Judgment of Compliance: The College certifies COMPLIANCE.

Narrative:

Wayne Community College provides for the authority of faculty in academic and governance issues primarily through its published policies and procedures in the WCC College Procedures Manual (CPM). The authority of faculty in academic matters is established by the college's policy on academic freedom. WCC's official policy supporting academic freedom and responsibility is found in the Board of Trustees Policy Manual and the CPM 03-0301, Academic Freedom. The policy states: " Wayne Community College is dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge, the engendering and development of skills, competencies, and understandings, and to the nurture of those personal and intellectual habits and attitudes which are peculiar to responsible individuals in a free, open, democratic society. The Board of Trustees, therefore, shall guarantee and protect judgment on the part of personnel of the College as they exercise academic freedom in accomplishing the objectives of the institution."

The authority of faculty on governance matters is also established through faculty representation on standing committees and councils that determine academic policies and procedures and college governance. As stated on each faculty member's job description, he/she will "participate in college activities including faculty, department, division and committee meetings . . ." The WCC CPM (01-0301 and 01-0302) lists these campus-wide committees and councils and specifies their composition, purpose, and authority. All committees listed in the WCC CPM include faculty participation, and many, if not most, directly affect academic policies, procedures, and governance at the College. These committees and councils include the Curriculum Committee, the Planning Council, the College Council's Faculty Affairs Committee, the Developmental Education Council, the Distance Education Committee, the Disciplinary Review Committee, the Global Education and Diversity Committee, the Library Committee, the Safety Committee, the Staff Development Committee, and the Technology Committee.

These committees and councils make recommendations to the President and the Administrative Council. The Administrative Council is comprised of administrators from every college division, acts on college-wide matters relating to rules and procedures, participates in long-range planning activities for the college, and establishes direct communication between the operating units of the college.

A key academic policy committee that demonstrates the governance authority of the faculty is the Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee's major function is to review and recommend curriculum additions and revisions as needed. Because the committee is composed primarily of faculty, it is faculty members who oversee changes in the college curriculum. WCC also provides for the authority of faculty in governance issues through faculty participation in the college's Planning Council. The Planning Council oversees institutional planning, budget allocations, reviews of programs and services, and the assessment of outcomes. Faculty members comprise one-half of the thirty members on the Planning Council. The chair of the Planning Council is normally a faculty member who works with the Director of Planning and Research to plan activities and make recommendations to the President and the Administrative Council. Planning council members are charged to represent their respective divisions and departments on planning, assessment, and evaluation activities and decisions. One of their major decisions involves prioritizing departmental planning objectives. Because these objectives are tied to funding, the council's recommendations to the Administrative Council and the WCC Board of Trustees have a significant impact on the institution's annual operating budget.

Another committee that demonstrates the faculty's involvement in the governance of the college is the College Council's Faculty Affairs Committee. Faculty comprises 100% of the membership of this committee. Governance and procedural issues come before this group. For example, in the fall of 2003, the Faculty Affairs Committee reviewed the faculty evaluation (Performance Appraisal) instrument and made recommendations to change it. These recommendations were presented to the President and the President's Administrative Council for action in the spring of 2004 and became effective Fall 2004.