Whereas faculty believe it is important to encourage shared governance practice throughout the California Community College system, and
Whereas faculty wish to promote establishing a connection between shared governance theory and practice, and
Whereas faculty view it as important to encourage local trustees, administration, faculty, staff and students to develop and implement models of shared governance,
Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges recommend to local senates that each college be encouraged to provide, at a minimum, travel funds to the local academic senates to enable a minimum of two senate representatives to attend all area and state sessions during the academic year.
Whereas statewide models proposed by the Academic Senate generally address the needs of larger colleges, and
Whereas the Academic Senate resolutions and governance models should give consideration to the different needs and capabilities of small colleges, which have limited staff and resources compared to large colleges,
Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges include in future statewide models of senate operations and procedures examples pertinent to small as well as large colleges.
Whereas local senates need a means to communicate directly with each other utilizing modern technology, and
Whereas local senates also need a means to communicate directly with the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, and
Whereas the Info-Net computer bulletin board located at Modesto Junior College can facilitate local-to-local senate and local-to-state Senate communication by providing Senate alerts, current information on legislation, announcements, and opportunities for individual senates to exchange information,
Whereas local senates anticipate greatly increased responsibilities and duties so that they can adequately serve their institutions, especially under the provisions of AB 1725, and
Whereas the duties and responsibilities of local senates are already overwhelming, and
Whereas program improvement funds are designated in AB 1725 for faculty reassigned time to work on new duties and responsibilities required by AB 1725,
Whereas the role of local senates has increased in importance and significance, as recommended by the Master Plan Commission, by the Board of Governors' Basic Agenda, and by AB 1725, and
Whereas additional resources are needed in meeting these obligations to promote effective communications and effective handling of information, and
Whereas a variety of technological instruments is available to promote communication, networking, and effective handling of information,
Whereas AB 1725 has emphasized the role of faculty in the governance of community colleges and the need for faculty to be prepared to assume their governance responsibilities,
Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge the Intersegmental Coordinating Council's Teaching Improvement Cluster Committee to consider various approaches better to prepare potential community college instructors for their role in institutional governance.
Whereas libraries and learning resource centers in many cases are unable to provide adequate support to instruction because of inadequate or inappropriate physical facilities, and
Whereas without automated library systems, student, faculty, and administrative access to necessary library material is limited,
Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges support increased funding for physical improvement in libraries and learning resource centers including expansion, maintenance, and library automation.
Whereas expenditures for library, media services, and learning resource centers have dropped dramatically in the past decade, and
Whereas equipment, facilities, staff, and materials are essential to the maintenance of quality instructional and support programs and to the development of students' study skills,
Whereas AB 1725, the Master Plan Commission, and the Board of Governors Basic Agenda recommend expanded responsibilities for local senates,
Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges recommend to local senates that college libraries be given the responsibility to organize, maintain, and make available to faculty a collection of materials from the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges and from the local senate.