A Guide To Councils, Committees, Work Groups And Task
A Guide to Councils, Committees,Work Groups and Task Forces(November 29, 2016)
Table of ContentsDefinitions of Councils, Committees, Work Groups and Task Forces .3Governance Structure and Information Flow Chart .6Definitions of Roles: Chair, Vice Chair, Liaison, Secretary, Member, Ex-officio .9Mission Statements, By-laws and Record Keeping .10Sample Mission / Charter Statement .10Sample By-laws .11Starting a New Committee, Work Group or Task Force .17Minimum Communication Requirements .17Appendices .20Appendix A: Councils, Committees, Work Groups and Task Forces at RTC .20Appendix B: Annual Report Template .21Appendix C: Governance Annual Planning Template .22Appendix D: Sample Annual Report .24Appendix E: Sample Governance Annual Plan .272 P a ge
DEFINITIONS OF COUNCILS, COMMITTEES, WORK GROUPS AND TASK FORCESThe governance structure at Renton Technical College (RTC) consists of the Board ofTrustees, President, Executive Cabinet, Councils, Committees, Work Groups and TaskForces.Board of TrusteesThe Board of Trustees is the governing body of RTC. Trustees are appointed to multiyear terms by the Governor with the consent of the Washington State Senate. TheTrustees represent communities in the service area of RTC, which includes: Renton,Kent, Auburn, Enumclaw, Tukwila, Des Moines, Federal Way, South Seattle, andIssaquah.Board of Trustees’ activities include establishing policy and setting the strategicdirection of RTC, as well as the hiring of the President.PresidentThe President is the Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the overall operationof the College. The President reports directly to the Board of Trustees.Executive CabinetThe Executive Cabinet (Cabinet) works with the President to provide strategicleadership and executive level operational coordination to achieve the College’sstrategic plan priorities and key initiatives. Cabinet is charged with makingrecommendations to the President regarding policies and procedures, and with ensuringthat decisions reached are effectively implemented. In addition, Cabinet, along with thePresident, is charged with aligning the College’s strategic plans and available resourcesto ensure that the College fulfills its mission.CouncilsCouncils serve as oversight and coordinating groups based on functions pertinent to theCollege’s Mission Statement. Additionally, councils shepherd and foster a sharedgovernance model and seek to increase communication across campus. Members maybe elected or appointed to discuss, deliberate, and advise. Councils at RTC include: College Council Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council Facilities Council Learning Council Technology CouncilAdvisory Councils and CommitteesUnlike work groups and task forces that are often short in duration, advisory councilsand committees may exist for several years, as long as there is a benefit to theinstitution. Advisory councils and committees at RTC include: RTC Advisory CouncilThis council includes representatives from business and communityleaders as well as RTC faculty and staff.3 P a ge
Program Advisory CommitteesThe Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges(SBCTC) requires that all programs have a formal advisory committee thatincludes representatives from business and industry.CommitteesCommittees conduct and monitor much of the work that occurs on campus. There aretwo types of committees at RTC: standing committees and special committees, oftenreferred to as ad hoc committees.A committee can only do what the institution asks it to do; it cannot act independently ofthe institution. However, if a committee originates an idea that it feels will benefit theinstitution, it can bring that idea to the appropriate Council or to Cabinet for discussion.Standing CommitteesStanding committees are considered a permanent part of the institution’s structure.They are charged with performing particular functions that are often essential to theoperation of the institution. Members of a standing committee change accordingly andwhen applicable. However, the purpose of the committee and its functions and dutiesgenerally do not change.Standing committees should keep thorough records of their activities. These filesbecome a continuous record of the activities of the committees. Standing committees atRTC include: Art on Campus Committee Associated Student Government Data Integrity Group (DIG) Employee Appreciation Committee Grant Compliance Committee Health and Safety Committee Professional Development Committee Program Advisory Committees Program Review and Assessment Committee Staff Development Committee Tenure Steering Committee and Tenure Committees Work First Committee Workforce Education CommitteeAd Hoc CommitteesAd hoc committees are created to perform a specific task(s) and are foregone when thetask(s) is completed and a final report-out is conducted. An ad hoc committee shouldnot be created to do work that is within the designated function of a standing committee.Typically, but not exclusively, ad hoc committees are formed to perform one of twofunctions. One is to investigate; the other is to carry out an action that has beenadopted.4 P a ge
If an ad hoc committee is created to investigate a question, it is important that differentviewpoints of the College are reflected in committee membership. Thus, thesecommittees are often larger in size in order to represent a broad and inclusiveviewpoint. Ad hoc committees at RTC include, but are not limited to: Presidential Search Committee Title III Steering Committee Guided Pathways Steering Committee Strategic Planning Steering CommitteeWork GroupsA work group is a sub-group of any entity (Council or Committee) that is appointed bythe chair of that entity to work on a particular project. Work groups often utilize specificarea experts. The “experts” are acknowledged for their work with the specific project butdo not become members of the work group’s parent entity. RTC work groups include: Title III Advising Policy Work Group Title III College Success Work Group Title III New Student Orientation Work Group Title III Professional Development Work Group Title III Technology Work GroupTask ForcesTask forces are groups established to work on a single defined task, activity, or specificproblem. Task forces are short in duration (less than two years) and specific in focus.Task forces are ideal for identifying issues, collecting information, reviewing andanalyzing the information, and making recommendations to a committee. When it istime to think outside the box and brainstorm ideas, for example, how to createstrategies for addressing the inequities of male students of color, a task force may bringtogether board members, institutional researchers, faculty, staff, funders, andrepresentatives of the community to identify recommendations and action.Often, but not exclusively, task forces are appointed by the President with a specificcharge and deadline for receipt of the final report. Proposal to form a new task forcemay also come from faculty or staff who see a need to formally organize and focus on aspecific topic. More information on proposing the creation of a new task force can befound under Starting A New Committee, Task Force or Work Group. Once therecommendations of the task force have been received, the task force is foregone. RTCtask forces include: Advising Policy Task Force Program Revisions Task ForceNOTE: In the future, work groups and task forces should use those specific identifiers intheir names for clarity.5 P a ge
GOVERNANCE ORGANIZATION CHARTGovernance Structure and Committee Information FlowRENTON TECHNICAL COLLEGEGOVERNANCE CHARTBoard of TrusteesRTC Advisory CouncilDiversity,Equity &InclusionCouncilFacilitiesCouncilDr. Kevin McCarthyPresidentExecutive CabinetLearningCouncilCollege CouncilTechnologyCouncilTenureCommitteesCOLLEGE COUNCILGOVERNANCE CHARTBoard of TrusteesRTC Advisory CouncilExecutive CabinetDr. Kevin McCarthyPresidentCollege CouncilStrategic PlanningSteering CommitteeGuided PathwaysSteering CommitteeData Integrity GroupAdvising Policy WorkGroup –Title IIIGrant ComplianceCommitteeCollege SuccessWork Group –Title IIIStrategic EnrollmentManagementCommitteeNew StudentOrientation WorkGroup – Title IIITitle III SteeringCommitteeProfessionalDevelopment WorkGroup – Title IIIAdvising Policy TaskForceTechnology WorkGroup – Title III6 P a ge
LEARNING COUNCILGOVERNANCE CHARTBoard of TrusteesRTC Advisory CouncilDr. Kevin McCarthyPresidentLearning CouncilRTC Program AdvisoryCommitteesTenure Steering CommitteeExecutive CabinetWorkforce Education CommitteeWork First CommitteeProgram RevisionsTask ForceWorkload Task ForceCurriculum CommitteeProgram Review andAssessmentCommitteeGuided Pathways SteeringCommitteeDIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSIONCOUNCILGOVERNANCE CHARTBoard of TrusteesRTC Advisory CouncilExecutive CabinetDr. Kevin McCarthyPresidentDiversity, Equity & InclusionCouncilStaff Development CommitteeProfessional DevelopmentCommitteeEmployee AppreciationCommitteeAssociated Student Government7 P a ge
TECHNOLOGY COUNCILGOVERNANCE CHARTBoard of TrusteesRTC Advisory CommitteeDr. Kevin McCarthyPresidentExecutive CabinetTechnology CouncilFACILITIES COUNCILGOVERNANCE CHARTBoard of TrusteesDr. Kevin McCarthyPresidentRTC Advisory CouncilExecutive CabinetFacilities CouncilArt on Campus CommitteeHealth and Safety Committee8 P a ge
Additional Charts Denoting Structure and Information FlowBoard of TrusteesDr. Kevin McCarthyPresidentBoard of TrusteesDr. Kevin McCarthyPresidentRenton Federation of TeachersExecutive Cabinet(RFT)Tenure CommitteesWFSEWorkload TaskforceDEFINITIONS OF ROLESCouncils and committees should provide more specificity to the roles andresponsibilities of their officers and members as well as how members are selected(elected, appointed, volunteer). For purposes of simplicity, councils, committees, workgroups and task forces in this section will be referred to collectively as ‘committees’.Generally, the key roles are as follows.ChairThe role of the chair is to serve as a facilitator and to ensure that business which comesto the committee is dealt with appropriately. The chair is responsible for assisting thecommittee in reaching a fair decision, enabling business to proceed through thecommittee structure. The chair should be aware of the reporting lines of the committeeand where it fits in the governance structure of the College. When selecting a chair, itshould be someone who is enthusiastic about the committee’s work and has the time todevote to the responsibilities.Vice ChairThe vice chair assists the chair in the performance of their duties to facilitate the smoothoperation of the committee. Additionally, the vice chair performs the duties of the chairwhen that person is unable or not available.9 P a ge
MemberMembers serve on the committee to fulfill the mission assigned. Members are expectedto regularly participate in committee meetings. Committee work is teamwork. Eachmember contributes their talent and expertise to the committee.Ex-Officio MemberAn ex-officio member is appointed by virtue of another position they hold within thegovernance structure. For example, a delegate from Cabinet is appointed to CollegeCouncil. Ex-officio members may be voting or non-voting members. This should bespelled out in the committee’s by-laws.SecretaryThe secretary is responsible for maintaining attendance records, preparing committeemeeting minutes, and uploading these and other relevant documents to the committee’sSharePoint page.MISSION STATEMENTS, BY-LAWS AND RECORD KEEPINGMission Statement or CharterEach council, standing, or ad hoc committee should have a mission statement,statement of purpose or charter. This statement should clearly define why thecommittee exists, its purpose and its ‘customer(s)’. By providing a statement of thisnature, the incoming chair and members understand how their work fits within the statedpurpose(s). Without this type of statement, the work of a committee can change fromyear to year and chair to chair.The mission statement should be simple, short, and straightforward. It should capturethe essence of what the committee will achieve and how they will achieve it. The fewerthe words the better. Focus on the true meaning of the statement and its intention forthe committee’s work.SAMPLE Mission / Charter StatementRenton Technical College – College Council CharterStatement of Purpose:The College Council is a recommending body to the President’s Executive Cabinet. Thework of the Council will focus on a range of areas that may include, but is not limited to:college planning efforts, institutional accreditation monitoring, college effectiveness,strategic initiatives, and special projects.Scope of Work: Monitor the college planning systemKeep abreast of the college’s participation in national initiativesSpearhead campus communication pertaining to council purposeConvene forums for discourse on college-wide issues10 P a g e
Coordinate and integrate the work of councilsAdvocate and provide support to councils, committees, taskforces andworkgroups that bring forth promising proposals for additional fund allocationrequestsFormulate policy in collaboration with the other councilsDiscuss issues confronting the collegeProvide recommendations to Cabinet and the President in alignment with thecollege’s mission, vision and strategic directionSAMPLE Committee By-lawsRenton Technical College – College Council By-laws(May 26, 2016)Renton Technical College Council Statement of PurposeThe College Council (Council) at Renton Technical College (RTC) was established toprovide an opportunity for all constituencies of the College to participate in the processof shared governance.The College Council is a recommending body to the President’s Executive Cabinet. Thework of the Council will focus on a range of areas that may include, but is not limited to:college planning efforts, institutional accreditation monitoring, college effectiveness,strategic initiatives, and special projects.Scope of Work: Monitor the college planning system Keep abreast of the college’s participation in national initiatives Spearhead campus communication pertaining to council purpose Convene forums for discourse on college-wide issues Coordinate and integrate the work of councils Advocate and provide support to councils, committees, taskforces andworkgroups that bring forth promising proposals for additional fund allocationrequests Formulate policy in collaboration with the other councils Discuss issues confronting the college Provide recommendations to Cabinet and the President in alignment with thecollege’s mission, vision and strategic directionThe Council assumes the responsibility to advise those committees, and/or Cabinet ofits concerns and positions on items under consideration, and may also initiatediscussions of other issues and submit its advice and concerns to the various councils,committees and/or Cabinet as it deems necessary. Consideration will be giving to allitems brought forth from other councils, committees, work groups and task forces.11 P a g e
Council Policies and Procedures1. The College Council is recognized as a primary deliberative body on campus andwill communicate with the other councils as necessary to monitor discussions ofcampus-wide issues. The Council may request committees and/or recommendCabinet investigate and/or consider issues the Council deems significant.2. Whenever possible, College Council should be used as a forum for discussion ofproposed policies and procedures prior to implementation by Cabinet. CollegeCouncil should provide feedback and recommendations to the President on keyissues brought forth by the Chair of the College Council and/or the applicableChair of another council.3. Whenever possible, College Council membership will comprise: 2-3 delegates from the leadership team (vice presidents, executivedirectors, deans)4 delegates from the full-time faculty, representative of the differentinstructional areas2 delegates from the part-time, adjunct faculty4-5 delegates from staff1-2 ex officio (voting) delegates from Associated Student Government1 ex officio (non-voting) delegate, and 1 alternate from Executive Cabinetappointed by the College President Members unable to attend a regularly scheduled meeting may berepresented by a designated alternate. The Chair may require aconstituent group to name a new delegate in the event that that member isunable to attend at least one third of all regularly scheduled councilmeetings in a six month period. All members of the College Council will serve as the liaison between theCouncil and their representative groups. For example, a full-time facultymember in allied health will maintain contact and communicate with otherfaculty in allied health programs.4. Meetings of the Council will be held once a month during normal operating hoursat a time the members of the Council choose. Meetings may be held duringsummer quarter as necessary and agreed upon by a majority of the Council.Emergency meetings may be called by the Chair at the request of any memberor at the discretion of the Chair. Notice must be given and published informationon the subject of the meeting must be distributed to each member of the Councilat least 48 hours prior to convening such a meeting.5. College Council Nominating Procedures12 P a g e
A. College Council MembershipCollege Council is a primary deliberative body on campus. Delegates toCollege Council, with the exception of the Cabinet representative(s) andAssociated Student Government (ASG) delegates, are nominated by amember of the division or category they represent, or by a colleague whodeems them to be a qualified candidate for council service.B. Membership on College CouncilWhenever possible, membership of College Council will include thenumber of delegates in each representative category as outlined above.C. Terms of OfficeDelegates are elected for one year terms, and may serve no more thanthree consecutive terms. With a break of one year or more they may bere-elected.D. Selection of New DelegatesNominations for new delegates will be held in spring quarter of each year,with new terms beginning in the following fall quarter. At the first fallquarter meeting, outgoing members and incoming members will meet inorder to ensure a smooth transition. The Chair will provide an overview ofactions taken during that year, and items still to be dealt with by theCouncil.E. AlternatesIt is desirable that an alternate from each constituent group be elected toensure that each constituent group has representation at every meeting.Election as an alternate does not impact that person’s ability to be electedas a delegate in their own right and serve three terms.F. Current Delegate NominationsEach of the current serving delegates and alternates will be assumed tobe nominated if they wish to continue to serve and they have served forless than three years. Additional nominations will be sought from eachconstituent group in a call for nominations. Once the nominations arereceived, each nominee will be polled by the Chair of College Council ortheir designee to ensure the
Nov 29, 2016 · Starting A New Committee, Task Force or Work Group. Once the recommendations of the task force have been received, the task force is foregone. RTC task forces include: Advising Policy Task Force Program Revisions Task Force . NOTE: In the future, work groups and task forces should u
10 Keys to Success as a District Deputy 1. Communicate priorities and be visible 2. Encourage councils in your district and assist them in conducting charitable works 3. Aid councils in your district with membership recruitment and ensure the exemplification of frequent First Degrees 4. Help councils in your district earn the Star
74 DBS Annual Report 2017 Most of the above committees are supported by local risk committees in all major locations, where appropriate. These local risk committees oversee the local risk positions for all businesses and support units, ensuring that they keep within the limits set by the Group risk committees.
examination of the executive and finance committees, the two most common non-required committees. On the other hand, consistent with the view that committees can have information-segregation costs, we find that committee activity is lower whe
o Standing Committees: Separate subject-matter committees in each house of Congress that handle bills in different policy areas. o Joint Committees: Congressional committees on a few subject-matter areas with . AP US Gov Chapter 12 Page 6 Made by: Katie of 6 Frye Lobbyists and interest groups
2 18 discretionary." "Discretionary" advisory committees include those that an agency forms of its 19 own initiative or in response to a statute authorizing the creation of a committee.2 "Non- 20 discretionary" advisory committees include those formed by the President and those that 21 Congress, by statute, specifically directs the President or an agency to establish.3
gender based violence through a unique programme involving life skills and entrepreneurship training for survivors of violence linked to work with local councils. The project targeted 15 survivors in 100 councils across ten SADC countries, or 1500 women in total. The pilot councils form part of
was the original term used. The growing emphasis on the pastoral focus of councils has resulted in the adoption of the term . Parish Pastoral Council. The expanded name also helps to distinguish it from any other councils operating in the parish, such as the . Parish Finance Council. Within the text, the shortened term . Pastoral Council
Empirical research, particularly from Germany, shows that works councils can have positive productivity effects. On average, however, the effect has been decreasing over the last 20 years and a convergence in productivity is being observed between firms with and without works councils. A positive impact on productivity is more likely
