Breakout was held in Fall 2005 and a consequent Rostrum article written.
Whereas community college districts and colleges often use outside consultants to advise on district or college matters such as educational planning, staff development, budget development, or college or district reorganizations, and
Whereas apportionment funds spent on outside consultants are not then available for instructional programs or direct student services, and consultants are often hired even though faculty and administrators within the district possess expertise in these areas, and
Whereas employment of private consultants is not subject to the same bidding and contractual safeguards required for hiring, purchasing and service contracts and therefore can raise conflict of interest issues when personal networks are used as a basis for recruiting and awarding of consultant contracts, and
Whereas outside consultants have been used by administrators or boards in some districts to go around or to avoid collegial consultation with the local academic senate or to circumvent existing and agreed upon district policies and processes,
Resolved that the Academic Senate research the nature, extent and use of consultants by California Community Colleges, and develop a paper that provides background information and advice to local academic senates regarding appropriate uses, good practices and potential problems with outside consultants, particularly those hired to consult on academic and professional matters.