1.04 – Meetings of the Board of Trustees

  1. Regular Meetings
    Monthly meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be held on the second Monday of each month. A regular meeting may be cancelled, or the date of a regular meeting may be changed, by action of the Board of Trustees at any previous meeting provided that every member is notified either by letter or by distribution of the minutes carrying the record of the cancellation or change. In case the date of any regular meeting is changed, or that meeting is cancelled altogether, the Secretary shall cause appropriate steps to be taken to inform the public of the change in advance of the meeting.Notice of the time, date, place and tentative agenda of regular meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be given to all representatives of the news media who request notice and shall be posted on the College bulletin board at least twenty-four hours prior to the time of the meeting. The meeting shall also be listed in the calendar of activities of the College and be advertised with other events in the routine news releases of the College.
  2. Special Meetings
    Special meetings may be called at any time by the President, and shall be called by the Secretary upon written request of three or more members of the Board of Trustees. In all cases of special meetings, no less than forty-eight hours written notice stating the time and place of the meeting and the business to be considered shall be given each member and, at such special meeting, no business shall be transacted other than that stated in the call; provided, however, that if all the members of the Board shall, in writing, waive the notice herein required, such special meeting may be held at any time and for any purpose.Notice of special meetings, including a tentative agenda, shall be given through regular news sources as far in advance of the meeting as is practicable. Copies of the notice shall be made available to any representative of the news media requesting them and shall be posted on the bulletin board in the main lobby of the administrative offices. When it is necessary to hold a meeting with less than twenty-four hours’ notice, or at a time and place not reasonably convenient to the public, the justification for departure of regular procedures shall be stated in the minutes.
  3. Quorum
    At all meetings of the Board of Trustees, whether regular or special, a majority of the entire membership of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but no contract shall be let, instructors employed or dismissed, or bill approved unless a majority of the whole Board votes therefore.
  4. Absences from Meetings (Revised Statutes of Missouri, Section 162.303
    Any member of the Board failing to attend the meetings of the Board for three (3) consecutive regular meetings, unless excused by the Board for reasons satisfactory to the Board, shall be deemed to have vacated the seat; and the Secretary of the Board shall certify that fact to the Board.  The vacancy shall be filled as other vacancies occurring in the Board.
  5. Meetings to be PublicAll regular and special meetings of the Board shall be open to the public except as otherwise provided in these rules or by statute.
  6. Closed Meetings
    Any regular or special meeting, or any study or work session of the Board, or any part thereof, may be closed to the public to the extent that the meeting relates to any of the subjects or matters as set forth in Section 610.021 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, or any successor statute thereto.

    1. When the Board proposes to hold a closed meeting or vote, it shall give notice of the time, date, and place of such closed meeting or vote and the reason for holding it by reference to the specific exemption allowed under the provisions of Section 610.021. Such notice shall comply with the procedures set forth in Section 610.020 for notice of a public meeting.
    1. When the Board desires a closed meeting or closed session at an otherwise open meeting, the Board shall vote on the question of closure, and the reason for closure shall cite the appropriate section of Section 610.020 relied upon. The vote shall be by roll call, and the vote of each member present shall be recorded and filed with the open meeting minutes.
    1. Closure of meetings, and items discussed at closed meetings, are limited to those related to the specific reason announced to justify the closed meeting.
    1. The Board’s Secretary shall maintain a separate minute book which contains a record of the action taken at such closed meetings. All action shall be by roll call vote, with the results recorded for the record. This minute book shall be a closed record, as shall all records connected with such meetings.
    2. When state law requires that action at a closed session be later publicly revealed, as noted above, the Board shall release such information at the appropriate time.
  7. Public Communication
    The Board encourages public input to the Board and administration by letter, phone, and participation at public meetings. Letters to the Board should be addressed directly to the Board or individual members of the Board.At the beginning of each regularly scheduled monthly meeting, or as otherwise deemed desirable by the Board of Trustees, public communication sessions shall be held to give opportunity for non-College related citizens of the district to address the Board. Such sessions shall be advertised and citizens encouraged to express opinions, concerns and ideas about the College to the Trustees.Communications sessions, when designated, shall precede the general order of business at regular monthly meetings of the Board of Trustees.

    Any citizen wishing to speak at a Board meeting will fill out the available request form and give it to the Board Secretary at the beginning of the meeting. Unless the Board decides otherwise, the presiding officer of the Board will designate the time or times during the meeting for public discussion. Any person recognized by the presiding officer shall limit his/her comments and discussion to no more than five minutes. The Board reserves the right to limit the time and number of speakers. Those wishing to address the Board are encouraged to do so at any work or study session in order to give the Board an opportunity to deliberate before the regular meeting when action appears likely.

  8. Viewing of Official Records
    Approved minutes of the Board of Trustees and other official records of the College district such as budgets, audits, records of revenues and expenditures, bid and supply contracts, and election information will be made available for inspection by citizens of the district and other interested parties subject to the following limitations:

    1. The request must be made during regular office hours to the appropriate College official who maintains the records being sought.
    1. The records may be viewed in the office areas where they are kept, under the supervision of the person(s) designated as custodian of the records.
    1. Photographs or photocopies of records may be made within the offices or work areas where the records are kept, under the supervision of the custodian of the records who may adopt and enforce reasonable rules governing the work. The cost of any photo or copy shall be borne by the person making the request.
    1. Copies of the budget and annual audit shall be made each year for use by members of the faculty and staff of the College, by citizens of the district, or agencies and organizations that may desire such information. The copies of the budget and audit may be used in work areas of the office or may be borrowed from the Secretary of the Board of Trustees for use elsewhere for a reasonable period of time.

Revised 9/9/96, 12/14/15