Governance
As with the state’s other 33 community and technical colleges, Edmonds College was established by the legislature and is supervised by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), and regulated through Revised Codes of Washington (RCWs) and Washington Administrative Codes (WACs).
The Governor of the State of Washington appoints all members of the Board of Trustees. From there, the formal governance structure of the college is apparent in our organizational chart and inherent in the defined roles and responsibilities of each position, and is more explicitly defined in our policies and procedures. Clear lines of authority ensure a well-defined operational hierarchy.
Our 6-member public Board of Trustees is a governance and oversight body that adheres to a policy governance model, and whose authority, responsibilities, and intentions are outlined in its policies and procedures. While the Board reserves several non-delegable duties including hiring and evaluating the President, approving the annual budget, approving or denying faculty tenure, and approving programs of 20+ credits among other things, it leaves the administrative detail and day-to-day operations of the college to the President from whom multiple lines of authority flow.
Shared Governance (through Collective Bargaining Agreements)
In certain negotiated areas of formal agreement, the college administration shares governance with the faculty union (AFT) and the classified staff union (WPEA), whereby their collective bargaining agreements detail working conditions that must be bargained and mutually agreed upon. The WPEA conducts their negotiations with the State of Washington (as part of their State Community College Coalition), and the AFT negotiates directly with the college administration.
Governance Related to Student Government
The Revised Code of Washington RCW 28B.15 dictates how the Associated Students of Edmonds College (ASEC), college administration, and the Board of Trustees work together to establish and approve the annual Services and Activities Fees and fee budget, and also Technology Fees. The ASEC Constitution states: The Executive Board shall have the authority as granted by the Board of Trustees of Edmonds College to legislate, promote and regulate the affairs of the Association. Any amendments to the ASEC Constitution, Bylaws, or Financial Code have to be approved by the Board of Trustees.
Participatory Governance
Edmonds College’s decision-making structures and processes include provisions for the consideration of the views of faculty, staff, administrators, and students on matters in which each has a direct and reasonable interest, through participatory governance practices.
Various internal committees, workgroups, and task forces support and enhance constituent-based participation in the college’s governance processes. These groups provide opportunities for engagement for all campus stakeholders – faculty, staff, administrators, and students.
Committees provide a mechanism for participation in routine and regular decision-making like annual budgets and hiring.
Workgroups and task forces are convened to bring the appropriate voices into a particular topic or time-limited objective.
Participatory governance also happens in ad hoc situations where all employees across campus are invited to give their input on certain institution-wide decision points.
Finally, Edmonds College prizes participatory governance through direct relationships, where leadership representatives meet regularly to discuss common goals and shared interests. This type of relationship-driven decision-making builds trust, cooperation, and long-term orientation with internal stakeholders and external partners.
No matter the structure, participatory governance involves direct engagement and a mechanism for providing recommendations and feedback to the administration, who is accountable for the success and outcomes of the college priorities, as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan.
Some examples of institutionalized participatory governance are listed below, categorized first by group and then by structure.
Examples of participatory governance with AFT:
- College Contract Administration Committee
- College Curriculum Committee
- College Academic Standards Committee
- Faculty Professional Development Committee
- Grade Change Committee
- Faculty Equity and Inclusion Committee
- Edmonds College Safety Committee
Examples of participatory governance with WPEA:
- Labor/Management Communication Committee(s)
- Edmonds College Safety Committee
Examples of participatory governance with ASEC:
- ASEC Executive Board Selection Committee
- ASEC Executive Board Membership
- Technology Investment Management Committee
Additional Examples of Committee-Structured Participatory Governance:
- Hiring Committees for each EC position - intentionally formed consisting of representatives who bring the input of their colleagues to the table
- Budget Advisory Committee - provides input on the annual budget processes, alternative revenue sources, enrollment bolstering ideas, and cost reductions
- Faculty Senate Council - provides a forum for faculty to communicate and collaborate with one another, the administration, and college governance bodies
- Data Governance Committee - role-based committee that establishes priorities and mechanisms for sharing, developing, and managing Edmonds College data resources
Workgroup- and Task Force-Structured Participatory Governance:
- Cross-functional, time-limited objectives like: Policy work, Guided Pathways initiatives, Title III grant, etc.
All-Employee Participatory Governance Opportunities:
- Comprehensive Planning - annual priorities
- Idea Lab - annual cohort
- SBCTC Biennial Budget Priorities - feedback gathered and shared with the State Board
- Hiring of Deans, VPs, and President involves open campus forums where everyone has the opportunity to provide feedback on the candidates, which is reviewed by the President before a decision is made
Participatory Governance Opportunities through Direct Relationships with Administration:
- Faculty Senate Council (FSC)
- FSC and College President meet quarterly
- FSC and President’s Leadership team meet quarterly
- Student Government (ASEC)
- ASEC Executive Officer for Administration and College President meet quarterly
- ASEC and President’s Leadership Team meet quarterly
- Each ASEC Executive Officer meets regularly with assigned member of the President’s Leadership Team