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Academic Senate

By-Laws

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CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE I: NAME & PURPOSE  

Name 

The name of this body shall be the Academic Senate of College of San Mateo, hereinafter referred to as the Senate or the Academic Senate. 

Purpose

The Academic Senate has been established in accordance with Education Code Section 70902(b)(7), which call on the Board of Governors to enact regulations to ensure the right of faculty, as well as staff and students, to participate effectively in district and college governance. It further ensures the right of Academic Senates to assume the primary responsibility for "making recommendations in the areas of curriculum and academic standards." 

The Senate shall make recommendations regarding academic and professional matters to Cabinet, District Academic Senate, the College and District administration, the Board of Trustees, and to other appropriate individuals and bodies. The Board of Trustees shall ensure the right of the Senate to assume primary responsibility with respect to academic and professional matters, including exercise of the authority to appoint faculty to committees or groups dealing with academic and professional matters as specified in Title 5, Section 53203(f), and to participate in all other aspects of shared governance. The Senate shall inform the District Academic Senate of current issues and hold meetings for discussion and shall uphold all designated responsibilities pertaining to Senate rules and regulations as determined by  State laws. 

Academic and professional matters, as summarized from Title 5, Section 53200, include the following policy development 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 involvements in accreditation processes. 
  8. Policies for faculty professional development activities. 
  9. Processes for program review. 
  10. Processes for instructional planning and budget development. 
  11. Other academic and professional matters as mutually agreed upon. 

The Senate has the primary responsibility for making recommendations in academic and professional matters, while Government Code Section 3540 (et seq. Rodda Act) establishes the right of exclusive bargaining agents to negotiate hours, wages, and working conditions. Title 5, Section 53204 states, "Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to impinge upon the dues process rights of faculty, nor to detract from any negotiated agreements between collective bargaining representatives and district governing boards. It is the intent of the Board of Governors to respect agreements between academic senates and collective bargaining representatives as to how they will consult, collaborate, share or delegate among themselves the responsibilities that are or may be delegated to academic senates pursuant to these regulations." The Senate recognizes the interests of both groups on issues with both academic and working conditions implications. 

Article I Reviewed Fall 2023

 

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP & QUORUM FOR MEETINGS  

Senate Membership

Consistent with Title 5 of the California Administrative Code, Section 53200, and in accordance with Section 53202.d, all full-time and part-time faculty in the College are faculty members with all rights and responsibilities thereunto. The Academic Senate shall include the following faculty members:

  • Senate officers elected by the faculty; 
  • Standing committee chairs elected or appointed by the faculty committee members or the Academic Senate; 
  • Senators elected or appointed by the academic divisions to the Senate

Administrators, classified staff, and students are not members of the faculty. Any employee who supervises faculty is not permitted to serve as a senator.  Classified staff who are also adjunct faculty are permitted to serve as a senator, provided they are adjunct faculty for the division at the time of service. 

All divisions, with the exception of Enrollment Services and Special Programs, shall be represented by two senators. Of the senators representing the Academic Support and Learning Technologies division, at least one shall be library faculty. Faculty members belonging to more than one division may be elected to serve on senate committees by either division, but may not represent two divisions on the same committee, and must be active in the division for which they are elected. Faculty within Enrollment Services and Special Programs, faculty who directly report to a Vice President, and any other faculty outside of the ASLT, Business/Technology, Counseling, Creative Arts and Social Sciences, Kinesiology/Athletics/Dance, Language Arts, and Math/Science divisions will be collectively represented by one senator. This group shall be referred to as “otherwise unrepresented faculty”.

One representative to the Senate may be chosen by the Student Senate to represent students, according to the Student Senate's own criteria for selection. This member shall not be considered a member of the faculty, as defined in Article I, but shall have an advisory vote on Senate. It is the responsibility of the Senate to assure that students, staff, and administrators participate effectively in the development of recommendations on matters that affect them, as specified in Title 5, Section 51023.7 and Section 52023.5.

Please see Appendix A for voting membership. 

Quorum

Senate meetings shall require a quorum of the membership to vote on action items. A quorum for a meeting of the Senate and all Senate committees shall consist of 50% plus 1 of the committee's voting faculty members. 

Article II Reviewed Fall 2023

 

ARTICLE III: DUES

Consistent with Title 5, Section 13532, the Senate may call upon its faculty members for payment of  professional dues; however, professional dues are not to be expended on items for which taxpayers' dollars cannot be spent; dues may be used to support approved Senate projects and functions.

Article III Reviewed Fall 2023

 

ARTICLE IV : BUDGET FOR ADJUNCT PARTICIPATION, SENATE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, & ASCCC DUES

At the beginning of each academic year, the President and Treasurer of Senate will consult with the College President to set three budgets for Academic Senate:

  • Adjunct Participation Budget
  • Academic Senate Professional Development Budget
  • Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) Dues

After establishing the budgets, the Treasurer of Senate will provide regular updates throughout the year on the use of the budgets.

Adjunct Participation Budget

In Fall 2018, Academic Senate voted to to earmark part of its budget for compensating adjunct faculty who serve on the Academic Senate and its sub-committees. This includes service on the following committees:

  • Academic Senate
  • Curriculum Committee
  • Committee on Teaching and Learning (CTL)
  • Distance Education Advisory Committee (DEAC)

 Adjuncts serving on the above committees are paid hourly at the special rate for time spent at scheduled meetings. Additionally, due to the workload, adjunct faculty serving on the Curriculum Committee are paid for an additional two hours per month for meeting preparation (e.g. reviewing course outlines, GE requirements, etc.). At this time, adjuncts can only be compensated from this fund for the above committees. Adjunct faculty cannot be paid from this fund for other institutional/district committees or for additional work on committees beyond the hours specified above (i.e. task forces, work groups, special projects) without Executive Committee approval.

The Adjunct Participaton Budget will be reviewed regularly, or at least at the beginning of each semester, and funding for adjunct participation on Senate committees may be paused at any time if there is not sufficient funding available.

Academic Senate Professional Development Budget

The Academic Senate Professional Development Budget is used to fund Senate participation at ASCCC events throughout the year, including:

  • Fall & Spring Plenary
  • ASCCC Leadership Institute
  • ASCCC Curriculum Institute
  • Other ASCCC Events

Senate Officers and Standing Committee Chairs are able to use funds from the Professional Development Budget for official ASCCC events without Senate approval, and all other members of Academic Senate are eligible to use the Academic Senate Professional Development Budget with a majority vote approval in Senate. Liaison positions, or other ASCCC appointments, in which a stipend is already paid are not to receive additional funds if duties fall within the job description of their liaison position.

Academic Senate Dues

The Office of the President has agreed to pay Academic Senate’s annual dues to the Academic Senate for California Community College (ASCCC) every year. 

Article IV Reviewed Spring 2024

 

ARTICLE V: ELECTIONS, TERMS OF  SERVICE, & RELEASE TIME OF VOTING MEMBERS


Senators

Divisions have the freedom to elect senators by a majority vote of faculty members within that division or appoint senators directly to Senate by general consensus without an election. 

If an election is held within the division, results must be made available for the review of all faculty in the division.

Appointments should be made in a transparent manner with all faculty members in the division able to serve if interested. Ideally, decisions to appoint faculty will be made during a division meeting towards the end of spring semester or beginning of fall semester. 

If any faculty member in a division feels that elections or appointments are made in a non-transparent manner. They may request Senate to organize an election that will be administered to all faculty within the requesting division for one academic year. Senate will then advise the dean on procedures for future elections/appointments.

In the case of “otherwise unrepresented faculty” (see Article II), the appointment or election shall not occur strictly within the Enrollment Services and Special Programs division, and an honest effort must be made to contact all “otherwise unrepresented faculty” when a senator position is available to inform them of the opportunity to serve.

Senators shall serve a two-year term beginning in the Fall semester of the academic year in which they are elected or appointed by their division. Divisions will make an effort to stagger terms for their two division representatives so that one new Senator is elected or appointed every academic year.

Sub-Committee Members & Chairs

Sub-Committee Members and Chairs will be elected and serve terms of service according to their individual by-laws outlined in Article XI.

In agreement with the Office of Instruction and President of the College, Sub-committee Chairs will receive the following release time:

  • Curriculum Chair: 0.6 FTE 

Article V Reviewed Spring 2024

 

ARTICLE VI: ELECTIONS, TERMS OF SERVICE, RELEASE TIME & DUTIES OF SENATE OFFICERS  


The officers of the Senate shall be the following: 

  • President
  • Vice President
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer

The Immediate Past President of Senate will not be considered an officer but will act as a mentor to the incoming President, attending meetings as necessary to support the transition of new leadership.

Officers shall be elected by secret ballot from within and by the faculty at large. The election must be completed at least four weeks before the end of the semester. The term of the office shall be two years beginning on the last day of the semester in which officers are elected.

In agreement with the Office of Instruction and President of the College, officers of the Senate will receive the following release time:

  • President: 1.0 FTE
  • Vice President: 0.4 FTE
  • Secretary: 0.2 FTE
  • Treasurer: 0.2 FTE

The President shall: 

  • Uphold faculty purview over the 10+1 as detailed in Title V §53200 (c)
  • Attend the ASCCC Leadership Institute and Curriculum Institute as needed in preparation for the responsibilities of Senate leadership
  • Call and preside at all meetings of the Senate and the Executive Committee 
  • Prepare agendas for meetings of the Senate with the support of the Executive Committee
  • Serve on the Program Review Committee
  • Become familiar with and enforce the Brown Act, By-laws of the Senate and  parliamentary procedures as set forth in  Robert's Rules of Order, Revised 
  • Co-chair/attend all regular and special meetings of college/district shared governance councils and committees, including (but not limited to):
    • Institutional Planning Committee (tri-chair, voting)
    • District Academic Senate (voting)
    • District Participatory Governance Council (voting)
    • Accreditation Oversight Committee
    • Equal Employment Opportunity Advisory Committee 
  • Attend one-on-one meetings with key administrators at least monthly, including (but not limited to):
    • College President
    • Vice President of Instruction
    • Vice President of Student Services
  • Be an ex-officio faculty member of all institutional and district committees  as needed
  • Assist in planning (as needed) and participate in campus events, including (but not limited to): ,
    • Commencement
    • New Faculty Institute
    • Faculty Service Awards Ceremony
    • Transfer Tribute Ceremony
    • College-wide Town Halls
    • Flex Day
    • Tenured Faculty Celebration
  • In coordination with the Treasurer, establish annual budgets with the Office of the President at the beginning of each academic year  
  • Suggest policies and plans for faculty and special committees 
  • Act as the default  Senate delegate to the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) ,  or appoint a designee to be approved by the Senate
  • Establish and maintain  relationships with the Presidents of the Academic Senates of the other  colleges in the San Mateo County Community College District and with the collective bargaining agent 
  • Send weekly communication and updates to the faculty at large and additional urgent communications as needed
  • Maintain the Senate website, including membership list, records of meeting agendas/minutes, By-Laws, etc.
  • Observe the annual resource request prioritization process and advise the President on final faculty prioritizations as needed
  • Organize faculty equivalency committees for College of San Mateo faculty equivalency requests
  • Be involved in accreditation  as it relates to faculty roles
  • Mentor incoming President as Immediate Past President upon completion of term as President

The Vice President shall: 

  • Serve as a member of the Executive Committee  
  • Chair the Program Review Committee
  • Serve as assistant to the President in all duties of the President 
  • Serve as President in the absence of the President 
  • Attend all regular and special meetings of the District Academic Senate as a voting member 
  • Attend all regular and special meetings of the college shared governance council in the absence of  the President 
  • Publish at the beginning of the academic year a roster of all committees herein specified, including  Senate, indicating divisions represented and expiration of terms 
  • Serve as a liaison to Classified Senate
  • Have full oversight of Program Review, including the form, process, faculty outreach, program  review feedback processes; and coordination with the SLO coordinator, student services, VPI,  VPSS, marketing, PRIE  

The Secretary shall: 

  • Serve as a member of the Executive Committee  
  • Keep a record of the proceedings of each Senate meeting and report on the actions of the Executive Committee during Senate as needed
  • Maintain the files of the Senate
  • Be responsible for carrying on the correspondence pertaining to the affairs of the Senate as directed  by the President
  • Prepare for distribution minutes of all actions taken by Senate  

The Treasurer shall: 

  • Serve as a member of the Executive Committee 
  • In coordination with the Senate President, establish annual budgets with the Office of the President at the beginning of each academic year   
  • Receive all monies belonging to the Senate 
  • Sign orders and pay out the monies of the Senate 
  • Keep an itemized list of receipts and expenditures 
  • Arrange for an audit of the books as needed
  • Make a written report at the last regular meeting of the Senate in the academic year that includes an update on the state of the accounts and scholarship fund 
  • Be responsible for soliciting faculty donations to the scholarship fund annually 
  • Serve as a liaison to the scholarship committee 
  • Participate in the scholarship ceremony if requested 
  • Be responsible for preparing all documents required by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service  
  • Serve on college finance committees as needed or appoint a designee to be approved by Senate

Term limits for each position are as follows:

  • President – 2 terms 
  • Vice-President – 2 terms 
  • Treasurer – 4 terms 
  • Secretary – 4 terms 

In the event that no one runs for Treasurer or Secretary after these positions reach their term limit, they are able to run for one additional term. 

Article VI Reviewed Spring 2024

 

ARTICLE VII: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTIONS & VACANCIES


The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Immediate Past President of Senate and another current member of Senate to be approved by majority vote. Vacancies on the Nominating Committee may be filled by a majority vote. The report of the Nominating Committee shall be submitted to the Senate at a regular meeting of the Senate. This meeting shall be held at least two weeks prior to the spring election. Additional nominations may be made from the floor. The President shall be responsible for giving notice of the election to faculty members within ten instructional days of the meeting. 

Elections shall be held by secret ballot. If paper ballots are used, these ballots will be returned to and tabulated by a three-person ad hoc Tellers Committee appointed by the President, subject to the approval of Senate. Interested faculty are invited to witness the counting of the ballots. The ballots will be available for inspection for two weeks following the election. If electronic ballots are used, the three-person ad hoc  Tellers Committee will review and tabulate election results from an election report furnished by SMCCD District Information Technology Services. This report will be available for inspection for two weeks following the election. 

Vacancies in the Executive Committee  

For vacancies of under 1 year:  

If a vacancy in the Executive Committee occurs (and in the case of the President role, if the Vice President is unable to take on the role of the President), then the vacant role will be  filled with an interim member. The Executive Committee will put out a call with at least one week's notice  to the faculty at large for any interested faculty members to fill the vacancy. The Academic Senate will  then meet to select the interim Executive Committee member to fill the vacancy until such time as the  Executive Committee member returns to their position or normal elections are held. Past Executive Committee members are eligible to fill interim roles even if they have reached the stated term limits of  their position.  

For vacancies of over 1 year:  

If a vacancy in the Executive Committee occurs (and in the case of the President role, if the Vice President is unable to take on the role of the President), then a special election of the  faculty body will be held to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term of service.  

Article VII Reviewed Spring 2024

 

ARTICLE VIII: MEETINGS & COMMUNICATION OUTSIDE OF MEETINGS  

Regular meetings of the Senate shall be held at least once a month during the academic year at the College of San Mateo.

All meetings of the Senate shall be open meetings conducted according to the Brown Act, California Government Code, § 54950-54963 and Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief, 3rd Edition, 2020.

Faculty members and members of the public may attend any meeting of the Senate. However, only Senate members may vote on motions or action items. Individual votes or abstentions on any motion or action item will be recorded for the meeting minutes by the Secretary [§ 54953(c)]. Meeting minutes shall be included on a future Senate agenda for approval as soon as possible. Approved minutes will be posted to the Senate website before the next regular meeting of Senate.

A quorum of voting membersmust be present to conduct substantive business during any meeting of Senate. A Senate member must attend meetings in-person, unless experiencing emergency circumstances or having a just cause that justifies that member to attend remotely. Such remote participation must be done using both video and audio, and the member's remote location does not have to posted or otherwise revealed to the public [CA AB 2449]. 

All Senate meetings must provide an opportunity for faculty members and members of the public to directly address items within the purview of the Senate, subject to reasonable time limits and restrictions [Brown Act. § 54954.3(a)]. The Senate is not required to allow comment on non-agenda items at a special meeting. Written comments submitted by faculty members or members of the public may be read during meetings, although such is not required by the Brown Act. Faculty members and members of the public have the right to request recording or broadcasting a meeting, unless such would disrupt the proceedings [§ 54953.5(a) and § 54953.6].

The Senate may hold Executive ("closed") sessions during a meeting to consider matters requiring privacy, and the business discussed will be appropriately described on the meeting agenda [§§ 54956.8, 54956.9, 54957, 54957.6, 54956.75 and Section 54954.5. Description of closed session items].

ADA Compliance: "If requested, the agenda shall be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability, as required by Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12132) and the federal rules and regulations adopted in implementation thereof. The agenda shall include information regarding how, to whom and when a request for disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, may be made by a person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in the public meeting. "[Brown Act. Section 54954.2 Posting of agenda; Actions not on agenda].

Regular Meetings

The agenda for each regular Senate meeting, including the time, date, and place of the meeting, shall be posted on the Senate's website and sent to all faculty members at least 72 hours in advance of any regular meeting.

The agenda for a regular meeting must contain a brief general description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed at the meeting [§ 54954.2(a)]. The description should describe the “essential nature” of the matter, but need not exceed 20 words. [San Diegans for Open Government v. City of Oceanside, 4 Cal. App. 5th 637 (2016)]  Each description must list if the item may be acted on or if it is for information only.

The President must place an item on the agenda of the Senate meeting: (a) at the request of any Senate member, or (b) on receipt of a signed, written request to the President by at least ten faculty members. 

During regular meetings, the Senate may not take action on any matter that is not on the agenda,  unless that matter is declared to be an emergency matter by a two-thirds vote of the Senate members present or by unanimous vote if less than two-thirds are present[§ 54954.2(a)(3) and § 54954.2(b)(2)].

When a regular or special meeting is adjourned to a later meeting time, a notice must be posted where the meeting occurred within 24 hours after the meeting is adjourned [§ 54955]. If the adjourned meeting is scheduled for five or more days afterwards, a new Agenda must be posted 72 hours in advance of that adjourned meeting. [Brown Act. § 54954.2(b)(3)]

Special Meetings

Special meetings of the Senate may be called: (a) by the Senate President, (b) on petition of  a majority of the Senate, (c) on petition of fifty members of the faculty. Only the business for which the special meeting is called shall be transacted at that meeting. 

The Notice and Agenda for a special meeting will be posted and distributed in the same manner as a regular meeting, but at least 24 hours prior to the meeting [Brown Act. § 54956(a)].

When a regular or special meeting is adjourned to a later meeting time, a notice must be posted where the meeting occurred within 24 hours after the meeting is adjourned [§ 54955]. If the adjourned meeting is scheduled for five or more days afterwards, a new Agenda must be posted 72 hours in advance of that adjourned meeting. [Brown Act. § 54954.2(b)(3)]

Communication Outside of Meetings

Senate members may contact each other and non-members regarding Senate business except when such contact results in a "serial meeting" [§ 54952.2(c)(1) and § 54952.2(b)(1)]. Senate members may separately communicate to the public or faculty members to provide or gather information concerning Senate business. However, when a majority of the Senate members discuss Senate business through individual or small group conversations - by any method, from face-to-face to email, chat, or social media interactions - that constitutes a Senate meeting prohibited by the Brown Act. Furthermore, a Senate member may not directly respond to another Senate member's online post or shared information about Senate business. Therefore,  Senate members should avoid responding to each other's social media posts containing any comments or information on  Senate business (including replying with emoticons and "likes/dislikes").

Article VIII Reviewed Spring 2024

 

ARTICLE IX: SENATE RECOMMENDATIONS  

The Senate is authorized to make recommendations on behalf of the faculty subject to the following provisions:  

  • The Senate may, in its own initiative, refer to the faculty any matter affecting the welfare of the college community.  
  • The Senate may, in its own initiative, forward recommendations regarding academic and professional matters to the Administration or the Board of Trustees.
  • Within three weeks of minutes of a Senate meeting being approved, if  fifty faculty members, in a petition delivered to the Senate President, object to a resolution passed by Senate during said meeting,  that resolution shall be submitted to a referendum by secret ballot or to formal consideration by the faculty members.  
  • For matters on which the Board of Trustees or Administration intend to act when the college is not in  regular session, the Senate may hold a special meeting and make recommendations to the Board of Trustees  or Administration. The President of the Senate shall inform the faculty members of all such  recommendations within 48 hours. Within three weeks of those recommendations, if the President of the Senate receives a petition signed by fifty faculty members objecting to any of those  recommendations ,  the Senate shall submit the disputed recommendation(s) to the faculty members for ratification.
  • Nothing herein shall prohibit the President of the Senate from addressing the Board of Trustees as a faculty member on any matter within the faculty’s purview, provided the Senate President does not represent their opinion as that of the Senate without prior authorization of the Senate 
  • Outside of the regular school calendar, the President of the Senate may act on behalf of the Senate, provided the  President follows established Senate policies and regularly reports to the Executive Committee.  

Article IX Reviewed Spring 2024

ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS  

Amendments to the By-laws may be made by a simple majority vote of Senate members present.

Article X Reviewed Spring 2024

 

ARTICLE XI: COMMITTEES 

Campus/District Committees

A campus/district committee is defined as any committee outside of the Academic Senate and its subcommittees. The Senate shall appoint the faculty members  to any committee requiring Senate membership or representation as granted in Title 5 Section 53203(f): “The appointment of faculty members to serve on college or district committees, task forces, or other groups dealing with academic and professional matters, shall be made, after consultation with the chief executive officer or his or her designee, by the Academic Senate.”

Academic Senate Work Groups & Subcommittees

Subcommittees (also called standing committees) and work groups may be created at the discretion of the Senate.

Subcommittees must be formed with a majority vote of Senate. Subcommittees are permanent, standing committees and must create by-laws for committee operations that exist within the By-Laws of Senate.  

The Senate and its subcommittees may form work groups by a majority vote of its members. Work groups are short-term committees created to complete a specific task and will dissolve upon completion. The composition of a work group must be smaller than a quorum of the committees’ members but may include members from outside Senate, including members of administration/management, classified professionals, and/or students. A work group faculty chair must be identified who is a member of the Senate or Senate subcommittee. The work group faculty chair will report to Senate no less than once per semester on the progress of the work group.

Senate Subcommittee By-Laws

Committees shall operate, consistent with established procedures, within the strictures indicated below:

The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall act as a steering organization of the Senate.

Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Establish the agenda for Senate meetings
  • Distribute participation in institutional committees/taskforces/workgroups as needed
  • Oversee progress on annual Academic Senate goals
  • Act as the authorized representative of the Academic Senate during summer session and/or winter break.
  • Advise and propose actions to the President of the Senate in the absence of specific instructions from the Senate 

Committee Structure:

The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the Senate: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall consult the Immediate Past President as needed.

Meetings:

The Executive Committee shall meet in the week prior to a Senate meeting or as needed throughout the year.

Curriculum Committee  

Curriculum Committee shall report and recommend to Senate and advise the Vice President, Instruction,  concerning curriculum, instructional courses and programs, and instructional procedures, including  program review. Curriculum Committee provides for two student representatives with voting privileges. In  addition, the Curriculum Committee may establish committees as needed on other instructional matters, as  it deems necessary. All responsibilities of the Curriculum Committee shall be carried out in accordance  with applicable State laws. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Carry on a regular review of the college curriculum.  
  • Inform faculty of and oversees adherence to curricular aspects of the Education Code.  
  • Consider for recommendation proposals for new courses and programs.  
  • Consider for recommendation all deletions, classifications, and changes in courses and programs.  

Committee Structure: 

Curriculum Committee shall consist of representatives from the faculty and a committee chair. Each  instructional division, including counseling, shall elect two representatives to the committee. Library  faculty shall elect one representative; if library faculty belong to an academic division, that division should  elect one of its committee members from library faculty. In addition, a faculty Instructional Designer  will be an at-large voting member. The committee elects a chair from among its current or recent  members. The chair will serve a 2-year term and will report monthly to Academic Senate. 

Committee on Teaching and Learning 

The Committee on Teaching and Learning (CTL) oversees, coordinates, and reports on activities that  promote continuous improvement in teaching and learning. The CTL supports the Academic Senate's goals and the college's institutional priorities by collaborating on professional development activities and  promoting practices for assessing student learning and success.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

  • Create new working groups, as needed, to accomplish its goals 
  • Assist with institutional reporting, review, and assessment activities (e.g., Program  Review, Integrated Plan, Equity Report, etc.) 
  • Create professional development opportunities for the campus community around  assessment, equity, instructional technology, and other areas of teaching and learning based  on Program Review findings and other indicators of campus professional development  needs. 
  • Liaise with departments, divisions, the Academic Senate, and institutional committees  over flex activities, initiatives, curriculum, reporting etc. 
  • Advise Academic Senate and Vice President of Instruction on academic and professional  matters, especially as they relate to teaching and learning 

Committee Structure: 

The Committee on Teaching and Learning shall consist of representatives from the faculty,  administration, classified senate, and students. Each instructional division, including counseling, shall  elect two representatives to the committee. The CTL will also include the Dean of Academic Support and  Learning Technologies, a classified senate representative, two students, and the faculty coordinators for  professional development, assessment, equity/BSI, and distance education as committee members. The  committee will be co-chaired by the Professional Development Faculty Coordinator and the Student  Learning Outcomes Assessment Coordinator. The co-chairs will report regularly to Academic Senate. 

Meetings:

The CTL meets monthly: 

  • To determine the vision for the Committee on Teaching and Learning 
  • To create goals for the academic year 
  • To organize assessment workshops, trainings, and interdisciplinary activities • To support faculty assessment planning 
  • To produce biennial assessment report 
  • To advise the Academic Senate, the Vice President of Instruction, and the Accreditation Liaison  Officer on matters pertaining to assessment 
  • To organize professional development workshops, both on and outside Flex Days, that support  the vision of the CTL 
  • To act as a resource to individual faculty and programs vis-à-vis professional development and  activities 
  • To advise the Academic Senate, Vice President of Instruction, and the Dean of Academic Support  and Learning Technologies on matters pertaining to professional development. 

Distance Education Advisory Committee (DEAC) 

The CSM Distance Education Committee ensures excellence in teaching and learning through distance  education. It facilitates the development of distance learning instruction in response to student and  community needs, as well as to developments in educational technology. The committee is committed to  supporting faculty and students with appropriate pedagogical and technical training. 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

  • Help shape a college vision of distance education 
  • Recommend policies for quality and academic rigor of all distance education classes
  • Help guide student accessibility and promote distance education courses as a viable option for  pursuing educational goals  
  • Develop procedures, in consultation with the Vice President of Instruction, reflective of the  specifications of Title V, the ACCJC, and the Department of Education guidelines for educational  technology and online instruction  
  • Make recommendations to provide centralized online access to all student support services and  resources – library, counseling, financial aid 
  • Make recommendations to provide online support for students, such as creating an online  readiness course for students struggling to use educational technology 

Committee Structure: 

The committee is co-chaired by the Faculty Distance Ed Coordinator and Instructional Technologist.  Faculty representatives, elected by division, serve a two-year term. Includes non-voting members of the  administration, the director of the Disability Resource Center, a representative from Information  Technology Services, and voting members of the faculty coordinator for professional development and a  student representative. Committee meets monthly. 

Meetings 

Meets the first Wednesday of each month during the fall and spring semesters. 

Program Review Committee

The Program Review Committee shall oversee the Program Review process and facilitate the Program Improvement & Viability (PIV) process outlined in the Curriculum Handbook, which is maintained by the Curriculum Committee.

Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Maintain the Program Review form(s)
  • Facilitate workshops to educate faculty on the Program Review process
  • Facilitate the reading of Program Reviews across campus/district committees and disseminate feedback to programs
  • Facilitate the PIV process outlined in the Curriculum Handbook

Committee Structure:

The Program Review Committee shall be chaired by the Vice President of Senate. Other members include the President and Curriculum Chair. Additional members may be added as needed to complete the work of the committee (e.g.. if Program Review form(s) require substantive changes).

When the Program Review Committee receives recommendations for programs to undergo PIV, the committee shall form a work group to complete the process for each program. All work groups of the PIV Committee shall include the members of the Program Review Committee and no less than two additional at-large faculty members. Efforts will be made for the composition of the work group to include a broad range of faculty expertise and experience and include at least one Career and Technical Education (CTE) faculty member.

Meetings:

The Program Review Committee shall meet no less than once per semester 

Faculty Evaluation Guidance Committee (FEGC) 

Academic Senate shall appoint one faculty member to co-chair the Faculty Evaluation Guidance Committee (FEGC). The other co-chairs will include the Vice President of Instruction (VPI) and one faculty member appointed by the collective bargaining agent (AFT). The primary focus and purview of the committee shall be  supporting college faculty on any issues relating to faculty evaluations (tenured, tenure track and  adjunct) in accordance with the AFT Contract. All responsibilities of the FEGC shall be carried out in  accordance with applicable state laws. 

Duties and Responsibilities 

  • Oversee and facilitate the evaluation process for faculty 
  • Provide orientations at the start of each semester to review the faculy evaluation procedures
  • Respond  to faculty questions regarding the evaluation process in accordance with the AFT Contract
  • Support faculty when evaluation issues arise in accordance with the AFT Contract 

Committee Structure 

The Faculty Evaluation Guidance Committee consists of one faculty member appointed by Academic Senate, one faculty member appointed by the collective bargaining agent (AFT) and the Vice President of Instruction. Appointments to FEGC will occur every two years although faculty should seriously consider remaining  on the committee for a longer period due to the steep learning curve. Interested faculty should submit a  statement of interest to the Senate in the spring semester one year in advance of the actual  appointment. This will allow the new representative to 'shadow' the current Academic Senate co-chair. The  statement of interest should include a brief bio and why the faculty member is interested in the  position. All Senate Reps will receive a copy of the statement. The Executive Committee of the Senate  will meet confidentially to review the statements and make the final recommendation for appointment. If  any Senate Reps would like to comment on any of the applicants, they should forward their confidential  comments to the Senate President.

Due to the confidentiality of many evaluation issues, the chair will report to the Academic Senate on a request-only basis. 

Article XI Reviewed Spring 2024

 

ARTICLE XII:REMOVAL OF AN OFFICER  

A vote to recall any officer of the Senate may be initiated by a petition signed by  fifty members of the faculty and presented during a regular or special meeting of Senate.

The recall vote will take place by secret ballot of the faculty members within three weeks. A two-thirds vote of the valid ballots cast will be required to recall any officer of the Senate. Replacement for a recalled officer of the Senate will be made according to Article VII, unless more than three vacancies are created, in  which case a special election will be initiated within three weeks. 

Article XII Reviewed Spring 2024

 

All By-laws Articles will be reviewed by the Academic Senate Executive Committee once every five (5) years.

 

APPENDIX A: VOTING MEMBERS 


Division representatives, 2 representatives from the following divisions: 

  • ASLT 
  • Business 
  • Counseling 
  • Creative Arts and Social Sciences 
  • Kinesiology, Athletics, and Dance 
  • Language Arts 
  • Math and Science 

1 Faculty representative from “otherwise unrepresented faculty”  (Enrollment Services and Support Programs, direct reports to a Vice President, etc)

Committee Chairs from the following committees (any committee with a co-chair model needs to  designate 1 of the co-chairs as a voting member): 

  • Curriculum Committee 
  • Committee on Teaching and Learning  
  • Distance Education 

Advisory Voting Members: 

  • Student Representative from ASCSM

Appendix A Reviewed Spring 2024

Final Examinations
December 10-16, 2024
Winter Recess
December 24 - January 1
Spring Classes Begin
January 13, 2025
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