Colorado Mountain College
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

CMC's shared governance system takes the form of multiple, representative, voting bodies that have direct impact on the policies and procedures of the institution. Although in some cases, that influence can extend to issues of employment, CMC is in Colorado, a state where unions are not typical. Therefore, CMC does not have a unionized faculty or staff with associated bodies that participate in contract negotiations regarding salaries, benefits, and other employment policies or issues. Following is a description of CMC's shared governance bodies:

Student Government (student organization)

CMC has a Student Government Association at its three residential campuses. The SGA makes binding decisions about how to use student activities fees that support student clubs and other activities. These fees are charged only to students at residential campuses. The SGA bodies also advise their respective campuses on multiple issues of interest to students. Representatives and officers are elected by the student body at each campus.

Faculty Senate (faculty organization)

CMC has a strong Faculty Senate that represents faculty members, both full- and part-time, across the College. Members and officers are elected by the faculty. The Faculty Senate is the chief advisory body representing the faculty to the College Council, the President, and the Board of Trustees. The Presidents of the Faculty Senate who represent the full-time and part-time faculty are members of the College Council (see below). Although the Presidents of the Faculty Senate are not official membeers of the Board of Trustees, they often attend BOT meetings and report on issues of relevance to the faculty.

Curriculum Committee (faculty organization)

CMC's Curriculum Committee is run by faculty who represent each program of study at the College. The Curriculum Committee is the central gateway organization that considers additions, changes, and eliminations relative to academic courses and programs.

Academic Affairs Leadership Team (staff/administration organization)

The College also has an Academic Affairs Leadership Team that includes all school deans, associate deans, assistant deans, and academic program directors. This is a voting body that directly influences college-wide Academic Affairs policies and procedures. Although the title of "Assistant Dean of Instruction" may sound like it refers to a position that would be fairly removed from the faculty, the hierarchy at CMC is relatively flat. The assistant deans of instruction are the coordinators who work most closely with the hiring, training, and staffing of courses by adjunct professors, and they make up the largest proportion of the Academic Affairs Leaderhship Team, representing the interests and needs of the adjunct faculty they serve. The program directors, similarly, directly represent their respective academic programs and their faculty and have strong voices wherever the interests of their programs and faculty are concerned.

Student Affairs Leadership Team (staff/administration organization)

The Student Affairs Leadership Team influences policies and procedures for student advising, dining services, student clubs, financial aid assistance for students, all leadership of diverse aspects of Student Affairs, and collaborations with Academic Affairs and the College Council. This team includes representatives from across all areas of Student Affairs and serves the interests of both central offices and campus-based Student Affairs staff who work in direct contact with students.

College Council (staff/administration/faculty organization)

The College Council is a shared governance standing committee that reports to the President. It represents campuses and units from across CMC. It is a voting body comprised of all of the vice presidents/deans of the campuses, the Chief of Staff, the Human Resources Director, Vice President of Finance and Administration, the Facilities Director, the Purchasing Director, the Vice President of the CMC Foundation (an external fundraising body for CMC), the Director of Strategic Initiatives, the Marketing Director, the Information Technology Director, the College Counsel, the Faculty Senate President, and the Adjunct Faculty Senate President. The College Council is the forum for bringing coherence to strategic and practical initiatives within CMC governance at a high level, while also remaining inclusive of the many diverse offices, campuses, programs, etc., that comprise the institution. College Council is a voting body that directly influences College policies and procedures across CMC at multiple levels.

Acacemic Program Advisory Committees

Multiple academic programs and campuses maintain strong community advisory committees.

• Every Career and Technical Education program at CMC is required to have an advisory committee composed of professionals and employers in the field who advise on trends and needs within their respective professions.
• Many bachelor-level programs have advisory committees as well. The Sustainability Studies BA program is one example.

Campus Community Advisory Board

Individual campuses at CMC generally have advisory boards as well. For example, the Steamboat Springs campus has an advisory board that meets once or twice a year to advise their local campus on ideas and issues of interest to the community. 

Board of Trustees

BOT members are elected from the district communities that CMC serves. Their meeting schedules, locations, and agendas are published, and a public comment period available at each meeting..