Second Reading Item
Academic Senate
California State University Dominguez Hills
Resolution on the Academic Senate’s Oversight of the General Education and University Curriculum Committees.
Fac 09-12 (MSP 11/18/09)
Whereas:Presidential Memo 87-04 (“Collegiality”) states that “Collegial governance assigns primary responsibility to the faculty for the educational functions of the institution in accordance with basic policy as determined by the Board of Trustees. This includes admission and degree requirements, the curriculum and methods of teaching, academic and professional standards, and the conduct of creative and scholarly activities.” and
Whereas:The CSUDH Academic Senate is the recognized governing body representing faculty; and
Whereas:The Faculty Handbook states that “The CSU Academic Senate shall be the formal policy-recommending body on general, system wide policy decisions related to…3) curricula and research programs;” and
Whereas:The Faculty Handbook further states, “Through the campus academic senates/councils responsibility shall be vested in the faculty or its elected senate/council representatives for developing policies and making recommendations to the campus presidents on the following matters:…curricular policies, such as admission and degree requirements, approval of new courses and programs, discontinuance of academic programs, and academic standards;” and
Whereas:The current arrangement of having the General Education committee report to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs violates the well-established principle for faculty to be primarily responsibility for the University’s curriculum; therefore be it
Resolved:Thatthe General Education and University Curriculum committees will be standing committees of the CSUDH Academic Senate; and be it further
Resolved:The Chairs of the General Education and University Curriculum committees will report on their committee’s activities to the Academic Senate during its regularly scheduled meetings at the request of the Chair of the Academic Senate; and be it further
Resolved:The Academic Senate is the proper body for the review of procedures and policies of the General Education and University Curriculum committees to ensure compliance with broad principles of university governance; and be it further
Resolved: That while decisions of these committeesand their subcommittees are normally final, under extraordinary circumstances they may be referred by the Academic Senate to the Educational Policy Committee for adjudication[1]; and be it further
Resolved: The current resolution supersedes EPC 05-12 “Reporting lines and appeals process for UCC and GE.”
[1]Examples of “extraordinary circumstances” include, but are not limited to, decisions made contrary to normal procedures; decisions that are arbitrary, unreasonable, prejudiced or capricious; and decisions involving conflict of interest. The burden of proof that the decision was incorrect lies with the party making the appeal. Errors in procedure will normally be remanded back to the committee for reconsideration