Each of the four constituent groups is free to create and maintain its own constitution and by-laws.

Each committee in the governance structure should have half of its members serving the first year of a two-year term and the other half serving the second year of a two-year term. Therefore, during the first year of a new committee in the governance system, half of the members will serve only a one-year term in order to initiate a staggered membership. In order to insure rotation of membership, a committee member who is finishing a two-year term will have to skip one year before serving another two-year term.

Each committee will elect its own chair and recorder who will serve for one year.

In order to avoid conflict of interest, any committee member whose committee is charged with the competitive distribution of funds is ineligible to apply for those funds unless that member resigns from the committee.

Committees may receive charges from the College President’s designated Executive person or the President’s Advisory and Planning Council by the end of the first week of September. The PAPC must be informed of all charges assigned. Each committee should keep the President’s Advisory and Planning Council informed of initiatives created within the committee to prevent duplication of effort among the committees in the governance structure.

Each governance committee reports through a member of the Executive Staff. Committees shall receive written responses to recommendations within three weeks of receipt. Committees which have not received timely responses may appeal for support from the PAPC. If the committee and the corresponding member of the Executive Staff cannot reach a consensus on a recommendation, the committee can vote to seek review with the College President.

Each committee will present an annual report of activities, accomplishments, goals, and recommendations to the College President, the appropriate member of the Executive Staff, and the President’s Advisory and Planning Council no later than May 1 of each year. The President’s Advisory and Planning Council shall be responsible for ongoing assessment of the Governance System. The President’s Planning and Advisory Council must propose changes in the governance system to each standing committee and each constituent group. The proposed changes go into effect if there are no objections within 30 days. If any standing committee or constituent group objects to the proposed changes and cannot settle their differences with the President’s Advisory and Planning Council, then the proposed changes will have to pass a two thirds vote of the college community before becoming effective.

Elections for standing committees should be completed by April 1. The President has authorized the PAPC to make the Presidential appointments to the standing committees by April 20. The President retains the right to make three appointments to the PAPC. New officers of standing committees should be elected by May 1. The PAPC should meet and elect new officers by May 15. Standing committees will meet in the summer on an as needed basis. Newly elected officers will assume any summer responsibilities for the governance system.

The Classified Association, the Administrative Association, and the Learning Resources Centers will handle their own elections and appointments. The standing counselor on the PAPC will coordinate elections for counselors throughout the Governance System. For all other elections, outgoing members are responsible for organizing the election of their successors. Said members should circulate an announcement at least ten days before the election providing people who want to serve on a standing committee the opportunity to have their intentions indicated on the ballot. When the phrase "elected college wide" appears on a membership list, the appropriate group will conduct the election not the entire college community. For example, when a membership list calls for "one counselor elected college wide" the counselors of the college will elect a counselor as their representative to the committee in question. Presidential appointments will be for one year only, but the President can re appoint a person to the same committee as long as it will only be his or her second consecutive year on that same committee.

For the sake of continuity, the following members of the PAPC should be appointed to staggered two year terms:

1. Administrative Association representative will be appointed to two year terms during odd-numbered years.
2. Faculty Senate representative will be appointed to two-year terms during the even-numbered years.
3. Classified Association representative will be appointed to two year terms during even-numbered years.
4. Counselors' representative will be elected to two year terms during odd- numbered years.
5. Executive Staff representative will be appointed to two year terms during even-numbered years.
6. Librarians' representative will be elected to two year terms during even-numbered years.

All meetings of the Governance System should be open meetings. Closed meetings should happen only under extraordinary circumstances. If, for any reason, a committee feels the need for a closed meeting, the committee chair should give written notice of the request and the justification for the closed meeting to the administrator through whom the committee reports at least three weeks prior to the proposed meeting. The administrator should inform the committee chair of his or her decision at least one week prior to the proposed meeting.