SECTION 1

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

In this section:

• CSU Structure
• SSU Administrative Organization
• SSU Milestones
• SSU Presidents
• SSU Mission
• Administration
• President's Budget Advisory Committee
• Academic Schools, Offices, Centers, Institutes, Preserves and Projects
  • School of Arts and Humanities
  • School of Business and Economics
  • School of Education
  • School of Extended Education
  • School of Science and Technology
  • School of Social Sciences
• Centers/Institutes/Preserves and Projects
• Auxiliaries
• Departments
• Faculty Governance
• Committee Assignments
• Faculty Communication Guide
• Policies
• School and Program Accreditation
• University Organization Chart

The California State University

The California State University (CSU) is the largest public higher education system in the United States. The primary function of the CSU is the provision of instruction for undergraduate and graduate students through the master's degree, in the liberal arts and sciences, in applied fields and in the professions, including the teaching profession. The individual California State Colleges were brought together as a system by the Donahoe Higher Education Act of 1960 and included a Master Plan for all higher public education in the state of California. In 1972 the system became The California State University and Colleges and in 1982 the system became The California State University. Today the campuses of the CSU include comprehensive and polytechnic universities and, since July 1995, the California Maritime Academy, a specialized campus.

The oldest campus--San Jose State University--was founded in 1857 and became the first institution of public higher education in California. The newest campus-- California State University, Channel Islands--opened in fall 2002, with freshmen arriving in fall 2003.

CSU enrollments in fall 2003 totaled nearly 409,000 students, who were taught by some 22,000 faculty. The system awards more than half of the bachelor's degrees and a third of the master's degrees granted in California. The CSU has awarded more than 2 million bachelor's, master's and joint doctoral degrees since 1961.

The Board of Trustees and the Chancellor of the California State University system set broad policy for the universities and delegate much responsibility to each university. The fifteen member Board of Trustees is appointed by the Governor and confirmed for eight year terms by the Legislature. The Academic Senate of the California State University, made up of elected representatives of the faculty from each campus, recommends academic policy to the Board of Trustees through the Chancellor. Appointed March 1, 1998, the current Chancellor of the California State University is Dr. Charles Reed. The Office of the Chancellor is located at 401 Golden Shore, Long Beach, CA 90802-4275. (562) 985- 2500.

The Chancellors of the California State University have been as follows:

1961 - 1962 Buell Gallagher
1962 - 1982 Glen S. Dumke
1982 - 1990 W. Ann Reynolds
1990 - 1991 Ellis E. McCune (Acting)
1991 - 1998 Barry M. Munitz
1998 - Charles Reed

Additional information about the California State University is available at:

http://www.calstate.edu/PA/bios/staffbio/reed.shtml

http://www.calstate.edu/infocenter

http://www.calstate.edu/administration

Sonoma State College was founded in 1960 as the first new state college to open under the authority of the Board of Trustees of the California State Colleges.

SSU's institutional memory extends back in time to the fall of 1956 when San Francisco State College established the Santa Rosa Center for teacher education. With the opening of Sonoma State College five years later, the center closed its doors and all but one of its teaching faculty moved to the new institution in Rohnert Park.

Sonoma State University becomes part of The California State College system: 1961

First bachelor of arts degree: 1962 (elementary education)

First four year program offered: 1962

First graduating class: May 1966

First Master's degree offered: 1966, Biology, Psychology

University status attained: 1978

Ambrose R. Nichols. Jr.
1961-1970

Thomas H. McGrath
1971-1974

Marjorie Downing Wagner
1974-1976

Peter Diamandopoulos
1977-1983

David W. Benson
1984-1992

Ruben Armiñana
1992-present

In the fall of 1961 Sonoma State University had an enrollment of 274 students with 125 FTE (Full Time Equivalent). For the spring of 1972 the enrollment was 4929 (4549 FTE). The fall 2005 enrollment was 7,749, which included 6,599 undergraduate and 1,150 graduate students.

A Campus Planning Committee (CPC) was established during the early years of the University. The CPC assists the President in the coordination, development and control of long-range planning for the physical development of the campus, within a framework of policy established by the Trustees. Faculty representatives serve on the CPC.

Lawrence Halprin & Associates, the original Consulting Landscape Architects, were replaced in 1971 by Kenneth R. Anderson Company, Inc. In 1976, planned enrollment was decreased from 12,000 FTE to the present 10,000 FTE. The revision resulted in less low rise, less formal building types. The primary goals in adopting the cluster school plan were: first, to make possible the close interaction between students, faculty and staff, usually associated with small institutions, and second, to provide a structure flexible enough to permit innovation and experimentation in undergraduate education. In order to achieve these goals, it was necessary to develop a structure which allowed internal school autonomy for their accomplishments, and at the same time would meet the system-wide standards for adequate control. A major master plan revision occurred in 1992 and 1993 which resulted in the elimination of the expansion of the cluster school concept, academic buildings were relocated, additional housing indicated and the new Information Center was first shown.

The Master Plan Revision currently under consideration was motivated by the identification of four substantial new facilities projects proposed for the campus.

These are:

• The Green Music Center -- a music performance and teaching facility.
  
  
• The University Center -- a center for student activities, retail, recreation, and summer conferences.
  
  
• New classroom/laboratory/office buildings -- three new buildings to house classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and related support facilities, to accommodate ultimate planned campus enrollment of 10,000 full time equivalent students.
  
  
• Additional Student Housing -- to meet the projected need for new on-campus housing in addition to that provided by "Sauvignon Village". "Beaujolais Village" was constructed to meet this need and opened in Fall 2003.

Additional information is available at:

http://www.sonoma.edu/university/history.shtml

http://www.sonoma.edu/university/administration.shtml

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/facts

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/catalog/

http://www.calstate.edu/AcadSen

http://www.sonoma.edu/afd/CPC/cpc.html

http://www.sonoma.edu/facilities/proc-overview.htm

The mission of Sonoma State University is to prepare students to be learned men and women who:

• have a foundation for lifelong learning,
• have a broad cultural perspective,
• have a keen appreciation of intellectual and aesthetic achievements,
• will be leaders and active citizens,
• are capable of pursuing fulfilling careers in a changing world, and
• are concerned with contributing to the health and well-being of the world at large.

http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/mission.htm

http://www.sonoma.edu/university/mission.shtml

The President of Sonoma State University is the responsible executive in all aspects of the University. The President's Cabinet is an advisory and consultative body appointed by the President. The Cabinet meets regularly to discuss CSU and campus initiatives, proposals and revisions to operating policies and procedures of the institution.

Current positions serving on the Cabinet include:

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Vice President for Administration and Finance

Vice President for Student Affairs

Vice President for University Affairs

Vice President for Development

Vice Provost for Enrollment and Student Academic Services

http://www.sonoma.edu/university/administration.shtml

In addition, in 1985 the President established The President's Budget Advisory Committee. Three faculty representatives and the president of bargaining unit 3 (California Faculty Association) serve on this committee which is charged with the responsibility of advising the President on budget matters of University-wide import, reviewing the annual CSU budgets for the University, recommending distribution of funds among the major sectors of the University, and reviewing expenditure of the past fiscal year's budget.

http://www.sonoma.edu/afd/PBAC/pbac.html

http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/facultyconsultation.htm

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs serves as the Chief Academic Officer of the University and meets regularly with academic-administrators and faculty representatives to discuss CSU and SSU academic and administrative initiatives and proposals.

Reporting to the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs are Academic Programs, Institutional Research, Faculty Affairs, which includes the Center for Teaching & Professional Development, Academic Resources, Graduate Studies, Research and Sponsored Programs, and Scheduling.

The Vice Provost for Academic Affairs reports directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. This position manages faculty human resource functions, including serving as the employee relations designee for all matters pertaining to the faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement and providing administrative support for faculty recruitment, appointment, reappointment, evaluation, professional development programs, promotion, tenure, and related faculty personnel functions. This position may serve on committees that review and propose policy and procedures pertaining to faculty human resource matters, such as the Faculty Standards and Affairs Committee and the Rights on Human Subjects Committee, and oversees the Center For Teaching and Professional Development. The Vice Provost for Academic Affairs also provides administrative supervision and direction of all undergraduate and graduate programs, oversees the process of all academic program reviews, WASC reaccreditation, general education, assessment of student learning, and curriculum development and reform. This position serves on committees that review and propose policy and procedures pertaining to academic programs.

http://www.sonoma.edu/aa/fa/

http://www.sonoma.edu/aa/ap/

http://www.sonoma.edu/aa/ar/

http://www.sonoma.edu/Senate/Commems/2005-2006/membership_index0506.html

http://www.sonoma.edu/CTPD

http://www.sonoma.edu/aa/orsp/

http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/reappointment.htm

The Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management (SAEM) reports to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. SAEM includes a team of academic support departments. (Admissions & Records, Academic Services, Career Services, Disabled Students Services, Learning Skills Services, Scholarships, International Students Programs & Residential Life). In addition to these departments, the Vice President for SAEM oversees the Writing Center. Faculty may be involved in a number of these academic support services, such as student recruitment, admission to a degree program, student grades which become part of the student record system, and educational mentoring.

More detailed information and links to the academic support services can be located in Sections 5, 6, and 7 of this handbook.

Established in 1988, the Vice President's Budget Advisory Committee provides advice to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs on budget matters pertaining to the educational programs and their support services, reviews instruction and academic support budgets and lottery funds and recommends their allocation, develops long-range fiscal plans pertaining to instruction and academic support programs, and reviews expenditures of the past fiscal year's budget. Members include: Provost/VPAA (Chair); Associate Vice President of Academic Resources; Vice Provost; Chair-elect of the Academic Senate; School Deans; Dean of the Library; five instructional faculty--one selected by each of the five Schools; two staff members; two students selected by the Associated Students Board of Directors.

Established in 1968, the Academic Affairs Council is chaired by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Members include: School Deans; Dean of the Library; Vice Provost for Academic Affairs; Associate Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Graduate Studies; Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management; Associate Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs; Associate Vice President of Institutional Research; Associate Vice President of Academic Resources; and the Provost's Assistant.

Check the links below for additional information regarding academic related committees and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/facultyconsultation.htm

http://www.sonoma.edu/aa/provost/

http://www.sonoma.edu/aa/

Each academic school is managed by a dean, with the assistance of an administrative manager in the school office, department chairs, and a staff of administrative coordinators, department secretaries, and technical support specialists. The faculty of each school are involved in the recruitment and selection process for school deans and other university administrators. For more detailed information see: Recruitment of Academic Administrators in Section 2. The school deans report directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Deans are delegated authority and management responsibility for the school and departments within the school in all matters pertaining to budget, curriculum, facilities, equipment, human resources and planning. Deans also participate in various policy making and planning bodies, some from the faculty organization and some from administration. Deans are appointed to management positions which are governed by the Management Personnel Plan and are normally granted retreat rights to an appropriate academic position. Each of the academic schools are home to specialized academic centers and institutes.

Faculty may be assigned to teach in more than one department and more than one academic school. Faculty include employees appointed to positions designated as coaches, counselors, instructors, librarians and professors. Titles assigned to faculty positions are identified in the CSU Collective Bargaining Agreement and in the Salary Schedule.

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/catalog/

http://www.calstate.edu/LaborRel/Contracts_HTML/CFA_CONTRACT/CFAtoc.shtml

http://www.calstate.edu/HRAdm/SalarySchedule/Salary.aspx

Academic Schools within Sonoma State University include:

This diverse school strives to combine education in the arts and humanities with student career goals. In the arts, instructional programs include applied arts, studio art, creative writing, music, dance, technical theatre, and theatre arts. Programs in the humanities include American multicultural studies, art history, California cultural studies, English, French, German, Spanish, communication studies, Chicano and Latino studies, Native American studies and philosophy. The School of Arts and Humanities also houses the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies and a variety of pre-law programs and provides numerous opportunities for service-learning experiences and internships, as well as study abroad.

The Hutchins School, American Multicultural Studies, and the Department of Chicano and Latino Studies offer subject matter preparation programs for students who intend to enter teaching credential programs and to teach in elementary schools. Several departments and programs, including Art, English, Spanish, Chicano and Latino Studies, and Music, offer subject matter preparation programs that lead to secondary, or single subject, teaching credential programs. Several of these departments offer either blended or integrated programs that allow incoming first year students to achieve both a bachelor's degree and a teaching credential in four to four and a half years. The English Department offers M.A. work in literature, creative writing, and the teaching of writing.

The school also oversees the Center for Performing Arts, which features Music and Theatre Arts departmental productions as well as guest artists in the state-of-the-art Person Theatre; the University Art Gallery, with nationally recognized shows and exhibits; the Sonoma Film Institute; the Writers Lecture Series, which has brought such individuals as Tom Wolfe and Edward Albee to campus; the Arts and Humanities Forum and various lecture series; KSUN, the campus radio station; the Sonoma State Star, the student weekly newspaper; Detour Sonoma, the SSU video magazine DDU-TV, the campus cable network; Zaum, the campus literary journal; Volt, a nationally distributed literary journal; the Hutchins Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning; and an annual Language Festival. The world class Green Music Center with a symphony hall and recital hall is currently under construction.

The school faculty is committed to excellence in teaching and a strong academic advising program. Special emphasis is given to programs that combine traditional arts and humanities majors with career-oriented minors; such programs include art with business, modern languages with global studies, music with computer theory, American multicultural studies with criminal justice administration and business, among others. Supporting career goals while building upon the arts and humanities, the school provides an education that allows students to develop their ability to think critically and communicate clearly, the best preparation for a challenging technological future in a constantly changing world.

http://www.sonoma.edu/a_h/

http://www.sonoma.edu/English/A&H/default.html

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/catalog/

http://www.sonoma.edu/artgallery/about.html

The School of Business and Economics prepares students for professional careers in business and economics by offering degrees or coursework that incorporate an understanding of the theories, procedures and practice of management. Students are exposed to alternative viewpoints concerning the analysis of organizational problems, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Emphasis is placed upon the role and responsibilities of decision makers within a complex and ever-changing environment.

http://www.sonoma.edu/SBE

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/catalog/

http://www.sonoma.edu/winebiz/

http://www.sonoma.edu/sbe/resources/internship/

The School of Education is a professional school dedicated to the education of new and experienced teachers, administrators and other school specialists. Programs in the School of Education prepare students for basic teaching credentials in multiple subject (elementary), single subject (middle level/secondary), and special education; the Professional Clear Credential; specialist credentials in early childhood education, reading/language and special education; service credentials in administration; and a variety of certificates. The School of Education in collaboration with the School of Science and Technology are working to increase the number of credential candidates in the areas of mathematics and science.  In collaboration with the University of California at Davis and California State University, Sacramento we have enrolled the first cohort of students in a joint doctoral program in Educational Leadership.

http://www.sonoma.edu/education

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/catalog/

http://www.sonoma.edu/diversity/

The School of Extended Education complements the university's mission by providing quality, lifelong educational opportunities that meet community needs. Extended Education programs offer resources for preparing for new careers, for updating professional skills and meeting licensure requirements, for broadening personal interests, and for academic achievement through degree and certificate programs. Current programs include: Professional Certificate Programs, Continuing Education for the Professions, Professional Series, Post-M.A. Certificate Programs, Open University, January Intersession, University Summer Session, Special Programs such as EXCEL for Youth and SSALI, the American Language Institute, and Degree Programs. The School of Extended Education also offers the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, a non-credit program for people over 50 years of age.

http://www.sonoma.edu/ExEd

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/catalog/

http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/selfsupport.htm

http://www.sonoma.edu/exed/lifelong/default.html

The curriculum offered by the School of Science and Technology meets the professional needs of students planning careers in natural sciences, mathematics, health professions, computer science, engineering science, and also in fields as diverse as the arts and business. The School of Science and Technology houses nine departments: biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering science, geology, kinesiology, mathematics, nursing, and physics and astronomy. In addition to courses for science and technology majors, the school offers a wide variety of general education courses intended for students who major in other schools or those pursuing life long learning on topics related to the sciences, mathematics, technology, and health and fitness. The school has many laboratories and facilities for instruction and research. The newly acquired 3500 acre Fred B. Galbreath Wildlands Preserve and the 270 acre Fairfield Osborne Preserve serve several of the science and technology departments as well as the departments of environmental studies and geography in the School of Social Sciences. The Cerent Engineering Science Laboratory complex includes millions of dollars worth of equipment such as a scanning electron microscope, an atomic force microscope, a confocal microscope, an X-ray diffractometer and many other test and measurement instruments in electronics and optics. Other school laboratories include sophisticated instruments such as an NMR, a DNA sequencing, a gas chromatograph, and many other instruments all of which are used by our graduate and undergraduate students. The school has masters programs in biology, engineering science, kinesiology, and nursing. Darwin Hall, which is the main science building on campus, is currently being renovated and is expected to be completed by Summer 2006. Classes will resume in Darwin Hall beginning Fall 2006. The laboratories and offices of engineering science, kinesiology, and nursing departments are located in Salazar Hall, the physical education building, and Nichols Hall, respectively.

http://www.sonoma.edu/scitech/

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/catalog/

http://www.sonoma.edu/Org/preserve

The School of Social Sciences encompasses a particularly interesting combination of departments and programs. A student can choose from a variety of opportunities, ranging from the core of "traditional" social science fields with an emphasis on applications (anthropology, geography, history, political science, psychology and sociology), to various cross-disciplinary programs (environmental studies and planning, gerontology, global studies, linguistics, women and gender studies, and human development), to programs with a professional emphasis (counseling, criminal justice administration, Teaching English as a Second Language, and public administration). Examples of institutes and centers within this academic school include: The California Institute on Human Services (CIHS), established in 1979. This institute is dedicated to improving the quality of people's lives by acting as a change agent for excellence in education and human services by managing innovative research, demonstration, and training projects; and acting as a bridge between "best practice" research in human services and the real world needs of people with special needs. The Environmental Technology Center (ETC) is a dynamic, interactive and integrative facility where faculty, students, and community members from a wide variety of disciplines can work together in applied research training, academic study and collaborative environmental projects.

http://www.sonoma.edu/SocSci

http://www.sonoma.edu/socsci/centers-institutes.htm

http://www.sonoma.edu/CIHS

http://www.sonoma.edu/ENSP/ETC

http://www.sonoma.edu/GIC

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/catalog/

Academic Centers, Institutes, Preserves and Projects are created by the academic community in concert with the administration to support and complement the educational programs and their services to the community. SSU's Foundation was established in 1961 as a nonprofit corporation for the purpose of promoting and assisting in the educational services. The intent was to supplement the services provided by the State of California and to sponsor activities not normally furnished by the state budget. Such activities include educational institutes, research projects, conferences and workshops, receiving and administering gifts and donations, and related education support services. Numerous Centers, Institutes, Preserves and Projects have been established within Academic Schools. For example, within the School of Business and Economics, exists: the Center for Regional Economic Analysis, the Wine Business Program, and the Enterprise Partnership Program.

See Also: Section 5, Centers, Institutes, Preserves, and Special Projects.

http://www.sonoma.edu/catalog/centersinstitutes.html

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/catalog/

The auxiliary organizations of the university are authorized by enactments of the Legislature with regulations by the Board of Trustees of the CSU. Auxiliary organization activities are essential to the educational program of a campus, including service functions, and are an integral part of the campus program. The four auxilliary organizations are (1) Foundation; (2) Enterprises; (3) Associated Students; and (4) Student Union. The objectives of the auxiliary organizations are as follows:

(a) To provide for student self-government, and
(b) To provide the fiscal means and management procedures to provide instructional and service aids not normally furnished by the State budget, and
(c) To provide effective operation and to eliminate the undue difficulty which would otherwise arise under the usual governmental budgetary, purchasing, and other fiscal controls, and
(d) To provide fiscal procedures and management systems that allow effective coordination of auxiliary activities with the campus in accordance with sound business practices.

Reference: California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Division 5, Chapter 1, Subchapter 6, Auxiliary Organizations

Additional information may be found at:

http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/selfsupport.htm

http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/institutespolicy.htm

http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/name_schools.htm

http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/naming.htm

http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/costsharing.htm

http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/facultyconsultation.htm

The immediate support to faculty is available through their department chair, support staff and colleagues. A number of support units throughout the campus are charged with the responsibility of providing all of the services necessary for the university to meet its mission and for faculty, staff and students to perform assignments and achieve academic goals. Some examples of these support services include providing accounting, fiscal planning, food service, office supplies, mail, printing and copying, counseling and health care, travel, and a myriad of other specialized services that are responsible for supporting the academic operations and educational mission of the University.

Additional academic support services to faculty are the functions managed by the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management (SAEM). These include student recruitment, admissions, registration, student records and the student service operations within SAEM units.

Additional information regarding these support services is in Sections 5, 6, and 7 of this handbook.

Most academic departments are sufficient in size (with full time tenured faculty eligible to serve) to warrant an election of the Department Chair. Department Chair appointments must be approved by the School Dean, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and President. A majority vote of the department is sufficient to remove the Chair from office, however, prior to such action, informal attempts to resolve differences should be made.

Academic Department Chair responsibilities include:

1) developing and directing department programs and services, including academic advising procedures, Summer Session and Extension

2) maintaining communications to and from faculty and staff of the department

3) working with the School Dean on advising, equipment, library, funding, and all other matters pertaining to the department's academic schedule and class offerings, budget, staffing, and organizing and supervising related procedures

4) working with tenured members of the department and coordinating with the Academic School Office procedures for the recruitment and orientation of new faculty and staff of the department or program

5) with the tenured members of the department, developing the department's criteria for Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure within the framework of existing school and university policy. This includes communicating with RTP committees, interviewing RTP candidates or reviewing documents in the RTP files, communicating recommendations to RTP candidates, providing the School Dean with recommendations regarding annual retention during probation and granting tenure to those eligible.

http://www.calstate.edu/LaborRel/Contracts_HTML/CFA_CONTRACT/CFAtoc.shtml Article 20

The President of Sonoma State University is authorized by the Chancellor and Board of Trustees to delegate functions and to consult with faculty. The Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA) provides the faculty, through their representatives of the Academic Senate, with the authority to recommend policies to the President. The Academic Senate or its committees may also give advice to the President without making a formal recommendation. The Academic Senate is recognized as the official voice of the faculty in matters of university concern and regularly consults with the President and other university administrators on these matters. The Academic Senate provides the means for the faculty to participate in the collegial form of governance which is based on historic academic traditions as recognized by California law. The purposes of the Academic Senate is: (1) to exercise the rights and authority specifically delegated to the Faculty by the Board of Trustees as well as the Chancellor of the California State University, including the legislating of policy governing the awarding of grades and granting of degrees; (2) to serve as the primary consultative body in the University in formulating, evaluating and recommending to the president policies concerning (a) curriculum and instruction, (b) appointments, promotion, evaluation and granting of tenure to members of the faculty, and (c) academic administrative matters of the institution; and (3) to serve as the primary body through which members of the faculty may express opinions on matters affecting the welfare of the University.

The Academic Senate representatives are elected by peers to represent the faculty. School Representatives to the Academic Senate are expected to communicate regularly with their constituents, including the School Curriculum Committee and Department Chairs, and to receive feedback from their constituents. Additional representation on the Academic Senate includes campus representatives to the CSU Statewide Academic Senate and staff and student senators. The President, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the Vice President for Administration and Finance serve as an ex officio, non-voting members of the Academic Senate.

It is expected that faculty members will assume responsibilities of governance processes. For further details contact the Academic Senate Office and review the websites below.

http://www.sonoma.edu/Senate

http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/facultyconsultation.htm

http://www.calstate.edu/LaborRel/Contracts_HTML/CFA_CONTRACT/CFAtoc.shtml Preamble and Article 29

http://www.aaup.org

Participation in faculty governance may include serving as a committee member on a standing or ad-hoc committee of the Academic Senate. For a list of committees and current members visit the Academic Senate site listed below.

In addition to participation in faculty governance, faculty are expected to participate in department and academic school committees, student activities and administrative committees, and in academic ceremonies, including the annual Commencement, and may serve on planning committees for academic ceremonies.

For additional information regarding the responsibilities of faculty visit the links noted below and also see: Section 4, Committees.

http://www.sonoma.edu/Senate

http://www.calstate.edu/LaborRel/Contracts_HTML/CFA_CONTRACT/CFAtoc.shtml Articles 20 and 29

http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/rolepolicy.htm

http://www.sonoma.edu/as/committee.shtml

Communication with members of the academic community is based on the expectation of mutual collegiality. Collegiality incorporates mutual respect for similarities and for differences in background, expertise, judgments, and assigned responsibilities; and involves mutual trust based on experience. Collegiality includes a shared decision-making process and a set of values that regard members of the various university constituencies as essential for the success of the academic enterprise. Central to collegiality and shared decision-making is respect for differing opinions and points of view, which welcomes diversity and actively sponsors its opinions.

Faculty should communicate with their department chair regarding the administrative structure and operating procedures of the department and school. This may help faculty determine the appropriate avenue for gathering information and requesting specialized academic support needs for their academic assignments. For example, the department chair may be responsible for allocating funds and requesting funds for all academic support needs of the department. The academic department coordinator or other department staff may be responsible for assisting faculty in processing purchases for teaching supplies and laboratory materials within the funding allocation received by the department chair. Each academic department may have a slightly different administrative structure and operating procedures, based on staffing, expertise and size of the academic department, so it is important to verify this information in order to request and receive academic support services. Administrative operations should be reviewed with newly hired faculty and staff as part of their orientation and as changes in operating procedures are being planned.

See Also: Section 5, Faculty and Staff Relations.

Within each academic school, the department chairs communicate with the school dean and administrative manager regarding departmental funding, staffing and planning. Faculty should ensure that their department chair is informed of these needs and therefore able to provide this funding and planning information to the school office. Some of the needs identified may involve the support services of departments outside of the academic school. For example, the Center for Teaching and Professional Development may assist faculty within a department or school by providing a workshop on Teaching in Large Classes, or the Information Technology department may provide a workshop on Smart Classroom Training for faculty using upgraded teaching facilities.

Faculty should also communicate with their representatives serving on the Academic Senate and on various committees formed by the academic school or administrative departments. Frequently these representatives provide recommendations to the administration regarding policies, procedures, support services and funding priorities which will impact the work environment of faculty, staff and students and the mission of the university. The Academic Senate web page includes scheduled meeting dates, senate and committee membership rosters, minutes, and links to important faculty related pages.

http://www.sonoma.edu/Senate

Academic School Offices may also publish newsletters which are mailed to the campus and community-at-large. Check with your school office and on the academic school web page about the availability of these publications.

Procedural documents may be issued by managers as guidelines for employees. These guidelines may apply as operational directives only to an academic school or laboratory facility, or to a specialized segment of the campus, such as to supervisors or managers, or to the entire campus.

Formal policies are published by the University Affairs Office, and may be referred to as "Blue Paper Policies" because they were originally printed on blue paper. Prior to publication these formal documents receive review and recommendation by various campus entities, such as Deans, representatives of the Academic Senate, and Vice Presidents, and are then signed by the President, published to the campus and placed on the campus policies web page. Below is the link to official policies that have been placed on the university web site:

From time to time certain issues that affect the campus are discussed by members of the campus administration, the faculty, staff, or students. Sometimes only partial information is available, which can lead to misperceptions or confusion. The University Affairs Office has a regular electronic communiqué called "What's the Buzz" which provides answers to questions submitted by faculty, staff and students. You may submit questions or read about some of the latest issues by connecting with the link below.

http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/buzz

The University Affairs Office also regularly publishes professional announcements, new briefs, a campus calendar of events, features, and archives in the "Newsbytes" publication which may be viewed online at the site noted below.

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/nb/

Sonoma State University is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. A number of individual program accreditations have been granted, including those by: the American Chemical Society, the National Association of Schools of Music, the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission , the National Association for Schools of Art and Design, and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Programs in Sonoma State's School of Education are approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is the organization that provides accreditation for Sonoma State University. More information about the process for reaccreditation is available at http://www.sonoma.edu/aa/portfolio/.

The Institutional Research department also provides reports which are used in preparation for the accreditation process. Some of those include: reports on retention, graduation rates, enrollment statistics, degrees granted, and institutional assessments.

http://www.sonoma.edu/aa/ir/default2.shtml

http://www.wascweb.org

http://www.sonoma.edu/provost/WASC_3-04_report_on_SSU.pdf

University Organization Chart

University Organization Chart is available on the SSU web site under "About the University." The chart is updated annually by the Human Services Offices.

http://www.sonoma.edu/hs/orgchart/