Participatory Governance Council

The Participatory Governance Council (PGC) is the participatory governance committee responsible for matters relating to college leadership and governance.

The PGC facilitates efforts to improve institutional effectiveness through direct communication between the College President, Senate leaders, and participatory governance tri-chairs, providing transparency throughout participatory governance decision-making processes, streamlining leadership and governance structures, and encouraging collaboration between and among organizational units or committees with overlapping responsibilities.

1. Oversee the structure and function of participatory governance and modify as needed to ensure effective leadership and governance.
2. Review recommendations from participatory governance committees to ensure that they align with the College and District Strategic Plans, Accreditation Standards, statutes, initiatives, or other external or internal standards or criteria.
3. Coordinate and monitor the progress participatory governance committees are making toward the Strategic Plan.
4. Serve as the Accreditation Steering Committee.

Effective Participatory Governance is realized when the following principles are upheld:

Collegial Consultation: With a diverse institution and wide-ranging student goals, it is impossible for any individual or group to understand the full range of student experiences and needs. CRC values all constituent voices in our definition of collegial consultation, and has instituted a tri-chair model of leadership in most participatory governance committees. As designated by California law and Educational Code, faculty, represented by the Academic Senate, are consulted on academic and professional matters (Local Senates Handbook p. 15 (PDF)).  

Civil Discourse: Outlined in CRC’s Honor Code, the values of honesty, fairness, respect, and responsibility are integral for Participatory Governance to flourish. By upholding these values in professional discourse, the College allows room for diverse opinions and viewpoints, which are critical to thoughtful decision-making. 

Transparency: Effective communication and a well-informed body are central to the health of the college. Transparency is achieved by consistent documentation of dialogue regarding institutional planning through committee and workgroup meeting minutes and through clear and understandable processes.

Participatory Governance Structure

In 2017, CRC implemented a redesigned participatory governance structure based on assessment performed during the strategic planning process. This redesign reduced redundancies in committee work, clarified roles and charges, and improved communication among committees and groups on campus by streamlining leadership and governance structures. Under this new structure, participatory governance is organized into three layers, the Participatory Governance Council, the Branches, and the Committees. 

Download Participatory Governance Structure Diagram.

The Participatory Governance Council (PGC) is the participatory governance committee responsible for matters relating to college leadership and governance. The PGC facilitates direct communication between the College President, Senate leaders, and participatory governance tri-chairs. This body leads institutional planning and encourages collaboration between and among organizational units or committees with overlapping responsibilities.

The Participatory Governance Branches serve as conduits for communication and institutional planning in the areas of Institutional Effectiveness, Student Learning and Instructional Support, Student Success & Equity, and Resources. Each branch serves a facilitating role for related PG Committees and reviews relevant accreditation standards for planning and documentation.

Participatory Governance Committees ensure continuous growth and improvement in key college priorities. Each committee has a unique charge reflecting its areas of oversight and roles. 

Cosumnes River College believes that in order to plan effectively and make well-informed decisions all constituents must be included in participatory governance. As a result, the College has implemented a tri-chair model in the PGC, the Branches, and in most committees, with a faculty member, a classified professional, and an administrator serving as leadership for the committee. 

Committee members from all four constituency groups are appointed to serve in a representative role. Members are responsible for bringing relevant agenda items from their constituents, sharing information and updates, and gathering feedback on planning items to inform the work of the committee.

All participatory governance bodies are responsible for maintaining meeting agendas and minutes so that they may be publicly available in compliance with the Brown Act and accreditation standards.

The flow of planning and decision-making at CRC follows the model presented below. Decision items may originate from any constituency group or committee as well as from the college president. Proposals should be shared with relevant committees or branches for feedback, improvement, and vetting. Items that affect the entire college or the function and structure of participatory governance are vetted through the Participatory Governance Council. Communication and feedback by constituent representatives should occur at each stage to ensure transparent and well-informed decisions. Decision-making at CRC does not occur in isolation, thus collective bargaining groups, advisory groups, and ad hoc work groups provide unique and critical perspectives to inform college leadership.

Download flowchart (PNG)

Academic Senate:

• 10 + 1 (AB1725/Title 5)
• Makes appointments to PG committees
• Discusses issues related to faculty participation in governance

Classified Senate:

• Makes appointments to PG committees
• Provides a classified professional perspective on issues related to college planning
• Discusses issues related to classified participation in governance

Student Senate:

• Makes appointments to PG committees
• Provides a student perspective on issues related to college planning

Management Group:

• Makes appointments to PG committees
• Provides administrative perspective on issues related to college planning

Institutional growth and improvement require that the college regularly evaluate governance and decision-making processes and make adjustments to address evolving needs and priorities. Assessment of governance and planning processes is performed on an ongoing basis during the course of committee work, through annual surveys and reports, and through institutional planning processes such as strategic planning. Improvements are implemented as identified to ensure that the college’s processes and representative decision-making remain relevant and effective.

Surveys

• PGC Survey, 2020
• PGC Survey, 2019

Cultural Competence & Equity Committee (CC&E) 2nd and 4th Thursday a month from 1:00-2:30pm.

Curriculum Committee 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month from 3:00-5:00pm

Distance Education & Information Technology (DEIT) Committee 1st Thursday of the month 3:00-4:00pm.

Health & Safety Committee 2nd Monday of the month from 1:30-2:30pm.

Institutional Effectiveness Committee (IE) 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month 9:00-10:30am.

Participatory Governance Council (PGC) 4th Tuesday of each month 2:00-3:00pm.

Professional Development Committee 2nd Friday of the month from 10:30am-12:00pm.

Resources Committee 3rd Monday of the month 3:00-4:30pm.

Student Success and Equity Committee 4th Wednesday of the month from 3:00-4:30pm.