Academic Senate

Charge/Purpose

The purpose of the Academic Senate shall be to represent faculty as a vital element of a system of participatory governance with regard to curriculum and academic standards, as specified in Section 70901 of the California State Education Code.

The Academic Senate or its representatives shall consult collegially with and make recommendations to the College President or their designee and the Board of Trustees. The college recognizes that the Academic Senate is representative of faculty and will seek the advice and judgment of the Academic Senate on the following academic and professional matters in accordance with the SCCCD Administrative Regulation 2510 and Title 5, sections 53200-53204.

The Academic Senate will consult collegially with administration and other appropriate constituency groups on all academic and professional matters as defined by Title 5 53200 and Education Code 70901. The areas highlighted below (items 1-5) are those that are within the “rely primarily upon” as defined in SCCCD’s AR 2510. The areas not underlined (6-10 + 1) are areas that require mutual written agreement between the President and the Senate. These items are collectively referred to as “10+1”:

1. Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites & placing courses within disciplines
2. Degree & certificate requirements
3. Grading policies
4. Educational program development
5. Standards or policies regarding student preparation & success
6. District & college governance structures, as related to faculty roles
7. Faculty roles in accreditation processes
8. Policies for faculty professional development activities
9. Processes for program review
10. Processes for institutional planning & budget development
    +1. Other academic & professional matters, as are mutually agreed upon between the governing board and the academic senate.

Consulting collegially means that all of the responsible people and groups will make every effort to resolve conflicts, so the decision reflects the mission and values of the college and serves student learning. If there is an impasse between the College President and the academic senate on items 6-10, the SCCCD Board of Trustees is the ultimate decision-maker.

Source: Clovis Community College 2024-2026 Governance Handbook