1. Home
  2. Governance
  3. Academic Faculty Senate
  4. Senate Powers
Academic Senate Powers

EDUCATION CODE SECTION 53203: POWERS

  1. The governing board shall adopt policies for the appropriate delegation of authority and responsibility to its college academic senate.
  2. In adopting the policies described in section (a), the governing board or designees, shall consult collegially with the academic senate.
  3. While consulting collegially, the academic senate shall retain the right to meet with or appear before the governing board with respect to its views and recommendations. In addition, after consultation with the administration, the academic senate may present its recommendations to the governing board.
  4. The governing board shall adopt procedures for responding to recommendations of the academic senate that incorporate the following:
    1. When the board elects to rely primarily upon the advice and judgment of the academic senate, the recommendation of the senate will normally be accepted, and only in exceptional circumstances and for compelling reasons will the recommendations not be accepted.
    2. When the board elects to provide for mutual agreement with the academic senate, and an agreement has not been reached, existing policy shall remain in effect unless such policy exposes the district to legal liability or fiscal hardship. In cases where there is no existing policy, or when legal liability or fiscal policy requires existing policy to be changed, the board may act, after a good faith effort to reach agreement, only for compelling legal, fiscal, or organizational reasons.
  5. An academic senate may assume such responsibilities and perform such functions as
    may be delegated to it by the governing board.
  6. The appointment of faculty members to serve on college committees shall be made after consultation with the chief executive officer or designee, by the academic senate.

In addition to these regulations, other sections of Education Code identify responsibilities the academic senate has, for example, in working with the local bargaining unit, in considering staff and student input, and in meeting both obligations and privileges delegated to the senate.