LASSEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC SENATE CONSTITUTION
December 9, 1966
Revised, January 19, 1981
Revised, April 26, 1988      
Revised, January 31, 1997

Article 1 - Name
1-1       The name of this organization shall be the Academic Senate of Lassen Community College.

Article 2 - Purpose and Function

2-1       In accordance with Title V, the purpose of the Academic Senate is "that the faculty may have a formal and effective procedure for participating in the formation and implementation of district policies on academic and professional matters".

2-2      The primary function of the Academic Senate is, "as the representative of the faculty, to make recommendations to the administration of the college and to the governing board of the district with respect to academic and professional matters".

Article 3 - Eligibility for Membership

3-1       The Academic Senate shall represent all academic faculty.

Article  4 - Term of Office

4-1       A senator shall be elected for a two-year term.  At least one senator from each area shall be elected each year.

4-2      New members shall take office at the first regularly scheduled meeting following the counting of the ballots.

4-3      Failure to attend three consecutive meetings without due cause may  result in a request for a member's resignation from the Senate.

4-4      If a vacancy occurs, a special election shall be held to elect a member to fill out the term.

Article 5 - Officers and Duties

5-1       The Senate shall elect a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and ASCCC delegate from its own membership.

5-2      All officers shall serve for a term of one year, except the ASCCC delegate who shall serve for two years.  All officers may be re-elected.

5-3      The president, or designee shall preside at all senate meetings and attend all meetings of the governing board and the Superintendent's Council.  The president may call special meetings when they are deemed necessary.  It is the president's responsibility to see that         members are informed of meetings at least twenty-four hours in advance.

5-4      The vice-president shall preside in the absence of the president and conduct the election of senators.

5-5       The secretary shall be responsible for keeping complete records of proceedings, studies, and recommendations and for making these known in the form of written reports to all the          members of the Academic Senate and the administration.  The secretary shall take care of necessary communications.

5-6      The treasurer shall be responsible for an accounting of any funds under the jurisdiction of     the Academic Senate.

Article 6 - Functions and Responsibilities

6-1       The Academic Senate may concern itself with any matters pertinent to the well being of the college as a whole, its faculty, its student body, and its administration.

6-2      The Senate will determine its own agenda.  It may consider subjects on its own initiative or upon the request of the faculty, the administration, the governing board, or the Associated Student Body.

6-3      The Academic Senate is empowered to present its recommendations to the college president and to the governing board of the district.

6-4      The Senate may concern itself with each or all (but not limited to) the following academic and professional matters and may make recommendations concerning them.

            a.         Professional rights and responsibilities; e.g., academic freedom, ethical standards.

            b.         Professional standards; e.g., development of policy as it relates to certification of minimum qualification and equivalency, professional competency, accreditation.

            c.         Professional personnel policies: e.g., recruiting, selecting, evaluating, assignment and teaching load, promoting, retention of administrative personnel; and sabbatical leave.

            d.         Academic policies: e.g., curriculum, admissions, honors and degree requirements, retention or dismissal of students.

            e.         Student personnel policies: e.g., conduct, discipline, inter-collegiate activities, intra-collegiate activities

            f.          Educational expenditures: e.g., budget planning, fund allocation.

            g.         Instructional services: e.g., library, audio-visual, radio-television, instructional facilities, maintenance of instructional and campus facilities.

            h.         Institutional philosophy: e.g., college goals and objectives, relations with the community.

Article 7 - Amendments

7-1       Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by a majority vote of the faculty or the Academic Senate.

7-2      All proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the faculty a least one week prior to voting.

7-3      To be ratified, amendments must receive an affirmative vote of a least two-thirds of the faculty members eligible to vote.  They must also be approved by the governing board of the district.

Article 8 - Committees

8-1      The Academic Standards/Curriculum Committee shall be a standing committee of the Academic Senate.  Its membership shall represent all areas of the faculty and shall be appointed by the Senate after the spring election of senators.

AMENDMENTS

1.         The name of this organization shall be the Academic Senate of Lassen Community College. (January 31, 1997 Academic Senate of Lassen Community College; September 1, 1967 Faculty             Senate; November 27, 1967 Faculty of Lassen College; January 9, 1968 Board of Trustees,             Lassen Junior College District.)

BY-LAWS

            To be ratified, a by-law must receive an affirmative vote of a plurality of the faculty       members eligible to vote. 

By-law 1 - Election of Senators

1-1       Senators shall be elected from the arts and sciences instructional area and the applied arts instructional area in proportion to the number of full-time faculty members in each area.  Academic faculty in student development will be assigned to an area by the Academic Senate.

1-2       At the end of each school year, the Senate shall determine the ratio of full-time faculty members for that year and the number of senators to be elected.  The total number of senators shall be no less than five no more than ten.

1-3       Candidates for office of faculty senator shall be nominated by the instructors in each instructional area, for each seat representing that area, at a meeting of the Academic Senate between March 1 and May 1.  All faculty shall receive a secret ballot.

1-4       All full-time faculty members shall vote for no more than the number of vacant positions in both instructional areas. Election to the available seats shall be determined by a plurality of votes.

1-5       Absentee ballots may be obtained by faculty unable to vote on campus during the designated polling hours from the Vice-President of the Academic Senate during the week prior to the election.