Processes and Guidelines

This document establishes the processes by which the ACC Shared Governance Review Council (“the Council”) will handle requests for review and make its annual report. These were established to comply with the principles and processes of shared governance as determined by Board Policy C-5, "Shared Governance and Open Communication," and Administrative Rule 3.05.005, "Shared Governance Process."

The Council monitors the implementation of and compliance with college policies and administrative rules concerning shared governance. The Council is guided in its deliberation by the values and principles of shared governance articulated in college and board policy.

Except in points specified in these guidelines or other ACC policies or procedures, the Council adopts Robert's Rules of Order as determining its procedures.

1. Requests for Review

1. Submission Process
1. The Council Chair is responsible for timely and effective processing of Review Requests. The council will work to complete Full Reviews within sixty days from confirmation of submission.
2. Members of the ACC community submit Review Requests to the Council Chair in a manner determined by the Council. The Council will provide a mechanism for assuring the degree of anonymity desired by the Petitioner, except that the Petitioner must be identified to the Chair.
3. The Council Chair notifies the Petitioner of the receipt of the Review Request within five working days of submission. The Council Chair is responsible for timely communication with the Petitioner concerning the disposition of the Request and for making the status of each Request available to the ACC community.
4. The Council Chair certifies that the Petitioner was an ACC employee or currently-enrolled student at the time that the Review Request was submitted. Review Requests by others may be accepted by a two-thirds majority vote.
5. The scope of investigation for any particular Review Request is limited to the allegations and circumstances specifically raised in the Review Request. For this reason, the petitioner must specify as accurately as possible in what way the policies or principles of shared governance were violated.
2. Preliminary Review and Acceptance of Review Requests
1. The Council Chair assigns Review Requests to subcommittees for investigation.
1. Subcommittees are appointed by the Council Chair. Each subcommittee will consist of at least three Council members from different constituent groups.
2. Each subcommittee selects a chair, who is responsible for the coordination of the investigation process and for regular status reports to the Council concerning each Request.
3. The Council Chair assigns requests in such a way as to organize and distribute the workload effectively and equitably among the subcommittees while avoiding conflicts of interest.
2. Subcommittees subject Review Requests to Preliminary Review, the purpose of which is to determine whether there is sufficient reason to undertake Full Review by the Council.
1. In Preliminary Review, the subcommittee may
1. contact the petitioner, as appropriate
2. gather additional information as needed
3. Based on this Preliminary Review, the subcommittee reports its findings and recommends one of the following actions to the Council:
1. Acceptance: Full Review Request should be pursued by the Council.
2. Rejection: the Review Request should not be pursued. In this case, the subcommittee's report of findings includes the grounds for denying review by the Council.
3. Further Investigation: the subcommittee needs to undertake additional investigation to determine the proper disposition of the Review Request
4. While the Council takes the subcommittee's findings and recommendations into account, the Council is not bound to the recommendation of the subcommittee. After due deliberation, the Council determines the disposition of the Review Request by majority vote.
1. If a Request for Review is denied, the Council Chair ensures that the petitioner is notified of the decision and of the grounds for denying the Request.
2. If a Request for Review is returned to the subcommittee for Further Investigation, the Preliminary Review process is repeated.
3. If a Review Request is accepted by the Council, it returns to the subcommittee for Full Review. The Council may, by majority vote, set additional parameters on the review, such as the inclusion of additional members in the subcommittee.
3. Full Review
1. The subcommittee investigates the allegations in the Request. In the course of this investigation, the subcommittee may:
1. contact the petitioner, as appropriate
2. gather additional information as needed
2. The subcommittee submits a draft report to the Council in which the subcommittee must
1. specify the circumstances, processes, or actions that resulted in violation of shared governance policies or principles, if any,
2. propose specific recommendations to address structural or other impediments to the implementation of shared governance policies or principles, as needed, and
3. identify the particular Respondent(s) in the college community who will be responsible for reviewing the Council's report and for addressing the concerns and recommendations raised in the report, if recommendations are forthcoming.
3. The Council reviews the findings of the subcommittee and determines, by majority vote, appropriate action concerning the subcommittee's report. The Council may:
1. Accept the subcommittee's report as final
2. Direct further investigation
3. Modify the report
4. The Report must be approved by majority vote of the Council.
4. Final Report and Recommendation
1. The Council Chair forwards the Council's Report to the Respondent(s), who must acknowledge receipt of the Report within five working days.
2. The Respondent(s) completes the process by responding, in writing, to the report within thirty days of receipt. This response becomes part of the final report. The Council Chair ensures that response is submitted to the Council and published with the Council's Report.
3. The Council Chair forwards the final Report to the petitioner, if appropriate.
4. The Council Chair ensures that the final report is disseminated to the ACC community, to the President, and to the appropriate administrators.

2. Shared Governance Report

1. Report Elements
1. Review and recommendations concerning shared governance in the College, including compliance with existing policies and procedures.
2. Annual review of representation on college representative bodies. The Council may recommend changes to assure appropriate and adequate representation.
2. Reporting Process
1. The Chair is responsible for the development of the Council’s report, which requires a majority vote of approval by the Council.
2. The Chair is responsible for the presentation of the report to the Board, the Administration, and the ACC community at the July Board meeting.