GOVERNANCE AND ORGANIZATION
Board of Trustees
Authority of Members
No board member, as an individual, has any authority in matters dealing with the college.
All members of the board should use discretion in voicing personal convictions concerning
issues affecting the college. A decision once made by the majority present at any
duly called meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be respected by all members of
the board.
Authorization
The powers of the Board of Trustees are generally set forth in K.S.A. 71-201.
Characteristics
The Board of Trustees will continue to:
- Be informed and knowledgeable regarding the college and its operation;
- Lend support, wisdom, and perspective to the administration of the institution;
- Maintain positive public relations with the people it serves;
- Be instrumental in the long-range planning efforts of the
Conflict of Interest
Ethically, board members are expected to address collectively their duties and responsibilities
in the best interest of Colby Community College and the Board of Trustees. They should
not act as an agent of their own, personal interests or those of another individual
or organization. A conflict of interest is present when actions or decisions may provide
to the individual board member, or another person, group or organization, benefit
or gain - monetary or otherwise. When an issue arises which is, or could be perceived
as, a conflict of interest, a board member should disclose the circumstances and abstain
from discussion, deliberation or decision in the matter. An individual who declares
a conflict of interest may leave the meeting until the matter is concluded. The minutes
shall reflect that a particular board member has declared a conflict of interest and
left.
Duties
Within those powers specifically authorized by statute, the duties of the Board of
Trustees shall include the following:
- Select and appoint the executive head or President of the college and fix his/her term of office and compensation;
- Determine the broad general policies which will govern the operation of the college, and review them periodically;
- Consider and take appropriate action concerning recommendations of the President in all matters of policy relating to the welfare of the school, including rates of employees’ compensation, site utilization and physical plant development, matters of capital outlay, and curricular offerings;
- After receiving administrative recommendations, assume responsibility for making decisions concerning appointment, retention, or dismissal of faculty and other staff members;
- Approve the annual budget;
- Approve and authorize an accurate record to be kept of the expenditure of all funds;
- Provide ways and means of adequate financial support;
- Function as the legislative and policy-making body charged with the oversight and control of the college, leaving the executive function to the President;
- Establish citizen advisory committees for the purpose of strategic planning;
- Exercise the power to purchase, lease, condemn, or in any other legal manner acquire real and personal property deemed necessary for the operation of the college;
- Serve as a court of final appeal for students and employees on matters of policy formulated at the board level;
- Gifts made to Colby Community College or any department thereof may be transferred to the Colby Community College Endowment Foundation including cash, pledges, securities, trusts, insurance policies, real estate and other gifts in kind. The Vice President of Business Affairs will prepare a listing of gifts to the college for the board to review and act upon at a regular board meeting. In cases where the Vice President of Business Affairs is unsure of the intent of the donor, the donor will be contacted for permission to make such a transfer to the Endowment Foundation. After the Board of Trustees has approved contributions, they may be transferred to the Endowment Foundation. This applies only to gifts made directly to the college as opposed to the Colby Community College Endowment Foundation.
Election
(K.S.A. 71-1403, et. seq.)
The governing board of the college shall be a Board of Trustees composed of six (6)
members who shall be elected at large from a territory of the community college district.
Members shall serve for a term of four (4) years. Individuals seeking election must
be a resident in Thomas County.
(K.S.A. 71-1413)
Elections will be held in November in each odd-numbered year. Newly elected trustees take office the following January after the November election. No member of the Board of Trustees shall be a current employee at Colby Community College. If the need for a primary election exists, the election shall be held on the first Tuesday of August of each odd-numbered year in accordance with K.S.A. 25-205, and amendments thereto.
(K.S.A. 71-1414)
Prospective or current Board Members must file a declaration of intent by June 1 of each odd-numbered year as K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 22-21a03, and amendments thereto, and K.S.A. 25-205, and amendments thereto. Individuals may file for a trustee position by appearing in person at the Thomas County Clerk’s office by June 1, at noon, of each odd-numbered year and pay the required filing fee.
Handling of Complaints
When approached by any student, staff member, or citizen who wishes to criticize or
voice a complaint concerning any part of the operation of the college, the Trustees
must refer the person to the President or other administrative officer of the college.
The complaint can then either be corrected at the administrative level or properly
placed upon the agenda for consideration by the Board of Trustees at their next meeting.
Attempts to answer or handle the complaint as an individual trustee often lead to
misunderstandings and tend to destroy board unity. Staff members who discuss problems
and complaints with individual trustees are guilty of unethical practice.
Legal Counsel
The President of the College is authorized by the Board of Trustees to hire legal
counsel for any purposes essential for the efficient operation of the college, within
the limitations of the annual budget appropriation for such services. The President
shall, however, keep the Board informed about the nature of all legal services contracted
and/or used.
Oath or Affirmation of Officer or Employee
(K.S.A. 75-4308; 75-4309; 75-4312; and 75-4314)
Each member of the Board of Trustees is required by law to sign an oath or affirmation
that he/she will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution
of the State of Kansas. The signed oath or affirmation is kept on file at the office
of the Thomas County Clerk.
Officers
(K.S.A. 71-201)
The Board shall elect a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer at
the July meeting each year. Those officers so selected will assume the duties of their
offices until their successors are named. The Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Treasurer
will be elected from the membership of the Board. The Secretary may be the chief administrative
officer of the community college. The Board, in its discretion, may remove and re-elect
officers at any time. [Revised May, 2008]
Chairperson’s Duties
-
- Preside at all meetings of the Board of Trustees;
- Call special meetings as required;
- Become informed and practice the proper conduct of meetings;
- Perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law or by action of the Board of Trustees.
Vice Chairperson’s Duties
-
- Preside at all meetings of the Board of Trustees in the absence of the Chairperson;
- Become informed and practice the proper conduct of meetings;
- Perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law or by action of the
Secretary’s Duties
-
- Notify all members of the Board of all regular, special, and adjourned meetings;
- Attend all board meetings unless excused by the Chairperson;
- Record the minutes of each meeting of the Board of Trustees and transmit a copy of such minutes to each member of the Board before ensuing meetings;
- Maintain custody of all records, proceedings, and documents of the Board;
- Keep such records, minutes of board meetings, and accounts open to public inspection;
- Perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law or by action of the Board of Trustees.
Treasurer’s Duties
Receive, hold in custody, and expend all funds as directed by the Board of Trustees.
Remuneration
No member of the Board of Trustees, may receive any compensation for any services
rendered the community college.
Vacancies
(K.S.A. 71-201 (15)
The Board of Trustees will appoint a member to fill any vacancy on the Board for the
balance of the unexpired term.
[Updated: May 2020; June 2021]
- Audit and Inventory Control
- Authorization to Purchase (Bidding Policy)
- Authorization to Sign Contracts and Agreements
- Authorized Signers
- Billing and Payment
- Bonds
- Budget
- Cash Management
- Check Signing
- College Ownership and Use
- College Seal
- Competing Business Interests
- Compliance of Federal Funds
- Credit Card Usage
- Debt Management
- Disposition of Surplus Property
- Expenditures And Fiscal Control
- Facilities and Naming Guidelines
- Federal Funding
- Financial Compliance
- Financial Responsibility Agreement
- Gift Acknowledgement
- Gramm – Leach – Bliley Act (GLBA)
- Grants and Other Outside Financial Resources
- Indirect Rates
- Investment of Funds
- Petty Cash and Change Funds
- Prior Year Charges
- Records Retention
- Refunds
- Rental of Facilities
- Return of Title IV Funds
- Returned Checks
- Sale of Livestock
- Sales and Advertising On Campus
- Scholarships (Internal)
- Scholarships (Performance-Based)
- Small Balance Write-Off
- Stop Payment
- Supplanting
- Tuition Assistance
- Uncollectable Debt Write-Off
- Use of College Equipment
- Vehicle Fleet
- Access Control
- Accessibility
- Advert Waiver for Staff Positions
- Background Check
- Bicycles and other Mobile Devices Motorized and Non-Motorized
- Children in the Workplace
- Civility
- Compensatory and Overtime
- Complaints
- Conditions of Employment
- Condolences and other Recognition
- Conflict of Interest
- Copyrights and Patents
- Credit Card Usage
- Emotional Support and Service Animals
- Employee Benefits
- Equipment Usage
- Equity Grievance Resolution
- Ethics and Integrity
- Incentive-Based Enrollment
- Individual Email Accounts
- Intellectual Property
- Interdepartmental Transfer
- Leave
- Operational Policies
- Parking
- Petty Cash and Change Funds
- Publication and Logo Use
- Raise Eligibility
- Recruitment Code of Conduct
- Social Media
- Suspension of Employee
- Telephone Usage and Long Distance
- Travel
- Use of Computers/College Computing and Information Systems
- Weapons
- Accreditation
- Accrediting Bodies
- Alcohol/Drug-Free Workplace and Drug-Free Awareness Program
- Child Abuse Prevention
- Copyright Infringement
- Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990
- Degrees and Certificates
- Employment
- Essential Skills and Outcomes
- Ethics and Integrity
- FERPA
- Harassment
- HIPAA
- Mission Statement
- Notice of Non-Discrimination
- Open Records Requests
- Philosophy
- Publication and Logo Use
- Purposes
- Vision
- Academic Integrity
- Academic Load
- Accessibility
- Administrative Drop
- Bicycles and Other Mobile Devices
- Billing and Payment
- Code of Conduct
- Copyright Infringement
- Credit Hour Definition
- Crowd Control at College Sponsored Activities
- Dorm Credit Hour Requirement
- Emotional Support and Service Animals
- Fairness in Women's Sports Act
- Financial Responsibility Agreement
- File a Complaint
- Grade Appeal
- Indigenous Student Tuition
- International Students and the Law
- Interrogations and Investigations
- Parking
- Placement Testing
- Prior Year Charges
- Proctoring
- Refunds
- Satisfactory Academic Progress (Academics)
- Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Scholarships
- Small Balance Write-Off
- Student-Athlete Drug Policy
- Student Complaint Guidelines
- Students with Disabilities
- Transcript Withholding
- Undocumented Immigrants
- Weapons
- Work Study and General Work Time
Human Resources
1255 S Range Ave
Colby KS 67701
hr@colbycc.edu
(785) 460-5406