2002

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges supports effective peer review as an essential ingredient of academic professionalism; and

Whereas, Faculty evaluation, of which peer review is a statutorily mandated component, should be an occasion for professional growth;


Resolved, That the Academic Senate hold a breakout at the Fall 2002 Plenary Session on the subject of peer review as part of faculty evaluation and its relationship to faculty development programs focused on instructional improvement.

Whereas, Hiring effectively and fairly is very important not only to the future of the community colleges but to the future of California; and

Whereas, There are many individuals and groups with knowledge and experience that would be effective in finding the most effective ways to do the best and the most equitable hiring possible;


Resolved, That the Academic Senate urge the Chancellor to work with the Academic Senate to develop recommendations on the most effective ways to do the best hiring possible; and

Whereas, California community colleges are committed to providing an education of the highest quality to their students;

Whereas, This goal is impeded by the consistent underfunding of the community colleges; and

Whereas, The students of the California community colleges, if registered and informed of community college funding issues, could constitute a powerful political constituency, exercising a significant influence on elected state officials with respect to community college funding issues;

Whereas, Faculty roles in academic and professional matters, particularly the governance structure, remain under attack in many districts across the state;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has addressed the same concern in Resolution F01 17.01 regarding the Contra Costa Community College District;

Whereas, Faculty continue to seek strategies to preserve their participation in collegial consultation on all academic and professional matters; and

Whereas, Signed collegial consultation agreements have increasingly been ignored by college administrators and boards of trustees; and

Whereas, Faculty and academic senates are increasingly being marginalized and dismissed;


Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges reaffirm Title 5, Article 2, 53200;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate explore developing an orientation program that informs faculty of their rights and responsibilities as stated in Title 5, Article 2, 53200;

Whereas, Trustees of California community colleges are entrusted with public confidence and trust and therefore are expected to behave honestly and ethically both in meetings and when interacting with the public;

Whereas, Recent cases have occurred of trustees acting unethically, for self-serving purposes, contrary to the best interests of the colleges;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges supports the need for standards of professional behaviors for faculty; and

Whereas, Community colleges throughout the state are adopting compressed/alternate calendars; and

Whereas, Such calendar changes can have a significant effect on counseling, library, and other nonclassroom faculty;


Resolved, That the Academic Senate conduct a study on the effect of compressed/alternate calendars on counseling, library, and other non-classroom faculty.

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has a long history of defending the practice of academic freedom for faculty and other constituencies on its campuses;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges recognizes the value of diverse perspectives and the free pursuit of learning;

Whereas, AB 1725 funded faculty and staff development at $5.2 million to meet the growing needs of faculty and staff of the California community colleges;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community College encourage local senates to use their local shared governance processes to develop plans for supporting faculty and staff development if the funds are not reinstated in the Governor's 2002 - 2003 budget; and

Whereas, the Governor's 2002 - 2003 proposed budget eliminates faculty and staff development funds;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate encourage local senates to pass a resolution in support of the reinstatement of AB 1725 staff development funding;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate encourage local senates to urge local boards to pass resolutions of support for reinstating staff development funds; and