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Classified Senate

College of the Canyons Classified Senate

Eboard photo 9.26.24

Who are We?

Mission Statement

The College of the Canyons Classified Senate is dedicated to ensuring Classified professionals are given every reasonable opportunity to participate in college planning and decision-making. The Classified Senate will work toward the betterment of the College by means of incorporating Classified perspectives, as afforded by the collegial consultation process, policy, and law. Furthermore, the Classified Senate will be a conduit for exchanging ideas and disseminating information to and from the Classified membership. Critical to this work, the Classified Senate will regularly interact and engage the Board of Trustees, College administration, and all other internal representative organizations and groups. In addition, the Classified Senate seeks to promote regional and statewide practices that improve the standing, equity, and involvement of Classified Professionals, and engagement in collaboration on such matters with fellow Senates, the state-wide Classified Senate (4CS), representative and government leadership, and/or other external affiliated organizations. The Senate fosters an environment for critical thinking, debate, effective communication, creativity, diversity, ethical decision-making, and transparency.

Historical Overview

Members of the classified staff, with the support of the College's local Chapter of CSEA, the College's administration, and Board of Trustees, addressed the need to update the former Classified Coordinating Council and bring it in line with the objectives of the California Community College Classified Senates. The College of the Canyons Classified Senate was formed to facilitate communication among the local Classified Senate membership and the College administration, faculty, and Board of Trustees. The Classified Senate:

  • Participates in collegial consultation:
  • Provides a body of representation that addresses the needs, interests, and viewpoints of the Classified Professionals;
  • Promotes the involvement of classified staff in the development and formation of policies and practices related to institutional planning;
  • Enhances communication among classified employees in a nonpolitical setting;
  • Brings about communication among Classified Professionals, administration and faculty;
  • Facilitates Classified Professional recognition;
  • Provides opportunities for classified employee involvement in ongoing activities;
  • Recommends interested Classified Professionals for inclusion in planning and operational teams at the college;
  • Recommends to CSEA classified employees to collegial consultation teams and provides a platform to report-out on committee work;
  • Promotes and works directly to facilitate staff-development opportunities; and
  • Develops and encourages a spirit of unity among Classified Professionals and the entire college community.

The Concept of Shared Governance

Rights & Responsibilities

What is shared governance?

Specifically, Education Code Section 70901(b) required the Board of Governors to adopt regulations setting minimum standards governing procedures established by governing boards in community college districts to ensure faculty, staff, and students the right to participate effectively in district and college governance, and the opportunity to express their opinions at the campus level and to ensure that their opinions are given every reasonable consideration...."shared governance, then, is a complex web of consultation and decision-making and responsibility that translates goals into district policy and action."

For more information on California Community College Classified Senate 4Cs definition of shared governance please visit: http://www.ccccs.org/publications/4cs_documents/participatory_gov_brochure-sm.pdf


Statewide California Community College Classified Senate

The statewide California Community College Classified Senate is a 4CS non-profit organization, formed by the California Community College's classified staff to serve as the statewide classified senate. 4CS supports the leadership roles of classified staff in the governance of the California Community College System through the development and support of local senate, advocating increased involvement at the state level, and promoting leadership skills among classified staff.

For more information on the Statewide California Community College Classified Senate please visit: http://www.ccccs.org/