DAS By-Laws

• Section 1. The College Academic Senate President shall mean the president of the Academic Senate of a member college.
  
• Section 2. Senator shall mean an elected district senator from a member college.

• Section 3. Constitution shall mean the Constitution of the District Academic Senate.

• Section 4. Senate shall mean the District Academic Senate Officers, the college Academic Senate Presidents, and District Academic Senate Senators.
  
• Section 5. District Academic Senate President, District Academic Senate Vice-President, District Academic Senate Secretary, District Academic Senate Treasurer and District Academic Senate Parliamentarian shall be the titles of the District Academic Senate Officers.
  
• Section 6. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the District Academic Senate, all college Academic Senate Presidents, and the Immediate Past President.

Section 1. Each college will be assessed yearly dues at the rate of one hundred dollars per year. The Treasurer shall notify each Faculty Academic Senate President of the amount of the yearly assessment prior to the date of the last regularly scheduled meeting of the school year.

SELECTION A: OFFICERS
• Section 1. At the end of the Fall semester, the District Academic Senate President in conjunction with the Executive Committee shall appoint a chairperson and select five other members to serve on the Nominations and Elections Committee. The Committee's duties are as follows:

  a. It shall seek candidates for office by notifying all members of the District Academic Senate.

  b. It shall place the names of all eligible candidates on the ballot.

  The Committee shall distribute its list of candidates to the members of the District Academic Senate one month before the DAS meeting at which the election is to take place. At that time the committee shall request of each college academic senate president a roster of their DAS representatives. In order to vote for DAS officers, a DAS representative is required to have attended at least one DAS meeting (other than the election meeting) during the current academic year.

• Section 2. Officers of the District Academic Senate shall be elected every other year (i.e. in odd-numbered years) at the second Spring meeting of the District Academic Senate. Each candidate may prepare a statement (of 500 words or fewer) outlining why he/she should be elected to the office he/she is seeking, send that to the chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee, who will in turn circulate these statements to eligible DAS voters a minimum of two weeks prior to the election meeting. Additional nominations shall be taken from the floor at this meeting, after which the elections shall occur. Only those DAS representatives identified in Section 1, will be allowed to vote for DAS officers.

• Section 3. Candidates for District Academic Senate Officers shall have served in the District Academic Senate for at least one year during the previous five years.

• Section 4. Elections for District Academic Senate officers shall be by ballot with each eligible District Academic Senate member allowed one vote per office. A majority of those present and voting shall be required for election.
  
• Section 5. District Academic Senate officers will take office on the July 1st after the spring semester in which their election occurred and shall serve for twenty-four months.
  
• Section 6. In the event a District Academic Senate office other than that of District Academic Senate President becomes vacant before the expiration of a term, a special election to fill the vacancy shall be held at the next regular District Academic Senate meeting. Nominations shall be made from the floor, and the election shall be by ballot.
  
  
SECTION B: ELECTION OF SENATORS
• Section 1. Each member college shall in the month of December choose the number of district senators necessary to fill the vacant positions. The method of choice shall comply with the legislative mandate of free selection by colleagues.
  
• Section 2. Each College Academic Senate President shall certify in writing the election of District Senator to the District Academic Senate President and to the District Academic Senate Secretary. Such certification shall be done prior to the seating of the new senator.

• Section 1. The District Senate President:
1. Shall preside over the District Academic Senate and District Senate Executive Committee meetings.
2. Shall be chief spokesperson of the District Academic Senate, and as such shall attend all meetings of the District Board of Trustees.
3. Shall call special meetings of the District Academic Senate.
4. Shall prepare the agenda for all District Academic Senate meetings.
5. Shall serve as an ex officio member of all District Academic Senate committees.
6. Shall file an annual report of District Academic Senate activities and plans for the coming academic year.
7. The newly elected District Academic Senate President may appoint a Parliamentarian, who must be confirmed by a majority vote of the District Academic Senate.
8. Shall perform such other duties as the District Academic Senate shall from time to time delegate.
   
• Section 2. The District Academic Senate Vice-President:
1. Shall perform the duties of District Senate President in the latter's absence.
2. Shall succeed to the office of District Senate President for the duration of the unexpired term, if the presidency becomes vacant during a term.
3. Shall serve as Chairperson of the Educational Policy Advisory Committee.
4. Shall serve as the Chairperson of the District Curriculum Committee.
5. Shall serve on the Executive Committee of the District Senate.
6. Shall perform other duties as assigned.
   
• Section 3. The District Senate Secretary:
  
1. Shall record the attendance of District Academic Senate members and the minutes of each District Academic Senate meeting.
2. Shall distribute copies of the minutes to each member college at least five days prior to the next
   regular District Academic Senate meeting.
3. Shall notify District Academic Senate members at least seven days in advance of the time, place, and agenda of regular meetings of the District Academic Senate.
4. Shall notify District Academic Senate members by the most expedient method of the time, place, and
   agenda of special meetings of the District Academic Senate.
5. Shall serve on the Executive Committee of the District Academic Senate.
6. Shall make available copies of the Constitution and By-Laws.
7. Shall perform other duties as assigned.
   
• Section 4. The District Senate Treasurer:
1. Shall collect dues from all colleges, disburse funds to satisfy District Academic Senate debts, and
   maintain records of the District Academic Senate's finances.
2. Shall make semi-annual reports to the District Academic Senate on the financial condition of the District Academic Senate.
3. Shall serve on the Executive Committee of the District Academic Senate.
4. Shall make monthly budget reports.
5. Shall chair the Budget Committee of the District Academic Senate.
6. Shall perform other duties as assigned.
   
• Section 5. The District Academic Senate Immediate Past President:
1. Shall serve on the Executive Committee of the District Academic Senate.
2. Shall perform other duties as assigned.
   
• Section 6. The District Academic Senate Parliamentarian:
  1. Shall act as parliamentary advisor to the District Academic Senate.
  2. Shall maintain the official copy of the Constitution and By-Laws, and shall maintain such copy available at all District Academic Senate meetings.
  3. Shall serve ex officio as parliamentary advisor to all District committees.
  4. Shall serve on the District Executive Committee of the Senate.
  5. Shall serve as parliamentary advisor to all District Academic Senate committees.
  6. Shall perform other duties as assigned.
     
• Section 7. Duties of District Academic Senators:
1. Shall attend all regular meetings of the District Academic Senate.
2. Shall assist local senate presidents to inform local senates about action and information items from the District Academic Senate.
3. Shall participate as needed in District Academic Senate Committees or task forces.
   

• Section 1. The District Academic Senate shall meet a minimum of four times per year. One of these meetings shall be in conjunction with the Fall District Academic Senate Summit.
  
• Section 2. The District Academic Senate Executive Committee shall meet at least monthly.
  
• Section 3. The District Academic Senate President, in conjunction with the Executive Committee may call additional District Academic Senate meetings or DAS Executive Committee meetings as required.
  
• Section 4. Upon written request of ten members of the District Academic Senate, the president shall convene a meeting.
  
• Section 5. The District Academic Senate shall report to the respective college Academic Senates the minutes of every District Academic Senate general and executive meeting.

• Section 1. A quorum shall consist of representation from at least five of the nine colleges.
  

• Section 1. The District Academic Senate President shall prepare an agenda for each District Senate meeting.
  
• Section 2. Any District Academic Senate member shall have the right to place on the agenda any item the District Senate member deems pertinent to District Senate function in Article VIII of the Constitution. To place an item on the agenda,
  a District Academic Senator must notify in writing the District Academic President at least two weeks before the meeting.
  
• Section 3. Items may be placed on the agenda with the approval of the majority present and voting.
  
• Section 4. Any item declared to be substantive by two-thirds of the District Academic Senate members present shall be put in the form of a noticed motion for consideration at the next regular meeting of the District Academic Senate.
  

• Section 1. The District Academic Senate President shall terminate general discussion of an item at the end of twenty minutes and shall call for a vote on the disposition of the item, unless time is extended.
  
• Section 2. Each speaker may have a maximum of five minutes to speak on an issue.
  
• Section 3. Upon petition of a college Academic Senate, received within fifteen school days of issuance of District Academic
  Senate minutes, protesting any action taken by the District Academic Senate, the matter referred to in the petition shall be reconsidered by the District Academic Senate at its next meeting. Reconsidered matters require a two-thirds vote of the District Academic Senate to affirm, discard, amend; or take any other action thereon.

• Section 1. The District Academic Senate shall have Standing Committees as provided herein. Unless otherwise indicated, the District Senate President shall appoint all committee members and chairpersons. Any District faculty member may serve on any committee. Each member shall serve for a period of two years except that in the initial year of a Standing Committee, one-half of the Committee members shall be appointed to one-year terms. All chairpersons shall serve one-year terms with the right of reappointment. The District Academic Senate may overrule the President's appointments by a two-thirds vote of the entire membership of the District Academic Senate and any Chairperson may be recalled by the same method by which said Chairperson was appointed.
  
  1. Executive Committee. The District Academic Senate Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the District Academic Senate,
     all College Academic Senate Presidents, and the District Senate Immediate Past President. Other members may be added to the Executive Committee
     at the discretion of the District Academic Senate President with the approval of a two-thirds majority vote of the District Academic Senate. The Chairperson shall be the District Academic Senate President.
     
     1. The Committee shall assume the duties of the District Academic Senate during those months when the District Academic Senate is not scheduled to meet.
     2. The Committee shall be responsible for an annual review of the District Academic Senate Constitution and By-Laws, and shall assist the District Academic President in monitoring District Academic Senate committee work, setting the agenda of District Academic Senate meetings, and nominating members of the Colleges to serve on District Academic Senate committees and commissions.
     3. The Committee shall function as the Goals and Priorities Committee. It shall make a formal report to the District Academic Senate at its first meeting after the election of new officers. This report shall include a description of the past year's accomplishments and recommendations for goals for the District Academic Senate. The District Academic Senate shall consider the report and adopt, reject, or amend it. The accepted report shall become the District Academic Senate program once adopted. However, should new issues occur during the course of the District Academic Senate year, they may be incorporated into the report as goals. Exceptions and amendments to the report shall require a majority vote of the District Academic Senate membership voting affirmatively.
        
  2. District Curriculum Committee. The District Curriculum Committee will be a standing committee of the District Academic Senate. It will recommend policies and procedures concerning curriculum development, oversee the curriculum approval process, and in certain instances, make recommendations to the District Academic Senate on curriculum proposals. The composition of the committee is as follows:
     
     1. The nine local college faculty chairs of the college curriculum committees.
     2. The President and the Vice President of the District Academic Senate.
     3. A faculty member representing the AFT.
     4. Academic Affairs Vice President (1).
     5. Educational services representative (1).
     6. Other Academic Vice Presidents or faculty may serve as resource persons.
        
     
     The Committee will be chaired by the Vice President of the District Academic Senate. Voting members shall consist of the AFT member, the President and Vice President
     of the District Academic Senate, and the nine local chairs of the curriculum committees.
     
  3. Budget Committee. The Budget Committee shall be composed of the District Academic Senate Treasurer and nine members, one from each college appointed by their local senate. The purpose of the Budget Committee is to review the budget of the Los Angeles Community College District and to report to the District Academic Senate on budgetary development and expenditures.
  4. Educational Policy Advisory Committee. The Educational Policy Advisory Committee shall be composed of the college Academic Senate Presidents, who shall serve during their tenure as college Academic Senate President, or their designated representatives. The chairperson shall be the District Academic Senate Vice President. The committee shall itself, or through subcommittees appointed by the Committee and chaired by a member of the Committee, be responsible for monitoring, developing policy recommendations, and assisting in the implementation of such policies in the areas of:
     
     1. Academic standards.
     2. Curricula planning.
     3. Degree requirements.
     4. Discipline committees.
     5. Equivalencies.
     6. Other areas of interest to the District Academic Senate.
        
  5. Constitution and By-Laws Committee. This committee shall be composed of the a DAS officer appointed by the Das President and confirmed by a majority vote of the District Academic Senate and no fewer than three other members of the District Academic Senate, appointed by the District Senate President. The committee shall review, suggest revisions, and interpret the Constitution and By-Laws of the District Academic Senate whenever such action is deemed necessary by the President or the District Academic Senate.
     

• Section 1. Current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern the District Academic Senate in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these by-laws and any special rules of order the District Academic Senate may adopt.
  

• Section 1. Any member of the District Academic Senate with three unexcused absences from regular meetings of the Senate within any year of the elected term shall have that seat declared vacant by the District Academic Senate President. Such vacancies shall be reported to the College Academic Senate President concerned, for action to fill the vacancy according to the College Academic Senate's Constitution or By-laws.
  
• Section 2. Unless the College Academic Senate takes action to replace a College Academic Senate President whose seat has been declared vacant under the provisions of Section 1, that seat shall remain vacant during the term of the then incumbent College Academic Senate President.
  
• Section 3. The District Academic Senate may recall any officer and/or expel any officer or member for cause.

• Section 1. A proposed amendment to the By-Laws may be presented by any member of the District Academic Senate.
  
• Section 2. This amendment to the By-Laws shall be referred to the Executive Committee for study and will be
  presented at the next regular District Senate Executive Committee meeting.
  
• Section 3. The District Academic Senate may adopt the proposed By-Laws amendment by a two-thirds vote of all
  District Academic Senate members present and voting.