Bylaws & Constitution

BARSTOW COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT ACADEMIC SENATE

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

PART I – CONSTITUTION

Article I                       Legal Basis for an Academic Senate Article II Purpose

Article III                     Membership Qualifications Article

4. Composition and Officers Article V Duties and Responsibilities Article

VI                                 Amendments

PART II – BY-LAWS

Article I                       Duties of Officers & Senators Article II Meetings

Article III                     Elections

Article IV                     Recall and Dismissal By-Laws Article

5. Amendment By-Laws

Academic Senate Constitution

ARTICLE I

CONSTITUTION

LEGAL BASIS FOR AN ACADEMIC SENATE

SECTION I – Title V

We, the faculty of Barstow Community College, in order to promote the best interests of higher education and the welfare of our profession and our students, to ensure that the faculty assumes its legal role in the governance processes of our District, and to provide a forum for the faculty to discuss, debate and formulate formal faculty opinions and resolutions both on academic and professional matters and on other issues of concern hereby establish this Constitution and Bylaws for the Academic Senate.

The Academic Senate of the Barstow Community College District is established so that the faculty may have a formal and effective procedure for participating in the formation of district policies relative to academic and professional matters as set forth in Title V, (subsection 53200 c) Subchapter 2,"Academic Senate" of the Administrative Code.

SECTION 2

The term Academic Senate means the organization formed in accordance with this Constitution whose primary function, is as the representative of the faculty, to make recommendations to the administration and to the Board of Trustees of the Barstow Community College district with respect to academic and professional matters and academic freedom (See SECTION 3 of this constitution) (Title 5, Section 51023), including but not limited to the following:

1. curriculum, including establishing prerequisitesand placing courses within disciplines,
2. degree and certificate requirements
3. grading policies,
4. educational program development,
5. standards or policies regarding student preparation and success
6. district and college governance structures, 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
1. 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 governing board and the academic senate. (BCCD)

SECTION 3

According to Title 5, Section 51023; Accreditation Standard 2.2, academic freedom is essential to the mission of higher education, which is to allow and promote free inquiry into the environment of human endeavor (AND TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS OF CRITICAL THINKING FOR OUR STUDENTS). The faculty

and administration of Barstow College jointly accept the responsibility for maintaining an atmosphere in which scholars may freely teach, conduct research, publish and engage in other scholarly activities. This responsibility includes maintaining the freedom for the examination of controversial issues throughout the College, including classroom discussion when such issues are germane to the subject matter of the course (AS DETERMINED BY THE INSTRUCTOR OF RECORD OF THAT COURSE). The Barstow College Academic Senate acknowledges that the faculty and administration feel a responsibility to protect the right of each employee to express his or her personal opinion, but that in doing so, employees have an obligation to avoid any action which purports to commit the institution to a position on any issue without appropriate approval.

ARTICLE II

PURPOSE

Section I

Additionally, the Senate, in accordance with Title 5, section 53200-53205, of the California Administrative Code, shall be the recognized representative of the faculty to the administration and governing board of the Barstow Community College District in matters concerning academic and professional issues, and shall participate in the formation and revision of District policies and procedures in all matters of an academic and professional nature.

In addition to the above, the general purpose of the Senate shall be to:

1. Promote the general welfare of the Barstow Community College District and the faculty.

2. Continue to develop and improve professional standards.

3. Provide the forum for continuous study of faculty and college problems.

4. Represent the faculty in making recommendations to the administration, college president and the Board of Trustees with respect to academic and professional matters.

"Academic and professional matters" means the following policy development and implementation matters:

Section 2

The Academic Senate shall have primary responsibility for the following matters of:

1. Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites and placing courses within disciplines

2. Degree and certificate requirements

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

1. Processes for program review

10. Processes for institutional planning and budget development, and

11. Other academic and professional matters as are mutually agreed upon between the Governing Board and the Senate Academic Senate

ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS

SECTION 1

1. Membership in the Academic Senate shall consist of those individuals employed as faculty by the Barstow Community College District.

2. Faculty means those employees of Barstow Community College District who are employed in positions that are not designated as supervisory or management for the purpose of Article 5 (commencing with Section 3540 of Chapter 10.7, of Division 4, of Title 1 of the Government Code), and for which minimum qualifications for hire have been specified in the regulations of the board of governors, adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 87356. Faculty include, but are not limited to, instructors, librarians, and counselors.

3. Persons who do not meet the above definition are not eligible for membership in the Academic Senate.

4. Full-time and adjunct faculty members shall be eligible for membership.

5. If a Sabbatical were to be granted, the individual would be required to attend meetings as per the AS attendance policy.

SECTION 2

Only those persons who meet the criteria set forth in Section 1B and 1D above can be nominated for or elected to the Academic Senate.

SECTION 3

If a member of the Academic Senate becomes ineligible for membership (refer to CONSTITUTION, Article III, Section 1 1B 1D and 1E) that person will no longer continue to be a member of the Senate and the vacancy shall be filled as provided in BY-LAWS, Article III, Section 8.

ARTICLE IV

COMPOSITION OF THE ACADEMIC SENATE AND ITS OFFICERS SECTION 1

The Academic Senate shall be composed of the fourteen faculty members including the elected President of the Senate, the President-elect of the Senate, and fourteen faculty members. The members shall serve a term of two years, and any individual may only serve one position at a time.

The elections for the faculty members on the Senate will take place every year in April, but only approximately half of the members will be up for election in any given year. Group A will be up for elections in odd calendar years, and group B will be up for election in even calendar years. (See Groups A and B listed below).

SECTION 2

Representation to the Senate shall be as follows: Academic Group A

1          Social & Preprofessional to Social, Behavior, & Public Services F/T faculty member

1          Arts & Humanities F/T faculty member

1          Business and Industry F/T faculty member

1          Counseling F/T faculty member

1          Adjunct faculty member

1          STEM and Kinesiology F/T faculty member

1          Ft. Irwin faculty member F/T Academic Group B

Fort Irwin representative must be assigned to teach at the locations a minimum of once an academic year.

The Academic Groups will be represented by individuals based on the programs identified in the Guided Pathways.

Pathway: Arts and Humanities:

CTE: PHOT

Academic: ARTS, ENGL, ETHN, HUMA, MUSI, SPAN, SPCH, TART, POLI,

Pathway: Business and Industry:

CTE: ACCT, AUTO, BADM, BCTT, CBIS, COOP, ELCT, IMMT, IMEI, MGMT, WARE, WELD, WKFC, COSM, ECON, Megatronics,

Pathway: Social & Preprofessional to Social, Behavior, & Public Services:

CTE: ADJU, CHLD,

Academic: EDUC, POLI, PSYC, SOCI, HIST, RELGS, POLI, GEOG, PHIL

Pathway: STEM and Kinesiology:

CTE: CSIS,

Academic: ASTR, BIOL, CHEM, GEOL, MATH, OCEA, PELC, PHSC, PHYS

SECTION 3

No person may serve as a President or President-elect and a divisional representative simultaneously.

SECTION 4

The qualifications for election to the Academic Senate shall be the same as those herein defined for membership in the faculty.

SECTION 5

The officers of the Senate shall include a President, President-elect, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. The officers’ terms, election procedures, and duties are set forth in the BYLAWS. These four members of the Academic Senate will constitute the Executive Committee.

SECTION 6

The Academic Senate shall set and announce the dates for all elections to all faculty a minimum of four weeks in advance. Full-time faculty can request via email to have their name included two weeks before the election. Adjunct faculty are eligible to run for the adjunct positions and may submit their

names for inclusion in the process. Two weeks prior to the elections, they must submit their names to the Academic Senate President and President Elect via college email. Faculty may nominate other faculty members, but the nominated member needs to be notified and agree to run. The election will be conducted in accordance with Article III of the By-Laws of Barstow Community College Academic Senate.

ARTICLE V

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

SECTION 1

The Academic Senate shall have regular and special meetings as provided by the Brown Act and as herein provided, and a majority of the Senate shall constitute a quorum, which shall be sufficient to transact business.

SECTION 2

The Academic Senate shall keep minutes of all its meetings and publish the proceedings of each meeting. Copies of the minutes shall be made available on the college website to the faculty at large. The Academic Senate Secretary or support person will record, transcribe, and make available on the college website the minutes of Senate meetings.

SECTION 3

The Academic Senate may create and maintain subcommittees and authorize such to perform any duty within the scope of the Senate's power.

SECTION 4

The Academic Senate shall present its written and oral views and recommendations to the Governing Board through regularly established channels. However, the Senate, after consultation with the Administration, may present its views directly to the Governing Board. In accordance with the California Community College Board of Governor regulations, the Governing Board shall consider such views and recommendations by the Senate.

ARTICLE VI

AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1

The Academic Senate and/or members of the faculty may propose amendments to the Barstow Community College Academic Senate CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS, as set forth in BY-LAWS, Article V.

BY-LAWS (PROCEDURES) ARTICLE I

DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND SENATORS

SECTION 1: Officers of the Academic Senate

There shall be a President, President-Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary of the Academic Senate. Only full-time tenured faculty members are eligible to run for the offices of President and President-Elect. The Academic Senate shall constitute the Executive Committee.

SECTION 2: Election of the President

1. With the exception of the first year after the enactment of this revised Policy & Procedure Manual, the President of the Senate will serve the second year of the term or become the President after serving as the President- Elect. The new President will take office at the first regularly scheduled meeting of the year.

2. The election of the President shall conform to the procedures specified in Article III, Section 1 of the Bylaws. See Section 7, President’s Duties.

SECTION 3: Election of the President-Elect

1. With the exception of the first year after the enactment of this revised Policy & Procedure Manual, the Senate at- large shall elect the President- Elect from its own membership by the first regularly scheduled meeting of the academic year. The President-Elect shall take office at the first regularly scheduled meeting of the academic year. This election shall conform to the procedures set forth in Article III Section 1 of the By-Laws of the Barstow Community College Academic Senate.

2. The duties of the President-Elect shall be as President- in-training in order to provide continuity in responsibility, training and scope. See Section 8 President-elect’s Duties.

SECTION 4: Election of the Secretary

The Senate shall elect the Secretary of the Senate from its own membership at the first regularly scheduled meeting of the academic year.

SECTION 5: Election of the Treasurer

The Senate shall elect the Treasurer of the Senate from its own membership at the first regularly scheduled meeting of the academic year.

SECTION 6: Terms of office

1. The President shall serve for a term of two years. The President may serve additional terms of two years. However, after the original two years have been served, the faculty member may not run again for President until after a minimum of a two-year break in service.

2. The President-Elect shall serve for two academic years and will automatically assume office of President at the last regularly scheduled meeting of the Academic Senate at the end of the second year of the President’s term of office.

3. The Treasurer shall serve a term of one year. The Treasurer may serve additional terms if duly elected by the membership of the Senate.

4. The Secretary shall serve a term of one year. The Secretary may serve additional terms if duly elected by the membership of the Senate.

5. Addendum: If, for whatever reason, the President and the President-Elect are unable to serve, a new election must be held within one month of the resignation(s).

SECTION 7: President’s Duties

The President of the Academic Senate shall:

1. 1. Preside at all regular and special meetings of the Senate and at all meetings of the faculty called by the President or by the Senate.

1. 2. Attend or have a President’s representative attend all regular meetings of the Governing District Board.

1. 3. Represent the Senate in all “major governance” committees if the Senate has not already appointed a person to represent the Senate at such meetings. The President should regularly attend all “major governance” committees, especially when major academic and

professional matters are under discussion. The Academic Senate shall determine which committees are to be defined as “major Governance committees" (i.e., Presidents or Participatory Shared Governance Council).

1. 4. Will attend (with or without the President-Elect) the California State Academic Senate Plenary Session (annually held in the Fall and Spring).

1. 5. With the assistance of another Senate member, for example the President- elect, will assign Senators or other faculty to district committees and Senate responsibilities. The Educational Deans will in consultation with the Academic Senate President make committee assignments.
   6. Will serve as an ex-officio voting member of all Senate committee.

1. 7. With the assistance of a Senator (if needed) is responsible for the preparation, posting, and distribution of the agenda, (in accordance with the Brown Act).

1. 8. Ensure that Senate business is carried forward from previous Senate meetings in a timely manner.

1. 1. Implement decisions of the Senate and supervise administration of Senate business.

1. 10. Participate actively in shared governance with input from Senate members.

1. 11. The President or his/her designee will be the official spokesperson for the Academic Senate. Senators and Senate appointees do not speak for the Senate, except on public matters expressed in the regularly approved minutes of the Senate; any other communications and statements made outside of a Senate meeting are to be considered individual opinions only, and shall not be represented as the policy or policies of the Senate.

1. 50. The President or his/her designee will preside over the nominations and voting procedures for the Don White Award. By the middle of April, the request for nominations will be sent out to all faculty, closing submissions will be the end of April. The voting will take place prior to commencement. The announcement of the award recipient will be made at In-Service of the new academic year.

SECTION 8: President-Elect’s Duties

1. If the President is absent from three consecutive meetings or is incapacitated, the President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President until such time as an election is called by the Senate.
   
   1. In the event that the President Elect must assume the

Presidency, the remainder of the original President’s term does NOT count as his/her first year of Presidential service, as he/she is completing another’s time in office.

1. 2. The new election to be held will be for the office of the new President-Elect. See Section 11.

2. The President-elect shall serve as a voting member of the Senate Executive Committee.

3. The President-Elect shall regularly attend major Governance Committees as assigned.

4. The President-Elect or a designee from the Senate may be asked to attend all Curriculum Committee meetings.

5. The President-elect shall supervise all equivalency committees and present their recommendations (and rationale for such recommendations) to the Senate.

6. The President-elect or designee shall assist the President with assigning faculty to committees.

SECTION 9: Secretary’s Duties

1. The Secretary shall serve as a voting member of the Senate Executive Committee.

2. The Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings and distribute them to all faculty members. In the event that the Secretary is not present at a meeting, another Senate member will be assigned by the President to take, transcribe, and distribute minutes. The Secretary shall verify that this duty has been performed in an accurate and timely manner.

3. If both the President and President-Elect are absent or incapacitated, the Secretary shall assume the duties of the President.

4. Keep the official attendance record of the Senate and report this record to the Senate.

SECTION 10: Treasurer’s Duties

1. The Treasurer shall serve as a voting member of the Senate Executive Committee.

2. The Treasurer shall disburse funds, maintain financial records, and submit financial reports to the Senate at each Senate meeting and as requested by the Executive Committee.

3. In a meeting with the outgoing Treasurer, the incoming Treasurer shall gather all current documents necessary for appropriate financial controls. Together, they shall set up the budget/spending plan for the forthcoming year and submit such to the Senate prior to the Barstow College Budget Calendar deadline.

4. The Treasurer shall act as President in the absence of the President, President-Elect, and Secretary.

5. The Treasurer shall prepare conference registration and travel arrangements for Senate members with the appropriate Barstow College office.

6. The Treasurer shall perform additional duties as may be required by the office.

7. The Treasurer or assigned designee by the Senate, shall have access to an assigned credit card for Academic Senate to be used for pre-approved registration of conferences, hotels, or travel.

8. Travel Liaison non-voting member SECTION

11: Ineligibility or Resignation

1. If a Senate officer misses three consecutive meetings, resigns, or becomes incapacitated, the Senate shall determine whether to hold a new election or have the officer immediately below that office serve the remainder of the term of that office until the time of the regularly scheduled new elections in April.

2. If a Senate member misses three consecutive meetings, resigns, or becomes incapacitated, the Senate shall determine whether to hold a new election or leave the senate seat vacant until the next election.

3. A Senator shall become ineligible for a position on the Senate when he or she no longer meets the definition of "faculty" as set forth in the CONSTITUTION, Article III, Section 1a, or is designated as "management"

(pursuant to Government Code 3540), and shall be required to immediately resign from the Academic Senate. The vacancy thus created shall be filled as herein provided. (See BY- LAWS, Article III).

BY-LAWS (PROCEDURES) ARTICLE II

MEETINGS

SECTION 1

The Academic Senate shall hold regular meetings at least once every month (August through May), and sufficient public notice shall be given to the faculty prior to the meetings as to date, time, and place. (See Brown Act for requirements).

SECTION 2

Special meetings of the Academic Senate may be held for regular or special business matters, but prior notice must be given to all faculty, setting forth the date, time, place, and purpose of the meeting.

SECTION 3

All regular and special meetings of the Senate and its committees shall be open to all faculty.

SECTION 4

A special meeting of the Senate shall be called by the Academic Senate President upon the written petition of at least four members of the Senate or twenty-five percent of the members of the faculty, or at the discretion of the President.

SECTION 5

Tenure hearings shall be conducted in accordance with guidelines identified and agreed upon by the Senate by the second meeting of the spring semester.

The senate shall review tenure track faculty evaluations commencing the first year of observation and written evaluation. Results of such review will be shared with the appropriate Dean/Supervisor.

As outlined in the BCFA contract:

ARTICLEXII EVALUATIONS

1. 3. Evaluation Process for Contract Faculty (tenure-track)

1. 1. 5. The elected executive committee representatives of Academic Senate will review the evaluation reports of all contract faculty

members (including counselors and librarians) on an annual basis.

SECTION 6

All Academic Senate meetings shall be conducted in accordance with generally accepted parliamentary procedures, including but not limited to Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, and the Brown Act.

BY-LAWS (PROCEDURES) ARTICLE III

ELECTIONS

SECTION 1

With the exception of the first election after the adoption of the Policy and Procedures Manual, the elections of the President and President-Elect shall be held in April.

SECTION 2: Election of Senators

All faculty members are eligible to participate in Senate elections, and all faculty will vote for Senators from all areas.

1. 1. 1. 1. By no later than the end of the first week of April, the Senate shall

notify the faculty of each area’s faculty members, including adjuncts.

1. 1. 1. 2. By the end of the second week of April, any adjuncts interested in participating in the Academic Senate elections, must submit their names in writing to the Academic Senate President.

1. 1. 1. 3. Also by the end of the second week of April, full-time faculty in any area NOT interested in participating in Senate service must notify the Academic Senate President in writing.

1. 1. 1. 4. Ballots for the elections, which are to be held in the third week of April, will include names of all full- time faculty in each area, except for those who withdrew.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. However, any faculty member elected can only hold one Senate position. Should a faculty member be elected in two areas, the faculty will serve in the discipline area, and the runner up in the other area will serve in that position.
            2. If there is no majority, a run-off between the two top candidates will be held until one obtains a majority.

1. 1. 1. 5. Faculty members on leave or on sabbatical during the time of election must notify the Senate, as part of their leave or sabbatical conditions,

as to their availability for service as a Senator, and/or their desire to participate in the election. If they wish to participate, they must provide the Senate with an address to which election papers can be forwarded.

SECTION 3

If it has been determined that a position is available on the Academic Senate by three consecutive absences or incapacitation of any Senator, the Senate President will solicit and accept nominations from the faculty as determined in Section II B.

SECTION 4

Immediately following the preparations of the ballots, the Senate shall conduct a normal election as specified above, and the faculty shall be given at least five (5) weekdays to make their selection of Senators.

SECTION 5

The faculty member receiving the majority of the votes cast shall be designated as a Senator-elect. In the absence of a majority nominee, a run-off between the top candidates will be held. A majority of the votes cast is required for election.

If a Senator-elect declines the Senate position within one month of the time of election, the individual with the next highest number of votes shall be selected.

SECTION 6

By the end of the first week of May, the President of the Senate shall immediately report the results of the election to the faculty in writing.

SECTION 7

The Academic Senate shall be the arbiter in disputes arising from the procedures of elections, qualifications of candidates, and the interpretation of the results in balloting.

BY-LAWS (PROCEDURES) ARTICLE IV

RECALL AND DISMISSAL BY-LAWS

SECTION 1

Any member of the Academic Senate, including officers, is subject to being recalled by one half of the faculty. The Academic Senate governs the recall procedures.

SECTION 2

If the president is recalled, the President-Elect moves up, as does each officer, and the Senate will select a new Treasurer from its existing members. The Academic Senate governs the recall procedures.

SECTION 3

If a Senator misses three (3) consecutive Senate meetings or more than 50% of the Senate meetings during any semester for no acceptable reason nor any notice to the Senate, that Senator will be considered derelict in his/her duty as a Senator.

A. If the individual in question has been elected from an academic group, the group will be notified and made aware of the situation. If circumstances warrant, an election will be held to replace that senator in question as determined in SECTION 11: B.

BY-LAWS (PROCEDURES) ARTICLE V

AMENDMENT PROCEDURES

SECTION 1

The Barstow Community College Academic Senate CONSTITUTION and BY-LAWS shall be amended in the following manner:

1. The sponsor of an amendment shall submit a copy of the proposed amendment to the Academic Senate, including the signatures of twenty-five percent of the faculty, determined by the number of faculty. The Academic Senate may, by majority vote, become the sponsor of an amendment. The Senate shall set a date for a meeting of the faculty for the purpose of debating the proposal within one month of it being filed. The sponsor shall distribute copies of the proposed amendment to the faculty no later than five weekdays prior to the faculty meeting.

2. The Senate shall conduct an election on the proposed amendment no earlier than five weekdays, nor later than ten week days, following the date of the faculty debate of the amendment.

3. The Senate shall select an ad hoc Amendment Election Committee Chair, with that person's consent. The Amendment Election Committee shall select two additional faculty members who agree to assist in conducting the election.

4. The faculty shall vote by secret ballot. A majority vote shall be required to amend the CONSTITUTION. A majority vote determined by the number of faculty.

5. The faculty and Senate shall be bound to the results of the election immediately following the canvass of the ballots and the publishing of the election results.

SECTION 2

For voting purposes, the number of faculty shall be defined as all full-time and adjunct faculty; each faculty member shall have one vote in each area.

Updated 11.19.2020

ARTICLE VI

EQUIVALENCY (see below pgs. 23-27) Updated 05.2021

AP 7211         Faculty Service Areas, Minimum Qualifications, and Equivalencies

Reference:

Education Code Sections 87001, 87003, 87743.2; Title 5, Section 53400 et seq.

Faculty Service Areas

Faculty service areas shall be established after negotiation and consultation as required by law with the appropriate faculty representatives.

Minimum Qualifications

Faculty shall meet minimum qualifications established by the Board of Governors, or shall possess qualifications that are at least equivalent to the minimum qualifications set out in the regulations of the Board of Governors.

Equivalencies

An Academic Senate equivalency committee shall be established to fulfill the requirement of Education Code Section 87359, which states that the equivalency process "shall include reasonable procedures to ensure that the governing board relies primarily upon the advice and judgment of the Academic Senate to determine that each individual employed under the authority granted by the regulations possesses qualifications that are at least equivalent to the applicable minimum qualifications..." In order to ensure that the governing board relies primarily on the advice and judgment of the Academic Senate, the Academic Senate equivalency committee shall:

Be available to screening and selection committees as a resource regarding equivalency determinations.

Review the decisions of the screening committees as described below. Recommend all equivalency determinations to the governing board.

Further clarify the criteria to be used for determining equivalency. Ensure that careful records are kept of all equivalency

determinations.

Periodically review this procedure and recommend necessary changes to the Academic Senate and governing board.

In general, ensure that the equivalency process works well and meets the requirements of the law.

Equivalency Recommendation

Where an Equivalency needs to be determined, the equivalency committee will make its recommendation to the Senate. The Senate will make its recommendation directly to the Board.

The Equivalency Committee shall be composed of:

Four voting full-time faculty members, and one voting Instructional Administrator. Senate President-Elect shall chair the committee (2-year term)

Counselor appointed by the Senate President (1-year term)

• Two Faculty Members appointed by the Senate President

An additional subject matter expert as necessary, appointed by the Senate President. A subject matter expert is defined as the holder of at least a master’s degree or a lifetime California Community College Credential in the discipline to be reviewed and has taught in the discipline within the last five years.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the Human Resources Development Office (HRDO):

The Human Resources and Development Office must include, on all job announcements, the minimum and desirable qualifications for the instructional position and the criteria for determining equivalency. It must inform all applicants that they are responsible for including all relevant degree and experiential documentation with their job application. All applications for permanent positions, who do not meet minimum qualifications, will be provided information on how to apply for Minimum Qualification.

HRDO will provide all members of the Senate’s Equivalency Committee a copy of the equivalency process; and coordinate training on how to read a transcript and conduct an equivalency review. It is the responsibility of the HRDO to examine the results of all Senate equivalency evaluations, to inform the appropriate Vice Presidents and applicants of the results, and to advise non-successful applicants on corrective strategies, if needed.

Teaching experience obtained without legal authorization or teaching experience which is the result of improper circumstance, cannot be applied toward equivalency.

Responsibilities of the Candidate:

When a candidate for employment does not meet the established minimum

qualifications, it shall be the candidate’s responsibility to supply all documentation needed to evaluate equivalency. The documentation submitted by candidates who claim equivalent qualifications will provide conclusive evidence in regard to each of the following:

The General Education required for that degree The major course work required for that degree.

Responsibilities of the Academic Senate:

The Academic Senate shall be responsible for the maintenance of the Equivalency Committee. The committee shall be composed of four faculty members and one voting instructional administrator appointed by the District President, or his or her designee. The Director of Human Resources shall insure that the respective

committee members are familiar with the content of the “Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administrators in California Community Colleges” Handbook, the equivalency process, and the equivalency petition.

Time Line

When the Senate creates an equivalency committee, that committee shall report its findings by the next regular meeting of the Senate. When the equivalency committee recommends against an equivalency determination, the committee shall attach findings specifying the shortcomings of the applicant’s qualifications and shall recommend actions for the applicant to rectify any identified deficiencies.

The following guidelines on equivalency shall apply to both full-time and part-time teaching positions.

The Equivalency Committee will meet at least once per month during August-May. The Committee will hold emergency meetings if necessary. Equivalency Requests will be reviewed at the next meeting after they are received.

For Disciplines Requiring the Master’s degree

The minimum qualifications for hire as a community college faculty member teaching any credit course shall be satisfied by meeting any of the following requirements:

Possession of Master’s degree or equivalent foreign degree in a discipline reasonably related to the faculty member’s assignment. “Reasonably related field” will be determined by the Equivalency Committee.

Possession of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent foreign degree, in the discipline of the assignment, or a discipline reasonably related PLUS 20 semester units of graduate course work in the discipline of the assignment and one year of sufficient professional experience related to the discipline of the assignment (or reasonably related field) Possession of a Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent foreign degree, in the discipline of the assignment, or a discipline reasonably related PLUS at least 15 semester units of graduate course work in the discipline of the assignment and two years of sufficient

professional experience related to the discipline of the assignment (or reasonably related field)

For the Faculty Assigned to Teach a Course Where the Master’s Degree is not

Generally Expected or Available

(Which are generally disciplines in specialized technical, trade, or industrial fields) the minimum qualifications for hire as a community college faculty member shall be satisfied by meeting any one of the following requirements:

Possession of a Master’s Degree in a related field with a minimum of 36 graduate-level semester units in the closely related field or demonstrable graduate-level research in a related field.

Possession of a Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent foreign degree, in a discipline reasonably related to the faculty member’s assignment, PLUS two years of professional experience (including graduate-level research experience) related to the discipline of the assignment, PLUS appropriate certification to practice or licensure or its equivalent if available, or PLUS a minimum of 36 graduate level semester units in a closely related field.

Possession of an Associate’s degree or equivalent course work in a discipline reasonably related to the faculty member’s assignment, PLUS six years of professional experience (including graduate-level research experience) related to the discipline of the assignment, PLUS appropriate certification to practice or licensure or its equivalent if available, or PLUS a minimum of 36 graduate level semester units in a closely related field.

Completion of 18 semester units of general education which meet the Barstow College General Education Requirement in each of the first five categories (A-E), or demonstration of basic knowledge in the five categories, PLUS eight years of professional experience related to the discipline of the assignment, PLUS appropriate certification to practice or licensure or its equivalent if available, or PLUS a minimum of 36 graduate level semester units in a closely related field.

Fulfillment of equivalency by the standards that are set forth in the CTE Toolkit. Examples of meeting the standards may be an employer statement of experience or performance, external certifications, or licensing, published papers or work products, industry recognized credentials, or exam scores.

All unit requirements represent semester units. All degrees and course work to be applied to equivalency must be from an accredited institution.

Appeal of Equivalency Procedure

Appeals of the equivalency committee’s decision will be reviewed by the Academic Senate in a timely manner upon receipt of a written request and additional documentation.