SUBJECT: Proposed New Board Policy A-4, College Ends
PROPOSED ACTION
That the Board of Trustees adopt the proposed policy after final consideration of any further amendments.
RELATED BOARD POLICY OR RESOLUTION
An Ends policy is one of the topics adopted by Board vote as a policy-development priority in November 1997.
RATIONALE
"Ends" policies, according to the policy-governance model the Board uses, are those which provide answers to the questions: "What external results are to be produced? For whose benefit? At what costs and priorities?"
The draft policy is based on the discussion at the 1/16/98 Board/administration/ faculty/community retreat on this topic. It is a high-level policy which gives a statement of several values-based principles whose implementation would in most cases be elaborated by subsidiary policies, administrative rules, or elements of strategic plans. As is now explicitly stated in its preamble, this policy is subordinate to policy A-1, College Mission.
As proposed, the policy would establish the principle that breakeven programs are "primarily" offered as required to meet demand while programs requiring "significant" subsidies are given closer examination and prioritization. The use of these qualifying terms is intended to deliberately leave the administration flexibility to handle special cases.
The current draft incorporates the discussion and votes from the May 6, 1998 meeting, but also adds clarifying and limiting language to Section [1] to address some of the concerns expressed by those voting at that meeting to delete the term "all" from the policy.
BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The policy would have no immediate financial impact, although implementation of the policy provisions requiring that non-breakeven programs be offered as part of a coherent community-priorities plan could have a substantial impact on later budgets.
RESOURCE PERSONNEL
Carol Nasworthy, Chair, Board of Trustees
Hunter Ellinger, Trustee
Richard Fonte, President
ATTACHMENTS
Proposed Policy [May 24,1998 draft]
Proposed Policy [April 6, 1998 discussion draft]
April 22, 1998 Memorandum from Richard Fonte*
Proposed Policy [March 29, 1998 draft]
Proposed Policy [March 5, 1998 draft]
Proposed Policy [Initial draft]
Related Policy Questions on Ends/Mission/Purpose
Work Keys - SCAN Summary and Assessments*
Comments from Fred Butler, Community Leader*
Comments from Trustee Della May Moore*
Comments from Trustee Lillian Davis*
Policy A-1, Mission of the College
Policy A-2, Statement of Values and Ideals
*Not available electronically. Please contact Pat Stubbs, ACC, Office of the Board of Trustees, at 223-7613 if you wish to obtain a copy.
A-4. ENDS POLICY (5/24/98 draft)
The activities which Austin Community College is to undertake in addressing the needs of its service area are enumerated in policy A-1, College Mission. Within the scope of that mandate, this policy gives more specific direction about desired results, priorities, and cost issues.
[1] The basic result to be produced by operation of the College, in conjunction with other community sectors, is that all service-area adults have the post-secondary and higher education they need and can use for productive, successful lives. How close the local community is to this goal is a central accountability indicator for the College. However, declaration of this goal is not a guarantee of particular services or resource allocations; these are decided through the program-review and budget processes.
[2] Accredited preparation shall be provided for as many career areas and university-transfer options within the mission of the College as is feasible. Special emphasis shall be placed on providing post-secondary education (including needed preparation) to people who are educationally disadvantaged or are not well-served by other colleges, and on preparation for family-wage careers (either directly or after further higher education).
[3] In addition to mastery of the specific subject-area knowledge and skills needed to meet their education-related goals, students completing College programs shall have the general skills needed for success in employment and higher education: these include dependability, effective communication, gathering and critically assessing information, problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, and a focus on producing results of high quality.
[4] For programs in which local tuition/fees and state-reimbursement revenues fully cover overall costs (including indirect, facility, and capital costs), the extent of program offerings shall be determined primarily by student demand. Programs requiring significant subsidy shall be offered in accordance with a community-priorities plan adopted by the Board, which shall be based on consideration of local workforce and higher-education needs.
[5] The College shall organize its activities so as to produce as high a level of overall value for the community as possible, and shall be efficient in the way it requires others (especially students) to spend money and time.
[6] The College shall create a good place to work, to learn, and to otherwise experience the higher-education process.