Academic Senate Constitution

 

Preamble: We the Faculty of 91抖阴 do hereby establish the Moreno Valley College Academic Senate to represent the Faculty of 91抖阴 in accordance with the missions of 91抖阴 and of the Riverside Community College District.

Article I. Name and Definitions

Section 1. Name: The name of this organization shall be 91抖阴 Academic Senate.

Section 2. Definitions: The following terms are to be understood in the sense herein defined:

  1. 91抖阴, hereinafter 鈥�91抖阴.鈥�
  2. 91抖阴 Academic Senate, hereinafter 鈥�91抖阴AS.鈥�
  3. Riverside Community College District, hereinafter 鈥淩CCD.鈥�
  4. Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees, hereinafter 鈥淏OT.鈥�
  5. Riverside Community College District Academic Senate, hereinafter 鈥淒AS.鈥�

Article II. Purpose

Purpose of the 91抖阴AS:

A. The 91抖阴AS operates pursuant to California Education Code (AB 1725) and Title 5, Subchapter 2, Sections 53200 鈥� 53206, California Code of Regulations.

B. The 91抖阴AS shall work cooperatively with other College Senates in the RCCD and the District Academic Senate to make recommendations to the BOT and/or its designees with respect to policy development and implementation of matters in the following areas:

  1. Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites and placing courses within disciplines;
  2. Degree and certificate patterns;
  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; and
  11. Other academic and professional matters as mutually agreed upon between the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees and the 91抖阴 Academic Senate.

In accordance with RCCD Board Policy 4005, the BOT relies primarily on the recommendations of the Academic Senates of the District鈥檚 Colleges for items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8. The BOT will receive items 6, 7, 9, and 10, and those matters developed in item 11, as the result of mutual agreement after consulting collegially with the Academic Senates of the District鈥檚 Colleges.

  1. Represent the 91抖阴 faculty on the DAS.
  2. The 91抖阴AS shall consider in good faith any recommendation submitted for 91抖阴AS action by a member of the faculty, classified staff, student government, administration, or BOT.
  3. In developing its positions, the 91抖阴AS will work with the appropriate administrative offices at both the College and the District levels. Although the 91抖阴AS may choose to mediate recommendations through the DAS, the 91抖阴AS reserves the right to make recommendations directly to the BOT in academic and professional matters directly related to 91抖阴.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Representation: The 91抖阴AS represents all full-time and associate faculty employed by the District who teach at 91抖阴 and who do not perform any services for the District or College that are identified in the District or College structure as administrative or supervisory.

Section 2. Composition: The voting membership of the 91抖阴AS shall be composed of a President, Vice-President, a Secretary-Treasurer, a Senator At-Large, the Department Senators, the Counseling Senators, and an Associate Faculty Senator. Excluding the President and the Senator At-Large, the Senate Officers serve as Department Senators. Each voting member receives one vote, with the President鈥檚 vote deciding any ties. All Senate Officers, Department Senators and Counseling Senators shall be full-time faculty members. Each instructional department shall be represented by the number of Department Senators according to the headcount of the non-counselor, full-time faculty within that department. Departments with a headcount of one to nine full-time faculty shall have a single Department Senator. Departments with a headcount of ten or more full-time faculty shall have two Department Senators. The counseling discipline shall be represented by Counseling Senators according to the same guidelines where the headcount is defined as the number of full-time counselors.

Section 3. Terms of Office: The President and Senator At-Large shall serve for three years. Department Senators shall serve for two years. The Vice-President鈥檚 term shall coincide with their term as Senator. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve for one year. Unless otherwise provided for in this Constitution, the term of office will coincide with the academic year.

Section 4. Election of Voting Membership: Procedures for selecting voting members shall be specified in the 91抖阴AS Bylaws.

Section 5. Recall: Senators, including officers, may be recalled by a simple majority of the members of the body who elect them.

Section 6. Vacancies: The faculty at large, 91抖阴AS, or the appropriate department, as applicable, shall vote according to processes defined in the 91抖阴AS Bylaws to fill any vacancies. The replacement shall hold office for the remainder of the term of the position.

Article IV. Meetings

Section 1. Meetings: 91抖阴AS shall hold regular meetings on the first and third Mondays of each month during the fall and spring semesters. The 91抖阴AS may hold meetings in the summer and winter sessions if it so chooses.

Section 2. Quorum: A quorum for the conduct of 91抖阴AS business shall consist of a number equal to a majority of the membership of the 91抖阴AS.

Section 3. Special Meetings: Special meetings of the 91抖阴AS or of the faculty may be called when necessary by the President or by a simple majority of the Senate. At least two school days' notice shall be provided.

Section 4. Open Meetings: All meetings of the 91抖阴AS and all agencies authorized under 91抖阴AS auspices, shall be open to all members of the faculty, the administration, students, staff, and the public.

Section 5. Agendas: The 91抖阴AS shall establish its own agenda by simple majority vote of the members present. Any member of the faculty, classified staff, student government, administration, or BOT may submit agenda items to the 91抖阴AS. Suspension of the established agenda may be made by majority vote. Every 91抖阴AS agenda shall include an open hearing.

Section 6. Petition for Faculty-wide Vote: On petition of at least 10% of members of the full-time faculty or by a simple majority of the 91抖阴AS, any item of business shall be put to a vote of the full-time faculty.

Section 7. Committee Appointments: The 91抖阴AS shall determine the means by which appointments of 91抖阴 faculty members to 91抖阴 and RCCD wide committees shall be made. Appointees to all RCCD wide committees shall represent the 91抖阴AS and shall work to maintain effective communication between the 91抖阴AS and any RCCD bodies on which they serve.

Article V. Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees: Standing committees shall be specified in the 91抖阴AS Bylaws. Standing committees shall maintain bylaws governing their own operations, consistent with 91抖阴AS Constitution and Bylaws, and must be updated at least every two years. Members of standing committees, including chairs, may be removed from their position through a majority vote by 91抖阴AS or through a majority vote by the committee members themselves subject to 91抖阴AS approval. If a chair resigns or is removed before the completion of their term, the 91抖阴AS will approve a replacement to complete the term.

Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees: The 91抖阴AS may create and dissolve ad hoc committees as needed and name members as it sees fit or as specified in the 91抖阴AS Bylaws.

Article VI. Amending the Constitution

Section 1. Constitutional Amendment: Any article or section of the Constitution may be amended by a majority of the votes cast by the full-time faculty in an election held for that purpose provided that written notice of the proposed amendment has been given one week in advance of the vote.

Section 2. Proposal of Constitutional Amendments: Constitutional amendments may be proposed by a majority vote of the Senate or by a petition signed by at least 10% of full-time faculty of 91抖阴.

Article VII. Bylaws

Section 1. Bylaws: The 91抖阴AS shall establish by a majority of the 91抖阴AS members its own rules and regulations. Such rules and regulations shall be published as the 91抖阴AS Bylaws. No rules or regulations shall supersede or be contrary to this Constitution.

Section 2. Bylaws Amendment: Any article or section of the Bylaws may be amended by majority vote of 91抖阴AS.