Revised By-Laws
The Community College District is a body corporate, chartered and duly established in 1965 pursuant to Act 188 of the Michigan Public Acts of 1955, and operating under the Community College Act of 1966 (Act No. 331 of Public Acts of 1966), as amended. The district is and shall be known by the name and style of COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT OF WASHTENAW COUNTY. The name of the College is WASHTENAW COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
ARTICLE I
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
- Governing Body. The governing body of the Community College District shall be the
Board of Trustees. Membership on the Board of Trustees shall be determined in accordance
with the Community College Act of 1966, as amended (MCL 389.1 et seq.) Any vacancy
occurring in the membership of the Board shall be immediately filled through appointment
by the majority of the Board with a legally qualified voter who shall serve until
the next regular Board election, at which time the vacancy shall be filled by election
for the remainder of the term.
When a vacancy occurs, the Board Chair shall publicly announce the vacancy using electronic media including, but not limited to, the College’s website. Any qualified person who wishes to be considered for Board membership must submit a letter and a resume to the Board Chair through the College’s website within the time frame indicated on the vacancy announcement. The applicant must also provide evidence of eligibility.
The Board shall not be restricted to consideration of those submitting an application in filling such a vacancy. - Powers and Authority. The Board of Trustees shall establish policies under which the Community College District will operate and shall have all of the powers and authority conferred by law and these by-laws and incident thereto.
- Transaction of Business. All business of the Board of Trustees shall be transacted at a meeting of the Board, noticed and convened in accordance with the Michigan Open Meetings Act and these by-laws, at which a quorum is present. Individual members of the Board of Trustees shall have no power to act for the Board in any matter except as specifically authorized by official action of the Board as recorded in its minutes.
- Quorum and Action. A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The act of a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees shall be the act of the Board of Trustees. Every vote or resolution appropriating money or involving a financial liability on the part of the College shall be taken by a roll call vote. If a quorum is not present for any meeting, a majority of those present may adjourn the meeting to a future time.
- Attendance at Meetings. All members of the Board shall use every reasonable effort
to attend all meetings of the Board of Trustees in person. If this is not possible
because of extenuating circumstances, participation by conference call or other electronic
means of communication shall be permitted and shall constitute “presence” at the meeting
for all purposes under these By-Laws, only under the following circumstances:
- A quorum of the Board shall be physically present at the meeting site. If a majority of the Board is not present at the meeting site, the meeting will be cancelled for a lack of a quorum.
- Electronic participation must be approved by the majority of the Board through a roll call vote.
- The Board member who is attending virtually must be able to hear all discussions and presentations, have access to all documents and materials, and be able to ask questions and participate fully in the discussion.
- Persons at the meeting site must be able to hear the Board member attending virtually.
- The Board member attending virtually shall be responsible for arranging the necessary technology at his or her location.
- All votes taken during a session where a Board member is attending virtually shall be taken by roll call and the member attending virtually must identify himself or herself verbally before each roll call vote.
- Compensation. No member of the Board of Trustees shall be compensated for services rendered to the Community College District. At the discretion of the Board, Trustees may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of their official duties.
- Conflict of Interest. No Trustee shall have an interest, directly or indirectly, in any contract with the Community College District which may cause a substantial conflict of interest.
- Code of Ethics. The Board expects ethical conduct by itself and by its members. This
includes the proper use of authority and appropriate decorum in group and individual
behavior when acting as Board members.
- Board members will participate in educational activities including meetings and conferences to enhance their ability to serve effectively as members of the College’s governing body.
- Board members shall perform their duties in a manner that benefits the College as a whole and shall not attempt to represent any single interest group.
- Board members will support established lines of authority and shall not engage in activities that disrupt daily operations of the College.
- Board members will not interfere in normal procedures for the processing of complaints or grievances made by College faculty, staff or students.
ARTICLE II
OFFICERS OF THE BOARD
- Officers. The officers of the Board shall be a Chair, a Vice Chair, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be members of the Board.
- Chair. The Chair shall be the titular head of the Board and shall have the usual powers of that office. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Board at which s/he is present, appoint all committees unless the committee members are designated or their appointment otherwise provided for in the motion or resolution establishing the committee, be an ex-officio member of all committees, and perform such other duties as these by-laws provide or the Board of Trustees may prescribe.
- Vice Chair. The Vice Chair shall preside at meetings of the Board in the absence of the Chair and shall perform such other duties as the Board of Trustees may prescribe.
- Secretary. The Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept a proper record of all meetings of the Board, shall see that proper notices required by law are published or posted, that Board members are properly notified of all meetings, that records of the Board are available for public inspection, that minutes of previous meetings are supplied to all Board members as required by these by-laws and, in general, perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other duties as may from time to time be assigned by the Board. The Secretary may delegate such duties as the Secretary deems appropriate to an administrative assistant to the Board.
- Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive, hold in custody, invest, and handle all funds as directed by the Board of Trustees. The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the district as s/he may be ordered by the Board of Trustees, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements. The Board of Trustees may by resolution designate certain administrative officers to act for the Treasurer. The Treasurer and such designated assistants shall be bonded.
- Term; Removal. Officers shall be elected for a term of two years, subject to removal from office by a resolution of the Board. No resolution may be offered to remove an officer unless the resolution has been submitted to all members of the Board at least seven (7) days prior to the time the resolution is acted upon by the Board.
- Vacancies. Whenever an office of the Board of Trustees becomes vacant the members of the Board shall immediately fill the vacancy by majority vote. Any Trustee so elected shall hold office for the unexpired portion of the term.
ARTICLE III
MEETINGS OF THE BOARD
- Organizational Meeting. The organizational board meeting of the Community College District shall be held at the first meeting of the Board in January following the regular community college election.
- Regular Meetings. The Board shall meet on a regular basis at times determined by the Board. Regular meetings may be cancelled in advance by consent of the Board. Meetings will ordinarily be held at Washtenaw Community College, 4800 East Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106, but may be held at such other times and places in Michigan as the Board may determine. Notices of regular meetings shall comply with the requirements of the Michigan Open Meetings Act, as amended, and these by-laws.
- Notice of Regular Meetings. Public notice of the dates, times, and places of all scheduled regular meetings of the Board during the upcoming calendar year shall be posted within ten days after the first meeting of the Board in each calendar year. This notice shall indicate that the meetings are to be of the Board of Trustees of Washtenaw Community College, and shall state the address and telephone number of the Board of Trustees. The notice shall be posted at the principal office of Washtenaw Community College, and in the office of the Secretary to the Board of Trustees, 215 Student Center Building, Washtenaw Community College, 4800 East Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106. The notice shall also be posted through electronic media including, but not limited to, the College’s website.
- Change in Regular Meetings. If there is a change in the schedule of regular meetings of the Board of Trustees, there shall be posted, within three days after the meeting at which the change is made, a public notice stating the new dates, times and places of its regular meetings, as described in paragraph 3.
- Notice of Rescheduled or Special Meetings. If there is a rescheduled regular meeting or a special meeting of the Board, a public notice stating the date, time, and place of the meeting shall be posted at least eighteen hours before the meeting.
- Emergency Session. Nothing in this Article shall bar the Board from meeting in emergency session in the event of a severe and imminent threat to the health, safety, or welfare of the public, when two-thirds of the members serving on the Board of Trustees decide that delay would be detrimental to efforts to lessen or respond to the threat. Actions taken in emergency session shall be subject to ratification and confirmation at the next regular or special meeting of the Board.
- Recessed Meetings. If a meeting of the Board is recessed for more than 36 hours, it can be reconvened only after public notice which is equivalent to that required for a rescheduled regular or special meeting.
- Requests for Notice. Upon the written request of an individual, organization, firm, or corporation and upon the requesting party’s payment of a yearly fee of not more than the reasonable estimated cost for printing and postage, the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, or designee, shall send to the requesting party by first class mail, a copy of any notice required to be posted pursuant to this Article.
- Press Requests for Notice. Upon written request, the Secretary of the Board of Trustees or designee, at the same time a public notice of a meeting is posted pursuant to this Article, shall provide free of charge a copy of the public notice of that meeting to any newspaper published in the state and to any radio and television station located in the state.
- Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board may be called by a majority of Board members by serving on the other members a written notice of the day, time and place of such meeting and the matter or matters to be considered at said meeting. Only matters stated in the notice shall be considered at any special meeting, except that new matters may be added to the agenda by unanimous consent of all members of the Board present.
- Notice to Board Members of Special Meetings. A Board member shall be deemed to have been served notice of any special meeting if (1) the trustee is personally notified at least 24 hours before the meeting, or (2) notice of the meeting is delivered to the Board member’s residence and deposited with some person of the household at least 48 hours before the meeting, or (3) the notice is deposited in a United States governmental mail receptacle enclosed in a sealed envelope plainly addressed to such Board member at least 96 hours before the meeting, (4) notice is sent to the Board member by email at least 72 hours before the meeting. Any Board member, before or after any special meeting, may waive any of the foregoing requirements by signing a statement to that effect and depositing it with the Secretary of the Board.
- Meeting Agendas. The agenda for regular Board meetings shall be prepared under the direction of the Chair of the Board and the President of the College and emailed or mailed to the members of the Board at least 72 hours before the meeting or in the alternative, personally delivered 24 hours before the meeting. At a regular meeting, the Board may consider and act on any matter which may come before it, in accordance with these By-Laws, whether or not the matter is included on the prepared agenda. The President or any Board member may propose any subject for consideration and action. In the case of special meetings, the agenda shall be prepared by the person or persons calling the meeting and delivered with the notice.
- Open Meetings. All meetings of the Board shall be conducted in accordance with the Michigan Open Meetings Act (MCL 15.261 et seq.), as amended. All sessions or meetings of the Board shall be open to the public and shall be held in a place available to the general public. All decisions and deliberations of the Board constituting a quorum of its members shall take place at a meeting open to the public, except those permitted to be closed under Michigan law. All persons shall be permitted to attend any open meeting of the Board. No person shall be required as a condition to attendance at a meeting of the Board to register or otherwise provide his or her name or other information or otherwise be required to fulfill a condition precedent to attendance at a meeting of the Board.
- Closed Meetings. The Board of Trustees may meet in closed session in accordance with Michigan law. The Board shall be briefed annually by the College’s General Counsel on the current state of the law regarding legitimate purposes for closed meetings.
- Order of Business of Regular Meetings. The order of business at all regular meetings
shall be generally as follows. The order of business may be suspended at any meeting
by a majority vote of those present.
- Call to Order; Roll Call
- Approval of the Minutes
- Citizen Participation
- WCCEA
- Verbal Communications
- Written Communications
- Reports
- Remarks of Trustees and the President
- Old Business
- New Business
- Adjournment
- Addressing the Meeting. In order to provide a free flow of information between the patrons of Washtenaw Community College and the Board of Trustees, and at the same time assure the integrity of agenda and orderly scheduled meetings, the provisions of these by-laws will govern citizen participation during the public meetings. Any person in attendance at a meeting of the Board shall be permitted to address the meeting subject to the following rules.
- Addressing the Meeting: Members of the Community. Members of the community who wish
to address the Board of Trustees may do so (1) in written communication or (2) by
appearing at a regular meeting, and, at a time designated in the agenda, speaking
directly to the Board.
- Written Communication. Letters and other forms of written communication should be addressed to the Secretary of the Board of Trustees in care of Washtenaw Community College. Letters and other forms of written communication will be presented to the total Board by the Secretary when the Board next meets.
- Personal Appearance. Members of the community who wish to speak directly to the Board at a regular meeting will be afforded the opportunity to do so at a designated point in the regular agenda. A member of the community addressing the Board will be requested to identify her/himself by name and to indicate the capacity in which s/he is speaking, i.e. whether as a private interested citizen or as the representative of an interest group or other organization. The Chair of the Board of Trustees retains the right to establish time limits to govern the length of an individual presentation. Further, in those instances where similar presentations of fact or opinion are made by many citizens, the Chair retains the right to move the meeting forward to the next item of business when the Chair is satisfied that individual presentations are repetitious or cumulative.
- Addressing the Meeting: Members of the WCC Faculty and Staff. Presentations by members of the Washtenaw Community College faculty and staff will be governed by the same procedure established above for members of the community except members of bargaining units, when speaking for these organizations, will present materials in accordance with stipulations contained in their respective contracts.
- Written Material. Any person may submit written material, regardless of length, to the Board of Trustees for consideration, whether or not in connection with an address by the person to the Board. All such written material shall be delivered to the Secretary to the Board personally or by mail, at the Secretary’s office, Room 226B, Student Center Building, Washtenaw Community College, 4800 East Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106. Written materials may also be submitted to the Board through the College’s website.
- Exclusion from Meetings. No person shall be excluded from a meeting of the Board except for a breach of the peace actually committed at the meeting.
- Rules of Procedure. The business at each regular or special meeting shall be conducted under Robert’s Rules of Order as modified by the rules and regulations of the Board.
- Minutes. The Trustees shall cause to be prepared and kept a full and complete written record of every meeting of the Board, including the date, time, place, members present, members absent, any decisions made at an open meeting, and the purpose or purposes for which a closed session is held. The minutes shall include all roll call votes taken at the meeting. All motions and resolutions shall be fully recorded, whether they are approved or not, and the names of those who make motions, those who second motions and the votes of the Trustees on each such motion shall be recorded. If the Board votes unanimously, it is sufficient to record the fact; provided that every vote or resolution appropriating money or involving a pecuniary liability on the part of the College District shall be taken by calling the ayes and nays, and the names of those voting respectively for and against shall be recorded by the Secretary.
- Notice of Proposed Action on Bonds, Budget, and Levy of Taxes. Every vote or resolution providing for the issuance of bonds, adoption of a budget, or the levy of taxes shall be presented for action at any meeting only after the proposed action has been presented as an agenda item at a prior meeting of the Board or the proposal has been distributed to all members of the Board at least seven (7) days prior to the date that action is to be taken.
- Preparation and Mailing of Minutes. Minutes of the meetings shall be prepared under the direction of the Secretary and mailed or emailed to the members of the Board at least 48 hours before the next regular meeting or, in the alternative, personally delivered 24 hours before the meeting.
- Availability of Minutes to the Public. Minutes of meetings (except closed sessions) shall be public records open to public inspection and shall be available at the address designated on public notices posted pursuant to this Article. Copies of such minutes shall be available to the public at the reasonable estimated cost for processing. Proposed minutes shall be available for inspection not later than eight business days after the meeting to which the minutes refer, and approved minutes shall be available for public inspection not later than five business days after the minutes are approved by the Board.
- Responsibility of the Secretary. The Secretary of the Board or her/his designee shall be responsible for posting all notices required for all meetings and keeping minutes as provided in these by-laws.
ARTICLE IV
FISCAL AFFAIRS
- Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Community College District shall be from July 1 to June 30, inclusive.
- Estimate of Taxes. The Board shall cause to be prepared on or before the third Monday in April of each year an estimate of the amount of taxes or appropriation deemed necessary for the ensuing year.
- Final Budget. The Board shall adopt a final budget for the ensuing fiscal year on or before June 30 of each year and shall provide for a public hearing to be held on the proposed budget in accordance with Act 43 of the Public Act of 1963 (2d Ex. Ses.) (MCL 141.413).
- Budgetary Control. The administration shall operate within approved budget allotments. No budget allotment shall be deemed a mandate to spend. The President shall approve all expenditures beyond line item allotments within budgetary limitations. Expenditures in excess of approved budgetary limitations must be approved by the Board. At the end of the fiscal year, the balance of credits in the operating budget shall be returned to the general fund for reapportionment.
- Accounting Procedures and Reports. The administration shall be charged with the responsibility of following accepted accounting procedures meeting the approval of the state board of education. The administration shall provide the Board with such interim fiscal reports as the Board, from time to time, may require.
- Certified Public Accountants. At its organizational meeting or otherwise by resolution, the Board shall appoint a firm of certified public accountants to serve at the pleasure of the Board. All accounts of the Community College District shall be audited once each year and at such other times as the Board may determine. A summary of the audit shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the college district once each year. A copy of the audit shall be filed as required by the state board of education, and another copy shall be made available at the principal business office of the college for public examination.
- Legal Counsel. At its organizational meeting or otherwise by resolution, the Board shall appoint outside legal counsel to serve at the pleasure of the Board.
ARTICLE V
ADMINISTRATION
- President. The chief executive officer of the College shall be designated President. The President of the college shall administer the affairs of the College. His administration shall conform with the adopted policies of the Board.
- Policies. The Board of Trustees shall adopt written policies governing the operation of the Community College District and the employment of all personnel. Such policies shall be recommended by the President and shall include appropriate classification of personnel, terms of employment, and compensation schedules. The President shall keep the Board fully advised as to the need or desirability of any changes in these policies.
- Delegation of Authority. The Board may by resolution delegate to the President such of its authority as is permitted by law, including the authority to select and employ personnel; pay claims and demands against the College, purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire personal property, invest funds, and accept contributions, capital grants, gifts, donations, service, or other financial assistance on behalf of the College.
ARTICLE VI
REPEAL OR AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS
These by-laws may be altered, amended, or repealed and new by-laws adopted by the Board of Trustees; provided that any such change shall be presented for action at any meeting only after the proposed change has been presented as an agenda item at a prior meeting of the Board or the proposed change has been distributed to all members of the Board at least seven (7) days prior to the date that action is to be taken. At any meeting of the Board where all members are present, the Board may, by unanimous consent, vote to suspend these notice requirements.
Adopted: March 2, 1965
Amended: January 25, 1972
Amended: January 2, 1973
Amended: February 25, 1975
Amended: April 26, 1977
Amended: January 27, 2004
Amended: March 25, 2014
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