2005

Whereas, Full-time faculty are responsible for vital activities beyond the classroom such as writing curriculum, participating in governance, and responding to the needs of and interacting with the community (e.g. workforce advisory committees);

Whereas, The relationship between academic freedom and tenure is well established;

Whereas, The Academic Senate stands firmly behind the principles of academic freedom and the benefits of a 75:25 ratio, principles which have been attacked and threatened recently; and

Whereas, The lively discussion at the spring and fall meetings of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges indicate a need and a willingness to share information and ideas;

Whereas, Most colleges have present and past senate officers and other faculty who have a wealth of knowledge and experience and would be willing to share it;

Whereas, An electronic mailing list (commonly known as a "listserv") would allow those who are interested to communicate with each other easily and quickly; and

Whereas, Workforce preparation is one of the missions of California community colleges;

Whereas, The Economic and Workforce Development Program (EWDP) is a pivotal organization for the development of new curriculum and programs;

Whereas, Faculty participate in EWDP minimally, as advisory board members; and

Whereas, The faculty expertise (via the Academic Senate) is an underused resource that could serve as a statewide liaison between the faculty and EWDP;

Whereas, Workforce preparation is one of the missions of California community colleges;

Whereas, The System Office routinely researches and sets direction for vocational programs, resulting in budgetary proposals; and

Whereas, Faculty do not appropriately/routinely participate in System Office planning of budgetary proposals, where their perspectives and expertise would be useful;

Whereas, Several initiatives and projects, such as, the Center for Urban Education, the USC Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students study (TRUCCS), and California Tomorrow, have engaged in partnerships with California community colleges to examine issues of student equity, retention, and success;

Whereas, The System Office has actively recommended and/or supported community colleges participation in these projects; and

Whereas, California's community college student population is a transient one, yet a population whose input in academic and professional matters is valued and necessary for the success of all of our colleges;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges encourage local colleges to identify mechanisms for involving students in campus committees early and effectively; and

Whereas, The president of Texas A&M University-Kingsville has temporarily disbanded the university's faculty senate and created a committee to revise its constitution and bylaws, as the result of recommendations from an outside advisory committee that studied the faculty senate and its relationship with the administration, faculty and student body;

Whereas, President Juarez has also barred any of the current members of the faculty senate from serving on the reform committee;

Whereas, Many California community colleges are involved in bond-funded building projects;

Whereas, Faculty are concerned not only about the quality of education, but in the quality of the environment in which education is delivered and in how the spending of the California community colleges is perceived; and

Whereas, Undue delays in building exacerbate costs, interfere with college planning and negatively impact student success;

Whereas, Title 5 53200 provides that policies for faculty development are subject to collegial consultation;

Whereas, Local senates should regularly engage in defining professional development needs and designing and planning faculty development activities;

Whereas, Some local boards of trustees and administrators within the California Community College System are not appropriately supportive of local senate policies and requests for professional development and academic support; and

Whereas, The Disciplines List process is now concluded every three years;

Whereas, Currently, Disciplines List changes entail an eighteen-month process, thus leaving eighteen months where Disciplines List issues are not addressed;

Whereas, The timeframe for the Disciplines List process and recommendations to the Board of Governors could realistically be shortened without sacrificing any of the essential procedural elements; and

Whereas, The Disciplines List hearings, though important, are not well attended;