How important is the Academic Senate?

By Emmett Roman
Staff Reporter

What is the academic senate? Students who are attending LCC might not know what the Academic Senate is and how it benefits them. The Academic Senate is an essential governance body at Lansing Community College that brings together faculty, administrators, and student senators to discuss and make recommendations on academic and college-wide issues. According to the LCC Academic Senate website, there are currently 43 senators and two of them are students. The senate looks at things like curriculum, teaching and learning, student success, and new initiatives that shape the overall direction of the college.

The Academic Senate is also a way to address some of the challenges that may be facing the students, faculty and college. Provost Sally Welch remembers a specific time that the senate has helped students. “Last year the Student Advisory Committee (a committee of the Academic Senate) brought a student issue to the Academic Senate. There was a loaner calculator issue in the library. The senate took up the challenge of securing more calculators for students.  They created a resolution which I accepted. From this I was able to work with other areas of the college to secure more calculators for the loaner program. Without the student and SAC committee come forward to bring this issue to the senate, I would not have known about this issue,” Welch said.

Senate meetings follow parliamentary procedure. Mark Kelland, the senator for social science and humanities, explained the process. “Once the meeting is called to order and it is determined that a quorum has been met, the agenda and then the minutes of the previous meeting are approved. We then have the President’s and the Provost’s reports,” Kelland said. The president of the senate and the provost both report on things that have occurred on campus since the last meeting, such as if someone is becoming a chair or when specific meetings will be.

Kelland continued to explain the process for each meeting. “We then have new business, which differs for each meeting. It may be primarily informational, or it can be something that leads to a motion or a resolution (a special form of motion) being made and then voted on (or referred to a committee for further work). Informational items may be followed by questions or recommendations, and motions/resolutions often involve debate (which can get lively). Finally, there is time for public comment, followed by recommendations for future agenda items, and then we adjourn.”

There are currently seven standing committees on the Academic Senate: The Committee for Assessing Student Learning, Curriculum Committee, Student Advisory Committee, Technology Across the Curriculum, Budget Committee Engagement Committee and Adjunct Advisory Committee. Each committee has a varying number of senators and chair holders.

Chairs and senators are two different roles. For example, Ian Leighton, who teaches English and American Sign Language classes, is a chair for the Adjunct Advisory Committee. His job is to prepare and host monthly meetings to discuss issues relevant to adjunct professors. Those issues are then brought up to Provost Sally Welch. In contrast, a senator’s job is to ensure productive discussions leading to agreement and decisions. They are there to represent different perspectives rather than organize or set meetings up.

Students are also welcome to attend Academic Senate meetings. They occur every payday Friday from 9:10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Webex. A full calendar of meeting dates can be found on the Academic Senate webpage and the link to the meeting can be acquired by emailing lcc-academic-senate-admin@star.lcc.edu. Tracy Nothnagel, the Academic Senate president, encourages students to attend the meetings. “It’s important for students because the senate is one of the places where their voices can directly influence decisions,” Nothnagel said. “Our two student senators bring forward student perspectives, ideas, and concerns so that policies and programs reflect the real experiences of the people in the classroom. The senate also promotes collaboration across faculty, administration, and students, which helps ensure that changes at the college are thoughtful, balanced, and supportive of student success. “