College Council

College Council is primarily responsible for setting the mission, vision, values, institution-set standards and institutional priorities (or strategic goals) of the college. The mission, vision, values, institution-set standards, and institutional priorities are reviewed every three years to ensure appropriateness, relevance, and currency. In all its actions, College Council places the highest value on building communication and trust with the entire college community, and in using consensus to reach its decisions. It defines a shared vision that has college-wide support. It integrates the planning efforts of all organizations within the college. It makes recommendations regarding district policy, college procedures, instruction, student services, facilities, financial planning, staffing, and organizational development. And it defines the roles of, gives direction to, and coordinates operations of sub- and associated committees where appropriate.

Each constituent group retains all rights granted it by state law, the Education Code, Title 5, board policy, and negotiated collective bargaining agreements. These groups cannot give away those rights. Access to College Council is available to constituent groups through their designated representatives. College Council actions and activities are communicated via a shared workspace located on the college website and Inside CC. Representatives will be responsible for communicating issues and information to their constituent group and for providing feedback and input which has been requested by College Council.

The college president and the academic senate president shall co-chair College Council. The co-chairs shall be responsible for reviewing minutes and creating agendas that reflect the areas of responsibility of College Council. The agenda building process will allow for agenda suggestions from all College Council members and members of the college community. As a college work group not established through state law, College Council is not a Brown Act Committee.

Meetings

Agenda and Minutes

Role of College Council

Specifically, College Council

• serves as the chief advisory body to the college president
• serves as the participatory recommending body of the college
• develops a shared vision, mission, and strategic goals for the college
• factors the college mission into all recommendations
• recommends the annual college budget
• evaluates the effectiveness of the participatory governance process
• provides a conduit for receiving and disseminating information college-wide
• oversees and assesses the strategic direction of the college
• assesses progress on the College’s strategic goals annually

College Council Membership

College Council recommends that representative term limits should be two-to-three year terms at the discretion of each senate or representative selection committee. Note: The president’s assistant serves as permanent note-taker for College Council.

2025-2026 College Council Membership

• President, co-chair: Sean Hancock
• Academic Senate President, co-chair: Yvonne Mills
• Vice President, Instruction: Corey Marvin
• Interim Vice President, Student Services: Corey Rodgers
• Vice President, Fiscal and Administrative Services: Chad Houck
• Mid-level Management, one representative: Jacyln Kessler
• Faculty, four representatives in the areas of Career Technical Education, Counselor, Academic, Member at Large: Vacant, René Mora, Debilyn Kinzler, Alex Gilewski
• CCA, one representative (at least one of the five faculty representatives should be from a non-main campus location: ESCC, KRV, EK, or Tehachapi): Melissa Bowen
• Classified Senate, one representative: Katy Lajoie
• CSEA, Chapter 617, two representatives: Jaime McClure, Vacant
• Student Government, two representatives (one is the SGCC President): Lilah Benckendorf, Vacant
• Director, Eastern Sierra College Center: Kim Blackwell
• Director, East Kern Center and Kern River Valley: Lisa Stephens

Structure of College Council

College Council is structured to serve as the primary recommending body to the college president and works closely with associated and reporting committees to inform the work of the council and its constituents. College Council does not develop policy but may establish guidelines as recommended by the standing committees and task forces. The college president and the academic senate president shall co-chair College Council. The co-chairs shall be responsible for reviewing minutes and creating agendas that reflect the areas of responsibility of College Council. The agenda building process will allow for agenda suggestions from all College Council members and from members of the college community.

Members from the various constituent groups bring items of concern to College Council through their representative or through an appropriate standing committee. When items are brought from committees or constituent groups to College Council, the proposal is discussed, accepted, rejected, or sent back to the originating group for additional information. Similarly, once an item has reached the college president, the president has the same options as College Council. However, if the college president does not accept the recommendations of College Council, the reasons for not accepting the recommendation(s) will be made in writing, in a timely manner, to the members of College Council.

The associated and reporting committees of College Council are:

Reporting

• Facilities Committee
• Safety & Security Committee
• Technology Resource Team
• Student Equity and Achievement Committee
• Rising Scholars Program Committee

Associated

• Budget Development Committee
• Institutional Effectiveness Committee
  • Outcomes Assessment Committee
  • Program Review Committee
• Professional Development Committee
• Accreditation Steering Committee
• Enrollment Management Committee

Evaluation and Assessment

College Council conducts an annual assessment of the effectiveness of the participatory governance process in general and of College Council specifically. This assessment is conducted through surveying the College Council representatives of all constituent groups as well as the college community as a whole. Where feedback suggests areas for improvement, focus groups may be conducted to further evaluate a problem area for more specific information and the development of an improvement plan. Results of this assessment are reported out at College Council, and gaps to be addressed are reported out through the governance process and messaged in college communications such as the president’s weekly brief or the Progress Report.