MEETING OF THE BOARD GOVERNANCE AND OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM
June 14, 2005
Minutes
The Board of Trustees of the Houston Community College System held a Meeting of the Board Governance
and Operations Committee on Monday, June 14, 2005, at the System Administration Building, Seminar Room
B, Second Floor, 3100 Main, Houston, Texas.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
Diane Olmos Guzman, Chair
Bruce A. Austin
Dr. Michael P. Williams
ADMINISTRATION
Bruce H. Leslie, Chancellor
Doretha Eason, Interim Deputy to the Chancellor
Charles Cook, Vice Chancellor, Educational Development
Miles LeBlanc, General Counsel
Rosie Barrera, Assoc. Vice Chancellor, Communications
Gloria Walker, Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration
Willie Williams, Interim Executive Director, Human Resources
OTHERS PRESENT
Jarvis Hollingsworth, System Counsel, Bracewell & Giuliani
Carolyn Hanahan, Feldman & Rogers
Other administrators, citizens, and representatives of the news media
CALL TO ORDER
Mrs. Olmos Guzman called the meeting to order at 12:49 p.m. and declared the
Committee convened to consider matters pertaining to the Houston Community College System as listed on the
duly posted Meeting Notice.
A.
Discuss Electronic Board Meeting Project
Board Services presented an update on the Electronic Board Meeting and Electronic
Calendar projects. Staff has identified software that will allow Board meetings to be
conducted electronically. The electronic calendar will allow Board events, meetings,
community engagements, etc. to be available electronically.
The Electronic Board Meeting software will be purchased through Cognitive Systems
Technologies, Inc., a small business located in San Antonio, Texas. CSI will work with HCC
in customizing the system to accommodate its needs, although minor adjustments may have
to be made to the current structure of the agenda.
Action Taken: The Board Services Staff, Deputy to the Chancellor, and IT Department will
move forward with acquiring hardware and software as approved by the Chancellor for the
implementation of the Electronic Board Meeting and Electronic Calendar.
Houston Community College System
Minutes for Board Governance and Operations Committee Meeting – June 14, 2005
Page 2 of 4
The Committee commended the staff on the product and noted that it is a move toward the
right direction. The Committee also noted that HCC is still behind the curve as it relates to
technological issues and would like to see the Colleges move beyond utilizing other
community colleges’ models to creating models to be used by other colleges.
A mock meeting on the Electronic Board Meeting will be presented at the Board Retreat.
B.
Review Recommendation to Amend By-laws to Include Article 8.3.3
The purpose of the recommended amendment to the Bylaws is to make certain funding is
attached for community outreach of the Board of Trustees.
Dr. Leslie noted that an auxiliary account has been set up for the Trustees in the past;
however, the concern is establishing procedures in order to manage the account effectively.
The Committee discussed whether funds for community outreach should come from the
Board’s budget or from the College’s budget.
Dr. Williams noted that procedures should be developed prior to approving policies.
Ms. Gloria Walker informed the Board that there is an auxiliary account currently established
for the Board in the amount of $45,000 and the cost for the three approved functions
sponsored by the Board annually is included in the account.
The Committee asked for clarification on what items should be charged to the auxiliary
budget and which items should be charged to the Board’s budget.
The Committee recommended tabling action on the amendment to the Bylaws, Article 8,
until a draft of procedures and guidelines as it relates to community activity sponsorship
expenditures has been submitted for the Board’s review.
C.
Review Houston Community College System Student Services Policies
The Board Governance and Operations Committee reviewed the HCC Student Services
Policies.
Mr. Austin recommended that student grievances be added to the policy and possibly
establishing a student court. Mr. Austin stated that the student court would give students a
sense that there are consequences to their actions.
Dr. Williams recommended that visits be made to various colleges where Student Courts are
functioning to get input on whether it’s feasible for the College.
Mrs. Olmos Guzman asked whether the Student Government had any input in the Student
Services policies.
It was recommended that the Chair appoint the President of the Student Government to the
Academic/Student Services Committee. The recommendation should be placed on the
Consent Agenda.
Motion - Mr. Austin motioned to adopt the policies for Student Services with the amendment
to include a general clause that would cover any jurisdiction as provided by Ms. Carolyn
Hanahan. Mrs. Olmos Guzman seconded the motion. Motion passed 3-0.
D.
Review Houston Community College Instruction Policies
The Committee reviewed the revised HCCS Instruction Policies.
Houston Community College System
Minutes for Board Governance and Operations Committee Meeting – June 14, 2005
Page 3 of 4
Dr. Leslie informed the Committee that the policies are presented for approval with the
exception of E.2.4 which is still being revised.
Motion - Dr. Williams motioned to recommend approval of Instruction Policies with the
exception of E.2.4 which should be available by the Committee of the Whole meeting
scheduled for June 23, 2005. Mr. Austin seconded the motion. Motion passed 3-0.
E.
Review Committee Structure as Approved by Board of Trustees
The Board reviewed the recommended changes to Article 6 of the Board By-laws on
Committee Structure approved at the Regular Board meeting on May 26, 2005; however,
several Trustees indicated that they had some wordsmith they wanted to recommend and
were to forward the information to Jarvis Hollingsworth, System Counsel. As of the meeting
date, Mr. Hollingsworth had not received any information from the Trustees.
Dr. Williams recommended an amendment to the Bylaws on Committee Structure to include
limiting each Trustee to one item to pull for further discussion once the item has been placed
on the Consent Agenda. The Trustee may collaborate with his/her fellow Trustees to have
an item pulled for discussion; however, that Trustee will not be able to pull an additional
item.
Motion – Dr. Williams motioned to recommend the Board approve an amendment to the
Bylaws approved by the Board of Trustees at the Regular Board meeting on May 26, 2005 to
include the amendment that each Trustee is limited to one item to pull for further discussion
on the Consent Agenda. Mr. Austin seconded. Motion passed 3-0.
F.
Review the Process for Preparing and Submitting Minutes for Board Approval
Mrs. Olmos Guzman stated the item was placed on the agenda for discussion because it
seems that the Board has been presented with several months of minutes for approval in
one month.
Dr. Eason informed the Committee that there was a time in the past when the Board was
asked to approve several months of Minutes but this was due to staffing issues. Linda Gray
has been assisting with bringing the Minutes current. The Board Services Office has since
been fully staffed and the minutes are current.
Dr. Eason informed the Committee that there are times when items are moved around on
the Board meeting agenda and approval of the Minutes may be overlooked; therefore, the
approval of the Minutes are placed on the next month’s agenda.
Dr. Williams stated that there should be a 30-day turn around of the minutes. For example:
the Minutes from meetings held in the month of May will be presented for approval at the
Regular Board meeting held in June. He also noted that the Board had concluded that the
minutes did not need to be verbatim since there is both audio and video available.
Dr. Williams asked that the Approval of the Minutes be placed first on the agenda after the
pledge and prayer. He also asked the staff to remind the Board when there is an item that
has been overlooked on the Agenda by informing the Chancellor.
The Committee concluded that the process for preparing and submitting minutes to the
Board does not need any revision.
Houston Community College System
Minutes for Board Governance and Operations Committee Meeting – June 14, 2005
Page 4 of 4
Dr. Leslie informed the Board that the College is in the process of implementing an imaging
system.
Dr. Williams asked for an update on the records management project to include vendor and
which areas are electronic and which are not.
Ms. Walker informed the Committee that the report will come from Finance.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:59 p.m.
Minutes Prepared by:
Sharon Wright
HCC Board Services
Minutes Approved as Submitted:
August 25, 2005