Policy 7210B

BOARD POWERS AND DUTIES

Reference: W.S. §21-18-303—306; WCCC Chapter 7, Section 4 (f) and Chapter 8 Section 4 (d); HLC Criteria 2.C.4

The Board of Trustees has certain powers and duties as enumerated in Wyoming State Statutes.

Powers of the Board

1. Sue and be sued in the name by which the district is designated;

2. Hold and convey property for the benefit of the district in the name by which the district is designated;

3. Employ legal counsel and bear the cost of litigation;

4. Construct or otherwise provide bookstores, vehicular parking facilities, recreational, or other facilities necessary and incidental to the community college, and may fix rates and provide for the collection of same;

5. Issue general obligation bonds for community college purposes as specified in this act;

6. Issue revenue bonds for the purposes, and in the manner specified in this act;

7. Establish and collect charges, and rentals and student fees for services and facilities furnished, acquired, constructed, or purchased from the proceeds of revenue bonds;

8. Charge and collect fees and tuition;

9. Enter into agreements with any public or private agency, institution, person or corporation for the performance of acts or for the furnishing of services or facilities by or for the community college district or for the joint performance of an act or function or the joint furnishing of services and facilities by the district and the other party to the agreement;

10. Insure against loss of property or revenue from any cause;

11. Insure against public liability or property damage concerning the facilities authorized by the governing board, and insure and hold harmless from liability all administrative and teaching personnel, and all other employees of the community college district;

12. Establish criteria for appointments to fill vacancies in the board not inconsistent with the provisions of this act and provide for the removal of a board member for cause or change of residence (see Policy 7210F and 7210I);

13. Call special meetings at the discretion of the board president or a majority of the board without the necessity of publication of formal notice;

14. Contribute to the financial support of the Wyoming Community College Commission in funding or in-kind services as determined through consultation between the community college boards and the commission;

15. Employ, at its own discretion, an assistant to the treasurer of the community college district board, who shall be subject to the same bonding and fiduciary regulations as are imposed upon the treasurer and who may be empowered to satisfy debts of the district as they become due and owing;

16. Confer degrees and certificates, including applied baccalaureate degrees approved by the Wyoming Community College Commission, and grant diplomas as are usual for community colleges and authorized under its accreditation by the regional accrediting agency;

17. Subject to all applicable laws and rules, determine the qualifications and responsibilities of bidders or respondents on contracts for the construction of public projects, facilities or structures over which the board controls the bidding process, through the use of standard forms and procedures adopted by the board;

18. Enter into student learner agreements as defined by W.S. 27-14-102(a)(xxxiv) with any employer pursuant to W.S. 27-14-110.

19. In addition to the levy imposed under W.S. 21-18-304(a)(vii) and any levy imposed under W.S. 21-18-311(f), the Community College District Board may approve up to one (1) additional mill levy on the assessed value of the district for a period not to exceed two (2) years for the regular support and operation of the college. A determination by the board shall be made at a regular or special meeting following a public hearing announced by the board. Notice of intent to levy all or a portion of the additional one (1) mill shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation within the district at least thirty (30) days before the hearing date. Upon approval, the board shall report the additional levy to the board of county commissioners of each county within the district in the same manner the necessary levy under W.S. 21-18-304(a)(vii) is reported. Any tax imposed under this subsection may be renewed by the board for additional two (2) year periods subject to public hearing requirements specified under this section and shall be levied, collected and distributed separate from the tax imposed under W.S. 21-18-304(a)(vii) and any additional levy imposed under W.S. 21-18-311(f). Revenues collected under this subsection shall not be restricted by the commission in any manner but shall be identified in the biennial funding report of the college under W.S. 21-18-205(b).

20. The community college district board shall procure the professional services of architects, engineers and surveyors in accordance with W.S. 9-23-105(f) through (h) and 9-23-106(g).

All decision-making authority related to the operation of the Western Wyoming Community College District which is not specifically granted to the Community College Commission is reserved to the District.

Duties of the Board

1. Prescribe and enforce rules and regulations for its own government and for government of the community college under its jurisdiction. Rules and regulations shall not be inconsistent with the rules and regulations of the community college commission;

2. Prescribe requirements for graduation;

3. Report annually the revenues and expenses of the community college district in accordance with the rules and regulations of the community college commission;

4. Submit such reports as the community college commission may require under W.S. 21-18-202;

5. Require the treasurer and the assistant treasurer of the district board to give such bond in such penalty and with such sureties as the board shall direct and approve, conditioned upon the faithful application of all money and property which may come into their hands by virtue of their office. Each bond shall not exceed one and one-half (1 1/2) times the amount of all college monies handled by the treasurer or assistant treasurer in any one (1) year. Bonds, after being approved by the board, shall be filed with the board, and no disbursements shall be made until the bonds are approved and filed. In case of breach of conditions of bonds, suit shall be brought thereon by the board for the benefit of the district;

6. Appoint a chief administrative officer of the community college who shall be given such official title as the board may determine;

7. At the first meeting of each fiscal year or at any appropriate time, make an estimate of the amount of funds required to be raised through a tax levy upon the property lying within the district for community college purposes, and present to the board of county commissioners of each county included within the district, a certified estimate of the tax required to raise the appropriate amount. The tax in any one (1) year shall not exceed four (4) mills on the assessed value of the district, excluding any tax approved by the board and imposed under W.S. 21-18-303(b) and any tax approved by the district electors and imposed under W.S. 21-18-311(f). The tax shall be levied and collected in the same manner as other county taxes and when collected, the county treasurer shall forward the tax revenue to the treasurer of the community college district board;

8. Control and disburse, or cause to be disbursed, all monies received from any source to maintain the community college;

9. Keep a record of all the official acts performed by the board and keep a record of all warrants issued against the monies belonging to the community college district. Payments of money shall be made upon warrant drawn against funds belonging to the community college district and the warrants so drawn must specify upon their face the purposes for which funds are called for by warrants. The board shall provide, at the expense of the district, a seal, upon which shall be engraved the words, ".... Community College District, State of Wyoming", the blank space to contain the legal name of the college district. The seal shall be kept in the possession of the secretary, shall be affixed to all communications or notices required by law to be sent or published by the board and to all warrants drawn upon the district;

10. Conduct elections held by the community college district for election of board members, the issuance of bonds, the questions of mill levies and annexations and any other community college election appropriately within the jurisdiction of the district board, all in accordance with the election procedures set forth in this act;

11. Develop and maintain a comprehensive plan of district buildings addressing district long-term building needs, clearly distinguishing those building needs associated with education space needs attached to the statewide college system strategic plan developed by the community college commission under W.S. 21-18-202(a)(v) from other district needs which may be included within the district's long-term plan. Building plans and capital construction requests shall be submitted to the commission in a form and format specified by commission rule and regulation. In addition, the board shall provide planning, design and other information required by the state construction department under W.S. 21-18-225(g) and shall cooperate with the department and the commission as necessary to undertake any building construction project receiving state funds and addressing needs prioritized by the commission in accordance with W.S. 21-18-225.

The Governing Board delegates day-to-day management of the institution to the administration and expects the faculty to oversee academic matters.

Original Adoption: June 10, 1989
Revised: July 17, 2002
Revised: May 8, 2014
Revised: July 20, 2022