DISTRICT ACADEMIC SENATE

Background Information: Laws, regulations and board policies inform the role and responsibilities of the district academic senate

California Education Code (Law)

The California Education Code establishes the law for functions of Academic Senates

statewide. The following are sections of the Education Code related to Academic

Senates:

• • Ed. Code 87359(b) Equivalency to Minimum Qualification
  • Ed. Code 87360(b) Hiring Criteria
  • Ed. Code 87610.1(a) Tenure Evaluation Procedures
  • Ed. Code 87458(a) Administrative Retreat Rights
  • Ed. Code 87615(b) Waiver of Minimum Qualifications for Tenure
  • Ed. Code 87663 (f) Evaluation Procedures
  • Ed. Code 87743.2 Faculty Service Areas

Title 5 California Code of Regulations (Regulations)

Title 5 Article 2. “Academic Senates” provides the following sections containing regulations for local academic senates:

• • Title 5 §53200. Definitions
  • Title 5 §53201. Academic Senate or Faculty Council
  • Title 5 §53202. Formation; Procedures; Membership.
  • Title 5 §53203. Powers.
  • Title 5 §53204. Scope of Regulations.
  • Title 5 §53206. Academic Senate for California Community Colleges.

Title 5 §53201 allows faculty to establish and academic senate at a district and/or college level. Such academic senates are charged under Title 5, §53203 with making recommendations to, and consulting collegially with, the governing board (or its designees) regarding “academic and professional matters” (the “10+1”).

Title 5 §53203 defines these “10+1” areas of academic and professional matters as:

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

Foothill – De Anza Community College District Board Policy 2223 (Board Policy)

As outlined in Title 5, the Board of Trustees remains the body ultimately responsible for the policies of the District. In the execution of that responsibility, the Board recognizes its obligation under Title 5 to “consult collegially” with the academic senate on “academic and professional matters.” The Board of Trustees determines which of these are areas in which they rely primarily on the advice and judgment of the academic senate (i.e. areas of “primary reliance”) and which are areas concerning both administration and faculty and are thus areas of mutual agreement (i.e. areas of “joint development”). The FHDA Board of Trustees has made the following designations for our district: