Academic Senate Constitution

 

Preamble: We the Faculty of Moreno Valley College do hereby establish the Moreno Valley College Academic Senate to represent the Faculty of Moreno Valley College in accordance with the missions of Moreno Valley College and of the Riverside Community College District.

Article I. Name and Definitions

Section 1. Name: The name of this organization shall be Moreno Valley College Academic Senate.

Section 2. Definitions: The following terms are to be understood in the sense herein defined:

  1. Moreno Valley College, hereinafter “MVC.”
  2. Moreno Valley College Academic Senate, hereinafter “MVCAS.”
  3. Riverside Community College District, hereinafter “RCCD.”
  4. Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees, hereinafter “BOT.”
  5. Riverside Community College District Academic Senate, hereinafter “DAS.”

Article II. Purpose

Purpose of the MVCAS:

A. The MVCAS operates pursuant to California Education Code (AB 1725) and Title 5, Subchapter 2, Sections 53200 – 53206, California Code of Regulations.

B. The MVCAS shall work cooperatively with other College Senates in the RCCD and the District Academic Senate to make recommendations to the BOT and/or its designees with respect to policy development and implementation of matters in the following areas:

  1. Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites and placing courses within disciplines;
  2. Degree and certificate patterns;
  3. Grading policies;
  4. Educational program development;
  5. Standards or policies regarding student preparation and success;
  6. District and college governance structures, as related to faculty roles;
  7. Faculty roles and involvement in accreditation processes, including self-study and annual reports;
  8. Policies for faculty professional development activities;
  9. Processes for program review;
  10. Processes for institutional planning and budget development; and
  11. Other academic and professional matters as mutually agreed upon between the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees and the Moreno Valley College Academic Senate.

In accordance with RCCD Board Policy 4005, the BOT relies primarily on the recommendations of the Academic Senates of the District’s Colleges for items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8. The BOT will receive items 6, 7, 9, and 10, and those matters developed in item 11, as the result of mutual agreement after consulting collegially with the Academic Senates of the District’s Colleges.

  1. Represent the MVC faculty on the DAS.
  2. The MVCAS shall consider in good faith any recommendation submitted for MVCAS action by a member of the faculty, classified staff, student government, administration, or BOT.
  3. In developing its positions, the MVCAS will work with the appropriate administrative offices at both the College and the District levels. Although the MVCAS may choose to mediate recommendations through the DAS, the MVCAS reserves the right to make recommendations directly to the BOT in academic and professional matters directly related to MVC.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Representation: The MVCAS represents all full-time and associate faculty employed by the District who teach at MVC and who do not perform any services for the District or College that are identified in the District or College structure as administrative or supervisory.

Section 2. Composition: The voting membership of the MVCAS shall be composed of a President, Vice-President, a Secretary-Treasurer, a Senator At-Large, the Department Senators, the Counseling Senators, and an Associate Faculty Senator. Excluding the President and the Senator At-Large, the Senate Officers serve as Department Senators. Each voting member receives one vote, with the President’s vote deciding any ties. All Senate Officers, Department Senators and Counseling Senators shall be full-time faculty members. Each instructional department shall be represented by the number of Department Senators according to the headcount of the non-counselor, full-time faculty within that department. Departments with a headcount of one to nine full-time faculty shall have a single Department Senator. Departments with a headcount of ten or more full-time faculty shall have two Department Senators. The counseling discipline shall be represented by Counseling Senators according to the same guidelines where the headcount is defined as the number of full-time counselors.

Section 3. Terms of Office: The President and Senator At-Large shall serve for three years. Department Senators shall serve for two years. The Vice-President’s term shall coincide with their term as Senator. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve for one year. Unless otherwise provided for in this Constitution, the term of office will coincide with the academic year.

Section 4. Election of Voting Membership: Procedures for selecting voting members shall be specified in the MVCAS Bylaws.

Section 5. Recall: Senators, including officers, may be recalled by a simple majority of the members of the body who elect them.

Section 6. Vacancies: The faculty at large, MVCAS, or the appropriate department, as applicable, shall vote according to processes defined in the MVCAS Bylaws to fill any vacancies. The replacement shall hold office for the remainder of the term of the position.

Article IV. Meetings

Section 1. Meetings: MVCAS shall hold regular meetings on the first and third Mondays of each month during the fall and spring semesters. The MVCAS may hold meetings in the summer and winter sessions if it so chooses.

Section 2. Quorum: A quorum for the conduct of MVCAS business shall consist of a number equal to a majority of the membership of the MVCAS.

Section 3. Special Meetings: Special meetings of the MVCAS or of the faculty may be called when necessary by the President or by a simple majority of the Senate. At least two school days' notice shall be provided.

Section 4. Open Meetings: All meetings of the MVCAS and all agencies authorized under MVCAS auspices, shall be open to all members of the faculty, the administration, students, staff, and the public.

Section 5. Agendas: The MVCAS shall establish its own agenda by simple majority vote of the members present. Any member of the faculty, classified staff, student government, administration, or BOT may submit agenda items to the MVCAS. Suspension of the established agenda may be made by majority vote. Every MVCAS agenda shall include an open hearing.

Section 6. Petition for Faculty-wide Vote: On petition of at least 10% of members of the full-time faculty or by a simple majority of the MVCAS, any item of business shall be put to a vote of the full-time faculty.

Section 7. Committee Appointments: The MVCAS shall determine the means by which appointments of MVC faculty members to MVC and RCCD wide committees shall be made. Appointees to all RCCD wide committees shall represent the MVCAS and shall work to maintain effective communication between the MVCAS and any RCCD bodies on which they serve.

Article V. Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees: Standing committees shall be specified in the MVCAS Bylaws. Standing committees shall maintain bylaws governing their own operations, consistent with MVCAS Constitution and Bylaws, and must be updated at least every two years. Members of standing committees, including chairs, may be removed from their position through a majority vote by MVCAS or through a majority vote by the committee members themselves subject to MVCAS approval. If a chair resigns or is removed before the completion of their term, the MVCAS will approve a replacement to complete the term.

Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees: The MVCAS may create and dissolve ad hoc committees as needed and name members as it sees fit or as specified in the MVCAS Bylaws.

Article VI. Amending the Constitution

Section 1. Constitutional Amendment: Any article or section of the Constitution may be amended by a majority of the votes cast by the full-time faculty in an election held for that purpose provided that written notice of the proposed amendment has been given one week in advance of the vote.

Section 2. Proposal of Constitutional Amendments: Constitutional amendments may be proposed by a majority vote of the Senate or by a petition signed by at least 10% of full-time faculty of MVC.

Article VII. Bylaws

Section 1. Bylaws: The MVCAS shall establish by a majority of the MVCAS members its own rules and regulations. Such rules and regulations shall be published as the MVCAS Bylaws. No rules or regulations shall supersede or be contrary to this Constitution.

Section 2. Bylaws Amendment: Any article or section of the Bylaws may be amended by majority vote of MVCAS.