CONSTITUTION FOR THE COLLEGE ORGANIZATION OF
HENRY FORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
(Shared Governance Policy)

Table of Contents

I. Principles

II. Role and Selection of College Personnel

A. Role
B. Selection of College Personnel
C. Conclusion

III. College Operating Structure

A. College Organization
B. Senate
C. Council
D. College Committees
E. Other Professional Organizations

IV. Policy Approval Procedure

V. Amendment Procedure

A. Constitution
B. By-laws

Click here for Membership of HFCC Standing Committees, Councils, and Advisory Boards

Click here for HFCC College Handbook (Committee Structure on pages 18-53)

CONSTITUTION FOR THE COLLEGE ORGANIZATION OF
HENRY FORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

I. PRINCIPLES

A. The basic functions of a college are to preserve, augment, criticize, and transmit knowledge and to foster creative capacities. These functions are performed by a faculty which must be free to exercise independent judgment in the planning and execution of its educational responsibilities.

B. Three groups play the most important roles in the government of American colleges and universities: faculties, administrations, and governing boards. The roles of these groups must be defined.

C. The development of college and university teaching as a profession has produced a scholarly community of talent fully qualified for an active and responsible part in institutional government. The faculty, which is entrusted with the primary tasks for which educational institutions are organized, is the essential participant, by virtue of its particular competence, both in recommending and in carrying out decisions on college educational policy as determined by the Board of Trustees and the President.

D. The three responsible agents - faculty, administration, and governing board - should endorse the principle of joint responsibility and endeavor to work out a judicious balance in the area of their collective responsibilities.

II. ROLE AND SELECTION OF COLLEGE PERSONNEL

A. Role

1. The College faculty and the College administrators shall share responsibility for determining the educational policies of the institution, subject to review and approval by the President, by the Board of Trustees, and other appropriate government agencies and officers. This principle has been expressed in legislation of the governing board. Nothing in this document shall be construed to deny to any administrative officer any of the powers or responsibilities vested in the officer by law or by action of the governing board.

2. The faculty shall share responsibility in recommending policies in such fundamental College educational matters as:

a. Subject matter and methods of instruction
b. Facilities and support for research of faculty members and students
c. Standards for admission of students, for academic performance, and for the    granting of degrees and licenses of proficiency
d. Those aspects of student life that relate directly to the educational process
e. Major changes in the size of the student body
f. The establishment of new schools or divisions
g. The provision of extension services to the community
h. Assumption by the institution of research or service obligations to private
   or public agencies
i. Planning for additional physical facilities
j. Curtailing or eliminating programs.

3. The allocation of resources among competing demands has important implications for the educational responsibilities that are the primary concern of the faculty.

The funds that are allocated to educational purposes shall be budgeted and expended in accordance with the College educational policies that the faculty has determined within the areas for which it shares responsibility as indicated in IIA2.

The faculty shall be involved in important developments in administrative planning, including proposed capital expenditures; shall be consulted on major issues of College policy involved in such developments; and shall have means through communities or other organized procedures to express its views on major issues of College policy affecting current or projected College budget decisions.

B. Selection of College Personnel

1. Faculty appointments, reappointments, promotions, and actions resulting in tenure should require the active participation of the faculties and administrators involved, and each division or department should publish the manner in which this will be done.

2. Because College administrators have an important role in the formation of educational policy and are charged with the transmitting to the Board of Trustees the view of their respective groups, care should be taken that all such persons should have the confidence of the faculty and normally be qualified for faculty membership by education, experience, and continuing interest in teaching.

a. In the selection of the College President, a committee shall be created for the purpose of screening and recommending candidates. Faculty membership on this committee shall include a Senate member and four faculty members elected at-large.

b. A committee shall screen and recommend candidates for the positions of vice presidents/deans and assistant deans; the committee shall be composed of five faculty members selected by Senate supervised elections, three of whom must be from the area to be administered, and five administrators named by the administration.

c. College administrators and faculty who serve as department and division chairpersons having full-time teaching faculty under their jurisdiction, except those specified in clauses d and e, shall be elected for a specific term by members of their respective departments or divisions. This category includes department Chairpersons, Division Heads, Director of the Business and Economics Division, Assistant Directors for Allied Health and TAED within areas of specialty. If no acceptable candidates stand for election, procedure 2d shall be followed.

d. A committee shall screen and recommend candidates for the positions of Directors of Allied Health, Industrial Technology, RTI, and Coordinator-Industrial Technology.

The committee shall be composed of three elected faculty members from the division or department to be administered and three administration members named by the administration.

e. In the selection of the Division Head of Library Services, the division shall elect a committee of three from among its members. Such persons, with a faculty member-at-large chosen by a Senate-supervised election and with a member chosen by the President, shall review and screen candidates and recommend to the division the best qualified candidates. The division will then recommend its choices to the appropriate vice president/dean.

f. In the selection of College administrators having no full-time faculty under their jurisdiction and not reporting to the President, a committee of three members of the faculty, representing appropriate divisions where applicable, selected by a Senate-supervised election, plus three administrators, shall screen and recommend candidates to the appropriate dean/vice president for existing vacancies among these offices.

College administrators having no full-time faculty under their jurisdiction and not reporting to the President include: Financial Aid and Placement Director, Director of Admissions and Registration, Special Needs and Student Activities Director, Coordinator of Registration, Records, and Athletics, Coordinator of Admissions, Coordinator for Corporate Training, Business Manager, Financial Aid Manager, Coordinator of Institutional Development and Systems, and Coordinator of Information Systems.

g. In the selection of College administrators who have no full-time faculty under their jurisdiction and who report directly to the President, a committee of two members of the faculty selected by a Senate-supervised election, plus two administrators, and the President shall screen and recommend candidates for existing vacancies among these offices.

College administrators in this category include: Vice President/Controller and Assistant to the President/Director of Public Relations.

h. In the identification, description, or redefinition of other administrative positions, provisions shall be made for faculty involvement through consultation with and approval of the Senate. Once established, these positions shall be filled as prescribed in the appropriate category.

i. The above selection processes shall apply as positions become vacant.

j. Faculty vacancies on selection review committees shall be filled by Senate-supervised elections whenever possible. In the event a sufficient number of faculty is not available to hold an election, the Senate is empowered to hold an election, the Senate is empowered to make interim appointments to such committees.

C. Conclusion

Organization and procedures are only the means by which governing boards, administrative officers, and faculties fulfill their responsibilities, give an institution of higher education its special character, and accomplish its goals. Academic freedom, professional integrity and competence, and the advancement of learning are also concerns of the governing board, administration, and faculty.

III. COLLEGE OPERATING STRUCTURE

A. College Organization

The College Organization shall consist of all full-time faculty and administrators of the Henry Ford Community College. All legislative powers delegated to the College shall be vested in the College Organization subject to limitations stipulated in IIA1 and IIIF. Any action of College committees and groups, or of the Council, shall be subject to review by the College Organization. The College Organization shall be a deliberative body with powers to initiate, approve, or defeat changes in College policy. Meetings of the College Organization will be conducted according to the by-laws of the Constitution published in the College Handbook.

B. Senate

The Senate of Henry Ford Community College is an instrument of shared governance subject to the limitations stipulated in IIA1 and IIIF. The Senate was created by the faculty as a more effective means of realizing faculty aspirations than would be expedient through deliberations by the College Organization.

1. The formal method of initiating or altering action in which the faculty has competence, subject to review and approval by the President and Board of Trustees, shall be by Senate recommendation with adoption in regular College Organization meetings.

2. The Senate shall undertake studies on its own initiative or as a consequence of representations brought to it by individual faculty members, by College committees, by faculty organizations, or by members of the administration.

3. The Senate shall assign tasks to College standing committees. Committees shall report to the Senate when their deliberations involve policy.

4. The Senate shall call meetings of the College Organization when necessary to report, to secure faculty approval, or to request direction.

5. The Senate shall consist of no more than fifteen members with elected representatives from designated division/departments as stipulated in the Senate By-laws, with three members elected at large, with one representative-at-large elected by administrators not reporting directly to the President, and with one representative from the Council. Elections will be conducted in March; terms shall be for three years to begin the following September.

a. Membership of the Senate is open to any member of the College Organization except the College President and those people reporting directly to the President.

b. Whenever the membership in any designated area fall below twelve, the Senate shall reapportion. In addition, every five years, the Senate shall review the representative scheme to determine if apportionment is necessary.

C. Council

Council membership shall consist of the Vice President/Deans, Assistant Deans, Division Heads, Department Chairpersons, Administrative Directors and Coordinators, and three Representatives-at-large who shall serve for three years with their terms arranged so that one shall be elected each year.

1. The Council shall elect one of its members to serve as Chairperson.

2. The Chairperson of the Council shall hold office for one year and shall be eligible for reelection.

3. The Council shall elect one of its members to serve as Secretary and the same or another    member to represent the Council on the Senate by serving as a member of the Senate.

4. The Secretary of the Council shall hold office for one year and shall be eligible for reelection.

5. Functions and Operations of the Council:

a. The Council shall be concerned with the implications of policy and curriculum and with making recommendations regarding policy changes to the Senate.

b. The minutes of the Council shall be published and sent to each member of the College Organization.

c. The Council shall meet each month during the school year with meetings being called by the Chairperson or by the three members of the Council. Joint meetings of the Council and the Senate may be called at the request of the Chairperson of either body.

D. College Committees

1. Standing committees are created and discharged by the College Organization. Ad-hoc committees for special assignments may be created and discharged by the President or by action of the Senate.

2. The work of standing committees is primarily recommendatory except in areas where they have been assigned responsibility by the College Organization or the President. Committee recommendations dealing with educational policy shall be reviewed by the Senate. Committee recommendations dealing with interpretation or implementation of policy shall be referred to the Council

a. Membership on standing committees shall be voluntary.

b. The Chairperson and Secretary of each standing committee shall be elected by
   the committee.

3. The Senate annually shall review the committee structure to consider the enlargement or reduction of the number and size of committees and redefinition of their respective assignments.

E. Other Professional Organizations

The faculty recognizes and affirms the existence of other areas of interest, responsibility, and activity peculiarly appropriate to a variety of faculty professional organizations.

Nothing included in this document shall be interpreted as inhibiting or interfering with, in any way, the legal status or the legal function of the duly-designated sole bargaining agent as "the exclusive representative of all the employees in such unit for the purpose of collective bargaining with respect to the rates of pay, wages, hours of employment, and other conditions of employment," nor will anything herein take precedence over results of negotiations with such a sole bargaining representative.

IV. POLICY APPROVAL PROCEDURE

A. Individuals of the College Organization may submit recommendations regarding policy changes to an appropriate standing committee, to their respective divisions, to the Council, or to the Senate.

B. Recommendations regarding new policies or policy changes shall be forwarded to the Senate by individuals, by standing committees, by divisions, or by the Council.

C. The Senate may approve, amend, reject, or forward without approval recommendations regarding new policies or policy changes.

1. Copies of recommendations which are to be submitted to the College Organization must be forwarded by the Senate to the initiating body, to the President, and to the Council at least three weeks prior to a meeting of the College Organization.

2. If the President, the Council, or the initiating body desires to discuss such recommendations with the Senate, a meeting may be called by the Chairperson for that purpose.

3. Copies of recommendations which are to be submitted to the College Organization must be forwarded by the Senate to the College Organization one week prior to its meeting.

D. If the recommendation of a standing committee, of a division, or of the Council is rejected by the Senate, and that initiating body repasses the recommendation, the Senate must again consider the measure and pass it on through the channels to the College Organization. The Senate shall have the option of advocating an alternate proposal.

E. If such recommendations are approved by the College Organization and the President, when appropriate, the Board of Trustees shall be apprised of the agreement.

F. The President shall have 45 calendar days in which to veto the proposed policy or policy changes. Should the President choose to veto recommendations of the College Organization, the Senate shall be notified of the reasons of the veto.

G. The Senate must review any veto, and it may return the original recommendation to the College Organization or alter the recommendation and resubmit it to the President, the Council, and the College Organization.

1. The College Organization may override the veto of the original recommendation by two-thirds of the ballots cast.

2. The College Organization may pass the altered recommendation with a majority vote.

H. Whenever a recommendation for new policy or policy change is passed over the President's veto, the matter must be submitted to the Board of Trustees for final determination.

V. AMENDMENT PROCEDURE

A. Constitution

1. A constitutional amendment consistent with the limitations of IIA1 and IIIF may be initiated by any member of the College Organization.

2. Both the Senate and College President shall review and confer upon any proposed amendments. Should consensus not occur, either party may submit its formal proposal to the College Organization after having given a 45-day notice to the other party.

3. After adequate notice, the College Organization shall vote by secret ballot, two-thirds of the members voting constituting a majority. It shall then be submitted to the College President for approval. If denied at this level, the amendment may be presented directly to the Board of Trustees by the College Organization.

B. By-laws

1. An amendment to the published by-laws of any group in the College Organization, subject to the limitations of IIA1 and IIIF, may be initiated by any member of that group.

2. After adequate notice, a simple majority vote of the group's recorded membership constitutes passage of the amendment.