When does the Senate meet?

The Faculty Senate meets every Monday of the Fall/Spring academic year at 2:30 p.m. in LRC 116 or on Zoom (meeting information below). Senate meetings are open to the public. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. To submit an agenda item email Senate President Beth Pearson.

 Faculty Senate Zoom Link

Our Community Agreements

Many organizations, groups, classrooms, and other bodies adopt a set of “community agreements” as a framework for how members and attendees will interact with each other. The National Equity Project defines community agreements thusly: “A consensus on what every person in our group needs from each other and commits to each other in order to feel safe, supported, open, productive and trusting so that we can do our best work, achieve our common vision, and serve our constituents well.” In this spirit, the Faculty Senate has adopted a set of community agreements to support all of the work we do. These agreements are meant to be a living document to be revisited and amended according to the will of the Senate’s always changing membership. This list is also intended to support the actions of the Faculty Senate antiracism statement and is designed to foster brave discussion around the diversity, equity, and inclusion work—including antiracism—that is underway at Palomar College. The Community Agreements below were adopted by the Faculty Senate on 3/15/21.

We agree to

• Be visible and stay engaged
• Commit to open, honest conversation
• Listen respectfully and actively to learn and to understand others’ views
• Share airtime and be conscious of time
• Lean into discomfort and be brave
• Critique ideas, not people
• Consider our own identities and make no assumptions
• Not ask individuals to speak for their (perceived) social group
• Actively combat racism, discrimination, and microaggressions
• Act in solidarity with marginalized communities

If the Community Agreement is violated the Senate may take a five-minute break to regroup.

What issues and matters should come to the Senate

The Senate is responsible for Academic and Professional matters. Learn more about the role here.

Academic & Professional Matters Board Policy 2510

A.  Pursuant to rules adopted by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the Governing Board elects to rely primarily on the advice and judgment of the Faculty Senate on academic and professional matters.

B.  Also called 10+1+1, the term “academic and professional matters” means the following 12 policy and procedures matters. Click here to learn more.

How do items come to the Senate?

Any student, staff, or faculty member may ask any Senator to put an item on the Faculty Senate Agenda. The Senator will then contact the Senate President to request that the item be placed on the agenda. Anyone may also contact the Faculty Senate President directly. Request for agenda items must be received by noon each Wednesday. To submit an agenda item email Senate President Wendy Nelson

Timeline for Senate Decision Making

Like all other representative bodies, the Faculty Senate needs time to conduct its business in an orderly manner.

• Items for the Faculty Senate Agenda must be submitted one week prior to the meeting at which the item will be an Information Item.
• All items will be placed on the next available agenda as Information Items. It is helpful to the Senate if persons bringing Information Items to the Senate make copies of relevant materials to distribute to the Senators preferably before, or at least, during the information meeting. The individual who has requested that an information item be placed on the agenda needs to be present or have a representative attend the senate meeting when the item is discussed.
• Information items which the Senate wishes to further discuss/address will be placed on the following week’s agenda, or the next available agenda, as action items. Faculty are asked to read their Senate minutes and agendas carefully and contact their Senators if they have any concerns. All faculty are always encouraged to attend Senate meetings to speak to the issues personally. Action items may have motions made about them, and to be acted on during the meeting by Senate representatives.

Note: For the Faculty Senate to have adequate time for consultation and decision making, most issues brought to the Senate will require about four weeks to deliberate and adopt (or not adopt, as the case may be).