The Academic Senate represents the professional and academic interests of the full-time and part-time faculty of San Jose City College. In this capacity the senate acts as the official voice of the faculty and is empowered to represent the faculty to the administration and to the district governing board.In particular, Californiastate education code stipulates eleven areas in which faculty through their senates are to be “consulted with collegially,” if not “relied on primarily,” in setting policy and district goals and objectives.
Rely primarily upon the Senate for:
1. Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites and placing courses 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 structure, as related to faculty roles
7. Faculty roles and involvement in accreditation process, including self-study and annual reports
8. Policies for faculty professional development
Consult collegial with the Senate for:
9. Process for program review
10. Process for institutional planning and budget development
11. Other academic professional matters as mutually agreed upon between the Governing Board and the Academic Senate.
This list includes matters that clearly get to the heart of our mission as a community college and our role as faculty.And, as the eleventh item clearly indicates, this list is not exhaustive.
Also of interest and importance to faculty is the Senate’s right and responsibility to appoint faculty representatives to district and campus committees – including tenure review committees.This insures that the faculty is represented by representatives of its choice, but it also demands that faculty members are willing to serve.