Section III: Comprehensive Standards

3.2.4.  The governing board is free from undue influence from political, religious, or other external bodies, and protects the institution from such influence. 

JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

Compliance.

NARRATIVE/JUSTIFICATION FOR JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

Northeast Alabama Community College demonstrates compliance that the board is free from undue influence from political, religious, or other external bodies and that the board protects the institution from such influence. The Alabama State Board of Education is accountable to the voters in each district through elections every four years. Board meetings and work sessions are open to the public and the dates and times are scheduled approximately six months in advance. 

State Board Policy 215.01 bans the employment of lobbyists at the institutional level. The chancellor's office coordinates all lobbying activities for the Alabama College System.  Alabama College System employees whose responsibilities include lobbying as institutional or system representatives are "prohibited from engaging in their official capacities in fund raising activities for candidates for public office, including the solicitation and donation of funds or services for campaign contributions or the payment of campaign debts."

State Board Policy 216.01 also prohibits any institution from organizing or participating in a political action committee.  Employees of the institution may not use the college name for any political action committee. Nor may presidents and other administrators intimidate, coerce or in any manner attempt to influence employees to join or make contributions to any political action committee or similar organization.

Northeast Alabama Community is a public institution and, therefore, maintains no ties to any religious body.

An important aspect of freedom from undue influence is that of academic freedom. At the institutional level, Northeast faculty, staff, and students are encourged to cultivate a climate of  academic freedom in all phases of the institution's activities. The faculty has adopted the following statement regarding academic freedom:  "NACC is committed to two supreme values: knowledge and the freedom to seek truth.  From this commitment instructors derive both their liberty and their responsibility. Their liberty is to seek knowledge and truth and to communicate them without unreasonable social or political pressures.  Their responsibility is to be proficient in their profession and to grant to others the same respect and freedom which they claim for themselves. An instructor's academic freedom includes full freedom to discuss the area of special competence without irrelevant controversial material; with this freedom goes the responsibility to perform competently and to respect the integrity of others.” This policy is published in the NACC Faculty & Staff Handbook, available both in print and online. The institutional policy is in line with State Board Policy 719.01, Academic Freedom.

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