MINUTES

Retreat – Board of Trustees

November 15, 2004

In accordance with the terms and provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of Texas Government Code, the Board of Trustees of the Austin Community College District convened in public session on Monday, November 15, 2004, at 6:03 p.m. in the Board Room (201) of the Highland Business Center of Austin Community College located at 5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin, Texas, with the following members present: Dr. Barbara P. Mink, Chair/Presiding Officer; Mr. John F. Hernandez, Board Vice Chair; Mr. Jeffrey Richard, Secretary; Dr. Lillian J. Davis; Mr. Allen H. Kaplan; Ms. Nan McRaven [arrived at 6:18 p.m.]; Mr. Rafael Quintanilla [arrived at 6:06 p.m.]; and Dr. John Worley. Trustee Veronica Rivera was absent from the meeting.

It is further found and determined that in accordance with the policies and orders of this Board, the notice of this meeting has been posted and return thereof made pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, and there has been full compliance with the terms and provisions of said act, including the timely posting of the subjects of this meeting.

Items for Discussion and Possible Action

Agenda Item 7994

Austin Community College Board Operations

Dr. Mink introduced the item and stated the Retreat would concern the Board and Board operations. Dr. Mink introduced the Retreat Facilitator Dr. Bill Wenrich,Chancellor Emeritus, Dallas County Community College District. She stated that Dr. Wenrich would assist the Board with policy governance approaches and models and provide information to assist the Board with issues of Austin Community College, and also macro issues facing Central Texas, Texas and Texas community colleges, and broadly in community colleges nationally.

Board Governance Models:

Dr. Wenrich discussed board ownership, accountability, and responsibility. He called attention to definitions of policy governance including:

· a “policy” is a value or perspective that underlines action;

· the “ends” are priorities or goals established by the board in concert with the chief executive officer to establish: what good for which people at what cost; and

· the “means” by which the goals are carried out are the practices, methods, and activities which are left to the college president representing the college; however, the board could establish a policy on an activity in which the board would like to be involved, as the Austin Community College Board currently is involved with selection of College architects. Trustees identified College purchases of $100,000 or more as another activity in which the Board was involved. He stated the board must speak as a board with a majority vote of five (5) or more and must inform the president of the activity ahead of time. When the board has spoken as a board, the president must comply.

· “board committees” are designed to help the board do its job and never to help or advise the college president or staff on how to do the job. Board committees are to help the board. Committees should not be created to advise the college president or staff on how to do its job. Trustees discussed board and staff advisory committees; reporting structures; and establishment, renewal and non-renewal of committees.

· A mechanism must be determined for use of board committees in order to keep all Trustees informed equally, and the board must make a decision on recommendations from board committee(s).

Trustees discussed the need for: possible formation of Board committees; diversity; budget through set-aside policies; strategic planning; greater visibility and fundraising; other community college governance models; budget and policy issues during budget deliberations; framework for presidential priorities; college priorities/presidential goals/evaluation of president; possibility of measurements built into policies; quarterly reports on college priorities; linkage with citizens and other boards; Maricopa Community College’s “Strategic Conversation Approach”; commissioning of a white paper; discipline in abiding with policies; and other “means” issues.

Trustees agreed to keep the present policy governance model, revise the policies discussed, review the policies every two years, visit the priorities every year, and monitoring and reporting quarterly or every six months

Recess

The Board of Trustees recessed for a break at 7:20 p.m.

Reconvene

The Board of Trustees of Austin Community College reconvened in public session at 7:32 p.m.

Agenda Item 7994 (Continued)

Austin Community College Board Operations

Board Priorities for the College:

Dr. Mink called attention to Attachment B and noted the following suggestions provided earlier by Trustees regarding College priorities and stated that the listing was in no particular order:

DISCUSSION DRAFT…College Priorities from Board

(in no particular order)

1. Create a clear vision – a strategic master plan—the “20/20 vision for 2020” – a plan that is programmatic and addresses facilities. Develop and implement a comprehensive facilities plan that includes facilities staffing
2. Complete bond funded facilities on time and on budget
3. Be influential with the state legislature … actively use ACC Board Members not just as advocates for ACC, but for all Texas Community Colleges
4. Encourage annexation (San Marcos, Pflugerville, Hays County)
5. Organize the external affairs and communication operations so that our college messages to the community are focused and effective. BOT members need to be back out on the “speakers circuit” – message of “thanks for supporting us in the referendum… here is what we are doing with your $s...” –inform the public about our current programs and our plans for the future.
6. Contain cost of education at ACC – examine pay and benefits, explore ways to reduce cost of education (for example, use high schools after hours?)
7. Conduct a successful referendum to bring in all of the City of Austin
8. We need to know more about the success rates of our students – Are they lost in developmental education? Are they achieving their goals? What happens after we get students in to ACC? Focus more strongly on academic offerings and completion rates
9. Have a robust scholarship program (develop our own version of Rising Star)
10. Follow through and complete the three-year compensation plan
11. Increase enrollment
12. Broaden ESL/GED access
13. Thoroughly review and improve HR systems and department ---including job classification structure
14. Diversity college workforce
15. Promote professional development from the Board through staff and faculty
16. Involve community more – re-format the “work sessions” to be real work sessions instead of just another BOT meeting – where we actually bring folks around the table and openly discuss issues.
17. Develop a Central Texas Education Coalition – with Presidents and BOT Chairs of all colleges and universities in the great Central Texas area – think tank – foster collaboration – united voice for higher education legislation, transfer issues, new programs, etc.

Dr. Aguero stated the need for agreement between the President’s goals and the priorities of the College. He called attention to the following draft listing of possible priorities:

DISCUSSION DRAFT…President Aguero’s Priorities

(not in priority order)

· SACS Reaffirmation 

· Build Trust  

· Long Range Planning 

· Access--Diversity   

· Facilities Construction and Improvement--- 

· Annexation (Establish an Austin Area Community College District) 

· Enhance Student Services 

· Increase Full-time to Part-time Faculty Ratio

· Increase Enrollments 

· Establish a "Rising Star" Type Scholarship Program 

· Reorganize the College   

· Competitive Compensation for all Employees 

· Reorganize and Fully-Staff the Public Information Office at ACC for More Effective Communication with Internal and External Communities 

· Fund-Raising and Resource Development Enhancement 

· Continuing Education Enhancement 

· Effective Legislative Efforts

Dr. Aguero called attention to the listing he made of priorities noted by Trustees during the interview process for the President of Austin Community College:

President’s Priorities from the Interview Process

· Compensation

· Communication 

· Facilities 

· Trust Building

· Student Demography 

· Integrity 

· Commitment to Access 

· Concentrate on the " big picture." 

· Compensation levels...

· Relationships--Trust--Facilities

Dr. Mink stressed the need for Trustees to identify College priorities under which the President’s goals would be developed. Trustees discussed the listings and Mr. Richard asked each Trustee to name five priorities for the College. Trustees selected:

· Mr. Kaplan: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 15;

· Mr. Quintanilla: 11, 14, 15, 1, and 2;

· Ms. McRaven: Create a strategic plan including #2; increase revenues of College through Legislative process through a funding mechanism; and 3 would be to create a diverse workforce;

· Mr. Hernandez: Where we would want to be in the next 3 years with campuses, facilities, annexations--we need a clear vision; 1, 3, 4, and 7;

· Dr. Davis: Increasing revenue in a variety of ways; #6 controlling costs; diversity of faculty and staff; #16 linkages;

· Dr. Worley: 10, 2, 3, 4, and 7;

· Mr. Richards: In no particular order--11, add “and graduation”; 16, 6, 4, and 1;

· Dr. Mink: 1, 2, 4, 11, 16, 9, and 14 (access).

Board Policy Review Process:

Dr. Mink stated the next review would be a review of the organized listing by categories and the presidential priorities and metrics would be matched. Trustees suggested beginning policy review with Board Policy A-2, Intended Outcomes. Mr. Richard called attention to earlier information regarding the order for policy review: Group B, Board Operations; Group A, Results to be Produced; Group G, Budgeting; Group E, Planning and Evaluation; Group F, Personnel; Group C, College Operations; and Group D, Instruction.

Dr. Mink asked Mr. Richard to review the priority listing against information provided at this meeting.

Review of Board Effectiveness:

Dr. Mink asked for information regarding what the Board would like, what is not working, etc.

Trustees identified: the need for sufficient funds in Board budget to accommodate Board development; need to move forward on budget development to allow each Trustee to participate in a major meeting or two each year; need to report back to the Board on what was learned as with earlier meetings with community groups; attendance should be deliberate to fit needs; should be a requirement and rationalized in the context of budget and needs; (Dr. Mink will) contact peer colleges in Texas to determine the activities in which they are participating, what they spend for board development and the percentage of the overall College budget that is expended for board development; suggested visiting community colleges located near the location of meetings and talking with staff regarding what they are proud of; meeting with other college representatives when they are in Austin during the Legislative Session; and the possibility for professional development to be brought to the Board. Trustees commented on formality of meetings; a need for another process to number agenda items; another video camera;

Board Minutes – Details:

Dr. Mink stated that there was no need to discuss Board minutes and possible expansion of information included in the minutes since the Board had approved the minutes of the October 4, 2004, and October 18, 2004, Board meetings during the Special Board meeting held on November 15, 2004. Trustees indicated agreement with the format and content of the minutes as presented. Board Secretary Jeffrey Richard stated that the full context of Board discussions were available from recordings of the Board meetings posted on the Board web pages if Trustees desired to hear the full discussions.

Review of Board Work Plan:

Dr. Mink stated the Board Work Plan would be revised to include requested policy review/changes discussed at the Retreat. Trustees discussed the need for continued reduction in the number and length of Board meetings.

Executive Session

There was no Executive Session.

Announcements

· Dr. Mink and Trustees expressed appreciation to Dr. Wenrich for participation in the Board Retreat and the valuable information presented.

· Dr. Mink advised the next Board meeting would be held on Monday, December 13.

· Dr. Mink stated the Austin Community College Holiday Party would be held on Friday, December 3, 6:30 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Town Lake.

· Mr. Quintanilla called attention to a picture in the newspaper of ACC students helping to clean the Roy Guerro park.

Adjournment

Having no motion before the Board, the November 15, 2004, Retreat of the Austin Community College Board of Trustees was adjourned at 8:38 p.m.

Approved By

Jeffrey Richard, Secretary