Seattle Central College
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

1. Seattle Colleges Board of Trustees- "The Board subscribes to the concept that those affected by Board policies will have a voice in the development of policies. Accordingly, the District agrees that faculty will serve in a non-voting capacity on the Board of Trustees. Exempt staff, classified staff, and faculty unions are invited to all BOT meetings as ex-officio members. The union leaders can submit written reports for each board meeting and are invited to give short oral reports at each meeting. Unions are also invited to some of the study sessions that the BOT holds before regular meetings. If the BOT wants input from the unions, they will involve the union presidents and work together accordingly."
2. College Council- all of the employee 'classes' have representation on the College Council, including faculty, staff, and students. The College Council is is a participatory body that advises the President and President's Cabinet on important issues, including providing vital input to the annual budget process. It strives to be representative of the entire campus community, with membership that includes faculty, staff, students, and administrators, who engage their respective constituencies to provide opportunities to contribute to policy formation, resource allocation, and other significant issues and processes.
3. The Associated Student Council (ASC) is the official student government of Seattle Central. It represents student interests to the college administration. The ASC leads the organization of a broad range of student committees that address issues and concerns and promote services that enhance the student experience at Seattle Central.
4. the faculty union, AFT Seattle Community Colleges Local 1789 represents the faculty through the collective bargaining agreement, and through
college-based faculty senates, which are branches of the union in our district
5. District Faculty Shared Governance Committee- gives voice to faculty by allowing for maximum participation in district level matters of importance to instruction, such as, long-term and short-term strategic planning, conducting research, deployment of financial and human resources, use of physical resources, accreditation, institutional policies, and enrollment management. An effective shared governance model includes sharing of information and access to executive leadership on a regular basis prior to decisions being made. THE DFSGC will discuss items and provide input to the Vice Chancellor of Instruction on the areas outlined above. Recommendations of the committee will be seriously considered by the VC of Instruction and the Chancellor as appropriate. The DFSGC consists of faculty and staff. Members are chosen by their respective groups. This committee is included in the current AFT contract.

Central has launched the formal process to update our major institution master plan. One of the elements of the master plan drafting process is creation of a Citizens Advisory Committee. One of the functions of this committee is to represent neighborhood concerns to the Office of Neighborhoods and they, in turn, negotiate with the college on mitigation measures and how the college plans to meet city planning objectives via this twenty year horizon master plan.

Seattle Central College is part of the Seattle Colleges district. The Board of Trustees sit at the district level, with each campus having their own President's Cabinets and other similar decision-making bodies. Thus, the Seattle Colleges Board of Trustees is the institution's highest governing body.