Academic Senate
Representation and Participation in Local Decision-Making
The Academic Senate is the body that represents the faculty in collegial consultation on academic and professional matters, as defined by law (Title 5 §53203). As such, the Academic Senate is the sole voice of the faculty and serves as the faculty's representative in making recommendations to the Board of Trustees or its designees. Consistent with AP 2510, the Board of Trustees consults collegially with the Academic Senate on academic and professional matters, also known as the faculty 10+1, in these two ways:
Rely Primarily
The Board of Trustees relies primarily upon the advice and judgment of the Academic Senate on these academic and professional matters (10+1):
- Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites
- Degree and certificate requirements
- Grading policies
- Policies for faculty professional development activities
Mutual Agreement
The Board of Trustees will reach a mutual agreement with the Academic Senate on these academic and professional matters (10+1):
- Educational program development
- Standards or policies regarding student preparation and success
- College governance structures, as related to faculty roles
- Faculty roles and involvement in accreditation processes
- Processes for program review
- Processes for institutional planning and budget development
- Other academic and professional matters as mutually agreed upon
Additional Consultation Rights
In addition to the 10+1, faculty have consultation rights for the following areas:
- Distribution of academic presentations (Title 5 § 66450)
- Administrative retreat rights (Title 5 § 87458)
- Equivalencies to minimum qualifications (Title 5 § 87359)
- Faculty hiring (Title 5 § 87360)
- Faculty evaluation (Title 5 § 87663)
- Faculty tenure (Title 5 § 87610.1)
- Faculty service areas (Title 5 § 87743.2)
- Curriculum committee (Title 5 § 55002)
- Academic senate/union agreements (Title 5 § 53204)
(Above photo: The Gavilan College Academic Senate members stand together outside the Library Building on the Gilroy campus during the group's 12.2.25 meeting.)