Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 43.28
Liaison Adam Maurer
Submission Date Dec. 18, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

South Seattle College
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.75 / 3.00 Adam Maurer
District Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Do the institution’s students have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a student council)? :
Yes

Do the institution’s students have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
No

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which students are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:

The United Student Association (USA) is the official elected student government. The USA President submits a monthly written report to the Board of Trustees and attends the monthly meetings. There are no students on the President’s Cabinet, but the college president visits the USA meeting once per quarter, and the USA president meets with the college president monthly or at minimum quarterly.


Do the institution’s staff members have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a staff council)?:
Yes

Do the institution’s non-supervisory staff members have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
No

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which staff are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:

South has a College Council made up of representatives from each of the types of employees on campus: faculty, classified, and exempt. Meetings are held monthly and are open to the entire campus. The chair and vice chair meet with the college president on a monthly basis. The council also facilitates the yearly budget hearing process for the campus.

Staff can also participate in a number of committees, such as the Safety Committee and Sustainability Committee.


Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a faculty senate)?:
Yes

Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body? :
No

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which teaching and research faculty are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:

There is more than one body or mechanism for faculty to be engaged in governance, 1) 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. 2) The College Council has representatives from various constituencies, including faculty.


Does the institution have written policies and procedures to identify and engage external stakeholders (i.e. local residents) in land use planning, capital investment projects, and other institutional decisions that affect the community?:
No

A copy of the written policies and procedures:
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The policies and procedures:

The process by which a major institution applies for and develops a master plan is established by the Seattle Land Use Code Section 23.69.032. Each plan describes the zoning rules that will apply to the institution, identifies a long-range plan for the development of the institution's property, and a transportation management plan that is intended to reduce single occupant vehicle use. Both the development of the plan and monitoring of development under adopted plans are collaborative efforts involving the major institution, the City and the community. The community is represented by a formally appointed committee that participates both in the development of the plans and the monitoring of subsequent development. When this committee is involved in the development of a new plan it is called a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). Once a plan has been adopted, this becomes a Standing Citizens Advisory Committee (SAC).


Does the institution have formal participatory or shared governance bodies through which community members representing the interests of the following stakeholder groups can regularly participate in institutional governance?:
Yes or No
Local government and/or educational organizations No
Private sector organizations No
Civil society (e.g. NGOs, NPOs) No

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which external stakeholders are engaged in institutional governance (including information about each stakeholder group selected above):
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The governing body used here is our President's Cabinet, but South Seattle College is part of the Seattle Colleges district, which has a Board of Trustees as well. Faculty, staff, and students have ex officio standing on the board via appointed members. The Executive of Administration of the Student Council represents students. The president of AFT Seattle represents the faculty. The Seattle College District is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Washington State Governor and approved by the State Senate for sequential five-year terms. The primary responsibility of the Board of Trustees is to meet the changing educational needs of the community while reflecting the community’s values in fulfilling the college mission.


The governing body used here is our President's Cabinet, but South Seattle College is part of the Seattle Colleges district, which has a Board of Trustees as well. Faculty, staff, and students have ex officio standing on the board via appointed members. The Executive of Administration of the Student Council represents students. The president of AFT Seattle represents the faculty. The Seattle College District is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Washington State Governor and approved by the State Senate for sequential five-year terms. The primary responsibility of the Board of Trustees is to meet the changing educational needs of the community while reflecting the community’s values in fulfilling the college mission.

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.