Shared Governance
Governance at FLCC is the shared responsibility of all campus community members. Faculty, staff, students, administrators, and the Board of Trustees collaborate in decision-making.
Decision-Making Groups at FLCC
Executive Committee
The Academic Senate and College Council chairs lead the Governance Executive Committee. The committee facilitates open communication between governance bodies, constituencies, and the President. Other committee members include representatives from faculty, staff, and students.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Promotes an understanding of the governance structure and issues at FLCC.
- Maintains open lines of communication with all campus community members.
- Creates documentation regarding governance and management decisions.
College Council
The College Council makes recommendations to the President for non-academic, college-wide matters. The council consists of four representatives elected by the Faculty, professional staff, support staff, and the Student Corporation Board. All representatives serve one-year terms with a three-consecutive term limit.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Proposes amendments to the FLCC governance constitution.
- Develops recommendations on College-wide policies and procedures.
- Encourages communication and coordination between and among governance groups.
- Fosters reciprocal accountability and responsibility among governance groups.
Academic Senate
The Academic Senate recommends policies that improve teaching and learning at FLCC. This includes assessment, curriculum, advising, student co-curricular activities, and student discipline. The Academic Senate includes a representative from each academic department, the library, the advising office, the AVP of Instruction, the Provost, and a Student Representative. Sub-committees include the curriculum committee, assessment committee, and student experience committee.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Reviews programs and course offerings and recommends actions that permit FLCC to develop and maintain high-quality programs following state regulations and guidelines.
- Reviews assessment plans, results, and processes for all credit-bearing academic programs.
- Provides advice and support on the student experience from admissions to graduation.
- Recommends policies and procedures necessary to establish an environment conducive to student retention and success
Student Corporation
Student Corporation, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, is the governing body for FLCC students. All students are automatically members of the Corporation and are welcome to get involved in college decision-making through the Student Senate, Campus Activities Board, and Clubs.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Provides student representatives for student body seats on the College Council, Academic Senate, and the Governance Executive Committee.
The President
The President oversees the organization of college operations. He leads strategic and long-range planning efforts, community development projects, and more. The Present reports to the Board of Trustees, ensuring FLCC fulfills its mission and strategic plan.
The President has broad authority to direct the planning and operation of all aspects of FLCC's programs and services. This facilitates effective and efficient management of the College and its resources. The President operates within policies and procedures established by the Board of Trustees, laws of the State of New York, and in conjunction with FLCC's governance bodies and processes.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Leads strategic and long-range planning efforts to address present and future instructional and community-wide needs.
- Leads the effort in determining how FLCC can assist in the economic and community development of the region.
- Generates and steward the financial resources of the College.
- Facilitates internal and external communications.
- Targets economic and development opportunities.
- Enhances partnerships with the community.
- Engages FLCC in conversations at the local and state level.
- Leads the ongoing assessment of new and existing academic programs.
- Oversees student enrollment and retention, ensuring policies are in place to increase both areas.
Board of Trustees
Board membership consists of a ten-person Board of Trustees. The Ontario County Board of Supervisors appoints five Trustees. The governor of New York State appoints four Trustees. One Trustee is a student elected by the student body.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Appoints the President (whether permanent, acting, or interim).
- Approves new curricula and curricular changes.
- Prepares, approves, and implements the budget, including tuition and fees.
- Approves sites and temporary and permanent facilities.
The Board of Trustees may have additional responsibilities as listed in the by-laws. These responsibilities are as follows:
- Engages in positive public relations for the College.
- Oversees agreements with the Sponsor that define College-County roles and responsibilities.
- Informs sponsors, state officials, and citizens in its service area of College programs and needs.
- Preserves institutional independence from encroachment of the independence from whatever source it might come.
- Performs self-evaluation on a regular basis.
- Establishes criteria for Board of Trustees' performance and conduct, including the board chair.
Management
Those accountable for the overall management of FLCC (namely the Board of Trustees and the President) use the shared governance system's policy creation, recommendations, and stewardship to make the most prudent decisions.
Leadership
At FLCC, we recognize that participation in our shared governance is a critical form of leadership, regardless of position at our College or stakeholder group represented. Only through a commitment to this collaborative leadership can we improve the student learning experience, which remains the ultimate goal of all decision-making at FLCC.
Labor Unions
Labor unions have a long and vital history at FLCC. The role of these unions is to negotiate and protect the work conditions for their members, which are codified in the labor contract. While unions represent most of the concerned parties that are also a part of shared governance, the shared governance process is separate from the labor relations signified by union and management relationships.
Our constituency groups include the Civil Service Employee Association (CSEA), Faculty Alliance, Finger Lakes Administrative Group (FLAG), Management Confidential, and Professional Association.
Shared Decision-Making within SUNY
As part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, our own shared governance processes at FLCC is part of a system-wide commitment to shared governance.