College Plan



College Plan

The College Plan was developed by the Estrella Mountain faculty and submitted to the president for approval.

1.	Definitions

A.	The College Plan contains the specific procedures to govern the selection process, terms of service, qualifications, and other aspects of the division chair role.

B.	"Faculty" refers to residential faculty; it does not include one-year or one-semester only faculty.

C.	“Division member” refers to a faculty member assigned to the division. Whenever possible, faculty will be assigned to only one division. If there is a need to split a load between two divisions, the faculty member, at the time of assignment, will be given the choice of his or her primary division assignment for purposes of voting.

D.	A division chair is a faculty member as defined in the Residential Faculty Policy Manual with certain administrative functions as assigned by appropriate college personnel. The division chair is a member of the division who has been a faculty member at EMCC in that division for at least one year, except in areas that have unique program and budgetary needs. Exceptions may be made with agreement between the EMCC president and the Faculty Senate president and the faculty from that division.

E.	Conditions of service for division chairs, including compensation and accountability, are in accord with the Residential Faculty Policies.

F.	"EMCC President" means the Chief Executive Officer of EMCC or his/her designee.

G.	"Faculty Senate" means the EMCC faculty senate or a successor organization.

H.	"Majority" means more than half of the votes cast in an election where everyone has had the opportunity to vote.

	Division Chair Selection

2.	Qualifications for Division Chair

A.	Meets certificated faculty requirements for at least one of the Disciplines in the division.

B.	Meets the requirements of "1. Definitions" B, C, and D.

3.	Division Chair Selection Process

A.	The division chair shall be determined by an election of the faculty members within the division.

B.	The EMCC president shall, in writing by the first Friday in February inform members of all divisions, including those on leave or sabbatical, in which an election for chair is due and call for nominations or self-nominations of individuals willing to run for election in March.

C.	Nominations or self-nominations by interested faculty qualifying to be members in that division per "2. Qualifications for Chair" shall be submitted in writing to the EMCC President by the end of the third Friday in February.

D.	In making the ballots, the EMCC President will make certain all nominees meet the requirements of "2. Qualifications for Chair."

E.	The EMCC president shall inform those nominated of their nomination and prepare a list of nominees which will be distributed to all faculty members no later than the first Friday of March.

F.	In the event of no nominees or self-nominees see 3. Selection Process.

G.	The EMCC President distributes election ballots to all eligible voters of the division no later than the first Friday of March.

H.	Election shall be by secret ballot due back in the ballot box in the president’s office by the fourth Friday in March, such date being printed on the ballot. The procedure for return and confirmation of proper ballots shall be according to procedures established jointly by the EMCC President with the Faculty Senate President.

I.	Ballots will be opened and counted by, and in the presence of, the EMCC President, the Faculty Senate President, and the Faculty Senate President-elect. If either of the Faculty Senate presidential officers are on the ballot, they shall be replaced by another F aculty Senate officer. If no such Faculty Senate officer is available, the Faculty Senate shall appoint a faculty member whose name is not on the ballot(s).

J.	The new division chair shall be determined by the majority of votes cast.

K.	There would be a run off election in the following cases:

	1. There is a tie between two or more nominees.

	2. There are more than 2 nominees and neither of those who receive the two highest vote tallies has the majority of votes cast.

L.	The procedures in Selection Process B - J will be followed in the event of a runoff election with a time line determined by the EMCC President and the Faculty Senate President.

M.	If there is no resolution after two elections, a lottery of the nominees involved in the run-off election, to be organized and officiated by the EMCC President and the Faculty Senate President, will be held to select the chair.

N.	In the event of no nominees or self-nominees the following will occur:

	1. The EMCC President shall issue a second call for self-nominees. Nominations shall be due by the following Friday.

	2. The procedures for ballots and tabulation of results shall be the same as "3. Selection Process" B - J with a time line determined by the EMCC President and the Faculty Senate President.

	3. The EMCC President shall prepare a final ballot of individuals nominated and will distribute these names within two weeks to all faculty in that division, including those on sabbatical or leave, following the election call.

	4. If again no nominee or self-nominee surfaces a plan of action, agreed upon by the EMCC President, the Faculty Senate President and the faculty from that division, will be created and followed to provide for the faculty governance the division.

4.	Term of Office

A.	Each term shall be for two years.

B.	The term of office shall begin immediately after the last day of the Spring Semester.

C.	A chair can only serve three full consecutive terms unless there are no nominees when the first call for nominees is made. Then, the residing chair may run for reselection.

5.	Division Chair Peer Evaluation

A.	Each division chair shall be evaluated annually by the faculty members in the division.

B.	All division members will receive, from the division chair, by the first week of February, a copy of the job description for division chairs.

C.	Division members will be given opportunity in writing or electronically, by February 15, using a plus/delta form to evaluate division chairs in four categories that are listed below. Refer to appendix, Division Chair Job Description, for complete evaluation criteria.

	Categories:
	Curriculum
	Personnel
	Budget
	General Administrative Items

D.	A faculty division member has a right to a conference with the division chair to discuss issues or concerns.

E.	All evaluations will be given to the division chair.

6.	Vacancy

A.	A vacancy in a chair position shall be declared when a residing chair resigns, is absent for 60 successive days of accountability, is removed or is reassigned.

B.	In the case of a vacancy a new election will be held within two weeks to fulfill the remainder of the term. The procedures for ballots and tabulation of results shall be the same as for an election with a time line determined by the EMCC President and the Faculty Senate President (see "3. Selection Process").

C.	Exceptions to this vacancy procedure may be made with agreement between the EMCC President and the Faculty Senate President and the faculty from that division.

7.	Removal of a Chair

A.	A recall election may be initiated by either:

	1. A signed petition of two-thirds, (this number being rounded to the nearest unit) of the division faculty members presented to the EMCC President, or

	2. The EMCC President.

B.	The recall election shall take place within two weeks of said petition or president’s call. The procedures for ballots and tabulation of results shall be the same as "3. Selection Process" B-J with a time line determined by the EMCC President and the Faculty Senate President.

8.	Revision of the College Plan

A.	A proposal for change in the policy may be presented to the Faculty Senate by any faculty member at Estrella Mountain or by the EMCC President. The proposal for change in the policy may occur at any time.

B.	The Faculty Senate will then address the proposed change in the plan.

	1. A two-thirds majority vote in the Faculty Senate is needed for the motion to revise the College Plan.

	2. The Faculty Senate President will bring the motion to the EMCC President.

C.	Changes in this policy may be effected when the EMCC President and two-thirds majority of the faculty in the Faculty Senate agree. Unless otherwise specified, changes will take effect after the revised College Plan is signed by the EMCC President and the Faculty Senate President.

D.	The College Plan shall undergo periodic review every two years by a sub-committee of the Faculty Senate.



College President College Senate President

_______________________________________________ Date _____________

The original EMCC College Plan was signed May 1997. A previous revision of this plan occurred in May 1999. Original copies of these documents are available in the EMCC's President's office