Pitzer College
PA-3: Governance

Pitzer students are able to participate in governance via Hall Council, Student Senate, and College Council.

College Council is the main policy-making body at Pitzer. All Student Senate members have the opportunity to vote on issues presented at College Council.

Pitzer College Student Senate is the central governing body for the students. The primary goal of the Student Senate is to promote and enhance student engagement and campus life. Senate is the official body for protecting student rights and interests, facilitating student participation in College policy-making, increasing the quality of students’ educational and academic experience, upholding the core values of the College in all areas of student life, facilitating communication between students and faculty, staff, and bureaucratic organizations, recognizing and funding student organizations, representing the student body in College Council meetings and all official college business, and striving to improve the welfare of students.

Staff have the opportunity to participate in governance via the Staff Council, Staff Council of Representatives, and College Council.

15 Staff Council Representatives will be elected from among the Council membership, excluding members of Senior Staff who already participate with the President in the decision-making process as follows. Three Representatives will be elected from the Supervisory constituency. Nine Representatives will be elected from the Non-Supervisory constituency. Three At-Large Representatives will also be elected. An Alternate Representative from each constituency will also be elected. Staff Council Representatives for the following fiscal year will be elected by secret ballot prior to the end of the fiscal year. An election Committee, appointed by the Staff Council Representatives, consisting of at least two staff not on the election ballot, will conduct the nomination and election process. Potential Election Committee members will be asked whether they intend to be candidates for Representative, prior to appointment. The Election Committee will conduct the following process: (1.) Nomination. Written notice of the Election Committee membership, nomination period and the election process will be made to all staff. The nomination period must be at least one week long. Staff may nominate themselves, or any other staff member. (2.) Confirmation. The Election Committee will contact each nominated staff member, who must confirm that they consent to be considered for election as a Representative. When all candidates have been confirmed, the Election Committee will produce a ballot listing all candidates, and indicating each candidate‘s constituent group. (3.) Announcement. Candidates for Staff Council Representative may be announced and introduced at the next Staff Council meeting, as well as by email and other media. The Election Committee will also announce the election time and procedure. (4.) Election. Ballots will be distributed and collected during a two day period following the announcement of the candidates. (5.) Tabulation. The Election Committee will count the ballots immediately following the close of the voting period. After tabulating the ballots, the staff receiving the highest number of votes in each constituency shall be Representatives. The next three staff receiving the greatest number of total votes will be Representatives. Two Alternate Representatives will be determined by the next highest vote-getters in each constituency, one per constituency. (6.) Notification. Upon certifying the election results, the election Committee will make written announcement to the Pitzer community in written and electronic formats, and will contact each new or continuing Staff Council Representatives.

Staff Council Representatives (SCR) is a peer-elected committee tasked with the following responsibilities: Address important staff policies and benefits Provide a formal avenue of communication for all staff Vote on behalf of staff on college-wide issues at College Council meetings Check out the Resources section for benefits and services available to you. SCR has staff representation on the following committees: Academic Planning Committee Aesthetics Committee Budget Implementation Committee (BIC) Campus Life Committee Diversity Committee SCR Represents Staff Interests at College Council College Council is the main policy-making body at Pitzer. Generally, all policy recommendations that are made by the various committees are forwarded to College Council for discussion and eventual vote. If passed, these recommendations go to the President and as appropriate to the Board of Trustees for final approval.

Faculty have the opportunity to participate in governance via the Faculty Executive Committee and College Council.

All members of the Pitzer College faculty on full-time teaching appointments at Pitzer College (including those on leave) shall have the right to vote in College Council. The right to vote also may be given, on a year-to-year basis, by the President to members of the teaching faculty with less than full-time appointment at Pitzer College upon recommendation of the Executive Committee of the Faculty.

Powers of the faculty: All matters relating to the educational policies of the College are subject to review by the faculty. These include academic programs (including external studies and special programs), degree requirements, academic honors, concentration requirements, transfer credit and advanced standing, the curriculum, faculty recruitment priorities, sabbatical and leave policy, the instructional budget, admissions and financial aid policy, faculty research and development policy, faculty salaries, fringe benefits and other conditions of employment, and all matters directly or indirectly affecting the educational mission of the College.

Pitzer’s governmental structure makes it virtually unique among American colleges. Students along with faculty and staff are represented on all the standing committees of the College including those which deal with the most vital and sensitive issues of the College community. In most instances, policy decisions of the standing committees are made in the form of recommendations to College Council, which is the primary legislative body of the school, made up of the faculty, staff representatives and student representatives. The College Council meeting shall make recommendations to the President. Recommendations from the College Council meeting shall be communicated by the Dean of Faculty to the President in writing. The President shall notify the Executive Committee of the Faculty and the Dean of Faculty of his/her approval or disapproval. In the latter case, the President shall enumerate the reasons for his/her action. Agenda items that entail a major change in policy shall be discussed one meeting prior to a vote.