GOVERNANCE AND ORGANIZATION

Board of Trustees Meetings

All of the following policies deal directly with meetings of the Board of Trustees:

Administrative Reports. As a general practice, brief reports may be presented by the administrative staff during each meeting.

Agenda. The President shall prepare the agenda in cooperation with the Chairperson. Other board members may request items to be placed on the agenda prior to the meeting except at special meetings of the Board. The President shall prepare and distribute appropriate background material concerning items on the agenda to each board member prior to each meeting, which then shall be referred to as the annotated agenda. The annotated agenda shall be sent to all board members at least three (3) calendar days prior to any regular board meeting. Once the agenda is prepared and sent to the board members, additional items will not be added except for special circumstances.

The agenda format shall include call to order; introduction of guests; a consent agenda to approve routine matters by a single motion and vote such as approval of minutes, payment of claims, employment contracts and affiliation agreements; new business; old business; discussion items; reports; and adjournment.

Executive Session Recess. As required by the Kansas Open Meetings Act (K.S.A. 75-4318), the Board will, as it recesses into executive session, include in its motion a statement of: 1) the justification for closing the meeting; 2) the subjects to be discussed during the executive session; and, 3) the time and place at which the open meeting will resume. The motion to recess, including the required statement, will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting and be maintained as part of the permanent records.

The Board of Trustees understands that no subject can be discussed at any closed or executive session except as permitted by the Kansas Open Meetings Act and Kansas Law.

Minutes. Accurate minutes of each board meeting shall be taken and transcribed. The minutes shall clearly reflect all motions voted on by the Board, including action taken by the Board on motions which did not pass. The Board shall review the minutes of each meeting as soon thereafter as practicable, shall make any corrections or changes required to make the minutes accurately reflect the action taken by the Board and then approve such minutes as presented or changed. The Board shall keep records necessary to document board actions. The minutes will be kept by the President as a permanent official record of board action and will be open to the inspection of the public at all times.

Notification. All meetings of the Board of Trustees shall comply with the Kansas Open Meetings Act. Appropriate notice will be provided for both regular or special meetings of the date, time, and place of these meetings to any person requesting the information.

Order of Business. In general, all meetings will follow this format: 1) Call to order; 2) Introduction of guests; 3) Approval of consent agenda; 4) Reports; 5) Business; 6) Reports and discussion; and 7) Adjournment. [Revised March, 2006]

Quorum. A simple majority (4) of the Board of Trustees is a quorum. No board action is valid unless a quorum is present and voting, and a proper record is made of the action taken.

Rules of Order. The board meetings shall be governed by rules of procedure as adopted by the Board and in accordance with law.

The Chairperson (or Vice Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson) will preside at all meetings. In the absence of both the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, the members present will elect a Chairperson pro tempore who will serve only for that meeting or for that part of the meeting in which the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson are absent.

Any Board member who wishes to make a motion, second a motion, or discuss pending business will first secure recognition of the Chairperson.

The Chairperson will present each agenda item for discussion or designate the President or staff member who will present the agenda item.

All formal actions of the Board will be taken by ordinary motions unless a formal resolution is required by law. It will not be necessary for a motion to be before the Board in order to discuss  an agenda item which has been presented by the Chairperson for consideration. In the ordinary course of events, the Board will discuss all matters other than routine procedural questions prior to the making of a motion in order that reaching a consensus may be facilitated.

The following motions will be in order:

• To recess;
• To take action;
• To amend a motion to take action, but such amending motion will be disposed of before any other motion to amend the main motion will be in order;
• To defer action, either finally or to a specific time, date, and place; To go into executive session; and
• To adjourn, either finally or to a specific time, date, and place.

Types.

1. Regular Meetings—Meetings of the Board of Trustees will be held on the third Monday of each month at a time and a place to be designated by the Board, unless conditions require additional meetings. The President of the College shall properly notify each member of all meetings.
2. Special Meetings—Special meetings of the Board of Trustees may be called by the Chairperson of the Board, by the President of the college, or any three (3) members of the Board, should conditions warrant. The President of the College shall notify each trustee of any special meeting giving the time, date, place, and purpose prior to the

Visitor Participation. Guests are welcome at meetings of the Board and may address the Board subject to specific guidelines. 

1. Individuals wishing to address the Colby Community College Board of Trustees shall formally advise the President of their intention at least forty-eight (48) hours before the meeting, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, by providing their name and the agenda item topic they plan on addressing.
2. Once the Chairperson officially opens the meeting, no one other than members of the Board or the President of the college will be allowed to enter into the discussion except by direct request of the Chairperson of the Board, the President of the college, or a member of the Board of Trustees. The Chair may recognize the individual(s) to address the Board of Trustees after the members have discussed the agenda item but prior to a vote on the motion.
3. There shall be a Public Comments/Other Items time on each board meeting agenda. All visitors will be accorded the common courtesies of an introduction to the Board and provision of certain material deemed appropriate for their information. During this Public Comments/Other Items time, members of the public will be able to address the Board on non-agenda items. The Board will not take any action on concerns or requests made during this time.  Public comments will conform to the delivery guidelines below:

• • Each speaker is limited to three minutes, and the Board reserves the right to limit debate;
  • Written information may be submitted;
  • Individual(s) wishing to speak will identify themselves and state whether or not they represent an opinion of a group or themselves; and
  • Information or comments related to Colby Community College’s non-elected personnel may be referred to an Executive Session.

 [Revised Sept. 2022]

Voting Method. The Board shall take action by way of motions.  No motion may be acted upon until it has been duly seconded by a member of the board. The vote on all motions shall be by “yes” and “no.” Following each vote, the Chairperson shall announce that the motion carried or failed by a vote of (number of) affirmative votes to      negative votes.  The minutes shall indicate whether a motion passed or failed. Each board member shall have the privilege of explaining for the record any vote, be it affirmative, negative or abstaining. Any abstaining vote shall be counted as a “no” vote.

Any Board member may declare a conflict of interest on a particular issue and shall leave the meeting until the matter is concluded. The minutes shall reflect the fact that a particular Board member has declared a conflict of interest and left.