The Senate Executive Committee consistently seeks methods to increase the diversity of the appointments to its standing committees, task forces, and advisory groups. The principles in this resolutions will continue to inform Senate appointment processes.
Whereas, Some faculty perceive the existence of barriers to involvement in the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges and its committees and may not volunteer for service due to mistaken beliefs about who should and should not seek to serve at the state level;
Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges’ bylaws specify that “All candidates for election to the Executive Committee shall meet at least one of these criteria: 1) is a Delegate or a local senate president 2) has within the last three years immediately preceding the election been a local senate president or an Executive Committee member or officer or 3) has been nominated by a resolution of a Member Senate”; and
Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges’ Diversity Policy states that it “recognizes the benefits to students, faculty, and the community college system that are gained by a variety of personal experiences, values, and views that derive from individuals from diverse backgrounds” and recognizes that diversity includes not only race, ethnicity, gender/sex, and other personal attributes, but also full- and part-time status;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges explore and potentially propose a bylaws change that would expand the pool of faculty eligible to run for positions on the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges Executive Committee; and
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges investigate new methods to increase the pools of faculty seeking membership on committees, identifying ways to recruit all faculty and to address misperceptions that discourage faculty from seeking to serve at both the local and state levels.
MSC Disposition: Local Senates