Resolution EXEC 23-25

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Academic Senate Resolution

EXEC 23-25

Forming a Task Force to review the function, scope and health of faculty governance committees

November 29, 2023

2nd Reading Yes: 38    No:  1   Abstain: 4

 

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of California State University Dominguez Hills create a task force in order to review the current function, scope, and health of university-wide shared governance committees of the university; and

RESOLVED:  That the task force shall conduct a comprehensive review and evaluation of the functions, charges, memberships, staffing, procedures, activities, and overall performance of all university-wide faculty governance committees; and

RESOLVED: That the Task Force membership include

  • 1 faculty chair appointed by the Academic Senate Executive Committee
  • 1 faculty member currently serving on the Academic Senate Executive Committee
  • 2 tenure-track/tenured faculty elected by the Academic Senate
  • 1 non-tenure track faculty elected by the Academic Senate
  • 1 member from the Office of the President, appointed by the University President
  • 1 Academic Affairs member appointed by the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
  • 1 staff member elected by Academic Affairs staff
  • 1 student member appointed by ASI

Therefore, be it further

RESOLVED: That the task force present a report on their findings of the general health of university-level shared governance at CSUDH, along with recommendations for improvements, changes, or dissolution of committees, including recommendations for the revision of committee charges, memberships, and responsibilities; for the timely staffing of committees; for basic processes and procedures for committee operations; and for the creation and dissolution of committees as may be necessary to the ASCSUDH; and

RESOLVED: That the report be presented to the ASCSUDH by the end of the Fall 2024 semester. 

RATIONALE: The ASCUDH recognizes the importance of maintaining effective and efficient committees for the achievement of shared governance, as well as the need for a comprehensive review and evaluation of the different standing and special committees, their functions, memberships, and activities to ensure they are serving their intended purposes and contributing to the overall mission and goals of CSUDH.  This review aims to identify areas for improvement, strengthen committee structures and the overall faculty governance structure, and to ensure that committee members are well equipped and capable of fulfilling their roles and responsibilities. 

There is a need to assess and review the current functions, memberships, workloads, and procedures of CSUDH’s various committees to ensure that they are functioning optimally and are aligned with the University’s goals, including Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Report back to the ASCSUDH

  • The scope of faculty governance
  • The health and functioning of faculty governance committees
  • Whether there are stakeholders who are left out of shared governance
  • Whether there are stakeholders who bear an unequal amount of responsibility in shared governance
  • The extent to which such committees unwittingly perpetuate institutional inequities
  • Recommendations for revision of committee charges, including membership and responsibilities.
  • Recommendation for committee staffing and elections, including timelines
  • Recommendation for a standing committee charged with nominations
  • Recommendations for the creation, merger, and/or dissolution of committees
  • Recommendations for the improvement of committee operations and structures
  • Recommendations for the regular review of committees, their responsibilities, and their effectiveness

Membership and Composition

  • Are relevant stakeholders represented in the membership?
  • Is the committee fully staffed? If not, why? What issues make it difficult to fully staff this committee?
  • How long have committee members served on the committee? Is there regular turnover of members and committee leadership?
  • How does one become a member? By election or appointment?
    • o If by election, who are the electors? When do elections occur?  Who runs the elections?
    • o If by appointment, who appoints? When does the appointment occur?
  • How long do committee members serve?
  • Is the chair and/or other members compensated for their service on this committee?
  • Who chairs the committee?
    • o How/by whom is the chair appointed or elected?
    • o How long does the chair serve?

Charge and Responsibilities

  • Where did the charge originate (Senate? Academic Affairs? Other?)
  • To whom does the committee report?
  • When was the charge written?
  • Does the charge include instructions for membership and chairperson?
  • Is the charge clear and consistent?
  • Does the committee fulfill all the responsibilities laid out in the charge? In other words, is the charge still relevant?
  • Are there other bodies at the University that share the responsibilities of the committee?
  • Does the committee perform work that is not specified in the charge?

 

Work and Productivity

  • How often does the committee meet and for how long? And – is this enough time for the committee to do its work? Does the committee meeting time reset each term?
  • Is the committee’s work shared equitably by all the members?
  • Does the committee have administrative support?
  • Does the committee generate an annual report? If yes, who is the report given to?

 

Operating Procedures

  • Does the committee abide by rules of parliamentary procedure in some form? Are committee procedures communicated to committee members?
  • Do the committee members feel that their voices are heard and that they contribute to the committee’s decisions?
  • Is there a mechanism for adjudicating committee decisions? (Is there a need for this mechanism?)
  • Do committee meetings follow an agenda?
  • Does the committee keep minutes of its proceedings? If yes, where are they kept and are they made available to the university community?

The range of committees reviewed by the Task Force should include all Academic Senate committees, including the Academic Senate itself as well as the Senate Executive Committee.  Effort should be made to review other faculty governance committees beyond the scope of the ASCSUDH, including but not limited to:  the University Budget Committee, the University Space Committee, the Campus-wide Health and Safety Committee, the University Planning Committee, University Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee, and the Program Review Panel.