Raritan Valley Community College
PA-3: Governance

Students elect 5 student government officers and 5 senators. SGA Your Voice Networking Hour Every month SGA hosts a coffee hour for students to gather, discuss issues, brainstorm ideas, and work together to improve our college community. Student Government often invites special guests to share their knowledge on scholarships, college innovations, and other information of interest to the general student body. Students have an opportunity to voice their concerns, make suggestions for college betterment, and get to know their student government leaders. Networking Hour is once per month, located on the first floor of the college center. Free coffee, tea, and refreshments are provided. General Assembly Each month SGA welcomes all students and club representatives to come together for a general assembly meeting to share information and hear the monthly reports of all current and future club activities or events. The meeting is held during College hour on the last Tuesday of each month. College Forum The college forum is an open meeting for all faculty, students, and staff. Students are invited to participate in discussing issues that are related to developing policies, co-curriculum, and how the college is being operated. The Forum is during College Hour, on the first Tuesday of every month.

The Student Alumnae representative on the Board of Trustees is elected by the students.

College Forum is the College-wide Governance Body. Student Government appoints students to be on each of its subcommittees, the SGA President sits on the Forum Steering Committee and SGA gives a monthly report at Forum Meetings, has a right to voice opinions and share information to shape the decisions made in Forum. It has been regular practice for ad-hoc committees that the President forms to ask SGA to provide a student representative, examples: Bateman Center Capital Campaign Committee, College Branding Focus Groups, College Website Redesign Focus Groups, and Presidential Search Committee. Current active Forum Committees include: Diversity Council, Curriculum Committee, Campus Life Committee (and Environmental Sustainability subcommittee), Campus Safety Committee, Technology Committee and Book Store Advisory Committee. For more information about the committees and membership, see http://www.raritanval.edu/community/forum/index.html

Staff can participate in the Forum monthly meetings, the Forum Steering Committee, the Council of Staff, and Forum committees. The Forum is the College-wide Governance Body. Current active Forum Committees include: Diversity Council, Curriculum Committee, Campus Life Committee (and Environmental Sustainability subcommittee), Campus Safety Committee, Technology Committee and Book Store Advisory Committee. For more information about the committees and membership, see http://www.raritanval.edu/community/forum/index.html

Non-supervisory staff participate in the Forum, the Forum Steering Committee, the Council of Staff, and Forum committees, which are made up of staff, administrators and faculty, with several having slots for Junior Staff. The current chair of the Council of Staff is non-supervisory departmental assistant Diana Trybulski. Eight administrative departments have mission statements, for which all department members have input. See http://www.raritanval.edu/admin/mission.html The Strategic Planning Board members include non-supervisory staff (Diana Trybulski and Elaine Snarkey, for 2013-17 plan). The Sustainability Coordinator (Sue Dorward) establishes environmental policies, programs, and initiatives, such as carpool parking, electric car charging, green landscaping, and green energy purchasing. The Community Life Forum committee is currently charged with determining the configuration of the standard RVCC classroom, including furniture and technology. Communications processes and transparency practices: The Forum has worked with the administration on the creation of a College wide calendar that each department can add to so that there is better knowledge of functions that are being held on campus. Prioritization of programs and projects: This is mainly done in connection with our strategic plan.

Faculty and adjuncts participate in the Forum, the Forum Steering Committee, the Council of Faculty, and Forum committees, which are made up of staff, administrators and faculty. The Forum is the College-wide Governance Body. Current active Forum Committees include: Diversity Council, Curriculum Committee, Campus Life Committee (and Environmental Sustainability subcommittee), Campus Safety Committee, Technology Committee and Book Store Advisory Committee. For more information about the committees and membership, see http://www.raritanval.edu/community/forum/index.html

Establishing organizational mission, vision, and/or goals: This is done through focus groups. Our last mission statement, and strategic plan relied heavily on the use of internal and external focus groups to research issues, write and finalize the mission, vision and goals of the college. Establishing new policies, programs, or initiatives: Forum committees propose new policies or changes to existing policies. The committees then report to the Forum as a whole. The recommendations are read twice before the Forum and then a vote is taken. Recommendations then sent to executive staff for final action. New programs are initiated by academic departments and are sent to Curriculum committee for review. New initiatives are usually entered into by administration, faculty brought in early in the process. These are ongoing processes. Strategic and long-term planning: This is done through focus groups as in the establishment of our mission, vision and goals. The Strategic Planning Board includes several faculty members. Existing or prospective physical resources: The Forum sometimes has a say in this, but we may not know until later in the process. Currently the Community Life committee is developing a standard for classroom configuration, including furniture and technology. Budgeting, staffing and financial planning: Academic departments present budgets each year and must defend the budget. Communications processes and transparency practices: The faculty and administration are working to improve communications and transparency. The Forum has worked with the administration on the creation of a College wide calendar that each department can add to so that there is better knowledge of functions that are being held on campus. Prioritization of programs and projects: This is mainly done in connection with our strategic plan. Faculty has some input through the budgeting process.