District Academic Senate

The West Valley-Mission Community College District Academic Senate shall be an organization in accordance with the following provisions of Title 5 of the California Administrative Code, Subchapter 2, §§53200-53205, California Education Code §70902 (b)(7), and applicable guidelines such as Curriculum Handbook, Accessibility, etc.

The purpose of this District Academic Senate shall be to assure that the faculty of the West Valley-Mission Community College District have a formal and effective procedure for participating in the formation of the West Valley-Mission Community College District goals and policies on academic and professional matters.

Section 1

Membership of the District Academic Senate shall be open to both full-time and associate faculty excluding those who serve as College or District administrators.

Section 2

1. The college faculty on the District Academic Senate shall be represented by ten appointed District Academic Senators (five from each college Senate) and the Academic Senate presidents from each college Academic Senate.
2. The District Academic Senate also will be composed of the following nonvoting members:
   • One (1) – Faculty Collective Bargaining Representative
   • Two (2) – Classified Senate Representatives (1 from each college)
   • Two (2) – Student Representatives (1 from each college)

Section 3

1. Each college Academic Senate president will serve as co-chairperson of the District Academic Senate. If a college Academic Senate president cannot serve as a co-chair of the District Academic Senate, then the college senate vice-president of that college senate becomes the District Academic Senate co-chairperson.
2. Each college Academic Senate will elect five (5) voting members from the college Academic Senate to the members of the District Academic Senate. Alternates from each college may be named to fill in should one or more of the permanent members be unable to attend (but they need not be present at the meetings unless they are filling in for one of the permanent members).

Section 4

If the District Academic Senate co-chair(s) does(do) not meet the minimum responsibilities as described in ARTICLE V, the party(ies) may be removed from his/her(their) office as District Academic Senate co-chairperson(s). The college Academic Senate Vice-president will assume the office of co-chairperson.

Section 1: The District Academic Senate

1. The District Academic Senate shall serve as the official voice of the combined faculties of the West Valley-Mission Community College District on mutually agreed matters. Nothing in this charter shall deprive either of the two colleges of their right of direct access to the Chancellor or Board of Trustees in matters affecting a single college or when the District Academic Senate refuses action.
2. The District Academic Senate shall be called upon to recommend to the Chancellor and Board of Trustees such policies that should be uniform throughout the District. Requests for academic policy decisions will be made to the District Academic Senate by the Chancellor, by the Board of Trustees or by the individual College Senates. Academic policies are defined as policies affecting instruction, faculty development, and district goals as referenced in the pertinent section of Title 5 and California Education Code (See Article I).
3. The District Academic Senate shall promote effective communication between the district faculty and the Board of Trustees, administration officials, government and community organizations. Resolutions, advisories, and policy positions will be conveyed to the co-chairs of the District Academic Senate.
4. All District committees with faculty representatives will have those faculty equally appointed separately by the two College Academic Senates. Any faculty committee member (appointed by its college Academic Senate) may be removed if the member does not attend meetings on a regular basis, fulfill responsibilities, or represent the faculty point of view as judged by the appointing Academic Senate.
5. The District Academic Senate will establish district faculty committees or task forces and will ratify the final recommendations of these bodies after review by the District Academic Senate. Membership on these committees shall represent both colleges.
6. The District Academic Senate will keep the faculty of the district abreast of current events in legislation pertaining to community colleges and information from the Chancellor's office in Sacramento.
7. The District Academic Senate shall exercise additional powers as shall be legally delegated to it.

Section 1: Meetings

To the extent possible, every effort should be made to hold District Academic Senate meetings at both colleges. The location for District Academic Senate meetings should alternate between both colleges.

Section 2: Agendas

Agendas for the District Academic Senate will be produced collaboratively by the two college Academic Senate Presidents.

When a District Academic Senate meeting is scheduled, agendas will be sent to all faculty at both colleges and made publicly available in accordance with the regulations in the Brown Act.

Section 3: Minutes

The District Academic Senate shall keep meeting minutes and ensure they are available to all faculty. The District Senate Co-Chairs will report to their respective College Senates any actions taken by the District Senate in a timely manner and no later than the next regular meeting of the College Senate. Upon petition of a College Senate protesting any action taken by this body, the matter referred to in the petition shall be reconsidered by the District Academic Senate at its next meeting. Such matters also may be referred to the district faculty referendum (see Article VII).

Section 1

The District Academic Senate is hereby empowered to make rules governing its own internal organization and procedures, subject to the following:

1. Quorum will be constituted when at least four voting members from each college (which may include the co-chairs) are present.
2. Any faculty member may attend any meeting and may speak to agendized items or present other issues of concern when recognized by the presiding officer.
3. All actions or recommendations shall be made by a majority vote of the Senators present. Should a senator be unable to attend a meeting, an alternate will attend to represent his/her college Academic Senate. The alternate will assume full responsibility and voting rights as the senator from that college. Voting procedures will be determined by the co-chairs unless two or more Senators request a roll-call vote.
4. Each College Academic Senate will individually have the power to veto any action taken by the District Academic Senate, thereby sending the issue on which action was taken back to the District Academic Senate for further discussion.
5. The Brown Act and Robert's Rules of Order (latest edition) will guide procedures.

Section 2

When an identical item is approved by both College Academic Senates, it shall be deemed approved by the District Academic Senate.

Section 3

The District Academic Senate Co-Chairs will be responsible for the following:

1. Meet responsibilities of Article IV, Section 1;
2. Calling District Academic Senate meetings as needed;
3. Make a good-faith effort to attend all State Academic Senate meetings - both Area and State Conferences;
4. Make a good-faith effort to attend all District Council, pre-Board and Governing Board meetings;
5. Coordinate District Academic Senate committees.

Section 4

The College Academic Senate Vice-Presidents will be responsible to serve as District Academic Senate Co-Chair in the absence of that person's college Co-Chair.

Upon petition of 25% of the full-time district faculty protesting any action taken by the District Academic Senate, the action shall be submitted to a referendum of the entire faculty of the college. Such an action of the District Academic Senate shall be nullified if disapproved by a majority vote of the total vote cast (Full-Time faculty membership and Associate Faculty Senate officials).

Section 1

Amendments to this charter may be proposed by the District Academic Senate.

Section 2

Charter amendments qualify by a majority vote of the District faculty voting (Full-Time Faculty membership and Associate Faculty Senate officials).

The District Academic Senate is officially authorized when the majority of the voting district faculty (Full-Time Faculty members and Associate Faculty Senate officials) approve adoption of this charter.