WikiEducator Community College/Workgroup1.12/Business procedure

Interim Open Governance Policy for WOLA

 * 1) The Vision, Mission, Interim Organization Structure and Interim Business Procedure, as approved by the Workgroup for WOLA, shall constitute the Interim Open Governance Policy for WOLA.
 * 2) The Interim Governance Policy for WOLA derives its authority as well as adopts approved practices from the Open Governance Policy of WikiEducator.
 * 3) In the event of conflict, if any, arises between these two polices, the Open Governance Policy of WikiEducator shall supersede.

=Draft Interim Business Procedure=

As per the Interim Organization Structure for WOLA, as approved by the Workgroup, during the interim period WOLA shall have a two tier organization, viz. Interim Academic and Administrative Board (IA&AB)(the Executive Body) and Interim House of Tutors (IHT)(the General Body. The procedures for executing the business of WikiEducator Open Learning Academy (WOLA) by both these bodies shall be as follows:

Core principle of business
In all processes and procedures, WOLA shall follow open governance and open management principles where all operations are conducted openly and transparently in the wiki.

Procedure for taking charge of office by the IA&AB Members
The IA&AB Members shall be deemed to be in office from the date and time at which they sign the online wiki Register of WOLA IA&AB Members by inputting four tildes, that is: ~

Responsibilities of the members of IA&AB

 * 1) Propose agenda for the IA&AB meetings
 * 2) Participate at all the meetings of IA&AB and help the IA&AB to take decisions on the agenda items
 * 3) Provide support for implementing the decisions of IA&AB
 * 4) Carry out individual responsibilities (including the Chairmanship and Deputy Chairmanship of IA&AB), if any, entrusted through a decision of IA&AB
 * 5) Oversee and guide the functions of the Interim House of Tutors as part of the collective responsibility of IA&AB

Meeting of Interim Academic and Administrative Board (IA&AB)

 * 1) The meetings of the IA&AB shall be chaired by the Chairman of IA&AB.
 * 2) The IA&AB shall meet at least two times every year.
 * 3) The quorum for the meeting shall be 50%.
 * 4) The regular meetings of the IA&AB shall be conducted online and asynchronous on a WikiEducator page (s) designated for the purpose.
 * 5) The duration of each asynchronous meeting shall be not less than two weeks.
 * 6) The notice for each such meeting shall be published at least three weeks before the scheduled time on a designated WikiEducator page.
 * 7) A minimum of two weeks shall be allowed to the IA&AB members to propose new agenda items and changes to the already proposed items.
 * 8) The matters that have to be included in the agenda of IA&AB meetings shall be proposed by an IA&AB member and seconded by another IA&AB member.
 * 9) In the event of changes are proposed/conflicts arise on a proposed agenda item preior to the commencement of meeting, the decision of the Chair on the nature and format of the item to be included in the agenda shall be final.
 * 10) Once discussions on any one of the agenda item is completed, any member of the IA&AB may propose it as a draft resolution to be adopted by the IA&AB.
 * 11) Draft resolutions proposed by one IA&AB member shall be seconded by another member of IA&AB.
 * 12) Once a resolution is properly seconded, the Chair shall announce the commencement of the rough concensus voting on the draft resolution.
 * 13) Well in advance to the commencement of the meetings, any one of the officers of IA&AB shall create a WikiEducator page for the meeting with the following sections:
 * 14) Introduction
 * 15) Section for members to sign in to the meeting using  ~  sign.
 * 16) Section for proposing agenda items
 * 17) Section for discussions on proposed agenda items
 * 18) Section for adding draft resolutions
 * 19) Section for discussions on draft resolutions
 * 20) Section for posting final form of resolutions for voting
 * 21) Sections for casting rough consense votes using  ~  sign on each resolution
 * 22) Section for announcing voting results by the Chair
 * 23) Section for concluding remarks of the Chair

Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Board may be called by the Chair, by the Deputy-Chair or any five (5) Board members. The person or persons who call a special meeting of the Board must fix the technology and time for holding such special meeting.

Constructive Presence at a Meeting
A member of the Interim Academic and Administrative Board (IA&AB)may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or online, by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other at the same time or within the time frames stipulated for an asynchronous meeting. Participating by such means shall be deemed presence in person at such meetings.

Authority for decision making

 * 1) During the interim period, the Interim Academic and Administrative Board (IA&AB) shall have the authority to take policy decisions that are required to carryout the functions entrusted to it. In this process, the IA&AB may consult the Interim House of Tutors, WikiEducator Community Council or the WikiEducator Community in general and OER Foundation, whenever it is found that such a consultation is necessary.
 * 2) The matters that require approval from IA&AB shall be included as agenda items for the meetings of the IA&AB, and such agenda items shall be discussed and approved through rough consensus poll.

Voting Means
Voting on all matters, including the election and nomination of IA&AB members and officers, may be conducted by mail, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, chat software, video conferencing, wiki software, or other similar verifiable means. Proxy voting shall not be allowed.

Resignation
Any IA&AB member may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Chair of the Board, the Deputy-chair, or the Member Secretary of the Board. Any such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, or, if the time not be specified therein, upon its acceptance by the Board.

Removal
The procedure for removing a Board member from office, if any, will be determined by resolution of the IA&AB.

Interim House of Tutors (IHT)
Immediately on assuming office, the Interim Academic and Administrative Board shall make arrangements for the WikiEducator community members, having WikiBuddy or above skill certification, to enroll themselves as Volunteer Tutors for WOLA.

The Officers of IA&AB shall be the officers of IHT also in the same order.

Procedure for taking charge of office by the IHT Members
The IHT Members shall be deemed to be in office from the date and time at which they sign the online wiki register of WOLA IHT Members by inputting four tildes, that is: ~

Responsibilities of members

 * 1) The WikiEducator community members who enroll themselves as Volunteer Tutors should ensure that following minimum information about them are added on their WikiEducator user pages:
 * 2) A brief profile
 * 3) Country of residence
 * 4) Educational qualifications and institutions studied
 * 5) Professional experience
 * 6) A brief description of volunteer support provided to WikiEducator
 * 7) Interested areas for voluntary service in WOLA
 * 8) Hobbies
 * 9) A valid e-Mail address should be provided in the user preference page
 * 10) The members shall attend all the annual or special meetings of Interim House of Tutors (IHT)
 * 11) The members shall function in the Academic Committees for specific Courses of WOLA as its member or as Course Director, based on their choice and nomination either by the IA&AB or the meetings of IHT
 * 12) The members of the IHT shall help the IA&AB to prepare course calender
 * 13) The members of the IHT shall volunteer to facilitate specific courses, based on their previously intimated interest and the course calendar
 * 14) The members shall mentor learners based on the system for mentoring (that would be designed by the IA&AB) and based on their previously intimated interest
 * 15) The members shall conduct/promote researches on open learning, open tutoring, open mentoring and any aspect of open education with a view to build enabling environment for open education

Meetings of IHT

 * 1) The General Meeting of the Interim House of Tutors (IHT) shall be conducted at least once in every year.
 * 2) The meetings of the IHT shall be chaired by the Chairman of IA&AB
 * 3) The quorum of the meeting shall be 40%.
 * 4) All procedure for meeting shall be as in the case of IA&AB

Resignation
The procedure for resignation shall be same as in the case of IA&AB members.

Removal
The procedure for removal shall be same as in the case of IA&AB members.

Procedure for developing courses
To develop new courses, revise the curriculum of existing courses and to coordinate the course delivery in WOLA:


 * 1) Academic Committees shall be formed in the IHT in the form of WikiEducator Workgroups.
 * 2) Preferably all the courses shall have separate Academic Committees in WOLA, however, there shall be no barriers for any one Academic Committee to consider more than one course.
 * 3) The Academic Committees shall submit the new course/course revision proposal in the form of a report to the IA&amp;AB.
 * 4) There shall also be an open wiki page for the OERu to request new courses and revision of existing courses. Such requests shall be given priority by IA&AB, IHT and Academic Committees.
 * 5) The Academic Committee reports shall also contain a plan for online delivery of the courses in the form of minimum standards to be observed in online course delivery.
 * 6) After approval from IA&AB course (s) will be developed collaboratively.
 * 7) Courses shall be developed for delivery through WikiEducator and moodle.wikieducator.org.
 * 8) Newly developed courses and revised versions of existing courses shall require the approval of IA&AB. Therefore, once the course development/revision of existing course is complete, the Academic Committee shall request the IA&AB to approve the course.
 * 9) After a thorough examination, the IA&AB may approve the course for delivery or return the same to the Academic Committee with specific comments/suggestions for further modifications.
 * 10) To maintain quality and relevance, revision of the course will be done once in two years.

Procedure for conducting courses

 * 1) The IA&AB, in consultation with IHT, shall prepare and notify the Academic Calendar for WOLA in WikiEducator.
 * 2) The Academic Year shall be from January to December.
 * 3) Forthcoming Academic Year's calendar shall be notified before October 31, every year.
 * 4) Once the Course Calendar is notified, IHT members can propose themselves as Lead Facilitators for the courses of their choice.
 * 5) Once a member is added himself/herself as Lead Facilitator for a given course, other members can also support the same course as Facilitators.
 * 6) Before November 30 every year, the Academic Committees shall ensure that all the courses in the calendar got Lead Facilitators and Facilitators.
 * 7) Lead Facilitators along with the Facilitators shall plan the course delivery in accordance with the approved minimum standards to be observed in online course delivery.
 * 8) The course delivery, assessment and awarding of credentials shall be coordinated by the respective Academic Committees.
 * 9) If found essential, the IA&AB shall be free to add new courses to and remove/hold existing courses from the academic calender at any time during the academic year.
 * 10) A minimum period of two weeks, before the commencement of courses, shall be ensured to the prospective learners to enrol.

Technology for conducting courses
Courses shall be conducted in WikiEducator and moodle.wikieducator.org

Procedures for Assessment and awarding of Credentials

 * 1) The existing skills development and certification framework for WikiEducators shall be further developed to cater the requirments for assessment and awarding of credentials in respect of all the courses of WOLA.
 * 2) The Assessment and Awarding of credentials shall be coordinated by the respective Academic Committees.

Procedure for Conducting Researches

 * 1) IA&AB and IHT shall promote open researches on topics that would strengthen Open Education system in general and OERu in particular.
 * 2) IA&AB and IHT, in consultation with WikiEducator community,OERu and other stakeholders of Open Education shall develop ethics and standards for Open Research Projects.

Procedure for recognizing the services of tutors
IA&AB shall design an appropriate open system for recognizing the services of WOLA Tutors.

Platform for WOLA's open research projects
http://wikiresearcher.org shall be the platform for WOLA's Open Research Projects

Day to day functions of WOLA

 * 1) Though all the memebrs of the IA&AB and IHT shall be responsible for the successful day to day functioning of WOLA, for the officers of the IA&AB, it shall be their primary responsibility.
 * 2) Among the officers of WOLA, the Member Secretary shall be the initial point of action as well as reporting.
 * 3) The Member Secretary in consultation with the Chiar and Deputy Chair shall take necessary action for implementing the decisions of the IA&AB.
 * 4) If the Member Secretary becomes unavailable for attending such functions, for any reasons and for any period, or intimates the Chair/Deputy Chair her/his inability to attend the functions of WOLA for any period, the Chair/Deputy Chair shall attend such functions or nominate another member of the IA&AB to attend such functions.
 * 5) In the event of the Deputy Chair becomes unavailable for attending the works of WOLA for any period or formally intimate the Chair his/her inability to function as Deputy Chair for any period, the Chair may authorize the Member Secretary or any other Member of IA&AB to act as Deputy Chair during the absence of the elected Deputy Chair.
 * 6) In the event of the Chair becomes unavailable for attending the works of WOLA for any period or formally intimate the Deputy Chair or the Member Secretary that he/she shall be unavailable for any period, the Deputy Chair may act as the Chair for such period.

-- Interim House of Tutors Letare Hemrom 05:55, 1 July 2012 (UTC)

Discussions on the draft business procedure
Participation of educators from institutions,organisations in IHT is important.Please suggest ways to increase parrticipation.Should we run any pilot project in this regards.Letare Hemrom 13:45, 10 July 2012 (UTC)


 * In the organization structure, we have provided option for having nominated members. It can be used as a way to ensure the above. Once launched, we can also plan other activities as well. Anil Prasad 04:47, 11 July 2012 (UTC)


 * I think it would be prudent to specify a quorum for meetings -- eg More than 50% of members --Wayne Mackintosh 05:28, 16 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Think of a mechanism to add additional courses which are not specified in the annual calendar. Eg additional open courses may be added, and where possible provide a 2 week notice period for student enrollments. It would be a pity to "disallow" WOLA sanctioned courses that are not advertised in advance on the yearly calender ;-) --Wayne Mackintosh 05:28, 16 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Once established, the WOLA Academic Board may wish to oversee the completion of the Workgroup to finalise certification criteria --Wayne Mackintosh 05:34, 16 July 2012 (UTC)


 * Thank you!...these are vital points. Added to the draft. Anil Prasad 12:09, 16 July 2012 (UTC)

VOTING
Please cast your votes by adding your signature using ~ 

Approval

 * Letare Hemrom 08:05, 17 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Wayne Mackintosh 08:40, 17 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Dr. Gita Mathur 11:22, 19 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Supten 05:44, 20 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Patricia Schlicht 17:39, 20 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Elizabeth Mbasu 14:05, 22 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Balqis Thaahaveettil19:51, 22 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Anil Prasad 04:45, 23 July 2012 (UTC)