Academic Senate Committees

The primary purpose of the Site Councils is to investigate and serve as ombudsman for site faculty concerns. In this role, it is appropriate for the Site Councils to develop policy or procedure proposals for consideration by the Executive Senate, to develop site-based recommendations for the joint hiring process, to develop site-based recommendations for planning, budget, and special recognition of members.

Curriculum Committee Charge

This committee shall serve to consider and recommend policies and procedures regarding curriculum and award development, requisites, graduation requirements, general education requirements, program review, grading policies, and program discontinuance. On curricular and grading issues of a daily operational nature, this committee will make recommendations to the Board of Trustees with College Council review.

Curriculum Committee Mission Statement

The mission of the Mt. San Jacinto College Curriculum Committee is to facilitate quality, advocacy, guidance, policies, and criteria to ensure that all instructional programs, including courses and awards, are academically sound and compliant with educational regulations, reflect excellence in instruction, and uphold the integrity of our institution.  The committee ensures that all curricular matters are responsive to the evolving educational needs and goals of the college community while preserving the mission of the college.

Charge: This committee meets two Mondays a month beginning at 3:30pm. The first meeting of the month is face-to-face, alternating campuses (SJC, MVC). The second meeting (except for November) is done via linked rooms at all three campuses (SJC, MVC, TVC). The first meetings of the month typically last 1 1⁄2 - 3 hours, depending on the size of the agendas, sometimes longer. The second meetings are typically shorter, usually about 30 minutes. Membership on the committee also requires faculty participation in pedagogical review of courses or Distance Education addenda, depending on their roles on the committee. FLEX credit is available for all pedagogical review of courses or Distance Education addenda. There are two required training sessions held in August. Everyone is trained together. 

Contract Service Credit: YES

Interest form: Curriculum Committee Interest Form

Meeting schedule: Two Mondays a month at 3:30PM

Representation by Instructional Area  
Allied Health: Peter Zografos  
Applied Tech, MVC: William (Tony) Farrar [DE]  
Applied Tech, SJC: Robert Pensiero  
Applied Tech At-Large SJC: Rick Martinez
Arts, MVC: John Tribelhorn (Chair)   
Arts, SJC: Chet Glaze   
Arts, At-Large: Leopold Murphy  
Business/CIS, MVC: David Candelaria   
Business/CIS, SJC: Vacant   
Business/CIS, At-Large: Vacant    
Language and Letters, MVC: Michelle Stewart   
Language and Letters, SJC: Hector Guzman Orozco 
Language and Letters, At-Large: Vacant (Prerequisite Sub-Committee Chair)  
Math, MVC: Marilena Beckstrand     
Math, SJC: Vacant     
Math, At-Large MVC: Michael Caputo    
Nursing, SJC: Sana Masad  
Science, MVC: Shauni Calhoun [DE]  
Science, SJC: Becky Allen  
Science, At-Large SJC: Vacant  
Social/Behavioral Sciences, MVC: Jess Whalen   
Social/Behavioral Sciences, SJC: Nick Zappia (need interim replacement?) 
Social/Behavioral Sciences, At-Large: Vacant   
Student Development, MVC: Lota Cobb [DE]  
Non-Credit: Erin Chafin   

Representation by Function  

Faculty Member At-Large (7)   
English, MVC: Rebecca Colemen
English, MVC: Michael Benitez
Culinary, TVC/MVC: Danny Babin  
SJC: Angelica Baccari 
SJC: Brittany Renard
Vacant  
Vacant       

Counselor (4)  
Shartelle Fears, MVC   
Cynthia Garcia, MVC  
Cynthia Vargas, SJC
Meghan Curley Basgall, TVC  

Articulation Officer, SJC: Lyndsey Tone   
Assessment Coordinator: Belinda Heiden Scott

Associated Students (2) 
Vacant  
Vacant   

Administration (4)  
Marc Donnhauser, MVC   
Nick Zappia (interim), Career Education, SJC  
Alma Ramirez, SJC   
Vacant, MVC 

The Academic Senate shall form an Equivalency Committee to review requests and make recommendations for granting equivalency.

Charge: Ensure that the equivalency process meets all legal requirements and adheres to the standards and requirements of the board of governors’ minimum qualification regulations (Title 5, Sections 53400-53430) as set forth within the disciplines lists and guidelines in the Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administrators in Community Colleges handbook. The most recent edition of the handbook should be posted on the Equivalency web page for committee and faculty reference.
•  Serve as a resource to Screening/Interviewing Committees regarding equivalency determinations.
• Recommend all equivalency determinations to the Executive Academic Senate and the President/Superintendent for Board approval. The Committee chair will submit a report to the Academic Senate once a year.
• Provide accurate records of all equivalency determinations to Human Resources after determinations of applications are made at the monthly, scheduled meetings. Applications submitted during off contract periods will be held until the next scheduled equivalency committee meeting.
• Periodically review this Equivalency Procedure and recommend necessary changes to the Academic Senate and Board of Trustees.

Contract Service Credit: YES

Interest form: Equivalency Committee Interest Form

Meeting schedule: 2nd Friday each month, 10:30AM to 12:30PM

Faculty Membership: Committee members should be representative of all campuses and all five of the Pathway Programs with one member each from Arts, Communication, and Design; Business, Technology, and Entrepreneurship; Health and Wellness; People, Culture, and Public Service; and Science, Math, and Engineering. In addition to these five respective Pathway representatives, the committee shall include 4 At-Large positions.

At-Large: Aaron Rietkerk, History (Co-Chair)

At-Large: Suzanne Uhl, Communications (Co-Chair)

At-Large: John Mull, English

At-Large: Bianca Swan-Finch, Theatre

At-Large: Truc HaMai, Psychology

At-Large: Sujatha Pamula, Biology

At-Large: Adriana Lallman, AUME

At-Large: Trent Skinner, Kinesiology

At-Large: Jeremy Rogers, ASL

Non-Voting Resources:

Executive Senate President: John Torres

Executive Senate Vice President: Ron Newman

Human Resources: Brittany Sandner

Human Resources: Tabitha Lawler

Charge: The Faculty Excellence Committee is charged with selecting the Faculty of the Year award recipients annually, grant title of Professor to qualified applicants in an annual process, grant title of Professor Emeritus to qualified faculty when appropriate and Review committee policies and procedures annually and report any recommendations to the Academic Senate for review and approval.

Contract Service Credit: YES

Interest form: Faculty Excellence Committee Interest Form

Meeting schedule: Meetings times are once per semester OR twice in Spring.

Eligibility: Combination of Full Professor and Tenured Professors

Faculty Membership: 6 faculty At-Large (3 SJC and 3 MVC)

SJC At-Large: Bertha Barraza

SJC At-Large: John Knuth

SJC At-Large: Ryan Sullivan

MVC At-Large: Roy Mason

MVC At-Large: Eileen Doktorski

MVC At-Large: Miranda Angeles (Chair)

Charge: Mt. San Jacinto College High School Partnership Committee is a standing committee which will serve to advise and help implement current and robust partnerships with area early college programs, including but not limited to Dual Enrollment Programs, Middle College Programs, concurrent enrollment, high school articulation and course alignment. The committee will strive to create equitable programs which serve a diverse range of students while ensuring MSJC standards and rigor of courses are maintained, including adherence to current MSJC course outlines of record, academic senate policies, Title 5 requirements, and Ed Code. The committee shall serve to coordinate, organize, assess, and recommend programs and services related to high school partnerships and student success; these may include matters of academic support, professional development, and innovations.

Interest form: High School Partnerships Advisory Committee Interest Form

Meeting schedule: 2nd Wednesday, every other month, 2:30-4:00PM (Sept, Nov, Feb, Apr)

Administration (3)

Jenny Hughes, Director of K-12 Partnerships (Tri-Chair)

Alma Ramirez, Instructional Dean

Cheri Naish, Instructional Associate Dean

Faculty Membership (6)

Curriculum Chair/Liaison: Rick Martinez (proxy for John Tribelhorn)

Non-career Ed SJC: Vacancy

Non-career Ed MVC: Vacancy

Articulation: Lyndsey Tone

Career Ed: Stephen Hamrick, District, Engineering

At-Large: Albert Jimenez, MVC, FYE

Counselor: Vacant

 

Sub-Committee: MSJC k-12 HS Summit

Elias Escamilla

 

Classified (3)

Angela Drumm, Career Education

Karla Marquez, Enrollment Specialist of Concurrent/Dual Enrollment

Rachel Gomez, Learning Resource Center

Resources

Akia Marshall, Director of Enrollment Services

Brandon Moore, Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and Enrollment Management

Rebecca Teague, Vice President of Student Services

Executive Senate President: John Torres

Executive Senate Vice President: Ron Newman

Each year the Joint Chair Committee reviews all requests for changes in department configuration, as well as data that determine coordinator and chair reassigned time/compensation.

Meeting schedule: Meets annually

Faculty Membership: 2 Senate Representatives

SJC Academic Senate President

MVC Academic Senate President

Charge: At the beginning of each academic year, the office of the Superintendent/President provides a number of new faculty to be hired based on the Joint Hiring Committee (JHC) recommendations and the fiscal capabilities inherent in hiring new full-time faculty.

Hiring priorities for full-time faculty begin with full-time faculty. Pathways and Area Deans and Department Chairs discuss the needs and recommendations for replacement and net-new full-time faculty positions and complete and submit a proposal as needed.

JHC meets each Fall semester with the Vice-President of Instruction to finalize the number of positions available that academic year. Faculty Chairs and Pathway and Area Deans will be alerted to the timeline to submit all hiring proposals.

Final recommendations to the Board of Trustees will be made by the Superintendent/President after consulting with the President of the Academic Senate and the Vice Presidents of Instruction and Student Services.

The approved list of faculty positions to be recruited shall be submitted to HR by November 1st of each year.

The JHC consists of members of the Executive Senate of the Academic Senate (6), and Area Deans (5). The Academic Senate President and one Area Dean shall co-chair the meeting to reach consensus upon a college-wide list of recommended positions. The Co-Chairs will convey these recommendations in writing to the Superintendent/President. This document will bear the signatures of these individuals.

Meeting schedule: Convocation each semester to set calendar for semester as needed 

Faculty Membership: Appointed from Academic Senate

SJC Academic Senate President

SJC Academic Senate VP

SJC Associate Faculty Rep

MVC Academic Senate President

MVC Academic Senate VP

MVC Associate Faculty Rep

The role of the Judiciary Committee is to deliberate and decide issues relevant to this constitution. All faculty members who are not members of the Executive Senate or one of the Site Councils are eligible to serve on the Judiciary Committee. The Judiciary Committee members shall be comprised of five duly elected faculty members (see Article X, Section 2 of the newly adopted Senate Constitution effective February 7, 2025).

Nominations and Elections facilitated by Academic Senate

Eligibility and Terms: A term of office shall be for two years, beginning October 15th

Meeting schedule: As needed

Faculty Membership: Elected Faculty at-large Representatives

Nick Reeves (October 15, 2024 - October 15, 2026)

Morgan Hoodenpyle (October 15, 2023 - October 15, 2025)

Julie Freeman (October 15, 2023 - October 15, 2025)

The MSJC Academic Senate Strong Workforce Program Committee, under the direction of the Academic Senate, is charged with

1. Responsibility for establishing, assessing, and publicizing procedures and guidelines in accordance with State SWP requirements and aligning with institutional priorities for the allocation of funds from SWP.
2. Working with stakeholders to engage industry and local workforce development board. The purpose of which is to provide a data-informed approach to building “more and better” CTE programs for MSJC that are proactive and responsive to industry needs.
3. Establish a liaison relationship between the local academic senate and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC), the state Chancellor's office and the regional consortia.
4. Equal access for all CTE faculty programs to a venue for dialogue and advocacy for their respective programs.
5. Present Strong Workforce Program budget allocation recommendations to Academic Senate and CTE Advisory.

Contract Service Credit: YES

Interest form: Strong Workforce Program Committee Interest Form

Meeting schedule: 1st Thursday of Month 12-1pm; The committee will meet at least twice per semester and as needed.

Faculty Membership: 12 Faculty   

TEDS: Susie Valdez (Faculty Co-Chair)

Associate Faculty, SJC: Bob Bozonelos, Audio

Allied Health, Nursing, DMS, MVC: September Cortes

Digital Media, Audio & Video, Tech Photography, MVC: Alan Marsala

Business: Larry Barraza

Administration of Justice: William Ferrar

CE Counselor MVC: Sonia Verduzco

CE Counselor SJC: VACANT

FT At-Large MVC: Dwight Duffie, CIS

FT At-Large MVC: Robert Pensiero, AUME, SJC

FT At-Large SJC: Dewey Heinsma, MVC

FT At-Large SJC: John Torres, ANTH

The charge of the tenure review committee shall be to help assure fair, valid, and consistent evaluation practices for all contract faculty.

Interest form: Tenure Review Committee Interest Form  

Meeting schedule: December and May each semester (typically the 2nd Friday of the Month)

Contract Service Credit: YES

Eligibility: Full-time Tenured Faculty

Faculty Membership: 6 Tenured faculty 3 SJC, 3 MVC

FT Tenured Faculty, MVC: Lauren Springer ENG/LIT

FT Tenured Faculty, SJC: Michael Plotkin BIO 

FT Tenured Faculty, SJC: Ron Bowman BUS

FT Tenured Faculty, TVC/MVC: Karen Cranney

FT Tenured Faculty MVC: Jason Hlebakos, ENVR Studies (Faculty Chair)

FT Tenured Faculty SJC: Rosalee Gibbons, CHEM

Union Rep Resource: Lorraine Slattery (retired?)