Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Academic Senate

 

 



The Academic Senate's 10+1 Responsibilities:

 

The Academic Senate serves as the official voice of the faculty in academic and professional matters. Pursuant to California Administrative Code of Regulations - Title 5, Section 53200, the Academic Senate is a faculty organization whose primary function is to make recommendations to the Board of Trustees on 10+1 academic and professional matters. Each local Academic Senate works with its local Board of Trustees to establish policy determining on which of the responsibilities the Board with rely primarily upon the advice of the Senate and on which of the responsibilities the Board will reach mutual agreement with the Senate.


At COC, those matters in which the Board of Trustees will rely primarily on the advice and judgment of the Academic Senate are:
1. The development of curriculum, including the establishment of prerequisites and planning of course disciplines; 2. The determination of degree and certificate requirements;
3. The establishment and review of grading policies;
4. The establishment of standards and policies regarding student preparation and success;
5. The appointment of faculty members to District and College committees;
6. The establishment of policies, procedures and programs for faculty professional development activities (excluding financial expenditures for faculty development);

7. The development of processes for program review.

At COC, those matters in which the Board of Trustees and the Senate obligate themselves to reach mutual agreement resulting in written resolution, regulations or policy are:
8. The development of new educational programs;
9. District governance processes (except 5 above);
10. The delineation of faculty roles and involvement in accreditation processes (including the development of the self-study and strategic plans updates);

11. Financial Policies of faculty professional development activities
12. The determination of processes to be utilized in institutional planning and budgeting and;
13. Other academic and professional matters.

See also, Board Policy 7215, Academic Senate Participation in Collegial Consultation

 

In addition to the eleven specific areas defined by Title 5 described above, the Education Code assigns additional responsibilities to Academic Senates:

  • Minimum qualifications and equivalencies processes
    Section 87359 (b) Requires the local Board of Trustees to rely primarily upon the advise of the senate regarding faculty meet minimum qualifications.
  • Faculty hiring
    Section 87360 Requires the local Board of Trustees to develop hiring criteria, policies, and procedures for new faculty members.
  • Faculty evaluation and tenure review
    Section 87610.1 (a) Requires that collective bargaining agents, or faculty unions, consult with the academic senate prior to negotiating tenure evaluation procedures.
    Section 87663 (f) Requires that collective bargaining agents, or faculty unions, consult with the academic senate prior to negotiating faculty evaluation procedures.
  • Administrative retreat rights
    Section 87458 (a) Requires the local Board of Trustees to rely primarily upon the advice and judgment of the academic senate regarding procedures regarding administrative retreating into faculty positions.
  • Faculty Service Areas
    Section 87743.2 Requires that collective bargaining agents, or faculty unions, consult with the academic senate prior to negotiating Faculty Service Areas (FAS).