1.5 The President
1.5.1 Appointment of the College President
The procedures for the appointment of the college president are set forth in a document which has been approved by the college faculty, the Board of Trustees, and Synod. A copy of the document may be found in the Office of the President. This procedure includes a search committee that has representation from the faculty as well as other important community groups.
1.5.2 Responsibilities
1.5.2.1 General
The president is the chief executive officer of the college. The president is the one officer with an overview of the entire enterprise as a whole and, as such, must promote the mission and purpose of the college in its broadest dimensions. The maintenance and enhancement of the general welfare of the college is the direct responsibility of the president.
One of the ways the president maintains an overview of the entire enterprise is by regular meetings of the President's Cabinet. The Cabinet is composed of the vice presidents and the provost. It meets biweekly throughout the year, with regularly scheduled all-day planning sessions to chart the course of the college into the years ahead. This Cabinet is primarily a discussion and advisory group; it does not make policy.
Another way in which the president maintains an overview of Calvin College is through membership on the Planning and Priorities Committee. This committee is a standing committee of the faculty and administration; its mandate is to conduct studies of the larger aspects of college functions in order to determine the appropriate emphasis to be placed on each function in its interaction with other functions. It is concerned primarily with the long-range plans of the college. Its purview is as broad as the college itself; its scope of activity overlaps areas covered by other committees and administrators.
1.5.2.2 In Relation to the Board of Trustees
Inasmuch as the Christian Reformed Church owns and supports the college, and through its synod delegates control to the Board of Trustees, the president and faculty are, in final analysis, subject to the authority of the Board and of the Executive Committee, as representatives of the Board.
The Board of Trustees is a legislative body whose primary responsibility is the determination of policy. The Board is not an administrative body. The execution of policies should be left in the hands of the president.
The president is the administrative head of the college, with duties and powers defined in appropriate board-approved documents. This does not mean that the president is the autocrat of the institution with the faculty having only advisory powers nor is the president merely the presiding officer and executive of the faculty. Rather, the president takes the initiative with the Board in all important matters and consults and cooperates with the faculty in the manner prescribed in the faculty bylaws.
The president promotes the mission and purpose of the college at all times and is the principal representative of the college in external relations.
Except by special decision of the Board of Trustees, the president acts as the medium of communication between the Board of Trustees (or its Executive Committee) and the faculty, and between the Board (or its Executive Committee) and the students. The president is also a medium of communication between the college and the constituency. The interpretation and presentation of policy and major proposals to the Board of Trustees belongs preeminently to the Office of the President; it is the president's duty to submit all recommendations on these matters to the Board for final decision.
The president attends every regular meeting of the Board and its Executive Committee in order to report on significant events at the college, to consult with the Board on problems, and to bring appropriate agenda items for Board action. In the absence of the president, a designated vice president or the provost performs these functions on the president's behalf.
The president presents to each member of the Board a full report on the state of the college at least ten days before each plenary session. This report includes all necessary agenda items for action by the Board at each session.
Along with the Vice President for Development, the president acts as advisor to the Board Development Committee. In this capacity the president can help assure servant partnerships that are appropriate for the institution's growth and leadership in the years to come.
1.5.2.3 In Relation to the Faculty
The president is the chairperson of the college Faculty Senate and holds the responsibilities, duties, and powers of that office as outlined in the faculty bylaws.
The president ensures that the faculty continually and diligently work at defining and developing the Reformed principles in the various disciplines, at shaping educational policy of the institution, at integrating faith and learning in the disciplines, and at promoting the educational and spiritual welfare of the student body.
Termination, dismissal, and discipline of individual faculty members, when necessary, is the administrative responsibility of the president in accordance with the procedures outlined in this faculty handbook.
The president's work in relation to the faculty is carried out mainly through the work of the Professional Status Committee and selectively by ex officio membership on all faculty committees. The president maintains oversight of the educational policy of the college through regular and continuing consultation with the provost on all educational policy matters.
1.5.2.4 In Relation to the Students
The president, both personally and through the administrative staff, and together with the faculty, must promote in the college a Christian academic community in which a love of learning is instructed by the desire for a deepened and enriched knowledge of God's work in creation, in Scripture, and in Christ. Toward that end, the President shall foster amicable relationships among the administration, faculty, and students.
When necessary, the president shall carry out responsibilities for student conduct and discipline as outlined in "The Student Conduct Code" (see the Student Handbook).
