Texas State Technical College Harlingen - SACS Reaccreditation 2005

Section 2: Core Requirements 2.2
The institution has a governing board of at least five members that is the legal body with specific authority over the institution. The board is an active policy-making body for the institution and is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the financial resources of the institution are adequate to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from it. Neither the presiding officer of the board nor the majority of other voting members of the board have contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution.

A military institution authorized and operated by the federal government to award degrees has a public board in which neither the presiding officer nor a majority of the other members are civilian employees of the military or active/ retired military. The board has broad and significant influence upon the institution's programs and operations, plays an active role in policy-making, and ensures that the financial resources of the institution are used to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from the board except as specified by the authorizing legislation. Neither the presiding officer of the board nor the majority of other voting board members have contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution.

Statement of Compliance: Texas State Technical College Harlingen is in compliance with Core Requirement 2.2.

Rationale for Judgment of Compliance:

Texas State Technical College Harlingen is one of four colleges within the Texas State Technical College System. The organization and control of the System is vested in a nine-member Board of Regents [Ref 1]. The Board of Regents enacts those bylaws, regulations and policies it deems necessary and proper for the management and operation of the System, its colleges and services. The Board is composed of nine persons appointed by the Governor of Texas with the advice and consent of the Senate. The term of office for each Regent is six years.

The duties and responsibilities of the Board of Regents are clearly defined in the Bylaws of the Board of Regents [Ref 2], Systems Policies [Ref 3], and Texas Education Code, Chapter 135, Section 24 [Ref 4]. The Board of Regents conducts all business according to parliamentary rules in Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised [Ref 5](or the latest revision or amendment thereto), unless modified by standing or special rules of the Board.

The officers of the Board are Chairman, Vice Chairman, Executive Committee Place I and Executive Committee Place II. The officers are elected annually at the first regularly scheduled meeting of each fiscal year, and the position is assumed for one year. The Chairman, Vice Chairman, Executive Committee Place I and Executive Committee Place II constitute an Executive Committee. The Board also has four standing policy committees - Policy Committee for Instruction and Student Services, Policy Committee for Fiscal Affairs, Policy Committee for Facilities, and Policy Committee for Human Resources and Development. It is the sole right of the Board to approve annual operating budget, transfers between fund groups and components, bank depositories and deposits therein, and appropriations requests.

The Board of Regents holds regular quarterly meetings on a rotating basis at each of the four main colleges that create the TSTC System; quarterly meetings minutes are available in the President's Office in the Industrial Technology Building. Meetings are held in accordance with prescribed bylaws.

Although the Board includes members representing agriculture, business, industry and labor, the members are prohibited from having contractual, employment, personal or familial financial interest in the institution.

Documentation:

Source	Location
Reference 1: Board of Regents Membership	http://www.harlingen.tstc.edu/president/sacs/SACS_Folder/bormem.html
Reference 2: Bylaws	http://www.harlingen.tstc.edu/president/SACS/SACS_Folder/bylaws.asp
Reference 3: TSTC System Operating Standards	http://db.tstc.edu/t/sosalpha.asp
Reference 4: Vernon's Texas Education Code Section 135.01	http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/ED/content/htm/ed.00 3.00.000135.00.htm#135.01.00
Reference 5: Robert's Rules of Order	http://www.robertsrules.com/default.html

Compliance Audit Reports