SBCC Academic Senate Constitution

ARTICLE I: ACADEMIC SENATE ORGANIZATION

Section 1. Name

The organization shall be known as the Santa Barbara City College Academic Senate.

Section 2. Definition

The Academic Senate is a governance and consultative body that represents the faculty of Santa Barbara City College. The term faculty includes all classroom instructors and non-administrative staff required to meet minimum qualifications for faculty as outlined in AB 1725 who are employed either full-time or part-time in the credit and non-credit divisions of the college. Faculty senators are elected by defined constituencies. Elected senators, plus the Academic Senate President and the Immediate Past President or President-Elect, and the Executive Vice-President for Educational Programs constitute the Senate.

Section 3. Membership

A. Members of the Academic Senate shall consist of:

1. Academic Senate President
2. Immediate Past President of the Academic Senate or President-Elect
3. Full-time credit faculty Senators
4. Part-time credit faculty Senator
5. Continuing Education Representative
6. Executive Vice-President for Educational Programs (non-voting)

B. Unless specifically stated otherwise, all further references to members, membership, or general membership in this Constitution shall refer exclusively to members as described in Article 1, Section 3, Paragraph A.

Section 4. Roles and Responsibilities

A. The Academic Senate is recognized as the body which represents the faculty in collegial governance relating to academic and professional matters as defined in Santa Barbara Community College District Policy #1200.

Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites and placing courses within disciplines.

Degree and certificate requirements.

Grading policies.

Educational program development.

Standards or policies regarding student preparation and success.

District and college governance structures, as related to faculty roles.

Faculty hiring procedures.

Faculty roles and involvement in accreditation processes, including self-study and annual reports.

Policies for faculty professional development activities.

Processes for program review.

Processes for institutional planning and budget development.

Other academic and professional matters as mutually agreed upon between the Board of Trustees and the Academic Senate.

B. The Academic Senate of Santa Barbara City College accepts the responsibilities specified in Title V of the California Education Code.

C. Responsibilities of the Academic Senate include:

Serves as a forum for consideration of matters of significance to faculty.

Reviews and recommends policies concerning academic issues to appropriate college units, Superintendent/President, and Board of Trustees.

Advises the Superintendent/President and the Board of Trustees in matters of faculty concern.

Defines faculty goals, priorities, strategies, and makes recommendations to appropriate college units.

Functions as an academic planning body for the college in pursuit of its mission.

Defines academic priorities for allocation of resources with input from the Office of Educational Programs.

Reviews resource requests from academic units, and recommends specific resource allocations to the College Planning Council.

Constitutes, oversees, and maintains Academic Senate committees.

Assigns faculty to Academic Senate committees and college-wide committees.

Submits an annual written report summarizing the activities of the Academic Senate to Administration, Board of Trustees and Senators and makes report available to all tenure track faculty.

Section 5. Senate Actions

A. Actions passed by the Academic Senate shall not become effective until ten (10) working days after such actions have been taken in order that the right of petition may be exercised during this period.
B. When special circumstances require more immediate action, members of the Academic Senate may declare, by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, that a proposed action be considered as an urgency measure. Such actions, when approved, shall become effective immediately.
C. Urgency measures adopted by the Senate may be reconsidered at a later meeting of the Senate either upon the motion and second of two (2) members, or upon the receipt of a petition signed by twenty (20) percent of the tenure track faculty. In such cases, the reconsideration shall be taken up as the next order of business by the senate.
D. Actions requiring transmission to the Board of Trustees shall be transmitted through the office of the Superintendent/President of the College. In the event of a disagreement between the Academic Senate and the Superintendent/President, the Academic Senate retains the right to meet with or appear before the Board of Trustees to present its views, recommendations, or proposals.

ARTICLE II: OFFICERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The officers of the Academic Senate shall consist of a President, a Vice-President and the Immediate Past President or President-Elect. Responsibilities shall be as follows:

A. President:

Serves as the elected leader of the faculty at SBCC on academic and professional matters.

Serves as faculty liaison to Superintendent-President, Administrative Staff and the Board of Trustees.

Convenes and presides over meetings of the Academic Senate and the Steering Committee.

Facilitates faculty participation in shared governance and serves as ex-officio, non-voting member of all Academic Senate committees.

Works to maintain an effective liaison relationship between SBCC faculty and the Academic Senate.

Serves as liaison between SBCC faculty and other groups and organizations.

Oversees the operation of the SBCC Academic Senate Office.

Represents SBCC faculty at college-sponsored events and activities.

Performs other activities as related to the role of Academic Senate President.

B. Vice-President:

Serves as assistant to the President and fulfills the duties of the President in his/her absence or when that office shall fall vacant.

Serves on the Steering Committee of the Academic Senate.

Attends college-wide committee and meetings of the Board of Trustees at the request of the Academic Senate President.

C. Immediate Past President

Serves as a resource to the Academic Senate and to the Academic Senate President in order to provide continuity of leadership.

Serves on the Steering Committee of the Academic Senate.

Fulfills the duties of the President in the absence of the Academic Senate President and the Vice-President.

Serves as chair of the nominations committee for the election of the next Academic Senate President and coordinates elections of division senators.

D. President-Elect

Assists the President of the Academic Senate for the purpose of learning the role of Senate President.

Serves on the Steering Committee of the Academic Senate.

Assumes the duties of the President in the absence of the Academic Senate President and the Vice-President.

Coordinates election of division senators.

ARTICLE III: ACADEMIC SENATE STEERING COMMITTEE

Section 1. Composition

The Steering Committee of the Academic Senate shall be composed of the following: Academic Senate President Academic Senate Vice-President Immediate Past President or President-Elect Senate Liaisons to College Committees Executive Vice-President for Educational Programs

Section 2. Role of Steering Committee

A. The Steering Committee of the Academic Senate functions as a coordinating body for the Academic Senate. Specific responsibilities include:

Plans agendas for Academic Senate meetings.

Directs information to appropriate committees.

B. Unless specifically directed by the Academic Senate, the Steering Committee shall not have the authority to make final decisions on any Senate issue.

Section 3. Responsibilities of Steering Committee Members

A. President: Serves as chair of the Steering Committee.
B. Vice-President: In the absence of the President the Vice-President shall assume the function as chair of the Steering Committee.
C. Immediate Past President or President-Elect: Participates in Steering Committee meetings to provide continuity of leadership or gain perspective on issues significant to the Academic Senate.
D. Senate Liaisons to College Committees:

Reviews committee minutes and identifies issues to be brought to the Senate

Communicates regularly with each committee chair

Refers recommendations for policy and procedures to the Steering Committee

Represents Academic Senate perspective to Committees.

E. Executive Vice-President for Educational Programs:

1. Provides perspective, resources, and support of the Office of Educational Programs to the Academic Senate.
2. Serves as liaison from the Senate to the Office of Educational Programs and the President's Executive Committee.

Section 4. Appointment of Senate Liaisons to the Steering Committee:

A. Senate Liaisons to the Steering Committee shall be selected from the Division Senators of the full Senate.
B. The President of the Academic Senate shall make appointments to the Steering Committee upon the advice and consent of the full Senate.
C. Not more than one liaison appointee shall be from any one division.
D. To be appointed to the Steering Committee, a Senator shall have served on the Academic Senate or in a faculty leadership position for at least one (1) year prior to the appointment.

ARTICLE IV: DIVISION SENATORS

Section 1. Definition

Senators are faculty representatives, elected by defined constituencies, to represent their peers on the Academic Senate. Academic Senate constituencies are listed in the Bylaws. Senators facilitate shared governance of the college by representing, coordinating and communicating ideas, philosophical concerns, and perspectives between the faculty in their constituencies and the Academic Senate.

Section 2. Representation Formula

A. Divisions with up to twenty-five (25) tenure track faculty shall have one (1) division senator.
B. Divisions with twenty-six (26) or more tenure track faculty shall have two (2) division senators.
C. No division shall have more than two (2) senators.

Section 3. Responsibilities

A. Convenes regular meetings of constituency (For divisions with two (2) senators, the senator elected by departmental vote shall convene division meetings)
B. Communicates ideas and feedback from the constituency regarding policy and other matters of interest to the Academic Senate
C. Reports on matters under consideration by the Senate to their constituency
D. Examines issues before the Senate in the context of potential impact on the whole college.
E. Informs constituency of actions taken by the Academic Senate.

ARTICLE V: ELECTIONS AND TERMS OF OFFICE

Section 1. Academic Senate President

A. Elections

The Academic Senate shall appoint an elections committee chaired by the Immediate Past President. The committee invites nominations from faculty for Academic Senate President, proposes a list of candidates, and tallies the ballots.

Nominees for Academic Senate President must be tenured faculty.

Election of the President of the Academic Senate shall be in the Spring semester of even-numbered years and shall precede the election of the Senators.

Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot of the tenure track faculty. The candidate receiving a majority of votes cast shall be elected.

In the event that no candidate receives a majority vote, a run-off election shall be conducted between the two (2) candidates receiving the greatest number of votes in the first round of balloting. The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes in the run-off election shall be elected.

B. Term of Office

The President-Elect shall serve in this capacity for one year beginning with the last regular Spring semester meeting of the Academic Senate following his/her election.

The President-Elect shall advance to the office of President of the Academic Senate, for a two-year term, at the last regular meeting of the Spring semester.

Following seating of the new Academic Senate President, the previous president will assume the Senate position of Immediate Past President.

Section 2. Vice-President

A. The Vice-President shall be elected by the Academic Senate.
B. Nominations for Vice-President shall be solicited from the faculty members of the Senate. Election shall be held at the last meeting of the Spring semester.

Section 3. Senators

A. The Immediate Past President or President-Elect coordinates the election of senators for the following academic year.

B. Credit Division Senators

Term of Office -- The term of office for credit division senators shall be three (3) years. One-third of these senators shall be elected each year on a rotating basis as specified in the Bylaws.

Eligibility -- To be eligible for election as a credit division senator, the individual must be a tenure track faculty member.

Process

a. Credit divisions shall elect their senator by vote of the departments within the division, with each department casting one vote, based on a majority vote of the tenure track faculty in that department.
b. Large divisions entitled to a second senator as specified in Article IV, Section 2, will elect that representative by a plurality vote of all tenure track faculty of the division.

C. Adjunct Credit Faculty Senator

1. Definition: Adjunct credit faculty shall include faculty employed on a part-time basis within the credit division of Santa Barbara City College.
2. Term of office for the part-time credit division senator shall be a two-year term, contingent upon their continued employment. If not rehired, an election shall be held. Adjunct senators may be elected to serve consecutive terms.
3. Process: The Immediate Past President or President-Elect will solicit nominees for the Adjunct senator not later than the third (3rd) week of the Fall semester each year, for the purpose of nominating and electing the Adjunct senator. The candidate receiving a majority of votes cast will be elected. In the event no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, a run-off election shall be conducted between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes on the initial ballot. The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes will be elected.

D. Continuing Education Representative

1. Definition: Continuing Education faculty shall include faculty employed in the Continuing Education Division of Santa Barbara City College.
2. Process: The Faculty Association for the Continuing Education Division shall elect a representative to the Academic Senate no later than the fourth week of the Fall semester of the Credit Division. The Continuing Education Representative is exempt from the provisions of Article V. Section 4. C1.

E. Elections Resulting in a Tie: In the event of a tie in any election, the election shall be determined by lot, as specified in the By-Laws.

Section 4. Mid-Term Vacancies

A. Academic Senate President

1. First Year In Office In the event the Academic Senate President is unable to fulfill his/her term during the first year of office, the Vice-President of the Academic Senate shall assume the duties and responsibilities of that office until a special election for an interim Academic Senate President is conducted. The interim president will serve the remainder of the term of the President s/he replaces. The special election shall be held within thirty (30) working days of notification of the vacancy.

2. Second-Year Vacancy In the event the Academic Senate President is unable to fulfill his/her term during the second year of office, the President-Elect shall assume the duties and responsibilities of that office immediately and complete the unexpired term prior to beginning his/her elected term of office.

B. Past President In the event that the Past President is unable to serve on the Academic Senate, the Academic Senate President shall, on the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint a tenured faculty member to serve in that position.

C. Other Mid-Term Vacancies

1. In the event that a member, with the exception of the Continuing Education Representative, has been absent for three (3) consecutive, regular meetings, the Academic Senate may declare that a vacancy exists and institute proceedings for replacement of that senator.

2. Mid-term vacancies on the Academic Senate shall be filled by a Division election to complete the unexpired term, as detailed in Article V, Section 3, B.

ARTICLE Vl: MEETINGS

Section 1. Senate Meetings

A. Regular Academic Year

1. Regular meetings of the Academic Senate shall be held at least twice monthly during the academic year. The President of the Academic Senate may call special meetings at his/her discretion.
2. A quorum at all meetings of the Academic Senate shall consist of a simple majority of Academic Senate members.
3. Meetings of the Academic Senate shall be conducted according to the procedure prescribed in Robert's Rules of Order, current edition. In case of conflict, this Constitution shall take precedence.
4. A voice vote of simple majority may be used to decide issues in question before the Academic Senate. However, a request by any member, on any issue, for a show of hands, a secret ballot, or a roll call shall be honored. In case of conflicting requests, a vote by a show of hands shall decide which method of voting shall be used.
5. All faculty members of the Academic Senate shall have equal votes on all issues.
6. The Executive Vice-President for Educational Programs shall serve as a non-voting member of the Academic Senate.
7. The President of the Academic Senate may vote only to break or make a tie, according to Robert's Rules of Order.
8. The Academic Senate shall, by majority vote, adopt bylaws for the conduct of its business. These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Senate. The Academic Senate president shall insure that all faculty are informed of the adoption and revision of these bylaws in a timely manner.

B. Summer Representation

1. Meetings of the Academic Senate shall be called during the summer, by the Academic Senate President, as necessary.
2. In the absence of the Academic Senate President, the Vice-President of the Academic Senate or another individual designated by the Academic Senate President shall convene the meeting.

Section 2. Senate Steering Committee

A. Meetings of the Academic Senate Steering Committee shall be convened by the Academic Senate President prior to regularly scheduled meetings of the Academic Senate to plan agenda and direct information to appropriate committees.

Section 3. Plenary Session

A. Plenary sessions of the full faculty of the college shall be held at the call of the President of the Academic Senate or upon petition of at least twenty (20) percent of the tenure-track faculty or twenty (20) percent of the adjunct or twenty (20) percent of the Continuing Education faculty.
B. A quorum for any plenary session shall consist of not less than twenty-five (25) percent of tenure-track faculty. For the purpose of establishing a quorum, proxies shall not be counted.
C. The plenary session shall be conducted according to the procedure prescribed in Robert's Rules of Order, current edition. In case of conflict, this Constitution shall take precedence.
D. All faculty present have the right to make or second motions and speak to issues.
E. Only tenure-track faculty shall be eligible to vote.
F. A voice vote of simple majority may be used to decide issues in question before the faculty at the plenary session. However, a request by any faculty member, on any issue, for a show of hands, a secret ballot, or a roll call shall be honored.
G. Voting by proxy will be permitted only for those persons whose contractual or other legal obligations prevent their attendance at plenary sessions. Such proxies will be in writing, will indicate any limitations on voting permissions, and will be submitted to the Academic Senate President prior to the meeting being called to order. The proxy may name another member or the President as the person empowered to register votes for the absentee member.
H. Any challenges to the granting of proxies must be made in writing to the Academic Senate President at least thirty (30) minutes prior to the plenary session.

ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES

Section 1. Standing and Ad Hoc Committees of the Academic Senate

A. Definition

1. Standing committees shall be established to focus on specific issues or areas of responsibility that occur on an ongoing or recurrent basis. A list of standing committees of the Academic Senate is included in the Bylaws.
2. Ad Hoc committees are convened to focus on a single issue and are disbanded at the completion of the project.

B. Appointments

1. Faculty members of standing committees shall be appointed by the President of the Academic Senate subject to approval by the Academic Senate. Faculty will be requested to indicate committees on which they wish to serve. The Academic Senate President shall be guided by these requests to the extent possible.
2. Ad Hoc committees shall be appointed by the Academic Senate as needed.
3. Upon mutual agreement of the faculty members of a standing committee and the Academic Senate, committee membership may include administrators, classified personnel, and students, serving as non-voting members. Faculty shall comprise a majority of the membership of each Academic Senate committee. There shall be no more than two administrators and two students on any standing Academic Senate committee.

C. Responsibility to Academic Senate

1. Each committee is responsible to the Academic Senate and shall take under advisement any and all matters within its function and scope referred to it by the Academic Senate. All committee recommendations or actions are subject to action or approval by the Academic Senate.
2. Each Academic Senate committee shall utilize its minutes to inform the Academic Senate of the committee's actions. In addition, a written report summarizing the activities of the committee shall be submitted to the Academic Senate annually at the conclusion of the spring semester.
3. Any committee, at its discretion, may convene in executive session in accordance with the provisions of the Brown Act.
4. A quorum at all Academic Senate committee meetings shall consist of a simple majority of committee members.
5. Committee structure, membership, chair selection, and voting rights on individual Senate committees shall be as defined in the Senate By-Laws.

D. Formation or Deletion of Academic Senate Committees

1. Formation or deletion of standing committees of the Academic Senate shall require a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the total voting members of the Academic Senate

Section 2. Liaison with Other College Committees

A. Appointment of faculty members to other college committees shall be made by the President of the Academic Senate, subject to approval by the Academic Senate.

B. Academic Senate members serving as liaison to other College committees shall maintain liaison with the Academic Senate by ensuring that minutes of the College committees are submitted to the President of the Academic Senate.

ARTICLE Vlll: THE REFERENDUM, AND PETITIONS FOR REVIEW, INITIATIVE, CENSURE AND RECALL

Twenty (20) percent of the tenure track faculty may, upon presentation of a signed petition to the Academic Senate President, institute proceedings of review, referendum, initiative, censure, or recall and Constitutional Amendment.

A. The Academic Senate may refer any matter to a vote of the tenured faculty.

B. Request for Initiative or for a Review of Senate Action

1. A request for initiative or review of senate action must be included as a priority item on the agenda of a regular or special meeting of the Academic Senate which must be convened within ten (10) working days of the said petition.
2. Action shall be taken by the Academic Senate within twenty (20) working days.

C. Request for Censure or Recall of Faculty Members of the Academic Senate

1. A plenary session or a special meeting of the Academic Senate must be convened within ten (10) working days of the receipt of said petitions for the purpose of debating the proposed recall or censure.
2. Action taken by the tenure-track faculty membership under these proceedings shall be decided within twenty (20) working days by a simple majority of those casting secret ballots.
3. Notices of review, referendum, initiative, censure, or recall, and Constitutional amendment shall be distributed to faculty no less than five (5) working days prior to the vote on such matters.

ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

A. Amendments to this Constitution shall be proposed by any of the following means:

1. Presentation of a petition containing proposed amendments to the President or Vice-President of the Academic Senate. The petition must be signed by twenty (20) percent of the tenure-track faculty or by five (5) members of the Academic Senate.
2. Upon proposal of a motion to amend the Constitution made at a plenary session and passed by a majority of the tenure-track faculty in attendance at the plenary session, a quorum being present.

B. Within twenty (20) working days after an amendment has been proposed, the Academic Senate shall convene a committee on Constitutional revision to present the proposed amendment, with written arguments, to the faculty. The initiator or designee of the initiator(s) of the said amendment will serve as a member of the Constitutional Revision Committee with full voting rights.

C. Revisions proposed by the Constitutional Revision Committee shall be presented to the Academic Senate to review for form and clarity prior to submission to the faculty for a vote. The Senate may refer the proposed amendment back to the committee for clarification notwithstanding the timetable specified in paragraph E below.

D. Copies of proposed revisions will be distributed to all tenure-track faculty members and made available to all non-tenure-track faculty at least ten (10) working days prior to the vote.

E. Ratification of proposed amendments shall require affirmation by a majority of the tenure-track faculty and shall be voted upon by secret ballot within thirty (30) working days of receipt by the Academic Senate of the committee's proposal for Constitutional amendment.

Article X Deleted 12/14/92 (authorized by Senate majority vote on 11/18/92)

Current Constitution per Revision Ballot 5/2/03