A1000.15 Definitions List Management

1.0 Statement

Shawnee Community College affirms that clarity and consistency of terminology are essential to transparent governance, equity, and institutional effectiveness.  Definitions provide a common language that reduces ambiguity, strengthens accountability, and ensures that Administrative Policies and Operating Standards are applied consistently across the College.  By maintaining a single authoritative list of definitions, the College fosters confidence among students, employees, and the broader community that policies and standards are implemented with fairness, accuracy, and shared understanding.

2.0 Purpose & Scope

Shawnee Community College affirms that clarity and consistency of terminology are essential to transparent governance, equity, and institutional effectiveness.  Definitions provide a common language that reduces ambiguity, strengthens accountability, and ensures that Administrative Policies and Operating Standards are applied consistently across the College.  By maintaining a single authoritative list of definitions, the College fosters confidence among students, employees, and the broader community that policies and standards are implemented with fairness, accuracy, and shared understanding.

3.0 Definitions

• Definitions List – The single authoritative, living list of definitions approved for use in Administrative Policies, Operating Standards, and related governance documents. Maintained and published by the President’s Office, the list ensures consistency and prevents duplication or conflict of terms.
• Specialized Term – A word or phrase that carries a precise, context-specific meaning within the College’s governance or operations, which may differ from its everyday use. Examples include “Operating Standard,” “Monitoring Report,” “Credit Hour,” or “Executive Council.”

4.0 Procedures

The President’s Office shall maintain a current Definitions List Workflow that outlines the steps for submitting, reviewing, approving, publishing, and archiving definitions. This workflow, including a flowchart, shall be accessible to all governance bodies.  All proposals must follow the workflow to ensure consistency, transparency, and proper routing to the Executive Council for approval.

This workflow complements the guidance provided in A1000.10 Developing Operating Standards.

5.0 Guidelines

Definitions should be written to promote clarity and consistency across the College.  In general:

• Keep definitions concise (1–3 sentences).
• Use plain language, accessible to non-specialists.
• Avoid duplicating terms already included in the Definitions List.
• Provide examples when a term may carry a specialized meaning that differs from common usage.

6.0 Roles & Responsibilities

• President’s Office – Maintains and publishes the Definitions List on the College website and ensures archival copies are kept, including the annual snapshot included in the Shared Governance Manual published each August.
• Executive Assistant to the President (Shared Governance) or designee – Serves as custodian of the Definitions List; responsible for logistics, including collecting proposals, maintaining the workflow/flowchart, formatting entries, publishing the official list, and archiving versions.
• Shared Governance Councils – Identify terms that require definition and recommend additions or revisions when drafting or revising Administrative Policies and Operating Standards.
• Executive Council – Reviews and approves all additions, modifications, and deletions to the Definitions List before they are published.
• President – Ensures the Definitions List aligns with institutional priorities, accreditation requirements, and external compliance standards.

7.0 Oversight & Review

• The Definitions List may be updated as needed, with changes reviewed and approved by the Executive Council at any of its regularly scheduled meetings.
• The Definitions List shall also be reviewed annually by the President’s Office to ensure consistency, eliminate duplication, and update definitions as needed.
• Suggested updates may be submitted at any time by Councils, Teams, or individual employees through the Shared Governance process.
• The version of the Definitions List published on the College’s website shall serve as the official version of record.
• The President’s Office will ensure the Definitions List is maintained in the online Shared Governance Manual and included in the annual PDF version published each August for archival purposes.