The College Operations Council will serve as a venue for participatory decision-making for policies, procedures, and strategic issues related to college operations. Council members consider, identify, and develop best practices, and gather input from members of the College community, to inform creation of priorities and plans related to:
● space (including grounds/landscapes, and building interiors/exteriors);
● technology (enterprise systems, infrastructure, network security, software, hardware)
● other elements of College operations that are not designated responsibilities for other Governance Councils (e.g. emergency and safety planning).
In addition to the ad hoc consideration of topical policy and process issues that come up over the course of any academic year, Shared Governance Councils also help the College identify areas of strategic opportunity and help organize an appropriate response. Councils use retreats and other work sessions to identify priorities related to their areas of emphasis and rally necessary attention to those priorities. As priorities are established, Councils will collaborate with relevant experts and role players to identify outcomes/goals for the work, align the resources needed to do the work, and name additional criteria for the work (if needed). Councils will then delegate work to appropriate subcommittees or workgroups, or collaborate with CCC departments whose function relates to stated priorities, to co-create timelines and plans for action. Council chairs and members should maintain awareness of progress related to these priorities through ongoing Council meetings, and help working groups overcome challenges as they arise.
The Council commits to collaborating with other Councils (and related subcommittees) to address issues that cross boundaries.
By fostering collaboration and engagement among College stakeholders with relevant experience and expertise, and with stakeholders that will be impacted by operational decisions, the Council will support engagement, innovation, and continuous improvement of College Operations.