Starting a New Classified Senate

In addition to the guidelines that follow, consider contacting your 4CS Area Representative for additional ideas and more specific assistance. Also, contact and visit other nearby colleges that have recently formed senates. Their support, enthusiasm and experiences may be very valuable to your group as you begin.

Generalized Steps:

1. Clarify your purpose for forming a senate and see what the interest level is among the classified staff on your campus. Your primary purpose(s) should be to improve district and college wide policies and services for the benefit of your students and community and, in so doing, to enunciate the classified governance voice in such manners.

2. Form a respected and small group of classified staff dedicated to completing the work of forming a new senate. Including a union leader that appreciates the value of a classified senate would be a good idea, from the start. This is your group to work with on the rest of the steps.

2. Start to evaluate if you have any wide spread classified support for the concept of starting a senate to increase governance participation. Check the atmosphere of other groups on your campus regarding the formation of a classified senate, such as the faculty senate, student government, administration (College President), management, and the classified bargaining unit(s). As you continue the formation of a classified senate, keep everyone informed on what you are doing, as appropriate. Providing information to your classified staff and other colleagues is a very important part of the process.

3. Schedule a meeting with a group of classified that will serve as your development team and that will share in the work and support you and the process. It is best to schedule your planning meetings on your own time, at this point, to avoid any early conflicts with work responsibilities and between others concerned with your activities. Begin working on a timeline or list of things to be accomplished to build a successful senate. Make sure you create a timeline that is functional (realistic) and can be adjusted as needed. For many senates the formation has not succeeded on the original timeline. Be flexible and patient. Be sure, in your meetings, to describe specific steps or actions to be accomplished and document who will volunteer to accomplish them and by what deadline. Solicit input from others as needed. Let staff know what you are doing. Ask for information from 4CS as needed.

4. Create a Mission Statement, Constitution, and/or Bylaws. There are many examples and patterns to use as a guide. Just remember, what is right for one college may not be right for another. This will be your classified staff 's senate and needs to meet the specific needs of your staff. Try to have all classified represented, provide equality in voting and participation, consider time requirements, the numbers of classified to be represented, and district and college configurations in your proposed structure.

5. If you have a classified union or unions in your college or district, propose that a “delineation of functions” agreement between the classified union and senate should be drafted and approved, so each body will understand their complementary roles and focus. This helps to reduce future conflicts and establishes how the two separate classified bodies will share in representing the classified staff, generally, one in the collective bargaining arena (the union) and the other in governance as a college “committee” (the senate). Do not be surprised if “gray” areas show up where both bodies need to work closely together and the function can be listed for both.

6. Disseminate information on your progress to your classified colleagues to encourage interest in participating and to receive ideas as needed. As you make progress, include more classified in the process. Request input from others when you are ready. Building positive relations for the senate is a very important part of this process. Keep letting staff know what you are doing, what the process is, and what a senate stands for and what it can mean for all. Share the benefits that have come to classified involved in governance work through their senates at other colleges and districts.

7. Distribute the proposed Mission Statement, Constitution, and/or Bylaws to the classified staff. At this time, I do not recommend you ask for changes, especially if you have already requested ideas on specific aspects as you went along. You will receive many recommendations and it will slow the process. You may need to evaluate the urgency of incorporating the suggestions based on how critical they are to the success of starting the senate. Most senates adjust their structures after they begin to actually work. Inform the staff that you want them to either vote yes or no; changes can and will be made once the classified senate is formed. If possible, have an information session (talk to your Staff Development office). This will give staff with concerns the chance to ask questions and to be a part of the process. With less procedural regulations on governance committees (senates) than collective bargaining associations (unions), voting can be less formal and more open if you prefer. All classified should be given the opportunity to vote that would be eventually represented by your senate. For many senates, this includes classified confidentials, supervisors, and managers that have no other governance representation method already established (i.e. management senate).

8. Create a process for the classified staff to vote on the package of Mission Statement, Constitution, and/or Bylaws. If you use written ballots rather than a hand vote (during a meeting), you might consider asking a small group of classified, students (from the student government leaders), and/or faculty senate members to tally and certify the votes with you. Announce the results to your classified staff first.

9. If approved, present the results of the vote and information concerning the senate to your College/District President and Board of Trustees for District recognition and inclusion in any existing governance policies that may need to be modified. Arrange for approval of the senate by the Board of Trustees (as appropriate) and start forming your first senate. (having elections, meetings, time lines, etc.)

10. During your first few Senate meetings, vote on becoming a member of 4CS. Send us copy of your Constitution and/or Bylaws and information as to who are your officers to California Community Colleges Classified Senate (4CS) to become a member. Congratulations

All of the work above is to be done on your own time, at your own expense with the exception of items that can be funded as a Staff Development Project. This is to protect your newly created organization from being disbanded. (See: Legal Opinion of State Chancellor's Office regarding Minimum Standards for Staff Participation in Governance) Later, while working with your union and administration, you can arrange for time to meet and funding.

During this whole process, work with the bargaining unit. Remember, you are creating an organization that can not deal with negotiable issues. Also remember, to a large extent, you are the same classified staff that is served by and represented by your union(s).

Forming a New Senate (Introduction)

Discussion Topics - Building an Effective Classified Senate

Additional information is available within the 4CS Reference Guide written to assist 4CS and its member senates. The 4CS Reference Guide is a pdf download document (5.4 MB). View the Publications section of this Web site for other related documents.

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Copyright 2003 California Community Colleges Classified Senate
Last updated: 11/18/03.