1-1: Establishing College Policies

Policy Overview

This policy provides guidelines for the development of policies for governing Santa Fe Community College (SFCC).

Scope and Applicability

This policy establishes the guidelines for development of policies for approval by the Board.

Policy Statement

The Board has responsibility to establish College policies. This policy sets the process for developing and approving College policies. The Board provides direction for the management of the College and sets standards of performance and accountability in the areas of administration, faculty, staff and students in carrying out the functions of the College. SFCC Board policies address the College’s mission, degree requirements, tuition, compensation, personnel, investment and budget guidelines, and marketing and public relations, as well as how the Board will manage its affairs.

Definitions

1. Approval notes the date the policy was adopted by the Board and the dates of any revisions.
2. Authority Refers to the date the policy was adopted by the Governing Board and the date of any revisions.
3. Definitions is a section reserved for any definitions that might need to be clarified or that help set a context for the policy wording. If there are no definitions needed, this section of the policy may be left blank.
4. Policy is a broad rule, definite course or method of action, selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions, to guide and determine decisions; an overall plan embracing the general goals and acceptable procedures that the Governing Board adopts to guide the work of the College.
5. Policy Overview provides a summary statement about the subject addressed in the policy.
6. Policy Statement is a statement that defines and summarizes the requirements of the policy.
7. Proclamation is an official formal public announcement or recognition issued by the Governing Board.
8. Resolution is an official formal public announcement or recognition issued by the Governing Board.
9. Scope and Applicability sets the parameters for developing SFCC policy and identifies all who must adhere to the requirements of the policy.
10. Statement of Accountability/Responsibility identifies the officially designated administrative official of the College charged with the implementation, enforcement and systematic review and updating of the policy and its procedures.

Policy Process

1. Official policies must be written in a consistent format and approved by the majority of the Governing Board members at a public, appropriately noticed meeting of the Board.
2. All policies shall conclude with the Approval section that indicates the date(s) of approval by the Board.
3. Draft Board policies (e.g. Section 1 policies) shall be shared with the Executive Team and the Governance Council.
4. New and revised draft policies from Sections 2 through 9 shall be reviewed through the Shared Governance process (SFCC Policy 1-11 Shared Governance) before they advance to the Board.
5. The policies of the College must not supersede or conflict with statutes, laws or codes adopted by the State of New Mexico, with the rules and regulations of state agencies with jurisdiction over community college operations or any other applicable state or federal laws and regulations.
6. The overall structure for the organizations of individual policies according to functions, subject matter or organizational responsibilities is hereby set. The structure includes a numbering scheme that permits ready cross-referencing and access of policy material according to subject matter.
7. Procedures to implement the individual policies shall be established within each separate body of documentation, with proper cross-reference to the authorizing policy and consistent numbering and indexing to permit linking procedures to policies.
8. By approval of any policy, all previously adopted policies addressing the same issues are repealed. Any provision to or addition to a policy becomes a part of a new approval process and will repeal any former policy.
9. Corresponding procedures or implementing guidelines shall be written and reviewed or updated by the appropriate implementing body within 30 days of the Board’s policy approval. Procedures may be formatted in the same manner as the policy.
10. Resolutions.
    1. Resolutions proposed by the Board that affect an existing policy will be shared with the administration for appropriate action.
    2. Resolutions proposed to the Board that affect an existing policy (with the exception of Section 1) will be shared with the Governance Council and then presented to the Board for consideration.
11. Without prior approval, the President or designee may revise policies to correct department, office, program or other unit names, employee titles, grammatical and typographical errors, Uniform Resource Locator (or URL) links, and the Board provided with a copy of the revisions.

Statement of Accountability and Responsibility

The President shall have responsibility for assuring that College policies are maintained and implemented. The President is responsible for the day-to-day management of the College consistent with policies adopted by the Governing Board. The President may delegate this responsibility to individual Vice Presidents or other staff in accordance with their assigned organizational and functional duties and responsibilities.

Authority

Community College Act, NMSA 1978, § 21-13-1, et seq.
SFCC Policy 1-2 Governing Board Authority, Roles and Responsibilities
SFCC Policy 1-11 Shared Governance

Approval

SFCC Governing Board approved: 10/23/03
Revised and Governing Board approved: 6/27/09
Revised and Governing Board approved: 9/16/14
Revised and Governing Board approved: 8/22/18