of the chief administrator for the effective operation of the institution. Multi-college districts/ systems clearly define the organizational roles of the district/system and the colleges.

Standard IVB: Board and Administrative Organization

1. The institution has a governing board that is responsible for establishing policies to assure the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of the student learning programs and services and the financial stability of the institution. The governing board adheres to a clearly defined policy for selecting and evaluating the chief administrator for the college or the district/system.

DESCRIPTION:

Gavilan College has a comprehensive Board Policy Manual that includes a wide range of policies, one of which is the Board of Trustees' responsibility to assure the quality, integrity and the effectiveness of student learning programs and services offered by Gavilan College (4B.1). Gavilan College ensures the currency of the Board Policies through a contract with the Community College League of California (CCLC). The CCLC's Board Policy and Administrative Procedure Service is provided to subscribing districts by the Community College League of California, in partnership with Liebert, Cassidy, Whitmore, a California law corporation. The CCLC program provides Gavilan College with:

* Board Policy and Administrative Procedure Templates - Policy and procedures samples that are legally required, legally advised, or suggested as good practice for boards and districts.

* Legal Updates to assist in ensuring their board policies and administrative procedures are current.

The Board of Trustees has a Policy Subcommittee that reviews proposed changes prior to approval by the full Board. The internal review typically takes at least two months. The CCLC's policy service addresses the vast majority of changes in policies that become necessary due to changing laws and regulations (4B.2).

In addition to the Board Policy and Administrative Procedure Service, there are times when the College independently identifies an area where additional policies are needed. The most recent recommendation was to implement a smoke free campus (4B.3), an initiative begun in the Health, Safety, Facilities and Grounds (HSFG) committee. The HSFG conducted surveys of students and employees and prepared a policy that designated certain areas on campus as "smoking areas" with all other parts of Gavilan College defaulting to "smoke-free."

The Student Success policy that became effective in 2011 (4B.4) was also originated on campus, developed as a result of Gavilan College's involvement in the California Leadership Alliance for Student Success (CLASS) project. The policy established student success as a priority, and resulted in the creation of the Gavilan College Learning Council, the hiring of a student success coordinator, and implementation of a number of program improvements funded by a Federal Title V; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) grant (4B.5).

A key purpose of the Learning Council is to ensure that high quality instructional programs are developed and maintained for the benefit of students. The Learning Council is also charged with developing changes in student support programs and services so that the College is consciously offering activities designed to help students stay in classes they have enrolled in and to be successful in those classes. The broad nature of the charge of the Learning Council allows this Council to affect student learning across the curriculum and across all programs of instruction. Gavilan College believes that this Council is the single best resource available to the Board of Trustees to ensure that the support services offered at Gavilan College meet the needs of the student body (4B.34).

As part of the strategic planning update and review process, Gavilan College annually reviews the effectiveness of the strategic planning process. Gavilan College has a rolling Five-Year Strategic Plan that is updated annually by adding a year in the future and dropping the year that just passed (4B.6). This method allows Gavilan College to maintain a constant five-year planning horizon, using the current year for setting priorities for funding in each year of the five-year plan. The Strategic Plan establishes the Board of Trustees' and the College's priorities for each funding year and is helpful in determining which program requests should be funded and when.

Board Policy 2431 (4B.7) describes the board's process for hiring a chief executive officer. Dr. Steven Kinsella is the current superintendent/president. He was hired in October 2002 and began work at Gavilan College January 2003. He had previously been employed at Gavilan College as the Chief Business Officer from 1996 to 1999. Dr. Kinsella has served as president/superintendent of Gavilan College since January of 2003. The hiring process described in BP 2431 included a broad-based screening committee that included community members, students, faculty, professional support staff and administrators. Recruitment for the position was conducted nationally by advertising in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Statewide recruitment included advertising through the California Community College systems registry, a database of potential job applicants.

The screening committee conducted interviews and held open forums with the applicants. Members of the Board of Trustees interviewed each of the top three applicants and the Board then made its decision based on all information available to them. To ensure an objective process was conducted, a professional executive recruiting firm was hired to conduct the search.

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(1).

PLAN:

None.

a) The governing board is an independent policy-making body that reflects the public interest in board activities and decisions. Once the board reaches a decision, it acts as a whole. It advocates for and defends the institution and protects it from undue influence or pressure.

There are seven members on the Board of Trustees. Two members must reside in Morgan Hill/Coyote Valley, two members in Gilroy and three board members in San Benito County. The governing board is an independent policy making body that reflects public interest in board activities and the decisions it makes. When the Board of Trustees reaches a decision, it acts as a whole. The board as a whole advocates for and defends the institution and protects it from undue influence (4B.8).

Gavilan College board members are currently elected at large, although there are "seats" for board members residing in different parts of the District. Using this method, voters from all parts of the District's service area vote for each member of the Board of Trustees (4B.8).

Gavilan College is a political subdivision of the state of California as described in the California Constitution. None of the members of the Board of Trustees has an ownership interest in Gavilan College: Their primary duty is to represent the communities served by the College (4B.8).

In recent years, the Board has almost always acted as a whole. An exception occurred in October 2011. At that time, the Board entered into a new employment agreement with the superintendent/president that raised the president's salary and deferred a portion of the increased compensation until the end of the contract, as a retention incentive. The Board of Trustees' vote was six in favor and one opposed. The Board member who voted against the contract made public statements explaining his vote. Other than this recent incident, the Board of Trustees has acted in unison (4B.8). At their retreat, the board discussed how to address differences of opinion among board members.

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(1) (a).

PLAN:

None.

b. The governing board establishes policies consistent with the mission statement to ensure the quality, integrity, and improvement of student learning programs and services and the resources necessary to support them.

DESCRIPTION:

The Gavilan College Board of Trustees' policies, annual goals for the board, and strategic plan all describe the Board's expectations for quality instruction. The Board has a specific policy on student support and has made student success a priority. Gavilan College was one of 12 California Community Colleges to have participated in the California Leadership Alliance for Student Success (CLASS). As a result of that two-year program, the Gavilan College Board of Trustees, with the support of the Academic Senate, the administration, and the professional support staff, developed and approved the policy on student success. The policy has raised awareness across the College about the activities that need to be available to students in order to improve their retention rates and completion rates (4B.4).

Each year, the Board of Trustees evaluates the progress made on the goals established for the prior calendar year. Next, the trustees individually complete a comprehensive self-evaluation questionnaire designed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the actions taken by the Board, and by individual Board Members over the course of the prior year. Through analysis of the responses to the self-evaluation the Board members identify trends or "concerns" that indicate a need for attention or improved effort. The areas noted as weaknesses rise to the top of the list of goals for the upcoming calendar year.

During the self-evaluation process the Board schedules a Special Meeting of the Board and conducts an open evaluation that generally takes between two and four hours to complete. At the conclusion of this self-evaluation retreat the Board reaches agreement on their goals for the upcoming year. Those goals along with the College's internally developed strategic plan are combined to define the priorities for the College for the upcoming year. The board's annual goals identify activities the Board wants to see accomplished within the next 12-month period (4B.9).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(1) (b).

PLAN:

None.

c. The governing board has ultimate responsibility for educational quality, legal matters, and financial integrity.

The Gavilan College Board of Trustees, like all governing boards of California Community Colleges, is required to comply with California Code of Regulations Title 5, approved by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors (BOG), the California Education Code, and all other state government codes. The Gavilan Board of Trustees does not report to any other agency. Since the Gavilan Board of Trustees is independent from other governmental agencies, the actions of the board are final and are not subject to review, with the exception of those specific activities requiring approval by the BOG (4B.10).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(1) (c).

PLAN:

None.

d. The institution or governing board has broad bylaws and policies specifying the board's size, duties, responsibilities, structure, and operating procedures.

DESCRIPTION:

The Board of Trustees policies specifying the board's size, its duties and its responsibilities are recorded in hard copy in the Office of the President and posted online at the Gavilan College website (4B.11). The Board's policies are updated as indicated by changing laws and regulations, or internal initiatives. The table of contents of the board policies is useful and identifies the primary areas where board policies have been developed (4B.12). The Board's size is seven elected representatives with two residing in Morgan Hill, two in Gilroy and three in San Benito County. The Board's size was designated at the time Gavilan Joint Community College District was formed in the early 1960's (4B.8).

Board Policy 2010 (BP 2010 Board Membership) identifies the duties and responsibilities of each member of the Board of Trustees. The structure of the board was established at the time Gavilan was formed. Operating procedures of the College are established through California Code of Regulations Title 5 issued by the Board of Governors, California Education Code, Government Code and any federal regulations applied to the College. Additionally the Board of Trustees establishes board policies to reflect local policy issues of importance to the communities represented by the board members. Administrative procedures are developed and approved by the Superintendent/President for the purpose of ensuring board policies are correctly implemented. All administrative procedures are presented to the board for information for the purpose of offering an opportunity for comment and to receive comment in an open forum should procedures be confusing or in need of additional information (4B.13).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(1) (d).

PLAN:

None.

e. The governing board acts in a manner consistent with its policies and bylaws. The board regularly evaluates its policies and practices and revises them as necessary.

DESCRIPTION:

The Gavilan College Board of Trustees has a regular system for evaluating and revising its policies. Changes are prompted by updates from the Community College League of California Board Policy service. These updates occur several times a year and mostly address changes in laws and regulations that have occurred through legislative activity during the year. Additional policy changes are made based on recommendations from the operating divisions, students, faculty, or in rare circumstances, even a member of the public. One of the more recent examples of a College initiated board policy is the student success policy approved in October 2010. Another example is the Smoke and Tobacco-Free Campus policy, initiated by the Gavilan College Associated Student Body and Health, Safety, Facilities and Grounds committee, and formulated as part of a partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the community organization Breathe California (4B.14).

Board policies are reviewed regularly. Whenever a current board policy is submitted for review, or a new policy proposed, the policy is first reviewed by the board's subcommittee on policy. At least one month after the first reading by the board, the board policy returns for a second reading with any recommended changes included. When there are questions from any constituency group about the board policy, the policy is typically held and returned at a subsequent date with questions having been answered. Approved board policy then becomes part of the board's approved list of policies (4B.13).

In December 2012, the Board of Trustees approved a process to determine whether the Board is acting in a manner consistent with its policies (4B.15).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(1) (e).

PLAN:

None.

f. The governing board has a program for board development and new member orientation. It has a mechanism for providing for continuity of board membership and staggered terms of office.

DESCRIPTION:

Gavilan College has a structured orientation program for newly elected or appointed board members. The president and each of the three vice presidents set up three meetings of one hour in length to go over areas of primary interest to governing board members. The meetings orient the board members to their responsibilities and familiarize the board members with the functioning of the College and the approvals requested of the board during board meetings. Board member orientation includes a discussion of the accreditation standards, a review of the College's accreditation and board member participation in the development of the College's self-study.

The board member orientation is described in detail in Administrative Policy 2010 (4B.16) which states that there will be an orientation provided to new board members. In addition to the orientation provided by the College administration, board members are encouraged to attend training sessions presented by the California Community College League (4B.17).

The members of the Board of Trustees have staggered terms with each position coming up for election every four years. Three board members are up for election or reelection in one election cycle and two years later, four board members are up for election or reelection (4B.8).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(1) (f) except for board member development.

PLAN:

Create a Board Development program.

g. The governing board's self-evaluation processes for assessing board performance are clearly defined, implemented, and published in its policies or bylaws.

DESCRIPTION:

The governing board's process for self-evaluation has been in place for several years and was recently evaluated and adjusted to more accurately assess the performance of the Board of Trustees (4B.18). As part of the board self-evaluation process, all board members complete a questionnaire that covers the full range of the duties and responsibilities board members encounter or are responsible for.

Around October of each year, the board members each complete a self-evaluation questionnaire and submit them to the office of the president. A summary of the responses and the scores are sent to the members of the Board of Trustees and are placed on the open session agenda. Comments are summarized and distributed to all members of the board. At a separate board meeting, established for the purpose of completing the self-evaluation, the board members review the comments in an open public session, and determine any changes in operations or goals that the board as a whole deems appropriate (4B.19). The board members look for weaknesses or comments that indicate a problem exists within an area that warrants board attention. They compare the current year rankings to prior year rankings and using this benchmark technique determine whether they have improved in these areas. The areas that warrant board attention become potential goals for the following calendar year (4B.20, 4B.9).

After the self-evaluation meeting is completed, the Board of Trustees then examines its goals for the past year and, along with information provided by College staff, assess whether a goal was accomplished or should remain and be carried forward to the following year. At this meeting, the board also receives an update on the progress towards achieving the goals for the current year. A number of goals will carry over from one year to the next. Other goals may be eliminated upon evaluation if the underlying concern that inspired the goal has been corrected (4B.21).

The self-evaluation process is evaluated each year and was most recently modified based on Board member comments in late 2009. In early fall 2010, a subcommittee of the Board reviewed the prior evaluation instrument used for the evaluation and made changes so that the areas evaluated were more closely aligned with the activities of the Gavilan College Board Members (4B.22).

During the calendar year 2011 board self-evaluation, the board members decided to convert from a paper-based format to an electronic survey method that allowed board members to access it from any Internet location and complete the survey document (4B.23).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(1) (g).

PLAN:

None

h. The governing board has a code of ethics that includes a clearly defined policy for dealing with behavior that violates its code.

DESCRIPTION:

The Board of Trustees has a code of ethics described in the Board Policy 2715 (4B.24). The Board of Trustees has not had occasion to use or invoke the code of ethics in at least the past nine years. The policy cites a list of expectations for Board Members to contemplate as they conduct the duties they have taken on as an elected representative of the communities served by the College. The policy was updated in 2001. The Code of Ethics approved in 2001 did not describe what action would be taken in the event a member of the Board should violate a provision of the code (4B.25). In December 2012 the Board of Trustees updated BP 2715 to include defined consequences for violations of the ethics policy.

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(1) (h).

PLAN:

None.

i. The governing board is informed about and involved in the accreditation process.

DESCRIPTION:

Board member orientation includes a discussion of the accreditation standards, a review of the College's most recent accreditation self-study, and expectations for board member participation in the development of the College's self-study. The Board of Trustees is informed of the institutional reports that are submitted to the commission and also when it comes to follow-up reports or midterm reports.

Gavilan College has established an accreditation task force that includes a member of the Board of Trustees plus an alternate. Board members are briefed about the College's recommendations and other actions important to the College's accreditation, including student learning outcomes (4B.17, 4B.26).

The members of the Board of Trustees have participated in all of the briefings given to College personnel regarding the requirements of the accreditation standards and the evidence necessary to prove the College meets the standards. Members of the board received periodic updates on the progress of the self-study report as it was being prepared. During the Board of Trustees self-evaluation and goal setting session in November 2011, the Superintendent/President explained the standards that specifically relate to the governing board. Once the self-study was prepared in draft form, board members were invited to the community-wide forums, given a briefing at the November 2012 meeting where the draft self-study was presented as an information item, and briefed again a month later when they voted to approve the self-study (4B.27).

Board members were encouraged to comment on proposed planning agendas and when appropriate develop those planning agendas. A member of the Board of Trustees participated by reading and analyzing each section of the self-study report and making comments as appropriate. Many of Gavilan College's board members have been involved in at least one self-study visit in the past (4B.28). In addition, several board members were career educators employed by Gavilan College and are well aware of accreditation standards and how they are applied (4B.28).

Most members of the Gavilan College Board of Trustees have been serving for more than six years and have participated in the development and review of this self-study report. The Board of Trustees are dedicated members of the community who have also taken an active role in learning about the accreditation process and the role of the governing board in matters related to the College's accreditation (4B.28).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(1) (i).

PLAN:

None.

j. The governing board has the responsibility for selecting and evaluating the district/system chief administrator (most often known as the chancellor) in a multi-college district/system or the college chief administrator (most often known as the president) in the case of a single college. The governing board delegates full responsibility and authority to him/her to implement and administer board policies without board interference and holds him/her accountable for the operation of the district/system or college, respectively. In multi-college districts/systems, the governing board establishes a clearly defined policy for selecting and evaluating the presidents of the colleges.

DESCRIPTION:

The procedures to be used when hiring a chief executive officer are written and updated whenever necessary to reflect current laws and regulations. The Board of Trustees complied with its policy, BP 2431 in its most recent search for a new chief administrative officer (4B.7). Dr. Steven Kinsella was appointed as the superintendent/president of Gavilan College in October 2002 and started work as the superintendent/president in January 2003.

Gavilan College contracted with a professional search firm to conduct and lead the selection and recruitment process to find a new College president (4B.30). This company had a considerable amount of experience in recruiting and conducting hiring processes for California administrators. One of the responsibilities of the firm was to ensure the College complied with its own hiring processes.

The Board of Trustees has delegated administrative authority to the president. The delegated authority allows the College president to conduct all day-to-day operational activities with the full authority of the Board of Trustees. All actions taken by the College president are subject to ratification by the Board of Trustees at the next scheduled board meeting. This delegated authority is included in the College president's contract and is also noted in the board policies (4B.31, 4B.48 ).

The board's delegated authority to the College president is recognized by all constituencies of the College, as it is included in the administrative procedures and the board policies. There is a delegated authority provision in the College president's employment contract as well.

The governing board receives frequent updates from the College administration during the monthly board meetings, and at subcommittee meetings conducted to provide additional details to, and seek direction from the Board of Trustees. Board subcommittees provide ongoing communication between the board and the administration, allowing the board sufficient oversight of operational matters while remaining focused on policy level decisions.

At the request of the current College president, members of the governing board have conducted an unusual evaluation process that requires members of the Board of Trustees to interview College employees in key leadership positions such as the Academic Senate President and the president of California School Employees Association as part of the evaluation process. By interviewing employees, board members are encouraged to have direct contact with staff members. The board members have a list of questions regarding the interaction between the board president and employees (4B.33). This process opens up communication between members of the board and the College employees. Some employees are uncomfortable with this process and if they desire, they can be excluded from this process. Other employees participate and provide open and frank information that is used in the superintendent/president's performance evaluation.

Gavilan College has a chart used to monitor regular and routine reports that are presented to the board on an ongoing basis. This chart helps ensure that the College completes all required report approvals (4B.54).

The Board approved Policy 4600-Student Success Policy in October 2011 (4B.4). The policy stipulates that the Board is placing an emphasis on activities that will assist students in completing their educational objectives. The policy was drafted by the Academic Senate and the administration in conjunction with the Learning Council. Administrative Procedure, AP 4600, augments the policy by providing direction on implementing activities to improve student performance (4B.34).

The Director of Institutional Research has prepared templates for a standard set of reports to be prepared and presented to the Board of Trustees for consideration not less than once a quarter (4B.35).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(1) (j).

PLAN:

None.

2. The president has primary responsibility for the quality of the institution he/she leads. He/she provides effective leadership in planning, organizing, budgeting, selecting and developing personnel, and assessing institutional effectiveness.

a. The president plans, oversees, and evaluates an administrative structure organized and staffed to reflect the institution's purposes, size, and complexity. He/she delegates authority to administrators and others consistent with their responsibilities, as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION:

The president plans, oversees and evaluates the administrative structure of Gavilan College. For planning, the president uses the integrated planning process that provides an update on actions completed in the prior year and then identifies the strategic plan initiatives and objectives for the next five years. Program plans are reviewed to ensure that resource requests are designed to achieve specific institutional objectives (4B.36).

Program plans include recommendations from the Institutional Effectiveness Committee and are reviewed by the supervising administrator for each department. Each program plan must be linked to a specific goal or objective of the institutional Five-Year Strategic Plan. Program plans requiring additional resources are paired with associated budget requests. The supervising administrator and the College Budget committee rank all budget requests according to a rubric, and allocate resources to complete proposed work activities, within the constraints of the budget.

The President has primary responsibility for the overall quality of the institution and ensures that planning, organizing resources, and preparing appropriate and accurate budgets to accomplish selected operating objectives of the College happens in a timely manner and with student learning as a focus. The most recent action taken to support the statement that "the president evaluates the organizational structure and provides staff to reflect the institution's purpose, size and complexity" is the recent change in the Vice President of Instruction to a new position of Executive Vice President and Chief Instructional Officer.

The change to the vice president's position was prompted by a desire to consolidate all instructional activities under one administrator. Prior to this change, the Director of Community and Contract Education and the Associate Dean of Community Development and Grants Management both reported to the College president. These two departments offer instruction in some form and there was on-going confusion about the type of instruction that should be offered under the supervision of instructional administrators (4B.36).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(2)(a).

PLAN:

None.

b. The president guides institutional improvement of the teaching and learning environment by the following:

1) establishing a collegial process that sets values, goals, and priorities;

DESCRIPTION:

The superintendent/president is the chairperson of the strategic planning subcommittee of President's Council. He ensures that the College values, goals, and institutional priorities include those established as board goals and that they are considered as the annual update to the strategic plan is developed. The strategic planning subcommittee includes members from each constituency group on campus, thereby providing all employees and students the opportunity to participate in formulating the direction of the College (4B.37).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(2)(b)(1).

PLAN:

None.

2) ensuring that evaluation and planning rely on high quality research and analysis on external and internal conditions;

DESCRIPTION:

The Director of Institutional Research is both a member of the strategic planning committee and a standing resource available to the College and the Institutional Effectiveness Committee. The institutional researcher ensures that items presented for inclusion in the strategic plan are supported by data and are aligned with the College's mission. The institutional researcher is frequently the individual who presents internal and external data for use by the committees. Other forms of data available from the State Chancellor's office or other sources may also be used to support a strategic plan priority or initiative (4B.37).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(2)(b)(2).

PLAN:

None.

3) ensuring that educational planning is integrated with resource planning and distribution to achieve student learning outcomes;

DESCRIPTION:

Gavilan College has developed and refined its program planning and budget allocation process. Starting at the department level, departments identify how each resource request is going to contribute to the College's achievement of its strategic plan goals and objectives and student learning outcomes (4B.38). Each program plan is linked to a specific goal or objective of the Five-Year Strategic Plan, which supports the college mission. Program plans requiring additional resources have associated budget requests, which are then evaluated by administrators and the College Budget Committee according to a rubric.

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(2)(b)(3).

PLAN:

None.

4) establishing procedures to evaluate overall institutional planning and implementation efforts.

DESCRIPTION:

At the beginning of each academic year, Gavilan College conducts an evaluation of its institutional planning activities that includes an evaluation of the shared governance process and an assessment of progress made on the prior year's goals. A campus-wide survey of faculty, staff and administrators is conducted to determine the overall level of campus awareness of the planning process, and what areas survey respondents indicate are weaknesses that need to be addressed (4B.40).

The president communicates institutional values, goals and direction through multiple activities. E-mails are used to communicate areas of immediate interest and concern, especially in these trying financial times. Updates on the College website are used to provide more prominent communication regarding the direction of the College and institutional values and goals. At staff development day at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters, the president starts off the term by providing an overall assessment and update about activities and challenges confronting the College (4B.42). Any significant expected change that will require further dialogue across the campus is noted. Most recently, because of the concerns about the financial stability of the state and its inability or lack of desire to fund community colleges, there has been more time allocated to describing the College's financial condition and the superintendent/president's assessment of how Gavilan College should proceed to maintain a smooth transition from the higher revenues that we enjoyed until 2008 to a new paradigm of serving fewer students and offering fewer services to those students (4B.43).

The president reads all research reports that comment on student performance, financial performance, and enrollment management as a way of keeping abreast of overall institutional performance. The superintendent/president adds additional data elements depending on what the routine report indicates. The superintendent/president also monitors finances, enrollment and student profile reports to assess whether any shifts in trends are occurring (4B.44).

On at least a quarterly basis, information gathered on a range of student success factors is compiled and presented to the Board of Trustees as an information item (4B.45).

The president communicates the value of a culture of evidence and a focus on student learning through verbal communication to large groups of faculty, staff, administrators, and students. The president ensures that prior to sending any change proposal forward to the Board of Trustees there must be sufficient evidence in the form of objective data to support the request for change.

The director of institutional research reports to the executive vice president. The researcher also meets with the College president on a biweekly basis and more frequently if necessary to provide an update on research activities. This access to the president provides the researcher with the ability to identify newly emerging trends that may influence student learning.

Gavilan College has refined its integrated planning process each of the last three years by making changes designed to correct the weaknesses noted during evaluations of either the shared governance process or the integrated planning process. The planning processes used at Gavilan College have been developed with consideration of the requirements of accreditation standards in mind at the time the planning processes were developed. The president provides leadership by requiring a disciplined approach to using the process as described. If an exception to the process is necessary, the superintendent/president specifically identifies that change requests did not follow the routine planning methodology and instead were accelerated for a specific reason. The reason for deviating from existing planning processes is then described (4B.47).

A certified public accountant by profession, the current superintendent/president is focused on the objective measures available from various reports. He is also an experienced accrediting team evaluator and the vice chair of the ACCJC. These experiences, combined with his professional training, have resulted in the College focusing on objective data measures that are then tempered by subjective information when available. By setting the example, the superintendent/president provides objective data for any change proposal that he may ask the College community to consider (4B.48).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(2) (b)(4).

PLAN:

None.

c. The president assures the implementation of statutes, regulations, and governing board policies and assures that institutional practices are consistent with institutional mission and policies.

DESCRIPTION:

The superintendent/president assures implementation of appropriate statutes, regulations and governing board policies through the use of a detailed board agenda combined with detailed explanations and justifications presented to the Board of Trustees for approval of all transactions. In the areas of administrative services that includes personnel payroll and processing of accounts payable, it is common to cite the law or regulation that authorizes expenditures.

The superintendent/president has delegated authority and the responsibility to operate the College with the understanding that operations must comply with board policies and existing laws and regulations. Within 30 days of every transaction authorized, the staff prepares summarized reports of actions taken that are subject to ratification by the Board of Trustees. Since the superintendent/president has 21 years of experience with the California Community College system and was a chief business officer prior to becoming a chief executive officer, he is familiar and knowledgeable of all regulations covering the administrative services areas. He relies on the expertise and knowledge of his vice presidents who have a similar knowledge and understanding of the laws and regulations that the College is required to comply with (4B.49).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(2)(c).

PLAN:

None.

d. The president effectively controls budget and expenditures.

DESCRIPTION:

Control of the budget and expenditures occurs through the use of several techniques. The most routine review mechanisms are the financial reports and budget adjustments that are submitted to the Board each month and posted online. The budget reports show the actual expenditures and the budget allocated to each department. Adjustments are made in at least the last six months of the year to align the budget with actual expenditures to date. Accounts are rebalanced monthly or less frequently depending on the variance between budget and actual results and the time remaining before the end of the fiscal year.

In addition to monthly budget adjustments, a monthly financial statement is presented to the Board of Trustees for information, review and critique as appropriate. The superintendent/president takes an active role in evaluating the information before it goes to the Board of Trustees and then explains and summarizes the information at the meetings. This information is provided to the Board as a way to regularly inform the Board and interested stakeholders about the financial position of the College on a monthly basis (4B.50).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(2)(d).

PLAN:

None.

e. The president works and communicates effectively with the communities served by the institution.

DESCRIPTION:

Dr. Kinsella is now or has been in the recent past active in organizations in each of the College's primary service area. Starting with Morgan Hill to the north, the president was on the board of directors for the Morgan Hill Community Foundation in 2003 and 2004; was on the board of directors for Leadership Morgan Hill for a three-year period and continues to participate with the leadership program by providing a workshop on the role and mission of Community Colleges to class participants. In the city of Gilroy, the College superintendent/president is a member of Gilroy Rotary and served as its president in 2010/2011 (4B.51, 4B.52).

Dr. Kinsella works closely with community leaders and community organizations in each of the three primary service areas that include Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Benito County. His participation with community organizations covers a broad range of organizations and includes involvement with the Rotary Club of Gilroy, Leadership Foundations of Gilroy and Morgan Hill, and service with the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the San Benito Business Council and the South County Business Council. Over the past ten years, Dr. Kinsella has held leadership roles with these organizations and was awarded the 2012 Educator of the Year award granted by the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce (4B.53). In San Benito County, Dr. Kinsella worked with community leaders to establish a group originally known as Vision San Benito that was formed to assist elected officials in establishing strategic directions for the County. Unfortunately, San Benito County has been significantly impacted by lack of resources and struggles to provide the most basic of services to the community (4B.51).

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard IV (B)(2)(e).

PLAN:

None.

3. In multi-college districts or systems, the district/system provides primary leadership in setting and communicating expectations of educational excellence and integrity throughout the district/system and assures support for the effective operation of the colleges. It establishes clearly defined roles of authority and responsibility between the colleges and the district/system and acts as the liaison between the colleges and the governing board.

Standard IV (B)(3) is not applicable because Gavilan College is a single college district.

Standard IVB: Board and Administrative Organization

Standard IVB: Board and Administrative Organization

Standard IV (B) Evidence