112.1 Purpose

To establish requirements and procedures for formal, comprehensive evaluation of the performance of technical college presidents and more frequent, less formal and periodic reviews to help ensure the success of each college president in the discharge of all his or her duties as outlined in Policy 111 and UCA 53B-2a-107.

112.2 References

UCA 53B-2a-107(2)(c), Technical College Presidents – Appointments – Duties
Policy 110, Technical College Presidents – Functions

112.3 Approval

Board of Higher Education approval as Policy 104: October 18, 2012. Revised: June 8, 2016. Replaced with Policy 112: January 12, 2017. Revised: September 13, 2017; September 20, 2018.

112.4 Evaluations

4.1 After six months of service, a college president will be reviewed informally prior to his or her first formal and comprehensive evaluation.

4.2 Following the first year of service, and at least once during each three years of service thereafter, a formal and comprehensive evaluation shall be conducted for each technical college president.

4.3 A college president may be evaluated as often as determined necessary by the Board of Higher Education.

4.4 A college board of directors may request an evaluation of its college president during any year that an evaluation is not scheduled.

112.5 Administration of the Evaluation

5.1 The comprehensive evaluation process is intended to reflect the full scope of duties expected of the technical college president, and to provide meaningful, substantive feedback from the Board of Higher Education, the college board of directors, college faculty and staff, local community and business leaders, and other relevant stakeholders regarding the president’s efforts, strengths, and any areas needing improvement.

5.2 The evaluation shall be conducted by an Evaluation Committee under the direction of the Board of Higher Education, in cooperation with the college board of trustees.

5.3 The Evaluation Committee shall consist of five members including the chair (or his or her designee) and vice chair (or his or her designee) of the college board of trustees; the member of the Board of Higher Education representing the technical college (Policy 101.8.1.3 or 101.8.2.1); one additional member of the Board of Higher Education who resides outside of the college’s service region and who is appointed by the Chair of the Board of Higher Education; and the Commissioner of Higher Education.

5.4 Input may also be taken from staff, students, business and industry, and community members as determined appropriate by the Evaluation Committee.

112.6 Performance Areas for Evaluation

The Evaluation Committee shall consider the functions outlined in Policy 110.4 when conducting technical college presidents’ evaluations.

112.7 Components of the Evaluation

7.1 Conducting an Evaluation: Evaluations of technical college presidents shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

7.1.1 Review of the president’s annual goals and the college’s strategic plan;

7.1.2 Review of accreditation, enrollment, and outcomes documentation;

7.1.3 Review of the president’s self-evaluation based on annual goals and performance areas contained in Policy 110;

7.1.4 Interviews, as determined appropriate by the Evaluation Committee, of selected staff, members of the college board of trustees, students, business and industry leaders, secondary and post-secondary education providers, and community members;

7.1.5 Printed questionnaires administered, as determined appropriate by the Evaluation Committee, to selected staff, members of the college board of trustees, students, business and industry leaders, secondary and postsecondary education providers, and community members; and

7.1.6 Exit meetings and preliminary oral reports with the college president.

7.2 Final Report: The Evaluation Committee shall prepare a written report marked confidential, containing the findings of the evaluation process.

7.2.1 The report shall be provided to the president being evaluated, the chair and vice chair of the technical college board of trustees, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Higher Education, and the Commissioner of Higher Education. The report shall not be disclosed to other individuals or entities except as required by law.

7.2.2 The president shall have opportunity to comment in writing on the report. The president’s statement shall be included in the final report.

7.2.3 All evaluation reports, including notes and drafts, all meetings conducted pertaining to the Evaluation Committee’s work, and all recommendations and responses are confidential, private records and are protected from disclosure by UCA 63G-2-201, 302.

7.2.4 Reports (along with a technical college president’s comments) shall be stored in a confidential personnel file at the Office of the Commissioner.

7.2.5 The report shall be presented by the chair of the college board of trustees (or his or her designee) in a closed session of the Board of Higher Education.

112.8 Annual Reviews

Each year that a formal evaluation is not conducted, a less formal annual review will be conducted for each technical college president. The annual review shall be conducted with an attitude of preparing the president for the formal evaluation process.

8.1 The review team shall consist of five members including the chair (or his or her designee) and vice chair (or his or her designee) of the college board of trustees; the member of the Board of Higher Education representing the college (Policy 101.8.1.3 or 101.8.2.1); one additional member of the Board of Higher Education who resides outside of the college’s service region and who is appointed by the Chair of the Board of Higher Education; and the Commissioner of Higher Education.

8.2 The review team shall function as liaisons between the institution and the Board of Higher Education. As time and circumstances permit, the review team shall visit the college, attend board of trustees’ meetings, attend college events (especially commencement ceremonies), identify specific ways that the Board of Higher Education and Office of the Commissioner can build a positive and productive relationship with the board of trustees and president, and coordinate and facilitate communication between the Board of Higher Education, board of trustees, and the president. The Commissioner shall note such activities and suggestions in the written report to the Board of Higher Education.

8.3 The review team shall meet with the technical president at his or her college at least twice annually. In preparation for the review, the review team should attempt to identify any concerns or issues with either the president’s performance or institutional direction that need to be addressed.

8.4 The review team shall prepare a confidential, written report containing the findings of the review.

8.4.1 The report shall be provided to the president being reviewed, the chair and vice chair of the board of trustees, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Higher Education, and the Commissioner of Higher Education. The report shall not be disclosed to other individuals or entities except as required by law.

8.4.2 The president shall have opportunity to comment in writing on the report. The president’s statement shall be included in the final report.

8.4.3 All review reports, including notes and drafts, all meetings conducted pertaining to the review team’s work and all recommendations and responses are confidential, private records protected from disclosure by UCA 63G-2-201, 302.

8.4.4 Reports (along with presidential comments) shall be stored in a confidential personnel file at the Commissioner’s office.

8.4.5 The report shall be presented by the chair of the college board of trustees (or his or her designee) in a closed session of the Board of Higher Education.

112.9 Guidelines for Evaluation

Comprehensive evaluations and less formal reviews of a technical college president shall:

9.1 Promote the professional growth and development of the president;

9.2 Assess ongoing individual performance;

9.3 Assess adherence to the vision and mission of the System and college’s strategic plans;

9.4 Provide guidance for the president to help him or her acquire and demonstrate the skills required for success;

9.5 Recognize and commend the president if found to demonstrate excellence in the achievement of his or her goals;

9.6 Identify inadequate performance and provide opportunities and paths for remediation;

9.7 Encourage behaviors which contribute to college and student success;

9.8 Encourage the president to strive to improve the quality of education and services at his or her technical college;

9.9 Encourage the president to communicate, advocate, and celebrate with his or her colleagues at other technical colleges to build and strengthen working relationships;

9.10 Ensure the president performs and behaves in a manner that promotes and strengthens the System;

9.11 Promote continuous improvement and frequent interaction and communication with the Board of Higher Education and Office of the Commissioner, such that surprises within the evaluation process will be unlikely;

9.12 Be conducted in the spring and completed and ready to report in the last regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Higher Education during the fiscal year; and

9.13 Remain confidential within the review team and the Evaluation Committee, the college board of trustees, the Board of Higher Education, and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education except as required by law.

112.10 Discipline/Corrective Action

10.1 Board of Higher Education Authority: In accordance with Utah law, technical college presidents shall serve at the will of the Board of Higher Education. As such, the Board may elect to impose disciplinary or corrective action up to and including termination of a technical college president.

10.2 Board of Trustees Participation: In all meetings in which disciplinary or corrective action regarding a technical college president is considered, including Board meetings that are closed to the public in accordance with the Open and Public Meetings Act, the chair and vice chair of the respective college’s board of trustees or their designees shall be invited to communicate local perspectives relative to a president’s competence and character. The chair and vice chair of the technical college board of trustees shall not have a vote in any official Board of Higher Education action relative to a college president.

10.3 President Participation: In the event that the Board of Higher Education has concerns relative to a technical college president’s performance and/or employment, the president shall be given the opportunity to respond to the Board.