Internal Governance

​​​​Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) and its colleges, Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College, embrace the concept of participatory governance. The purpose of a participatory governance structure is to ensure that all decisions are well informed by input from the appropriate segments of the college community: faculty, students, classified staff, and management.  The model is grounded in Assembly Bill 1725 and in the policies of the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board Policy BP 2410 - Board Policies and Administrative Regulations.

At RSCCD, recommendations are made to the Board of Trustees, which is responsible for all policy-related decisions.  The participatory governance structure consists of a variety of groups, including the Academic Senates, councils, and committees. Representatives of staff and student groups are encouraged to work within the established processes to address the issues of the district.

The participatory governance process guides and informs the district’s decision-making activities, short and long-range planning, and problem-solving tasks.  

There are six participatory governance committees involved in planning at the district level. The District Council serves as the primary participatory governance body that is responsible for district-wide planning activities including developing planning and budgetary recommendations that are submitted to the Chancellor and Board of Trustees. The five other district-level participatory governance committees who support the work of the District Council include the Planning and Organizational Effectiveness, the Fiscal Resources, the Human Resources, the Physical Resources and the Technology Advisory Group.

Board of Trustees

District Council

Planning and Organizational Effectiveness Committee

Fiscal Resources Committee

Human Resources Committee

Physical Resources Committee

Technology Advisory Group

College Councils

Academic Senates