California State University, Los Angeles
PA-3: Governance

Students have the ability to join in shared governance and participate in an advisory role to the colleges, academic senate, and Cal State LA administration via committees, task forces, and other governing bodies. Those involvement opportunities are managed by the Associated Students, Incorporated (A.S.I.). A.S.I. is a not-for-profit student run auxiliary governed by a student Board of Directors who are elected each year by the student body of Cal State LA. A.S.I. is the officially recognized voice of the students and representatives continually advocate for student issues.

Students either run for office in A.S.I. or are appointed by the elected A.S.I. Board of Directors. That body is charged with soliciting applications from lay students, and from within A.S.I., for campus-wide committees/governing bodies. Applicants are heard and appointed via the A.S.I. Board of Directors and the A.S.I. Vice President for Academic Governance works with the campus-wide committee/governing body chairs to ensure the incorporation of those appointed.

To determine eligibility to hold office or serve on a committee/governing body, the following is verified by the Registrar of the University at the time of application filing.

Undergraduate A.S.I. Members must:
• Have earned at least 9 quarter/6 semester units of academic credit during that year
• Have a 2.0 cumulative GPA during the 12 months immediately proceeding the quarter of application
• Be enrolled in 9 quarter/6 semester units of academic credit
• Maintain a minimum load of 9 units per quarter or 6 semester units; with the exception of one quarter/semester off taking classes during the year in service
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA each quarter while in office
• Have not earned more than 225 quarter/150 semester units

Graduate A.S.I. Members must:
• Assure that if BA/BS was received from Cal State LA within the past 3 years, they have earned a total of 18 units during the last year as an undergraduate
• As a new graduate, have earned 8 units per period of continuous attendance
• Be enrolled in 4 quarter/3 semester units
• Maintain a minimum load of 4 units per quarter/3 semester, with the exception of one quarter off from taking classes during the year in service
• Maintain a 3.0 GPA each quarter while in office
• Have earned no more than 75 quarter/ 50 semester units
• If a new graduate student is planning to maintain office after one year, they must take 8 units per period of continuous attendance (meaning that while in office the prior year, a new graduate student must be taking 8 units instead of 4 quarter units/3 semester units)

A.S.I.'s shared governance participation is maintained by expansive communication and an understanding of university direction and developments. The organization provides the campus with an official voice through which student opinion may be expressed, advocates for the rights and interests of students, and supports the educational, social, physical and cultural well-being of the university community.

Examples of committee/governing body membership includes, but is not limited to:

• Academic Information Resources Subcommittee
• Academic Senate
• Academic/Social Support and Services Council
• Accessible Technology Initiative Steering Committee
• Foundation Board of Directors
• Campus Physical Planning Committee
• Communications Board
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Educational Effectiveness and Assessment Council
• Enrollment Management Steering Committee
• Fiscal Policy Committee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Instructionally Related Activities Advisory Committee
• OSD Presidential Advisory Committee
• Programs and Student Services Committee
• Resource Allocation Advisory Committee
• Strategic Planning Coordination Committee
• Student Fee Policy Advisory Committee
• Student Policy Committee
• University Advising Counsel
• University Auxiliary Services Board

Staff have the ability to join in shared governance and participate in an advisory role to the colleges, and Cal State LA administration via committees, task forces, and other governing bodies.

Staff have the ability to have their voices heard through their respective management's participation in Administration (Vice President) Leadership Teams. Though a direct line to the university governing body may not exist for non-supervisory staff, they have advocates speaking on their behalf at the highest levels of the University Structure.

Staff is invited to provide input into the University decision-making process via the University Strategic Planning Process.

The Strategic Planning Coordinating Committee’s (SPCC) objective is to make the strategic planning process collaborative, inclusive, and transparent. The goal is that every voice has the opportunity to be heard. To that end, the SPCC hosts a series of interactive engagement workshops, focus groups, interviews, surveys, and other outreach efforts over the course of the strategic planning process. These opportunities will allow for input from a variety of stakeholders, including Cal State LA faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community representatives.

Faculty have a formal role in the shared governance of the University via the Academic Senate. The Academic Senate is the official representative body of the faculty of the University and speaks on behalf of the faculty on matters within its purview. The purpose of this body is to recommend policy on curricular, promotion, retention and tenure matters, and other matters that affect faculty.

Effective faculty participation in the formulation of policies requires the establishment of the Academic Senate representative body which acts for the faculty, provides for faculty planning and consideration in the development of policy, and ensures regular communication between faculty and administration in policy matters.

New policies and modifications to existing policies are generated in the standing committees of the Academic Senate (Educational Policy, Faculty Policy, Fiscal Policy, and Student Policy Committees) and some of the subcommittees of the Educational Policy Committee. The impetus for new policies or policy modifications may be in the committees themselves, or from a directive from the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate.

Proposed policies and policy modifications are forwarded from the standing committees to the Executive Committee, who then places those items on the Senate agenda as first reading items. As a first reading item, Senators may ask questions about a policy. The policy then becomes a second reading item at the next meeting of the Senate. As a second reading item, the policy is open for debate and amendment. The Senate votes on the approval of the (amended) policy once debate is concluded and no further amendments are proposed. If approved, the new policy or policy modification is forwarded to the President. The policy goes into effect if and when the President approves it, and the policy is then added to the Faculty Handbook.

Senate and Committee Membership

While some Senators are appointed by virtue of their current or past University position (e.g. College Deans, past Senate Chairs, etc.), the majority of Senators are faculty who are elected as university at-large or college representatives. During the winter quarter, Colleges solicit nominees for elections. Each college elects the proportion of 35 elected members in a way that represents the college's proportion of the total faculty. No college ever has fewer than two elected members. All tenured/tenure track members of the faculty are eligible for election to the Senate, whose membership also includes five student voting members and one emeritus faculty voting member.

Elected members typically serve for three years. Terms of one year or two years may be assigned, by lot, to Senators when necessary to allow one third of the membership to be elected each year.

University-wide standing committee and sub-committee positions are filled through a nomination process (including self-nomination) involving college elections, the University's Nominations Committee and/or Senate elections. Faculty are strongly encouraged to self-nominate for committee service.

Faculty input via the Academic Senate is demonstrated by committee involvement. Each standing committee has elected faculty members, student members, and an administrator serving ex officio as executive secretary. The subcommittees are similarly staffed.

The Nominations Committee
• Makes faculty appointments to committees for University representation
• Ensures more effective faculty governance by overseeing committee assignments

The Educational Policy Committee
• Recommends policy on all instructional issues
• Establishes a process for the continuous review and evaluation of instructional programs
• AIRS Subcommittee

The Faculty Policy Committee
• Recommends policy on matters concerning faculty not specifically reserved to the bargaining unit and in accordance with the Affirmative Action Plan
• Reviews the collective bargaining agreement and informs the Senate of conflicts between the Agreement and University policy
• Monitors the effectiveness of faculty hiring in the University, including the part-time/full-time faculty ratio and the projected need for full-time faculty

The Fiscal Policy Committee
• Provides recommendations regarding the budget planning and allocation process
• Reviews the President's annual budget, the Academic Affairs annual budget, and the fiscal implications of pertinent planning documents
• Reviews and makes recommendations regarding both local fees that have University-wide impact and the optimum utilization of resources in the achievement of University academic objectives
• Provides advice concerning physical planning and the development and maintenance of physical facilities

The Student Policy Committee
• Recommends policy related to student activities and student services
• Advises the administration regarding the effect of the University's operations and policies on students

In addition, there are six special purpose committees which fall under the Senate umbrella:
1. The Outstanding Professor Awards Selection Committee, which annually determines recipients of the Outstanding Lecturer Award, Outstanding Professor Awards and the President's Distinguished Professor Award.
2. The Awards and Leaves Committee, which annually recommends award of institutional grants, grants-in-aid and recommends faculty for research and creative leaves.
3. The External Awards Nominating Committee, which annually nominates faculty members for awards external to the University for which there is a University or Presidential nomination.
4. The University Invention and Patent Evaluation Committee, which issues written decisions on whether inventions by University employees or students were made with or without the significant use or assistance of University resources.
5. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which maintains oversight of University animal facilities and procedures for animal care.
6. The Institutional Review Board - Human Subjects, which reviews proposed biomedical and behavioral projects involving human subjects.
For additional committee charges, please refer to the Faculty Handbook, Chapter II http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/senate/handbook/