Senate Standing Committees and Community members

[Verma, Soni]

Good Evening All,

 A couple of our Senate standing committees would like to include community members in the committee. What is the best way to include community folks in a standing committee of the Senate? Can they be a voting member, provided that the majority of the voting members are faculty?

Is there a guiding document that any of your colleges use to create and disband the Senate's standing committees?

Thanks,

 Warm regards,

 Soni

Soni Verma

Academic Senate President

Professor of Psychology

9166608064

[Freitas, John E]

Hi Soni,

What do your constitution and bylaws say? Senate committees exist by authority of their senates, and so their compositions should be determined by the senate.  Also, senates have full authority to determine their structures under title 5 (https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/I6F8D0CE0D48411DEBC02831C6D6C108E?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default))

If your senate does support adding community members, it should also carefully explore how they are appointed and removed, and what their roles would be. Also, they don’t have any right to effective participation in college governance, like students and staff do. Also, remember that the board of trustees are the elected representatives of the community. How might your board react to community members serving on senate committees, or even having some of them representing themselves as representatives of your senate? I would be concerned about the relationship between your senate and board if a community member on a senate committee went rogue. I also submit that your students are also community representatives, and their participation in committees represents community participation.  How would the addition of community members who are not students impact the voice of students in participatory governance?  There are lots of potential impacts and consequences to think through whenever governance structures, so it’s important that much care be taken and thought be given before making such a decision.

John

 

John Freitas, Professor of Chemistry 

LACC Articulation Officer

DAS Parliamentarian

Los Angeles City College 

323-953-4000 ext. 2605

frei...@lacitycollege.edu

On Aug 30, 2021, at 6:03 PM, Verma, Soni <sve...@sierracollege.edu> wrote:



--
This group has NOT been established or endorsed by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges or its Executive Committee. This discussion group is not moderated, and any opinion expressed is solely that of its author.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCSenates" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccsenates+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cccsenates/BYAPR04MB5749B8034EABDBDD9C7AC8EBCBCC9%40BYAPR04MB5749.namprd04.prod.outlook.com.

[Verma, Soni]

Thank you, John, for your prompt response. Our current bylaws and the constitution are very broad and do not address the inclusion of community members. You are asking some good questions about the involvement of community members in Senate standing committees. I share those concerns. I am curious to know if any other local senate has included community members in their standing committees. 

Thanks,

Soni

---

From: cccse...@googlegroups.com <cccse...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Freitas, John E <FREI...@LACITYCOLLEGE.EDU>
Sent: Monday, August 30, 2021 6:30 PM
To: cccse...@googlegroups.com <cccse...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Google Group CCCSenates] Senate Standing Committees and Community members

 

CAUTION: This email has originated from outside of the organization.
DO NOT click on links and attachments unless you recognize the sender.

---

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cccsenates/E47538ED-EF7E-453F-907A-CA0025E181B1%40lacitycollege.edu.

[Wheeler North]

One minor clarification of John’s excellent points. If a student is appointed by the college’s student governing body to serve on any committee they are not a public community member. However, if they are just attending sans any official membership then they are a public guest with the same privileges as any guest. 

Wheeler North I-Mini

On Aug 30, 2021, at 6:30 PM, Freitas, John E <FREI...@lacitycollege.edu> wrote:



[EXTERNAL Email: Do not click any links or open attachments if you do not trust the sender and know the content is safe.]

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cccsenates/E47538ED-EF7E-453F-907A-CA0025E181B1%40lacitycollege.edu.