Constitution
Revised March 1998
PREAMBLE: In accordance with
the provisions of the California Administrative Code, Title 5, Education 131.6
Academic Senates or Faculty Councils.
-
For the purpose of this section:
-
"Faculty" means
those certificated persons who teach full-time in a community college
or other full-time certificated persons who do not perform any services
for the college that require an administrative or supervisory credential,
except those persons designated management.
-
"Academic senate"
or "faculty council" means an organization formed in accordance
with this section whose primary function is, as the representative of
the faculty to make recommendations to the administration and the governing
board of a school district with respect to academic and professional
matters.
-
In order that the faculty may
have a formal and effective procedure for participating in the formation
of district policies and academic and professional matters described in
I-B, the faculty first must decide by secret ballot to have an "academic
senate" or "faculty council", in which case the governing
board of each school district shall establish such an "academic senate"
or "faculty council" in each community college by authorizing
the faculty to:
-
Fix, and amend, by vote of
the faculty, the composition, structure, and procedures, of the academic
senate or faculty council.
-
Select, in accordance with
accepted democratic procedures, the members of the academic senate or
faculty council.
-
After consultation with administration,
the academic senate or faculty council may present its written views and
recommendations.
-
Upon the request of the academic
senate or faculty council and subject to Government Code sections 54950
ff., (The Brown Act), when applicable, the governing board or such board
members or administrative officers as it may designate, shall meet and confer
with representatives of the academic senate or faculty council with respect
to recommendations
made or proposed to be made by the senate or council. The designation of
board members.or administrative officers as provided herein shall not preclude
the representative of an academic senate or a faculty council from meeting
with or appearing before the governing board with respect to the views,
recommendations or proposal of the senate or council at a regular or special
meeting of the board.
-
The academic senates or faculty
councils may assume such responsibilities and perform such functions as
may be requested of it by the Administration or Board of Trustees. This
document is hereby presented as the Constitution of the Academic Senate
of Rio Hondo College.
Article I: NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1. The name of this organization
shall be the Academic Senate of Rio Hondo College.
Section 2. The Academic Senate, hereafter
referred to as the "Senate" shall serve as the official representative
body of the faculty whose primary function is to make recommendations to the
governing board of this district with respect to academic and
professional matters.
Article II: QUALIFICATION AND ELECTION
OF MEMBERS
Section 1. Membership in this organization
shall be limited to those certificated persons who teach full-time or other
full-time certificated persons who do not perform any service for the college
that requires an administrative or supervisory credential, except those persons
designated management.
Section 2. The Senior Senator of
each department shall conduct an election in accordance with the by-laws.
Section 3. All vacancies shall be
filled by special election.
Section 4. The President of the Rio
Hondo College Faculty Association shall be a member of the Senate, provided
that he/she is a member of the electorate.
Section 5. The immediate Past President
of the Senate shall continue as a member of the Senate for one year or for the
duration of his/her elected term as a member of the Senate.
Article III. TERMS OF OFFICE
Membership shall be for three (3)
years, with one-third of the members elected each year.
Article IV. MEETING.
Section 1.The organizational meeting
shall consist of the election of officers and such other organizational matters,
as the Senate shall deem necessary.
Section 2. Meetings of the Senate
shall be held at least once each month of the academic year. Written notice
of the time, place, and agenda of each meeting shall be posted for the electorate
at least three (3) school days prior to the meeting.
Section 3. Meetings shall be open
to all members of the electorate. Invited guests may address the Senate but
shall not be present during the deliberations of the Senate. Executive session
is limited to the Senate membership and may be called by a vote of two-thirds
of the members present. Official action shall be taken only at regular or special
meetings.
Section 4. Special meeting of the
Senate may be called by the President of the Senate; by a petition signed by
a majority of Senate; or by ten percent (10%) of the electorate. Petitions must
specify the reason for calling the special meeting.
Section 5. Except where specifically
designated by this Constitution, Robert's Rules of Order (current edition) shall
be followed at all meetings.
Section 6. A report of all action
taken at each meeting of the Senate shall be transmitted in writing to the electorate
within five (5) school days following each meeting.
Section 7. A quorum shall be required
for all official actions of the Senate. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority
of the Senate.
Section 8. A secret ballot may be
requested by any member of the Senate, but can be overturned by two-thirds of
the majority.
Article V. PROCEDURE
Section 1. Committees shall conduct
research, hold hearings and submit reports and recommendations to the Senate
for concurrence. Meetings of all committees, except when in executive session,
shall be open to the electorate. Committees may invite guests to address the
committee and participate in discussion but such guests may be excluded during
the deliberations of the committee. Notice of all committee meetings shall be
posted on the Academic Senate bulletin board at least three (3) school days
prior to the date of the meeting.
Section 2. Actions of the Senate
which contain recommendations to the Administration and the Board of Trustees
shall be forwarded in writing to the President of the College. If the President
of the College wishes to present his/her views on the matter, he/she may.submit
a written report to the Senate or be invited to address the Senate in person.
Following any communication with the President of the College, the Senate may
majority-vote request that its recommendations be transmitted directly to the
Board of Trustees, or take whatever action it deems appropriate. The spokesperson
for the Senate
before the Board of Trustees shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
Section 3. At least one (1) member
of the Executive Committee of the Senate or an alternate designated by the President
shall attend each meeting of the Board of Trustees. Reports of Board action
shall be submitted to the Senate and shall become a part of the Senate minutes
transmitted to the electorate.
Section 4. Meetings of the electorate
shall be called following a request for such a meeting by a vote of two-thirds
of the Senate, or by a petition signed by a majority of the electorate.
Section 5. The Senate is empowered
to adapt resolutions and by-laws not inconsistent with the Constitution, by
a vote of two-thirds of its members. These resolutions and/or by-laws of the
Senate shall be numbered and separately recorded in a permanent file. This record
shall be open and available to the entire electorate upon request.
Article VI: AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Amendments to this Constitution
may be proposed by a vote of two-thirds of the Senate, or by a petition signed
by a twenty-five percent (25%) of the electorate.
Section 2. Amendments shall become
effective when ratified by a vote of two-thirds of the electorate.
Section 3. Proposed amendments shall
be posted on the Academic Senate bulletin board and distributed to the electorate
at least ten (10) school days prior to the date set for ratification.
Section 4. The Executive Committee
of the Senate shall set the date for ratification.
Section 5. Amendments to the By-Laws require that any changes be approved for
first and second readings in two separate meeting of the Academic Senate.
Article VII: RECALL
Section 1. Any Senator may be recalled
by a two-thirds majority vote of the electorate in his/her department.
Section 2. Any Senate officer may
be recalled by a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate.
Section 3. Any senator-at-large may
be recalled by two-thirds of the votes cast by the electorate.
^ Top | 
