Basic Questions Regarding Academic Senates

1. What is an Academic Senate?
   An Academic Senate is a full-time faculty organization at Colleges, Universities, State Colleges and Community Colleges. Community College Academic Senates represent the faculty in “professional and academic matters”. Part-time faculty may also be represented at a senate. SCE has four (4) part-time faculty representatives in our Senate. Academic Senates at California Community Colleges began in the late sixties.
   
   
2. What Senates does NOCCCD have?
   North Orange CCD has three (3) Academic Senates: Fullerton College Faculty Senate, Cypress College Academic Senate, and School of Continuing Education Academic Senate. Our official name with the State Academic Senate is “North Orange CCD/Non Credit”).
   
   
3. What is the ASCCC?
   All of the local community collegeSenates belong to the “Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges, which represents the Academic Senates at the State level. The California Community Colleges are divided into four (4) groups geographically; A, B, C, and D. NOCCCD is in Area D.
   
   
4. What is the difference between the unions (collective bargaining agents) and the Academic Senates?
   Academic Senates are involved in academic and professional matters; the Unions are involved in salary, working conditions, and contractual agreements. At NOCCCD, the Academic Senates and our faculty bargaining unit United Faculty Association, local chapter of – C. T. A. (California Teachers Association) work together in their respective areas for faculty interests. Adjunct Faculty United (ADFAC) represents credit and noncredit adjunct faculty's bargaining interests. The state organization is California Federation of Teachers (CFT-AFT).
   
   
5. When did the SCE Academic Senate start?
   The SCE Academic Senate was started by the Adult Education full-time faculty in Spring of 1989. The SCE full-time faculty had been accepted into the C.T.A. union before this, and decided that they also needed a voice in professional and academic matters. A constitution was adopted in April of 1989, revised in January of 1996, and amended in May of 1997.
   
   
6. Why is the SCE Academic Senate unique?
   There are only two Non-Credit Academic Senates in the State of California. By organizing into a Senate, our faculty can play an important role in both our District and State wide non-credit issues. We have taken a leadership role for non-credit faculty and issues.
   
   
7. How is the SCE Senate different from the Fullerton College and Cypress College Senates?
   An Academic Senate can be formed in two (2) different ways: a “senate-of-the-whole” is usually formed when the number of full-time faculty at a college is relatively small; all full-time faculty are senators and serve on the senate. When a college is larger (hundreds of faculty!), a senate operates with representatives which are appointed by the different college departments and these representatives are the senators and report back to their respective areas.
   
   
8. I’m a teacher, why do I have to get involved in the SCE Academic Senate?
   • There are many academic and processional matters that directly and indirectly affect you, your students and your programs. As a senate, we have a powerful voice into these matters. You have a professional obligation to participate and look out for the interests of your students and programs.
   • As a teacher, you have a contractual obligation to participate in a minimum of forty (40) hours a week of professional services, (twenty-five (25) hours of direct student contact, five (5) campus hours, and ten (10) hours of “committee work, field trips, conferences, preparation, grading, and co-curricular activities”). See (C.T.A. contract, Article 5, Faculty Workload). Participating in our Academic Senate and serving on committees is a way of fulfilling your contractual obligation.
   • The SCE Academic Senate is a small group of faculty that has a lot of committees, both District and SCE, to serve on. SCE’s voice and interests are watched out for by your participation. SCE’s role, image, and place in the District has been changed and positively enhanced by our Senate’s participation and active role on committees over the last ten (10) years. Each SCE Senator’s role and participation is important!
   • AB 1725 expanded the role and importance of the academic senates and expanded faculty participation and decision-making beyond the classroom. Faculty now have an obligation to participate in “shared governance”.
     
     
9. What is AB1725 and “shared governance”?
   AB1725 was a revolutionary assembly bill approved in 1988 that changed the way community colleges did business. Shared governance or "collegial consultation" means effectively participating in the decision-making process. Simply stated this meant that faculty now had a larger role to play in the decision making of their community college. (AB1725 will be more thoroughly explained in another section/workshop).
   
   
10. So, how can I do my part as a Senator in the SCE Academic Senate?
    • Attend monthly Academic Senate meetings, listen, learn, participate!
    • Participate on a committee(s)
    • Go to the State Academic Senate Conferences each year- this will alert you to state-wide issues and give you an experience of the big picture.
    • Asking questions, we are all willing to share information; talk to your mentor or other Senators. It takes sometime to sort out the many issues and players in our District and state-wide - it can be overwhelming at first, so don’t give up! We are all still learning how our process of education in the Community Colleges works!
    • The more you know and understand the more empowered you are to affect positive changes for your students, programs, SCE, and our community college!