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 an 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 and involve, at varying times, the following parties:
- President’s Leadership Team
- College Leadership Team
- Faculty Senate Council
- American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
- Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA)
- Associated Students of Edmonds College (ASEC)
Shared Governance
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. Similarly, the Associated Students of Edmonds College (ASEC), as outlined in their Constitution and Bylaws, shares governance with the college administration, faculty, and the Board of Trustees.
Examples of shared governance with AFT:
- AFT Representative Serves as an Advisory Representative to the Board of Trustees
- College Contract Administration Committee
- College Curriculum Committee
- College Academic Standards Committee
- Faculty Professional Development Committee
- Grade Change Committee
- Faculty Equity and Inclusion Committee
Examples of shared governance with WPEA:
- WPEA Representative Serves as an Advisory Representative to the Board of Trustees
- Labor/Management Communication Committee(s)
Examples of shared governance with ASEC:
- WPEA Representative Serves as an Advisory Representative to the Board of Trustees
- ASEC Executive Board Selection Committee
- ASEC Executive Board Membership
- Technology Investment Management Committee
- Annual Fees and Fee Budget, and any changes to the Constitution, Bylaws, or Financial Code are approved by 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. The President, President’s Leadership Team, Faculty Senate Council, AFT and WPEA leadership and Student Government consider participatory governance a priority, and agree that it holds benefits and responsibilities for all involved.
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 President and/or the President’s Leadership Team, who are 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.
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 President and College President meet quarterly
- 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
- Community Partnerships