1987

Whereas there is an increasing call at all levels for faculty to become more involved in the governance of community colleges, and

Whereas a greater involvement in governance means more work for community college faculty, who generally find themselves already very busy with the responsibilities of teaching and working with students, and

Whereas numbers of full-time faculty members are diminishing at many community colleges, and

Whereas some faculty have never worked at a college which assigned them a meaningful role in governance, and

Whereas Title 5 regulations have long stated that local academic senates represent the faculty in academic and professional matters which clearly include curriculum, and

Whereas new Title 5 regulations empower local senates to establish curriculum committees by mutual agreement with local administrators,

Whereas the empowerment of academic senates with regard to curricular and other professional matters implies the assumption of further responsibilities by the faculty, and

Whereas these responsibilities necessitate staff development,

Resolved that the Academic Senate establish a joint committee of members of the Research Committee and the Local Senates Committee to initiate systematic research as well as faculty training on internal governance in community colleges, with primary emphasis on curricular matters, and

Resolved that the following replace the original motion:

Whereas local senates anticipate greatly increased responsibilities and duties, and

Whereas the present duties and responsibilities of local senates are already overwhelming,

Resolved that each local academic senate be encouraged to request, and that chief executive officers be encouraged to provide, at least one full FTE of reassigned time to be distributed as the local senate determines among its officers and committee chairs, if such reassigned time is not already provided.

Whereas, according to the Chancellor's recent "Study on Part-Time Instruction," six of ten California Community College faculty members teach part-time (less than 60 percent load) and teach one-third of all college class hours, and

Whereas the primary function of the academic senate is, as the representative of the faculty, to make recommendations to administration and to local governing boards with respect to academic and professional matters (Title 5), and

Resolved that the "

Resolved" be reworded to read: "That the Academic Senate urge local senates to request an office and appropriate operational support services and equipment (i.e., secretary, computer, answering machine)."

Whereas the role of local senates has been increasing in importance and significance, as recommended by the Master Plan Commission, by the Board of Governors' Basic Agenda, and by other recent documents, and

Whereas in meeting these obligations to promote effective communications and effective handling of information,

Whereas a variety of technological instruments is available to promote communication, networking, and effective handling of information,

Whereas California Community Colleges should be in the forefront of affirmative action, and

Whereas there are federal and state statutes, regulations, and enforcement procedures that could strengthen affirmative action in community colleges, and

Whereas these statutes are scattered through the Education Code, California Fair Employment law, federal law, and Executive Orders, and

Whereas it is difficult to trace these laws, and

Whereas it is necessary for college faculty to be aware of these laws in order to carry out affirmative action goals,

Whereas demographics indicate that California will experience a continuing influx of immigrants and refugees who will require instruction in English language skills in order to become effective contributing members of society, and

Whereas many of these non-native speakers will enroll in community college credit programs, and

Whereas the acquisition of a foreign language is an appropriate and established academic discipline.