About WCTC

District Board
  - Policies

All board authority that is delegated to staff is delegated through the chief executive, so that all authority and accountability of staff is considered to be the authority and accountability of the chief executive policies. Only the board chair and/or the president/district director (or designee) have the authority to contact legal counsel on behalf of the district. District board members and employees who contact district legal counsel without delegated authority shall be responsible for all costs incurred as a result of their actions.

1. The board will direct the chief executive to achieve specified results, for specified recipients, at a specified worth through the establishment of Ends policies. The board will limit the latitude the chief executive may exercise in practices, methods, conduct and other "means" to the ends through establishment of Executive Limitations.
2. As long as the chief executive uses reasonable interpretation of the board's Ends and Executive Limitations policies, the chief executive is authorized to establish further policies, make decisions, take actions, establish practices and develop activities. The chief executive is responsible for explaining the rationale or reasons for the change.
3. The board may change its Ends and Executive Limitations policies, thereby shifting the boundary between board and chief executive domains. By so doing, the board changes the latitude of discretion given to the chief executive. However, the board and its members will respect and support the chief executive's choices regarding delegation of authority, as long as the delegation is in place. This does not prevent the board from obtaining information in the delegated areas, except confidential data related to individual students.
4. Only decisions of the board acting as a body are binding upon the chief executive
   
   • Decisions or instructions of individual board members, officers, or committees are not binding on the chief executive except in rare instances when the board has specifically authorized such exercise of authority.
   • In the case of board members or committees requesting information or assistance without board authorization, see Governance Policy 1.4 Chairperson’s Role – requests that require data compilation about college operations and activities should be directed through the chairperson or the college president. The chairperson or college president will respond to all requests within 3 business days indicating an approximate time frame for obtaining the information requested. Requests that require a material amount of staff time, funds or disruption can be denied.


Drafted: March 12, 1996
Approved: January 14, 1997
Revised: August 12, 1997
Reviewed: February 7, 2002
Revised: March 28, 2006

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