Glossary of Policy Terms

Policy: All Board, State, Federal, and College policies. Policy a course or principle of action adopted by COCC; has widespread application; changes less frequently; answers major operational issues; can be legislative in nature; manages actions. Represents the what in terms of what principles or governing actions COCC adopts. A policy is typically an umbrella for a set of procedures to support the policy. Example policy; Nondiscrimination policy (establishes the Colleges position related to nondiscrimination).

Procedure: Any procedure, practice, guideline, identified at the College. Procedure an established or official way of doing something; has narrow application; prone to change; often stated in details can be judicial in nature; a sequence of steps or activities. Represents the how in terms of how COCC executes daily operations. A procedure typically supports a policy and provides guidelines for individual actions. Example procedure: New Business Cards procedures (establishes how you order new business cards).

Academic Program: Any institutionally established combination of courses and/or requirements leading to a degree or certificate.

Academic Focus: An area of concentration within the program (e.g. Psychology or Geology).

Governance: Governance, with a big G, is the Central Oregon Community College Board of Directors.

governance: There are three governance, with a little g, committees; College Affairs, Student Affairs, and Academic Affairs.

Work Group: A group formed to investigate/research on a specific project or task sometimes as a subgroup of a committee or a specific group of people reporting to an individual or committee.

Task Force: A temporary group of people formed to accomplish a specific task or activity. It has a well-defined charge and reports to the creating individual, agency, or committee.