Academic Senate

Education Opportunity to Improve Effective Governance

Whereas, The twentieth anniversary of AB 1725 provides the opportunity for governance at colleges and districts to begin a new era of collegial consultation;

Whereas, Many universities in California and other organizations provide instruction and professional development for administrators; and

Whereas, More of the administrators being hired in California community colleges hail from outside the state, come from private industry or other leadership posts and are not sufficiently educated in the spirit of AB 1725 and collegial consultation;

Process for Recommending Changes to Title 5 Regulations

Whereas, Recommending changes to Title 5 Regulations is significant and affects all colleges within the State; and

Whereas, Local senates need time to fully absorb the impact of recommended changes to programs, faculty, and students;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges develop a process to be considered for adoption at a future plenary session that details a procedure for review and recommendation of proposed changes to Title 5 regulations.
MSC Disposition: Local Senates

Appointment of Faculty Representatives

Whereas, The mission statement for the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges states, "The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges fosters the effective participation by community college faculty in all statewide and local academic and professional matters; develops, promotes, and acts upon policies responding to statewide concerns; and serves as the official voice of the faculty of California Community Colleges in academic and professional matters";

Ensuring Participatory Governance

Whereas, California's AB1725 (1988) recognized the role of local academic senates to make policy development and implementation recommendations to local governing boards on all academic and professional matters and the Legislature adopted 70901 of the Education Code and the Board of Governors adopted 53200-53203 of Title 5 to strengthen the role of local academic senates in the governance of colleges and districts by requiring local governing boards to "consult collegially" with academic senates;

Support for Hartnell College

Whereas, The expertise and dedication of faculty is central to the mission of the California Community Colleges, and the economic progress of the Salinas Valley depends on higher education;

Whereas, Negotiating a settlement as recommended by the state appointed mediator and the lack of an equitable contract settlement lead to a strike by the Hartnell faculty;

Support for Compton/El Camino College District

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges passed a resolution in Spring 2006 supporting the Compton College academic senate;

Whereas, The Compton Community College District continues to retain its own academic senate partly as a result of Academic Senate for California Community Colleges support;

Whereas, The El Camino College Compton Educational Center has established a faculty council fully integrated with the El Camino College academic senate; and

Continued Recognition of Compton College as a Member Senate

Whereas, The unique circumstances of Compton College place it in an unknown situation regarding its accreditation status, and litigation is pending;

Whereas, The academic senate for Compton College has remained actively functioning within all bylaws and standards of the Compton College Academic Senate Constitution and the procedures and policies of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges;

Whereas, There is a possibility that Compton College may become a center under the accreditation status of another California community college; and

AAUP's Campaign for the Common Good

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has an organizational relationship with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) as stipulated in Resolution 1.02 F99;

Whereas, The Academic Senate has adopted the AAUP 1940 "Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom," as directed by Resolution 19.05 S96;

Whereas, AAUP's Campaign for the Common Good is an appeal for support of vital AAUP efforts and includes multiple funds, one of which is to ensure academic freedom; and

Creation of a Statewide Listserv

Whereas, The lively discussion at the spring and fall meetings of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges indicate a need and a willingness to share information and ideas;

Whereas, Most colleges have present and past senate officers and other faculty who have a wealth of knowledge and experience and would be willing to share it;

Whereas, An electronic mailing list (commonly known as a "listserv") would allow those who are interested to communicate with each other easily and quickly; and

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