4.8 Board Committee Principles

The role of Board Committees, when used, is to make the Board more efficient and effective in its work. Board Committees are not to interfere with the Board’s delegation of authority to the Chancellor, or that of the Chancellor to other staff.

1. Board committees may be created to help the Board do its job, not to advise or exercise authority over the Chancellor or staff.
2. Board committees ordinarily undertake activities not delegated to the Chancellor, such as preparing policy alternatives and implications for Board deliberations or performing specific monitoring functions.
3. Board committees may speak or act for the Board only when formally given such authority for specific and time-limited purposes. Expectations and authority will be carefully stated in order not to conflict with authority delegated to the Chancellor.
4. Because the Chancellor works for the full Board, he or she will not be required to obtain approval of a Board committee before taking an executive action.
5. Board committees are to avoid over-identification with organizational parts rather than the whole. Therefore, a Board committee that has helped the Board create policy on some topic will not be used to monitor organizational performance on that same subject.
6. This policy applies to any group formed by Board action, whether or not it is called a committee, and regardless of whether the group includes Board members. This policy does not apply to committees formed under the authority of the Chancellor.
7. Board appointed Committees shall adhere to Open Meeting Laws, as required by Statute.