IV.C.12. The governing board delegates full responsibility and authority to the CEO to implement and administer board policies without board interference and holds the CEO accountable for the operation of the district/system or college, respectively.
The governing board establishes a clearly defined policy for selecting and evaluating the President of the College. The written policies describing the selection and evaluation of the President as chief administrator are found in Public Law 22-30 and the Governance Policy Manual (GPM).
Selected by the Governor since 1992 when PL 22-30 was first became law, section 16.2005 was amended in 2003 to give complete autonomy to the Board in selecting the College president. 1
Chapter III of the GPM states the Board “hires the President … to implement the Board’s policies for governance of the College.” Subsequent sections describe the qualifications of the President (3001.1), the contract (3001.3), and salary (3001.5). 2
The delegation of administrative authority to the President is clear.
Board members are engaged in self-assessment of their performance annually. The Board is a policy making board and at time-to-time reviews and approves policies that govern the institutions as presented by the President on behalf of the College. Although it sets governing policies, the daily operation of the College is the sole responsibility of the President.
There are several mechanisms the board uses to evaluate the College president on performance on implementation of board policies and achievement of institutional goals.
- Performance Evaluation Instrument that evaluates the president in the areas of
- Mission and Planning
- Policy Role
- President-Board Relations
- Community Relations & Advocacy
- Educational Programs & Quality
- Fiduciary Role
- Human Resources & Staff Relations
- Leadership
- Governing Policies that accounts for evaluations as given below
Policy 3001.4 Evaluation of the President states—
“Annually, the Board meets in an executive session to conduct a performance evaluation of the President. However, a formative evaluation may be conducted as the Board desires within 6 months into the contract. In reviewing the accomplishments, the Board provides feedback to the President on observed strengths and any areas needing improvement for the upcoming academic year.” 3
Policy 3002 Monitoring the President’s Performance states –
“Monitoring executive performance is synonymous with monitoring the College’s performance against Board policies Mission & Vision, and on Executive Limitations. The Board will monitor performance in a manner as to have systematic assurance of policy compliance, including accomplishments of College goals. The Board shall conduct an evaluation of the President each academic year or at any time.” 4
Therefore, the Board's evaluation process of President includes ways to evaluate the implementation of board policies and the achievement of institutional goals.
The delegation of administrative authority to the chief administrator is defined in Policy 3000 Delegation to the President:
“The Board of Higher Education’s authority to the overall operations of the College is delegated through the President. All authority and accountability of the staff/faculty members as defined by the Board is considered to be the authority and accountability of the President. The Board delegates to the President of the College the function to implement policy decisions and to designate the detailed arrangements under which the College will be operated.” 5
Policy 6500 Master Plan states:
“The President shall develop, in document form, for review and approval by the Board of Higher Education, a College Strategic Master Plan, which encompasses the needs of the entire institution with specific attention given to educational, financial, and construction planning. The ASCC Master Plan will be based upon current determinations of community needs and responsible use of fiscal, physical, and human resources.” 6
Policy 3001.2 College Goals states:
“College goals are mutually agreed upon between the Board and the President, and the President is charged with developing an action plan for implementation of goals. The goals will be reviewed quarterly by the Board to ensure status and level of accomplishment.”7
The Board sets clear expectations for regular reports on institutional performance in these two governance policies which are Policy 3010 Communication and Counsel to the Board whereby the Board sets expectation for sufficient information on educational quality and Policy 3002.2 Internal and External Monitoring Reports which includes Institutional Data Collection, Community Surveys, Placement Data, Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes, and Financial/Grant Report. 8
The Board relies on recommendations from the President and his key staff for the best information and encourages input and generally bases its decision on policy. To keep the Board apprised of the College’s growth, Policy 2013 Relationship between the Board and President of College, states:
“President shall keep the Board well-informed on programs, plans and progress through staff/faculty member’s reports and other means of choice.” 9
The Board requires that the President provide accurate information to the Board for review prior to making decisions. The Quarterly Reports are the most comprehensive vehicle for providing sufficient information to the Board.
In addition, the Board through their trainings provided by the Institution under the direction of the President, as well as Governance Policies that defines their roles and responsibilities contributed to their ability to set appropriate expectations. Currently, the Board has an Action Plan for 2015-2016 that states their Goals and Objectives.
1 - American Samoa Government Public Law PL 22-30 Section 16.2005
2 - Governance Policy Manual, Policy 3001.1 Qualifications of the President; Governance Policy Manual 3001.3: Contract for the President; Governance Policy Manual, Policy 3001.5 Salary
3 - Governance Policy Manual, Policy 3001.4 Evaluation of the President
4 - Governance Policy Manual, Policy 3002 Monitoring the President’s Performance