The institution
has a chief executive office whose primary responsibility is to the
institution and who is not the presiding officer of the board.
_X_Compliance
___Partial Compliance ___Non-Compliance
Narrative
St. Petersburg
College is in compliance with this requirement because it has a chief
executive officer, the College President, whose primary responsibility
is to the College and is not the presiding officer of the board.
Dr. Carl M. Kuttler,
Jr. has been an SPC administrator since 1965. In 1978 he was named
College President and has continued to serve in that role since that
time. During his presidency, he has been an education advisor to the
President of the United States and the U.S. Secretary of Education; a
co-sponsor of leadership seminars with presidents Ford and Carter; and
honorary president of Leningrad University in Russia and of Baoji
Teachers College in China. Dr. Kuttler was selected in 1998 as
America's outstanding College President by the Association of Community
College Trustees. He was named "Honorary Father" of the Russian
community college system and an Outstanding American College President
by the honor students of Phi Theta Kappa.
Selection/appointment of College President
In all matters of
governance, St. Petersburg College falls under the Florida Statutes for
community colleges, with a special provision in statute defining SPC’s
role as a four-year institution awarding selected baccalaureate
degrees. Florida Statutes provide the following guidance on the
appointment of Community College Presidents:
Excerpt from 1001.64 Community
college boards of trustees; powers and duties
(19)
Each board of trustees shall appoint, suspend, or remove the
president of the community college. The board of trustees
may appoint a search committee.
Selection process at St. Petersburg College.
When the former President of the College submitted his letter of
resignation, the Board of Trustees held a special session on November 1st,
1977, to discuss search procedures with the Director of the Division of
Community Colleges from the State Department of Education. A search and
screening committee was created with two trustees (including the
Chairman), three Faculty members (selected by the Board from a list of
six names submitted from the Faculty Forum), one administrator (selected
by the Board from two names submitted by the Administrative Council),
one career service person (selected by the Board from five nominees
offered by the President), one student (named by the Board from three
nominees provided by Student Councils), and three alumni (selected by
the Board from a list of six submitted by the Alumni Association).
Using the advice from the Department of Education representative,
extensive research from members of the Management Development Seminar in
session at the time, and a full set of documentation from a recent
search done by Palm Beach Community College, the screening committee
developed a set of general criteria for screening, independently-scored
candidate evaluation forms, and common interview questions to ask the
candidates. All meetings of the screening committee were held “in the
sunshine” and were recorded. The position was advertised in the St.
Petersburg Times, New York Times, Equal Opportunity Forum, and the
Chronicle of Higher Education; 110 applications were received and
screened, 18 candidates voted on using the Rhodes Scholarship method (a
candidate is required to receive a certain number of votes from the
committee in order to remain in the pool), and four finalists were
submitted for interviews with the Board and other groups of the St.
Petersburg Junior College community. The finalists were invited to meet
with representative segments of the college community at all college
sites. These constituent groups had the opportunity to hear each
candidate, ask questions, and later submit comments and concerns to the
Board. After interviews with the finalists the Board made its selection
for College President on April 24th, 1978, the former Dean of
Administrative Affairs, Dr. Carl M. Kuttler, Jr.
Future process.
Our current President’s
contract was extended recently; however, the College expects the process
for selecting the next President will be similar to models used by peer
institutions. As several Florida colleges have selected new Presidents
in the last few years, SPC has contacted them and requested a copy of
the model they used in selecting a President, which is maintained in the
President’s office. SPC anticipates using the information gained from
its research to modify the process used before by the College. The
process will be deliberate and collaborative. After considering the
feedback from the constituent groups, the Board of Trustees makes the
final decision on the selection of the President. Further details are
in 3.2.1.
Florida Statutes
concerning duties and responsibilities of the President
Florida Statutes
detail a number of specific responsibilities that fall to the
President. Examples of the responsibilities of the President are
summarized here:
Excerpt from 1001.65 Community
college presidents; powers and duties
The
president is the chief executive officer of the community
college, shall be corporate secretary of the community
college board of trustees, and is responsible for the
operation and administration of the community college. Each
community college president shall:
(1) Recommend the adoption of
rules.
(2) Prepare a budget request
for approval by … board of trustees.
(3) Establish and implement
[personnel] policies and procedures.
(4) Govern admissions.
(5) Approve, execute, and
administer contracts.
(6) Act as custodian of all
community college property and financial resources.
(8) Administer the community
college's program of intercollegiate athletics.
(9) Recommend the establishment
and termination of [academic] programs.
(10) Award degrees.
(11) Recommend a schedule of
tuition and fees.
(12) Organize to efficiently and
effectively achieve [college] goals.
(17) Maintain all data and
information pertaining to the operation of the … college, and report
on the attainment of institutional and statewide performance
accountability goals
Board of Trustee’s policies concerning the duties and
responsibilities of the President
The College
President is responsible to the St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees
for the operation and management of the College. The Board of Trustees
has defined the responsibilities of the President through the Board
rules and the Position Description of the President:
6Hx23-1.06 RESPONSIBILITY AND
AUTHORITY OF THE PRESIDENT.
Describes the administrative
authority over the College delegated to the President by the Board of
Trustees and holds the President responsible for the efficient direction
and operation of the College in accordance with the rules adopted by the
Board of Trustees. The Board allows the President to delegate authority
to the staff to perform administrative functions necessary to the
efficient operation of the College. The responsibility for the
performance of these functions still remains with the President. The
rule also limits the authority of the President to sign contracts over a
certain amount.
6Hx23-1.061 APPOINTMENT/DISMISSAL
OF PRESIDENT.
Describes
the Board’s authority to select, appoint, suspend, and dismiss the
President of the College and sets out the requirement for an annual
evaluation of the President.
Position
Description of the President.
The Position Description of the
President requires that the President: “carry out the powers and
duties provided by law and to undertake and implement the policies of
the Board of Trustees.” The powers and duties provided by law
mentioned in the President’s Position Description are derived from
Florida Statute 1001.65: The President’s Position Description states
that:
Excerpt from President’s Position
Description
The President is the Chief
Executive Officer of the College and reports directly to the Board
of Trustees. Responsible for administrative leadership positions
and accomplishments and an understanding and commitment to the
matters reflected in the College’s mission statement, and to both
the College’s comprehensive community college and baccalaureate
mission, including its open door associate degree programs,
baccalaureate degree programs, certificate programs, online and
television programs, the University Partnership Center, workplace
development, corporate training, continuing education and community
and cultural education.
In addition to a
general description, the President’s Position Description cites
additional specific job duties, summarized here:
Excerpt from President’s Position
Description
-
Expand the College resources through grants, partnerships,
legislative relationships, fundraising and other creative
initiatives.
-
Articulate and communicate a clear vision and mission for the
College; strengthen connections with other educational institutions,
businesses and industries.
-
Through planning and marketing, position the College as the
institution of choice for high school graduates and other potential
students throughout the service area; enhance the diversity of the
College’s student body, Faculty, staff and administration.
-
Ensure that the mix of programs and services offered by the
College meets student and community needs for certificates,
associate and baccalaureate programs at an affordable cost.
-
Promote economic development through programs to improve
employability, career skills and personal enrichment.
-
Enhance the University Partnership Center Program to provide
degree programs not offered by the College.
-
Provide under-prepared students with opportunities to achieve
College entry-level skills.
-
Provide a balance of quality two year associate degree
programs and baccalaureate programs.
-
Promote intercollegiate athletics and other student
activities.
-
Promote the recognition of ethical issues and the ability to
think logically, critically and creatively.
Job
responsibilities in the President’s Position Description parallel the
College’s mission and goals. Other responsibilities, such as increasing
the resource base, positioning the College as the institution of choice
in the area, and promoting intercollegiate athletics, are designed to
increase student enrollment and enhance the financial stability of the
College.
Relationship of Board of Trustees to President
The President of
the College is not the Presiding Officer of the Board. Florida Statute
1001.65 clearly defines the relationship of the President to the Board
of Trustees. As stated above,
Excerpt from 1001.65 Community
college presidents; powers and duties
The president … shall be
corporate secretary of the community college board of trustees
The College
President advises and counsels the Board of Trustees and seeks the
advice and counsel of the Board. Recommendations, nominations,
proposals, and reports to the Board from the College President are
recorded in the minutes and filed in the public records of the Board.
In addition, the
Florida Statute further defines the relationship as follows:
Excerpt from 1001.65 Community
college presidents; powers and duties
A
board of trustees shall have the power to take action
without a recommendation from the president and shall have
the power to require the president to deliver to the board
of trustees all data and information required by the board
of trustees in the performance of its duties.
The board of
trustees shall conduct annual evaluations of the president in
accordance with rules of the State Board of Education and submit
such evaluations to the State Board of Education for review. The
evaluation must address the achievement of the performance goals
established by the accountability process implemented … and the
performance of the president in achieving the annual and long-term
goals and objectives established in the community college's
employment accountability program …
State Board of
Education Rules state that the college president shall attend but not
vote at all meetings of the Board of Trustees. The chief executive
officer attends all meetings of the Board of Trustees except when on
authorized leave or when excused for official travel. As mentioned on
the previous page, nothing prohibits the Board of Trustees from taking
action if the College President fails to make a recommendation as
required by law.
Chairman of the St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees
Board members are
appointed to the Board of Trustees in accordance with Florida Statute
1001.61 and the Chairman is elected in accordance with the guidance in
that same statute:
Excerpt from 1001.61 Community
college boards of trustees; membership
Trustees shall be appointed by
the Governor and confirmed by the Senate in regular session. At its
first regular meeting after July 1 of each year, each community
college board of trustees shall organize by electing a chair, whose
duty as such is to preside at all meetings of the board, to call
special meetings thereof, and to attest to actions of the board, and
a vice chair, whose duty as such is to act as chair during the
absence or disability of the elected chair.
The current
Chairman of the Board is
Evelyn Bilirakis.
Mrs. Bilirakis was appointed to the St. Petersburg
College Board of Trustees by Gov. Jeb Bush in May 1999. A Palm Harbor
resident, she is a Realtor and a medical technologist. She has raised
funds for SPC’s Women-on-the-Way program and was instrumental in the
community development and planning of the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art on
the project’s Capital Campaign Steering Committee. Her Associate in
Arts degree is from the University of Florida and her Medical Technology
Certificate is from Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital. Her many
memberships include the Daughters of Penelope, and the Congressional
Club. Mrs. Bilirakis was elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees on
July 18, 2006.
SPC’s
Organizational Chart clearly shows the relationship of the President to
the Board of Trustees.
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