On Feb. 28, California State University Stanislaus, (Stan State) held its third Academic Senate Meeting of the spring semester. A few topics discussed that afternoon included change to the Senate’s Constitution and scheduling issues surrounding spring and Thanksgiving break. Attending the meeting was that day sat Stan State’s President Ellen Junn there to participate in the discussion.
The Senate last met on Feb. 14. According to their meeting agenda, they discussed issues such as the “possible resolutions” to the executive orders and potential change regarding to immigration policy, which had been an important issue that emerged during the first senate meeting of the semester, held on Jan. 31.
Yet another topic of discussion that occurred at the Feb. 14 meeting that was brought up once again on Tuesday, Feb. 28 was the Joint Statement on Shared Government Resolution.
According to the statement, “An effective system of shared governance within the university recognizes that the President ultimately has authority and responsibility for decisions affecting the institution. The same system recognizes that the university benefits from a process of joint decision-making, consultation, and a spirit of collegiality where in mutual responsibility is essential. This collaborative work manifests primarily as shared governance informed by robust consultation.”
President Junn said that shared governance is essential in discussing important issues regarding Stan State’s academic affairs through committees that do their best to uphold the overall goal of CSU colleges.
“Universities exist because we’re here to help educate students,” President Junn said. “I think that every president should help develop a strong, collaborative relationship over consulting and communicating with one another on a regular, ongoing basis.” 
Junn is quite familiar with the “collaborative process” after her time spent on the Senate during her years as a professor and felt that attending the meeting was just one of her many important duties as the President of Stan State University.
Also in attendance that afternoon was the Interim Vice President for Business and Finance, CFO and meeting spectator Darrell Haydon. His purpose for attending the Academic Senate Meeting was to show his support to the shared governance forum as well as provide any answers the Senate might have concerning finances associated with the university.
“The key is, as part of the rule of shared governance, is that the administrators are available, in willingness and presence, to work with the Academic Senate and address issues that the campus has. By being available, by working together, we are able to make progress. And, at the end of the day, everything we do should be in support of what happens with the students,” Haydon said. “so that way we’re not all going in different directions.”
At the beginning of the meeting, the Senate was proud to announce that the California Faculty Association (CFA) donated $35,000 to fund Stan State’s campus food pantries. According to President Junn, the money came out of the CFA’s own treasury that gave $25,000 to an “endowment” where Stan State will “use the interest on that every year to buy food for the food pantry,” Junn said. The other $10,000 was given to cover “emergency funding for students,” Junn said.
Although there is an incredible amount of “underlying knowledge to these conversations,” as Haydon put it, the meetings are not always as serious as the title might have one presume. Senate members often banter back and forth with one another and make occasional jokes.
However, many students, like Isle Haro (senior, Psychology), are unaware that these meetings exist. If you are like Haro and wish to know more about who represents you within Stan State’s governance, Senate meetings are held every other Tuesday from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the John Stuart Rogers Faculty Development Center (FSRFDC) in the reference room and are open to the public.