Effective Meetings

1. Effective Meetings Dianna Chiabotti, Napa Valley College Julie Bruno, Sierra College

2. Burning Questions ?

3. The Brown Act! COMMITMENT TO: Openness Transparency Public Access to information

4. The Brown Act! • Applies to meetings of all legislative bodies (GC 54952) • What is considered a meeting?

5. Does the Brown Act Apply to Local Academic Senates?

6. Applying the Brown Act All meetings are open!!

7. Applying the Brown Act Who’s “in charge” of the agenda?

8. Applying the Brown Act • Agendas • Publically posted 72 hours prior • Mail 1 week before • Must Include: • Time & Place • Public comments • Action items with brief description

9. Rules of Order • Must adopt rules of order and incorporate into meetings • Most common is Robert’s Rules of Order • http://www.robertsrules.com/

10. Rules of Order • Can choose elements to use • Parliamentarian??? • Check your local senate constitution and by-laws for established processes

11. Agenda Items • What do you include? • What should you include?

12. Agenda Changes? • Can change order • Cannot add items • Time limits?

13. Action Items • Format of action items? • Need a first reading • Published agenda items only! • Exceptions??

14. Decision Making • How will decisions be made? • Voting • Consensus • Other

15. Motions • President needs to know how to • Close debate, limit or extend debate • Refer to committee • Modify wording of a motion • Suspend rules • Divide motion • Table

16. Discussion Items Discuss only, no action

17. Important to note: • All information must be available to the public • Documents become public documents

18. Discussion & Debate

19. Discussion & Debate • Limit to a topic • Courteous comments • “Decorum of Debate” • Get comfortable with Conflict

20. President’s Role in Meetings Prioritize Balance discussion and debate with decisions Keep agenda moving

21. President’s Role in Discussions Should the president participate in discussion and debate?

22. Questions or Comments?

23. THANK YOU!