2301 College Governance Procedure

Procedure

Policy Name: College Governance

Policy Number: 2301

Applicable Code/Law: N/A

College governance at Shoreline College operates as a participatory system that ensures meaningful opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and administrators to contribute to decision-making on matters in which they have a direct and reasonable interest. This approach aligns with accreditation expectations for clear roles, shared responsibility, and transparent processes.   

The College provides ongoing opportunities for participation in governance councils and committees, with membership processes coordinated annually through Human Resources and Academic Affairs. Constituents are encouraged to express interest in service on governance bodies aligned with their expertise and perspectives. When representation gaps occur, the College may assign employees to ensure broad and balanced participation across all groups. The faculty union also provides recommendations for certain roles as appropriate. This approach is important to ensure that governance bodies reflect the diverse voices of the College community, sustain effective decision-making, and meet expectations for inclusive, participatory governance. 

Governance bodies maintain charters defining their purpose, membership, and communication practices, ensuring recommendations are developed through broad input and conveyed to the Executive Team and the President.  Recommendations are reviewed by the Executive Team and forwarded to the President. The President makes final decisions unless authority is reserved to the Board of Trustees or otherwise defined by law or policy. If a recommendation is not accepted, feedback is provided, and the matter is returned to the appropriate governance body for further consideration and resubmission as appropriate. 

Governance councils and committees addressing institutional policy, planning, or resource allocation report regularly through a coordinated governance structure. The College Council, serves as the central coordinating body and advises the President on governance effectiveness and institutional priorities. 

This governance system operates within the authority of the Board of Trustees under Washington State law, including RCW 28B.50, which assigns governing responsibility to the Board and operational authority to the President. [app.leg.wa.gov] 

Information about governance structures and processes is publicly available through the College’s governance resources, including the College Governance Policy 2301 and the Participatory Governance website. 

Approvals

Procedures Adopted: 3/21/07

Reviewed and Approved by the Executive Team: 06/09/2026