Academic Senate

Whereas Sally Flotho has dedicated much of her energy and time to bettering the California Community College system through her efforts as a member of the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, and

Whereas Sally Flotho has worked for many years strengthening the Golden West College Academic Senate and in so doing helped that college's faculty carry out its academic and professional responsibilities, and

Whereas Sally Flotho has carried out her duties with admirable good judgment, selflessness and general good will, and

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 consultants hired by administrators and boards outside the collegial consultation process may be assigned duties that infringe upon the faculty's responsibilities in academic and professional matters,

Resolved that the Academic Senate condemn the practice of hiring outside consultants or contracting services to make recommendations on academic and professional matters at any California community college without the concurrence of the local academic senate.

Whereas the original reason for geoclusters has largely been superseded by a variety of electronic communication methods, including E-mail, the Internet, teleconferencing, voice mail and other means, and

Whereas, because of time constrains and geographical difficulties, few geoclusters meet except as part of their Area Meetings, and

Resolved that the Academic Senate direct the Executive Committee to discontinue the geocluster system and discontinue the use of the title of geocluster leader.

Whereas Resolution 1.06 S98, 1.07 F98 and 3.04 S98 directed the Executive Committee to consider the development of a censure process to address violations of academic freedom, governance, and professional standards, and

Whereas, at the direction of the Executive Committee, the Standards and Practices Committee has thoroughly evaluated the proposal and concluded that the development of its own censure process would open the Academic Senate to potential liabilities and excessive expenditures, and

Whereas the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges represents part-time as well as full-time faculty, and

Whereas all faculty need to be well-informed of statewide issues and concerns so that they can participate effectively in all aspects of their professional lives, and

Whereas the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges does not currently provide sufficient copies of the Rostrum for all part-time faculty members,

Whereas technology impacts the work of all Senate Committees, for example assistive technology impacts the Affirmative Action/Cultural Diversity Committee; distance education impacts the Curriculum Committee; website counseling impacts Library and Counseling Faculty Issues Committee,

Resolved that the Academic Senate direct the Executive Committee to develop a structure that ensures coordination among Senate committees and committee chairs so that information related to technology can be shared.

Whereas the responsibilities and authority of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges have greatly increased during the past several years, and

Whereas this increase in duties and authority requires Executive Committee members and officers of the Academic Senate to be especially diligent in carrying out their individual duties and representative responsibilities, and

Whereas the American Association of University Professors has a censure process, utilized in cases where colleges or universities violate the basic principles of shared governance, fair and effective hiring, or academic freedom and tenure, and this censure process is used to communicate to faculty in the field who may be considering applying to the institution in question, and

Whereas Robert's Rules of Order allows for election by acclamation, and

Whereas the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has used the acclamation method in past elections for its Executive Committee when a candidate is running unopposed, and

Whereas the ability to elect by acclamation does not appear in the written Senate Rules for Election,

Resolved that the Academic Senate change the word "senator" to "delegate" in the Bylaws and in the Senate Rules for Elections with the exception of the following: Section 3 (Non-voting Senator Status).