Governance

Membership in WCET is by organization. Members include institutions, nonprofit entities, and corporations. Members assist in setting WCET’s priorities by participating in the committees that advise and govern the organization:

• The WCET Executive Council oversees the conduct of business.

• The WCET Steering Committee advises on activities.

WCET, a self-supporting unit of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, is governed by its bylaws (www.wcet.info/membership/bylaws.asp).

Below are brief descriptions of the organizational make-up of the governance committees and caucuses.

WCET Executive Council

The seven members of the Executive Council include the chair and vice chair of the WCET Steering Committee, WCET’s executive director, and four members elected from the membership at large. The elected members serve a three-year term, with no more than two members up for election in any given year. The immediate past chair of the WCET Steering Committee chairs the executive council as a nonvoting member. The WCET Executive Board was created in 1999 to create a smaller board that would have more responsibility over the financial and policy issues involved in running WCET. Renamed the executive council in 2005, it approves policies and dues rates and recommends changes to the bylaws by a vote of the general membership. In 2006, the executive council approved the WCET policy manual, created in a multiyear effort.

WCET Steering Committee

The steering committee consists of the chair of each of the caucuses. Each committee member is elected to a three-year term, with one-third of the committee up for election each year. Many ideas for WCET projects, services, or activities begin in discussion during meetings of the caucuses and are later endorsed by the WCET Steering Committee. The committee also makes recommendations to the executive council on policy issues, including dues rates and changes to the bylaws.

Caucuses

Upon joining WCET, every member organization is assigned to both a geographic caucus and an organizational caucus:

1) The WCET geographic caucuses are:

a. One caucus for each of the 15 WICHE states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

b. Three caucuses based on the membership in regional accrediting associations in the U.S.:

i. Middle States and New England (these two regions are together in one caucus).

ii. North central (except those states already represented by one of the 15 WICHE states).

iii. Southern.

c. An international caucus for all members from outside the U.S.

2) The WCET organizational caucuses are:

a. Four-year public colleges.

b. Two-year public colleges.

c. Private/independent colleges and universities.

d. Higher education governing/coordinating boards.

e. Corporations.

f. Nonprofit organizations.

The caucuses are used as avenues for communicating with members, sharing of information among members of like interest, and developing ideas for WCET projects and services.