The Academic Senate Constitution identifies the Senate’s purpose and mission: to promote the development and maintenance of high standards of teaching and education; to share in the determination of the goals of the college and in the fulfillment of these goals; to promote the welfare of the entire faculty and to represent the entire faculty in its academic and professional relations with the district; to facilitate communication among the entire faculty, classified personnel, student body, college administration, and the governing board of the district; to make recommendations to the college administration and governing board concerning the academic and professional matters enumerated in the Title V of the Educational Code; to concern itself with any legislation relative to the welfare of the college; and to do all that is necessary and proper to achieve a realization of the purposes of the Faculty Association it represents.
The Academic Senate is the voice of the faculty when it comes to matters of academic and professional relations. Membership is comprised of 18 faculty representing all faculty, both full-time as well as Associate, and all areas of instruction, including Counseling and Student Development. The Senate’s membership also includes representation from the Associated Students and the Classified Senate. Meetings are held, on the first and third Wednesday of the month, and special assemblies and forums are held throughout each semester. The Senate supports and encourages campus participation in activities of college-wide significance such as Student Success, Student Equity, SSSP, Mission/Values/Code of ethics, the ongoing Accreditation process, Student Learning Outcomes, CTE Taskforce, statewide grant initiatives, and other efforts. California law and Ed code are constantly changing. The California State Academic Senate conducts two yearly plenary sessions, multiple opportunities for academic senate officers from the various California state Academic Senates, and annual Institute events for Curriculum, Leadership, and other initiatives. The Academic Senate currently operates in accordance with the bylaws, and needless to say in many capacities with various roles and responsibilities in relation to all aspects of the college. Members of the Senate Exec regularly attend the statewide meetings mentioned above, and all share responsibility for disseminating information gained at these meetings as well as from the local Senate’s activities to the Faculty at large, classified staff, students, and Administration. The Academic Senate Leadership Team also includes the Curriculum Chair, the SLO Coordinator, and the Professional Development Coordinator who also assume significant and imperative leadership to support faculty and the strategic direction of the college. Curriculum The Academic Senate has oversight for all the curriculum and educational programs on campus (clearly established through law, Ed code, and AB 1725 (Vasconcellos)). The vast majority of this oversight is handled by the Curriculum Committee and Curriculum Tech Review Team, which operates as an autonomous subcommittee of the Academic Senate under the leadership and onerous guidance of the Chair. As stated above, California law and Ed code are constantly changing, especially in regards to curriculum standards and in addition, ongoing changes to educational programs (expansion, AS-T development, Curriculum Review process, and currently extreme Guided Pathways efforts, other) is never ending. The Curriculum Chair’s diligent work with the Curriculum Tech Review team and attendance at Statewide Senate sessions is essential.
10% One-Time Curriculum Chair reassignment
Helped college in the development of a plan and steering committee for Guided Pathways as well as direct focus on curriculum aspects such as prerequisites, enrollment management strategies, support for articulation, and success in recognition of massive additional workload demnaded on the Curriculum Chair. Although receiving one-time funds was imperative, this reassigned time must be requested as an augmentation again in order to continue the efforts of the Chair in relation to Guided Pathways.
Academic Senate is the voice of faulty in academic and professional matters, as related to the campus strategic iniatives. Ongoing efforts and faculty voice in relation to Curriculum, Participatory Governance, IEPI, Guided Pathways, Curriculum, Student Equity, SSSP, Student Success/Basic Skills, Planning & Budget, Enrollment Management, Educational Master Planning, College Council, as well as standing committees of the Academic Senate such as LTPA, Equivalency, Distance Learning, Academic Technology, and Academic Senate taksforces demonstrate the vast breadth of support to the college in meeting student acheivement standards.
Although the Academic Senate contributed to and played a significant role in the development of the strategic iniatives, but there is work to do! Priorities have been established, yet there are challenges in prioritizing where to focus current efforts. The Academic Senate has representation through participatory governance to be a continuous voice in the college's strategic direction and priorities. Academic Senate supports the various faculty leadership roles on campus by holding summits with the following representatives: Curriculum Chair, Student Learning Outcome Coordinator, Distance Learning Coordinator, Guided Pathways Coordinator, Student Success Coordinator, Professional Development Coordinator, CTE Taskforce Liaison, Academic Technology Chair, Chair of Chairs, OER Coordinator, Couseling/Articulation Officer, and the Academic Senate Executive Committee by meeting to establish synergy in our efforts.
The Academic Senate conducts an annual unit plan that serves as its Program Review.
Strategy 1 - Curriculum Chair Reassigned Time
Seek ongoing additional institutionalized reassigned time for the Curriculum Committee Chair.
A significant amount of additional responsibilities and complexities for the Curriculum Committee, and in particular the Chair, is a reality with state-wide initiatives, ongoing funding streams, and local efforts to develop courses/programs and establish guided pathways. Thoughtful, thorough, and diligent considerations are required for this work which will influence our campus and culture for many years. Over the past few years, the workload has not let up and resulted in increased demands in terms of both time and energy for the chair. A minimum of 10% additional ongoing reassigned time (for a total of 60% per year) should be considered to reflect recognition of the job required with strict timelines and massive demands.
Strategy 2 - Increase funds for ASCCC Events
Members of the Academic Senate (Executive- Curriculum Chair- CTE Liaison-NonCredit Liaison- Legislative Liaison-Guided Pathways Coordinator-other) are required to attend events throughout the year to represent Butte College at the state level.
Over the last decade, the cost to attend various ASCCC events has significantly increased. Fall and Spring Plenary sessions, Area A Meetings (from Bakersfield to the border), Curriculum Institute, Curriculum Regional meetings, Leadership Institute, and others are the responsibility of faculty leaders to maintain currency in legislation, share/learn best practices, and enhance knowledge to be effective in keeping the campus informed.
Strategy 3 - Faculty Recognition
Obtaining funds for faculty recognition will allow us to consider holding a celebratory event to recognize our Emeriti, acknowledge the Excellence in Teaching award, designate a “faculty of the week” parking space (yep!), purchase appropriate recognition items, put up a marquee (solar, of course!) to share the dynamic successes and inform our inquiring faculty on successes/ innovations, host a Faculty ID event to encourage attendance at events and receive discounts in the local community for being an educator, and most importantly… provide stipends or meeting rate pay for associate faculty to attend hosted Senate (brown bag/participatory governance) events!
Recognition of faculty will allow the Academic Senate to promote quality, leadership, and opportunity now and in the future. Full-time and Associate teaching faculty, Student Development faculty, and Counselors continue to work directly with students to support them in achieving their educational goals at Butte College. Recognition for the quality efforts of all faculty is overdue and necessary to maintain the morale and positive campus culture for those who are at the heart of the college.
Strategy 4 - Increase Administrative Assistant position
Academic Senate requires a 100% Administrative Assistant. Currently, the Academic Senate shares an administrative support position with Professional Development which has separate and varied needs/demands as well as overlapping and conflicting timelines of high demand workload issues and challenges.
The Administrative Assistant support position has unique supportive demands in comparison to other Administrative positions (Brown Act, parliamentary procedures, additional LTPA and Equivalency Committee administrative support, other) without recognized time needed to maintain compliance with unrealistic demands to adhere to the numerous tasks to be completed throughout the year. This position faces ongoing dramatic changes (two new faculty leaders, student assistant changes, personality dynamics- to say the least), and no set schedule or definitive way to separate the shared responsibilities between the Academic Senate and Professional Development.
Ability for faculty to move furniture/adjust seating arrangements in classrooms without limitations.
Reorganization of instructional departments.
Leverage department budgets to reflect changing times.
Revisit "efficient" schedule to actually reflect efficiency or eliminate to open opportunities for students and course scheduling.
We are thankful for the Academic Senate Office space in the Center for Excellence!
No designated additional resources
| Original Priority | Program, Unit, Area | Resource Type | Account Number | Object Code | One Time Augment | Ongoing Augment |
| Description | Supporting Rationale | Potential Alternative Funding Sources | Prioritization Criteria | |||
| 1 | Academic Senate | Personnel | 110004001603000 | 51240 | $0.00 | $10,000.00 |
| Seek ongoing additional institutionalized reassigned time for the Curriculum Committee Chair. | A significant amount of additional responsibilities and complexities for the Curriculum Committee, and in particular the Chair, is a reality with state-wide initiatives, ongoing funding streams, and local efforts to develop courses/programs and to establish guided pathways. |
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| 2 | Academic Senate | Operating Expenses | 110004001603000 | 55200 | $0.00 | $7,500.00 |
| Members of the Academic Senate (Executive- Curriculum Chair) are required to attend events throughout the year to represent Butte College at the state level. | Over the last decade, the cost to attend various ASCCC events has significantly increased. |
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| 3 | Academic Senate | Operating Expenses | 110004001603000 | $0.00 | $10,000.00 | |
| Obtaining funds for faculty recognition. | Recognition of faculty will allow the Academic Senate to promote quality, leadership, and opportunity now and in the future. |
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| 4 | Academic Senate | Personnel | 110004001603000 | 52120 | $0.00 | $50,000.00 |
| Academic Senate requires a 100% Administrative Assistant. | The Administrative Assistant support position has unique supportive demands in comparison to other Administrative positions (Brown Act, parliamentary procedures, other) without recognized time needed to maintain compliance with unrealistic demands to adhere to the numerous tasks to be completed throughout the year. This position faces ongoing dramatic changes (two new faculty leaders, student assistant changes, personality dynamics- to say the least), and no set schedule or definitive way to separate the shared responsibilities between the Academic Senate and Professional Development. |
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