SECTION B: THE GENERAL FACULTY AND ACADEMIC SENATE

 

CONSTITUTION

 BYLAWS

ACADEMIC SENATE COMMITTEES

 THE STATEWIDE CSU ACADEMIC SENATE

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE FACULTY

OF THE

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY DOMINGUEZ HILLS

Proposed Revision of the Constitution of [added: the General Faculty and] the Academic Senate California State University, Dominguez Hills

I.      Name and Purpose

II.      Membership and Officers of the General Faculty

III.    Meetings of the General Faculty

IV.    Membership and Officers of the Academic Senate

V.      Meetings of the Academic Senate

VI.      Amendment

(Formerly Section VII.)

[Added: Date Constitution adopted and dates of Amendments:]

Proposed Revision of By-Laws of [Added: the General Faculty and] the Academic Senate California State University, Dominguez Hills

I.      Meetings of the General Faculty

II.      Annual Election

III.      Organization of the Academic Senate

IV.    Elections Within the Senate

V.      Committees of the General Faculty and of the Academic Senate

VI.     Amendment

[Added: Date By-Laws adopted & dates of Amendments:]

 

 

ACADEMIC SENATE COMMITTEES

 

Membership

 For the membership of the Executive Committee see the Constitution, VI B. Faculty members of the standing committees are appointed for two-year terms by the senate chair in consultation with the Executive Committee, subject to senate approval. Standing committee chairs are chosen annually by the Senate Chair in consultation with the Executive Committee, and with the approval of the senate. This is required for the Educational Policies and Faculty Policies Committee chairs.

 

Operating Procedures

 Within its area of responsibility, each committee shall prepare statements for submission to the Academic Senate at the request of the senate, the Executive Committee, or on its own initiative. Non-policy matters, which are within the committee's concern, may be settled without submission to the senate, but they

should be decided according to procedures and standards approved by the senate. Committees may form subcommittees, either ad hoc or standing, to expedite their work. Each subcommittee should include at least one member of the parent committee and may report to either the parent committee or the senate, as determined by the parent committee. Committee meetings are open to all interested parties, except when the committee decides by a two-thirds majority to hold an executive session.

 

Listing of Senate Organizational and Standing Committees

 Executive Committee: Places items on the senate agenda or refers them to the appropriate committee on its own initiative or at the request of the President or any other member of the campus community. Consults with and presents faculty views to the President. Provides liaison with statewide faculty bodies.

 Educational Policies Committee: Deals with the educational goals, programs, and policies of the university. Provides liaison with the University Curriculum Committee and the Vice President, Academic Affairs.

 Faculty Personnel Committee: Deals with working conditions for the faculty and with standards and procedures for RTP. Provides liaison with the various RTP committees and the Associate Vice-President of Faculty Affairs.

 Other standing committees may be created by the Senate in accordance with the Constitution--VI C.

 

Senate Ad Hoc Committees

 Ad hoc committees will be given a specific charge by the Academic Senate at the time of their formation, preferably with some sort of deadline for a progress report on their work.

 In cases where ad hoc committees have not completed their work by the end of the academic year, the committee will be reappointed at the beginning of the subsequent academic year, with the same membership or with new members depending on whether the members of the original committee desire to continue to serve. If the ad hoc committee is appointed in the last semester of the academic year and it appears obvious their work cannot be completed within the semester, its members may be initially appointed to continue into the following academic year.

 If an ad hoc committee is inactive for a period of one semester or six months, either through the lack of a specific charge or the disinclination of the members to act, the committee may be dissolved by the senate or new members appointed.

 Ad hoc committees already formed whose functions or efficacy is in question should be asked to report to the senate on their perceived function and future possibilities.

 

THE STATEWIDE CSU ACADEMIC SENATE

 

Role of the State-Wide CSU Academic Senate

The Trustees of The California State University approved the Constitution of the Academic Senate on March 8, 1963. Prior to this a majority of the voting faculty at each of a majority of the university campuses had approved the document. Encouragement for the establishment of the system-wide Academic Senate, as well for the creation of an Academic Senate on each campus, came from the Chancellor, members of the Board of Trustees, and the California Legislature. The 1961 Legislature adopted Senate Resolution No. 98 and Assembly Concurrent Resolution Go. 78 requesting the Trustees to establish an Academic Senate at each university "wherein the faculty members shall be freely elected by their colleagues for the purpose of representing them in the formulation of policy on academic and professional matters." Senate Resolution No. 20, which resolved that the Trustees consider establishing an Academic Senate for the CSU system, was under discussion in the Senate Rules Committee when the Senate was created in 1963.

 An examination of the Constitution of the Academic Senate CSU, as approved by the Board of Trustees, reveals the official purposes of the Senate:

 It shall be the purpose of the Academic Senate of The California State University to serve as the official voice of the faculties of The California State University in matters of system wide concern; to consider matters concerning system-wide policies and to make recommendations thereon; to endeavor to strengthen the Senates and Councils of the several universities; and to assume such responsibilities and perform such functions as may be delegated to it by the Chancellor or the Trustees of The California State University.

 Senate participation in academic, professional, and administrative matters evidences a tradition of shared governance in the CSU and suggests appropriate responsibilities for the Senate under Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA). The collective bargaining act makes explicit provision for the preservation of this tradition and mandates continuing senate involvement in academic and professional matters. (See HEERA Section 3561 b.)

 

Academic Senate Participation in System-wide Governance

 The CSU Academic Senate serves as the official voice of the faculties in system wide academic and professional matters (the Constitution of the Academic Senate CSU, Article 1, Section 1 a.).

 The CSU Academic Senate is the formal policy-recommending body on such matters and shall also be the primary consultative body on the academic implications of system-wide fiscal decisions. Normally, recommendations of the Academic Senate shall be addressed to or through the Chancellor.

 In respect to system-wide governance, the Academic Senate endorses the following principles:

           A. Criteria and standards to be used for the appointment, promotion, evaluation, and tenure of academic employees shall be the joint responsibility of the Academic Senate and the Board of Trustees of The California State University (HEERA, Section 3562 r.). Criteria and standards determined jointly by the CSU Academic Senate and the Board of Trustees shall be considered minimal; campus senates/councils may recommend additional criteria and standards.

          B. The CSU Academic Senate shall be consulted on the creation of system wide and inter segmental committees, conferences, or task forces designed to deal with educational, professional, or academically-related fiscal matters, including the charge and composition of such bodies. The Academic Senate shall be responsible for the selection of faculty representatives to serve on or participate in such bodies.

          C. The CSU Academic Senate shall be the formal policy-recommending body on general, system wide policy decisions related to the following matters:

                     1) minimum admission requirements for students;

                     2) minimum conditions for the award of certificates and degrees to students;

                     3) curricula and research programs;

                     4) minimum criteria and standards to be used for programs designed to enhance and maintain professional competence including the awarding of academic leaves;

                     5) system-wide aspects of academic planning.

          D. The CSU Academic Senate shall be consulted on the following:

                     1) system-wide aspects of program review;

                     2) system-wide aspects of the basic direction of academic support programs;

                     3) system wide-policies governing the appointment and review of presidents and academic administrators;

                     4) policies governing the appointment and review of system-wide executive officers and academic administrators.

 The CSU Academic Senate shall not participate in the process of collective bargaining. Normally, matters affecting wages, hours of employment, and other terms and conditions of employment shall not be considered by the Academic Senate. The Academic Senate shall endeavor to ensure that educational and professional matters do not become subjects of bargaining.

CSU Academic Senate Recommendations on Local Campus Governance

 The CSU Academic Senate shall have no authority over those matters delegated to the individual campuses by the Chancellor or by the Board of Trustees of The California State University. Furthermore, nothing in this document shall be construed to impair the right of academic senates and councils of the several campuses to communicate through appropriate channels with the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees, nor to diminish the authority of the campuses and their senates in campus matters of academic and professional criteria and standards.

 Because joint decision-making and consultation between administrators and faculty is essential to the performance of the educational missions of The California State University, the academic senates/councils of the campuses shall be the primary consultative bodies regarding educational and professional matters delegated to the individual campuses by the Chancellor or by the Board of Trustees of The California State University and shall be consulted on fiscal matters which affect the instructional program.

 In respect to campus governance, the CSU Academic Senate endorses the following principles:

           A. Responsibility shall be vested in the faculty or its elected senate/council representatives for:

                    1) approval of degree candidates;

                    2) development of policies governing the awarding of grades.

          B. Through the campus academic senates/councils responsibility shall be vested in the faculty or its elected senate/council representatives for developing policies and making recommendations to the campus presidents on the following matters:

                    1) criteria and standards for the appointment, retention, awarding of tenure, promotion and evaluation of academic employees including preservation of the principle of peer evaluation and provision for the direct involvement of appropriate faculty in these decisions;

                    2) determination of membership in the General Faculty;

                    3) curricular policies, such as admission and degree requirements, approval of new courses and programs, discontinuance of academic programs, and academic standards;

                    4) faculty appointments to institutional task forces, advisory committees, and auxiliary organizations;

                    5) academic standards and academic policies governing athletics.

 

          C. The academic senate/councils shall be the primary source of policy recommendations to the campus president on decisions related to the following matters:

                    1) establishment of campus-wide committees on academic or professional matters;

                    2) the academic role of the library;

                    3) academic awards, prizes, and scholarships;

                    4) the academic conduct of students and means for handling infractions;

                    5) development of institutional missions and goals.

           D. The academic senates/councils shall be consulted by the campus presidents concerning:

                    1) the academic calendar and policies governing the scheduling of classes;

                    2) policies governing the appointment and review of academic administrators.

           E. This outline of functions and responsibilities is intended to provide the essentials for a satisfactory system of shared governance but should not necessarily be viewed as a comprehensive enumeration of such functions and responsibilities.

 

 

 

FACULTY TRUSTEE CANDIDATES

(Reference: PM 83-05, 3/9/83)

 

Procedures for Nominating Faculty Trustee Candidates

 I. Candidates for Faculty Trustee must meet the criteria set out by the CSU Academic Senate:

           1. Candidates must be teaching faculty and shall not currently hold any administrative title other than department chair or equivalent.

          2. Candidates shall be tenured with a record of excellence in teaching, professional achievement, and university service.

          3. Candidates shall possess experience in faculty governance or equivalent knowledge of The California State University.

          4. Questions as to definitions and eligibility shall be resolved by the CSU Academic Senate.

 

II. On or before January 10th the Academic Senate of California State University, Dominguez Hills shall announce that nominations for consideration for Faculty Trustee may be made.

 

III. Nomination shall be by petition. Petitions shall be signed by 10% of the General Faculty, or 30 such General Faculty members, whichever is more, and delivered to the Office of the Dominguez Hills Academic Senate by 5:00 P.M., January 25th. The Dominguez Hills Academic Senate shall forward the names of all eligible nominees to the Academic Senate CSU by a date to be determined by them. If the CSU Academic Senate proposes dates earlier than those recommended in these procedures, the system-wide dates will be observed.

 

IV. The Chair of the Dominguez Hills Academic Senate shall forward for each nominee the completed Faculty Trustee nomination form which will include a current vita structured to the eligibility criteria, a one-page statement from the nominee, and a commitment to service. Each candidate shall in addition supply to the local Senate Office, for transmission with the nomination form, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of five references.

 

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