Academic Senate
Shared governance, sometimes referred to as participatory governance, is the method in which campus constituent groups makes recommendations and participate in campus decision-making processes. As outlined in the statutory framework below, faculty have a specific role to play within the decision-making process as it pertains to academic and professional matters.
THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS
Quick Form Access:
Faculty representation on committees is a vital part of shared governance. In accordance with AP 2510, The SDCC Academic Senate’s Committee on Committees (CoC) appoints faculty to committees at the campus, district, or other affiliate level, which includes appointments to ad-hoc committees and to hiring committees for positions other than faculty. Per the Senate Bylaws, membership in newly-established committees as well as vacancies on existing committees are to be filled in this manner. A log of committee appointments is kept by the Academic Senate Committee on Committees. All faculty members on any committee are appointed by the Academic Senate (Part-time and Full-time).
Please review the different types of requests below.
A. Go to our Committee Request Form to initiate the recruitment process. You should receive a confirmation email upon completing the form.
B. A solicitation notice with the information you've included on the form will be sent to all City College faculty via email, usually on the Monday following your form submission (holidays excepted). Faculty should have at least one full business week to apply.
C. The Senate Executive Committee on Committees will review, vote and appoint faculty members the following week. Note: the committee call may need to be sent out for multiple weeks in the case of a poor applicant pool. The Chair of CoC will contact you if the appointment will be postponed.
Timeline: The Committee on Committees intends to fill your request within two weeks of your initial request date.
For faculty (full-time and part-time) wishing to be appointed to a committee (other than to a faculty hiring committee--see above): watch for emails announcing the request for faculty to fill committee appointments. Usually these will go out on Mondays, except holidays. A link to a Google form application will be included in the email for you to complete and submit electronically, usually due by the end of the same week on Friday at 5:00 p.m.
- For administrators needing Senate Exec Representation: (not a call out for the faculty at large) - Executive Representation Request
2. For faculty hiring committees
A. The chair of the hiring committee (typically the department chair) must recruit committee members by soliciting participation from all department faculty to ensure an equitable process and diverse committee. Please have faculty interested in being on a hiring committee contact whomever is recruiting for that hiring committee (dean, chair of hiring committee, department chair, other designee) in order to be considered for the committee. All faculty need to have their EEO training completed before submitting their name to be in the hiring committee
B. Once the chair has received sufficient faculty interest, they should choose faculty (from the interested pool) members to serve on the hiring committee. Chairs must consider the following factors to ensure committee diversity: i. Ethnicity/Race ii. Board protected classes iii. School or department iv. Full-time or adjunct v. Special experience or knowledge.
C. The chair should then gather information from each faculty committee member and complete this form: Request for Academic Senate Review of Faculty Assigned to a Hiring Committee.
D. The Academic Senate Committee on Committees will review the final list as submitted by the department chair of the faculty position in question and approve or provide recommendations to the committee chair within two weeks.
Curriculum Review Committee:
Chair: Katy Bailey
Distance Learning Committee:
Chair: Aileen Gum
Elections Committee:
Chair: Erin Engstrom
Professional Advancement Committee:
Chair: Shane Haggard
OTHER REQUESTS
- Questions or Concerns Associated with 10+1 for the Senate Exec Committee - Inquiry/Concern
- Considering Agenda Items for Senate Executive and/or General AS Meeting - Agenda Request
Committee Purpose/Charge
The Academic Senate Equivalency Committee (ASEC) is an Ad Hoc Committee that shall be established by the Academic Senate to fulfill the requirement of California Education Code 87359, which states that the equivalency process “shall include reasonable procedures to ensure that the governing board relies primarily upon the advice and judgment of the Academic Senate to determine that each individual employed under the authority granted by the regulations possesses qualifications that are at least equivalent to the applicable minimum qualifications….”
Committee Responsibilities
- In alignment with SDCCD Administrative Procedure 7211, the ASEC shall:
- Be available to Screening Committees as a resource regarding equivalency determinations, to further clarify criteria as needed.
- Review the recommendations of the Equivalency Subcommittees of the Screening Committees, asking the following questions:
- Was the decision made in accord with this procedure?
- Specifically, did the Equivalency Subcommittee of the Screening Committee follow the criteria for evidence of equivalency stated in this procedure?
- Are the Equivalency Subcommittee’s decisions consistent with similar decisions made by earlier committees in this discipline or similar disciplines?
Committee Procedures
As of Spring 2024, the SDCCD’s current AP 7211 is under review to clarify and streamline the equivalency process. The current Administrative Procedure AP 7211 should be searchable here: https://www.sdccd.edu/about/leadership/board-of-trustees/board-policies/index.aspx.
Each college in the District has clarified their application of the equivalency process and they are all basically the same.
Below is a breakdown of how City College has been applies AP 7211:
Have the applicant seeking equivalency complete the form included in the document AP 7211 Equivalency Determination Procedure 092523
The Department Chair and/or Dean gather two or three discipline expert faculty members to review the application.
Have these discipline experts sign the digital friendly form BLANK AP 7211 Equivalency Form rather than the form on the last page of the application document.
Forward the signed form to the Academic Senate President so they can convene the Academic Senate Equivalency Committee. The ASEC is comprised of three non-discipline faculty who’s sole duty is to ensure that the AP 7211 process was followed. If they approve, the committee will sign the form and send it back to the appropriate Department Chair and Dean overseeing the school hiring the faculty member.
The Dean then signs it and forwards it on to SDCCD HR for final processing.
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Welcome to our San Diego City College Academic Senate page!
The Academic Senate is the policy making board and public governing body of the San Diego City College Faculty. Our power derives from AB 1725, Title 5 and Education Code. The passage of AB 1725 in 1988 confirmed the Academic Senate's role as the college's primary voice in academic and professional matters ("10+1").
- Curriculum including establishing prerequisites and placing courses within disciplines

- Degree and certificates requirements
- Grading policies
- Educational program development
- Standards or policies regarding student preparation and success
- District and college governance structures, as related to faculty roles
- Faculty roles and involvement in accreditation processes, including self-study and annual reports
- Policies for faculty professional development activities
- Processes for program review
- Processes for institutional planning and budget development
- Other academic and professional matters as are mutually agreed upon between the governing board and the academic senate
According to the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) Handbook, “The intent of the Community College Reform Act (AB 1725, Vasconcellos, 1988) as enacted in Title 5 §53200 through §53203 and local policy is to assure “effective participation” of all college constituencies and to ensure that the local governing board engages in “collegial consultation” with the academic senate on matters that are academic and professional in nature. “ In this context, academic and professional matters refer to the “10+1” above. Title 5 §53200 defines consult collegially as follows.
The district governing board shall develop policies on academic and professional matters through either or both of the following:
- Rely primarily upon the advice and judgment of the academic senate, OR
- The governing board, or its designees, and the academic senate shall reach mutual agreement by written resolution, regulation, or policy of the governing board effectuating such recommendations.
2025 - 2026 SDCC Academic Senate Executive Committee:
President: Mona Alsoraimi-Espiritu [email protected]
President-Elect & Comittee on Committees Chair: Nick Slinglend [email protected]
President of Chairs Cabinet: Soon-Ah Fadness [email protected]
Secretary: Meaghan Baril [email protected]
Treasurer: Marc Biagi [email protected]
Part-time Faculty Officer: Stephanie Padilla [email protected]
Curriculum Review Committee Co-Chair: Katy Bailey [email protected]
DEIA Officer: Deanna Shelton [email protected]
2025-2026 SDCC Academic Senate Meeting Dates
Our senate meetings are every other Monday from 2:30 to 4:30pm at MS-140 and BT-312. The meetings are public and everyone is welcome! The San Diego City College Academic Senate affirms its commitment to a broad, student-centered and inclusive vision of social justice oriented shared governance.
GENERAL MEETINGS ARE HELD IN MS 140 & BT-312
Fall 2025
- Academic Senate General Meetings from 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM in Room MS-140: 8/25, 9/8, 9/22, 10/6, 10/20, 11/3, 12/8
- Academic Senate General Meeting from 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM in Room BT-312: 11/17
- Academic Senate Executive Committee Meetings from 2:30pm - 4:00pm in Room A-305a: 8/18, 9/15, 9/29, 10/13, 10/27, 11/10, 12/1
Spring 2025
- Academic Senate General Meetings from 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM in Room MS-140: TBD
- Academic Senate Executive Committee Meetings from 2:30pm - 4:00pm in Room A-305a: TBD
Department Senators
|
At-Large |
Mariam Mena |
Fall 2024 - Spring 2026 |
|
|
Apprenticeship |
VACANT |
VACANT |
VACANT |
|
Behavioral Sciences |
Marie St. George |
Fall 2022 - Spring 2024 |
|
|
Black Studies |
VACANT |
VACANT |
VACANT |
|
Business Studies |
Mohamend Al-Ani |
Spring 2024 - Fall 2025 |
|
|
Chicana/Chicano Studies |
Octavio Garcia |
Fall 2024 - Spring 2026 |
|
|
Communication Studies-- COMM, DJRN, DMPR, RTVF |
VACANT |
VACANT |
VACANT |
|
Cosmetology |
Charlotte Rankin |
Fall 2024 - Fall 2026 |
|
|
Counseling |
Crystal Rodriguez |
Fall 2025 - Spring 2027 |
|
|
Disability Support Programs and Services -- DSPS |
VACANT |
VACANT |
VACANT |
|
Early Childhood Education |
Denise Blaha |
Fall 2024 - Spring 2026 |
|
|
Engineering and Technologies |
VACANT |
VACANT |
VACANT |
|
English and Humanities-- ESOL, ENGL, PHIL, LABR, HUMA |
Paul Lopez |
Fall 2025 - Spring 2027 |
|
|
EOPS/CARE/Next Up |
Ismael Carrillo |
Fall 2025 - Spring 2027 |
|
|
Health and Exercise Sciences |
Paul Greer |
Fall 2024 - Spring 2026 | |
|
History and Political Science |
Pete Haro |
Fall 2023 - Spring 2025 |
|
|
Information Technology |
VACANT |
VACANT |
VACANT |
|
Languages |
Jaime Estrada-Olalde |
Fall 2023 - Spring 2025 |
|
|
Learning Resource Center |
Leann Mulholland |
Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 |
|
|
Life Sciences |
Anastassia Erudaitius |
Fall 2025 - Spring 2027 |
|
|
Mathematics |
Chris Godbout |
Spring 2024 - Fall 2026 |
|
|
Student Health Center |
VACANT |
VACANT |
VACANT |
|
Nursing Education |
Chris Crane |
Fall 2024 - Spring 2026 |
|
|
Physical Sciences |
Rebecca Vasquez |
Fall 2024 - Spring 2026 |
|
|
Visual and Performing Arts |
VACANT |
VACANT |
VACANT |
School Part-time Faculty Senators
|
Arts, Humanities, and Communications |
Meghan Baril |
Spring 2025 - Fall 2027 | |
|
Behavioral & Social Sciences, and Consumer & Family Studies |
VACANT |
VACANT |
VACANT |
|
Business, Information Technology, and Cosmetology |
Hanen Fazai |
Spring 2025 - Fall 2027 |
|
|
Engineering & Technologies, Mathematics, Sciences, and Nursing |
Becky Wheelock |
Spring 2025 - Fall 2027 |
|
|
Health, Exercise Sciences, and Athletics |
Nick Skvarna |
Fall 2024 - Spring 2026 |
|
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Off-Campus Programs |
VACANT |
VACANT |
VACANT |
|
Student Development/Matriculation |
Angelina Rodriguez |
Spring 2024 - Spring 2025 |
Academic Senate Office Administrative Assistant
Ellyzah Lemus [email protected]
(619) 388-3578
Room A-305A
