Participatory Governance

Purpose of Participatory Governance

This decision-making model brings clarity to accountability and reporting requirements, improves communication between committees, and provides assessment and improvement processes for committees; including evaluating the roles and responsibilities, composition, and effectiveness of committees. Participatory governance provides an opportunity for various stakeholders, including students, faculty, classified professionals, and administrators to have a voice in shaping policies, programs, and initiatives at Cuesta College.

Participatory governance is guided by the principles outlined in the California Education code, Title 5 regulations, and our own local policies.

Committee Structure
The committee structure of the SLOCCCD is grounded by the district’s mission and is focused on achieving institutional effectiveness and student success. The district’s committee structure ensures compliance for participatory governance as stated in AB 1725, Title 5 regulations, and the California Education Code, and offers opportunities for individuals to learn more about and participate in governance and decision-making in the district. The district’s Committee Membership List is published annually and is made available on the Cuesta College website accreditation page under the governance link and posted on SharePoint.

The committee structure also supports the process of reflective institutional dialogue and the foundation of the standards of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). The ACCJC gives dialogue a central place in the district’s focus on institutional effectiveness, participatory governance, and student learning. The Guide to Institutional Self-Evaluation, Improvement, and Peer Review states, “Institutional leaders create and encourage >innovation leading to institutional excellence. They support administrators, faculty, staff, and students, no matter what their official titles, in taking initiative for improving the practices, >programs, and services in which they are involved. When ideas for improvement have policy or significant institution-wide implications, systematic participative processes are used to assure effective planning and implementation.” The work and actions of the SLOCCCD committees support student learning, planning, resource allocation decisions, and ongoing improvement for the short- and long-term sustainability of the district.