Board Policy Series Number: 2015

Title: Board Membership, Duties, and Responsibilities

Purpose

To define the scope of Board membership, the scope of board member authority, and the duties / responsibilities of the board as a body.

Statement

Board Membership

The Linn-Benton Community College Board of Education shall consist of seven members each of whom is elected by the electors within district zones. Members reside within the zones from which they are elected. In the event that a member of the Board is not able to complete a term of office, the board will appoint a replacement to serve until a new board member is duly elected and assumes office. (Such an election will occur as prescribed by Oregon State Law.)

Term of Office

Board members are elected to fill a four-year term of office except in those cases where a Board member has been elected or appointed to fill an unexpired term.

Board Member Authority in Matters of College Governance

Board members speak with one collective voice. Board members shall have authority only when acting as a Board legally in open session. The Board as a body cannot be bound in any way by statements or actions of individual Board members. Individual Board members have no authority outside of the regular or special Board meeting. As such, any duty imposed upon the Board, as a body, must be performed at a regular or special Board meeting at which time a quorum is present and a motion is carried by a majority of the Board members of the total Board and must be a matter of record. A member who abstains may be counted toward making the quorum, but an abstention cannot be used to make up the minimum number of votes required to pass or reject a motion. The consent to any particular measure obtained from individual members when not in session is not an act of the Board and is not binding upon the District.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Board

The duties of the Board of Education are to:

Select and appoint the president/chief executive officer of Linn-Benton Community College;
Determine and adopt policies for the governance of the college and review them periodically;
Make appointments to fill vacant board positions;
Adopt the annual college budget, establish tuition and fees, and levy the taxes;
Authorize contracts, award bids for goods and services subject to Board approved thresholds, and authorize budget transfers;
Review the appointment or separation of regular employees upon the recommendation of the president, and may review and act upon employment related appeals as defined in collective bargaining agreements;
Fix the rate of compensation for all non-bargaining employee groups through the annual approval of salary schedules;
Consider and ratify applicable collective bargaining agreements. Set salary schedules for all bargaining unit employees on a schedule to align with the terms of those agreements;
Require of the president and consider from the president, reports concerning the programs and condition of the college;
Consider and act upon the addition of new academic programs upon the recommendation of the president;
Consider and adopt an annual academic calendar;
Consider recommendations of the president on all matters relating to the welfare of the college;
Provide for an annual independent audit for all funds of the college;
Authorize needed elections on matters that call for a vote of the people;
Consider communications and requests from citizens and organizations on matter of policy and administration;
Execute such powers that are essential to the accomplishment of the purposes for which the board was created within the exercise of judgment and discretion;
Consider any other duty or responsibility allowed or required by law, or execute such other powers expressly conferred upon the board by statutes or fairly implied by expressed grants.

Date of Adoption: 03/08/84
Dates of Revision: 11/8/84; 01/21/87; 09/16/92; 04/18/07; 5/15/13; 10/21/15; 9/18/19; 1/17/24
Dates of Last Review: 5/15/13; 10/21/15; 1/17/24