Article I: Mission
The mission of the North Central Texas Tech Prep Consortium (NCTTPC) Steering Committee is to serve as a catalyst to build a strong, systematic link between education, business, and industry to increase the number of students who meet the needs of the workforce of the 21st Century.
Article II: Goals
The goals of the NCTTPC Steering Committee will be in keeping with the requirements of a Tech Prep program as identified in the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act of 1990 and the Texas Inter-Agency Tech Prep Guidelines. When appropriate or necessary, the goals will also be in keeping the School-to-Work transition Act of 1994, and the Texas Workforce Commission. Specific NCTTPC or sector goals will be documented in the Consortium's yearly REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.
Article III: Organizational Structure
Section A: Geographic and Functional Scope
- Geographic: The geographic scope of the Consortium represents four community college districts within the North Central Texas Governor's Planning Region 4.
- Dallas County Community College District, which represents Dallas County, shall be referred to as the Dallas County Sector.
- Navarro College, which represents Ellis, Freestone, Limestone and Navarro counties, shall be referred to as the Southern Counties sector.
- Tarrant County Junior College, which represents Tarrant County, shall referred to as the Tarrant County Sector.
- Weatherford College, which represents Erath, Hood, Jack, Palo Pinto, Parker and Wise counties, shall be referred to as the Western Counties Sector.
- Rockwall and Kaufman Counties shall be primarily served and represented by the Dallas and Southern Counties Sectors.
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- Functional: The Steering Committee provides responsive leadership to:
- Formulate policy;
- Provide policy guidance;
- Advocate for and promote Tech prep, especially for the North Central Texas Consortium;
- Support the obtaining of funds;
- Approve and monitor funds; and
- Support the sectors as they respond to local sector needs
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Section B: Representation and Selection
Representation: The charge to the volunteers serving the NCTTPC is to represent the best interests of the youth who reside in the rural, suburban, and urban communities of the North Central Texas area.
- At least fifty per cent (50%) of the Steering Committee will represent the business world's private sector (including quality workforce planning, and local workforce boards) and no more than fifty per cent (50%) of the members will represent the nonprofit public sector (including secondary and post secondary education, special populations, and university representation).
- The Steering Committee will have an equivalent number of voting members from each of the local sectors. Four (4) individuals will serve from each Tech Prep sector. Two (2) individuals will represent the business world and two (2) will represent the nonprofit public sector. The two individuals representing the nonprofit sector will be comprised of one person from an Independent school district and one person from a post-secondary institution.
- A Nominating Committee, which is representative of the entire Consortium, shall be appointed by the Chairperson by the Spring meeting each year to present a slate of nominees for the position of Steering Committee Chairperson and Chairperson-Elect at the Fall meeting. Included on the Nominating Committee will be at least one sector supervisor (college representative), one school district representative, and one business representative member of the Steering Committee.
- The Chairperson and Chairperson-elect shall serve a one year term keeping with the THECB Tech Prep fiscal year (September 1 - August 31).
- Additional voting members will include the following "at-large" members:
- Executive Director of InterLink.
- University Representative.
- Work Force Development Board (WFDB) representative or equivalent.
- Special Populations Representative
- Two ""at-large"" representatives from the business world's private sector.
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- Executive Board: an Executive Board will reflect each of the 4 constituency groups which make up the Consortium's membership, including (a) employers, (b) secondary educators, (c) post secondary educators, and (d) community based organizations.
- The ex-officio (Nonvoting) Steering Committee voting members are:
- All Tech Prep administrative staff members at the consortium and sector levels.
- Fiscal Agent Representative.
- Past voting members
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- Selection:
- All of the Consortium Steering Committee voting members will be nominated by one of two groups of stakeholders:
- School District Superintendents and College Presidents.
- Currently serving Steering Committee members
- Nominations will be solicited by a letter mailed to these groups immediately following the Spring meeting, which will detail the roles and responsibilities of a member and request credentials in support of their nomination.
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- The Consortium Director, Chair, and Chair-Elect will summarize all member nominations and prepare a slate for approval by the existing Steering Committee membership for acceptance at the Fall meeting.
- The at-large voting members will be selected as follows:
- The Executive Director of InterLink will serve by virtue of position.
- The University Representative will serve a three year (3) term based on a rotation system shared by all major universities that serve consortium constituents. If rotation among different universities is not possible; rotation among different university schools/divisions will be made
- The Work Force Development Board or its equivalent representative will serve a three year (3) term based on sector selection according to a designated rotation schedule
- The Special Populations Representative will serve a three year (3) term based on sector selection according to a designated rotation schedule
- The two at-large representatives from the business world's private sector will be selected by the above nomination process. The Consortium Director and Chairperson will prepare a recommended slate of nominations which reflect the diversity of the region.
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- The Executive Board is selected as follows:
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- Chair (by position)
- Chair-elect (by position)
- College Tech-Prep Supervisors (by position)
- Chairs of the Standing Committees (by position)
- Tech-Prep staff (support in ex-officio status)
- The ex-officio steering committee members will serve by virtue of their positions and previous involvement
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Section C: Membership
- Attendance: A voting member of the advisory committee may be removed from the Steering Committee if the member fails to attend three (3) consecutive meetings.
- Conflict of Interest: Any member, voting or ex-officio, of the Steering Committee is ineligible to enter into any buyer/seller relationship with the consortium, or any employee thereof, or any consortium sector, or employee thereof, during the term of service and for one (1) year after a term of service is completed.
- Resignation: The resignation of any member from the Steering Committee shall be in writing.
- Filling Unexpired term: Any unexpired term created by a resignation may be filled for the duration of that term by the respective sector advisory committee of the resigned member.
- Notification of Absence: Voting members will notify the Consortium Chair in advance of all absences.
- Removal: Member status will be maintained by the office of the Consortium Director. In the event a member fails to attend three (3) consecutive meetings or is ineligible due to a conflict of interest, the office of the Consortium Director will consult with the Consortium Chair. If removal is warranted, the Consortium Chair will notify the member of removal in writing.
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Article IV: Steering Committee Operations
Section A: Terms
- Each Steering Committee member chosen by a sector shall serve for a three year (3) term. Consecutive terms may be served.
- Each Steering Committee member serving by virtue of position will serve as long as he/she holds that position.
- The University Representative, Special Populations, and WFDB Representative will each rotate systematically every three (3) years.
- The members will draw straws (on a by-sector-basis) at their first meeting to define their initial term (1, 2, or 3 years) for the purpose of creating continuity on the Steering Committee.
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Section B: Duties of all Steering Committee Members in support of Article III, Section A, Item 2
- Provide Policy Governance
- Update and approve bylaws, THECB Responsibility Grid for Tech-Prep, and other policy documents
- Approve the proposed annual budget and all budget distribution formulae prior to distribution.
- Monitor budget and financial matters
- Maintain an active informed relationship with the fiscal agent
- Confirm new Chair, vote in new Chair-elect and new Steering Committee members during annual Orientation meeting
- Represent the consortium as a whole when dealing with the Inter-Agency (comprised of the Texas Education Agency, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness, and the Texas Workforce Commission) as well as the Texas governor's Office
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- Develop and Implement Strategic Planning
- Develop and monitor a strategic plan
- Review and approve contracts and proposals entered into with the fiscal agent and other parties
- Endorse all consortium-wide activities and conferences
- Approve consortium-wide publications
- Approve all consortium-wide goals, objectives, strategies and measures
- Support Consortium Sectors by assisting with Sector strategic planning. Develop tactics for implementation which will be submitted to the Steering Committee during the Spring meeting to develop the next year's re-application budget.
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- Evaluate consortium outcomes and outputs.
- Understand and evaluate your role and responsibility as a Steering Committee member
- Be educated as to goals, objectives, and status of the Consortium
- Conduct an annual Consortium evaluation and assessment.
- Attend a Steering Committee member orientation conducted by staff.
- Inspire the Steering Committee members, NCTTPC staff, and your circle of influence by serving as a champion of the tech-prep process.
- Attend professional development activities offered to enhance the Steering Committee members ability to improve tech-prep.
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- Personal Involvement and Commitment.
- Utilizing your circle of influence, attempt to identify the following sources and assist NCTTPC staff in securing these resources:
- Supplemental funding.
- Volunteers.
- In-kind contributions and support.
- Qualified potential new Steering Committee members.
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- Participate in at least one standing committee and/or task force team. A task force team is a group responsible for completing a particular task or activity and usually dissolves upon successful completion of the activity or task. A Standing Committee, on the other hand, is an on-going group meeting a long term responsibility
- Attend and contribute to Steering Committee meetings and appropriate committee meetings
- Promote a positive image of the Consortium in your "circle-of-influence"
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- Hire and Evaluate the Consortium Director
- Create a Director Search Committee similar in content to the Officers Nominating Committee (Article III, Section B.1.3) to identify qualified candidates for the vacated Director's position. The process should mandate a schedule that opens the position no later than two months after receiving the resignation of the Director.
- Set a level of high expectation for the Director and monitor progress toward those expectations.
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- Provide direct feedback to the Director regarding performance.
- Participate in the annual performance review of the Consortium Director by providing feedback to the Director's supervisor
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Section C: Additional Duties of the Chair and Chair-Elect
- Chair and Chair-Elect shall work with the Director to develop the Steering Committee agendas.
- Chair and Chair-Elect shall serve as the first Business point-of-contact for the consortium, and as such, shall be current on implementation issues, barriers and solutions, and activity status.
- The Chair shall facilitate all Steering Committee meetings, unless unable to attend at which point, the Chair-Elect shall preside.
- The Chair-Elect shall coordinate, motivate and maintain status off all committee and task force activities and coordinate reporting during the Quarterly Meetings. This may require routine meetings with committee and task force chairpersons.
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Section D: Additional Duties of Executive Board
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When time is of the essence, the Executive Board can act on policy, budget, and staffing issues.
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Board officers also can make urgent decisions on behalf of the Steering Committee between quarterly meetings when necessary.
- In urgent situations, a decision can be obtained by 3 members of the Executive Board, with at least one of the three being either the Steering Committee Chair or Chair-Elect.
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Section E: Ex-Officio
All ex-officio Steering Committee members shall support the work of the Steering Committee in keeping with their assigned and appropriate job duties.
Article V: Voting Procedure
Section A: Representation
- Names: The voting members of the Consortium are identified in Article III, Section B, 1.
- Proxy and Votes per Member: Every voting member is entitled to one vote. Voting members who send representatives to represent them at meetings may authorize their representative to vote for them at the meeting by giving a written proxy to the NCTTPC Chair prior to the official start of the meeting.
- Quorum: A simple majority of the voting members will constitute a quorum.
- The Vote: In the event of a tie vote, the chair will cast the deciding vote.
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Article VI: Finances
Section A. Fiscal Agent:
- Name: The Dallas County Community College District shall serve as the fiscal agent for the Consortium and all NCTTPC sectors.
- Fiscal Year and Funding Source: The fiscal year shall run September 1 to August 31 in keeping with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
- Documentation: The Steering Committee will be provided quarterly budget expenditure documentation by the fiscal agent throughout the year.
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Section B. Standing Budget Committee
- Membership: The Steering Committee will establish a standing Budget Committee. This standing committee will have one representative from each sector (Sector Supervisors) as well as the Chair and Chair-Elect. The ex-officio members of this Committee will be the Consortium Director and the Fiscal Agent's representative.
- Annual Review: The Budget Committee will adopt a process for annually reviewing individual sector and consortium budgets and recommending a total Consortium budget to the entire Consortium Steering Committee for final approval.
- Chairperson: Chairperson of the Standing Budget committee will be a member of and selected by that committee.
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Article VII: Staff Roles
Section A: Support and Accountability
- Support: Tech Prep staff members will exercise a staff support role for the Consortium and each respective consortium sector.
- Accountability: Tech Prep staff members will abide primarily by the policies and procedures of their respective employers. They will abide secondarily by the policies of the Consortium.
- All Tech-Prep Consortium staff will abide by the Responsibilities Grid (Attachment 1)
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Article VIII: Steering Committee Meetings
Section A: Order of Business
- Meeting called to order.
- Approval of the last meeting's minutes.
- Reports
- Chair of the Steering Committee Report
- Consortium Director Report
- Sector Coordinator Reports
- Fiscal Agent's Report
- Sub-committee Reports
- Other Reports, if any
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- Unfinished Business
- New Business
- Announcements
- Meeting Adjournment
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Section B: Agenda
- Agenda items may be proposed to the consortium Director or the Steering Committee Chair prior to the Steering Committee meeting.
- Items not included in the agenda may be addressed under new business which will be entertained before the close of each Steering Committee meeting
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Section C: Regular Meeting
- Regular meetings will occur the first Wednesday after each quarterly fiscal reporting date. Due to budget and proposal writing requirements, two regular meetings will occur in early spring.
- Announcements of the date of a regularly scheduled Steering
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Committee meeting shall be made at the preceding meeting. Meeting dates may be changed if all Steering Committee voting members agree to the change.
Section D: Called Meetings
- Special meetings of the Steering Committee may be called by the Steering Committee chair, or any five (5) voting members.
- Notices of special meetings of the Steering Committee shall be given at least one week prior to the meeting date.
- If all of the members shall meet at any time and place and consent to holding of a meeting, such meeting shall be valid without call or notice and action may be taken.
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Section E. Location of Meetings
- The Chair of the Steering committee may designate any place, either within or without the North Central Texas Tech Prep Consortium geographic area, as the place of any regular or special called meeting.
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Article IX: Amendments to the Bylaws
Section A: Who May Propose Amendments
Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by voting Steering committee members.
Section B: Procedures for Amending the Bylaws
- Any proposal to amend these bylaws shall be delivered to the Chair of the Steering Committee at least 45 days prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Steering Committee.
- The Consortium Director or designee shall mail a copy of all duly proposed amendments to all Steering Committee members, no later than thirty (30) days prior to the date of the next regularly scheduled meeting.
- The voting members of the Steering Committee shall consider and act upon each duly proposed amendment as transmitted to the Steering Committee.
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Bylaws adopted
Date: June 15, 1994
Bylaws amend
Date: June 6, 1996
Bylaws proposed for amendment
Date: April 8, 1998
Will be approved on July 27, 1998