Title 5 Excerpts

Excerpts From Title 5

Definitions Concerning the Senate

SECTION 53200 DEFINITIONS

Academic Senate means an organization whose primary function is to make recommendations with respect to academic and professional matters. Academic and Professional matters means the following policy development and implementation matters:

  1. Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites.
  2. Degree and certificate requirements.
  3. Grading policies.
  4. Educational program development.
  5. Standards or policies regarding student preparation and success.
  6. College governance structures, as related to faculty roles.
  7. Faculty roles and involvement in accreditation processes.
  8. Policies for faculty professional development activities.
  9. Processes for program review.
  10. Processes for institutional planning and budget development.
  11. Other academic and professional matters as mutually agreed upon.

Consult Collegially means that the district governing board shall develop policies on academic and professional matters through either or both of the following:

  1. Rely primarily upon the advice and judgment of the academic senate, OR
  2. The governing board, or its designees, and the academic senate shall reach mutual agreement by written resolution, regulation, or policy of the governing board effectuating such recommendations. 

Powers of the Senate

SECTION 53203 POWERS

A) The governing board shall adopt policies for the appropriate delegation of authority and responsibility to its college academic senate. B) In adopting the policies described in section (a), the governing board or designees, shall consult collegially with the academic senate. C) While consulting collegially, the academic senate shall retain the right to meet with or appear before the governing board with respect to its views and recommendations. In addition, after consultation with the administration, the academic senate may present its recommendations to the governing board. D) The governing board shall adopt procedures for responding to recommendations of the academic senate that incorporate the following:

  1. When the board elects to rely primarily upon the advice and judgment of the academic senate, the recommendation of the senate will normally be accepted, and only in exceptional circumstances and for compelling reasons will the recommendations not be accepted.
  2. When the board elects to provide for mutual agreement with the academic senate, and an agreement has not been reached, existing policy shall remain in effect unless such policy exposes the district to legal liability or fiscal hardship. In cases where there is no existing policy, or when legal liability or fiscal hardship requires existing policy to be changed, the board may act, after a good faith effort to reach agreement, only for compelling legal, fiscal, or organizational reasons.

E) An academic senate may assume such responsibilities and perform such functions as may be delegated to it by the governing board. F) The appointment of faculty members to serve on college committees shall be made, after consultation with the chief executive officer or designee, by the academic senate.

SECTION 55002: STANDARDS AND CRITERIA FOR C OURSES AND CLASSES

Curriculum Committee. The college and/or district curriculum committee recommending the course shall be established by the mutual agreement of the college and/or district administration and the academic senate. The committee shall be either a committee of the academic senate or a committee that includes faculty and is otherwise comprised in a way that is mutually agreeable to the college and/or district administration and the academic senate.

Roles of the Senate

SECTION 70902 (b)(7) GOVERNING BOARDS; DELEGATION

The governing board of each district shall establish procedures to ensure faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to express their opinions at the campus level, and to ensure that these opinions are given every reasonable consideration, and the right of academic senates to assume primary responsibility for making recommendations in the areas of curriculum and academic standards.

SECTION 87359 (b) WAIVER OF MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS; EQUIVALENCY

The agreed upon process shall include reasonable procedures to ensure that the governing board relies primarily upon the advice and judgment of the academic senate. The process shall further require that the governing board provide the academic senate with an opportunity to present its views to the governing board before the board makes a determination.

SECTION 87360 (b) HIRING CRITERIA

Hiring criteria, policies, and procedures for new faculty members shall be developed and agreed upon jointly by the representatives of the governing board and the academic senate.

SECTION 87458 (a) ADMINISTRATIVE RETREAT RIGHTS

The agreed upon process shall include reasonable procedures to ensure that the governing board relies primarily upon the advice and judgment of the academic senate. The process shall further require that the governing board provide the academic senate with an opportunity to present its views to the governing board before the board makes a determination.

SECTION 87610.1(a) TENURE EVALUATION PROCEDURES

The faculty's exclusive representative shall consult with the academic senate prior to engaging in collective bargaining regarding those procedures.

SECTION 87663 (f) EVALUATION PROCEDURE

The faculty's exclusive representative shall consult with the academic senate prior to engaging in collective bargaining regarding those procedures.

SECTION 87743.2 FACULTY SERVICE AREA

The exclusive representative shall consult with the academic senate in developing its proposals with regards to faculty service areas.