{"id":1764,"date":"2020-10-27T16:19:19","date_gmt":"2020-10-27T23:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/facultysenate\/?page_id=1764"},"modified":"2026-04-21T15:32:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T22:32:17","slug":"about-fsas","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/facultysenate\/about-fsas\/","title":{"rendered":"About Faculty Service Areas (FSA)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Faculty Service Areas provide one element for determining faculty seniority and order of layoff when a reduction-in-force is being effected under the Education Code. Faculty Service Areas do not play a role in voluntary (or lateral) transfers or hiring.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Faculty Service Area (FSA) Review Committee is composed of an administrator with FSA responsibilities, seven Tenured or Probationary Faculty members (one from each of the five Instructional divisions, Library, and Student Services) appointed by the Faculty Senate, and one Faculty member appointed by the Palomar Faculty Federation (PFF). Every three years the committee reviews the discipline faculty service areas and competencies for completeness and currency; further, the committee reviews individual applications for additional personal faculty service areas and issues of competence relating to reassignment.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is an FSA?<\/b><\/h1>\n

A Faculty Service Area (FSA) is an instructional subject area or service performed by full-time faculty and established by a community college district. There are two types of FSAs: discipline and individual.<\/p>\n

Discipline FSA<\/b><\/h1>\n

Discipline FSAs must consist of the\u00a0approved minimum qualifications\u00a0for a discipline as established by the Board of Governors<\/a>. They may also contain additional competency standards, developed by appropriate discipline faculty. (See also\u00a0BP 7211<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0AP 7211<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

This short video has additional information about discipline FSAs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Approved Discipline FSAs are below:<\/p>\n

Arts, Media, and Business Administration Division<\/a><\/p>\n

Career, Technical and Extended Education<\/a><\/p>\n

Languages and Literature<\/a><\/p>\n

Mathematics, Sciences, and Engineering<\/a><\/p>\n

Social and Behavioral Sciences<\/a><\/p>\n

Student Services – Athletics and Counseling<\/a><\/p>\n

Individual FSA<\/b><\/h1>\n

An individual FSA is automatically assigned to each full-time faculty at the time of hire. If the discipline’s FSA changes over time, faculty hired under that discipline FSA are still qualified. After initial employment, full time faculty may apply to add personal FSAs for which they qualify.\u00a0 Faculty must meet the current minimum qualifications for the discipline (or undergo equivalency) and the additional approved competencies located on the discipline FSA (see\u00a0current approved<\/a>\u00a0FSAs).<\/p>\n

This short video has additional information about individual FSAs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To request an additional individual FSA, submit this form to Human Resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FSA Review Committee Meetings<\/strong><\/h1>\n

For the spring of 2026, the Faculty Service Area Review Committee meets on the third Tuesday of the month from 1 – 2 pm in H-112 in the EDGE Center. Meetings are also accessible by Zoom<\/a>.<\/p>\n