Shared Governance Agreement

The Academic Senate and the Administration of East Los Angeles College agree, in the spirit of AB 1725, pursuant to sections 53200-53206 of the education codes, the president, serving as the authorized representative of the Los Angeles Community College Districts Board of Trustees, will "rely primarily" upon the recommendations of the Academic Senate in formulating, changing, and/or approving of policies in the following areas as they relate to the instructional program.

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

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
9. 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

The Senate recognizes that additional policies or procedures related to the Instructional Program may need to be developed and reserves the right to do so in collegial consultation with the Administration. This Senate further defines "rely primarily" and "collegial consultation" as the following:

RELY PRIMARILY (Title 5 Section 53202 (d))
"In instances where the governing board elects to rely primarily upon the advice and judgment of the academic senate, the recommendations of the senate will normally be accepted, and only in exceptional circumstances and for compelling reasons will be the recommendations not be accepted..." [Emphasis added]

COLLEGIAL CONSULTATION (Title 5 Subsection 53203 (d) (2))
"In instances where the governing board elects to provide for mutual agreement with the academic senate, and agreement has not been reached, existing policy shall remain in effect unless continuing with such policy exposes the district to legal liability, or causes substantial fiscal hardship. In cases where there is no existing policy, or in cases where the exposure to legal liability or substantial fiscal hardship requires existing policy to be changed, the governing board may act, after a good faith effort to reach agreement, only for compelling legal, fiscal or organizational reasons." [Emphasis added]

Approval: