THE FACULTY SENATE-CONSTITUTION
GLEN-DALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
REVISED NQvember, 1976
CONSTITUTION OF THE FACULTY SENATE
OF
Glendale Community College
Revised November, 1976'
PREAMBLE
WE HOLD THAT THE GOVERNING OF GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS THE
JOINT RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNING BOARD, THE ADMINISTRATION, AND
THE FACULTY OF THE COLLEGE. IN ORDER TO PROMOTE THE FULL PARTICIPATION
OF THE FACULTY IN THE DETERMINATION OF EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND
THE EXECUTION OF THAT POLICY, THE ADOPTION OF THIS CONSTITUTION
ESTABLISHING A FACULTY SENATE IS HEREBY ORDAINED.
PURPOSES
THE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF THE SENATE SHALL BE TO SERVE AS THE
EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FACULTY OF THIS COLLEGE TO THE LOCAL
COLLEGE OR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIONS AND TO THE GOVERNING BOARD WITH
RESPECT TO ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL MATTERS. TO SELECT REPRESENTATIVES
TO SERVE ON ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCILS AND ON COORDINATING COMMITTEES
OF THE FACULTIES OF THE COLLEGES OF THE DISTRICT, AND TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE FORMATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATION POLICIES
FOR THE LOCAL COLLEGE AND THE DISTRICT.
ARTICLE I DEFINITION OF FACULTY
Section I. "FaCUlty", as used in this constitution, means full-time
certificated members of teaching departments engaged primarily
in teaching and/or research, librarians, counselors, and certificated
audio-visual personnel.
ARTICLE II ELIGIBILITY
Section I. All faculty members who have paid the annual assessment
for the support of the Senate and the District Faculty Association
shall be eligible to vote in the election of Senators and, after one
semester on campus, to be elected to the Senate.
.A...~...TICLE III COMPOSITION
Section I. The Senate shall consist of 15 members to be elected at
large except when the President is not a member of the Senate. Under
that condition the number of Senate members will be 16. In any business
affecting a specific department which is not represented in the Senate,
that department shall be called in for consultation.
ARTICLE IV ELECTIONS
Section 1. The President shall call a general faculty meeting in
March for the purpose of presenting the slate of candidates for the
Senate, after which nominations from the floor will be accepted.
Section 2. The election of Senators shall be held prior to the
Second Wednesday in May, and the Senators shall serve from the time
of their election.
Section 3. The nominees receiving a simple majority of the votes
cast for the existing vacancies will be the elected.
Section 4. In case of a tie, or if the number of nominees elected does
not fill the existing vacanies, a run-off election will be required.
The nominees for the run-off election shall be selected from those on
the first election ballot receiving the greatest number of votes but
less than a simple majority of the votes cast. The number of nominees
selected for the run-off election shall be twice the number of existing
vacancies and will be elected by a plurality. The selection of nominees
for run-off elections shall be made by the Nominating Committee, which
shall also be responsible for counting votes.
ARTICLE V TERM OF OFFICE - SENATE
Section 1. Members of the Senate shall serve terms of three years.
The terms shall be arranged so that one-third of the membership is
elected annually. Term of office for the Senators originally
elected shall be determined by the actual number of votes received
(i .e., the first five receiving the highest number of votes shall
be elected for a term of three years; the next five for a term of
two years; the remaining five for a term of one year.)
Section 2. There shall be no limitation on the number of terms which
a Senator may serve; however, he may serve only two terms consecutively.
ARTICLE VI VACANCIES
Section 1. Vacancies shall be declared by the President upon direction
of the Senate. New members shall be elected by the faculty to fill
unexpired terms.
Section 2. The President shall declare vacancies when a Senator has
been absent three consecutive times or four total times during the
academic year. Official school absences resulting in non-attendance
are now included.
Section 3. A Senator pro tern shall be elected to fill a Senate vacancy
resulting from a sabbatical leave or leave of absence.
A~ICLE VII REMOVAL OF SENATORS
Section 1. On the petition of 25 percent or more of the faculty
members, a Senator may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote
of all members of the faculty (Senators inc1uded)~
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ARTICLE VIII OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Senate shall include, but shall not
be restricted to, a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and
a Treasurer.
Section 2.
at large by
a member of
as the 16th
The President shall be elected from among the faculty
a simple majority of the faculty voting. If he is not
the Senate at the time of his election, he will serve
member of the Senate during his term of office.
Section 3. Officers. other than the President, shall be elected
from among the Senators by a simple majority of the Senators present.
ARTICLE IX OFFICERS--ELECTION
Section 1. The faculty shall elect the President of the Senate during
the first month of the second semester. The nominating committee
shall present a slate of at least two candidates at this special
faculty meeting which shall be held two to four weeks prior to the
election. Nominations may be made from the floor.
Section 2. Officers, other than the President, shall be elected
by the Senate at the first meeting following the election of the
Senators.
ARTICLE X OFFICERS--TERM OF OFFICE
Section 1. The term of office for the President of the Senate shall
be two years and shall begin following the first Senate election
held after the President's election. In the event a special election
for President is necessary. the newly elected President will take
office immediately.
Section 2. The term of office for officers other than the President
shall be one year.
Section 3. All officers shall be eligible for re-election.
ARTICLE XI OFFICERS--OUTIES
Section 1. President: The President shall preside at all meetings
of the Senate and all meetings of the Executive Committee. He shall
appoint members to serve on all Special Committees subject to the
approval of a majority of the Senate. He shall be a member) exofficio,
of all committees. lie shall have the right to call special
meetings of the Executive Committee and of the Senate. He shall be
the official spokesman for the Senate. He shall be responsible for
the correspondence files and be in charge of communications between
the Senate and any other person or organization. The President must
call a general faculty meeting once each semester and may call other
meetings at his discretion.
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Section 2. Vice-President:
duties as may be assigned-to
or the Executive Committee.
absence of the President.
The Vice-president shall perform such
him from time to time by the President
In addition, he shall preside in the
Section 3. SecretarY: The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the
meetings of me-Seriate. He shall be responsible for a written report
to the faculty at large, concerning the actions and activities of the
Senate, following each meeting of the Senate.
Section 4. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for the
collection or-assessments, the keeping of all financial records
and of making periodic financial reports.
ARTICLE XII EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers
of the Senate. It shall act to prepare the priority agenda for
Senate meetings, and to recommend actions to the Senate.
ARTICLE XIII DELEGATES
Section 1. The Senate shall select from its number representatives
to administrative councils as they now exist or may be established.
Section 2. Appointments to district coordinating committees will be
made by the Senate President. They may be Senate members or qualified
faculty. All appointments will be confirmed by the Senate.
Section 3. Representation to the District Faculty Association shall
be determined in the following way: A simple majority of the representatives
shall be selected by the Senate from its number. The
remaining members shall be elected by the faculty from its membership.
excluding those who are Senators.
ARTICLE XIV MEETINGS
Section 1. The Senate shall meet at least once monthly during the
academic year or more often at the call of the President or by request
of the Executive Committee.
Section 2. Senate meetings shall be open to faculty members only.
However, the President or Senate members may invite non-faculty
members in for official business.
Section 3. Faculty members may participate at any time as non-voting
members.
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ARTICLE XV QUORUM
Section 1. A four-fifths majority of the elected Senate shall be
considered a quorum.
ARTICLE XVI VOTING
Section 1. The President of the Senate shall vote only in the event
of a tie.
Section 2. A voting record of each Senator shall be kept for every
matter requiring a vote in the Senate except for the election of
Senate officers, which shall be by secret ballot. Such voting
record shall indicate by name of the Senator either a I!yes ll or a
Hnoll or an lI abstention. 1I
Section 3. In the event the President of the Senate is required to
vote to break a tie, his vote of "yes ll or II no " shall also be recorded.
Section 4. This record shall be a regular item in the Secretary's
written report to the faculty.
ARTICLE XVII PROCEDURES
Section 1. In all matters of internal functioning not otherwise
covered by the Constitution) the Senate shall be governed by
Robert's Rules of Order.
ARTICLE XVIII EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
Section 1. By unanimous vote of the Senators the Senate may resolve
itself into an executive session where only Senators may be present.
Section 2. In executive session no record shall be kept of debates
except that which is ordered by the Senate, and no Senator shall
reveal the nature of executive proceedings to any person without
the permission of the Senate.
Section 3. No recommendations either to the administration or to
the trustees of the district shall be enacted during executive
sessions.
ARTICLE XIX COMMITTEES
Section 1. There shall be no standing committees of the Senate
other than the Executive Committee.
Section 2. Special ,ommittees may be established by majority
approval of the Senate.
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Section 3. Special committees shall serve at the pleasure of the
Senate.
Section 4. The sizes purpose, and membership of a special committee
shall be determined or modified by the Senate, Non-senate membership
on special committees may be permitted by the enabling action of the
Senate with specification concerning a non-senate member's right to
vote in committee.
Section 5. The chairman of each special committee shall be appointed
by the President of the Senate subject to the approval of the Senate
membership.
Section 6. Membership of continuing special committees shall be
reconfirmed or modified by the Senate prior to October 1 of each
academic year.
Section 7. Vacancies on special committees shall be filled by the
President of the Senate subject to the approval of the Senate membership.
Section 8. Special committees shall report and be responsible to
the Senate.
Section 9. A nominating committee composed of two non-officer Senate
members and three non-Senate members shall be established by November
15th of each year. The Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer of
the Senate shall select the members of this nominating committee.
Section 10. The nominating committee shall present a slate of at
least two candidates for the office of President at the general
faculty meeting in January.
Section 11. At the general faculty meeting in March, the nominating
committee shall present a slate of at least two candidates for each
Senate position which will become vacant.
ARTICLE XX JOINT COMMITTEES
Section 1. None of the above provisions shall restrict or limit
the power of the Senate to propose or participate in joint committees
involving the Governing Board 1 the District Administration, the local
administration 9 other colleges in the District, or the students of
Glendale Community College. The nature anJ extent of participation
of Senate members on the joint committees shall be determined by the
Senate as need or opportunity arises.
Section 2. Special committees may be designated by the Senate to
represent the Senate in joint committee activities.
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Section 3. Regular reports of the progress of joint committees
shall be made to the Senate.
Section 4. Recommendations of a joint committee shall be referred
to the Senate for approval' otherwise, such recommendations shall
not imply the concurrence of or be binding upon the Senate.
ARTICLE XXI AGENDA
Section 1. The administrative head of the college, any member of
the Senate, or 10 per cent of the members of the faculty may place
an item on the agenda of the Senate by signed written notice to the
President of the Senate. The President shall provide the faculty
with an agenda one week in advance of all meetings except the
executive sessions.
ARTICLE XXII PRIVILEGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Section 1. The Faculty Senate shall of its own determination
concern itself with any academic and professional matters which
it deems important to the welfare of the college or to the
enlightened self-interest of the faculty.
Section 2. The Senate shall be the agency of the faculty in
exercising its primary responsibility for such matters as curriculum~
subject matter and methods of instruction, faculty status
(including appointments, evaluations and dismissals)~ and those
aspects of student life which relate to the educational process.
Section 3. The Senate on behalf of the faculty shall actively
participate, directly or through its representatives, in the
determination of policies and prcedures governing salary increases,
fringe benefits, sabbaticals, and general conditions of employment.
Section 4. The Senate shall ~ on behalf of the faculty, participate
in the selection of administrators of the college, bringing its
recommendations to the attention of the President and the Governing
Board of the district.
Section 5. The Senate shall work jointly with administration
officials on the appointment of faculty members to administrative
committees and to extra-cut'ricular responsibilities.
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ARTICLE XXIII REFERENDUM
Section 1. The Senate may request the administrative head of the
College to call a general faculty meeting for consideration of matters
of general faculty interest.
Section 2. The Senate may request the advice of the general faculty
through written ballots or other communication.
Section 3. Any matter considered by the Senate mast be referred to
the faculty for a secret ballot on petition of 10 per cent of the
total faculty or on demand of one-third of the Senators.
Section 4. A general faculty meeting shall be called by the President
upon presentation to him by a petition of 10% of the faculty. The
President shall call the meeting within three days of the receipt
of the petition.
ARTICLE XXIV RECOMMENDATIONS
Section 1. Recommendations of the Senate shall be forwarded through
regularly established administrative channels. However the Senate
may, after consultation with the Administration, present its views
and recommendations directly to the Governing Board.
ARTICLE XXV FINANCES
Section 1. Faculty members will be asked to pay an annual assessment,
the amount to be determined by the requirements of the Senate and
District Faculty Association budgets. Non-payment will disqualify
a faculty member from serving as a Senator and from voting in
Senate elections.
_AR_TI._CL_E.. XXVI AMENDME-N'--T-CS..-
Section 1. This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote
of those present at any general or special faculty meeting called
for the purpose or of those returning a written ballot provided
that the proposed amendment shall have been presented in writing
to each member of the faculty at least one (1) week preceding the
voting.
ARTICLE XXVII RATIFICATION
Section 1. This Constitution shall become effective by a majority
vote of the total faculty by secret ballot in meeting o~ by w~itten
ballot submitted to the total faculty.
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