College Plan
Revised April 2003
This document sets forth the Governance Plan for Residential
Faculty of GateWay Community College.
The purpose of this governance plan is to define the
organizational structure of the division/independent departments.
This Governance Plan is a negotiated governance agreement
between the Faculty Senate and the Administration in accordance with the
Residential Faculty Policy Manual (RFP Manual).
The Nursing Division also complies with the Arizona State Board of Nursing Rules and Regulations regarding
appointment of the administrator for the nursing program per Article 2
R4-19-201.
1. The "College Plan" refers
to this document.
2. A "division" is an
organizational unit of the college consisting of more than one discipline. The purpose of a division is to coordinate
instructional programs and to meet the educational needs of students. It is led by the division chair who is a
faculty member within the division and has been elected by the division
faculty. The division chair is
responsible for the educational program of that division.
3. A department consists of faculty
from one discipline that is not subsumed in a college division, hereafter
defined as an independent department.
The purpose of independent departments is to provide necessary academic
support services and/or instructional programs to meet the educational needs of
the students. The independent department
chair is a member of the department and elected by members of the department,
and is responsible for the programs of the department.
4. "Faculty" refers to
residential faculty.
5. "Adjunct faculty" refers
to non-residential instructors employed on a part-time basis.
6. "OSO/OYO" are instructors
that are employed on a one semester or one year contract.
7. "Division Member" or
"department member" refers to a faculty member whose teaching load
contains one or more classes offered by a division/department. All faculty are members of a division or department. A faculty member will vote in the
division/department in which the majority of the teaching load resides. If the teaching load is divided equally
between two or more divisions/departments, the faculty member will choose the
division/department in which he/she votes.
8. A division/department chair is a
faculty member as defined in the RFP Manual with certain administrative
functions as assigned by appropriate college personnel.
9. "Faculty Senate" is the
GWCC faculty governance body that is comprised of all RFP faculty who have paid
the GWCC Faculty Association dues.
10. "Majority" means more than
half of the votes cast in a chair election where all eligible faculty members
have had the opportunity to vote.
B.
Modifications In Division/
Department Structure
1. The Dean of Instruction, other
appropriate deans, the division/department chair, or a faculty member of the
division/department may initiate a proposed modification of a division or
department. Any modification involving
the formation, combination, expansion, dissolution or title of a division/department
must be proposed in writing. The
initiator of the change must concurrently notify the following individuals:
Dean of Instruction and/or other appropriate dean(s), Faculty Senate President,
affected division/department chairs, and affected faculty members. No modification in division/department
structure may be initiated by any party between April 1 and September 1.
2. Within fifteen (15) working days of
the notification of a proposed modification in division/department structure,
the Faculty Senate President will convene the Faculty Senate for the purpose of
reviewing the proposed modification in division/department structure. The Faculty Senate president will be
responsible for notifying all individuals affected by the proposed change in
division/department structure of the date, time and place of the Faculty Senate
meeting. All faculty affected by the
proposed modification in division/department structure will be given an
opportunity to speak at the Faculty Senate meeting. After all faculty involved in the change have
had the opportunity to speak, the members of the Faculty Senate will select a
date for the faculty to vote their approval or disapproval of the proposed
modification of the division/department structure. The Faculty Senate vote must fall within 20
working days from the notification of proposed modification. Modification requires two-thirds approval of
the total membership of the Faculty Senate.
3. Within five (5) working days
following the faculty vote, the Faculty Senate President will notify, in
writing, all affected parties as well as meet with the College President and
submit in writing the recommendation of the Faculty Senate regarding the
proposed modification in division/department structure. Within five (5) working days of receiving the
recommendation from the Faculty Senate, the College President will render a
decision approving or disapproving the proposed modification in
division/department structure and will notify the Faculty Senate President of
that decision. The Faculty Senate
President will then notify all parties involved in the decision.
PREFACE: This
procedure sheet must be sent out to each full-time residential faculty member
in all divisions/departments holding elections two weeks prior to the deadline
date for nominations. The procedure
should be administered consistently for each division/department.
A job description fully describing the duties and the
responsibilities of Division/Department Chairs is to be attached to this
procedure. Division Chairs receive reassigned time, remuneration, clerical
support and extended contract hours to perform these tasks. The Nursing Division Chairperson also
serves as Program Director.
Under normal circumstances, the term of office for a
Division/Department Chairperson is from July 1st to June 30th
for two consecutive years. In the case
of the Nursing Division, the term shall be for four consecutive years, and the Nursing Chairperson may appoint a
faculty member or members as assistant to perform assigned duties in
consultation with the Dean of Instruction.
A majority of the residential faculty in the
division/department may request an election prior to the end of a term. A new election will be held, and the newly
elected chairperson will serve out the remainder of the original term. The newly elected chairperson will assume the
duties of Division/Department Chair one month from the election date or as
mutually agreed.
The proxy and nomination form that follows may be used for
their respective purposes.
It should be understood that the President of the College
and Senate President may use appropriate "designees" throughout the
steps listed below.
1. The College President will solicit
self-nominations from the full-time residential division/department faculty by
March 1 of each election year or sooner if a vacancy exists. (See nomination
form)
2. A Chairperson may succeed
himself/herself as many times as a division/department chooses to select him or
her. However, chairpersons should be
aware that a democratic policy places responsibility upon them for providing
the opportunity for development within the division/department as well as
ensuring that the unit does not stagnate and inhibit the overall growth of the
College.
3. The President will select two people
from the pool of nominees (if there are two or more) for recommendation to the
Division/Department faculty for a secret vote.
4. The first election shall be held by
March 22nd using written ballots.
It shall be conducted by the College President and the President of the
faculty Senate at a time which permits maximum participation by affected
faculty. Ballots will be counted by
those conducting the election process.
5. If a person is not elected by a
simple majority, another vote will be taken.
If after three ballots a decision has not been reached, the Faculty
Senate President will break the tie. If
the President of the Senate is a part of the Division/Department, then a member
of the Faculty Senate Executive Council (by rank of office) who is not a member
of the division/department will break the tie.
1. Each division/department chair shall
be evaluated in the spring of each year in a manner prescribed by the
appropriate operational dean in accordance with the RFP.
2. Each division/department chair shall
be evaluated annually in accordance with RFP by the faculty members in the
department/division.
If the office of
chair is prematurely vacated in any division, an election will be held to
select a new Division/Department Chair to serve out the remainder of the
original term. The election will be held in accordance with the procedure
described in section C.
1. A chairperson may be removed from
office by a recall petition signed by 2/3’s of that division’s residential
faculty as defined by A.2. of the
College Plan and submitted to the Dean of Instruction. The Dean of Instruction will notify the
department chair of his/her removal from the position of chair, and a vacancy
will be declared.
2. The selection process for filling
the vacancy will be the same as described in E of
the College Plan.
1.
A proposal for change in the GWCC College Plan
may be presented to the Faculty Senate by any faculty member at
2. Changes in the College Plan will
take effect at the beginning of the next fiscal year as per the GateWay
Community College Faculty Senate Constitution.
3. The College Plan shall undergo
periodic review every three years by a subcommittee of the Faculty Senate.
________________________________ ________________________________
College
President Faculty
Senate President
________________________________ ________________________________
Date Dean
of Instruction
APPENDIX A
Divisions:
Business
and Information Technologies
Health
Sciences
Industrial
Technology
Liberal
Arts
Math and
Sciences
Nursing
Independent
Departments:
Counseling
Library
Division/Department
Chairperson:
A Division/Department Chairperson is a faculty member as defined in the
Residential Faculty Policy (RFP) Manual with certain administrative functions
as assigned by appropriate college personnel.
(Should chairs become full-time administrators at any college, the
Residential Faculty Policy Manual will not cover those chairpersons.)
Qualifications:
1.
Meet certificated, appointive faculty
requirements of the division/department as per the RFP.
Reports
to: Dean
of Instruction, Dean of Students, or appropriate Dean.
Job
Goal:
1.
To assist the Dean of Instruction or
other Dean in implementing the educational mission of the college by (a)
participating in appropriate planning for instructional and personnel services,
(b) representing the division students and faculty, (c) engaging in problem
solving at the division level, and (d) coordinating and managing within the
division/department and with other divisions/departments to achieve educational
goals.
1.
Personnel
a. Recommends
to the Dean of Instruction or designee the employment of residential, visiting
and adjunct faculty and staff.
b. Evaluates
division faculty and classified personnel; coordinates evaluations with the
Dean of Instruction or designee.
c. Interprets
college and District policies and procedures.
d. Interprets
college and District philosophy and objectives.
e. Assumes
responsibility for keeping faculty and staff informed about college and
District matters.
f.
Coordinates the assignment of student
employees within the division/department.
g. Supervises
and evaluates classified personnel assigned to the division/department.
h. Mediates
personality and philosophical conflicts.
i.
Participates in the informal resolution
of conflicts between students, division/department faculty, and classified
personnel.
j.
Coordinates teaching assignments and
other responsibilities of all division/department faculty so as to comply with
District and college policy.
k. Recommends
the retention or dismissal of faculty or staff.
2.
Management of Division/Department
Affairs
a. Schedules
and conducts division/department meetings.
b. Assumes
responsibility for class schedules for day, evening and summer programs in
cooperation with the appropriate administrators.
c. Identifies
facility needs and modifications/repairs for division/department functioning
and makes recommendations to the appropriate dean.
d. Informs
visiting staff of certification and employment requirements, attendance
regulations, and other responsibilities.
e. Directs
substitute personnel.
f.
Assumes responsibility for day and evening
supervision.
g. Processes
required reports related to the management of the division/department.
h. Supervises
the short and long-range planning by the division/department.
i.
Assists and offers support to advisory
committees.
j.
Advocates for division/department concerns
and issues.
3.
Curriculum Development
a. Recommends
the revision, deletion and addition of courses/programs.
b. Initiates
and coordinates new courses and programs.
c. Serves
on the College Curriculum Committee or selects designee.
d. Acts
as consultant to the administration and faculty on curriculum and course
matters.
e. Promotes
articulation with secondary schools and institutions of higher education.
f.
Coordinates student outcomes and
institutional effectiveness for division/department.
g. Maintains
file of current course syllabi.
4.
Division-Administrative-Community
Relations
a. Attends
appropriate meetings and conferences.
b. Coordinates
community college relations and services.
5.
Budget
a. Coordinates the development of the division/department overall budget, grants, and special program budgets, and submits them to the appropriate college dean or designee.
b. Coordinates the requests for capital and operational items for the division/department and submits those requests to the appropriate administrator as required.