LAVC Communications Update
FREQUENTLY ASKING QUESTIONS
Shared governance is how college decisions are made at Los Angeles Valley College. We have put together information on the most frequently asked questions regarding shared governance. Please select from the following frequently asked questions to get a better understanding of the shared governance process and why we follow it:
Why do we have shared governance?
How does shared governance work at LAVC?
What groups are represented in LAVC shared governance?
Who represents my group on shared governance matters?
How can I bring something up through the shared governance process?
For more information, please contact the chair of the Institutional Effectiveness Council (IEC).
What is shared governance?
Shared governance is a collaborative decision-making process in which all the major campus constituency groups are able to provide input on matters that are relevant to the orderly functioning of the College. Each constituency group—faculty, staff, administrators, and students—are represented in the LAVC’s shared governance structure.
The process of shared governance ensures that faculty, staff, and students have the right to participate effectively in District and college governance, and the opportunity to express their opinions at the campus level and to ensure that their opinions are given every reasonable consideration. It conveys to the College President the views of the campus community before the establishment of college-wide policies, procedures and decisions.
For more detailed information on shared governance, visit the IEC Web Page.
Why do we have shared governance?
Shared governance was enacted as a new structure of community college governance as part of Assembly Bill 1725 (AB 1725), which was passed by the California Legislature in 1988. This bill, which is called the "Walter Stiern Act", directed the California Community College Board of Governors to develop regulations, including:
..."ensure faculty, staff, and students the right to participate effectively in district and college governance, and the opportunity to express their opinions at the campus level and to ensure that these opinions are given every reasonable consideration, and the right of academic senates to assume primary responsibility for making recommendations in the areas of curriculum and academic standards. (70900.5)"
In 1990, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges adopted Title 5 regulations to implement AB 1725.
As outlined in Title V of the California Code of Regulations, there are regulations for faculty (51023 and 51023.5), academic senates (53201), classified staff (50123.5), and students (51025.7).
For more information on the history of shared governance at LAVC, visit the IEC Web Page.
How does shared governance work at LAVC?
Shared governance at Valley College is comprised of a shared governance council. There are several standing committees, task force groups, and ad hoc committees that do the work of the council. The council then makes recommendations directly to the College President. Representatives on the council are made up of the various constituencies of the college according to the mandates of AB 1725, the Education Code, Title 5 Regulations, the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and the Board of Trustees policies, which include faculty, staff, students and administration. For details on LAVC’s shared governance structure, visit the Big Picture Task Force Web Page.
The shared governance council is called the Institutional Effectiveness Council (IEC), which is responsible for passing along policy recommendations to the College President. The IEC does not develop policy, but is primarily a recommending body to the College President on the establishment of policies within the scope of the council. Most policies are created in one of the standing committees, ad hoc committees or task forces, and are ultimately brought for approval to the IEC. Once IEC has voted on the matter, it is passed along to the College President. For more information IEC procedures, visit the IEC Web Page.
For the latest updates from our shared governance council and committees, visit the Shared Governance at LAVC Web Page.
What groups are represented in LAVC shared governance?
There are four major constituency groups that are represented in the shared governance process—faculty, classified staff, administrators and students. A majority of members of the campus community are represented in the shared governance process through one of the following constituency groups:
| Group | Constituency Group(s) | Types of Concerns |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty | Academic Senate | academic and professional matters |
| AFT Faculty Guild | wages and working condition matters (faculty) | |
| Staff | AFT Staff Guild | wages and working condition matters (classified) |
| Local 99 & 347 SEIU | wages and working condition matters (supervisors) | |
| LA/OC Buildings & Trades Council | wages and working condition matters (building/trades) | |
| Administrators | Local 911 Teamsters | wages and working condition matters (administrative) |
| VP of Academic Affairs | instructional matters | |
| VP of Administrative Services | administrative and operational matters | |
| VP of Student Services | student services matters | |
| Students | Associated Student Union | student matters |
Who represents my group in shared governance committees?
At LAVC, there are representatives from each constituency groups (either elected or appointed) that are to serve as their groups' voice on shared governance matters. These representatives attend shared governance meetings, perform work to establish recommendations that will be brought through the shared governance matters, and vote on shared governance matters on behalf of their group. These individuals are also responsible for sharing shared information to their respective group, as well as seek input from the members of their group on shared governance matters.
Download the constituency representative chart
If you would like the name of the individual(s) who represent your constituency group, please visit each committees' Web page for their list of membership; links to all the shared governance committee pages are posted on the Shared Governance at LAVC Web Page.
How can I bring something up through the shared governance process?
Depending on your items of concern, members of the LAVC community can bring items of college-wide concern to the agenda by their constituency representative on the Institutional Effectiveness Council (IEC).
For example:
- Academic concerns may be brought to the IEC by the Academic Senate President, AFT Faculty Guild President, or the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
- Classified staff concerns may be brought to the IEC by the AFT Staff Guild Chapter Chair or the Vice President of Administrative Services.
- Student and student services concerns may be brought by the ASU President or the Vice President of Student Services.
In addition, LAVC community members may bring a request through one of the standing committees by contacting the chair of that committee. To view a diagram of LAVC’s shared governance structure, visit the Big Picture Task Force Web Page.