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Board of Directors' Governing Process Policies
 
GOVERNANCE PROCESS

Board Mission
GP 1
  Governing Style
GP 2
  Board Job Description
GP 3
  Chairperson/Vice Chairperson
GP 4
  Board Committee Principles
GP 5
  Committee Structure
GP 6
  Annual Board Planning Cycle
GP 7
  Board Members' Code of Conduct
GP 8
  Board Operations
GP 9
  Policy Requirements
GP 10
  Board Monitoring/Evaluations
GP 11
  Board Vacancies
GP 12
  Budget Committee
GP 12-1
  Board Professional Improvement
GP 13
  New Board Member Orientation GP 14
  Media Attendance at Executive Sessions GP 15

BOARD-PRESIDENT RELATIONSHIP
  Delegation to the President
BPR 1
  President's Job Description
BPR 2
  Monitoring Presidential Performance
BPR 3
  Emergency Executive Succession
BPR 4
  Appointment of Acting President
BPR 5
  Order of Administrative Responsibility
BPR 6

EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS
  General Executive Constraint
EL 1
  Staff Treatment
EL 2
  Budgeting
EL 3
  Financial Condition
EL 4
  Asset Protection EL 5 
  Compensation and Benefits
EL 6
  Communication and Counsel to the Board EL 7 

ENDS
  Policy E 1
     
STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS S 1



GOVERNANCE PROCESS

GP 1: BOARD MISSION
Approved: November 14, 2012

Central Oregon Community College promotes student success and community enrichment by providing quality, accessible, lifelong educational opportunities..
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GP 2: GOVERNING STYLE 
Revised: June 6, 2011

 The board will be actively involved in the governance of the college, being proactive rather than reactive, staying adequately informed on relevant issues and approaching its task with a style which emphasizes outward vision rather than an internal preoccupation, encouragement of diversity in viewpoints, strategic leadership more than administrative detail, clear distinction of board and staff roles, collective rather than individual decisions and future oriented while respecting lessons from the past..

 More specifically, the Board will: 

1. Operate in all ways mindful of its civic trusteeship obligation to the citizens of its district. 

2. Enforce upon itself whatever discipline is needed to govern with excellence. Discipline will apply to matters such as attendance, policy making principles, respect of roles, speaking with one voice and adherence to ethical practices. 

3. The Board will keep adequately informed about relevant global and local educational and other issues, actively gathering information to fulfill this role. 

4. Direct, control and inspire the organization through the careful establishment of the broadest organizational values and perspectives through written policies.

5. Focus chiefly on intended long term impacts on the world outside the organization (ends), not on the administrative or programmatic means of attaining those effects.

6. Be an initiator of policy, not merely a reactor to staff initiatives. The board, not the staff, will be responsible for board performance.

7. Use the expertise of individual members to enhance the ability of the board as a body, rather than to substitute their individual values for the group's values.

8. Monitor and regularly discuss the board's own process and performance. Insure the continuity of its governance capability by retraining and redevelopment. 

A. Self-monitoring will include at least a biannual comparison of board activity and discipline to its Governance Process and Board-Staff Relationship policies. 

B. Continual redevelopment will include orientation of new members in the board's adopted governance process and periodic board discussion of process improvement.

9. Be accountable to the general public for competent, conscientious and effective accomplishment of its obligations as a body. It will allow no officer, individual or committee of the board to usurp this role or hinder this commitment.

10.  Acting as a committee of the whole, the Board shall perform the functions of an Audit Committee including:

    1)  The appointment, and compensation of any public accounting firm employed by the College in connection with the attest function.

    2)  Establishment of procedures for:
            a)  The receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the College regarding accounting, internal controls and auditing matters.

            b)  The confidential, anonymous submission by employees regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

    3)  The appointment, compensation and oversight of independent counsel or other advisor as deemed necessary to carry out its audit duties.         

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GP 3: BOARD JOB DESCRIPTION
Approved: June 9, 1993 

The job of the board is to make certain contributions which lead the organization toward the desired performance and assure that it occurs. The board's specific contributions are unique to its trusteeship role and necessary for proper governance and management.

 Consequently, the contributions of the board shall be:

                     1. The link between the organization and its "ownership."

 2. Written governing policies which, at the broadest levels, address: 

A. Ends: Organizational products, impacts, benefits, outcomes (what's good for which needs at what cost).  

B. Executive Limitations: Constraints on executive authority which establish the prudence and ethics boundaries within which all executive activity and decisions must take place.  

C. Governance Process: Specification of how the board conceives, carries out and monitors its own task.  

D. Board-President Relationship: How power is delegated and its proper use monitored.  

3. The assurance of presidential performance (against policies in 2A and 2B).  

4. Legislative impact.  

5. Support of financial resource development.  

6. Taking positions on appropriate public policy issues. 

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GP 4: CHAIRPERSON / VICE CHAIRPERSON ROLE
Approved: June 9, 1993
Revised: March 13, 1996  

The job "product" of the Chairperson is, primarily, the integrity of the Board's process and, secondarily, occasional representation of the Board to outside parties. The Chairperson is the only Board Member authorized to officially  speak for the Board (beyond simply reporting Board decisions), other than in rare and specifically authorized instances.  

1. The job output of the Chairperson is that the Board behaves consistent with its own policies on governance and Board/staff relationship and those legitimately imposed upon it from outside the organization. 

A. Meeting discussion content will only be those issues which, according to Board policy, clearly belong to the Board to decide, not the president. 

B. Deliberation will be timely, fair, orderly and thorough, but also efficient, limited to time and kept to the point.  

C. The Board's policies concerning individual and group behavior will be enforced appropriately. 

D. The Chairperson is responsible for reviewing the Board meeting agenda and facilitating the Board meeting to ensure the Board remains proactive, forward looking and value-added in its deliberations. 

2. The authority of the Chairperson consists of making decisions on behalf of the Board. This authority extends to all decisions which fall within and are consistent with any reasonable interpretation of Board policies on Governance Process and on the Board-President Relationship, except where the Board specifically delegates portions of this authority to others. 

A. The Chairperson is empowered to chair Board meetings with all the commonly accepted power of that position (e.g., ruling, recognizing).  

B. The Chairperson has no authority to make decisions about policies created by the Board within Ends and Executive Limitations policy areas. Therefore, the Chairperson has no authority to individually  supervise or direct the president. 

C. The Chairperson may represent the Board to outside parties in announcing Board-stated positions and in stating Chairperson decisions and interpretations within the area delegated. 

D. The Chairperson may call special meetings as required. 

3. The Vice Chairperson will assume responsibilities of the Chairperson in the event of Chairperson's absence or inability to serve. 

4. The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Board will be elected at the Annual Meeting in July.

The selection of the Chairperson will be based on the following factors:  

Desire, ability, availability of time to complete the obligations of the job, experience relative to the goals/opportunities for the college in the ensuing year, and zone representation.  

It is anticipated that the Vice Chairperson will succeed the Chairperson in the following year if the criteria for the Chairperson can still be met.

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GP 5: BOARD COMMITTEE PRINCIPLES
Approved: June 9, 1993 

The board may establish committees to help carry out its responsibilities. To preserve board holism, committees will be used sparingly, only when other methods have been deemed inadequate. Committees will be used so as to minimally interfere with the wholeness of the board's job, and so as never to interfere with delegation from board to president. 

1. Board committees may not speak or act for the board except when formally given such authority for specific and time-limited purposes. Expectations and authority will be carefully stated in order not to conflict with authority delegated to the president.

2. Board committees are to help the board do its job, not to help the staff do its jobs. Committees ordinarily will assist the board by preparing policy alternatives and implications for board deliberation. Board committees are not to be created by the board to advise staff. 

3. Board committees are to avoid over-identification with organizational parts rather than the whole. Therefore, a board committee which has helped the board create policy on some topic will not be used to monitor organizational performance on that same subject.  

4. Board committees cannot exercise authority over staff. In keeping with the board's broader focus, board committees will normally not have direct dealings with current staff operations. Because the president works for the full board, he or she will not be required to obtain approval of a board committee before an executive action.

5. This policy applies only to committees which are formed by board action, whether or not the committees include non-board members. It does not apply to committees formed under the authority of the president.

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GP 6: COMMITTEE STRUCTURE
Revised: December 8, 2010

A committee is a Board committee only if its existence and charge come from the Board, regardless whether Board Members sit on the committee. The Board, in establishing committees will determine committee product and limits of committee authority. The COCC Board will have four standing committees appointed at the annual meeting.

1. President's Evaluation Committee consisting of three members who will gather any necessary information, review the process of evaluation, and facilitate the evaluation discussion.

2. Board Self-Evaluation Committee consisting of three members who will review the process of evaluation, gather any necessary information, and facilitate the evaluation discussion. 

3. Keyes Trust Committee consisting of one board member and the president who will comply with the instructions of the Keyes Trust.

4. Audit and Finance Committee consisting of three members of the board and two members of the budget committee. The term of membership will be three years.

The Audit and Finance committee of the Board of Directors of Central Oregon Community College is established by resolution to assist the board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to:

a. The appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any public accounting firm employed by the College in connection with the attest function.

b. Establishment of procedures for:

1. The receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the College regarding accounting, internal controls and auditing matters.

2. The confidential, anonymous submission by employees regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

c. The appointment, compensation and oversight of independent counsel or other advisor as deemed necessary, to carry out its audit duties.

d. Review of monthly/quarterly financial reports and fund revenue/expense projection reports.

e. Operational performance of the College, particularly with regard to the business risks for the College and the sufficiency of the College's risk mitigation efforts.

To ensure appropriate long-term transitioning of committee members, at the time of initial establishment of the committee, two of the three Board representatives and one of the two Budget Committee members shall begin with a 2 year appointment as opposed to full three year terms. If a committee position becomes vacant, the COCC Board at its discretion will appoint a replacement either for a full three years beginning with the date of initial appointment or for the remainder of the term of the exiting committee member.

Members may serve two consecutive terms.

One of the committee members shall be designated as Audit and Finance Committee Chair by Board resolution at the annual organizational meeting.

The College President and CFO will be ex-officio members of the committee, in order to ensure effective staff support for the committee's efforts. The President and CFO are responsible for additional staff for the committee.

Meetings:
The Audit and Finance Committee will meet at least twice annually:

To hear and comment on the Annual Audit Plan(s) as proposed by staff and the external/internal auditors.

To hear and comment on the draft Annual Audit Report as prepared by the external audit firm prior to its submission to the College Board of Directors.

To hear and comment on of monthly/quarterly financial reports and fund revenue/expense projection reports. The Audit and Finance Committee will report out on its meetings at the next regular meeting of the Board as a whole.

Authority:
The Audit and Finance Committee is an advisory committee to the Board of Directors and has no independent authority not granted to it by resolution of the Board of Directors. As a committee of the Board, the Audit and Finance Committee does not possess management control authority over College staff, nor does it have supervisory authority over the external or internal audit functions of the college.

Specific Responsibilities: 
The committee shall:

Review external and internal audit plans and results prior to their submission to the Board as a whole.

Report to the Board its findings and opinions regarding internal and external audit results. Recommend specific areas of future internal and external audit focus for consideration by the Board of Directors.

Assist the Board in identifying key areas of monthly/quarterly financial reports and fund revenue/expense projection reports that might be helpful to review in further depth.

Sunset:
The Audit and Finance Committee may be dissolved by resolution of the Board as a whole.

All other Board committees will be established on a designated or ad hoc basis, with a specific charge, and timeline for completion.

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GP 7: BOARD PLANNING CYCLE
Approved: June 9, 1993
Revised June 13, 2001 

To accomplish its job outputs with a governance style consistent with board policies, the board will follow a two year agenda which (a) completes a re-exploration of ends policies annually and (b) continually improves its performance through attention to board education and to enriched input and deliberation. 

1. The cycle will conclude every two years on the last day of September in anticipation of the Oregon Legislative biennial budget cycle. Administrative budgeting will be based on accomplishing the most recent board long range vision on an annual basis. 

2. In the first six months of the new cycle, the board will develop its planning agenda for the ensuing two-year period. 

3. Education, input and deliberation will receive the highest priority in structuring the series of meetings and other board activities during the Board planning cycle. 

A. To the extent feasible, the board will identify those areas of education and input needed to increase the level of wisdom and forethought it can give to subsequent choices. 

B. Professional Development plans for the board (individual and group) will be developed.

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GP 8: BOARD MEMBERS' CODE OF CONDUCT
Approved: June 9, 1993
Revised: February 8, 1995

The board expects of itself and its members ethical and professional conduct. This commitment includes proper use of authority and appropriate decorum in group and individual behavior when acting as board members. 

1. Board members must represent unconflicted loyalty to the interests of the ownership. This accountability supersedes any conflicting loyalty such as that to advocacy or interest groups and membership on other boards or staffs. This accountability supersedes the personal interest of any board member acting as an individual consumer of the organization's services. 

2. Board members must avoid any conflict of interest with respect to their fiduciary responsibility. 

A. There must be no self-dealing or any conduct of private business or personal services between any board member and the organization except as procedurally controlled to assure openness, competitive opportunity and equal access to information.

B. Board members must not use their positions to obtain employment in the organization for themselves, family members or close associates. 

C. Should a board member be considered for employment, s/he must temporarily withdraw from board deliberation, voting and access to applicable board information. 

3. Board members may not attempt to exercise individual authority over the organization except as explicitly set forth in board policies. 

A. Board members' interaction with the president or with staff must recognize the lack of authority in any individual board member or group of board members except as noted above.

B. Board members' interaction with the public, press or other entities must recognize the same limitation and the similar inability of any board member or board members to speak for the board. 

C. Board members will make no judgments of the president or staff performance except as that performance is assessed against explicit board policies by the official process. 

4. Board members will be reimbursed for all Board/college-related travel; however, the college does not pay meals, lodging, or other costs for family member(s) who may accompany the Board member unless circumstances are preapproved by the Board Chairperson.

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GP 9: BOARD OPERATIONS
Approved: June 9, 1993
Revised: March 13, 1996; November 14, 2001 

The Board will operate in a consistent manner, following the policies detailed herein, and, unless otherwise noted, adhere to these operational proceedings: 

1. The Board will meet at 6 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month, normally in the Christiansen Board Room of the Boyle Education Center on the Bend campus, but occasionally at sites throughout the district. (Board Approved: November 20, 1991) 

2. At the annual organization meeting, to be held as part of the July Board meeting, the Board shall elect a chair and a vice chair who will serve as chair-elect, in anticipation of becoming chair the following year unless unusual circumstances prevail. The chair-elect shall fulfill the duties of the chair in the absence of the chair. The Board shall then appoint a clerk, deputy clerk, and a legal counsel. 

3. During the budget review process, the Board will convene the District Budget Board, in accordance with ORS Chapter 294.

4. The Board will consider proposed new or revised policy twice, first as an informational items; second as a recommendation for approval. Upon majority vote of the Board, the policy will be incorporated into the Board's policies. 

5. The Board, when it is found to be in the best interest of the college district, may, by a majority vote, suspend its rules and take statutorily authorized action overriding previously adopted policy. 

6. A long term agenda topics list will be set and revised by the Board and be linked to Board policy issues. The Board chair, with consideration of the long term agenda and with input from Board Members and the college president will set the monthly business agenda.  

7. The Board will give high priority to the college community and citizen participation, but reserves the right to take partial testimony, to limit debate, or to take whatever actions are necessary to offer a fair hearing to an individual within the time necessary to complete the published agenda.

8. The naming of any campus, building, room, space, or area of Central Oregon Community College shall be at the discretion of the Board of Directors. 

A. It will be the usual practice of the Board to name campuses after geographic areas. 

B. It will be the usual practice of the Board to initially name buildings after major geographical features. The Board may at a later date name the building after persons involved with the College district or the State of Oregon. 

C. The Board may choose to name smaller areas of the College, such as rooms or spaces, after persons living or deceased, or organizations which have given a major service or made major contributions to the college or college district.

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GP 10: POLICY REQUIREMENTS
Revised: July 13, 1994

Board policy will include appropriate and/or required policies to meet federal and state laws and regulations, and program requirements, i.e., equal opportunity, affirmative action, sexual harassment, handicap accessibility.
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GP 11: BOARD MONITORING/EVALUATION
Revised: November 10, 2010

The Board will complete a self evaluation annually, normally at the Fall Retreat.

The Board of Directors will review the General, Board-President Relationship, Executive Limitations, and Statutory Policies making changes as necessary and as part of the board planning cycle.

 

The Board will review and evaluate the President's performance at the May Board meeting. Prior to the June Board meeting, the Board Chair and Board Vice Chair will confer with the college legal counsel over the review of the President's contract. The college legal counsel will confer with the President to develop a mutually agreeable contract. A contractual revision may not always result from the annual review. Board approval of contract revisions will occur at the June Board meeting.

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GP 12: BOARD VACANCIES
Approved: February 8, 1995

When a vacancy occurs on the Board, the remaining members shall meet in regular session and elect a person to fill the vacancy from any of the qualified voters of the zone from which the vacancy occurs. The Board shall request nominations from the public at large and shall prescribe the format in which the nominations are to be presented. Notification will include: the details of the portions of district included in that zone should be publicized and the period of time for names to be recommended to the Board. The members so elected shall serve until the next Board election at which time a successor shall be elected to fill the remainder of the unexpired term.
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GP 12-1: BUDGET COMMITTEE
Approved: November 12, 1998 

The COCC Budget Committee shall consist of the members of the Board plus one member from each of the seven zones appointed by the Board for a term of three fiscal years. When a vacancy occurs on the Budget Committee, the Board shall meet in regular session and elect a person to fill the vacancy from any of the qualified voters of the zone from which the vacancy occurs. The Board shall request nominations from the public at large and shall prescribe the format in which the nominations are to be presented. (Notification will include the details of the portions of district included in that zone and the period of time for names to be recommended to the Board.)

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GP 13: BOARD PROFESSIONAL IMPROVEMENT
Revised:  November 10, 2010

The Board will maintain an awareness of regional and national trends in community college education. 

Each Board Member will present at the Fall Retreat an annual personal professional improvement plan to increase their skills and ability to provide community college leadership. Once in their 4-year term, the plan will include attendance at an American Association of Community College Trustees Convention (ACCT), American Association of Community College Annual Convention (AACC), an Oregon Community College Association Annual Convention (OCCA), or Oregon School Board Association Annual Convention (OSBA).

A major speaker on relevant leadership topics will be brought to COCC each year. 

The Board will encourage the Chair and members of the Board to attend the ACCT Annual Convention each year. 

The Board will encourage all members of the Board to attend the Oregon Community College Association  annual convention. 

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GP 14: NEW BOARD MEMBER ORIENTATION
Approved: March 13, 1996 

All new Board Members will receive an orientation to COCC and the role and responsibilities of the COCC Board of Directors within the first six months of election and/or appointment. The orientation will be conducted by Board Members in collaboration with the President and include topics in: Policy governance model, Board policies, statutory responsibilities, and institutional financial status.

 

GP 15: Media Attendance at Executive Sessions
 Approved January 11, 2012 

Under the Oregon Public Meetings Law  and ORS 192.660, recognized representatives of the news media are allowed to attend executive sessions - other than those held under subsection (2)(d) of this section relating to labor negotiations or ORS 192.660(5) (see below). However, the proceedings of this executive session are for background information only and not for publication or broadcast.

The following entities are recognized as news media organizations eligible to attend executive sessions at COCC because they have an established history:  

The Bulletin
The Broadside
The Source
Cascade Business Journal
The Redmond Spokesman
The Central Oregonian
The Madras Pioneer
The Sisters Nugget
The Newberry Eagle
The Spilyay Tymoo
KTVZ
KOHD
KBNZ
Bend Radio Group (KSJJ, etc.)
Combined Communications (KBND, etc.)
Horizon Broadcasting Group (KBNW, etc.)
Oregon Public Broadcasting

No other entity shall be permitted to attend an executive session unless it is recognized through the process described below.  
 
The following organizations' members are eligible to seek application to attend executive sessions:

  • A general or associate member newspaper of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, a broadcast member of the Oregon Association of Broadcasters or a member of the Associated Press; or
  • A newspaper that the College uses for publication of public notices and that meets the requirements of ORS 193.020; or
  • An entity recognized by the College as being a news source that:
    • Is organized and operated to regularly and continuously publish, broadcast, transmit via the Internet or otherwise disseminate news to the public; and
    • Regularly reports on activities of the College or matters of the nature under consideration by the College; and
    • Is a well-established entity committed to complying with the requirement that confidential executive session information be undisclosed.  
     

In making this determination, the College may consider and weigh any factors that it deems to be relevant, including whether the entity has an available process for correcting errors, including violations of executive session statutes, by a person with authority to take corrective measures.  

Any entity seeking recognition as a news media organization has the burden of proof to establish that it meets the standards of this policy.  A determination that the entity is not recognized shall be based upon written findings addressing the criteria in this policy.   

The College may require that a request to attend an executive session be made in writing, in advance of the meeting. The request shall disclosure the person's name and the entity for which he or she is a news reporter. The request shall also include a certification that the person is gathering news for a recognized news media organization, that the information given is true and that the person agrees to comply with ORS 192.660.
 
The College may consider any relevant evidence provided or gathered in making its decision as to whether a person shall be recognized as a representative of a recognized news media organization.  
 
In making its determination whether to recognize a specific person as a representative of the news media organization, the College may also require:  

  • A press badge or identification issued by the recognized news media organization, plus proof of identity (such as a driver's license); or
  • A recently published news article in the recognized news media organization publication or broadcast, with the person's byline, or a masthead showing the person's name as a member of the news gathering staff of the news media organization, plus proof of identity; or
  • A letter on letterhead from an editor of the recognized news media organization in which the editor states that the reporter is covering the meeting for the news media organization, plus proof of identity.

Representatives of the news media are not permitted to attend executive sessions involving deliberations with persons designated to carry on labor negotiations (ORS 192.660(4)). Additionally, if the executive session is being held for the purpose of conferring with counsel about current litigation or litigation likely to be filed, the College shall exclude any member of the news media from attending if the member is a party to the litigation to be discussed or is an employee, agent or contractor of a news media organization that is a party to the litigation (ORS 192.660(5)).

Cameras, tape recorders and other recording devices shall not be used in executive sessions, except for the official executive session tapes made by College staff.

Any person or entity which has a direct personal interest in the subject of the executive session may be barred from attending. 
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BOARD-PRESIDENT RELATIONSHIP

BPR 1: DELEGATION TO THE PRESIDENT
Approved: June 9, 1993

The president is accountable to the full board. The board will establish the governing policies, delegating implementation of the policies and the development and implementation of procedures to the president.  

1. All board authority delegated to staff is delegated through the president, so that all authority and accountability of staff is considered to be the authority and accountability of the president.  

2. Ends policies direct the president to achieve certain results; Executive Limitations policies constrain the president to act within acceptable boundaries of prudence and ethics. With respect to ends and executive means, the president is authorized to establish all further procedures, make all decisions, take all actions and develop all activities as long as they are consistent with the board's policies.  

3. The board may change its policies, thereby shifting the boundary between board and presidential domains. By so doing, the board changes the latitude of choice given to the president. But so long as any particular delegation is in place, the board and its members will respect and support the president's choices. This does not prevent the board from obtaining information in the delegated areas, except individual client-identified data.

4. No individual  board member, officer or committee has authority over the president. Information or assistance may be requested by individuals or groups, but if such a request - in the president's judgment - requires a material amount of staff time or funds or is disruptive, it may be refused, unless authorized by the board.

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BPR 2: PRESIDENT'S JOB DESCRIPTION
Approved: June 9, 1993 

As the board's single official link to the operating organization, the president's performance will be considered to be synonymous with organizational performance as a total.

 Consequently, the president's job contributions can be stated as performance in the following major areas: 

1. Organizational accomplishment of the provisions of board policies on Ends. 

2. Organization operation within the boundaries of prudence and ethics established in board policies on Executive Limitations. 

3. Compliance with the articles of the president's approved job description.

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BPR 3: MONITORING PRESIDENTIAL PERFORMANCE
Approved: June 9, 1993 

Monitoring executive performance is synonymous with monitoring organizational performance against board policies on Ends, Executive Limitations and compliance with the articles of the job description. Any evaluation of the president's performance, formal or informal, may be derived only from these monitoring data. 

1. The purpose of monitoring is simply to determine the degree to which board policies are being fulfilled. Information which does not do this will not be considered to be monitoring. Monitoring will be as automatic as possible, using a minimum of board time so that meetings can be used to create the future rather than to review the past. 

2. A given policy may be monitored in one or more of three ways: 

A. Internal report: Disclosure of compliance information to the board from the president. 

B. External report: Discovery of compliance information by a disinterested, external auditor, inspector or judge who is selected by and reports directly to the board. Such reports must assess executive performance only against policies of the board, not those of the external party unless the board has previously indicated that party's opinion to be the standard. 

C. Direct board inspection: Discovery of compliance information by a board member, a committee or the board as a whole. This is a board inspection of documents, activities or circumstances directed by the board which allows a "prudent person" test of policy compliance.  

3. Upon the choice of the board, any policy can be monitored by any method at any time. For regular monitoring, however, each Ends and Executive Limitations policy will be classified by the board according to frequency and method.

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BPR 4: EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE SUCCESSION
Approved: June 9, 1993
(Formerly EL 5) Revised: February 8, 1995 

In order to protect the board from sudden loss of presidential services, the president may not have fewer than two other executives familiar with board and presidential issues and processes. The president will designate to the Board each year, at the organizational meeting, his or her recommended line of succession.
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BPR 5: APPOINTMENT OF ACTING PRESIDENT
Approved: March 13, 1991
(Formerly EL 5) Revised February 8, 1995
Revised October 14, 1998; February 10, 2010

In the absence of the College President, an individual holding either of the following positions: Vice President for Administration or Vice President for Instruction, may be designated by the College President to serve as Acting President of Central Oregon Community College for short periods of time, not to exceed 30 consecutive working days at a time. Acting President of Central Oregon Community College for periods in excess of 30 working days shall be selected by the Board of Directors.
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BPR 6: ORDER OF ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY
Approved: March 13, 1991
Revised February 8, 1995; October 14, 1998; February 10, 2010

In the absence of the College President and when an Acting President has not been named, administrative responsibility shall reside with:

1. Vice President for Instruction

2. Vice President for Administration 

 

In the absence of the above, the president or his/her designee shall designate the person who has administrative responsibility.
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EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS

EL 1: GENERAL EXECUTIVE CONSTRAINT
Approved: June 9, 1993 

The president shall neither cause nor allow any practice, activity, decision or organizational circumstance which is imprudent, in violation of commonly accepted business and professional ethics nor in violation of any applicable state or federal law.
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EL 2: STAFF TREATMENT
Approved: June 9, 1993 

With respect to treatment of paid and volunteer staff, the president may not cause or allow conditions which are unfair or undignified.  

Accordingly, she or he may not: 

1. Operate without personnel procedures which clarify personnel rules for staff, provide for effective handling of grievances, and protect against wrongful conditions. 

2. Discriminate against any staff member for expressing an ethical dissent. 

3. Prevent staff from grieving to the board when (A) internal grievance procedures have been exhausted and (B) the employee alleges either (i) that board policy has been violated to his or her detriment or (ii) that board policy does not adequately protect his or her human rights. 

4. Fail to acquaint staff with their rights under this policy.

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EL 3: BUDGETING
Revised: November 9, 1994; January 12, 2011

 Budgeting any fiscal year or the remaining part of any fiscal year shall not deviate materially from board Ends priorities, risk fiscal jeopardy nor fail to show a generally acceptable level of foresight. 

Accordingly, he or she may not cause or allow budgeting which: 

1. Contains too little information to enable accurate projections;

    Contains too little information to separate capital and operational items;

    Contains too little information to do cash flow projections;

    Contains too little information to clarify planning assumptions.         

2. Plans the expenditure in any fiscal year of more funds than are conservatively projected to be available in that period. 

3. Allow cash accounts to drop below a safety reserve of less than $500,000 at any time. 

4. Provides less than $30,000 per annum for board prerogatives during the year.  

5. Is not derived from long term planning, to include but not limited to a 5-year forecast and reserves based on projected issues.

6. Allows working capital at the end of any fiscal year to drop below 10 percent of the year's operating expenditures.

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EL 4: FINANCIAL CONDITION
Revised: March 9, 2011

With respect to the actual, ongoing condition of the organization's financial health, the president may not cause or allow the development of fiscal jeopardy.

Accordingly, he or she may not: 

1. Expend more funds than have been budgeted and appropriated for in the fiscal year to date.  

2. Indebt the organization in an amount greater than can be repaid by certain, otherwise unencumbered revenues within 60 days, except board-approved debt service and/or certificates of participation. 

3. Use any Reserves that are not budgeted and appropriated for expenditure. 

4. Allow deficit fund balances at the end of any fiscal year without a plan to eliminate those deficit balances. 

5. Allow cash to drop below the amount needed to settle payroll and debts in a timely manner. 

6. Allow tax payments or other government-ordered payments or filings to be overdue or inaccurately filed. 

7. Allow actual allocations to deviate materially budget appropriations, from board priorities in Ends goals.

8.  Contract with the College's independent auditors for nonaudit services without prior approval of the Board.

9.  Fail to provide the following certifications to the Board upon the completion of an audit:

    1)  He/she has reviewed the annual audit report;

    2)  Based on his/her knowledge, the annual audit report does not contain     any untrue statement of a material fact or omission of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements misleading;

    3)  Based on his/her knowledge, the financial statements present in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, the President may not operate without the following certifications from the Vice President & CFO, Director of Fiscal Services and Accounting Manager:

    1)  He/she has reviewed the annual audit report;

    2)  Based on his/her knowledge, the annual audit report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omission of a material fact necessary in order to make the statement misleading;

    3)  Based on his/her knowledge, the financial statements present in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations.

10.  Operate without establishing and maintaining an adequate internal control structure and procedures for financial reporting.

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EL 5: ASSET PROTECTION
Revised: March 9, 2011

The president will not allow material, fiscal or human resource assets to be unprotected, inadequately maintained, nor unnecessarily risked.  

Accordingly, he/she will not:  

1. Fail to inform the board of misalignment among fiscal resources, staffing, and programmatic commitments for implementing college vision, mission and ends.

2. Fail to insure responsibly against theft and casualty and against liability losses to board members, staff or the organization itself. 

3. Allow personnel access to material amounts of funds without purchasing a fidelity bond or providing equivalent coverage.

4. Allow maintenance schedule to go unreviewed at least annually. 

5. Allow unnecessarily expose the organization, its board or staff to claims of liability. 

6. Make any purchase or commit the organization to any expenditure of greater than $100,000.

7. Make any material purchase without complying with the Central Oregon Community College Rules of Procurement (CCRP) or the Oregon Revised Statutes and Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR).  Make any purchases over the minimum threshold as described in the CCRP without obtaining three written quotes as outlined in the CCRP to ensure competitive prices and quality.  Make any purchase wherein normally prudent protection has not been given against conflict of interest.  (The purchasing guidelines will automatically change with changes in CCRP,ORS and OAR purchasing statutes.) 

8. Receive, process or disburse funds under controls which are insufficient to meet the board-appointed auditor's standards. 

9. Invest or hold operating capital in investments in violations of Oregon law. 

10. Acquire, encumber or dispose of real property.

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EL 6: COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Revised: March 9, 2011 

With respect to employment, compensation and benefits to employees, consultant, contract workers and volunteers, the president may not cause or allow jeopardy to fiscal integrity, public image, or program quality.  

Accordingly, he or she may not: 

1. Change his or her own compensation and benefits.

2. Promise or imply permanent or guaranteed employment. 

3. Establish current compensation and benefits which: 

A. Deviate materially from the geographic or professional market for the skills employed nor become uncompetitive on a total compensation basis (i.e. fall below the upper 1/3 of local, regional, or national salary/benefit ranges as appropriate to the position as determined by the College).  

B. Create obligations over a term longer than can be covered by conservatively projected revenues, in no event longer than one year or the terms of board-approved collective bargaining contract, and in all events subject to losses of revenue. 

C. Are instituted without prior monitoring of these provisions. 

4. Establish deferred or long term compensation and benefits which: 

A. Cause unfunded liabilities to occur or in any way commit the organization to benefits which incur unpredictable future costs.

B. Provide less than some basic level of benefits to all eligible full time employees, though differential benefits to encourage retention of key employees are not prohibited. 

C. Allow any employee to lose benefits already accrued from any foregoing plan. 

D. Are instituted without prior monitoring of these provisions.

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EL 7: COMMUNICATION & COUNSEL TO THE BOARD
Approved: June 9, 1993 

With respect to providing information and counsel to the board, the president may not permit the board to be uninformed. Accordingly, he or she may not: 

1. Let the board be unaware of relevant trends, anticipated adverse media coverage, information which might have political consequences,  material external and internal changes, particularly changes in the assumptions upon which any board policy has previously been established. 

2. Fail to submit the required monitoring data (see policy on Monitoring Executive Performance) in a timely, accurate and understandable fashion, directly addressing provisions of the board policies being monitored. 

3. Fail to marshal for the board as many staff and external points of view, issues and options as needed for fully informed board choices, particularly with respect to faculty opinion on instructional matters. 

4. Present information in unnecessarily complex or lengthy form. 

5. Fail to provide a mechanism for official board, officer or committee communications.

6. Fail to deal with the Board as a whole except when (a) fulfilling individual requests for information or (b) responding to officers or committees duly charged by the board. 

7. Fail to report in a timely manner an actual or anticipated noncompliance with any policy of the Board.

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ENDS

E-1: ENDS POLICY

A. MISSION:
Approved November 14, 2012

Central Oregon Community College promotes student success and community enrichment by providing quality, accessible, lifelong educational opportunities.

B. VISION STATEMENT:
Approved December 12, 2012

To achieve student success and community enrichment, COCC fosters student completion of academic goals, prepares students for employment, assists regional employers and promotes equitable achievement for the diverse students and communities we serve.

C. ENDS STATEMENTS/GOALS*:

Because of COCC, the community will . . .

  1. Have an adult population with the proficiencies and learning skills necessary for lifelong employment at a family-wage level.
  2. Have an adult population with academic achievements and learning skills necessary to successfully pursue education at and beyond the community college level.
  3. Work collaboratively to achieve shared purposes.
  4. Have wide-ranging opportunities to enhance learning, wellness, quality of life, and cultural appreciation.
  5. Support diversity; and interact effectively with state, regional, national and global communities.

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S 1: STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

Revised: July 13, 1994

The Board of Directors will comply with Chapter 341 of the Oregon Revised Statutes (O.R.S.) and all other appropriate federal and state statutory regulations.
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