Creation of Diversity Caucuses

Spring
2009
Resolution Number
01.05
 
Assigned to
Standards and Practices Committee
Category
Academic Senate
Status
Completed
Summary
Create diversity caucuses within Areas A, B, C, and D under the leadership of a faculty representative from each area elected by the area constituents; acknowledge that members of the newly created caucuses be comprised of those faculty members who self-identify as diverse or faculty belonging to monitored groups with minority or diverse ancestral roots from traditionally underrepresented groups as classified by federal and state guidelines; charge these caucuses to work proactively and cooperatively within Areas A, B, C, and D in terms of writing resolutions, bringing to the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate issues or concerns pertaining to equity and diversity related to leadership at the state and local level as well as to the profession and to professional practice.
Status Report

S&P committee worked with EDAC to develop a bylaws change which was adopted in Spring 2010.

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has a demonstrated commitment to diversity through its committees such as the Equity and Diversity Action Committee (EDAC), actions, and initiatives as stated in the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges Diversity Policy and Executive Committee Code of Ethics (2006);

Whereas, Minority leaders in the Academic Senate cannot be developed without first addressing mentoring issues and the concerns of the existing small number of underrepresented minority, or "monitored," faculty scattered within Areas A, B, C, and D because of the inability to be united under one common voice within a given Area in addition to the fact that EDAC is not currently a represented voice or subset within these Areas A, B, C, and D; and

Whereas, Caucuses differ from focus groups in that a caucus is defined as "a group of persons united to represent an agreed-upon cause or idea with the power to influence or decide on policy" and focus groups, in essence, are "small group interviews that rely, on question-and-answer format of interviews for purposes of providing a response or responses to a stimuli as a way to elicit a point of view but do not possess the power to influence or decide on policy," and therefore focus groups can only provide understanding of issues whereas caucuses not only provide understanding but also can influence decisions affecting the members of a caucus;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges create diversity caucuses within Areas A, B, C, and D under the leadership of a faculty representative from each area elected by the area constituents;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges acknowledge that members of the newly created caucuses be comprised of those faculty members who self-identify as diverse or faculty belonging to monitored groups with minority or diverse ancestral roots from traditionally underrepresented groups as classified by federal and state guidelines; and

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges charge these caucuses to work proactively and cooperatively within Areas A, B, C, and D in terms of writing resolutions, bringing to the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate issues or concerns pertaining to equity and diversity related to leadership at the state and local level as well as to the profession and to professional practice.

MSC Disposition: Local Senates