Participatory Governance
District Participatory Governance Council
The District is committed to a participatory governance system which ensures faculty, staff and students the right to participate effectively in District and college governance and the opportunity to express their opinions at the campus and District levels and to ensure that these opinions are given every reasonable consideration. The District Participatory Governance Council is the formal Districtwide body that convenes representatives of all stakeholder groups (students, faculty, staff, administration, Academic Senates, unions) to discuss important policy matters and advise the Chancellor, who then advises the Board of Trustees on those matters.
The 20-member Committee meets monthly during the academic year and meetings are open to the public. More information about the DPGC can be found here.
The DPGC is co-chaired by Dr. Aaron McVean, Vice Chancellor for Educational Services and Planning, and Professor Kate William Browne, President of the District Academic Senate.
District Academic Senate
The Academic Senate addresses all academic and professional matters outlined in the 11 areas of responsibilities defined in Title 5, Section 53200, and is the voice of the faculty on matters related to curriculum and instruction. The SMCCCD Board of Trustees has agreed to rely primarily upon the expertise of the senate in academic and professional matters. Each of the District's colleges has an academic senate. Additional information about the District Academic Senate can be found here.