Barton Community College’s Board of Trustees may talk less about Policy Governance and more about Barton Governance in the future, after amending its board policy manual last Thursday.

As noted in the update manual, BCC trustees adopted the Carver Policy Governance™® model on Nov. 21, 1996. "It serves as the foundation for all board practices/policies."

However, BCC President Dr. Carl Heilman noted at the meeting, the college’s board adds its own refinements to Carver’s model. "It is the Barton Governance model."

Board chairman Mike Johnson agreed. "We don’t follow the Carver model 100 percent," he said, estimating about 95 percent of board policy follows that model.

The change in the policy manual is more than cosmetic, Heilman said. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Center, and HLC’s Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) looks at the policy manual and adherence to it.

Trustee Robert Feldt said Barton Governance should not be confused with Carver’s Policy Governance because Carver’s model is copyrighted. And, Feldt agreed, Barton trustees don’t follow the Carver model 100 percent. "Over the years we have modified the policy to suit our particular needs."