About Montgomery College Governance
History
In a memorandum to the College community on January 20, 2011, the Montgomery College President announced the intent to revisit the College’s system of governance in order to bring it into compliance with Board policy (11004). To facilitate the creation of a governance system in which students, staff, faculty, and administrators engage in collaborative and respectful dialog, the President called for an internal Blue Ribbon Task Force on Governance, comprised of representation from all constituency groups.
The President charged the Task Force:
- To examine the existing system of governance at the College and develop a set of recommendations for restructuring it into a system that it is inclusive and participatory;
- To develop a set of procedures that is in support of and consistent with Board policy, and can also be used as guidelines for implementing the restructured system;
- To identify a set of criteria that could be used to assess the effectiveness of the system.
Along with this charge, the Task Force examined the Board Policy (11004) on governance for Montgomery College (Principles 2, 3, and 4) to clarify the direction that the Task Force would take to identify the new governance structure.
Principle 2:
All constituent groups within the College have a vested interest and a role in ensuring that the College fulfills the mission under the authority and direction of the Board of Trustees and under the leadership of the President.
Principle 3:
Participatory governance is a method of organized and collegial interaction in which faculty, staff, students, and administrators participate in thoughtful deliberation and the decision-making process, leading to recommendations made to the College President, who represents the administration of the College as an agent of the Board of Trustees.
Principle 4:
Mutual agreement is the goal to be achieved through active participation and collegial interaction by all constituent groups.
Based on the charge from the President, the intent of the Board of Trustees for inclusive interaction, and feedback from the College community, the Task Force came to a final consensus to identify a structure that meets the criteria of securing input from all stakeholders and assures the facility of two-way communication among them. The model is composed of four broad council areas: a College Council, four councils representing constituent groups, four councils representing functional areas, and four councils representing campuses.
Over the course of the 2011-2012 academic year, the Task Force worked to create the infrastructure of the governance system including the constitution, bylaws, handbook, website, nomination and election system, and assessment tools.
The first elections were held during the spring 2012 semester with 159 students, faculty, staff, and administrator beginning their service in the participatory governance system during the fall 2012 semester.
How Can I Get Involved?
Select your role at the college:
How Can Administrators Get Involved?
Representation: The chairs of each council will sit on the College Council. Therefore, at least one administrator, the chair of the Administrator Council, will sit on the College Council.
| Constituent Constituent Council | Representation |
|---|---|
| Administrator Council |
4 administrators from academic affairs, 1 of whom is from Workforce Development and Continuing Education 3 administrators from administrative and fiscal services 1 administrator from student services 1 other administrator who is not on the President's Executive Committee nor represented in the above three membership groups |
| Campus Councils | Representation |
|---|---|
| Germantown Campus Council | 1 Germantown administrator |
| Rockville Campus Council | 1 Rockville administrator |
| Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Council | 1 Takoma Park/Silver administrator |
| Workforce Development and Continuing Education Council | 1 Workforce Development and Continuing Education administrator |
| Functional Councils | Representation |
|---|---|
| Academic Services Council |
2 instructional deans or associate instructional deans 1 other administrator |
| Employee Services Council |
Vice President of Human Resources, Development, and Engagement 1 other administrator |
| Operational Services Council |
Vice President of Security and Facilities Vice President of Instructional and Information Technology/Chief Information Officer Vice President of Budget and Fiscal Analysis |
| Student Services and Success Council |
1 dean or associate dean of student development Director of Enrollment Management Collegewide Director or Associate Director of Financial Aid |
How Can Faculty Get Involved?
Representation: The chairs of each council will sit on the College Council. Therefore, at least one faculty member, the chair of the Faculty Council, will sit on the College Council.
| ConstituentConstituent Council | Representation |
|---|---|
| Faculty Council |
6 at-large full-time faculty members, 2 from each campus 3 at-large part-time faculty members, 1 from each campus 1 instructor from Workforce Development & Continuing Education 1 Germantown department chair 1 Rockville department chair 1 Takoma Park/Silver Spring department chair 1 faculty representative from the College Committee on Academic Regulations and Standards 1 faculty representative from the Collegewide Curriculum Committee 1 faculty representative from the Germantown Campus Faculty Committee 1 faculty representative from the Rockville Campus Faculty Committee 1 faculty representative from the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Faculty Committee |
| Campus Councils | Representation |
|---|---|
| Germantown Campus Council |
2 Germantown full-time instructional faculty members 1 Germantown full-time counseling faculty member 1 Germantown department chair 1 Germantown part-time faculty member |
| Rockville Campus Council |
2 Rockville full-time instructional faculty members 1 Rockville full-time counseling faculty member 1 Rockville department chair 1 Rockville part-time faculty member |
| Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Council |
2 Takoma Park/Silver Spring full-time instructional faculty members 1 Takoma Park/Silver Spring full-time counseling faculty member 1 Takoma Park/Silver Spring department chair 1 Takoma Park/Silver Spring part-time faculty member |
| Workforce Development and Continuing Education Council | 2 Workforce Development and Continuing Education instructors |
| Functional Councils | Representation |
|---|---|
| Academic Services Council |
1 Germantown full-time faculty member 1 Rockville full-time faculty member 1 Takoma Park/Silver Spring full-time faculty member 1 part-time faculty member 1 Workforce Development and Continuing Education employee (can be an instructor, staff member, or administrator) |
| Employee Services Council |
1 Germantown full-time faculty member 1 Rockville full-time faculty member 1 Takoma Park/Silver Spring full-time faculty member 1 part-time faculty member 1 Workforce Development and Continuing Education employee (can be an instructor, staff member, or administrator) |
| Operational Services Council |
1 Germantown full-time faculty member 1 Rockville full-time faculty member 1 Takoma Park/Silver Spring full-time faculty member 1 part-time faculty member 1 Workforce Development and Continuing Education employee (can be an instructor, staff member, or administrator) |
| Student Services and Success Council |
1 Germantown full-time faculty member 1 Rockville full-time faculty member 1 Takoma Park/Silver Spring full-time faculty member 1 part-time faculty member 1 Workforce Development and Continuing Education employee (can be an instructor, staff member, or administrator) |
How Can Staff Get Involved?
Representation: The chairs of each council will sit on the College Council. Therefore, at least one staff, the chair of the Staff Council, will sit on the College Council.
| ConstituentConstituent Council | Representation |
|---|---|
| Staff Council |
3 staff members from Germantown 3 staff members from Rockville 3 staff members from Takoma Park/Silver Spring 3 staff member from Central Services 1 staff member from Workforce Development and Continuing Education 1 non-supervisory facilities staff member from any location 1 non-supervisory administrative support staff member from any location |
| Campus Councils | Representation |
|---|---|
| Germantown Campus Council |
1 Germantown library staff person 1 Germantown-based information technology staff member 3 other Germantown staff members |
| Rockville Campus Council |
1 Rockville library staff person 1 Rockville-based information technology staff member 3 other Rockville staff members |
| Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Council |
1 Takoma Park/Silver Spring library staff person 1 Takoma Park/Silver Spring-based information technology staff member 3 other Takoma Park/Silver Spring staff members |
| Workforce Development and Continuing Education Council |
2 program directors 1 operations staff member 1 business service staff member 1 Workforce Development and Continuing Education Information Technology staff member 1 non-supervisory staff member 1 at-large staff member |
| Functional Councils | Representation |
|---|---|
| Academic Services Council |
3 staff members from different locations 1 Workforce Development and Continuing Education employee (can be an instructor, staff member, or administrator) |
| Employee Services Council |
3 staff members from different locations 1 Workforce Development and Continuing Education employee (can be an instructor, staff member, or administrator) |
| Operational Services Council |
3 staff members from different locations 1 Workforce Development and Continuing Education employee (can be an instructor, staff member, or administrator) |
| Student Services and Success Council |
3 staff members from different locations 1 Workforce Development and Continuing Education employee (can be an instructor, staff member, or administrator) |
How Can Students Get Involved?
Representation: The chairs of each council will sit on the College Council. Therefore, at least one student, the chair of the Student Council, will sit on the College Council.
| ConstituentConstituent Council | Representation |
|---|---|
| Student Council |
3 Germantown students 3 Rockville students 3 Takoma Park/Silver Spring students 3 Workforce Development and Continuing Education students |
| Campus Councils | Representation |
|---|---|
| Germantown Campus Council | 2 Germantown students |
| Rockville Campus Council | 2 Rockville students |
| Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Council | 2 Takoma Park/Silver Spring students |
| Workforce Development and Continuing Education Council | 2 Workforce Development and Continuing Education students |
| Functional Councils | Representation |
|---|---|
| Academic Services Council |
2 students from different locations |
| Employee Services Council |
2 students from different locations |
| Operational Services Council |
2 students from different locations |
| Student Services and Success Council |
2 students from different locations |
Nominations and Elections
Nominations begin towards the end of February. Elections begin towards the end of March and conclude in early April. Specific dates will be announced via a Collegewide memo at the start of the Spring semester. Council terms of service are typically two years for employee positions and one year for student positions, with a few exceptions. Thus, about half the positions are elected each year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. General information about MC Governance and each of the governance councils can be found on this website. See below for more specific questions.
Do you have a question that is not addressed here? Email a question to the Director of Governance, Dr. Clevette Ridguard.
A: Contact the council's chair. Click on "Councils" or "Membership" to the see the list of chairs. If you are unsure which council to contact, you can contact the College Council Chair or the Director of Governance.
A: If the issue relates to a specific role (e.g., primarily impacts faculty), contact the corresponding constituent council (Faculty Council, Staff Council, Administrator Council, or Student Council). If the issue relates to a specific location, contact a campus council (Germantown, Rockville, Takoma Park/Silver Spring, or WDCE). If the issue is Collegewide but not limited to a single role, contact a functional council (Academic Services, Employee Services, Operational Services, or Student Services). If the issue impacts all groups, then contact the College Council. If you are unsure which council to contact, you can contact the College Council Chair or the Director of Governance.
A: Email the specific council mailbox or the council chair for the meeting via a Zoom link.
A: Click "Membership" on the governance home page. This will give you a list of all members, grouped by council, and what role (faculty, staff, student, or administrators) and location (All, Germantown, Rockville, Takoma Park/Silver Spring, or Workforce Development and Continuing Education).