Shared Governance Principles

This document was drafted by the Joint Executive Board, a combined committee of the President and her executive leadership team and the Executive Board of the Faculty Senate. The Administrative Faculty Committee, the NFA, and the SGA have also made contributions to the document. This document was approved at the March 13, 2020 Faculty Senate Meeting and approved by the TMCC President on May 20, 2020.

1. Overview

In order to maintain excellence at TMCC, the community as a whole must create the conditions for high performance in all areas. To do so effectively requires joint efforts through shared governance and involve a broad base of campus stakeholders, including faculty, administration, students, staff, the Board of Regents, and community members. 

Joint efforts in an academic institution require a productive interdependence of all stakeholders, and will take a variety of forms appropriate to the kinds of situations encountered. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities directs that "differences in the weight of each voice, from one point to the next, should be determined by reference to the responsibility of each component for the particular matter at hand" (AAUP 2a.2). 

Furthermore, General Educational Policy (mission, values, goals, nature, range and pace of efforts) is shaped by the TMCC Strategic Master Plan, the TMCC Bylaws, the NSHE Handbook, and the Procedures & Guidelines Manual.

2. Role Distinctions between the TMCC President, Administration, Faculty, the Faculty Senate, the NFA and Students 

President and Administration 

As the chief executive officer of TMCC, the President shares responsibility with the vice presidents and instructional deans for leading the development and implementation of the TMCC Strategic Master Plan collaboratively, thus reaching out to all campus stakeholders and providing opportunities to assist. All college leaders, including faculty leaders and other representatives participating in shared governance share in the communications that connect the members of the TMCC community together. 

The TMCC President represents the institution externally by speaking for the institution at Board of Regents meetings, at events, as a participant on the Foundation and the Institutional Advisory Council as well as community boards in the Reno/Sparks region connected to the work of TMCC. The TMCC Marketing and Communications Office, which resides in the Office of the President, oversees planned media press releases, events, and handles calls from the media. 

The TMCC President is tasked with moving the college forward as measured by NSHE and Nevada state government and this requires initiation, innovation, and successful advocacy for resources. The TMCC President has the task of solving what the AAUP refers to as "problems of obsolescence." It is also the duty of the TMCC President to ensure that employees conform to NSHE policy and state laws.