Academic Senate

 

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership.

Membership in the Foothill Academic Senate shall consist of all faculty at Foothill College. Membership begins with employment as a full-time or part-time member of the faculty and continues throughout employment.

Section 2. Responsibilities of Membership.

Members shall participate in the formation of college and district policies through a strong and active Senate by:

a. supporting the officers and elected representatives of the Executive Committee through informed suggestions, recommendations, and feedback on issues under discussion,

b. informed voting on all issues presented to the Academic Senate,

c. volunteering to be an active member of at least one shared governance council, study group, committee, subcommittee or ad hoc workgroup of the Academic Senate and

d. voluntarily paying dues.

Section 3. Dues.

The dues for Academic Senate membership are set by the Executive Committee (as defined in Article II, Section 4) and approved by a vote of the Senate membership prior to fall commencement. Dues for full-time faculty are set at $5.00 per month, and dues for part-time faculty are set at $3.00 per month. members shall be the same as the dues established for full-time faculty members.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

Section 1. Positions.

The officers of this organization shall be:  President, Executive Vice-President, Vice-President of Curriculum and Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 2. Terms of Office.

The President, Vice-President and Secretary-Treasurer officers shall each serve for a term of two years, with the terms of President and Executive Vice President being staggered. Officer positions are not restricted by term limits. Officers are eligible for re-election. The new officers assume their office at the first last Executive Committee meeting of the fall spring term. quarter after being formally introduced to the other members of the Executive Committee by the outgoing President during the last Executive Committee meeting of the spring quarter.

 

Section 5. Duties of the President.

The President shall:

a. serve as the chief executive officer of the Academic Senate and of the Executive Committee,

b. prepare, with the assistance of the Executive Vice-President and the Secretary-Treasurer, an agenda for all meetings of the Academic Senate and of the Executive Committee,

c. chair the meetings of the Senate and of the Executive Committee, ensuring there are agreed upon meeting norms, and that they are followed,

d. exercise his/her vote in the Executive Committee only in the case of a tie breaker when the vote is by ballot or when his/her vote, cast as he/she intends to cast it, would change the outcome.

e. supervise all the affairs of the Academic Senate and execute such plans and policies as the members of the Executive Committee or the Academic Senate may have authorized, directed, or approved,

f. serve as the faculty tri-chair of the College (Advisory) Council,

g. serve as an ex-officio member of all committees, except the election and nominating committees,

h. make an end-of-the-Academic year written report to the Academic Senate at least one week prior to leaving office,

i. appoint or remove committee members (governance, hiring, tenure, program review, student grievance pool, district participatory governance, etc.) with the consent of the Executive Committee,

j. attend, or delegate one or more Executive Committee members to attend, any college, district, or state meeting where faculty representation is sought or needed,

k. represent, in conjunction with the Executive Vice-President when possible, the collective opinions, Committee desires, and recommendations of the members of the Academic Senate and Executive Committee in meetings with community officials or with college or district administrative and management staff,

l. attend regular meetings of the FHDA Board of Trustees, and give leadership reports and address the Board of Trustees on matters relevant to the Senate,

m. sign all financial vouchers and bills in the absence of the Treasurer,

n. review the Senate constitution every three years,

o. attend both plenary sessions of the state-wide Academic Senate as a voting delegate,

p. provide training and support to the incoming officers, and

q. serve as a member of the Senate Summer Cabinet and the Executive Council.

 

Section 6. Duties of the Executive Vice-President.

The Executive Vice-President shall:

a. attend and participate in all Executive Committee meetings, following the agreed upon meeting norms of the Executive Committee, and serve as a voting member,

b. assume, in the temporary absence of the President, the duties of that office,

c. assist the President in the performance of the functions and responsibilities of that office,

d. serve as the Parliamentarian of the Executive Committee,

e. serve as the Senate’s Equity Officer, which includes:

a. support the development and implementation of senate action plans in alignment with the College’s Equity Plan/Strategic Vision for Equity

b. monitor reporting related to Equity metrics and communicate regularly to all faculty on progress

f. sign all financial vouchers and bills in the absence of the Treasurer and the President,

g. inform all faculty of committees, and invite them to participate,

h. coordinate quarterly committee reports,

i. coordinate the membership of all Senate committees for presentation to the Executive Committee the last meeting of spring quarter,

j. attend the fall and/or spring plenary sessions of the state-wide Academic Senate as budget allows, and serve as a voting delegate in the absence of the President,

k. serve as a member of the Senate Summer Cabinet and the Executive Council, and

l. perform other duties for the President as mutually agreed upon, or as requested

 

Section 7. Duties of the Vice-President of Curriculum.

The Vice-President of Curriculum shall:

a. attend and participate in all Executive Committee meetings, following the agreed upon meeting norms of the Executive Committee, and serve as a voting member,

b. serve as faculty co-chair of the College Curriculum Committee (CCC), which includes:

a. coordinate and attend regular meetings with the AVPI, Curriculum Coordinator & Articulation Officer to set CCC priorities, create agendas, and propose/monitor new curriculum initiatives,

b. prepare and distribute all meeting materials following the Brown Act,

c. chair the CCC meetings,

d. serve as Parliamentarian of the CCC,

e. partner with the Curriculum Coordinator in the preparation and distribution of meeting minutes,

f. support the Division Curriculum Committees,

g. ensure curriculum is in alignment with value and mission of the college, Title 5 and Ed Code, Chancellor’s Office guidance, and accreditation standards,

h. support the development and implementation of CCC action plans in alignment with the College’s Equity Plan/Strategic Vision for Equity, and

i. facilitate communication between CCC and Executive Committee of the Academic Senate, Office of Instruction and shared governance councils

c. partner with the Faculty Professional Development Coordinator to provide faculty professional development in support of CCC goals and plans,

d. partner with the Faculty Association (FA) in curricular matters of a crossover nature between academic senate & FA,

e. serve on curriculum-related steering committees, e.g. the Guided Pathways Steering Committee, the Learning Outcomes & Assessment Committee (forthcoming), and the Enrollment Management Committee (forthcoming),

f. attend, or delegate one or more CCC members to attend, any college, district, or state meeting where faculty representation on curricular matters is sought or needed,

g. attend the summer ASCCC Curriculum Institute as budget allows,

h. serve on the Academic Senate summer cabinet and the Executive Council, when matters relate to curriculum, and

i. perform other duties for the President as mutually agreed upon, or as requested

 

Section 8. Duties of the Secretary-Treasurer.

The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

a. attend and participate in all Executive Committee meetings, following the agreed upon meeting norms of the Executive Committee, and serve as a voting member,

b. keep accurate attendance records of Senate executive committee meetings,

c. produce minutes in a timely fashion,

d. manage and communicate to the President requests for substitutes to the Executive Committee with the power of a proxy vote,

e. collect dues, disburse funds, sign all financial vouchers and bills, maintain financial records, and submit financial reports to the Senate at the end of spring quarter, and as requested by the Executive Committee,

f. set up the budget for the approval of the Executive Committee and Senate,

g. act as President in the temporary absence of the President and Executive Vice-President,

h. perform additional duties as may be required by the office,

i. attend the fall and/or spring plenary sessions of the state-wide Academic Senate as budget allows,

j. maintain or delegate responsibility for the Academic Senate website,

k. serve on the Senate Summer Cabinet and the Executive Council.

 

Section 1. Composition.

An Academic Senate Executive Committee, elsewhere referred to in this document as the Executive Committee, shall be established and shall consist of the officers of the Academic Senate as listed in Article IV, plus the members who are the elected Senators representing the faculty in instructional and student support divisions and areas, as identified in Section 2, plus additional faculty members who hold key positions in shared governance, as identified in Section 7, plus the non-faculty members who are the liaisons representing the partnering constituencies, as identified in Section 8.

All members of the Executive Committee are voting members, with the exception of the President, who votes only in the case of a tie, and the non-faculty liaisons from the administration, who will have only an advisory vote.  All voting members of the Executive Committee may make and/or amend motions or resolutions, and are equally responsible to uphold the objectives, responsibilities and purpose of the Senate.

Section 2. Representation.

For purposes of representation of all Foothill College faculty, the Senate recognizes the following instructional and student support divisions, with their identified abbreviations, if applicable:

1. App - Apprenticeship
2. BHS – Biological & Health Sciences
3. BSS - Business & Social Sciences (includes faculty in KCI)
4. Counseling - Counseling (includes faculty in Student Affairs & Activities Division)
5. DRC/VRC - Disability Resource Center & Veterans Resource Center
6. FA/Comm - Fine Arts & Communication
7. KA - Kinesiology & Athletics
8. LA - Language Arts
9. LRC – Learning Resource Center (1 Library Rep & 1 Tutoring Rep)
10. PSME

Faculty working in administrative units other than those specified above are free to affiliate with the specified administrative unit of their choice for the purposes of Executive Committee representation.

Every division shall be entitled to two Senators, with the exception of the DRC/VRC Student Resource Center, which will have one designated Senator, as established by collegial agreement, custom and practice.

In addition, there shall be two At-Large Part-time Senators, chosen by a vote of currently teaching part-time Foothill College faculty (excluding full-time faculty teaching overload) once every two years. The At-Large Part-time Senators must a) have reemployment preference and a) have held a part-time faculty position for at least two of the three quarters in the academic year at Foothill College in the year elected, and b) hold a part-time teaching faculty position for at least two of the three quarters in the academic year at Foothill College every year serving as a Senator. If the elected part time representative does not have a teaching assignment, his/her replacement will be determined via the procedure as outlined in Article VI, Section 4. The At Large Part-time Senators elected to represent part-time faculty shall each be compensated from the Foothill College Academic Senate dues account at the rate per academic quarter of service specified in the most recent senate resolution on the topic, contingent upon the Senators carrying out their duties. The part-time senators shall be compensated at the rate of $300.00 each per academic quarter of service from the Foothill College Academic Senate dues account, contingent upon the representatives missing no more than one meeting per quarter. The At Large Part-time Senators shall be elected following the procedures found in Article VI.

Section 3. Terms of Office.Each Senator shall serve for a term of two years. Senators are not subject to term limits, eligible for re-election, although divisions are highly encouraged to rotate appointments among all faculty willing and able to serve. Efforts should be made to elect approximately one-half of the Senators each year to assist with continuity. The terms of office for newly elected Senators shall begin with the convening of the first Executive Committee meeting of the fall quarter after being formally introduced to the other members of the Senate by the current President at the last meeting of the spring quarter.

 

Section 4. Duties of the Senators.

Senators shall:

a. learn about the purpose and function of an academic senate, and their roles and responsibilities as Senators,

b. attend and participate in all Executive Committee meetings, following the agreed upon meeting norms of the Executive Committee, and serve as a voting member,

c. appoint a substitute with the power of a proxy vote in writing whenever an absence from an Executive Committee meeting is necessary. A proxy vote must be submitted in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Senate at least one calendar day prior to the vote being cast.

d. maintain timely and consistent communication with all faculty within their division to:

a. inform division faculty of upcoming Senate discussion and action items relevant to their division,

b. solicit their constituents’ feedback on Senate discussion and action items to ensure representation of division interests,

c. disseminate information Senators are asked to share with their constituents, and

d. be responsible for a division's concerns, and bring the division's recommendations or these concerns to the Senate President for consideration and/or action

e. maintain consistent communication with individual or collective college and district administrative and management staff, the Board of Trustees, and the Faculty Association Governing Board when requested by the Senate President,

f. serve during each year of a term in office, on at least one major or select Senate committee or ad hoc workgroup, as the President may request,

g. ratify all appointments made by the President of the Senate

 

Section 7. Additional Faculty Members of the Executive Committee.

In addition to the Officers and Senators, the Executive Committee shall also include the following faculty members, with distinct duties, as outlined in Section 9.

1. The Faculty Professional Development Coordinator
2. The Faculty Chair of the Committee on Online Learning (COOL)
3. The Student Learning Outcomes Coordinator(s)
4. A representative from the Faculty Association (FA)

Section 9. Duties of the Additional Faculty and Non-Faculty Members of the Executive Committee.

All members of the Executive Committee as outlined in Sections 7 and 8 shall:

a. learn about the purpose and function of an academic senate, and their roles and responsibilities as members of the Executive Committee, 

b. attend and participate in all Executive Committee meetings, following the agreed upon meeting norms of the Executive Committee, and serve as a voting member, with the exception of the Dean of Equity and President's Cabinet Liaison, who will only have an advisory vote.

c. in the case of voting members, appoint a substitute with the power of a proxy vote in writing whenever an absence from an Executive Committee meeting is necessary. A proxy vote must be submitted in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Senate at least one calendar day prior to the vote being cast. 

d. maintain timely and consistent communication with their constituencies, committees/councils and/or offices they represent to: 

a. inform their constituencies or offices of upcoming Senate discussion and action items relevant to their division, 

b. solicit their constituents’ feedback on Senate discussion and action items to ensure representation of their constituents’ interests, 

c. disseminate information members are asked to share with their constituents, and 

d. be responsible for their constituencies, committees/councils and/or offices they represent, and bring recommendations or concerns to the Senate President for consideration and/or action 

e. in the case of voting members, ratify all appointments made by the President of the Senate

In the instance that one of the members as identified in Section 7 simultaneously holds a position as Senate officer or Senator, the member will perform both duties, but only exercise his/her voting privileges as officer or Senator.

 

Section 8. Additional Non-Faculty Members of the Executive Committee.

In addition to the Officers and Senators, and the additional faculty members as named in Section 7, the Executive Committee shall also include the following non-faculty members, with distinct duties, as outlined in Section 9. 

1. The President of the Associated Students of Foothill College (ASFC), or delegate
2. The President of the Foothill College Classified Senate, or delegate
3. The Dean of Equity
4. President's Cabinet Liaison

 

Section 2. Eligibility.

Candidates for President shall have served on the Executive Committee, within the prior three years. Candidates for Executive Vice-President shall have served on the Executive Committee or as a faculty tri-chair of a shared governance council. Candidates for Vice-President of Curriculum shall have served on the curriculum committee within the prior thre years. Any present officer or division representative on the Executive Committee may run for that same or any other office for which there will be a vacancy, so long as they are qualified. Part-time faculty with re-employment preference who meet the above criteria for eligibility, and who meet the criteria for serving as a part-time Senator, as outlined in Article V Section 2 are eligible to serve as a Senate officer, as long as their employment at Foothill College remains active. Compensation for part-time faculty serving as officers will be comparable to the release time designated for this position out of the College-funded Senate release time budget and paid per standard negotiated agreements.

Section 3. Election of Senators.

a. Division Selection of Senators. Senators starting a new term on the Executive Committee in the fall quarter shall be elected by each division prior to the end of the fifth week of the spring quarter, through an open, transparent and faculty-driven process within each division or area.

b. Eligibility.

1. Any faculty member, full or part-time, in a particular division shall be eligible for the office of Senator for that division.
2. Part-time faculty wishing to serve as division senators shall meet the eligibility criteria for part-time Senators, as outlined in Article V Section 2. Compensation for serving as division Senator may be provided by the division.
3. Senators shall be eligible for re-election.

c. Voting. In the election of Senators, the Senate President will call for nominations at the first regular meeting of the Executive Committee in the spring quarter. Representatives should then notify their divisions of any vacancies.

d. Vacancies. The President shall notify the division to elect a faculty replacement within two weeks of the date of the vacancy. Senators elected to fill a vacancy will assume office at the next Executive Committee.

 

Section 4. Election of Part-Time Senators.

a. Part-time Senators will be elected on the same schedule as described in Article VI, Section 1.

b.Elections for part-time Senators ideally shall be held every year, with staggered two-year terms.

c. In the event that there are two open positions, the two candidates with the highest vote totals shall be elected to serve starting the following Fall. In order to stagger terms, the candidate in the 2013 election with the most votes will serve a two-year term, and the runner-up will serve a one- year term.

 

Section 5. Replacement of the At-Large Part-time Senator Due to Non-assignment. In the event that the part- time senator is not teaching for two consecutive quarters at Foothill College, he or she will be replaced by the candidate in the most recent part-time election who received the most votes and meets the above qualifications. In the absence of any eligible candidates, the President will put out a call for nominations, and a new Senator will be elected by majority vote of the Executive Committee.

 

Section 3. Executive Committee Meetings.

Executive Committee meetings shall be held under the following provision:

a. Frequency. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once each month during the school year.

b. Availability. All Executive Committee general and special meetings shall be open to all members of the Academic Senate as well as the general public.

c. Organizational Meeting. The last Executive Committee meeting of the spring quarter shall be primarily an organizational meeting to:

1. introduce all newly elected Officers and Senators,

2. establish a time for all future Executive Committee meetings that will be convenient for most of the members, and

3. discuss:

1. the role of the Executive Committee,

2. the duties of the Senators and other members of the Executive Committee as given in Article V,

3. the current Senate Committees, and

4. the written report from the previous year and any current issues confronting the Executive Committee that need discussion and action.

 

Section 2. Special Voting Committee,

By precedent the Constitution is revised once every three years. In these cases Amendments fall under the election procedures defined in Article VI. For off-year amendments, a select committee for Special Voting Procedures will be created by the President from among the members of the Executive Committee to handle ballot and voting certification procedures for constitutional changes and amendments and any other non-candidate issues as necessary. The President shall call an election of the full faculty to ratify the Constitution within 15 working days of the receipt of the amendment validated by the Executive Committee and shall announce the results of the election within one week.

During my tenure at Foothill in my role as Equity Librarian, I’ve spent the last four years- exploring every facet of my duties. This has meant doing very many different things across campus, including: giving library tours to families for Bridge to College Day, as of late coordinating and facilitating film discussions with colleagues for heritage months, and joining the Research & Service Leadership Symposium planning team. Throughout this, I’ve come to realize how much I enjoy working and learning from colleagues across campus.

This past academic year I’ve been lucky enough to be pushed and trusted to serve in a faculty leadership role as faculty tri chair of the Community & Communications Council.

While there have been times when I have doubted myself, I have consistently found that I am supported and appreciated by my colleagues. I would love to be able to provide the same experience to other faculty at Foothill. This includes engaging faculty who may think they’re not suitable for leadership or service or who may have become disengaged with the college.

Serving as Executive Vice President of Academic Senate would allow me to work with faculty supporting and developing senate equity plans that align with the College’s Equity Plan and Strategic Vision for Equity. I’ve been lucky enough to add some of my perspectives and bring ideas into action in the library, however, doing this across campus and working with folks at all different levels in their journeys towards an equitable institution of higher learning is very exciting. And while I recognize that I would primarily be serving faculty, equity is not realistic without acknowledging power structures. This work cannot be effective without collaborating with classified staff, students, and administrators. This community in collaboration is something I look forward to.

If I am being honest, the challenge of serving as Executive Vice President of Academic Senate during the current college climate is intimidating. However, I sincerely believe with my abilities to listen, empathize, and collaborate, I can aid in current and future efforts of moving the college forward where processes, decision making, and intentions can be trusted and help uplift the community.

Thank you all for your consideration.

I suppose it may come as a surprise to some of you who may have known me only in my roles as an administrator on the campus; to see my interest in this Academic Senate position. It’s true my most recent work for the college has been as an Associate Vice President of Instruction, and as a Dean of Language Arts, the Library, the TLC and Pass the Torch.

But prior to my becoming an administrator, I served as our local Academic Senate President for six years, and on the State Academic Senate for two years. In these roles as a faculty leader and advocate, I gained an abiding appreciation for the vitally important role faculty play in shaping any institution’s response to good times and bad. I worked with the State Senate to implement to recommendations of the Basic Skills Initiative, the catalyst to the research that led to AB 705. Locally, I helped shape numerous Board and college policies, including grading policies for the District, and polices of inclusion in Board documents.

So I submit my candidacy, having served in many leadership capacities over the years.

We have run out of superlatives to capture the changes wrought by the past several years, not only to our District and college, but to our nation and planet. And I can point to many areas where our college (collectively our faculty, staff, administrators, and students) have accomplished much under enormous pressures of time and urgency. Consider our early adoption of curricular approaches to math and English that would eventually pave the way for the college to adapt quickly to the demands of AB 705. Let me submit to you that our success in this area occurred because all involved in the effort recognized both the requirements (from the state) and our response needed to serve our students and their needs.

This quality of both mutual purpose and mutual trust has been sorely strained in the last year on our campus.

If elected, I intend to use my experience (as both a faculty member and an administrator), my determination, and my diplomatic skills to help bring a sense of mutual purpose back to campus and with that some good will. This past year has placed a lot of distance between us, and the people and the places we love. Our campus (if not our nation and the world) needs a renewed sense of common purpose and a rededication to the sources of love and support that enable us to do this vitally important work.

I suppose this has ended with it sounding like I am offering world peace. I assure you I am not. But leadership begins with a vision both for what is hoped for and for what is possible.

I thank you for your attention and your vote.

I’m finishing my ninth year as a full-time instructor at Foothill College.  I am the Co-Director of the Music Technology Program, and teach in the Music and Media Studies departments as well.  I am currently serving as Vice President of Academic Senate and Faculty Co-Chair of the College Curriculum Committee.

The past two years have been quite a journey.  Aside from the long-standing challenges of curriculum development and maintenance, we’ve been forced to address much broader concerns about equity on our campus and in our community. When I decided to take on the role of Curriculum Chair, I had no desire to function in a political capacity at Foothill College.  I simply had a passion for curriculum, and wanted to share that passion with my wonderful faculty and administrative colleagues. But circumstances have required that we all step up and use our power and privilege to support our faculty and students in their desire for equality.  

Although there have been numerous setbacks in these past two years, including a devastating pandemic, we have managed to achieve some important goals.  These include moving to a new curriculum management system, removing honors prerequisites, laying the foundation for an Ethnic Studies program, updating and modernizing our Distance Education Addendum process, working toward an apprenticeship degree, and implementing Guide Pathways.  It has been a pleasure working alongside my faculty colleagues, as well as our incredible curriculum team, which has included Paul Starer, Kurt Hueg, Evan Gilstrap and Mary Vanatta.

But there is still much to do!  We have only begun to address implementation of Credit for Prior Learning, creation of College Curriculum Committee Bylaws and a Curriculum Handbook, educating faculty about the availability of Open Education Resources, examining Seat Count discrepancies, and integrating equity into every part of our curriculum development and maintenance processes.

I believe that my experience as a leader on Academic Senate and the College Curriculum Committee has prepared me to tackle these issues on your behalf. I would be honored to serve another term as your Vice President of Curriculum.  Thank you for your consideration.

Eric

I first joined Foothill in 2016 as a fresh-faced, part-time faculty member—absolutely new to teaching—and simply excited to be a part of the Foothill community. You see, for me, it was the “final step” in my personal Student Education Plan—though when I began my own community college journey, I never would have imagined that my “goal” would be to land at Foothill because I never thought I’d be an educator in the first place. And it’s exactly why I am thrilled to run for the at-large part-time faculty representative seat.

I am currently serving as the part-time rep on the Equity and Education Council and hold a variety of roles at our campus: I am an English instructor for Language Arts, an Online Faculty Coordinator for Online Learning, and I am also the acting Non-Credit Faculty Coordinator for the TLC. In these positions, I have met and collaborated with a number of faculty, staff, and administrators, yet having the vantage point of a part-time faculty member, a relative “outsider,” I am able to see how communication has succeeded and, at times, broken down—and I’ve had the privilege to study the evolving campus climate with as much objectivity as there has been concern.

As an actively involved part-time faculty member, I would bring a valuable perspective to the Senate. I seek to represent the part-time faculty, who greatly support our core instruction, but unfortunately, due to the realities facing PT faculty, are frequently unable to participate in wider conversations. I would love the opportunity to advocate for faculty, particularly our PT faculty, and to help facilitate metered, reasonable discussions over proposals and policies, which may disproportionately affect part-time instructors, as we know it has in the past.

This upcoming academic year will be one of rapid change, uncertainty, planning, planning again, and yes, more planning (then revising those plans). With such, I can imagine we will have many decisions before us as well as pressing initiatives to undertake. The Academic Senate has been and will continue to be a critical part of how our college will navigate the coming months, but I have the utmost faith that as well as we handled the shift to emergency remote instruction, and as ambitious as Equity Plan 2.0 has revealed itself to be, we will, with the foresight that hindsight so often bolsters, find a way forward.

I know from the many conversations in which I have been involved, that nearly everyone at Foothill shares the desire to better our institution—with our students at the center—and I am confident that we can do so with fairness, respect, and resolve. I hope that you will support my efforts to realize this vision as your next part-time faculty representative.

 My name is Angie Dupree and I am a part-time Economics instructor here at Foothill. I want to express my interest in the position of At Large Part-Time Faculty Representative. I am looking to deepen my engagement within the Foothill community and I view this position as an opportunity to build relationships and collaborate with faculty from all divisions to address issues, develop solutions and promote positive institutional change that benefits students, staff, and faculty. I believe that I can meaningfully contribute to the work of the Academic Senate with my organizational skills and strong desire to maintain and strengthen Foothill’s reputation as an institution committed to equity, inclusivity, and accessible, high quality education. I am eager to learn more about the shared governance and functions of the Senate.

I plan to approach this position with the same purposeful intentions that influence my teaching. I work hard to create an environment where my students feel validated, supported, and motivated. I will bring that same dedication as a representative of the academic and professional concerns of Foothill faculty. I also hope to bring perspective that I have gained from participating in professional development opportunities related to culturally responsive pedagogy, anti-racism practices, Foothill’s Online Equity Affirmation, and increasing student engagement. 

I am excited about the possibility of being an active participant on the Academic Senate. Thank you for considering me for this position.

Foothill colleagues, it is an honor to run for the part-time faculty representative. I have taught English at Foothill College for six years, and I am regularly dazzled at the accolades of our students and the robust intercollegiate collaboration in which I have had the privilege to participate. However, for many PT instructors, the requisite commitment to adequately facilitate our classrooms and participate in service comes at a cost. As a part-time instructor, I have regularly balanced five to seven classes across three campuses, so I know the physical and mental toll part-timers shoulder while simply trying to do their jobs. I am heartened by the emphasis our college has placed on the implementation of equity into our infrastructure. That being said, a truly equitable infrastructure must be informed by the needs of part-time instructors. Therefore, I want to ensure PT-labor is represented fairly in shared governance. Soirees honoring PT instructors are necessary and generous gestures, but true representation means substantive improvements to Part-timers’ material conditions.

Recently, I played a leadership role on an interdisciplinary committee at Foothill that was tasked with helping our local pipes-trade union develop a curriculum so that their apprentices would earn an associate's while learning their trade. The process required collaboration between the various departments on campus, the union, the College Curriculum Committee, and the senate. I would be honored to partake in such collaboration again as a representative, as it is always gratifying when seeing our dynamic hard work serve our students better.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbglanting/

I teach physics and work as a math tutor in the STEM Center.  I’ve been teaching at Foothill for 7 years. This year I served as part-time representative on the Community and Communication Governance Council. In that role I organized a series of meetings for part time faculty, to hear their perspectives and share information about reemployment preference, retirement benefits, etc. I enjoyed meeting many wonderful colleagues and look forward to connecting with more of you in the future. As your Part-Time Faculty Representative to Academic Senate, I will be a resource for you, answering your questions when I can, and making sure you have the information you need to thrive at Foothill. I will listen to your input and represent your voice in the Academic Senate. I will work with the rest of the Senate to make Foothill an even better place for faculty, students, and the entire Foothill Community. 

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Thomas Meredith and I have been a part-time faculty member at Foothill College since 2016. I am also a part-time faculty member at De Anza College and Santa Clara University. My collective experience as a part-time faculty member makes me an ideal candidate for Foothill’s Academic Senate. I am intimately familiar with the financial and psychological precarities contingent faculty members face in the San Francisco Bay Area and am strongly motivated to represent the interests of part-time faculty members like myself. Furthermore, I am a political theorist by training and my expertise will bring a fair voice to the democratic processes of the Academic Senate.

Serving on the Academic Senate would allow me the opportunity to learn more about the areas of primary reliance, such as curriculum and general education. One area that I am eager to participate in is developing grading policy. Rethinking student assessment seems to me to be one of the most effective ways to combat inequality in the classroom. I am very interested to learn more about the how the Academic Senate handles academic and professional matters.

Finally, I would look forward to the opportunity to participate in working groups such as the FHDA District Diversity and Equity Advisory Committee. I think my background in political theory would bring a unique perspective to developing policies and procedures for ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Thomas Meredith