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Organization and Governance

teaching studentsAdministrative Organization

Governance

College Governance

Montgomery College has fostered a system of shared institutional governance virtually from its establishment in 1946. During the College’s formative years, various faculty committees and student government organizations provided a means of formal involvement in the development of the College. The College’s commitment to the notion that full and active participation in the decision making process by all members of the College community is the best means for achieving its mission led to a complete redesign of the College governance structure. The College adopted a participatory form of governance, which was fully implemented during academic year 2012-2013.

Participatory governance is a method of decision making in which collegewide policies, procedures, and practices are recommended to the president of the College and the Board of Trusteesnew window. In addition, a participatory governance system promotes open and honest communication among the constituencies that make up the College community. It seeks to maximize agreement among constituencies and it provides mechanisms to assess its effectiveness.

The College’s model is composed of a College Councilnew window, four councils representing constituent groups, four councils representing functional areas, and four councils representing campuses. The four functional councils—Academic Servicesnew window, Employee Servicesnew window, Operational Servicesnew window, and Student Services and Successnew window—are aligned with the administrative responsibilities of the senior vice presidents and focus on governance issues in each of these areas. Germantown Campus Councilnew window, Rockville Campus Councilnew window, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Councilnew window, and the Workforce Development & Continuing Education Councilnew window serve in an advisory capacity to their respective campus vice president and provost or vice president for workforce development and continuing education. Recommendations will flow from the constituent, functional, and campus councils to a broad-based college council and, from there, ultimately to the president and the Board of Trusteesnew window.

Educational decisions must include those closest to teaching and learning activities. To provide for maximum accountability and responsibility, faculty participation in governance (including standing committees and ad hoc committees that address academic, student, and faculty issues) is based on representation by election or appointment by an elected faculty body. The inclusion of administration, staff, and students affirms the vision of governance as a collaborative process.

All faculty are encouraged to be involved in and engaged with the College governance systemnew window. There are several avenues for involvement, including staying informed by reading minutes and agendas of council meetings, watch governance in action by attending a meeting, or discussing governance issues with your colleagues. Faculty may also share their voice by contacting a council or council member nominate and vote each spring for council members to represent them, or run personally for an office on any eligible council.

See MC Governancenew window web site for more information. 

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THE COLLEGE COUNCIL

The College Councilnew window is a collegewide body that reviews and considers key College issues, and makes recommendations to the College president. It includes representation from faculty, staff, students, and administrators.

The council will facilitate collegewide dialogue by creating an integrated voice and utilizing the expertise of the entire College community. The College Council will consider and act upon issues of collegewide concern originating from the constituent, campus, or functional councils, the president of the College, or the Board of Trustees. The College Council may ratify, amend, reject, or return to a council for reconsideration any submitted proposal or recommendation. Proposals, recommendations, or amendments to the Constitution or bylaws acted on by the College Council will be forwarded to the president of the College for action or sent to other councils, as appropriate.

See the College Councilnew window web site for more information.

THE CONSTITUENT COUNCILS

The students, faculty, staff, and administrators of the College shall each be represented by constituent councils. Each council shall engage in discussions of issues of concern to members of its constituency; make recommendations and proposals to the College Councilnew window or other councils, as appropriate, for further consideration and action; and act on issues of concern to its constituency.

The Administrator Council

The Administrator Councilnew window will serve as a liaison between the administrators and the College Council. It will collaborate on College administrative matters and will make recommendations for further consideration and/or action to the College Council, and other councils, as appropriate.
E-mail: administratorcouncil@montgomerycollege.edu  
Web site: Administrator Councilnew window 

The Faculty Council

The Faculty Councilnew window will promote teaching and scholarly excellence; address ideas and issues of concern to faculty; serve as a consensus-reaching forum for faculty ideas and concerns; facilitate and promote communication and cooperation among College faculty; and serve as a liaison between the faculty and the College Council. The Faculty Council will ensure that the duties of its standing committees, including the College Committee on Academic Regulations and Standards (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader.-Link opens in new window.) and the Collegewide Curriculum Committeenew window, are carried out appropriately. The Faculty Council may choose to establish a standing faculty committee on each campus. The membership of a campus standing committee shall consist of both full-time and part-time faculty members. A representative from each campus standing committee will serve as a voting member of the Faculty Council. The Faculty Council will forward recommendations for further consideration and/or action to the College Council, the senior vice presidents, or other councils, as appropriate.
E-mail: facultycouncil@montgomerycollege.edu
Web site: The Faculty Councilnew window 

The Staff Council

The Staff Councilnew window will serve as a liaison between staff and the College Council and will address issues of concern on behalf of Montgomery College staff. It will research solutions to these issues and present recommendations for further consideration and/or action to the College Council, or other councils, as appropriate.
E-mail: staffcouncil@montgomerycollege.edu 
Web site: The Staff Council 

The Student Council

The Student Councilnew window will function as a venue to afford students a full voice in the governance of Montgomery College and will serve as a liaison between the students and the College Council. Recommendations from the Student Council for further consideration and/or action will be forwarded to the College Council or other councils, as appropriate.
E-mail: studentcouncil@montgomerycollege.edu   
Web site: The Student Councilnew window 

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CAMPUS COUNCILS

Each campus and Workforce Development & Continuing Education has a campus council that will provide advice and recommendations regarding campus-related concerns, and campus and academic initiatives to the campus vice president and provost and to the College Council, or other councils, as appropriate, for further consideration and/or action.

Germantown Campus Council

The Germantown Campus Councilnew window that will provide advice and recommendations regarding campus-related concerns, and campus and academic initiatives to the campus vice president and provost and to the College Council, or other councils, as appropriate, for further consideration and/or action.
Web site: Germantown Campus Council 

Rockville Campus Council

The Rockville Campus Councilnew window will provide advice and recommendations regarding campus-related concerns, and campus and academic initiatives to the campus vice president and provost and to the College Council, or other councils, as appropriate, for further consideration and/or action.
Web site: Rockville Campus Councilnew window 

Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Council

The Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Councilnew window will provide advice and recommendations regarding campus-related concerns, and campus and academic initiatives to the campus vice president and provost and to the College Council, or other councils, as appropriate, for further consideration and/or action.
Web site: Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Councilnew window 

Workforce Development & Continuing Education Council

Workforce Development & Continuing Educationnew window will have a council that will provide advice and recommendations regarding WD&CE-related concerns and initiatives to the vice president and provost and to the College Council, or other councils, as appropriate for further consideration and/or action.
Web site: Workforce Development & Continuing Education Councilnew window 

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FUNCTIONAL COUNCILS

The students, faculty, staff, and administrators of the College shall also be represented in governance through four functional councils that reflect the day-to-day operations of the College. The functional councils are advisory groups to specific senior vice presidents.

Academic Services Council

The Academic Services Councilnew window will consider matters related to academic support programs including assessment centers, labs, registration, scheduling, website information, and transfer and articulation agreements, and forward suggestions for further consideration and/ or action to the College Council, the senior vice presidents or other councils, as appropriate. The senior vice president for academic affairs serves as the council’s convener and permanent resource member.
E-mail: academicservicescouncil@montgomerycollege.edu   
Web site: Academic Services Councilnew window  

Employee Services Council

The Employee Services Councilnew window will provide input on behalf of all employee groups in decisions related to employment services, employee programs, and related matters and make recommendations to the College Council or other councils, as appropriate, for further consideration and/or action. The senior vice president for administrative and fiscal services serves as the council’s convener and permanent resource member.
E-mail: employeeservicescouncil@montgomerycollege.edu  
Web site: Employee Services Councilnew window

Operational Services Council

The Operational Services Councilnew window will examine and discuss the effectiveness of nonacademic College administrative, fiscal, and auxiliary support services and make recommendations to the College Council or other councils, as appropriate, for further consideration and/or action. The senior vice president for administrative and fiscal services serves as the council’s convener and permanent resource member.
E-mail: operationalservicescouncil@montgomerycollege.edu  
Web site: Operational Services Councilnew window 

Student Services and Success Council

The Student Services and Success Councilnew window will be to provide a forum to identify major governance issues related to student services and make recommendations to the College Council or other councils, as appropriate, for further consideration and/or action.
E-mail: studentservicescouncil@montgomerycollege.edu  
Web site: Student Services and Success Councilnew window  

For more information about governance, please visit Governance at Montgomery Collegenew window.

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